Dearest Friends,
YOU CAN ALWAYS COME
It is wonderful to be in a village school and hear the teachers tell you that you can always come. So many children prayed out loud to ask Jesus to be their Savior. They were really loud! One of our friends said that she heard a little boy praying the line of the prayer where he calls on God to be his Father. She said that her heart ached for him. He sounded so desperate.
Please pray for our friends here at the Word of Life Bible Institute as they make plans to disciple these children. The door is open. Praise God!
A CHILDRENS HOSPITAL
I watched as the room filled with sick children and their parents. My recent stay in the hospital reminded me just how unpleasant it is to be sick. It is so much harder for children. They came in with frowns, but left with smiles on their faces. More, someone prayed in a soft whisper, calling on Jesus. The students that we are training here made balloon animals for the children and their parents. Even better, each parent and child heard the Gospel again as the students shared with them. A 14 year old girl prayed with one of them asking Jesus to be her Savior. Another lady had work to do and had to leave, but begged for the student to tell her quickly how to pray. She so much wanted to know Jesus. She did not want to leave without knowing how to pray.
BRAN CASTLE
On Sunday afternoon, we were given a lovely gift! We went to see Bran Castle, better known to you as Dracula’s castle. In reality, there was nothing inside about Dracula. Only in the market below the castle did you see all of the Dracula souvenirs that you would have expected to see.
It was very cold that day, with lots of snow and ice already on the ground. It snowed on us off and on all day. Still, with the temperature below freezing, the market was full of vendors. It was bitterly cold and no one had a heater in their stalls.
I began to think about how often I had heard people tell me that they decided not to go to church on a particular Sunday because the weather was so bad. It was raining. The sellers in the market were there for hours, 6 days a week. They were focused on what was important to them.
I believe that we as Christians can learn an important lesson for their example. Our circumstances should never determine our performance. This is a great truth for our team to remember as we are traveling. More, I want to stay focused on what God wants me to do. I want His plans to be so important to me that the circumstances will not affect my obedience. Please pray for all of us as we have only 2 days remaining in ministry before we come home. Ask the Father to keep us focused on what is important despite the circumstances. Pray for us to serve with joy!
In Jesus, Linda for
Sam Shaw- Assistant Director
Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Toby Simmons
Naomi Armstrong