Dearest Friends,
1000 PLUS CHILDREN
You would not have believed the ocean of children that gathered for our second show today. A large wall surrounded the school and every inch of it had a child sitting on it. In front of us, hundreds and hundreds of children stood, waiting to hear. The crowd was huge and not in control. Imagine releasing an entire school into the yard and not sending any teachers. We drew a line in the dirt and they ran over it… several times. The crowd swallowed up the space where we had the speakers and we moved them. Finally, Sam and Pastor David held them up in the air. I thought that we just might not be able to do the show. It seemed impossible.
I wanted so desperately to share with these children. I called on the Lord and He heard my prayers. He always hears. He always answers, but this answer was very sweet. Two ladies who loved the Lord and were teachers came to our rescue. God began to pour His Spirit on the children.
I can honestly say to you that 1000 plus children got quiet and listened. This was a wonder. Only God can accomplish such a feat.
You should hear hundreds of children asking God to be their Father. You should hear them call on Jesus. I wanted to weep. I was overcome with wonder at what the Lord was doing.
Hold these little ones that almost no one sees before the throne. Be faithful to remember these who are forgotten. Surely, the Father is calling you to your knees!
THE SHOW THAT ALMOST DID NOT HAPPEN
The rain was pouring down this morning and we had nowhere for the 500 children at a public school to watch the program. Again, the Lord blessed us. A near-by church offered their building. It had absolutely nothing in it and it was perfect. We filled it with children. Though it took an hour to find the key, all was sorted in the end. It was a really fun show because they listened well and loved everything that they saw.
I told the children the story of Peter walking on water and talked with them about true treasure. They loved Sam’s juggling and his testimony. David and Silvana did the best job sharing. In the end, we saw a room full of children begin a new life with Jesus. We are blessed and thankful every day for your faithful prayers. It is so wet or it is so hot, but we are so happy! May you be blessed in the knowledge that the Father is answering your prayers for these children.
THE BEST VIEW
The other day, we finished our third show with many children trusting Jesus as we set up outside by a school. We also had cloud cover and I confess that I was grateful. The children listened better and it was also easier for the team. The children’s parents all work to process ore that is brought in from the mine. The place sits on top of a hill and the view was spectacular. The best view for me that day was the way the children stared at us as they heard the story. They held onto the words as though they were life to them. They are to us all! It was a precious memory.
CHILDREN, JOY AND HOPE
Almost everyone here has nothing to teach with. The schools are emptied of all but a few books. There is no library in town.
The Sunday school teachers have nothing. A supporting church and some friends worked together to solve this problem. They gave generously and we brought in tubs of books and materials that the teachers can use to teach the children.
We are setting up a special resource library for them. The materials will be used to teach thousands and thousands of children as the plan is to share the books and rotate them from place to place. Sam and I spent an afternoon teaching and planning ways that the materials could be used.
When we finished, Pastors Ben and David were overcome with joy at what they were being given. They literally burst into song. These are the words they sang:
What the Lord has done for me
I cannot tell it all
What the Lord has done for me
I cannot tell it all
He saved me and washed my sin away
So I will shout
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!.
As we plan for this coming year, we have many projects like this one that churches and individuals can adopt. Please contact me if you are interested. Just reply to this email. I promise that I too will not be able to tell you all that the Lord has done! However, since the Father did not bless me with the ability to sing, I will just tell you wonderful stories of a wonderful Savior and how He is calling the children of the world to Himself.
Thank you so much for helping us share the hope of Jesus with the children of Liberia! There are still many more shows, so please continue to pray.
IT’S DIFFERENT HERE
1 Children have names that you usually do not hear in the states. I have met children named Moses, Blessing, Courage, Decotee, Gabriel, and Imaja. We met Ruth and Small Ruth. We also met a little girl named Mama. You can pray for all of these children!
2 We passed a restaurant today named Courage. I wondered if courage was required to eat there?
3 Another place advertised that they served eddoes which are similar to a potato.
4 Today, we all helped David haul water from the well. He has been helping every day. We had a great time, but I cannot imagine how hard this is for our friends who have to do it every day. You lower the bucket to the bottom, fill a bucket and then fill a big container in the bathroom with water. You bathe with a bucket and scoop. The water is nice and cold and feels fantastic!
5 We all tried carrying things on our heads, but only Silvana and David did well. I failed miserably! The children all had a good laugh. Ok, all the older ladies were laughing too.
In Jesus,
Linda for David, Sam, Silvana, Ben, David, Thomas and Loreta