Dearest Friends,
Two Windows…First Window
The Father gave us 2 windows yesterday to pour love and kindness on the children. Our first show was in a old gym. It had no air, but a lot of burglar bars. The windows were barred on the inside and the outside. As usual, we were not in the best part of town.
The Recreation Director was celebrating his 71st birthday yesterday. He had worked there since 1991 in a broken place in a broken building and he still had a big smile on his face. He told me that he had no intention of retiring. He said he loved the kids too much!
All of us loved his children! They listened and laughed and smiled and prayed. One little girl spoke to me while the puppets were up and told me she had prayed silently. She asked some good questions and when she had her answers, she smiled her thank you. You can see some of the children in the picture above.
As we talked about Jesus with them, the light shone in the darkness! Hope was planted in their hearts. They will still walk on the same dirty streets, but some of them will not be alone. Because all of this is true, because we have hope, we can get up tomorrow morning and do it all again.
Will you please pray for these children to grow in their faith? I encourage you to print one of the pictures from this trip to Philladelphia and put it somewhere where you can see it daily. Then, you can continue praying for Pastor Andy Kim and the 8th Street Community church and their work with children and young people in this part of Philly.
Two Windows… Second Window
Our second show was in an old movie theater that was built in 1929. It still had hand painted tapestries on the wall , but now it is home to a new Christian high school. This is another ministry connected to 8th street. So yesterday, we had teenagers and the children from a day care center at our second show.
It was really funny watching the younger children enjoying the program with wild abandon , while most of the teenagers tried so hard to be cool. I had everyone roar like a lion in part of the story and I could see the teenagers were having fun in spite of themselves.
Outside that old theater, the streets are filled with trash. It is noisy and loud and smelly, but inside it is full of light. We were blessed to stand in that bright place yesterday and tell all of those children and young people how they can walk in the light. Please keep praying!
In Jesus, Linda, Kelsey,Drake, and Leslie
