Dearest Friends,
"No!" She Shouted
Yesterday. We went to a place where we were surprised by the fear of those who called themselves Christians. We had 190 children in front of us in a space that was really too small. The crowd was largely Greek Orthodox , with even more Muslims. We had finished the story and were praying with the children. They were praying out loud. I was at the part of the prayer where the children asked Jesus to rescue them. As soon as Shadi translated the line, the teacher shouted, "No!". Every child stopped praying.
All I could think about was the scripture that warns people not to lead a child astray or they will receive a terrible punishment. Scripture says it is better that they had a millstone put around their neck and were thrown into the sea. This show broke my heart! Pray for the children and also the teacher. Ask the Lord to show them His truth and how to live without fear.
People here are very afraid that something will happen to them if they talk about Jesus. They have good reason to be concerned , but God’s commands do not change because of our circumstances. The friends that I am working with are fearless for the cross! Please keep their safety in your prayers!
Tanks And Machine Guns
Late last night, we drove to the capital city so that Shadi could preach in a big church this morning. Three soldiers were stationed outside the church armed with machine guns to protect the congregation. This is normal for some churches here, but very strange for me. When he preached about persecution and the dangers in following Jesus, it seemed very appropriate .
A couple of years ago, they sent a tank to sit outside a school here where we were doing a puppet show. The parents of the children were on opposite sides of a conflict that still exists today.
There is no peace in this place, save for the believers who love Jesus. Please pray for peace! Pray for people to grab hold of the Gospel and follow Jesus!
Refugees and Puppets
This afternoon, we did a big show at the local municipal center. It was for the refugee children and their parents. 365 joined us for a program all about Abraham and God’s rescue plan for them. Many of the children nodded as we asked if they needed hope and forgiveness. They were with us and listening through the entire story. I wish you could have seen their faces! God is so good to us!
Afterwards, we gave away hundreds of gift bags made with the gloves and hats many of you so generously gave me to bring! Our friends had bought other things to put in the gift bags so that the children had a really nice surprise.
These people have little that is nice or fun in their lives. We gave them a few hours. Always, we are reminded of the endless needs that are all around us. Two men came to the house this evening to ask for help….desperate to feed their families and get them the medicine they need. One of the men who came has a wife with cancer and 6 children. There is no help for him.
In Jesus, Linda for Shadi and our puppet team