by Michael Tolosa

On Thursday, February 4, we were able to hand out fifty Spanish Bibles during a Hispanic outreach in McLean, Virginia. The outreach was held at McLean Bible Church and was sponsored by the church’s Clothing Shop ministry. Luis Villalobos, the Hispanic outreach director for Frontline (the young adult community at MBC), shared the Gospel to the predominantly Latino audience prior to their visit into the Clothing Shop, where they helped themselves to bag-fulls of free clothing.

The Clothing Shop provides free clothing to people attending MBC, as well as the local community — there are no economic qualifications. They provide gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and shoes, which have been donated by the MBC community.

The Hispanic clothing ministry is held every Thursday night at 6:30 PM. We would like to attend regularly to pass out Bibles, but we will need funds to purchase additional Spanish Bibles. Find out how you can help!

by Michael Tolosa

During the week before Christmas, my fiance Megan Beckwith, friend Dan Hong, and I handed out over 150 Christmas-themed New Testament Bibles in Washington, DC. We stood between the White House and the National Christmas Tree and passed the Bibles out to appreciative tourists visiting the U.S. capital. Each group we encountered seemed to speak a different language — but all seemed to understand the words “Christmas story” and “free.”

“Did you get one of these?” I would say to get their attention, “They’re free.” When the passersby inquired what I was handing out, I would tell them, “It’s the original Christmas story.” Most would gladly accept the free gift, while the others would politely refuse.

We encountered many fellow Christians, who encouraged us and thanked us for doing the Bible handouts. One woman said she was completely surprised and inspired to see someone doing what we were doing in DC. A pastor even stopped to bless us. The park police officer patrolling the National Christmas Tree area told us, reluctantly, that we had to move further down the sidewalk away from the Christmas Tree, because there was no soliciting allowed. “I’m a fellow believer,” she said, “And I think what you’re doing is great.”

Inside each Bible, we included a Christmas-themed Gospel tract, so that everyone who received a Bible also received a clear Gospel message. That is, after all, the point of all of this… To reach the Washington, DC area with the message of Jesus Christ.

In addition to the handouts in DC, I was also able to hand out 100 Bibles at Tysons Corner Mall in the affluent area of Tysons Corner, Virginia. In total, we handed out nearly 300 Christmas Bibles last week. We have more Bibles to hand out, including 100 Spanish-language Bibles we’d like to distribute to low-income areas of Langley Park, Maryland in the coming weeks.

Please pray that our commitment to hit the streets with the Gospel message would remain strong, that we would find more people to help us, and that God would bless our efforts and use these Bibles to reveal Himself to the people of Washington, DC.

This fall, Gospel Xpress launched its U.S. division to coincide with the existing ministries in the Philippines. Headed by Michael Tolosa, the U.S. division will focus on evangelism efforts in the Washington, DC area with Bible handouts, street witnessing, classroom training, and video outreach on the Internet.

Michael, who has over a decade of online marketing and filmmaking experience, will use his skills and knowledge to impact the secular Washington, DC area (as well as the Internet) with the message of Jesus Christ.

Already, the U.S. division of Gospel Xpress has launched two video podcast shows (Testimony Videos, Witness Videos) and engaged in mass Bible and tract handouts on the streets of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In 2010, Michael will begin training other young adults to do street evangelism.

We’re excited to see how God is using Gospel Xpress to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the United States capital and all over the world!