Dearest Friends,
Tomorrow, August 13th, we leave for Northern Ireland. We plan to work in the North the first week doing programs for children in housing estates and caravan parks (Vacation homes). During this time, we will be based at Murlough House, a ministry of Project Evangelism under the leadership of John and Jo Moxen. The second week we will travel with the Irish band "Reality" through out the south of Ireland, doing street ministry. Both weeks, we will enjoy working with our Irish Puppet Director, Sam Shaw. Please pray for an incredible response to the Gospel!
We carry with us the memory of all that we saw the Lord do this summer as we traveled with a team of 11 young people across 4 states sharing Christ with children, teenagers and adults in difficult situations. Drug and alcohol abuse in their homes was a common experience for many of these children. Some were also victims of physical and sexual abuse. We prayed constantly as we drove down the road, before the shows and after, and late at night as the memory of the children’s pain and hurt would not let us sleep.
Six of the 11 young people who traveled with us this summer lived with us and enjoyed sharing our one bathroom. We had to use 2 vehicles to transport the team and so we are now praying for a sunshine yellow 15 passenger 3500 diesel van for next summer. As a result of the work this summer, 2 young people, Pablo and Allie Tarquino, who worked with us from Colombia went home with puppet equipment to plant a work there. Your generosity made that possible. Thank you! A team member from Northern Ireland, Luke Rodgers, grew greatly in his skills and will join us along with Sam on this trip. All of this team was awesome!
In the darkest places, we saw the Lord move and call people to Himself. One day at a street show, we heard a mother and her 2 little girls praying out loud asking Jesus to be their Savior. One little boy refused to stop praying, even though his friends laughed at him, punched him, and told him to shut up! At a very bad housing project, the children ran to hug me calling, "You came back!! You remembered!! We love you!" I wanted to cry!
All of us remember Cameron, a little 10 year old boy who came up to me after a show. He said, "People done terrible things to me. I don’t think nobody loves me!" I raised his head and said, "Cameron, look into my eyes and see the truth. God loves you! Jesus loves you! I love you! The story that you heard today is true. You can know God as a Father. Would you like to pray?"
He responded, "Yes, Ma’am. Right now." We prayed.
Pray for us as we travel to Ireland and continue to pray for the work in Brazil that the Lord continued this past June. Ask the Lord to pour His spirit on Gerson and Fabiana as they lead that work. Thousands of children in Brazil heard the Gospel because of these dear friends and each day, we heard hundreds praying out loud, asking Jesus to be their Savior. Praise God!
Pray!
In Jesus,
Mike and Linda Summer
for the team