February 12, 2007

Friends & Family,

Greetings from Europe! Here is some more brief news about my time here serving in Amsterdam. Things continue at the Cleft much as they have been. Each week we go out onto the streets to spread the love of Jesus.

Recently I've started to bring the guitar with me as we go out on the streets. We gather on the canal bridges and worship God right there in the red-light district. Many drug-dealers, prostitutes, business-owners, tourists all become curious and all stop to listen. It's amazing what difference this makes while we are out; it changes the atmosphere so much and opens the way for many more conversations. Not only does it break the ice and give people a reason to start talking to each-other, but I also believe worshipping God amidst all the idolatry helps to cleanse the spiritual atmosphere and open the way for God to work in a mightier way.

Just last week a very angry Muslim man stopped to argue with me for 20 minutes about why Jesus was not the son of God. He believed that the fact Jesus was crucified proves that he was weak, and therefore couldn't have been God. He didn't understand God as a loving father who would sacrifice his very son for us. During a short break in the conversation, I felt the Spirit lead me to play a particular worship song called "Your Beloved", a moving song about how God views his children. The song deeply touched the man, and his whole countenance changed. He nearly began to cry, and then opened up to me about the pain in his life, his relationship with his daughter, and how he knows he is a sinner, but longs to honor God. I told him that Jesus died for his sins so that he could have a real relationship with his Creator. He wasn't ready to receive that yet, but I believe God softened his heart towards the gospel.

Quite often people get hostile towards us, threatening and cursing at us. Christians in the district talking and singing about Jesus, often brings unwelcome conviction to peoples' hearts, making them angry. I recently had a man curse me to death because I was a Christian. He yelled and screamed profanity at me for merely telling him Jesus loved him. He didn't want to leave either, he decided to stay where we were working to mock and yell at us as long as he could (which of course makes it uncomfortable for everyone). After a few minutes one of the girls recommended I play some songs. So I called a few singers over and we started to worship. After the first verse, the man immediately left.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that bringing worship to the streets is vital to what God wants to do here. There is so much darkness in this district, so much deception, and so many lies that the enemy has woven to keep people blind to the reality of what's happening in the neighborhood. I think there is no better way to get rid of darkness, than to simply turn on the light by inviting God's presence through worship! In the light of God's truth, people begin to see things the way God does. Where once they saw nothing but fun and a neighborhood full of pleasures, they begin to see the pain and the heartbreak, the immorality and destructiveness in everything around them. God lifts the veils from their eyes. Often people very much resent seeing things for what they are, but sometimes hearts are changed...

A heroin addict who has been in the district for about 12 years recently gave his life to the Lord through his contact with us, and another ministry called Victory Outreach. His name is Tito, and it is absolutely incredible the amount of wisdom and revelation God has given him in such a short period of time! I think God's plan for this guy is to be a preacher. He is so full of passion for God. He is so eager to experience the fullness of what God has for him. He inspires and challenges us all when he speaks. We are working closely with him, visiting him often at his home, taking him out to dinner and just being friends with him. We enrolled him in an evening mini-DTS program as well. It's so encouraging to see. Please pray for him, as he is still working with doctors to come off of methadone. One of the most amazing things is the effect he now has on all the other people in the district who know him. They are constantly offering him drugs, but he testifies to them all that Jesus has changed his life! God is using him as an incredible testimony of redemption.

There are of course many other things to tell about which won't make the headlines. My grandma continues to be a huge blessing to me in providing a place for me to stay. She is doing well, and at 88 years old continues to lead bible studies for the church. I'm busy all the time with ministry, and with computers at the base. I have a new cat, named Aubrin, who thinks she's an attack-dog. I ride my bike all around town, eat fresh fish all the time, and hang out with my friends at countless little cafe's. Amsterdam is really a fun place to live.

My parents are visiting me this week. It's wonderful to see them after about six months. They've blessed me so much just being here and hanging out. We're in Berlin at the moment visiting my dad's parents and exploring his hometown. My sister is currently in Perth, Australia doing a DTS.

I always get to about the 10th paragraph and think, "there is so much I should share about still!" But attention spans are short these days, so I'll wrap it up.

Prayer requests:
-Pray against spiritual attack on the team, especially for the girls who have been experiencing lots of warfare lately.
-Pray for wisdom, courage, guidance and God's anointing as we continue to minister here in Amsterdam. I'm trusting God for a new level of breakthrough this year!
-Pray for the people of the district, the addicts, the homeless, the prostitutes, the tourists. Pray their hearts would be softened and that they would have encounters with the living God.
-Pray for me, that I would more and more come to experience the fullness of what God has for me here, that I would become more and more effective in ministry, and that I would see breakthrough in the area of finances!!

Thanks so much for being part of what God is doing here, for being part of my life, and for the continued prayer and support.

Blessings,

SPF