2008 End of the Year Report!

Dearest Friends,

BLESSINGS in 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a wonderful Christmas! My children were all home along with 3 toddlers. I am very happy and so blessed! I am recovering well from my surgery and really taken the time in December to rest. I want to thank everyone of you who has prayed so faithfully for me. Truly, I have been overwhelmed by your concern and felt you prayers! My strength is returning! Now, I am anxious for the adventure that the Father has for this coming year! The doctor has released me and approved my travel to Romania on January 8th. Though it will probably be 6 months before I am fully recovered, I know that the Lord will give me all the strength that I need. He is faithful!

As you finish this year, rejoice with us in all that we have seen God do in the lives of children around the world! I say that “we” did it, because truly it was a partnership with each one of you who prayed and gave to the ministry. The children saw the few of us who traveled to their respective countries, but the Lord saw all of your sacrifices. Thank you!

In 2008, we traveled across 5 continents telling children about Jesus. We worked in many places where the situation is very difficult for your brothers and sisters. They daily face persecution. By God’s grace, we spoke to around 80,000 children, teenagers, and adults and saw thousands tell us that they had trusted in Jesus in 2008! God is so good! New minisries were planted, trained and equipped, in 4 countries where we had never worked before, Russia, Cameroon, Liberia, and Hungary. We supplied 35 individuals in India with equipment and training so that they could share with Hindu and Buddhist children. In Brazil, a new ministry was begun, old ones resupplied and thousands of very poor children found hope. Again, we saw the Father gather crowds of people on the streets of Ireland to hear the Gospel. The Father gave us a sweet spirit as we worked with children from very difficult places in Northern Ireland. We traveled across 13 states in the USA and were blessed as hundreds of children called on Jesus. I stand in awe of what the Lord has done!

LIBERIAN PUPPET REPORT

I thought that you might enjoy this report from our Liberian team. When we leave a place, the real work begins. Our partners are awesome. The following is a part of their Christmas report as sent to me by team leader Pastor Ben Munford. Rejoice!

“On Saturday morning, December 20, I traveled to Buchanan to spend the Christmas holiday there. In the afternoon, I put together a short Christmas drama to be performed by the puppets.

On Sunday, I met and practiced with three of my four faithful puppeteers: Pastor Malachi, Eugene, and Mongar. We also have our second practice on Monday. Our practice went very well. Kids and adults came around to watch our practice show. We also fixed few balloons to give to the kids on Christmas Day.

On Wednesday, December 24, the sun was bright and the weather was great and promising. This was the day we planned to do our Christmas Drama. We brought our equipment outside from the house and decided to carry the most needed ones.

We placed two boxes of puppets in a wheelbarrow. I asked some of my kids to go with us to carry some of the equipment on their heads. One took the puppet stage and the other took the speaker. I took one bag on my back and Pastor Malachi took one bag on his back.

After 20- 25 minutes of walking, we reached the site. It was on the street, near business centers. We set up the stage and everything. It was about 5:00PM. We were four persons on the team.

As we were setting up the stage, crowd of people started to come around. More started to come around as the puppet did their first Christmas song. Even two UN vehicles stopped to watch the show. Praise God those Muslin Peace Keepers and heard the gospel through our Christmas drama.

At the end of the drama, I gave a short message about the purpose of Christmas (Matt. 1:21-25). At the end of the message, altar call was made and lots of kids as well as adults prayed out loud asking Jesus to forgive them and be their Lord and Savior. About 200 persons attended this show. However, across the street, were lots of people at the business centers who also heard the gospel.

A little girl after the show shared with me how she was greatly blessed by the drama. It is my heart’s burden to see these kids and adults been follow-up and discipled."

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THIS TEAM AND ALL OF THE OTHERS THAT THE FATHER HAS TRUSTED WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF SHARING CHRIST WITH THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!
PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT SHARING AT YOUR CHURCH!

In Jesus,Linda Summer




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"THE AGAPE PUPPETS"

Michael Summer, Founder - Linda Summer, Director
Sam Shaw, Assistant Director
6550 West Armuchee Road
Summerville, Georgia 30747

Phone: 706-397-2956 FAX: 413-425-5805
Email: Linda@TheAgapePuppets.org
WEB: www.TheAgapePuppets.org
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Liberia, October 8th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

You must hear this story! It is a story of the one true God and how in His faithfulness He delivers those who trust in Him. I talked with David a long time and made careful notes. It is with his permission that I share with you this terrible story, this wonderful story, a story of God’s wonderful mercy!

David is our very good friend who partners with our friend Ben in ministry. He is also a pastor and love Jesus deeply. Hear his story of deep faith.

DAVID’S STORY

My name is David. I stayed in Liberia through 14 years of Civil War. God kept my family and I alive. During the war, there were 6 major factions, all warring with each other. All of the people were always caught between them. I was a nurse and worked at a hospital. We treated everyone who was hurt. It was the right thing to do.

For a time, the MPFL controlled the hospital. Then, the LPC captured our area. They were known for stealing children. In time, my family and I had to flee and found ourselves in an area controlled by the ULIMO. By then, we were a group of 21 people. God always provided for us.

As we were crossing the train track, we were captured by the LPC. They were always looking for men and were quick to kill them. In our group, there were 2 men, my friend and I. They tied our hands behind our backs and pushed us to the ground. They said that we were rebel leaders. We were nothing. We had no part in the war. We just wanted to survive.

They brought out an axe. I could hear my wife and children crying behind me, praying. They cut off my friend’s head. I felt his blood running under me. Then, it was my turn. I knew that I would die, but suddenly a woman who went to our church came and spoke for me, saying I was a good man. She was friends with some of the rebels. They seemed to listen to her, but still wanted to kill me.

The rebels asked my wife, “Can you take care of all these children without your husband?” She told them no. Then they untied me and let me go. God saved me. There was no reason that they should have released me.

After a while, the U.N. Peace Keeping Forces gained control of Buchanan. My wife was very ill and a rebel who knew my family agreed to take her and our youngest child to the doctors there. I stayed with the rest of the children, because he could not guarantee our safety. My children and I were caught in a crossfire by the LPC and the MPFL.

Earlier in the night, God warned me to hide my children in the jungle. That is how he spared their lives. I stayed in the house with another man. They always wanted to kill the men and I know that the children would be safer if I was not with them. God saved my children. The rebels raked the building with machine guns. My children would have died.

They called to us to come outside. I told my friend not to go, but he went anyway. They shot him in the back of the head. I waited. I heard God tell me to go now. I jumped into the bushes and ran. They fired machine guns at me, but again, God spared my life.

Then I went to get my children, but I found that the child stealing rebel group, the MPFL, had taken 2 of my children. I thought that I must reach my wife. It was horrible. I prayed for my children. The rebels had taken everything from the house. I had only the shorts I wore, and no money. I had no shirt, no shoes, nothing. I had 75 miles to travel, crossing through 32 checkpoints. At every checkpoint, they wanted money, but I had nothing. Still, God made a way for me time and again and I reached my wife safely.

When she heard that the rebels had taken 2 of our children, both daughters, she cried for a month. I believed always that God would bring them home. Two years and 5 months later the Lord restored them to us.

It was a miracle! I had such joy! God amazingly saved them. When I heard what had happened, I knew that only God could have saved them. The oldest one was 12 and carrying her baby sister who was only one and a half years old. Shortly after the rebels took them, they decided to kill them. My daughter began to call my name. One of the rebel leaders told them to stop. He knew my name and asked her mother’s name.

The rebel leader had been wounded and come to the hospital where I worked. He had no one to take care of him, and for 3 months, I took care of him. I paid for everything. He remembered and took my children to his own home and cared for them. He saved my children as I had saved his life. God is good! All of us survived!

When I think about those 14 years, I think about how God took care of us. I believe that he spared my life so that I could work for Him. That is what I am doing.

IMPORTANT!!!

Please know that David is part of our new puppet team. If his story has touched you, please help us help this team. They will need money for travel so that they can reach the parents and children who have suffered as David and his family suffered. This is a broken place and together we can pour Jesus healing love on the deep hurts that so many people carry here. Write me at msummer@earthlink.net

PRAYER

We begin our trip home on Wednesday, October 8th. We will arrive on Thursday, October 9th. Please pray us safe home.

In Jesus, Linda for
Sam and Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Ben and Lauretta Munford

Liberia, October 6th, 2008

Dearest Friends,


SATURDAY

LIFE ON A RUBBER PLANTATION


Life on the rubber plantation that we visited Saturday more resembled slavery than employment. We were allowed to come and do 3 programs in 3 different camps. If I had been the owners, I would never have allowed us to see what we saw. Though this is a very profitable business, you could never discern that truth by the way the people lived.


The camps were squalid. Each one was worse than the one before it. The people live on the plantation and because of its distance from a town, they can never leave it easily. Their children grow up to work as they worked. The people are more owned than employed.


Extreme poverty greeted us at every place and this surprised me. I expected that the workers would benefit from their employment. The children wore rags or nothing. Many were hungry and I could count the ribs on many little ones. No one smiled. They simply existed, staring at us with hopeless eyes. Life is a complete misery to them. They start at 5 a.m. and work until 3 or later. Each person must tap 500 trees a day. That means that they must cut 500 trees to run the sap into cups, and the next day they must collect the cups of sap.


The older people have endured the Civil War and still suffer. We passed a place today where 75 people were killed in a single day. The younger people no longer dream. When you are too old to work anymore, you receive a small income, but you must leave the plantation. Everyone you know and love is there, but you are forbidden their comfort.


We worked with a local pastor who is committed to follow up on those who prayed. So many called on Jesus to save them. Their lives provide no comfort so they clearly see their need for Jesus. This is their one great blessing!


Often when I speak at churches, I must remind people that this life ends and heaven waits. I encourage them to think about the next life and how today will affect that future. These people needed no reminders that this life passes away. Some were hearing the Gospel for the first time. They embraced the promise of heaven with enthusiasm. Grown men and women could be heard praying aloud, almost drowning the voices of all the children who also prayed.

Slowly, during the program, they began to smile, clap, and even laugh with us. The children were very shy with us, but warmed up to us quickly at they realized that we cared about them. The children were sometimes terrified by the puppets because they were so strange to them.

However, we were quick to explain to them that nothing we had would hurt them. This statement they accepted. I don’t know why they believed us. We are white and it is white people who have always used them. Constantly, I prayed for them not to see our outsides, but to see God’s Holy Spirit on our insides. The Father was kind to us and gave them eyes to see our true hearts.


I will hold their smiles always in my heart. I beg you to pray for these dear people. Ask the Father to make them strong Christians who deeply trust Jesus. This is one of the saddest places that I have ever visited. He is their only hope. He is our only hope.


SUNDAY


PRINCE, OOSAN, CHARITY, AND FRIENDS

We arrived late to the church where Sam was to preach and I was to give a mission report. They took us to the front of the church and sat me down by a doorway. It is brutally hot here and the breeze was the sweetest blessing. Our friends are always quick to do all they can for us!
Immediately, 6 or 7 children appeared and sat on the steps. My heart was touched by their smiles. While the church was singing, I began to draw pictures for them and tell them about Jesus. I used my notebook and with the high wall we were sitting behind, their presence disturbed no one.


I was having a wonderful time sharing with these little ones. I drew pictures for them and they were so happy. I believe the Father called them to sit on the steps beside me. They were not children who normally came to church.


One of the men in the church came and started to chase them away. He told them to leave. I jumped up to run out the door and call the children back. I yelled "Let the children alone. Let them stay." I hit my head on the door jam and nearly knocked myself out. It would have been quite a disaster except for 2 members of the Liberian puppet team who came and gathered up all the children and brought them back to me.


They invited the children to come into the church. One little girl ran off and when she came back, she had changed her clothes. Before, she was wearing a rag of a dress. She had run home, excited to be invited inside, and put on her best dress. My heart broke for this little girl and all these little ones. They all stayed and listened to Sam and I.


Children have not been a priority in ministry in Liberia. More, many in the church have completely ignored their needs. Please pray for the new Liberian puppet team. They see the needs of the children. They have our same heart.


THE REST OF THE STORY

Later Sunday night, Ben, our Liberian pastor friend, told us an amazing story. I had given all the children who sat with me a business card with a picture of Mike and I on the back. One little girl took the card to her mother and the lady came immediately to church to see who her daughter had met.

She heard Sam preach and watched as I drew pictures to illustrate the story. That dear lady heard the Gospel from Sam today because we were kind to her child. At one point, she closed her eyes and said that she could see bright light surrounding us. She told our friend Thomas that she saw someone standing and stretching out His hand to the little children. She said that she could see our heart for children, but even better, she felt the Lord calling to the children. Please pray that she will be drawn to deep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray that she will encourage her children to come and learn more about Jesus. Many people never think to take their children to church in Liberia.

Everyday my prayer in this place has been that the Lord would make us a bright light for Him. He sweetly answered that prayer today. We have only 3 days left. We fly home on Wednesday, October 8th. My prayer is that we would shine in these remaining days. Please hold us in your prayers.


PROBLEM

There is a problem with the email addresses that you can use to reply to this email. If you need to reach me please use msummer@earthlink.net


In Jesus,

Linda for


Sam and Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Ben and Lauretta Munford

Liberia, October 4th, 2008

Dearest Friends,


DEEP IN THE BUSH

I always ask to go to villages where children do not have much to see. We all love the places that are difficult to reach and forgotten. These are my favorite places. After driving 2 ½ hours, we were deep in the bush. Our first show was at the rural school. You would be surprised to see how small a space 250 children can crowd into. Add another 50 or so adults and you can begin to imagine the crowd that waited for us. The Father poured out His spirit and called so many to faith. Praise God!


THE BRIDGE

As we crossed a bridge, we were told that this bridge separated 2 counties. During the war, the rebels held the bridge. Those who were trying to escape had to keep off the roads and go through the bush. The rebels were quick to kill people. Many died simply trying to escape. Hunger and disease claimed many. Others fashioned small boats and tried to escape by sailing along the coast. However, these were poorly made and capsized easily. Many were drowned.


At the 2 shows that we did in this area, I spoke both times to the children and 2 large groups of adults, mostly widows. I usually do not speak with children about how Mike, my husband, burned to death in a fiery truck accident. It would simply be too much for them to hear.

However, I talked about it today at the request of the Liberian pastors with us. These children had seen much worse and endured much more. They needed to hear how the Father could mend broken hearts. They desperately needed Jesus.


THE JUNGLE

Our third show in this area and our fourth show of the day, was in our friend Loretta’s village. Mostly, it is now a jungle since the people who lived here are gone. Most are dead. The jungle covers their homes, but their stories must not be forgotten. So many died here, but they also lived. The survivors are trying to rebuild Liberia, but it is so hard.


We passed so many rusty signs marking clinics that no longer exist. Most of the missionaries had to flee during the Civil War, but many missionaries, like Liberians, never returned. This place is in need of short term medical mission trips. Both doctors and dentists are needed. Our pastor friend Ben works with Samaritan’s Purse and is able to organize such a trip. If this is the Father’s will for you, please send me an email and we will connect you with Ben.

GIFTS

We received so many gifts today. One church gave us a large bowl of rice as a thank you gift. Children cheered and ran down the road ahead of us as we arrived. Some patiently waited 4 hours deciding it was better to arrive early than to miss something. We were showered with smiles and laughter. Best of all were the Father’s gifts. Hundreds of children trusted Jesus. At one place, we even heard lots of adults calling on Jesus. We are exhausted, hot, hungry, and happier than I have words to write.

PROBLEM


There is a problem with the email addresses that you can use to reply to this email. If you need to reach me please use msummer@earthlink.net

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam and Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Ben and Loretta Munford

Liberia, October 3rd, 2008

Dearest Friends,


NO FATHERS, NO MOTHERS

Many children in Liberia lost both parents to the war. Today we shared at an orphanage with over 200 children. Some had parents who simply lost all hope and abandoned them. Today, they heard about a Father who will never leave them. Many put their trust in Jesus. Your prayers are calling thousands of children to the Father.


STREET SHOW

We set up in a market in front of a UN Checkpoint staffed with soldiers from Ghana. Beside us was the "Mohammed Phone Charging Booth." We were in a Moslem area where Bassa was the common language. God sent a cloud and we were able to share more since people weren’t so hot. Everyone listened. Every big man came to watch the puppets and listen to the Bible story. God gave us a sweet privilege!


ANOTHER CHICKEN

Some of you will remember how the chiefs in Cameroon in April showered us with gifts. We received a live goat, 2 live chickens, a stalk of bananas, and 50 pounds of potatoes. Today, a local church voted to send us a live rooster as a thank you gift. The pastor personally delivered him to us at our home.


We are staying in a rural area near the city of Buchanan. The pastor and his wife lovingly gave Sam and Silvana their own bed. Calah and I, along with the pastor and his wife are sleeping on foam mattresses on the floor. These people are very kind. They sacrificially care for us.

Each night we come in very tired and hot. They have already hauled water from the well for us. We take a bath using a bucket and a scoop. Then we save the water so that we can hand wash our clothes. We must wait until morning to hang them outside because they would be stolen during the night.


It is the rainy season here. Constantly people during the day move our clothes on and off the line. Everyone is very thoughtful.

We are a curiosity. In a town on 30,000 people, we are the only white people. When Sam rides down the road in the back of the truck, people call out to him. They say, "Hello white man." Some say "Look! White man." Everyone here also finds me different. My long white hair is strange. People call me "Mother."


PROBLEM

There is a problem with the email addresses that you can use to reply to this email. If you need to reach me, please use msummer@earthlink.net

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam and Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Ben and Loretta Munford

Liberia, 0ctober 2nd, 2008

Dear Friends,

WINDOWS

For the past 3 afternoons, we have been training our new team. Each afternoon, the neighborhood children fill the open windows of the church. Today, I realized as I was teaching our friends to tell stories, the children were really listening to what was being said. I began to demonstrate the story of Joseph to the team.

God gave me eyes to see what I would have missed. I stopped looking at the adults in the class and began to speak just to the windows. I gave the adults in the room an example of how to lead a child in praying to receive Christ and a little boy in the window asked Jesus to be his Savior. Silvana noticed a girl praying in another window.

How do I know this? I told the adults how we had seen hundreds and hundreds of children raising their hands, telling us that they had prayed with us, asking Jesus to be their Savior. As soon as the little boy heard the words in Bassa, he raised his hand. I wanted to shout! I was so excited.

The Liberians are doing amazing at the training. The heat is stifling and still they come. They never complain and they try so hard. Add to this blessing the wonder of this little boy trusting in Jesus. I love what God does!

RAIN

Working in Ireland for the past decade has taught me a lot about how to work in the rain. These lessons served us well today. We were able to do the opening of the program and one song before it hit. Hundreds of children ran for nearby shelter, but were still close enough to listen. Many, many children circled around me and stood in the rain. I continued to tell the story, acting it out since I could not draw in the rain. It became a downpour and still they stayed to listen. I finished the story and 2 children told me that they had asked Jesus to be their Savior. Praise God! We were all dripping wet and really happy!

THANK YOU

Hundreds of children stood in the blazing sun at one school watching the program. They clapped when they heard how Jesus walked on the water. They delighted in the puppets and were thrilled with Sam’s juggling. However, it is one little boy named Sam that I remember the most. I felt someone pull on my arm. Sam stood there smiling and said "Thank you." He was about 10 years old and had asked Jesus to be his Savior. He seemed very happy to meet big Sam!

WAR

We have never worked in a place like Liberia. Fourteen years of war has left the people of this country with horrific memories. It was a very brutal time where rape and murder were common. We were told that some children joined the fighting after watching their parents die at the hands of an opposing group of rebels. Others were kidnapped and forced to fight. Some of the children were taken at 13 or 14 years old, but some were kidnapped at 8.

Everyone that we meet has much to forgive. The brutality that has been described to us is hard to put into words. People were not killed; they were butchered. Our friend told us how his family and others hid in the bush to escape.

The war has left a terrible legacy. Everyday we see children in rags, some wearing only underwear, or nothing at all. The fortunate ones go to private schools and most of these are Christian, but they are not free. Few can afford this option.

There is so little here. We are in a town of 30,000 people on the coast. Buchanan does not have a single dentist. If you want a heart doctor, there is only 1 in the country. This help is four hours away. You must travel very bad roads and you cannot go at night. There are gangs of thieves that watch the highways for foolish people.

Near us, there is a water tower, but no one has running water anymore. All of the equipment is gone. The infrastructure of this country, roads, water, and electricity, was destroyed.

These are dear people and they are trying so hard. Please pray for us to have wisdom to make wise choices in the ways that we can help. Please pray for God to call Christians to serve in
Liberia.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for

Sam and Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager
Ben and Loretta Munford- Our Liberian Friends

Liberia, October 1st, 2008

Dearest Friends,


THREE SHOWS

FIRST SHOW- Crowd 350 children and young teens into a room that is too small to hold them. Then add a puppet stage and easel, along with whoever nearby saw us arrive. There is no breeze and the room is so hot, but no one cares. They are so excited and respond to the Gospel with enthusiasm. Our Liberian pastor friend asked how many of the children had prayed and we saw an ocean of hands raised, telling us that they had put their trust in Jesus.

SECOND SHOW- Our street show was rained out, but our friend Ben quickly found us a small Christian school with 200 children. Many neighbors stood in the windows watching. When the puppets came up for their song, children screamed and tried to leave the building. This had happened so many times, but everyone eventually calms down. Again, the children listened with their ears and their hearts. So many trusted in Jesus! Praise God!

THIRD SHOW- The Lord stopped the rain and several hundred people stood in the sun to listen to the program. We set up in a parking lot. You cannot imagine how hot it was, but the crowd stayed. More, a lot of them put their trust in Jesus!
I admit that every one of these shows is difficult because of the extreme heat and humidity, but we are so blessed. God is so faithful! The Liberian children are very sweet. Our friends here are eager to learn. We all feel privileged to serve here.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS- NO BOOKS

I want you to see that we see. We did a puppet show at a public school for 350 children. The school had only 7 teachers and no books, no supplies of any kind. They put all of the older children in one room together, 98 students.

The children were so hungry for affection. They crowded around us, reaching out to us, grateful for the smallest touch! Obviously, these precious children will not receive an education. They are loosing this generation.

I asked what had happened to the books. They told me that many were burned during the Civil War or destroyed by water damage when the roofs came off the buildings, some were taken to other countries.

There is a tremendous opportunity here for someone who wants to start a Christian school.

Many are needed.

NO HOPE

With the problems that exist in the school system, there is also very high unemployment. Very few people can find a job. A salary of $100 a month is considered very good pay. However, everything is very expensive and so many cannot afford the basic necessities.

You might thing that the situation is hopeless. The last couple of days I have been listening to a Liberian Christian singer. In one of her songs, she names all of these problems, but makes the sweetest conclusion. She sings “I just want to thank you Lord for all you have done for me. You take care of me.”

The Christians that we have met here have the sweetest spirit. They are grateful to God for each thing that they have and quick to praise Him for his provision. They have so very little. All food is cooked over a fire. The bathrooms exist, but none of the faucets work. All water must be hauled from a well or lake.

Their spirit is a delight to my soul. They do not complain. They consistently thank God. May the Father give me, give all of us, the same heart. Please hold all of us in our prayers. Please pray especially for the children of Liberia to hear Jesus.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw
Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager

Liberia, September 30th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

THE CHILDREN

Our hearts are so full from our time with the children. They are so happy to see us when we arrive for a show. Many follow us down the road, waving to us. This is not an easy place to serve, but as soon as we look into the children’s eyes, we forget all about the difficulties.

They have such big needs. Standing in front of hungry, sick children and seeing them smile is a gift from the Father. When we talk about heaven as a place where there is no hunger, no pain, they listen. Orphans and street children have come to our puppet programs. They listen so sweetly as they hear that God can be their Father.

Many lost one or both parents during the Civil War. Some saw their parents murdered. Again, when we speak of forgiveness, they listen. We tell them that when you trust in Jesus and are forgiven, you can forgive anyone, anything. Others have been sexually or physically abused. One little boy who came to a show had his tongue cut out.

Liberia has an ocean of children and they seem eager to come and see the puppets. Most adults and children have never seen a puppet or a storyteller or juggling. God is using these simple things to call many to faith in Jesus.

PUPPET SHOWS

We are doing shows in all kinds of places. We do programs at schools, orphanages, churches, and on the street. At our very first show, more than a hundred children could be heard praying out loud. Sometimes, the children pray silently and come to tell us after the show.

On the street, we saw a great outpouring of God’s spirit. Earlier in the day, children at a church school were shy and would not pray out loud. However, on the street, set up in front of an abandoned store front, we heard children loudly calling on Jesus to save them. Praise God!

LIFE IS DIFFERENT HERE

Life is very different here. We stopped to buy gas at a gas station, but the pumps had not worked in years. They had built a wooden shelf between the pumps and had gallon sized glass jars of gas for sale.

There are small booths everywhere where you can charge your phone. One business was named “God Forgets No One Charging Station.” Another was named “Love is Patient.” The businessman chose a good name as everything we try to do requires patience.

A Liberian does not feel he has eaten unless he has rice. We have enjoyed many different foods including potato greens, the tops of the potatoes. They love very hot peppers. Children in villages eat mice. There was a time when many people ate cattle food.

Please pray for these dear friends. Ask God to supply all their needs.

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw
Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager

Liberia, September 29th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

THE MOST AMAZING WELCOME!!!

We drove for 4 hours across some very interesting roads to reach the pastor’s house. All along the way, we were stopped by the police and questioned. This beautiful place was ripped apart by 14 years of civil war and now they carefully watch for rebels who might come to Liberia again. With all of these stops, it is not easy to predict when you will arrive at a place.

As we drove down the road to his house, many children lined both sides of the road waving pieces of tall grass. They cheered for us and shouted “Welcome.” Many held signs. One said “Welcome Sister Linda and The Agape Puppets.” As soon as we got out of the truck they crowded around us, smiling and singing.

We were overwhelmed by their love and joy. It was like being in a Bible story. All of us were humbled by their welcome. As we drove through the crowd of cheering, singing children, I prayed out loud. I asked God to help us. Pray for us to do a good job for these precious children. Ask God to call many to faith in Jesus!

WORSHIP- AFRICAN STYLE

The music is wonderful! There is lots of clapping and drums. People sing in English, Bassa, and other tribal languages. They pray about everything.

People walked for miles to come to church and worship God. One young man used his wheel chair to get to church. Then, because there was no ramp for him, he simply crawled inside with his legs dragging under him. He found a seat and began to smile and sing. He did not let anything keep him from worshipping God. His commitment challenges me to truly love and worship God. His name is Taipe Weah. Please hold him in your prayers.

We met a wonderful lady who loves Jesus very much. She has lost all of her fingers and thumbs to leprosy, but does not complain. Please hold Borkeo in your prayers as all work here is done by hand. More, she is widowed and very old. I am grateful that God allowed me to meet this sweet saint.

FORGIVENESS

Sam preached yesterday morning and I gave a missionary report. Both of us talked about the forgiveness that God has poured into our lives and how His forgiveness had changed us and others.

This is a place in a desperate need of forgiveness. The civil war raged here for 14 years and they have only known 5 years of peace. Everyone has a terrible story to tell. Everyone has lost someone to a terrible death, some have lost many. There is so much hurt here and so much that must be forgiven. Many of the men that committed the crimes are still in Liberia.

One brother in Christ told me that he has seen many change as they have trusted in Jesus. Still, so many remain angry and hungry for their old life. I beg you to pray!

A HARD LIFE

Much is the same here as it is in my home in the United States. People fall in love, have children, and dream of a better future. The hopes are the same, but the surroundings are so different.

The Civil War stripped the people of Liberia of everything. No one has electricity, unless he owns a generator and those are expensive. There is no running water for most people. They haul the water from a well. It is very hot here, but there is no relief. This was a very western country before the war destroyed everything.

People are hungry. Children in village areas wear whatever they have. A little girl had on a boy’s dress shirt and nothing else. We have seen some children wearing nothing. Others wear rags. If it is stained and has holes, it is still good.

Always, even in such a very desperate place, a child’s greatest need is Jesus. We are doing all we can, but my heart breaks for these children. Please pray for them.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw
Silvana Shaw
Calah Sager

Liberia, September 27th, 2008

Dearest Friends,
We are so excited to see how God has answered all of our prayers. The airline received all of our luggage even though some of the tubs were over sized. Everything has arrived safely in Liberia. We had no trouble at customs and were not even asked a single question. Praise God!
This is the last of the rainy season. Please pray that this will not cause us difficulty in doing the shows as many of them will need to be outside. As you know, we just came home from Ireland and thought we had seen allot of rain. However last night, it seemed that we would wash away the rain was so hard.
Please pray for the children of Liberia to come to faith in Jesus. Ask God to make us wise, kind, and sensitive to the needs of this culture.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for

Sam
Silvana
Calah

Liberia September 25th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

LIBERIA

Please hold us in your prayers as we begin our trip to Monrovia, Liberia today.  This country has had 10 years of civil war and all the horrors that normally accompany such a time have been experienced by the children there. Many have been terribly hurt and many adults are far from well. Please pray for the Father to heal the hearts of all those who hurt.  Please ask Him to call many to faith in Jesus. Please pray for our equipment to arrive safely and for our personal safety. Liberia is known for having trouble with government corruption.  Our passage through customs is a big concern!

Please pray for us today as we go to the airport and ask God to make us a bright light for Him.  We are flying an airline that we have never flown and are very concerned about all of the bags. The need is so great in Liberia and we have 12 large bags plus all of the carry-ons.  We are carrying Sunday School material for 39 teachers, books for a pastor, supplies for our friends there, and an enormous pile of puppet equipment.  Please ask God to send us someone who will be kind to us and helpful. Whatever happens, we will thank Him and respond with His love.

This is not an easy place to live, as most people have no running water and no electricity.  Imagine your life without running water and electricity! More, it is an extremely expensive place to travel to and work in because few people travel there.

We need your help.  We would be very grateful if you could help with this trip by sending a check to The Agape Puppets at 6550 West Armuchee Road   Summerville, GA 30347.  Please pray about this need first and know that it is my heart's desire that you only respond if the Lord is speaking to you. Thank you for praying about this need and thank you for praying for us.

Please hold the children of Liberia daily in your prayers!

In Jesus, Linda Summer for Sam and Silvana Shaw and Calah Sager

Ireland, August 31st, 2008 #10

DEAREST FRIENDS,


PAUL’S STORY

Last night, after we finished the program, a young man named Paul came to speak to me. He told me that he was an atheist and that he had learnt that from his father. He questioned everything about God, his word, even his very existence. He had a lot of questions, but most of them were aimed at distracting himself from the most important question. Desperately, Paul tried to avoid any discussion about his own sin and his need for Jesus.

Please pray for Paul. Last night, before he left, he promised to do two things and I believe he will keep his promises. First, he promised that he would read the Bible. We gave him an easy to read translation that he was very excited about. It was one that we had brought home from Cameroon, Africa and was cartoon illustrated. He loved it and was very surprised that we would give it to him. He had read that books of many other faiths, but he had dismissed God without even looking at His book.

His second promise is the one that excites me the most. He promised to go home last night and get down on his knees. He promised to tell God, “God I don’t believe you exist, but if you are real, show me.” I promised him that God would absolutely prove His existence to him. His name is Paul and I expect to receive an e-mail from him telling me of the amazing way God has revealed Himself.

AMAZING STORIES FROM THE STREETS

Today we will be sharing in two churches but I confess to you that my favorite place to be is the streets. I love being with all the people that will not come inside the church buildings, hearing their questions, and seeing God moving in their lives. The following lists of stories are all from yesterday and last night.

1) We arrived at the place yesterday where we planned to share and found a large crowd of Muslims. They had set up a table and were passing out literature, trying to persuade people that Islam was a good choice for their lives. All of the men in the group even had matching t-shirts proclaiming the goodness of Islam. Several of our friends had incredible conversations with different members of their group. More, all of these Muslims listened for two hours to the Gospel presented through song, testimonies, puppets, and Bible stories. They would have never chosen to come to church and hear this message, but God placed them on the street where they had to listen to the hope of Jesus.

2) Silvana had an opportunity to share with three different people from Brazil. One of them stayed for every show that we did, and all three talked with her about really serious problems they had that only Jesus could solve. Please pray for them as none of them are Christians.

3) One young man from the Sudan was very excited as he listened to Sabina as she presented the Gospel to a group of Muslims.

4) Two people who claimed the Baha'i faith also heard about how Jesus could meet all their needs.

5) A young man from China came to both sets of shows yesterday and was very happy to receive a CD from the band. He has been living in Ireland for three years studying to be a priest, but he does not believe in the existence of sin. Please ask God to show him the reality of his sin so that he can see his need for Jesus Christ.

6) A homeless man named John came to the programs. For sixteen years, he has been living on the streets. He was badly hurt as a child and his heart never mended because he never met Jesus. Please pray for John to trust in Jesus so that his broken heart can be filled with love and forgiveness

These are only a few of the stories that we heard yesterday. It seemed the whole world showed up on the streets of Ireland. Please hold all these people in your prayers.

In Jesus, Linda for

Sam & Silvana Shaw
Yeva Zarova
Sabina Kasperczyk
Sam Rodgers
Jade Rodgers
Toby Simmons
Malachi Armstrong

Ireland, August 30th, 2008 #9

DEAREST FRIENDS,

DANCING LATVIANS, DRUNKS, AND LARGE CROWDS IN DUBLIN

How can I describe to you the absolutely incredible evening that we experienced last night? God made the rain stop, gave us just the right spot to set up our equipment and gave us large crowds. At one point, we counted over a hundred and twenty people standing on the street listening to a children’s Bible story and less than 10 of them were children. Even more listened at other times.

When the first puppet song began, everyone got so excited over the new Egyptian puppets that were singing Pharaoh, Pharaoh. I counted more than 25 people taking pictures or video during that song. They clapped and cheered after every song the band did. More, they clapped and cheered for the puppets and the Bible stories. Please remember that these were crowds who did not know Jesus, but they were excited to hear about Him. Your prayers are making a difference!

Many of us had very special conversations with people after we finished. Michelle talked with a man named Mick who is dying of AIDS and he does not know Jesus. Please pray for him to come to faith. Sam and I bought a homeless man dinner. William was begging on the street, but was very grateful to receive a meal. Please pray for him to trust in Jesus.

With Yeva’s help, I shared Christ with a group of 8 young people from Latvia who were Russian speakers. They did not know Jesus, but were eager to listen to the stories I told them about Jesus and how He changed my life. One of the young women was so touched that she began to cry. Please pray for these young people to meet Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When we finished talking, they began doing a Latvian dance on the street. Some of our band members started to dance with them. We are having a crazy, wonderful time.

As always, we had lots of drunks that loved to yell at us as we they walked past. We heard very interesting vocabulary tonight. One drunken man came up to speak to Sam and I and he kept stroking our faces. He wanted to thank us for what we had seen and heard. Another drunken man was very angry during the Bible story, but our friend John was able to calm him down and walk him to the side.

SPANISH FRIENDS

At the end of every program, the band sings an amazing song about how Jesus makes us alive. The puppets always finish by singing with them. I draw one last picture during this time of 2 cliffs with the cross as the bridge between them. It shows how faith in Jesus is our way to God. It shows how His blood covers our sin. As we finished, 3 young people from Spain came up to Silvana and began to talk in very careful English... They asked me to draw that drawing for them and explain it. With broken Spanish, much prayer, and very slow English, I explained to them the wonderful story of the Gospel. Please pray for them to put their trust in Jesus!

PRAYER

We return to the streets twice today, Saturday, and need you to pray for good weather. Please pray for the crowds to hear and receive the hope that only Jesus gives! Ask the Father to make us wise.

In Jesus, Linda for
Sam Shaw-Asst. Director of The Agape Puppets
Silvana Shaw- Brazil
Yeva- Kurdistan
Sabina- Poland
Malachi Armstrong-USA
Toby Simmons-USA
Jade Rodgers-Northern Ireland
Sam Rodgers-Northern Ireland

Ireland, August 28th, 2008 #8

DEAREST FRIENDS,

AWESOME EVENING

What an awesome evening! Nothing in this world gives me joy like hearing children call on the name of Jesus, asking Him to be their King and their Savior. If I could sing, I would have been singing as they asked God to forgive them and be their Father!
Even adults were heard praying.

With our dear friends, the Irish band Reality, we did a program in a church built in 1785. The cornerstone was laid by John Wesley, a famous Methodist evangelist. The church closed in the 70's and for many years was not a light for Jesus. Today, a sweet fellowship meets in this place and tells the people here that there is hope.

As I write you these words, the party is still going on outside this door. people stayed to enjoy cups of tea and biscuits (cookies). Wonderful conversations happened and are still happening as people are unwilling to leave. It has been a precious evening.

The crowd loved the band and enjoyed the puppets so much. The most popular puppet was a giant bear with a six foot arm reach. Malachi wore him and then climbed on top of Simon's shoulders. Simon is a dear friend of Reality who stands 6 foot 4 inches tall. For a while, I was not sure if Simon would fall or Malachi would pass out from the heat of wearing a furry suit. They were dancing and clapping to the song. The church loved it!

We are all so blessed!

TWO STREET SHOWS

We have had 2 great opportunities to share on the streets here, in 2 different cities. So many people stopped to listen and some talked with us. I even met a man from Georgia, where I live. How can I describe to you the wonder of standing on a street in Ireland and sharing with people the hope that only Jesus gives. More, though most would not believe as we do, they clap for every part of the program. Sometimes, they come up to us afterwards and thank us for what they have heard. Hundreds have accepted Gospel literature, some took Bibles, and all about the Father's plan for them. We even had people listening from across the street. Some stopped in their cars and others parked nearby to listen. Praise God!

PRAYER REQUESTS
Tomorrow, we head for Dublin. Please send your prayers ahead of us and ask God to hold the rain, get us a spot on the street and call people to listen!

In Jesus,Linda for an exhausted and happy crowd of souls

Ireland, August 26th, 2008 #7

DEAREST FRIENDS,

NO SLEEP AND MANY BLESSINGS

Please forgive the mistake that was made in labeling yesterday's newsletter. It should have been labeled #6, but it turns out that I was not as clear as I had hoped at 2 AM. We are doing street shows every afternoon and a second set at night. Now, it is after 1 and everyone is just beginning to get quiet. Even though we go to bed very late , we are usually up early. We are an extremely sleep deprived bunch of people, but we are all so happy.

There is no way that I can describe to you but a tiny bit of all that we seeing the Father do. The crowds are amazing. They stand for hours in the rain and cold listening to Christian music, testimonies, Bible stories, and watching puppets. I have loved Jesus since I was 5 years old, but I must tell you the truth. I would not stand in such miserable weather, cold and soaked to the skin , to hear a Gospel presentation. Still, we see people stand for hours each night in the worst possibles weather.

I look into their eyes and see such pain. They are so desperate for the God that they deny. There are so few people in Ireland who can explain the difference between religion and knowing Jesus. People are taught to follow rules as the way to know God. They live very frustrated lives, bound by laws that they know they have broken. They live without hope. We want them to know about Jesus and how His spirirt will change them from the inside out.

Thank you for praying .Please pray for these dear people to understand true faith!

AN ITALIAN COUPLE

Tonight, after I finished telling the story, I walked out in the crowd. An Italian lady grabbed my arm and thanked me for the program. She told me that she did not understand how she could be so touched by the program. She told me that my words had made her cry. I smiled and explained to her that what she was experincing had nothing to do with me. I told her that she was feeling the love of God and the love of Jesus. Both of them stood listening to the program the entire evening despite the rain and cold. Please pray for them to put their trust in Jesus. God knows their names.

A WONDERFUL STORY

Perhaps you have been wondering what really happens at a street show. Last year, a Romanian lady trusted Jesus as her Savior at a Galway street show. We never knew, but she received literature on the local church at the show. Now, she is an active member of the church. We actually know very little of what the Father does , but we are confident that He is doing more than we can ask or imagine! Pray!

TOMMORROW IN CASTLEBAR

We are leaving here in the morning and will be doing strret shows in Castlebar and Westport. As always , we will need you to pray for the weather.

In Jesus, Linda for a very tired and happy team

Ireland August 26th, 2008 #6

Dearest Friends,

STANDING IN THE DARK

Tonight, we began doing street shows in Galway. It is so different here from Tralee. Spiritually, this is a very dark place and all of us felt the spiritual attack tonight. We need you to pray! There are huge crowds of people in this place, but they are very resistant to the Gospel.

Hundreds of people came to the shows tonight, but we all felt as though they were not listening with their hearts. Still, we know that we do not trust in our feelings. We put our trust in God our Father, trusting that He is touching peoples lives even when we do not see it.

There were blessings tonight in the midst of all the attack as different friends had wonderful conversations with people on the street. People from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and Poland all stood on the street with many Irish people listening to how they could have hope in Jesus Christ. Please pray for all of the people who came to the programs tonight. Ask God to give them a hunger to know more about Jesus. All of them received free CD's from the band, literature and books for the children. Ask the Father to give them a desire to listen to the CD and to read what they were given.

CHELSEY AND AMY

Chelsey and Amy are two little girls that I met on our last night in Tralee. They came up to me after the show and began to talk. I asked them if they had listened to the Bible story and they said yes. I told them how i came to put my trust in Jesus as a little girl. I explained that everyone has things that hurt them and make them cry. Chelsey quickly responded, "I cry all the time." I told her how Jesus could take away her tears.

She was very hard for a little girl who was just 8 years old. She told me that she would not ask Jesus to be the King of her heart. She would not ask God to forgive her. My heart broke for her because I know that she has no hope unless she puts her trust in Jesus. Her home is a very difficult place. I met her father last night and he was quite drunk. Please pray fro Chelsey and Amy, her cousin, to put their trust in Jesus. Only God can take away her tears and give her joy.

In Jesus, Linda for a very tired team

Ireland, August 25th, 2008 #5

Dearest Friends,

Please know that the following email was written for Sunday morning, but we are having a hard time getting internet access. The Father answered all of our prayers! I will send the rest of the stories in the next email. Please read and rejoice! Begin to pray for the street shows that we will do in Galway as we are on our way there today, Monday. Pray for people to respond to the hope of the Gospel, pray for the rain to stop during our program, and pray for a good place to set up.

THE ROSE OF TRALEE FESTIVAL

Each year in Ireland, Tralee celebrates the Rose of Tralee festival. Tens of thousands of people attend and this gives all of us a great opportunity for doing street ministry. We are seeing crowds of hundreds of people gather to listen to Reality (a Christian band) and hear short messages about how Jesus Christ can change their lives. They stand in the rain and listen to puppets sing Christian songs. All of us are amazed that the crowds love the Bible stories. Even the adults are happy to listen and often come to us afterwards and thank us for what they heard!

We tell them how there is forgiveness for their sins and that there is the promise of a new changed life through faith in Jesus Christ. Most people live without hope and so they listen eagerly to the music and the stories. They seem so hungry to hear. Would you stand in the rain for hours to listen to the Gospel?

I have discovered that my very nice rain coat is only waterproof by USA standards. It rained so hard Saturday afternoon as we were sharing that the rain soaked through my coat, through my jacket, and through my shirt. Irish rain is cold and intense. Still, the people would not leave. The Father uses your prayers to hold them! Thank you!

Two Ladies

Yesterday, a lady begged me to come and speak to her as soon as I finished. She was troubled for her friend and knew that she needed Jesus. We quickly realized that they both needed the Father’s love and forgiveness. Her friend was in a very abusive marriage and suffered equally from the gossip that swirled around her life. I shared with her what Jesus shared with the woman at the well and she listened with her heart. She has young children and wants them to have peace. Even if I had not seen her bruises, her eyes told how she suffered.

The Father was kind to them. Praise God! Yesterday, they both prayed on the street with Michelle (a Reality member) and I. They called on God to forgive them, save them, and they put their trust in Jesus. We were able to give them Bibles and connect them with a local church. Please pray for them to grow strong in their faith. The mother must see Jesus change her life or her children will know no peace.

UPDATE- We were so happy to see these ladies return to every other program that we did. As we continued to talk with them, we were happy to see that they seem to truly met Jesus! Continue to pray!

THE MAIN STAGE

All of us were overwhelmed that we were asked to be on the main stage last year. This year, they booked us ahead of time and Saturday night, we had a very special opportunity to tell hundreds of people about Jesus Christ. We were given the best time to share, for an hour and a half. More, the rain came down in buckets and stopped just as we began. Constantly, we are praying!

PRAYER NEEDS

Please pray for this place. We have 2 sets of street shows today and the weather here is always a problem. There are drunks, hecklers, and an ocean of people who ache for life to be more than they know. The children stand spellbound and we need you to pray that they will be allowed to listen. Two mothers removed their children because the name of Jesus offended them. Please stay on your knees, so that we can stand in the rain.

In Jesus,

Linda for
Sam Shaw
Silvana Shaw
Jade Rodgers
Sam Rodgers
Toby Hornbuckle
Malachi Armstrong
Sabina
Yeva

Ireland, August 21st, 2008 #4

Dearest Friends,

ANSWERED PRAYER

Just a quick note so that you will how the Father answered your prayers for yesterday. The weather was great and we were able to do a show outside at the Caravan Park. They told us to expect 2 or 3 children again and God sent again 10 times that number. Awesome! A whole group of teenage girls came along with the children. I was telling the story of Jonah. I explained how Jonah decided to run away from God because he thought that he could hide from God. When I told the children that no one can really hide from God, suddenly the teenagers looked at me in shock. It was clear that this was also their plan. Your prayers held the children, teenagers, and adults attention as they listened to the Gospel. Thank you!

BELFAST AND NEW LIFE

Last night, one sweet little girl trusted Jesus as her Savior. I told the children after we prayed to be sure and tell the people at the church where we were working if they had trusted in Jesus. She immediately raised her hand and said, "I prayed!"

Personally, I saw the Father do something very sweet for me. The first night that we were in Belfast with the children, I was very distracted by a situation that I was dealing with in the ministry. I told the story well, but not as it should have been done. When I have my eyes on Jesus and tell a story, I feel the Father's pleasure. I know that I have been obedient and I have joy. I left Belfast on Tuesday evening knowing that I had not had the right focus.

Last night, we went to that same place for a second show after having prayed a lot because all of us were aware of the problem from the previous evening. God was kind to me. By His grace, I was able to leave the problem at the Father's feet in prayer and focus. My eyes were in the right place and God blessed us with a great outpouring of His spirit!

Even after the program finished, we were still being blessed. A lovely young girl named Lori came up to talk me. I shared with her my story of how the Lord wrote His love on my life. She began to cry. I asked her if she knew Jesus. She said , "No." Then, surrounded by her believing friends, she prayed with me, asking Jesus to save her. Joy!

On our way home, we stopped at Sam and Sil's house so that she could choose a Bible. Sam keeps a stack of them for just such opportunities. Please pray for Lori to grow deep in her new faith!

In Jesus, Linda for Sam, Sil, Yeva, Sabina, Jade, Toby, and Malachi
-----------------------------------------------------------
"THE AGAPE PUPPETS"

Michael Summer, Founder - Linda Summer, Director
Sam Shaw, Assistant Director
6550 West Armuchee Road
Summerville, Georgia 30747

Phone: 706-397-2956 FAX: 413-425-5805
Email: Linda@TheAgapePuppets.org
WEB: www.TheAgapePuppets.org

Ireland, August 20th, 2008 #3

Dearest Friends,

WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS

Last year, we went to Belfast to an area where children had been taught to hate. It is an area with a high crime rate and many families struggle, spiritually and economically. Sam reminded me how I asked the children a question last year. I said," If someone hurt you, could you forgive them." Except for one small little girl, every child in the room said, "No."

This area is Protestant by culture, but not by faith. The area is full of churches, but they are mostly empty. Little effort is made to reach the children. We are working with a precious group of older ladies and gentlemen at a small church there. For years, they have devoted themselves to these children. We wonder what will happen to this precious light when they are gone.

The children really listened last year and many of them prayed, asking Jesus to be their Savior. Still, there are more who come who do not know Jesus. Tonight, we will return to this place and we beg you to pray for these children who live in the dark. All of them promised to return and bring more friends. Ask the Father to make us wise and loving as we share.

CARAVAN PARKS

Caravan parks are places where people come to vacation in Northern Ireland. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, we will be working in different ones. Please pray for the children in these places to trust Jesus. The place yesterday told us that we would only have 3 children, but the Father blessed us with 30 children and adults. Most were from a Catholic background, from many places around Northern Ireland. It always amazes me how God brings people together to hear about Jesus.

They really enjoyed the program. All of their parents thanked me for the show. It is very important to go where these children are and share with them. They need us to come to them. Please pray for these places!

THE IRISH SEA

Very late last night, we walked down to the sea. It is a short walk from the place where we are staying at Murlough House. It was amazing! The moon over the water made you stand in awe of the Father's creation. More, we stood there and prayed for the children that we would be sharing with today. Please join us in our prayers!

DAVID

Many of you will remember a wonderful young man from Southhampton, England who served with us for years. David surprised me on Monday night and came for a visit. I was so blessed! I feel like I have received the best present as I enjoy his company.

Please pray him safe home on Thursday as he must return to nursing school that starts on Friday.

In Jesus, Linda for Toby, Malachi, Yeva, Sabina, Jade, Sam and Silvana

Ireland, August 17th, 2008 #2

Dearest Friends,

Soldiers

American airports are full of soldiers these days. As we waited for our flight to Germany, we sat with many soldiers, men and women all wearing desert camouflage. One young man noticed the tags on our bags and asked me “What is the Agape Puppets?” I told him what we do and shared with him and several others the hope of Jesus that we share with the children. He seemed surprised at some of the places where we worked. I told them stories about the children of the world, how they live and how they suffer, and how Jesus changes their lives. I also thanked them for their service and their sacrifice.

As the young man stood to leave, he came over and shook my hand. He said, “You are braver than I am.” What a strange thing for a young soldier headed to Afghanistan to say to a children’s Bible teacher. How odd to call a white haired old woman that walks with a cane brave!

And then I thought of the scripture in I Corinthians that says that God chooses to use the weak things of the world so that’s there is never any question about the source of His power. He chooses miserable, weak instruments like me so that He receives the glory. Praise God!

This young man was sincerely puzzled by what he saw and heard. He can only solve this puzzle when he puts his trust in Jesus and sees Him as the source of his strength. More, he was drawn to listen to the stories about Jesus. Please ask the Father to protect him and to deliver him home safe to those he loves. More, pray for him to seek and know Jesus Christ. Nothing happens by accident as all appointments are by God’s hand. We need to pray for this young man!

An Irish Church

This morning, we went to Sam’s home church. I was so blessed by all the love we felt from our brothers and sisters. Many had never seen a puppet show, so this was a special opportunity for them to really understand what Sam does. More, we were all blessed by the love that they showered on us.


Tonight, we will meet with our friends in the Irish band Reality and pray together for our ministry together across Ireland. That part of the adventure begins on Friday, but meanwhile, we have other places to share and a lot of practice. We are combining people from 5 countries and several puppet teams.

Please hold us in your prayers, but please pray especially for the people of Ireland to fall deeply in love with Jesus.

In Jesus,
Linda for,
Sam,
Silvana,
Toby,
Malachi,
Sabina,
Cody,
Jade and Yeva

USA and Ireland August 13th, 2008 #1

Dearest Friends,

Two Little Boys

July was an amazing month! We traveled across thirteen states and shared Jesus with thousands and thousands of children, but it is the story of two little boys that I want to share with you tonight. More than one hundred children ages 6 to 14 gathered in a gym to watch the puppet show. I was telling them the story of Joseph and speaking with them about forgiveness. I said to the children, “Maybe someone has hurt you, and you think that you cannot forgive them.”

Suddenly, one little boy raised his hand. To be honest, I do not usually stop in the middle of a story, but that day God just told me that it was important to hear what he had to stay. He was seven or eight years old, blonde headed, small, and sitting beside his twin brother. He said, “My Daddy hits my Mommy.” How much he must have been hurting to tell this to a total stranger in front of one hundred other people!

I have been to this place many times over the last five years. However, I have never been allowed to pray with the children. They would never give me permission to pray. However, when that little boy spoke, the Holy Spirit fell on that place, and I knew in my heart that the rules had changed. So many of the children asked Jesus to be their Savior. They came up and told me after the program that they had prayed.

The director was very grateful and begged us to come back next year. He listened to the entire program. Please pray for these two little boys to discover the depth of their Heavenly Father’s love.

Blessings

The following list of things that we saw God do as we traveled in the USA this summer will delight your soul. I have never seen such a consistent outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit during a time of summer ministry.
1. At one program, eight children asked Jesus to be their Savior. Praise God! They were from very difficult places and were experiencing things that children should not see or know.
2. Many doors opened for us to tell the children about the hope of Jesus that had previously been closed to us. People allowed us to do programs that had refused to allow us to share in the past. All of us were amazed at how God changed the hearts of the people in authority over the children from last summer until this summer. They welcomed us and everyone begged us to come again.
3. At many shows, there was a visible difference in the children’s faces before and after the program. You could see God putting peace and light in their lives.
4. Many times we were very tired as we had quite a few long drives. However, God always gave us the strength that we needed.
5. At many of the programs we had an opportunity to talk with the children after the show. We felt like we made new friends as we played with them and listened to their stories. One little girl poured her heart out to Jade and told her about how her parents had lost custody of her. Then she went to live with her grandma who was a very kind woman, but then she died. The little girl felt all alone. We told her about Jesus who will never leave her. Her story is the story of too many of the children that we saw this summer.
6. Naomi is my youngest puppeteer. She turned twelve as were traveling this summer. She speaks very boldly about how she loves Jesus and how He changed her. One day, she told the children that they could ask God to change them. Immediately, one little girl bowed her head and began to pray. She was so hungry to have God change her.
7. At one place we heard children whispering their prayers to God.
8. At an inner city show, I asked the children if they had ever been hurt. One little girl looked me straight in the eyes and nodded her head. She had clearly known deep pain, but that day she asked Jesus to be her Savior and her countenance changed.
9. Mad Dog, Tomain, and Mercedes were some of the children who attended a show in an inner city community center. Truly they live in a horrible place. They are surrounded by drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution and violence. Jesus is their only hope, but no matter where any of us live, He is our only hope as well. Please pray for these children to grow up and be bright lights for Jesus.

More Stories

As always, there are more stories than can be told. Never has this statement been more true than it was this summer. Our travels took us to Maryland, New Jersey and New Hampshire where we worked with precious churches. Our brothers and sisters encouraged us, blessed us, and gave us wonderful ministry opportunities. Still, despite their enthusiasm for Jesus, we could not help but notice how many people at the programs did not share their joy. The farther north we went, we found fewer and fewer Christians. In New Hampshire, I had children come up to me after I told the Bible story. They asked me if it was a true story. I found it hard to believe that I was in the United States and not somewhere overseas where I would expect children to not know about Jesus Christ.

We had many incredible conversations with parents and children after the programs. One little boy came and said, “I prayed that prayer with you today. I asked Jesus to be my Savior. Home is a bad place….Daddy drinks.” His mother very quickly added, “Oh, but he never hits us.” The little boy’s eyes said something different.

In New Hampshire, we did six shows outside on the streets. We had a wonderful opportunity to pray for the rain to stop so that we could share with the children. God answered every prayer and we did not miss a single show. The morning after we left New Hampshire, a tornado hit two of the towns where we had shared. New Hampshire never gets tornados, and all of us were very grateful that God had allowed us to share before the storm came.

Ireland and Northern Ireland

Friday, August 15, we leave for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Much of our time will be spent doing street shows while traveling across Ireland. We will be working with our Irish puppet director Sam Shaw, who is also the assistant director of The Agape Puppets. As always, we will be traveling with the Irish band Reality who are some of my dearest friends. They love Jesus with all of their heart, and along with Sam and Silvana, they are fantastic at street ministry. It is an honor and a joy to be working with these friends! Please hold us in your prayers.

In Jesus,

Linda for the team.

Home, July 10th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

We arrived safely home from Brazil, blessed by the Father with even more stories of how He moves in the lives of children. I will finish sharing these with you in the next letter, but today I write to ask for your prayers. Each summer, I spend my time traveling in the USA. A little after 6 this morning, we will leave for Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Please pray for this time!

I am traveling with a brand new team. Toby Simmons , Malachi and Naomi Armstrong ... all go to church with me. I have watched them grow up. Hannah Sager is from Missourri, serves on a puppet team there, and often travels with me overseas. I have also watched Jade Rogers grow up, though from a distance. She serves with Sam Shaw, our Assistant Director, in Northern Ireland. Each of these young people is very dear to me and I am excited to have their company! Please hold us all in your prayers.

They have been practicing very hard! Yesterday, we did a show in an inner city area where children see and experience things that children should not see or know. It was a challenging show, but they did a super job! God called many of those children to himself as we heard them praying out loud. I have been doing shows in this place for years, but I have never seen such a public response. We did not ask for it, they just prayed out loud. One little child gave Malachi a hug and another thanked me for the story. We know that this is a very dark place, but today God shined the light of His love there! Praise God!

In Jesus,Linda

Brazil, June 29th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

OUR LAST SHOW
We have seen so much poverty, and so much brokenness. Yesterday we finished our schedule of puppet shows in Brazil. Our last program was in a favella, on top of a trash pile. The other end of the pile was burning.

We were on top of a high hill. If we looked to our right, we saw in the distance the beautiful homes of a very nice area of Sao Paulo. To our left were the most pitiful homes we had seen yet. They were constructed with scraps of wood, metal, and any kind of trash that you could use to make a kind of shelter. The homes were illegal, because they were built on land they did not own. A spider web of wires wrapped around the power poles. There is no electricity in the favella, so they steal it. Please do not misunderstand me, I am not justifying their behavior, but I want you to see what we see. I want you to understand how these people live.

The puppet show was well attended, many adults and children and 2 very enthusiastic drunks. Too many of the children stared at us with vacant eyes. They had seen too much, been hurt too many times. They were slow to smile, but they did smile. They prayed so loudly, calling on Jesus to save them. Please pray for the children of Ype to be safe tonight. Please ask the Father to grow their faith.

OUR GREAT ADVENTURES

Many times in Brazil we have been asked to give missionary reports at Babtist and Presbyterian churches. One pastor even held a special missionary service for us so that we could show his people how we shared with the children. He gave us over 1 and a half hours so that we could share missionary stories.

At another church, the elders of the church were having their weekly meeting and invited us to come and give them a report. I also thanked them for their faithfulness. My husband Mike was an elder, so I remembered how hard it was for him to serve. All of us were overwhelmed by the love we felt in that room and all of us were touched by the sweetness of their prayers.

At a large presbyterian church, over 600 people listened to a puppet show. More, they gave us extra time to bring a special mission report. Many children put their trust in Jesus. Many were touched by the stories and some gave us thier emails. so that they could pray for us. Praise God!

Each church was a blessing, but a new presbyterian church that is being planted in a an affluent area near Alphaville was a special blessing. There are only 30 people in the church, and half are doctors and dentists. One half of the church was absent the morning I gave a mission report. They were not gone on vacation. Most were on mission trips to the poorer parts of Brazil. Most of these absent were doctors and dentists. They were providing medical care to those who have no access. More important, they were using their skills to open the door for the Gospel. They always share Jesus with their patients.

ENCOURAGING WORDS

Many of you have been so sweet to respond to the emails. Please know that your encouraging words were a great blessing to the team. More, when the Brazilians heard that people all over the world were praying for their children, they were so blessed. Please remember that you can always respond to these emails! God bless you for your praying!

PEDRO'S STORY

Pedro, (Peter) came to a puppet show at a school. His mother works at the school and since he liked the program so much, she let him come to both shows. I told the story of Peter and he asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. After the show, he told me he had prayed. Please ask the Father to make Peter a great man of God!

SAM AND SILVANA
Sam and Silvana were not with me on this trip and I really missed them. Sam is the Assistant Director of the AGAPE PUPPETS and will someday take my place. He is an amazing man of God! He also leads a team in Northern Ireland and is busy doing ministry there. Please hold Sam and Silvana in your daily prayers.

In Jesus,

Linda, for
Gerson Simioni
Fabianna Simioni
Sara Wilson
Hannah Sager

Brazil, June 27th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

ONE LITTLE GIRL'S STORY

Thais is a beautiful little girl who came to a puppet show today. She was missing her left hand and seemed so self conscious around the other children. Gerson helped me talk to her.

I told her that I wanted to tell her a secret. This is what I said to her. "There is someone very, very dear to me who's arm is just like yours. She loves Jesus! She has the most beautiful smile. You can be like her. Sweetheart, when God sees you, He sees a treasure. You are beautiful!"

I have the most wonderful news to share with you. Today, Thais asked Jesus to be her Savior. Please pray for her to grow strong in her new faith and love God's word. She is such a beautiful little girl.

BRACELETS

We had a very difficult show today at a school where the children seemed not to be listening. One of the teachers became very angry because we talked about Jesus. She let everyone know just how unhappy she was. At most schools, hundreds of children pray out loud, praying to receive Christ. However, at this school, you could hear only a precious few calling on Jesus.

It seemed that no one was really listening, but you never know what God is doing. Giovana and Raissa came to talk to me after the program. Both of them wanted me to know that they asked Jesus to be their Savior. More, they each wanted to give me a bracelet to thank me for telling them about Jesus. Please pray for these two little girls to grow deep in their faith.

FOUR BOYS

We had two amazing shows today where they absolutely loved the program. The director and many of the teachers were Christians, but even those who did not believe were open to the Gospel. When we finished the program, the children lined up to hug us. The teachers hugged us, the janitors hugged us, even the director hugged us. One teacher had a lifestyle that was displeasing to God and he alone was very unhappy with the program.

However, the best part of the day was what happened after one program. Four little boys came to see me. Their names were Leonardo, Joao Victor, Guilherme, and Artur. One of them said in perfect English, "Teacher, I love you!" Another one said, "I love you forever!" All four had asked Jesus to be their Savior. We challenged them to live for God. We told them that Jesus had changed them and they needed to show everyone that Jesus had changed them by the way they lived their lives. Please hold these four boys in your prayers.

SOROCABA

We have a wonderful puppet team that we had never met until last night. Our national team leaders, Gerson and Fabianna, planted and trained this team. They are an amazing team! Yesterday we did shows in their area and saw hundreds of children trust in Jesus Christ. This team is very creative and very humble. They were so excited to meet us. They thought that we were very important, but we all understood that their willingness to reach the children of Brazil for Jesus was what was really important. They made many of their people puppets, but much of the rest of their equipment was provided by your gifts. We gave the equipment to Gerson and Fabianna and they found people who could use it. We now have six teams like this in Brazil. Praise God!

You have never seen people so excited to receive a gift! They began to scream and jump up and down. Then, the entire team joined in one large bear hug. Your sacrificial gifts made this gift possible. Please remember this story when you are thinking about supporting the puppet ministry. Your kindness is touching children all over the world.

IF YOU WERE BLESSED

If you were blessed as you read these stories, you have an opportunity to support missionaries in Brazil. Fabianna and Gerson are missionaries under the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship Mission Board. If you want to support them, make your check out to PEF and send it to my house. I will forward them to PEF for you. My address is 6550 West Armuchee Road Summerville, GA 30747. Please pray for them. They do a tremendous job of reaching children for Jesus in Brazil.

In Jesus, Linda for
Gerson Simioni
Fabianna Simioni
Sara
Hannah

Brazil, June 26th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

ONE SCHOOL, TWO SHOWS

We are so blessed! Each day we see God do the most amazing things. Today was very special! We did two shows at one school. The children were so excited that we came. Of the 400 children that attended the programs, it sounded as though half of them were calling on God to forgive them and asking Jesus to be their King. They were so loud when they were praying!

The principal was very pleased with the program. She told the teachers that they should continue to talk about the story of Jesus that they had just heard. She said that it was very important for the kids to hear about Jesus. As Sara often says, “Awesome!”

After the first show, the children rushed toward us. They wanted to hug us and thank us. Please pray for the children of Padre Anchieta School to grow strong in their new faith.

PRAYER AND PRAISE

These are stories from our time in Brazil that we have not had an opportunity to share with you. God has given us so many stories!

1) Children in Caicarinha Da Penha prepared a special song for us and gave us roses as a thank you present. They changed the song and put my name into it, thanking God that I had come. I was overwhelmed by their joy and humbled by their kindness.

2) Praise God for a tiny little village named Sao Joaquim where I had an especially sweet opportunity to share with a large group of mothers. Life is extremely difficult in this place. There are no doctors. When their husband dies, they have no way to earn a living. Their heart’s pain is compounded by their concern for how their children will eat. I told them Mike’s story and shared with them how God takes care of me. I told them again about Jesus’ love for them and how He alone can heal broken hearts. Their smiles and tears, their hugs and their words told me they were listening.

3) On the street in one Northeastern town, they were having a big festival to celebrate the saints. The children dance, and there is lots of food. They bring their produce so that their farms can receive a blessing. Mostly there is just a lot of drinking and bad behavior. While all this was happening on the street, a small group of believers gathered to laugh and fellowship. On the street, people were trying to have fun, but the real party was happening in a small 4 room house. We had a wonderful time singing, praying, sharing and praising God.

4) One night, we had a training session. Everyone outside the church was lighting bonfires on the street as part of the celebration in Olinda. A haze of smoke hung over the city and the church quickly filled with smoke. I had a very bad asthma attack and was having a lot of trouble breathing. Sara, Hannah, Faby and Gerson began to pray for the Lord to remove the smoke. Suddenly, it began to rain. It rained so hard that it put out all the bonfires and cleared out all the smoke from the air. Praise God! It was still raining when we left the church.

5) God’s creation is amazing. We visited places where it had not rained in years. Then it rained and dry river beds flowed with water. Flowers burst into bloom. Our eyes have feasted on our Father’s creation.

6) At a farm school, we saw teachers cry as they heard the sweet story of Jesus.

7) I am so humbled by the kindness of our many friends. So many of them gave up their beds and slept on the floor. No amount of protesting would persuade them to let us have the floor. One pastor even cleaned our dirty shoes.

8) One lady heard that we were coming. She did not work in the fields that afternoon so that she could attend. She got on her bike and invited children to come. She rode 10km on some of the worst roads.

9) A group of 6 young men attended one show. They listened so attentively to the story about Jesus. None of them were Christians. Please pray for them to come to faith in Jesus Christ. They Father knows their names.

10) Please ask the Father to pour out his spirit on Sito Trapia, Quixabeirinha, Maracanau, and Nova Trapia. Ask Him to call people to a strong faith. Life is so terribly difficult in this place. From 9 to 4, it is so brutally hot that people do not want to go outside. Inside it is still hot. Days are long and many turn to alcohol abuse to remove their boredom. My heart broke for these children. Please hold them in your prayers.

In Jesus, Linda for
Sara
Hannah
Fabianna
Gerson

Brazil, June 23rd, 2008

Dearest Friends,

WORTH IT ALL

This trip to the Northeast of Brazil has been the most tremendous blessing. We had the most difficult time getting to this place because of the weather delays coming out of the United States. Having to rebuy the tickets was very expensive and remains a matter of prayer. However, what price do you place on the thousands of children who have heard about Jesus, his forgiveness, and his love? What is it worth to see a child smile and forget for even a little while that their whole world smells like a sewer?

I believe that these children have a great value to the Father. So often as I have stood in front of them, I have said "God sees you. He knows your names. He cares for you." They always look so suprised and delighted. Everywhere that we have gone we were told by the people there that they were forgotten. They feel that no one cares. Please pray for the Northeast of Brazil. Many national missionaries are working in this region. Please ask God to call more Brazilians to this area.

35,000 PEOPLE

Today, I visited the largest favella that I have been to in Brazil. I often go to these places to do puppet shows. In Geriquiti, 35,000 people crowd into an area that should house 1/3 that number. Long before you ever reach the street that takes you into the favella, you smell it. We walked down streets with open running sewers crossing them and flooding all the drainage ditches. It was terrifically hot, smelly, and filthy. Toilets did not flush and the drinking water was bad. A large extended family crowds into two or three small rooms. The area is known for violence, rape, murder, and drug and alcohol abuse. It is a very dangerous place to be a child.

The little church was packed with children. Some laughed and smiled, but too many stared at us with vacant eyes. Some were hungry, but most had just seen so many awful things, they were numb. There are no air conditioners here, but the pastor did have a fan. I have a rule that we can never cry in front to the children that makes us unable to serve them. I almost broke my own rule today. My heart broke...all of our hearts broke for the children of Geriquiti. Such a precious few trusted Jesus as Savior. A little twelve year old girl named Rosangela never took her eyes off of me. She did not smile much, but was very happy when I gave her my story pages. I was very happy because she was one of the precious few who trusted in Jesus today.

Geriquiti is a very dirty place. To be honest, it was hard to visit. I cannot imagine what those children endure. Please, pray for Father to be kind to the children of Geriquiti and call then to Himself.

In Jesus, Linda for the team.

Brazil, June 22, 2008

Dearest friends,

SITIO TRAPIA, QUIXABEIRIANHA, MARACANAU, AND NOVA TRAPIA

These places will not appear on most maps. The people who live there are not forgotten; for most people athey do not even exist. Brazil has a law that requires all children to have an opportunity to go top school. However, most of the children in these villages have never gone to school.

They live in an area where it does not rain for years at a time. This year it rained and everything brown turned green. People have enough water and enough food. Normally, they just survive as best they can. With the rain came blessings, but also problems. It is so hot and dry that year after year diseases cannot survive. Now with the rain, people are struggling with colds, fevers, viruses, and more serious problems like the threat of denghney fever which is carried by mosquitoes. There was also flooding which destroyed roads.

Many people live in houses made of mud and thatch. There is a beetle that lives in the walls whose bite causes a rare tropical illness that usually kills you if you contract it. Their lives are very hard and improve very slowly. Two decades ago, only one in ten babies up to two years of age survived. Our friends told us that they watched an endless parade of small coffins being carried down the road. Today, a baby's death is rare.

We worked with English missionaries, Davine and Mike, who have loved these dear people for over 21 years. They serve with the mission board that pioneer missionary William Carey founded. They have raised two daughters and one son in a place that you would find difficult to visit. For eight years they faithfully shared the hope of they gospel before one person believed. Now, there is a church there and local believers who head the different ministry projects. Their priority is to share Jesus, but they also try to offer a simple education to the children who have no chance for school. Davine has taught many classes for pregnant and nursing mothers. Jobs are scarce, so they have started a beekeeping project to generate business opportunities. They have repaired homes for widows and helped develop water sources. More important, they made sure that these people knew about Jesus Christ.

If you are reading this e-mail, I have a question for you. What are you investing your life in? If you are older, and have 21 years behind you, what story do you have to tell? How have you made a difference for eternity? It was an honor to work with people who have good answers for all of these questions.

THE CHILDREN

A dear young woman recently asked me, what was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I recited to her a list of places that everyone always says they want to see around the world. I have been to all of these places. I told her that none of these places were as beautiful to me as the faces of they children when they hear about Jesus Christ. This is certainly true in these places.

These children and adults had never seen the things that we brought with us. They delighted in every thing we did. They gave us their smiles and their laughter. Best of all, we heard may to recieve Christ as their Savior. Please pray for these dear children. God sees them when no one else does.

In Jesus, Linda for the team.

Brazil, June 18th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

A FAVELLA

A favella is a group of homes made usually out of other people's trash. The homes are poorly built and it is an extremely hard and dangerous place for children. Rape is common, as is alcohol abuse. We went to one of these places to do a puppet show.

They were so excited that we had come to see them. I looked into their eyes and wondered what they dreamed about. Their whole world smelt like a sewer. They loved the puppets, testimonies, and the Bible story. Best of all, they fell in love with Jesus! They were so eager to pray that they started trying to pray in English, before they recieved the Portuguese translation. So many of the children that we meet are so hungry to hear the Gospel. Praise God!

RAIN

Sal de Terra (Salt of the Earth) is the name of a Christian band that we are working with this trip. They want to expand their ministry and begin working with children.

Today we shared at a school, literally in the middle of nowhere. Months ago, Sal de Terra came there and did a program. It had not rained there in years. Many children did not even know what rain looked like. The band prayed in the school and asked God to make it rain. It started to rain and a big celebration took place in the streets. Praise God!

Today, in that same place, many children prayed out loud, calling on Jesus to save them at the puppet show. So many in this little village have came to trust in God's providence. Please pray for theses new believers to grow deep in their faith.

I CAN BE GOOD

At street shows, and at schools we are sharing with thousands of children, but many adults also come. For most, the Gospel is news to their ears. The Catholic church is the only church in many of these places. Here in South America, they teach that people can go to heaven by being good. God's word is plain. It says that none are righteous, no not one. They seldom talk about Jesus Christ, and do not mention the Resurrection.

In one place, the people were told to climb a mountain on their knees, praying at each stop, and give money. Such things will not pay the price for our sins. When they hear that Jesus Christ has paid the total price for our sin at a puppet show, their faces fill with joy and wonder.

BLESSINGS

1) We met the first believer in Caicarinha da Penha. Six months ago, there was not a single believer in his town. Edizio gave me a beautiful quartz crystal that he had found so that I would not forget him. His face glowed with the love that God had put in his heart!
2) Pastor George and his wife Audenice have only been church planting for less than a year and already there are enough believers to have a church.
3) Two dear ladies in a tiny village washed all of our clothes by hand at a river while we were out doing puppet shows. We were so grateful!
4) Clea and Cleide are sisters who have an undiagnosed illness. They cannot walk and one sister can only lay curled up in bed. Their faces glow as they have both come to faith in the last few months. One sister said, "I know that I will never walk on earth, but someday I will walk in Heaven." Her trust in God under such difficult circumstances is precious.
5) One day while Hannah and I typed an email at an internet cafe, Sara shared with Ramaria, a little 13 year old girl. Please pray for her to come to the faith!
6) People give up their own beds so we can rest well. Their kindness challenges us to love Jesus more.

FUNNY AND INTERESTING THINGS

1) The stores in one town where we worked have the strangest names. They translated, "Great Jesus Gas Station" and "Great Jesus Pharmacy"
2) Did you know Brazil nuts are from a fruit? They use the fruit to make Brazil nut juice. It is very good!
3) House fronts are painted green in very dry areas. They say that they do this so they can remember what green looks like during the years it does not rain.
4) Frogs keep showing up ion the most unusual places. Today there was one swimming in our water bottle.

In Jesus, Linda for
Sara
Bio
Fabiana
Gerson
Hannah