Dearest Friends,
“I LOVED EVERYTHING”
A little 8 year old boy told me that he loved everything we did “the best”. He was so happy with all that he saw and heard. When we asked one little girl what she had learned, she responded with great confidence. She said, “Jesus is enough!” Many children lined up to thank me after the different shows. Sometimes I had 2 children hugging me at once. These precious little ones want desperately to be seen and heard.
We heard children praying in soft whispers. Sometimes, we heard nothing, but they came up to us after the show and told us that they had prayed. Increasingly, these places are getting darker . I think that is why the children are sometimes not so quick to pray out loud. They do not feel safe. After the show finishes, they will often come to me and tell me that they prayed. I just think that they are not so comfortable with others hearing them.
These children live in places that are terrible. It is not so much that they live in poorer areas ,but that they live in very broken places. One friend who works with one of these groups of children told me that more than half of them experience on-going abuse of some kind. One little girl would not speak to any of us. She looked terrified. Her face had scars. I wondered what pain haunted her eyes. Often when I talk to the children about being afraid, many little heads nod their agreement.
Please pray for these children! In the last 2 days, we have done 7 shows. We have shared Jesus’ hope and love with hundreds and hundreds of children. God is so kind to us. He gives us our heart’s desires!
EAT MORE CHICKEN
Who enjoys dinner at Chick-Fil-A and does 3 puppet shows? We did last night! Admittedly, it is not the easiest place to do shows. People did not come to the restaurant to watch puppets. All of us were really praying, asking God to make us wise and creative. We saw the Father do amazing things!
One lady told me that she did not normally stop at Chick-Fil-A, but the Lord had told her to stop last night. When she met us, she said that she knew why the Lord had sent her there. She asked me about our mission. I answered ,”To tell the children of the world about Jesus and equip others to share with their own children.” She told me that she liked my answer and handed me a generous donation. I was shocked. I am often delighted by God’s surprises. We had been praying for support for the summer trip, but we never imagined this scenario.
Many people thanked me for the programs last night, but there was one lady that made sure I heard her complaints. She said that she liked the puppets, but did not like what that lady said. Jesus’ name is a blessing to so many and a problem for others. Though parents may complain, the children never do! They love His name and are drawn to Him.
We made balloon animals for all the children. They were very happy and we were happier. It is a delight to have the privilege of telling people how very much Jesus loves them!
BIBLES!!!
We have been having so much fun giving away Action Bible New Testaments to the teenagers and Jesus Storybook Bibles to the children. They are always so surprised that we are giving them these books for them to keep. Today was especially sweet. As we were loading the trailer, the children at one place had just sat down and were all reading their new Bibles. This was beautiful! Every time I thought about their joy, I smiled! Thank you for helping us buy Bibles. I really believe in the healing power of God’s words!
Linda for All Of Us