Dearest Friends,
Please know that the following email was written for Sunday morning, but we are having a hard time getting internet access. The Father answered all of our prayers! I will send the rest of the stories in the next email. Please read and rejoice! Begin to pray for the street shows that we will do in Galway as we are on our way there today, Monday. Pray for people to respond to the hope of the Gospel, pray for the rain to stop during our program, and pray for a good place to set up.
THE ROSE OF TRALEE FESTIVAL
Each year in Ireland, Tralee celebrates the Rose of Tralee festival. Tens of thousands of people attend and this gives all of us a great opportunity for doing street ministry. We are seeing crowds of hundreds of people gather to listen to Reality (a Christian band) and hear short messages about how Jesus Christ can change their lives. They stand in the rain and listen to puppets sing Christian songs. All of us are amazed that the crowds love the Bible stories. Even the adults are happy to listen and often come to us afterwards and thank us for what they heard!
We tell them how there is forgiveness for their sins and that there is the promise of a new changed life through faith in Jesus Christ. Most people live without hope and so they listen eagerly to the music and the stories. They seem so hungry to hear. Would you stand in the rain for hours to listen to the Gospel?
I have discovered that my very nice rain coat is only waterproof by USA standards. It rained so hard Saturday afternoon as we were sharing that the rain soaked through my coat, through my jacket, and through my shirt. Irish rain is cold and intense. Still, the people would not leave. The Father uses your prayers to hold them! Thank you!
Two Ladies
Yesterday, a lady begged me to come and speak to her as soon as I finished. She was troubled for her friend and knew that she needed Jesus. We quickly realized that they both needed the Father’s love and forgiveness. Her friend was in a very abusive marriage and suffered equally from the gossip that swirled around her life. I shared with her what Jesus shared with the woman at the well and she listened with her heart. She has young children and wants them to have peace. Even if I had not seen her bruises, her eyes told how she suffered.
The Father was kind to them. Praise God! Yesterday, they both prayed on the street with Michelle (a Reality member) and I. They called on God to forgive them, save them, and they put their trust in Jesus. We were able to give them Bibles and connect them with a local church. Please pray for them to grow strong in their faith. The mother must see Jesus change her life or her children will know no peace.
UPDATE- We were so happy to see these ladies return to every other program that we did. As we continued to talk with them, we were happy to see that they seem to truly met Jesus! Continue to pray!
THE MAIN STAGE
All of us were overwhelmed that we were asked to be on the main stage last year. This year, they booked us ahead of time and Saturday night, we had a very special opportunity to tell hundreds of people about Jesus Christ. We were given the best time to share, for an hour and a half. More, the rain came down in buckets and stopped just as we began. Constantly, we are praying!
PRAYER NEEDS
Please pray for this place. We have 2 sets of street shows today and the weather here is always a problem. There are drunks, hecklers, and an ocean of people who ache for life to be more than they know. The children stand spellbound and we need you to pray that they will be allowed to listen. Two mothers removed their children because the name of Jesus offended them. Please stay on your knees, so that we can stand in the rain.
In Jesus,
Linda for
Sam Shaw
Silvana Shaw
Jade Rodgers
Sam Rodgers
Toby Hornbuckle
Malachi Armstrong
Sabina
Yeva