Rain cancelled

Sitting in a church in Carrickfergus waiting to share in the service.  Yesterday at the NW200 our sharing at it cancelled because of the rain, a rare occasion when the weather said itss not worth giving it a go.  We normally share in the afternoon, were going to give the morning a try but even it was not great.  It was a shame, we had a livelt evening in South Armagh though sharing at a church BBQ.  Aislinn loved her evening, but has been tired ever since. 

After yesterday's rain it was great to get to chat with a colleague last night and plot summer adventures

Is his the way to Amorillo? Nope the way home.

Sunny Mayday

Heat Rain Noise

So im sitting here its warm and humid, and it feels great. I thought the trip to England would get me well used to this traveling again. It has, my stomach is stretched and not really being challenged at all, yet. Brazil seems to have quite an interesting mix, of people customs and everything else. At the end of the day though the people are just the same as anywhere else, all in need of some hope, all in need of something to live for. And thats what we have been able to do twice today point them in the direction of someone worth living for. At the first show many of the children decided to make that choice, to follow Jesus what a precious sound it was. Tomorrow its training and a little bit of shopping, and right now its of for a cold shower, lovely.

England

In England for a week ish, arrived here after driving from Edzell my folks house in Scotland. I left at 5 am and was here just after 10am plenty of time before a 1.15pm show. I had both a good, interesting and I guess troubling time with my folks there these past few days. I guess its always that way when you see things for the first time, and realise stuff that has just passed you buy.

Sometimes I forget how much my life and what I see has changed me, its easy to forget I have allot going on even when it feels like not much is happening.

I got to see some beautiful scenery this time that I hadn't every seen before, as well as a new glenn.

Our shows on the streets in Ireland have been great since I got home from South Africa. Always fun, sometimes interesting. Tomorrow I am on the street in Whitehaven, Cumbria and in a Theatre - should be fun.

The next week I will be helping with a kids club and doing shows on the street. Before three days at home and then of to Brazil. Happy days.

Soweto

One of my dreams in coming to africa was getting the chance to share in somewhere like Soweto. Well the other day I had that privilege, was it what I thought it would be, no. Nothing is ever what you think it will be. Was it good to see God at work most definately!

Johannesburg has much crime, it has a massive problem with aduse and aids, a friend told me the other day that the joke is that rape is the national sport. With problems like these there are many people living in hopeless situations, many people hurting terribly. We have gotten to see some of these same children laughing and praying along with us at the programs what a privilege.

On my way

I am sitting in Heathrow on my way to South Africa. Two weeks of shows in schools, townships and hopefully some squatter camps between Johannesburg and Durban. Many of these kids will be living in very bad places, they so desperately need hope, we will be sharing that hope with them. I am about to have a few great weeks. Pray!!!

Christmas is coming

Happy days, Christmas is coming, and we have a few busy weeks ahead going here there and everywhere, well almost.

This past week has been interesting enough as it is. Caught up with some young folk who have moved into the neighbourhood from a nearby town. I know them well, lovely folk, just coming from a place that evil has such a strong hold on peoples hearts, they understand the difference between faith in Christ and religion. They have seen and known real Christian love. They just desperately need to make that change, to make the choice, it is there only hope. What hope have any of us have without Jesus, none. These are friends that know this better than most. My desperate hope and prayer for them is that the Lord calls them into His kingdom, that he brings the whole family to Him.

Puppets, I have had great news this week about them. A friend in Ukraine is going to make me 10 and Linda 5. I always need more you can never have enough. I am real happy there and it helps her out.

This is the view I saw 

As i was walking on the beach today 

The last show of the day, students at a teacher training college 

The Day of Mikes Funeral the day we heard many of these children pray 

Is everyone having one?

That was the question I asked myself yesterday. In one day I had spoken to three friends that were having children of had just had them. Only one of those couples would I say were a stable married family unit, the last in the world actually that I expected to hear that from. It was quite amazing to hold one of these young children, so small yet so beautiful, carefully knit together by God a miracle of creation. It was amazing, to see beauty, innocence and helplessness.

Sunday's show was real encouraging, it was in the kind of place we most like to work somewhere the kids have little chance to see a program like ours where the Gospel is shared in such a fun and entertaining way. Yet they had the chance to hear of the hope of knowing Christ ever so clearly. This in an army base with few Christian's, and not so much Gospel witness. It is a hard life for the soldiers and their families.

This weekend its of to see the family and do some shows in Scotland, it will be an interesting challenge and time. Not having done show's that far North in Scotland before. It will be a fun challenge.

Perfection

What happens when all the pressure is finally lifted of? You breath a sigh of relief and try and avoid thinking about everything. Thats my response anyway. This is me thinking back on the past week. Where I managed to find lots of wee things to do, to avoid doing the big things, and getting me head around this past month with all that has happened.

Well this week is now over and its time for the big things next week. Trying to be wise this week and treating my body better. Rather than being silly pushing it and doing damage. You allways think you are stronger than you think until you feel it all go.

Tonight has been so much quieter than last week. But what a show we had last Saturday night, what and encouraging night. I have not had so much fun at a church show in a long time. It has to have been a number of reasons, God's Spirit moving mightily, us getting things closer to perfect and the people that were there. It was a missions conference after all.

When It all starts to hit home

It has been an interesting time since my return from Moldova. The trip was good, the ministry was good. The heartache shock and loss of Mike's death back home, I am only coming to terms with now. Now that I have time to think, to walk on the beach and ponder. To realise all that has happened, to realise the implications for everyone, to realise the implications for me.

Sunday was good and fun, the show in the army base, for kids. It makes a first, when the congregation did not bother to go to church, they all came to Sunday school and the puppet show instead, I almost felt sorry for the Chaplain. The kids listened, the parents listened. It is a lonely hard life for them, so isolated and so alone at times. To share the answer was quite the privilege, I am looking forward to our next visit. For these are the people we most enjoy doing programs for.

All that has happened is helping to put things into perspective for me, forcing me to make the hard choices I have been putting of. I no longer have Mike to go to for advice, I have to just stand up and do what I think is right. It is making me take risk's in areas where I have just waited patiently for years now. Will the risk pay of, time will tell, I can not hang around really just waiting on it, waiting for time to redeem past mistakes.

Loosing your voice

You go to bed at night, feeling like you are loosing your voice. You wake up the next day and it feels fine, but oh that evening we are back to square one again, and the voice is going. What can you do, but drink warm tea and honey.

I never thought I would be doing all the storytelling this trip. Fool that I am, I never imagined I would find myself on my own telling all the stories. Lesson learned next time I will be prepared, no matter how little I think I will have to do.

I have to wonder though what will next time look like. With no more Mike to sort all. What will it be like. Time will tell. For now I just have to sort all the wee things. Try not to get caught out like this again, with a dodgy voice and two days of shows left to go. Monday night I can loose my voice but then and only then. With Oksana gone home to seminary there is no back up storyteller. But God knows, and it will all work out for good.

A Border town

Today was the day my friend was buried. I was finishing the last show of the day at just the same time as his funeral was begining. What a way to spend the day though. A first for Moldova, many , many kids praying with us at the end of the first show. The final show all teenagers, man did they laugh, did they listen. I could not help but think of Mike watching us with a big cheesy grin, saying not bad BOY, in that redneck way only he could. I would not rather have been anywhere else today. Being with my family at the funeral would have been nice though, it did not compare with what we saw.
The thinking about the loss about what has happened will wait to next week when i get home.

The war goes on

These past few days have been some of the hardest of my life, the loss of Mike. An adopted father to me. The news came and i sank, i new it was bad news but could never have comprehended its enormity. No time to think, action required to get Linda out of the middle of nowhere in what is basically a communist country. No sleep, when your already tired. I did not feel tired again until 10 PM the next day, living on adrenaline, the Holy Spirit and the numbness. The mourning is to come, but not until this present battle is over. For now we work we share with the children of Moldova on monday my family bury a Hero of the Faith. On the 4th October i arrive home, then i can mourn.

Its Friday, Its raining

Slowly getting stuff sorted for my next trip. My airline tickets arrived yesterday, my visa should be sorted today. It is all coming together for Moldova. Yippee!!!

It takes me a while to catch onto things sometimes, I realised Monday I could get some new puppets home from Moldova via a Ukrainian puppet maker and some friends. Happy days, if only I had thought of it sooner, I would have got her to make me more than eight.

Tomorrow is our first practise back after the summer, it should be good, I need it to be better than good though. Especially with four of us having been doing ministry overseas this summer. The challenges need to get bigger and our skill levels need raising. We have next Saturday's show to look forward to and getting everything in order before the trip.

This year I have learnt the neccessity of keeping myself physically in better shape, with the travelling I had let things slide, like excercise and eating well. But no more, I am learningI have to start slowly though. I have many more aches and pains than years ago, when I was fit.

What can i say

At the end of a fantastic summer can it get any better? It can, in a small church on the Shankhill Road to hear young kids praying out loud asking Jesus to be there Saviour. Kids who are only aught hate from an early age, it was just the best.

It has been a good but full summer, it is over but there is so much more to come. South Africa was just wonderful and then Dunloy. Could I have a better life? Is there a more fun job out there anywhere? I do not think so. Roll on Moldova.

Today has been a cool day, from a rather slow and sluggish morning to talk with a Ukrainian friends in the afternoon and then on to an amazing evening show. All is well that ends well.