Today was an incredible day! We went to two schools that we had never visited before.
For most people in these schools, this was their first opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ. Both were public schools and nintey-nine percent Buddhist.
We received the invitation to go to these schools, because in each there were Christian teachers that wanted us to come. The children in both places were
absolutely thrilled with the program!
In one school, we had 685 children and at the other school, over 400 children. Their laughter and smiles made our last day in Taiwan very special. Both
groups listened amazingly well, but at the second school the children stared at us with deep longing as they listened to the story. Peter and I both noticed
the way they listened. You could see in their eyes that they believed the story that they were hearing. One principal spoke when we finished, again trying
to diminish the message of the Gospel. Please pray that the children will remember the truth they heard and that it will root in their hearts! Please pray
that both of these schools will allow us to return next year.
After a lovely lunch with 4 of our Chinese friends, we spent the afternoon with Peter and Melody dividing the equipment and planning next year's ministry.
Today people came to one of our shows to see the program and then invited us to do a show at another hospital next year. This evening, we had dinner with
friends from 5 different countries. All of us share the same faith and we spent the evening planning future work in the Phillipines. Praise God!
HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow morning, Thursday, March 29th, we begin our trip home! We need your prayers as we are all exhausted and travel is not an easy experience. Please
pray that they do not loose our bags and that all of our flight connections are possible. Pray that we will not miss an opportunity to be a blessing to
someone!
In Jesus,
Linda for
Sam
Mykayla
Heather
Hannah
Jon
Peter
Melody
May 12th, 2007 Travel to "Undisclosed" and Arrival
Dearest Friends,
I received the following message from Linda this evening:
"We had no problems what so ever getting in. Praise God! We watched as they scanned everyone else's bags except ours. God answered your prayers amazingly
as EVERYTHING arrived safely. I was able to share about Jesus with a man named Ustafa on the plane. Please pray for him."
Please keep praying!
In Jesus,
Lisa for Linda and Sam
May 15th, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,
Our access to the internet is limited so these stories cover several days.
I LIVE IN A SEWER
In every place, there are forgotten people, those that most people never see, even
when they walk by them. Today, we were with a group of people who are rarely noticed, except when someone wants them to disappear.
One young woman invites the homeless of this city into her apartment. Every 3 or 4 months, she must move because people don't want those kind of people
around them. She loves Jesus and seeks to show and tell them about God's love. We were given the very special privilege of sharing with them today. It
gave us joy that I cannot describe. We told them about the one true God who can and will solve all problems.
Many were orphans who were forced to leave the orphanage at 16 and had no place to go. Some struggle with alcoholism. They live in sewers. One lady
among them came to faith, stopped drinking, joined the church, and now helps our friend with the work.
Most were young adults, but some were children. One man walked with a cane because frostbite forced doctors to amputate his toes. One lady had eyes full
of pain. Another homeless young man had painted beautiful pictures for the apartment. We stayed twice as long as we had planned because they wanted to
hear more. They even asked us to teach them to tie balloons.
Prayer Requests
1. Please pray for this ministry. Wednesday, tomorrow, we will return to this place
and work with deaf friends.
2. Please pray for the training sessions that we are having each morning from 8 to 12:00.
3. In the afternoons, we will be working at orphanages. Pray that we have no problems.
4. In the evenings, we are meeting with individuals or smaller groups for more training. They are hungry to learn! Pray for strength and wisdom and P***l
endurance as he translates.
Thank you for your support in prayer, without you, we could not work.
A MIRACLE
It is Sunday morning and after 2 days of traveling and a good nights sleep (3hours),
we are in a worship service. Strangely, our exhaustion is overwhelmed by our joy.
Last night at the airport, we saw God do something wonderful. The customs officials searched everyone's luggage. They x-rayed everything. Yet, when it
was our turn, they told us to go on. They did not open a single bag. This is the result of your faithful prayers.
Consider that we had with us 6 very large bags, weighing 420 pounds. Also, we had 4 carry ons and 3 shopping bags. Yet, no one asked to examine anything.
More, one of the customs officials saw that i was struggling to push my cartand he asked if we had someone waiting for us. Then he sent for our friend
P***l who had traveled from a nearby country. His kindness touched my heart. Again, people prayed.
WORSHIP
We are in a country that is under persecution. Life is difficult here and the church
must walk very wisely to share. Still, they began their worship service by singing a very old hymn, Showers of Blessing. They are so grateful for all
that God has done for them. We are so grateful to have the privilege of worshiping with them!
With all that is happening around them, the church is strong here. There was standing room only. How different from the churches in our homes, in
America and Ireland.
BAPTISM
When a person comes to faith, the act of baptism is a very public announcement of an
inner change. It was the sweetest joy to see 5 women and 2 men publically profess their new faith by being baptised. The baptismal was decorated with big
garlands of ferns with red and white roses. Each person was presented with a big bouquet of flowers as they stepped out of the water. The Pastor said
that Jesus had given them new lives. The Pastor said, Though they were dressed in white, they were truly clothed with Jesus righteousness.
PERSECUTION
A near-by country is totally closed to the Gospel. They have evicted all missionaries
and made life very difficult for Christians. If a national is stopped by the police and found to be in possession of a Bible, he immediately goes to jail.
In these places, the word of God is very precious. People pay for it with their lives. Where we are, it is wrong to lay the Bible on the floor. This is
a sign of disrespect.
MOUSTAPHA
I want to tell you a wonderful story about a young man that sat beside me on the plane.
He is from a country where they torture and kill people who love Jesus. In his country, it would have been difficult to talk as we did. He told me that
he had rejected his parents faith and had nothing. Moustapha said, If the plane crashes, it would be good for me. I very lovingly explained how this act
would be good for me as I would walk into heaven, but he would not know such joy or peace.
His response amazed me. He said, I have no hope. Maybe, if I make a lot of money, I will get a good wife, someone to love me. His eyes begged me to answer
his real unspoken question. What is the purpose of life?
Over the next 30 minutes, I shared with him my own testimony with many scriptures. I told him how he could have a great love story, but only if that love
was rooted in true faith. I spoke to him about Mike, my sons and their wives, my grandchildren, trying to give him a vision for a life that he had never
known.
Finally, because his English was perfect, I asked him if he would like my Bible. I knew that even if he wanted it, he probably cound not risk taking it to
his home, but I wanted to see if God had used our conversation to make him hungry for the Word. Indeed, the Father had planted a hunger in his soul. He
could not take the scriptures with him, but I gave him my email address. He returns to the states for school at some point.
More, he told me that he had once tried to read God's word, but did not understand it. As he spoke , I realised that he had started reading in Leviticus,
a difficult book. On a piece of paper, I wrote down the name of a good translation and suggested he read the book of John. He promised me that he would.
Please pray for Moustapha to keep this promise! Please pray for this young man to meet Jesus!
THE MEETING
Sunday afternoon we met with the leaders of the group. They have a wonderful vision and a clear plan for reaching children for Christ. To our delight we
will be going into orphanages and sharing with the children!
Pray as you have never prayed before!
In Jesus,
Linda, Sam and P***l
May 18th, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,
ONE LITTLE BOY
We are working with an amazing group of people who have great vision and a clear plan
for reaching their country for Jesus Christ. Each summer, they have camps for over 6,000 children. At one of these camps, a father whose faith opposed
Christianity gave his son permision to attend. He said, Go to their camp. Enjoy all of their good food, but do not listen to them. While the little boy
was at camp, he asked Jesus to be his Savior. The teacher asked him how he would explain this to his father. The little boy smiled and said, I will say
that this is the tastiest thing that they served.
ORPHANAGES AND A SHELTERrphanages and a Shelter
The gift that the Father has given us is beyond our expectation. This week we have taught 16 hours of classes. Yesterday, Thursday, we
went to both an orphanage and a shelter to do programs. We shared with many children, teenagers and mothers. Keep praying! Great need and extreme
poverty opens doors.
Children crowd the orphanages because of poverty and the break down of the family due to drugs and alcohol abuse. At 16, they are forced to leave and with
little education, they have a bleak future. Most of the girls face a life of prostitution and the boys will usually become involved in some type of
criminal activity. When you look at the children at the shelter and the orphanage your heart breaks. Their eyes are so full of hurt. Please pray that
they wil put their trust in Jesus who is the only one who can take their pain away.
Though we are not allowed to pray with the children, we can tell them how to pray. God will finish His work in them.
THE HOMELESS
We are blessed to train and equip many people one is a young woman named N*****a. She
spends her days with people that others do not see, the deaf and homeless. Often, she is forced to move, 4 times in the last 2 years, because no one wants
to be around those people. As she was telling me this story, she smiled and talked about God's providence, how He always cares for her.
As a result of this ministry, many homeless people have been reunited with families. Many have come to faith, but they sturggle to live changed lives.
They steal to eat, whether believers or unbelievers. Now, some are begining to try and find small jobs so that they will not steal. Slowly, the Father
is changing them.
T****G
T****g is a homeless man who lost his toes to frostbite. He walks with a cane and
lives in a sewer where he witnesses to the other people who share his sewer. Since he has trusted jesus, he has been trying to work so that he will not
have to steal. He begs and works to collect bottles that he can sell. This is the only work that he can get. His desire is to provide for others in the
sewer so that they will not steal. He came to one of our programs. His eyes are full of light and he is usually smiling.
His life challenges me to examine my own life. Do I see others needs? if I lived in a sewer, would I be thinking about others or would I be thinking about
myself? I will tell you truthfully that I do not like my answers.
I am so blessed but what do I do with my blessings? You are so blessed. What are you doing with your blessing?
In Jesus,
Linda, Sam, and P***l
BIG PRAYER REQUEST
The ladies who work with children here and some of the Bible school students have
embraced this ministry with enthusiasm. They love it and practiced over 5 hours to prepare for their first show. The children are thrilled! However
there is someone here from another country who objects to the idea of puppet ministry. This person is in a position to cause these dear ladies enormous
trouble and is already causing us big problems. They could be forbidden to use the puppets and other tools we brought. God miraculously delivered our
equipment safely to this place. Please ask Him to remove this problem and turn
this persons heart. Please pray for us.
May 20th, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,
DEAF FRIENDS
After being assigned a group of deaf children at camp, Natasha prepared by learning
sign language. Afterward, they came and found her house. This is a
very, closed community, but by her kindness, the door opened.
She quickly discovered that they had never heard about God. They had never even heard/seen His name. She said, “God is kind.” Quickly, they signed that
they understood. They said, “God is you.” She laughed and said it was a difficult lesson to correctly explain about God. Clearly, these people saw God’s
character mirrored in her life. Who do I show people? Who do you show the people who are watching you?
HOMELESS FRIENDS
Children are born in the sewers where these friends live. Some are brought to our
friend and she places them in a Christian home.
From working in the children’s jail (age 11 to 16), a Christian lady saw the need of the homeless. A young man left the jail and she continued to see him.
She saw the people sniffing glue, drinking and a precious few trying to live as believers under impossible circumstances. One was the young man from
children’s prison.
These believers needed a place to grow in the Lord, so she invited them to church. They came, but no one wanted them to come. Church members complained
about the smell, lice, and bad clothes. I hope that you are broken y the church member’s attitude and convicted of the sin in our own hearts. Though the
Pastor supported their ministry, many were unwilling to be kind to their homeless brothers and sisters.
So, she began meeting with them in her own home and provided them with the opportunity to wash clothes and take a shower.
Where she lives now was a month ago a place where drugs were sold. She said, “This is great. All of the drug addicts come to my door to buy their drugs
and I give them Jesus.”
K****N FRIENDS AND THEIR CHURCH
So many years ago, these brothers and sisters, great, great grandparents were forcibly
brought to this place as slave labor. This is a new church plant that we are blessed to join this morning in worship. Though most do not even speak their
native language, they want to maintain their traditions.
They are also more willing to try new things, so most of their worship time was full of praise songs that we knew. Though we could not sing the words, we
sang the same songs in our hearts. While the Pastor prayed, we heard music softly played in the background. As I prayed and listened, I heard the words
to “People Need the Lord” in my heart. Truly, most people in this country do not know the Lord and so desperately need His hope.
As we walked in the door of the church, we saw a large banner. It said, “Stay with us, for the day is coming to an end.” In light of the political
situation in this place, those words are well chosen. Yesterday, a young man said to me, “No one knows what will happen. Many people are leaving. It is
a very dangerous time.” When he told me the country where hey were immigrating, I was shocked. As an American, I consider it a very dangerous choice.
When I questioned the choice, he listed for me the other options. I had to admit that the other places were even more dangerous.
This is not a safe place, but everyday these friends remind me with their words and their lives that our safety is in Jesus.
HARD LIFE
Life for women in traditional villages is very hard. They must rise before 5 AM to
sweep around the house. They believe that the evil spirits will stay all day if they are not swept away before the sun rises. The birth of a baby girl is
not a blessing, but a curse. In the villages, you cannot educate a girl after 14 because then she will be too smart to be a good wife and will cause you
trouble. A girl wears a hat with feathers to attract a suitor. When the choice is made, the young man kidnaps her and she either marries him or returns
home in disgrace.
TRAINING
We have been working with a dear group of ladies. After meeting with us each day for
4 hours of class and doing programs together in the afternoon, they asked for and extra class this evening to perfect their drawing and storytelling
skills. We are so encouraged by their enthusiasm, but you must pray that they will be allowed to keep and use the equipment. Someone not from this
country s objecting to the idea of this ministry and has the authority to stop this work. Our friend P***l needs your prayers for wisdom as he seeks to
sort out this problem with those in higher authority. Please Pray!
In Jesus,
Linda for Sam and P***l
May 23rd, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,
BOYS PRISON
We are in prison today. Actually, we are in prison Monday through Thursday of this
week, sharing at a boy’s prison. As we walked into the room, I was shocked. I was looking at the faces of children, many of them 11 years old.
Most were guilty of minor crimes, stealing and causing trouble. Now, they are here and by God’s grace, each week they hear about Jesus from the dear ladies
who have become our new puppet team.
Sam, P***l , and I along with our team did our regular program. We told them about Jesus who is the hope of the hopeless, He who is the answer to all of
their problems.
The ladies planned games, but they had very little in the way of supplies. They printed song sheets and those boys sang with enthusiasm. One song was
about a beautiful place called heaven, where there is no pain and no hunger. Suddenly Sam and I were talking about our friends James and Lynne Grant in
South Africa. These are the same words he uses to explain to the children about heaven. How wonderful it was to hear them sing!
Then, the ladies had brought with them a pile of newspaper. I had no idea that you could do so many games with newspaper. They wadded it up and made
balls. They had contests to see who could build the biggest mountain. Then they made teams to see who could find a particular word first. Everyone
cheered and laughed and screamed. Finally P***l’s ears could stand no more. Sam and I are half deaf from years of working with children but we joined
P***l and walked back to the church.
Walking through the village was very interesting. Most stared at us with distrust, but one lady looked at us with hatred. We smiled. I prayed for all
of them as we walked. How terrible to live in the dark! Pray for these boys! Pray for this country!
We finished our time each day with a good home cooked meal that the ladies provided. The boys were so happy!
HOW TO START A CHURCH
A family moved into a neighborhood, some children came begging bread. They fed them
and the next day more children came. This is how they began their church, by doing children’s ministry. The children trusted Christ and brought their
parents to church. Their parents trusted Jesus and were delivered from alcohol and drug abuse. Now, there are 70 members in that church and the community
is changing.
More, they have planted a second church. They moved a family into a poor area and from their kindness to the children a second church had grown.
Today, we did a puppet show for these children. In our audience were children from three different people groups. All of them heard about Jesus Christ
and probably, many of their parents will hear tonight the Gospel presented by their children.
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Think about our own children! If they are slow to speak or struggle with their first lessons in school, this culture would place them in an institution,
even though there is nothing wrong with them. Our friends tell us that 99% of such children are sent away and many have no real problems. Count your
blessings! Count the blessings that God has given your children! Be a blessing to someone else!
STRANGE THINGS
1. We came out of our friend’s apartment building and saw that 3 men were
skinning a sheep. They had hung him in a tree and were cutting up the meat to prepare for a party that night.
2. Our puppet team is from four nations. We are sometimes confused.
3. If a man is wearing a hat with 1 slit in it, he is a father. If he is wearing a hat with 2 slits, he is a grandfather
4. We enjoy tomatoes and cucumbers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
5. Today, we met a lady who does 2 jobs for a church in the village. She is their doctor and their cook.
6. Most roads are more holes than permenant pavement. Sometimes we share the road with a heard of cows. They have right of way
Chocolate
Thanks to the kindness of German friends, we have boxes of large chocolate bars to pass out to the children. This is a very special treat for the children
in an orphanage. After I told one group of orphans about the father who loves them, a little girl came to thank me. She broke of a full third of her
chocolate bar and gave it to me. She gave me the best that she had, and was sacrificial in her gift. I want to be like this little girl. I want Jesus
to change my heart!
Pray for our friend P***l as he travels home today to be with his family. Please pray for us and the translators we will use for our remaining time here.
URGENT BRASIL REQUEST
We received a request today from our Brazilian puppet directors Gerson and Fabiana
Simioni. They have recently joined PEF and have proved so faithful in the ministry to children in Brazil through puppets. They have an opportunity to
buy their Pastors van which they really need for their ministry. The price is $20,000 and Gerson has $10,000. The pastor is selling the van so he can
use the money to pay for medical treatment for a missionary from East Timor. This friend had his mouth cut open, back to his ear and it became very
infected. He has come to Brazil for help and plans to return to East Timor even though he knows it puts his life at risk. So, in helping two of the best
children’s missionaries I have ever known get the van they desperately need, you would also be helping a brother who has been tortured for his faith. If
anyone can help meet this need, please contact the PEF office at 1-800 -CALL-PEF. Have the money placed in Gerson Simioni’s account.
In Jesus,
Linda for Sam, and P***l
May 24th, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,
OUR LAST SHOW
Sometimes, all we see really is too much. We have spent the last 2 weeks with friends
who call a sewer a home, an ocean of orphans, children who have been physically and sexually abused, little 11 year old boys in prison, the deaf, the
crippled, the homeless. We have visited children who will spend their lives staring at a ceiling, wrapped in a rag that passes for a diaper and tried to
comfort a blind child whose head was as big as a basketball.
Their pain and great need for Jesus is too much for me to describe to you. My words cannot enable you to smell what they smell everyday or enable you to
feel their hunger. Still, it is not these great tragedies that cause me to cry as I write these words to you.
As terrible as all of these situations are, they are not the cause of my heartbreak. I want to see these precious ones reached with the hope of the Gospel.
I want these dear children to put their trust in Christ. We want in some small way to be a part in helping them hear about Jesus.
So, why am I crying? We have a problem. The people that we have trained are wonderful. They have our same vision and will reach all of these children
with Jesus Love. However, once again, we face a conflict between adults, the kind of problem that results when some love rules and playing politics in Gods
house. The enormous need of these children to hear Jesus in a way they can understand must supercede such petty concerns.
Please pray for God to solve the necessary problems so that we can place the equipment where it needs to be placed with as little conflict as possible. We
will give it to the people who want to uise it to reach these dear ones.
Also pray for God to give Sam and I patience. Ask the Lord to make us very wise. We see the children and their needs and struggle as we deal with some
adults and their concerns. The truth is that it is easy to serve these children, but pray for our patience in other matters.
In Jesus,
Linda and Sam
May 25th, 2007 "Undisclosed" Location
Dearest Friends,THE LAST SHOW
We finished our time here with a very special group of children. They ranged in age
from 2 to 16 and all had just been pulled off the streets. Some of their parents were dead, others too poor to care for them, and some of their parents
were in jail. They listened with their souls. With all my heart, I wish that you could have seen their eyes, their smiles, heard their laugher and shared
our joy. Your prayers opened this door and your prayers need to continue for these children. Even though many were so young, inside they were old, deeply
hurt, and so in need of a Savior.
After we finished, one of the social workers came to me and expressed her thanks. She said, “This program was so alive. The children listened so well. I
am so surprised.” One little girl came to me, looked deeply into my eyes, and said, “Thank you.” God had touched her heart.
LIFE IN PRISON
I want to describe to you what it is like for boys in prison. However old they are
when they come to that place, they must stay until they are 15. They can choose to stay an extra year or two and receive more education. Ironically, most
choose to stay. They simply have no place else to go. Many boys arrive unable to read or write at 14 years old. One boy that we shared with had both
parents die while he was in prison. Many of their fathers and mothers are drug and alcohol addicted, so his story is not uncommon.
How bad is your life when you choose to stay in prison because it is better inside than outside? Inside, these boy’s face problems with sexual abuse.
Sometimes, they are forced to work in the fields, but the director keeps the money.
When our friends started working there, the boys had cardboard tied onto their feet with ropes for shoes. The food was terrible. The dear ladies that now
comprise our puppet team have made a huge difference in these boys. They have worked there for several years. Most of the boys have never known love.
One boy had many scars on his head from so many beatings at home. Even though he caught tuberculosis at the prison, they say that jail saved his life.
This week, the team delivered his first Bible to him. Please pray for this young man.
His name is V***** and he has trusted in Jesus as his Savior. This week, our team delivered his first Bible to him. Please pray for this young man.
Our last words to the boys were the same. Sam and I both tried to give them vision. We told them that they could grow up to be great men of God. If
we did not see them again in **********, then we would see them in Heaven. Please continue to pray for these boys.
ASTHMA
This is a very dirty place. The air is so bad and full of dirt that when we return home,
my washcloth is gray when I was my face. Many children here have asthma, but they do not have emergency inhalers. When a child has an attack, they must
call an ambulance and they are always slow to respond. Sometimes if the call is from an orphanage, the child dies before help comes. These children are
not valued. Again, we are reminded that this is not an easy place.
WHAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET
1. Watching a 14 year old boy with severe birth defects juggle with Sam and smile! His smile was a great gift! Abandoned to the care of the state
because his head was large and pointed and his eyes bulged unnaturally, there is not much joy in the boy’s life. Our team faithfully visits him and the
other orphans there every week.
2. Listening to a little girl in a wheelchair laugh as we let her touch a puppet.
3. Making a balloon hat for a boy to celebrate his 15th birthday in prison.
4. Sharing God’s hope with the homeless, deaf and seeing hope begin in their eyes.
5. Telling orphans that there is a Father who wants them.
6. Hearing the story of 2 beautiful little boys 2 and 4 years old boy, abandoned by their family and taken in by a Christian family. The
youngest arrived in the middle of winter with only a scarf wrapped around him. When it was time to sleep, he crawled under a rug. This is what he was
accustomed to doing. For 2 evenings, we played with them. Yesterday, these wonderful little boys met their new American parents.
7. Listening to Natasha share how God changed her heart toward the ****** people. One day, she was reading the Bible story of how Jonah felt
sorrier for his shade plant that died than he did for the people who lived in Nineveh. Suddenly, she saw herself in the story. God changed her heart and now she
spends her life ministering to these friends.
8. Hearing the responses of church people to the deaf ministry. Some objected because the said when you sign, you wave our hands around that
makes my blood pressure go up. Another complained that she did not feel respected because our friend turned her back to her to sign. Many were unhappy to
give up their seats where they had always sat to make from for the deaf ministry. May God forgive us if we see ourselves and hear our own complaints as
we read this story.
9. The eyes of all the boys in prison.
10. The longing of the children at orphanages to touch us and be touched.
11. Riding high in the mountains, seeing the mountain rivers running crystal clear and making a snowball, but Sam and P***l refused to get out
of the car so I could hit them.
FAMILIES
Our time at the boy’s prison has been very dear. It is still so difficult to consider
this as a proper response for the misbehavior of an 11 year old boy, but this is a place with many broken families. In reality, a good family would have
fixed most of their problems. Guilty of skipping school and petty theft, they had no one to guide them. Traditions teach village ****** people to act in
ways that will never produce health families. The cities have many homeless, with babies born on the street and in sewers. There is much alcohol abuse.
In the darkness, there is light. Surveys indicate that there are around 5 to 7,000 true believers among a population of over 5 million. Ask God to
strengthen these families that they would be a bright light for Jesus Christ! Ask the Father to protect them!
HOME, EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING
Tomorrow, Saturday, we will teach for 6 hours. Then, we will place the equipment and
fly home late Saturday night. We will arrive at the Atlanta airport at 7PM Sunday. Please pray for strength and wisdom as we finish the trip.
