Dearest Friends,
BLESSINGS in 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had a wonderful Christmas! My children were all home along with 3 toddlers. I am very happy and so blessed! I am recovering well from my surgery and really taken the time in December to rest. I want to thank everyone of you who has prayed so faithfully for me. Truly, I have been overwhelmed by your concern and felt you prayers! My strength is returning! Now, I am anxious for the adventure that the Father has for this coming year! The doctor has released me and approved my travel to Romania on January 8th. Though it will probably be 6 months before I am fully recovered, I know that the Lord will give me all the strength that I need. He is faithful!
As you finish this year, rejoice with us in all that we have seen God do in the lives of children around the world! I say that “we” did it, because truly it was a partnership with each one of you who prayed and gave to the ministry. The children saw the few of us who traveled to their respective countries, but the Lord saw all of your sacrifices. Thank you!
In 2008, we traveled across 5 continents telling children about Jesus. We worked in many places where the situation is very difficult for your brothers and sisters. They daily face persecution. By God’s grace, we spoke to around 80,000 children, teenagers, and adults and saw thousands tell us that they had trusted in Jesus in 2008! God is so good! New minisries were planted, trained and equipped, in 4 countries where we had never worked before, Russia, Cameroon, Liberia, and Hungary. We supplied 35 individuals in India with equipment and training so that they could share with Hindu and Buddhist children. In Brazil, a new ministry was begun, old ones resupplied and thousands of very poor children found hope. Again, we saw the Father gather crowds of people on the streets of Ireland to hear the Gospel. The Father gave us a sweet spirit as we worked with children from very difficult places in Northern Ireland. We traveled across 13 states in the USA and were blessed as hundreds of children called on Jesus. I stand in awe of what the Lord has done!
LIBERIAN PUPPET REPORT
I thought that you might enjoy this report from our Liberian team. When we leave a place, the real work begins. Our partners are awesome. The following is a part of their Christmas report as sent to me by team leader Pastor Ben Munford. Rejoice!
“On Saturday morning, December 20, I traveled to Buchanan to spend the Christmas holiday there. In the afternoon, I put together a short Christmas drama to be performed by the puppets.
On Sunday, I met and practiced with three of my four faithful puppeteers: Pastor Malachi, Eugene, and Mongar. We also have our second practice on Monday. Our practice went very well. Kids and adults came around to watch our practice show. We also fixed few balloons to give to the kids on Christmas Day.
On Wednesday, December 24, the sun was bright and the weather was great and promising. This was the day we planned to do our Christmas Drama. We brought our equipment outside from the house and decided to carry the most needed ones.
We placed two boxes of puppets in a wheelbarrow. I asked some of my kids to go with us to carry some of the equipment on their heads. One took the puppet stage and the other took the speaker. I took one bag on my back and Pastor Malachi took one bag on his back.
After 20- 25 minutes of walking, we reached the site. It was on the street, near business centers. We set up the stage and everything. It was about 5:00PM. We were four persons on the team.
As we were setting up the stage, crowd of people started to come around. More started to come around as the puppet did their first Christmas song. Even two UN vehicles stopped to watch the show. Praise God those Muslin Peace Keepers and heard the gospel through our Christmas drama.
At the end of the drama, I gave a short message about the purpose of Christmas (Matt. 1:21-25). At the end of the message, altar call was made and lots of kids as well as adults prayed out loud asking Jesus to forgive them and be their Lord and Savior. About 200 persons attended this show. However, across the street, were lots of people at the business centers who also heard the gospel.
A little girl after the show shared with me how she was greatly blessed by the drama. It is my heart’s burden to see these kids and adults been follow-up and discipled."
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THIS TEAM AND ALL OF THE OTHERS THAT THE FATHER HAS TRUSTED WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF SHARING CHRIST WITH THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!
PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT SHARING AT YOUR CHURCH!
In Jesus,Linda Summer