Teach and Tell Ministries

On Thursday Win and Chris arrived from Australia. It’s great to have them here with me as we work together to win souls for Jesus. They were both keen to get onto the streets so didn’t waste any time sleeping off their jet lag but came out with the team to do a Kid’s Outreach in a busy shopping area.

We had a great Magician on our team from Germany named Volke. He caught the attention of the children, as well as the adults, and a crowd gathered quickly.

Most of the people were interested in more than the tricks and illusions. We could tell they were interested in the Gospel message.

A young lady on our team named Nadia, who was taught the sketch-board only days earlier did a tremendous job of captivating both the children and the adults with her story of Jesus walking on the water and how Peter trusted Jesus and walked too. Her challenge was for those listening to also trust in Jesus. We had some great conversations with folk afterwards who accepted Gospel literature and stayed to ask more questions.

In the evening we went to another place in the city centre called Stephansplatz. There is a huge cathedral

there called St. Stephens and a huge square. So many people come there from just about every nation on earth. We preached in German and English and saw quite large crowds stay for quite a while, some even for the whole message. What a joy it is to see people who have never before heard the Gospel listen so intently.

On the weekend we were preaching and sharing the Gospel on the streets of Linz, about an hour and half from Vienna on a fast train.

(Yes FAST!

The display in the train went up to 199 kph for most of the trip. Clickety-clack became Cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii).

But even faster than the train, it seemed, was the speed the crowds formed during our preaching in Linz. It was great to work on the streets with Christians from a local church in Linz who were able to share in great conversations with those who stayed after the messages to talk with us.

We thank you for your prayers for us as a family as we travel through Austria this week preaching the Gospel.

We will be in Bardon a smaller city south of Vienna for the rest of this week and then on the weekend travel to Hungary and Romania for further ministry.

Look again on this blog for further reports in the next few days.

Thank you for your prayers and interest. Dave, Win and Chris.

Read on and find out.

The other night I was travelling back home from an outreach program in the Vienna City Centre. I boarded a “strasenbahn” (street train, tram or trolley car for those who don’t speak German). There on the seat was a very lovely cell phone. After several phone calls to numbers on the phone we were able to reach the wife of the owner. “When and where can I send my husband so he can get his phone back?” she asked. What would you say? Of course we told her… “Send him to the city centre between 6 and 8.30pm where we are doing our outreach program.” So along came Alfred, a middle-aged businessman from Vienna. He received his phone back and also stayed for the entire Gospel presentation. He thanked us for being honest and returning his phone and also took Gospel literature and talked for some minutes about his personal relationship with the Lord. Pray that Alfred reads the literature and trusts in Christ.

That night as we witnessed and preached on the street in Vienna a family from Iran came along. They had been to one of our street meetings a few nights earlier and had returned to see if we were on the street again. Earlier they had gone into the large Catholic St. Stephans Cathederal and noticed the fear on the faces of all the people in there. But when they came to our street meeting they noticed the love on everyone’s faces. What a difference! Laura, one of our team members, shared the gospel message using coloured beads on a wrist band that she gave to the young daughter of this family. We watched the faces of his family as the father translated the gospel message to them. Their faces showed so much interest and amazement at the Goepel story. What a joy to see such interest from this family who, no doubt had never heard that Christ died for them!

Each person on our team has at least one story to share, some many. How joyful it is for us to gather each evening after the street outreaches and share together in testimony what God has been doing through us. I hope you enjoyed hearing just two of these stories.

Now… did you figure out the answer to my question above?

If you said… God uses simple objects like a cell phone and a wrist band to present the Gospel message to needy people” then you had the right answer.

Please keep praying for us as we look for opportunities to share the Gospel with others.

In what way is God using you where you are? Add a comment below…

This is more a statement than a question!  

All week I have been involved in leading, helping, training and outreach. It has been exciting to see what the Lord has been doing in each of us and in the lives of others we have met on the streets.

We were a team of about 65 or so and came from Germany, South Africa, USA, Australia and the UK. The group was divided into several smaller groups and I was in charge of a group that was ministering on the streets of West Bromwich and Bilston during the day and then each evening in 3 local churches.

We saw many people touched on the streets through our outreach which was done through the use of Gospel Magic, mime, dance and of course the sketch board. Exciting to see people who were training earlier in the week out preaching at the end of the week. Again I ask… “How good is God”?

One of our team members, an American lady named Karin went to McDonalds each evening to do internet chats with her family back in USA. But while there she befriended one of the cleaning staff and, Praise God, shared with us one morning that she had led this lady to trust in the Lord Jesus. Yes… “How good is God?”

On Saturday I flew from Birmingham to Bratislava in Czech Republic where I boarded a bus for an hour and half ride to Vienna – Austria.

Now that I am in Vienna I am involved in Training and Teaching a team in a program called Reach the City that runs for about a week.

Win and our son Chris will be joining me later in the week for several weeks of ministry in Austria and then Hungary and Romania.

Please pray for us all as we serve the Lord here in Europe. More on this blog in a few days…

If you would like our prayer Update please refer to the Teach and Tell Ministries web page where you can send us your email address and subscribe to our monthly Prayer Update.

Thanks for your prayers, support and encouragement.

In the Saviour’s love…. Dave

Since my last blog about the train ride from Frankfurt to Dillenburg a lot of exciting things have happened.  My next blog will outline the rest of this week but here in this one I simply want to explain the “Headline” above.

Last Wednesday I arrived in good time to check in for my flight from Frankfurt – Hahn airport to Edinburgh – Scotland.  But just 5 minutes before boarding, while waiting at the gate an announcement was made for everyone to evacuate the terminal.  Yes! There had been a bomb threat made.

So everyone was moved out of the terminal and into the car park and the field behind.  It was a hot morning and several elderly folk seemed to be suffering from the heat.  Apart from this most of the people seemed to joke and chat and were generally in good spirits.  The German security officers and police had done a good job or re-assuring everyone that hey had the situation under control and I was very impressed.  After about an hour or so of “getting some fresh air” we were all directed to another terminal about a ¼ mile away where we all went through security screening, etc.  As you can imagine it took quite a while for a couple thousand people or so to go through.  Finally I was able to board the flight and was soon flying across the channel to Scotland.

Exciting compromise.  When I arrived in Edinburgh I went to the desk to collect my pre-booked rental car, which was the smallest and cheapest little metro (or equivalent).  But, alas, because of my delayed flight they were all gone.  So they asked if I would accept a compromise.  A small sports convertible for the same price.  What a surprise!  First, to get such a beautiful car – worth 5 x as much per day as the one I’d booked.  And, second, that the weather in Scotland was hot and sunny so I could enjoy driving with the roof off.

Now about the missing pilot.  Well, 2 days later after boarding my flight from Edinburgh to Bristol the steward announced… “Has anyone seen a pilot anywhere?”  Yes, the co-pilot was missing!  And he never was found.  We had to wait about half an hour for a substitute to arrive so we could get under way.

In these three events I see some great sermon material.  Do you?  The Lord is our co-pilot.  We can’t go anywhere without Him.  Is He missing in your life?  The Lord protects and like the police He is our security to keep us from danger.  And… even when we are delayed, He has special rewards for us and is pleased when we patiently wait on Him.

God bless you….    Dave

Arrived early morning after 35 hours of travelling from Australia and spent the day looking around the city.  In the afternoon boarded a train for Dillenburg – 1 and half hours away.  But halfway there an announcement was made and quite a number of people got off the train.  I hadn’t paid any attention to the announcement because… 1. It was in German and I only have a limited understanding of that language.  2. I was tired and not very interested. 3. I still had 45 minutes of travel left so why worry now.  But a few minutes later the conducter asked to see my ticket.  She said… (in German, which I did understand)… “You’re going the wrong way”.  I thought… How can that be so?  But it was so… The train had split in two – literaly, at that last stop where everyone had got off.  Yes the other half was on its way to Dillenburg.  But the half I was on was going to Marburg.  Completely in the opposite direction.  So I had to get off, Turn around and “Go in the Right Direction”.

What a brilliant example and sermon illustration.  We all have to stop… turn around… and Go in the right direction.  Have you done that yet?