Ireland 2010

Posted August 31, 2010

Dearest Friends,

WELCOME AIDEN RILEY SUMMER

I am thrilled to report that in the early hours of the morning little Aiden Riley Summer came to join us. My youngest son, Matt, and his wife Jill are very happy to have their third son finally arrive. Please pray for Aiden to come to faith at an early age and love Jesus Christ with his whole heart.

Just before I left for Ireland, I was visiting with MMatt and Jilll, Luke and Ian. Luke is the oldest and has just turned 4. We were having the best time playing together. When it came time for me to leave, he was unhappy. He begged me not to go and asked why I had to leave. I told him that I had to go and tell children in Ireland about Jesus. He said,"Don't go tell them. stay with me." His deep love for me touched my heart. In his world, I am important. Though he is too little to understand many things, he does understand the joy of being with someone you love. I have thought so much about Luke on this trip as I have been with an ocean of children who do not have the loving home he enjoys. He is very blessed and someday, when he is older, I hope to bring him and his brothers to Ireland to tell children about Jesus. Then, I will not have to say goodbye!

NEW TEACHING TOOLS

For a long time , we have needed to add lessons to our website on how to tie balloons, do testimonies and puppets. This would be very useful to teams overseas that we are training. It would give them help when we go home. We have spent today recording these lessons. It has taken us hours but I believe that it will be a great help. Praise God!

HOME

Tomorrow, the young people will enjoy their first full day off since we came to Ireland. We plan on showing them some of God's spectacular creation on the North Coast. We will visit Dunluce Castle, Carrick-A-Rede bridge, and Giant's Causeway. Early in the morning at 2AM, we will travel to the airport in Dublin, arriving in Atlanta,Georgia Thursday afternoon. Keep praying!

In Jesus,Linda for The Agape Puppets and Reality

Posted August 30, 2010

Dearest Friends,

FAMILY

It is very late, but I cannot sleep because my heart is so full. Tonight, all of the Reality team members and the puppet team met together for a farewell dinner. Sam smoked a turkey and 2 roasts and everyone else brought deserts and salads. We had a feast. However, the real feast of the evening was not the food as much as the love we shared.

This is our seventh year working together and we are full of wonder at all we have seen God do. All of us are very tired, but even sadder that our time together is ending. When our friend John Moxen was saying the blessing tonight , he commented that he could feel the spirit of unity and love that we shared. It is this work of the Holy Spirit that has made this adventure so sweet.

Working with these friends is very easy. We feel like a family and we seek to love each other well. Though we are from different countries and many ages [ok I am the oldest], all of us desperately want to tell people about Jesus. There is no ego involved as we plan each outreach. We try new things and if they work...we do them again. This trip, we have tried out a lot of new puppet music and some new puppets. God has been kind to us! They worked brilliantly. Praise God! Normally, I would say awesome, but brilliant is used here more often here. However you describe this trip, it has blessed and encouraged all of us.

My friends here all work regular jobs and did this trip as their vacation. When you plan a vacation, do you think of standing in the rain and having people walk by and yell at you? Do you look for church floors to sleep on? Do you expect to need a vacation to recover from your vacation? Their love for Jesus challenges me to love Jesus more. Please ask the Father to give them extra strength this week at work.

More importantly, we have had the joy of sharing with thousands and thousands of people. The band gave away over 5000 CD's of their music and we gave away many tubs of children’s books . All the CD's also had a testimony recorded on them from an Irish Christian friend and were given with a written explanation of the Gospel. Our books all had letters to children explaining in simple words how a child could meet Jesus. Please pray for all who received these books and CD's. I want to see heaven full of people that we met on these streets!

My friend Dana was sharing with me tonight about John Wesley's conversion experience. Wesley was reading 2 Peter1:2-11 when the Lord spoke to him. He wrote in his journal these words... "it came to me, that I, even I could be saved." His heart's desire was to live and die with "a burning heart". What is your heart's desire? May the Lord consume all of us with a desire to serve and obey.

THE SWEETEST SOUND

Again on Sunday morning, we were blessed with an amazing time with the children. We did 2 puppet shows at Saint Mark's in Dublin and heard so many children calling on Jesus to rescue them. Loudly, they asked God to forgive them. Please pray for them to become bright lights for Jesus in Ireland.

HOME

On Thursday, September 2nd, we will be home. A they say here, please pray us "safe home". Ask the Father to make us a bright light to all we meet along the way.

In Jesus, Linda... for Reality and The Agape Puppets

Posted August 29, 2010

Dearest Friends,

STREET SHOWS

Dublin is an amazing city, bursting with people from all over the world. Yesterday, we shared with people from the Middle East, many European nations, many African countries, Brazilians, and people from all over the Ireland. It was a great day! The Lord held back the rain. The crowds were huge in the afternoon and good sized in the evenings. People wanted to talk about real things. I am always amazed how people will share with us their deepest hurts. I know that their openness to the Gospel is a direct result of prayer. Thank you for standing with us in prayer!

There were so many sweet stories, but I will just share with you my favorite story of the night. On Friday night, the team had talked with a lady who was not a believer. Her past made her very afraid of men and she would only talk to a woman. Last night, she returned to tell us that she had put her trust in Jesus. She said that she had to come and see us. She said that she was “drawn”. She shared all of this with a young man on the team. Already, God had begun to take away her fears and pour His love on her memories. Thank you Jesus!

HEART BREAK

Toward the end of our evening street show, a group of ten girls came walking down the street. They were twelve to fourteen years old and very drunk. Some of them tried to pull the puppets out of the stage. Worse, one of the band members told me that this is not an uncommon sight on the streets. Drunkenness is a big problem here and for some, too many, it becomes a lifestyle. We are losing too many to the emptiness and loneliness that comes when you don’t know Jesus. I don’t know what this group of girls could hear and remember, but please pray for them. God knows their names. My heart broke as I saw them struggling to find the happiness that only Jesus gives.

THE LAST PICTURE

Every time we share on the street, the band and the puppet team sing the last song together. We have made special puppets that resemble the Reality band members. As they all sing, “Oh Happy Days” together, I draw a special picture. It is a drawing of two cliffs, with God on one side and people on the other. Between the cliffs, the word sin is written to show what separates us from God. I finish by drawing a large red cross to show how Jesus is our bridge to God.

I prayed with the puppet team and asked the Lord to send me someone who would ask about that picture. God sent a man named Ray in his thirties. A year and a half ago, his 32 year old wife died. Shortly before that, his baby boy died. He was broken and he began to drink.

He was so excited about all that he heard and wanted the picture. I explained it to him and he called it a treasure.

I shared with him about the little baby that Mike and I lost when I was six months pregnant. I shared his pain as I told him about my husband’s death. We talked, we hugged. Both of us had tears in our eyes.

Could the Father have sent anyone better for me to talk with? Ray still has two daughters this side of heaven. They desperately need their father to stop drinking and be their father. Please pray for Ray.

Again the Father had kindly reminded me that we comfort with the comfort we have been given. He has shown me such love and comfort! Every time I come to Ireland, I am overwhelmed by all of my memories, the wonderful ministry God gave us in this place. I have cried many tears, but I have enormous joy. I will always love my sweet husband. I will always love my sweet Lord for the comfort He gives me.

In Jesus, Linda for Sam and Silvana, Heather, Mykayla, Krista, and Seth and all of REALITY

Posted August 28, 2010

Dearest Friends,

GRAFTON STREET

The following is a report that will make your heart sing! This is what we saw God do tonight as we shared on Grafton Street in Dublin. Please pray for each of these people as you read their stories. Please pray for our two times of ministry tomorrow, Saturday. Please know that these are not all of the stories as we had a huge team from the local church that we have partnered with here in Dublin. In all of the places where we have been, we have worked with a local church in the hope that we can connect people with other believers.

MUSLIM YOUNG MEN

Many of us talked with a group of Muslim young men who stayed and listened to the show for a very long time. I also had a conversation with them where they told me that Jesus is dead. I told them that He was not dead, that He had risen from the dead. I told them that He was alive. They disagreed and responded that Mohamed was alive. I smiled and told them that he was absolutely dead and then I asked them a question. I said, "Did Mohamed ever even make a claim that he would rise from the dead?" They all stared at each other and looked very confused. Each one seemed to be waiting on the other one to answer the question, but no one had an answer.

One young man was more open than the others. I asked him if he had ever read the Bible. He said no. I told him that I had read part of the Koran and I challenged him that out of respect, he should at least read part of my Holy Book the Bible. He agreed to read the book of Luke and I gave him a copy. Please pray for all of these young men who have been deceived by a false faith.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Pray for a lady from Saudi Arabia that I spoke to about Jesus Christ and her need for faith in Him.
2. Please pray for Simon and Aaron who were at the program tonight,but do not know Jesus Christ.
3. Rejoice with us because a young woman prayed to receive Christ on the street tonight. Pray for her boyfriend to come to Christ.
4. Pray for Joanna who returned to hear more Jesus because she was overwhelmed by what she heard.
5. Pray for a drunk lady who spent most of the evening dancing in the street in front of us. She was so drunk that she almost got run over by an unmarked police car.She needs the deliverance that only Jesus gives.
6. Pray for Lisa who came to the program drinking, pregnant and admitted that she drinks 15 beers a day. This is her fourth child and there is some charge against her that will be settled in court this week. I shared with her and prayed with her. Michelle, a member of the band, also shared with her and tried to encourage her to stop drinking so that she could be a better mom. He needs Jesus.
7. Pray for Yamis who has rejected traditional church. He stated that he lives every day for that day, but admitted that he had an empty place inside of him. Only Jesus will fill this emptiness.
8. Many of us had conversations with people who were complaining about religion. They need to understand that Jesus is not a religion, He is a relationship.
9. Pray for Peter who thirteen years ago made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but is not living for Jesus today. Our friend Joe challenged him with Romans 12:1. He told him that he needed to be a living sacrifice with his life.
10. Pray for the hundreds and hundreds of children, teenagers and adults who came tonight at different times and heard Truth. This is a dark place for the Gospel where more live without Christ than with Him.
11. Pray for a lady on a bike who was so amazed that the band’s CDs were free. She was surprised by their generosity, as thousands of others have been. On the CD there is a testimony from our friend Padraig that is especially good for a person from an Irish religious background to hear.
12. Pray for a homeless lady who needs to find her home with God.
13. Pray for an older man who was very lonely. He complained that his children and grandchildren only come to see him once a year. They are all so busy pursuing the pleasures of this life. He needs to find his comfort in Jesus Christ.
14. Nathan shared with several young people about his own testimony. He has only known Jesus for eleven months.He was unable to stop thinking about how Jesus died for him. He said he simply couldn’t just get it out of his head. Please pray for all of the young people that he shared with tonight. God knows their names.
15. As always, we enjoyed a lot of verbal abuse from the street. One young man accused the band of playing devil music but most of the rest preferred traditional curse words. Pray for us to continue to receive this abuse with love.
16. Pray for Mike who is homeless and has AIDS. He is a recovering drug addict and has very poor reading skills. Our friend is getting him an audio Bible. Pray for him to hear the Father’s heart.

In Jesus, Linda for Sam, Silvana, Heather, Mykayla, Krista, Seth, Anna, Flora, Stephen, Valerie, Julie, Nikita, Nathan, John, Anne, Raymie, Michelle, Brandon, Dana, Clare, Sarah, Padraig, Joe, Julie, Lauren, Kathryn

Posted August 26, 2010

Dearest Friends,

CASTLEBAR

Never have we enjoyed such a sweet time of ministry in this place. The afternoon show was difficult as always, but it wasn’t raining, so we thought we were very blessed. Castlebar is a lovely small town, a very safe place and so it is difficult for some people to see their great need for Jesus. Comfort and security always make it difficult for people to see their need.

In the evening, we did a show with the band at the Christian Fellowship Church on the Mall. The cornerstone for this church was laid in 1785 by John Wesley. It is incredible to be sharing Christ in a place where the Gospel has been shared for over 200 years. The church was full of children from Ireland, Africa and India. When I gave the invitation to the children, we heard so many praying out loud and asking Jesus to rescue them and be the King of their heart. We were thrilled! Later I was told that in the stage all the puppeteers were really excited. They were praising God.

The evening was not without difficulties. There were many ladies in the crowd from a women’s refuge and some of these dear ladies struggle with addictions. Some of the ladies are there because their husbands are addicted to alcohol or drugs and beat them. The room was full of broken people and broken families in desperate need of the Cross.

***** was quite drunk and fell on her knees weeping as the band was singing songs about Jesus. Another lady took a bottle from a friend and got drunk while at church. Last night when we were taking the ladies home, they couldn’t remember where they lived. Please pray for these two ladies who have heart-breaking stories. Their lives have been full of abuse from the time they were children and it only continued when they married. Both have lost all custody of their children. Except for the grace of God in my life and in my friends’ lives, we all understand that their story could be our story. Please pray for them. Only Jesus can heal a broken heart and mend a broken life.

WESTPORT

There is a large statue of Patrick standing on the Octagon in the center of town. God was kind to us. There is sweet man there who owns a Christian bookstore and allowed us to set up in front of his shop. It was a fabulous location and again we had the best outreach that we have ever had in this place. God gave us a blue sky and warm weather such as I have never enjoyed in Ireland. So many families gathered to listen to the band, the puppets and the Bible stories. The children stared at me, listening to every word.

Try to imagine standing in a picturesque Irish town and proclaiming Jesus. Even better, we had a large crowd that was not throwing anything. It is a sweet and wonderful experience that words cannot describe. Through your prayers, God is calling many to faith in Himself. Thank you!

GALWAY

We finished our time in Galway with afternoon shows in Eyre Square and evening shows on Shop Street. It was an amazing time of ministry where we often enjoyed very large crowds. There were lots of conversations with individuals about Jesus Christ.

There were also some times of difficulty. Someone sailed a CD through the air and Krista said her life flashed before her eyes, but she finished her testimony with a steady voice. We had a lot of drunks and two were particularly angry. As I was telling the Bible story, a very drunk lady came and stood in front of me. She had been very verbally abusive to many of the team, but the Lord did something beautiful. I was sure that she was going to start yelling and interrupt the story, but she looked at me and then suddenly walked away. I know that I can frighten no one but I think the Lord let her see something, someone that made her leave. All of these problems have encouraged us to pray more. I hope that they encourage you to pray more.

DUBLIN

Tomorrow, Friday, we leave for Dublin and have street shows planned for Friday and Saturday. On Sunday we will be in Saint Mark’s church. Please pour prayer on all of these opportunities. Pray especially for good weather and responsive crowds.

REALITY

The band sang a song last night that really touched my heart. Here are some of the words: "Are you aching deep inside? Is there shame that makes you hide? Do you wrestle in your mind with the reason for your life? Come to Jesus Come and worship"

Would you please think about these words and pray for the people of Ireland to come to faith in Jesus Christ?

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

We have been very blessed to have our French director, Anna McIlwaine, and one of her puppeteers, Flora with us on this trip. You can visit their website at http:\\marionnettes28.free.fr

This afternoon, Flora shared her testimony on the streets of Westport, in French, with translation. At the end of the show as we were tying balloons for the children, one of the team called Anna over to speak to a French family. When she asked them if they understood what they were watching, they said yes, because they had heard the testimony in French.

Anna is very excited at sharing the Gospel in Ireland because so many French tourists come here on holiday. It is such a good opportunity to reach them and tell them the Good News!

There are few true believers in France and there is a hardness towards the Gospel that easily closes the door to ministry. Every opportunity there is to speak to a French person is therefore especially precious, wherever it arises.

PLEASE PRAY FOR US.

In Jesus, Linda for Sam, Silvana, Heather, Mykayla, Krista, Seth, Anna, Flora, Stephen, Valerie, Julie, Nikita, Nathan, John, Anne, Raymie, Michelle, Brandon, Dana, Clare, Sarah, Padraig, Joe

As you can see, there are a lot of us travelling together on this great adventure!

Posted August 23, 2010

Dearest Friends,

STREET SHOWS IN GALWAY

Each night on the street is a wonder! All of the stories that you are about to read are from one evening of shows that we just finished in Galway, Ireland. It is 12.30 at night here and we have just finished a time of prayer for all the people we had an opportunity to speak to tonight about Jesus. Everyone is so excited! We are tired, but absolutely amazed at the response of the crowds tonight.

For many years, we have done street outreach in Galway, but we have never seen such enthusiastic responses. As I finished telling the story of Peter walking on water tonight, the crowd clapped and cheered. Most of the people in the crowd would be quick to tell you that they do not share the same faith that we have, so we know that this response came from the Holy Spirit touching their lives.

Yes, we had our share of drunks and interesting moments as always, but we saw God do some very sweet things. We left the street with a real sense of joy because we knew that God had spoken to many people. It is wonderful to have the privilege of telling these dear people about Jesus Christ. Please pray for all of those that you are about to read about. Please pray for our two sets of shows in Galway tomorrow, one at 3pm and one in the evening. We cannot wait to see what God will do!

A RED BALLOON DOG

Tonight I was out on the street tying a balloon dog for a little boy. You never know what God can do with something as small and unimportant as a balloon. As soon as he received the dog, the family began to thank me in French. I quickly realized that this was a divine opportunity for our French puppet director Anna who is also with us. I went and got Anna out of the stage and the words that you will read now are from Anna.

"Michel and Elisabeth are the parents of a dark-haired little boy with big eyes and a nice smile. He loved his balloon dog. His parents were unusually open to hearing about the things of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. They were so hungry to hear about heaven and the only way to get there. The mother, Elisabeth, was almost in tears by the time we ended the conversation. Please hold this family in your prayers, that they might not forget what they heard today, and that they might come to put their trust in the Lord Jesus."

DANCING PATRICK AND THE GARDA

Every year that we have been in Galway, there is a very drunk man who comes to our shows and dances and plays an imaginary guitar. His name is Patrick. Please pray for him because he is so broken and so desperately in need of Jesus. We’ve had many conversations with him but tonight he seemed friendlier than before. I do not know the cause of his pain but I do know Who is his answer. Pray!

The Garda (police) stopped tonight to ask us if Patrick was bothering us. We told them no, that Patrick was fine. He did interrupt the Bible story and the band’s time of sharing, but it really wasn’t a problem. It was actually a blessing. It gave all of us an opportunity to show him God’s love. We were all aware that the crowd was watching us to see how we would respond. Would we show him love and patience the way the Father loves us?

When the Garda first stopped, we all thought that they were coming to tell us that we could not continue. Instead of shutting us down, they took CDs and thanked us for being on the street. Please pray for these police officers to find their peace in Jesus Christ.

MANY PRAYER REQUESTS

So many conversations took place tonight with people, either while the band was singing or we were doing the puppet show. Please pray for Rita who is a very angry lady and might even be demon-possessed. She screamed at us tonight and accused the band of playing the devil’s music. She needs your prayers as she is a very troubled lady who has obviously been hurt by many people.

Tonight our friend Joe shared with a man from Spain and a man from France. He presented the Gospel to both of them. Please pray that they will put their trust in Jesus.

Please pray for a man who spoke with Nikita and Nathan tonight after we finished. He said that he was an atheist but seemed confused about where he really stood with God.

Dara is an alcoholic and needs to be delivered from his love of drink. His greatest need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

James is from Tralee and needs to find his hope in Jesus Christ. Padraig plans to follow up with him over coffee. He seems very open.

Please pray for Grace and Emma who are two lovely young girls. I was tying balloon animals for them and we had a good conversation. Both girls thanked me for the Bible story that they had heard and told me that it was beautiful. They thought that going to church would be enough to get them to heaven. Please ask God to show them that the only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Please pray for Bill who also puts his trust in church attendance. He does not understand his need for a Savior.

Please pray for Whitney who is from New York. When Valerie spoke to her, she said, "You’re the second Christian I have met this week!" It seems that God is pursuing her. Please ask God to give her hunger for Himself.

COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT

This morning I read a passage of scripture in 2 Cor 6:3-10. Tonight Dana was challenging all of us to remember to always speak with love and humility. I shared these verses and they encouraged us. I hope that they will encourage you as you share with people about the hope of Jesus Christ.

"We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way by great endurance in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger, by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, by truthful speech and the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors and yet are true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live as punished and yet not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing everything."

These were just the verses that many of us needed to hear. I hope they encourage your heart.

Love in Jesus, Linda for Heather, Mykayla, Krista, Seth, Sam, Silvana, Anna, Flora and the entire Reality team

Posted August 22, 2010

Dearest Friends,

I have the most amazing stories to tell you! Internet access is very limited here, but I wanted to send you a quick update. We have so much to thank God for. Here in Tralee, we are seeing hundreds of people gather in the street to listen to an Irish Christian band, Reality, watch puppets and listen to Bible stories. All around them there are many other choices, several stages with bands and all kinds of other activities. Still, they stand in the street and listen. Only God can do this.

We all believe that He is calling many people to Himself in this place. Even the weather here has been a gift. In the seven years that we have worked in this place, we have never enjoyed so much sunshine. Because of all the beautiful weather, the crowds have been enormous. We’ve also enjoyed our share of drunks and people shouting at us, but none of it seems important when you see the way the crowds are listening to the Gospel. One night when Seth was doing the big bear puppet, a boy came up and punched the bear in the nose. It would not have been so bad, except he had the bear on his head. He was so excited because now he says he has a great story to tell at mission conferences.

The children sit in the road and on the sidewalk and pay complete attention. Their eyes lock on me and I can see that God is touching their hearts. I am in awe of the Father. The children do not even seem to hear all the other noises. How is this possible? Only Jesus can do such a wonder.

Please keep praying as we return to the streets twice today. Your prayers are opening an incredible door.

In Jesus, Linda for all of us

Posted August 19, 2010

Dearest Friends,

Blessings!

We are all so happy with the things that we have seen the Lord do this week. It has been a very sweet time. Tonight, as we finished in Belfast, we gave the children each a copy of the Gospel of Luke that was illustrated. Inside was a message to the children that we wrote about Jesus. We wanted them to leave with something that they could hold in their hands. More prayed tonight. This is simply a place where you do not expect children to pray out loud. We are blessed! Enjoy the following list!

1. Realizing that there were many children in the area of Belfast where we were working that needed to hear about Jesus, I asked the Father to double the number of children attending. Last night, God graciously gave us twice the number of children. Praise God. I should have asked God to multiply by 3 or more. Ask God to increase the faith of these children. Ask God to also increase our faith. Praise Him for all the children that we are seeing.
2. Our last caravan show was the very best. Children from more than a dozen Northern Irish cities and even a boy from Australia attended. Many parents came as well. They all listened so well. It was a sweet out pouring of God’s spirit. Thank you for praying so that many could hear about Jesus. They stayed even when it began to rain. God is so good!
3. One little boy named Race received a balloon and was so excited. He tucked it in his jacket and zipped it up to protect his balloon dog. He had the biggest smile.
4. Children rushed up to me after a show to say thank you.
5. Daily, we have heard children asking Jesus to rescue them.
6. This is a beautiful place! Each day the world is a hundred shades of green. We have all enjoyed the mountains of Mourne which go down to the Irish Sea. Creation screams our Father’s love as each day we see something more beautiful!

BIBLE STUDY

Each day, we have been meeting with John Moxen, Director of Murlough House for Bible study. This has been a very blessed time. The first day John shared his testimony, how he walked with the Father through the death of his baby daughter, the death of his 11 year old son, and his sweet wife Barbara. John shared his joy as God brought his second wife Jo into his life. He taught the young people about the importance of having a quiet time. We studied many scriptures, but finished today in Genesis. John is now 75 and has devoted his life to serving the King. We were all so blessed!

PRAYER REQUEST

Tomorrow, Friday, we will join with our friends in the Irish Christian band Reality. We will begin our ministry in Tralee at the Rose Festival. All of us are even listed on their web page in the official schedule.

Perhaps you think that this seems a strange place for us to be going to do ministry. However, we will have access to tens of thousands of people who will come to the festival. Many are from backgrounds where knowledge of Jesus Christ is not a part of their life experience. At the festival, there will be lots of drinking and all the behaviors that go with that choice. It is a dark place. Please pray for God to make us light.

We will be doing shows on the street Friday night, twice on Saturday, and Sunday afternoon and evening. Please pray for dry days and nights. Please pray for us to see with our Father’s eyes.

In Jesus, Linda for Sam and Silvana Heather Krista Mykayla And Seth

Posted August 18, 2010

Dearest Friends,

JUST ONE CHILD

Would you tell a story for just one child? God sweetly reminded me to see the infinite worth of each child. We were at a caravan park, doing a program for a good size group of children and a few adults. It was all going very well until the snack shop opened. Just as I was two-thirds into the Bible story and getting to the really good part, all of the children jumped up to go and buy snacks. I was shocked and sad. Many of these children were from places where they do not normally hear the Gospel.

I confess that my eyes were not where they should have been. I thought to stop and hope for their return, but Sam urged me to continue. It is good to travel with wise friends so that when your eyes are not where they should be, they can help you see. Please pray for the two remaining shows at the caravan parks.

I looked again and realized that one little blonde haired girl had not moved. Three adults stood standing and listening. With enthusiasm, I continued. Many of the children who left never returned. God had other plans. The little girl and the adults were joined by others. So many came and went, but we also had so many ways to share. The hope of Jesus was presently through music, testimonies, a story, and balloons. God is so faithful, even when I am faithless. Praise Him!

LITTLE LUCA

This little boy that we are with every evening in Belfast continues to amaze me. Last night, I was leading the children in prayer. No one said anything. I continued and the most amazing thing happened. Little Luca began to pray very softly, giving the other children courage. Loudly, they called on Jesus to save them.

I thought it was so sweet that God used a little child to lead the other children. Please pray for our remaining two nights with these children.

In Jesus, Linda for Sam and Silvana, Heather, Krista, Mykayla, And Seth

Posted August 16, 2010

Dearest Friends,

Luca's Story

Luca is a "wee" Irish lad with brown hair and a sweet smile. He lives in the Shankhill Road section of Belfast. This is an area well know during the years of "the troubles". It is not an easy place to live. More churches are closed then open. Children grow up knowing more about hating than loving.

In this place, there are five sweet older ladies and one gentleman who love Jesus and care about the children. They are all in their 60's 70's or 80's. It is raining and cold here tonight, but they were not at home enjoying their tea. Instead, they were out with us. Their love for God motivated them to leave their nice warm homes. I recommend their behavior to all of us. They challenge me not to seek comfort, but to look for opportunities to serve my king.

Luca was at the puppet show tonight because of their deep love for Jesus. In the clearest sweetest voice, he prayed out loud. He asked Jesus to be his Savior. Luca was the only voice praying. He was all alone in the group and the youngest, but he never faltered.

Heather said to me tonight that hearing children praying, asking Jesus to be their Savior is her favorite sound on earth. I agree with her.

We will be with these children for 4 nights. I am telling a group of stories aimed at teaching the children how to walk with Jesus.

A CARAVAN PARK

Children from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland were at the puppet show we did this morning. Even some of their parents came. It was a very sweet opportunity to tell them about Jesus. I was telling them how Zacchaeus could see Jesus coming down the road from high in his tree. I look down as though I was Zacchaeus seeing Jesus. Several of the children turned to look for Him. I smiled. It makes happy that they were so caught up in the story. It makes me weep that they have so little knowledge of the Bible. Please hold these children before the throne. God knows their names. Ask Him to call them all to faith. Tonight I told them how Daniel had the courage to do the hard thing, to stand for God and face the lions. I believe that Luca was listening. Even when an older boy laughed as he prayed, he continued.

Please hold Luca and all of these children in your prayers. May we all have little Luca's courage to stand alone for Jesus. Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will be in another one of these places. Pray!

In Jesus, Linda for Sam and Silvana Heather Krista Mykayla And Seth

Posted August 15, 2010

Dearest Friends,

THE JOURNEY

As usual, the trip was not what we expected. Delays in the Atlanta airport caused us to miss our flight to Dublin, Ireland. So, they flew us from Frankfurt , Germany to London, England. Weather delays made our flight very late and we arrived in Dublin almost 10 hours later than we had planned. All but one of our bags made the trip with us. We hope to see it today or tomorrow.

As soon as we were delayed, I began to pray for all the people that we would see that day. I asked the Father to show us why he had changed our plans. As I was talking with the 2 ladies who were trying to reroute us in Frankfurt, I saw God's plan opening up. On Saturday, I had 2 long conversations with the people at the airport and a lovely couple waiting for a flight in London. I also spoke briefly with a man on the airplane about the joy of heaven. I wish that you could have looked into their eyes and seen the wonder and interest as they listened to stories about what God is doing in the lives of children around the world. Please pray for these who were kind to us and ask the Father to draw them closer to Himself. God is so good! We were delayed, but blessed.

THE ADVENTURE

Our adventure in ministry here began yesterday , Sunday, as we shared at a Sunday School in Northern Ireland. The time with the children was very sweet, but not without many opportunities to demonstrate patience. Some of the children were not committed to listening and were very good at attracting the attention of others. Some have real leadership potential. By the end of the program, I had one crying child, an nintendo, a boy who tried to run away from Sunday School, and a great desire to see all of these children meet Jesus. Please pray for these children to find their joy and purpose in following Jesus.

Our second show was on the streets of Bangor ,Northern Ireland. I love the street shows. You never know what will happen and so you are always praying. Because you are always praying, you see with different eyes. So many people were out enjoying a rare warm and sunshine filled day. So many of them stopped to listen to the band, watch the puppets, and hear a Bible story. Please pray especially for David. He is a homeless man that attended the show last night and gave me a thumbs up with a thank you for the Bible story. He began to drink when his wife left him 8 years ago. Before that happened, his life looked very different. A friend hopes to meet with him today. Please pray for David to find his peace in the cross.

TODAY'S NEEDS

We will being doing shows all week for children on vacation. Please cover these times with prayer. Always pray for the weather...no rain as most of these shows are outside. Please ask the Lord to gather the children and give them ears to listen. Each evening, we will be in Belfast working with children who have been taught to hate. This is the only life that their parents know.Pray for us to be light in the dark.

In Jesus,Linda for all of the Irish team

Posted August 13, 2010

Dearest Friends,

IRELAND AND NORTEHERN IRELAND

Today, Heather,Krista, Mykayla, Seth, and I are flying to Ireland . Please ask the Father to get all of luggage safely there. More, please ask the Lord to pour His spirit on this effort. Ask Him to call many to faith. Also, please pray for the Irish band Reality that we will be traveling with across Ireland. On Sunday, we are all doing an outreach together in Bangor, Northern Ireland.

Please pray especially for Sam and Silvana Shaw who are planning and arranging so many details. We have worked together for so many years and there are no words to describe how precious their partnership is to me. Ask the Lord to give them strength and wisdom!

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE GOT A PUPPET SHOW

My faith was too small. Circumstances dictated that the desired solution was impossible. However, the Father gently reminded me that nothing is too hard for Him. You will enjoy this story.

Without success, I tried to schedule a puppet show in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. That was where we planned to finish our summer ministry. Heather's grandparents lovingly offered to host us as we traveled home from upstate New York. A couple of times it looked like churches were going to schedule us, but at the last minute everything fell through. It was the Wednesday before we were to be in the area on Sunday. I didn't know what to do. We thought we had everything sorted, but at the last minute, we had no show. People contacted their friends in the area, but even those plans didn't produce a show. I personally had spoken with more than 15 churches. Finally, in desperation, my friend sent an email to a church she found on the internet. Email is not the most exciting way to contact a church, and we were all shocked when the pastor called on Wednesday and asked us to come on that Sunday. I was reminded again of a big truth. We make plans, but sometimes God has other plans. His plans are always better than ours.

When we arrived at the church, it looked like every white New England church you have imagined. The church had existed since the 1700s and their present building has existed since 1837. It was a very large church, and I asked the pastor why they haven't built a new building since then. I wanted to know why they had not outgrown their building. He told me they had planted six other churches. I like that kind of math.

When I told the pastor at the Congregational church about all our failed efforts trying to find a church, he just smiled. He said "Linda, all the other churches were supposed to tell you no. You were supposed to be here!" The pastor was right! We had the most wonderful day. He gave me ten minutes in the morning service to share the stories about the children we work with all over the world. God poured His spirit on that time. As I looked around the church, I saw many people were crying. Some were weeping. They even arranged coffee after the church service so that we could talk with people and share more stories with them. We had some wonderful conversations with people, and many signed up to receive our emails.

During the pastor's sermon time, all the children watched the puppet show. Many teenagers and adults who either worked with children or were interested in puppet ministry also came. This church has an active puppet ministry and was very interested in how we used our puppets to share. The puppet director was a very enthusiastic lady who I liked very much. We are already making plans to do ministry together next year. We were given so much more than a show. We made friends and have many new partners in ministry. God's plan was so much better than my plan.

HOLD US IN YOUR PRAYERS!

In Jesus, Linda for the Ireland team