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CHOOSE LIFE - We finally made it….the Drugs Awareness DVD that is!
It’s over three years since Andy Werner, whilst travelling with me in Poland said, ‘We should make a film of this programme…!’
I don’t think either of us had any idea at the time how much hard work, time and money it was going to take to complete the project.
Along the way Andy has built (and is still building) a successful film company – Wernerfilms, I’ve gained a ‘bionic’ heart valve and we’ve both gained a few more wrinkles!
We took hours and hours of film that we didn’t use (all part of the learning process), recorded the programme in different schools in different countries and shot ‘bits and pieces’ in every kind of location you could imagine (and some you couldn’t). Finally, after a Herculean effort by Andy it has been edited all together into what we hope and pray is a coherent and effective look at a dangerous world inhabited by too many young people plus a look at an alternative that we believe is possible.
We shall be putting some follow up school lesson plans on our new website (when it’s up and running) in English, German, Hungarian and Polish (the DVD is subtitled) and looking for ways to distribute the DVD into as many places as possible where it might be useful. We think it’s suitable for showing to large numbers and small groups, both in halls and homes and everywhere in between. It will be available from me in a few weeks time
Our Travels - Wendy and I spent three weeks in May travelling in Poland, presenting the drugs programme in schools in the Wisla area, in Wroclaw and in and around Kutno. I never cease to be amazed at the positive response we get both from students and teachers and hope that the DVD will ‘extend’ the life of this programme.
We had some other excellent opportunities including concerts for alcoholics (and recovering alcoholics), in fact the very first meeting was at a rehab’ where I met some Bikers I first contacted several years ago in Warsaw – one of the guys came to me afterwards saying, ‘They healed my body in this place but it took the power of Jesus to fill the emptiness inside…’. He now rides with ‘Boanerges’ on the back of his jacket and witnesses regularly to other bikes about the Lord Jesus.
I gave informal concerts in homes, several for the ‘Solidarity’ movement and even one at an Exhibition being presented by a well known Polish Artist in the local town hall. The theme of the paintings was the Crucifixion which fitted well with my programme and we had some fruitful conversations afterwards.
The Rest of the Summer (?) – I spent almost three weeks time-coding the DVD for the subtitles (a very boring, but necessary job) so the regular prison visits came as a welcome change. Good things are happening in many prisons but there are often problems with staff cover for special chapel meetings and I’ve had a number of visits cancelled because of this.
However, on the positive side I was contacted by the boss of a local rehab’ unit asking me to present a programme for the ‘clients’. She had been persuaded to set up this meeting by one of them who had recently been released from prison. He was converted and also became ‘drug free’ whilst ‘inside’ and wanted the others at the rehab to hear the Gospel in a relevant way from somebody he knew. It was thrilling to hear of his making contact again with his family after many years of estrangement and looking to making a new start in society. Several of the guys were moved by the evening, inquiring about ‘this Jesus’ who really does changes lives.
Association of Evangelists – A leaflet about the Annual Houseparty is enclosed with this letter – it would be lovely to see some of you there – the teaching, the food, the fellowship and the facilities will be excellent if last year is anything to go by!
Jem Hudson has taken a big step of faith in selling his home in order to purchase a piece of ground on which to build a Camp & Training Centre in Stenson (near Derby). If you’d like more info about this check out his website www.foundationmatters.com or contact me for a brochure.
The Association is looking to expand it’s horizons as we all see the great need for the ‘itinerant, interdenominational evangelist’ in this ever more secular society in which we live. Do pray for us in all these things that we might clearly discern the Lord’s will.
ITINERARY
September
3rd St Pauls B'pool
6th 'The Well', B'pool
7th Cave Brown E.C. Ashton under Lyne
13th/14th Lawshall, Suffolk, concert & preaching
20th Brighouse Evangelical Church, concert
21st Boston Spa, preaching
29th/ 20th October Poland & Hungary, schools drug awareness programmes, concerts & preaching
October
24/25th Faversham Gospel Mission, concert & preaching
November
1/2nd Bethel Evangelical Church Warrington
3rd St Annes, Lunch Club
5th Drug rehab, concert
9th Marton, Blackpool, preaching
10th/16th Mission Northwich, Cheshire
20th Marton, B'pool
21/23rd AofE Prayer Partners Weekend
27th Oak Hill College, talking about prison work
30th Clayton le Woods preaching
December
6th' The Well', B'pool
7th Brynn C.F. preaching
13th 'Helping Hand', B'pool
16/17th Prison Carol Services
22nd 'Soup Kitchen', B'pool
During the whole of this time I'm also visiting a good number of prisons giving Gospel Concerts and continuing to take a growing number of local opportunities.
FAMILY
Jamie, Jan, Josie, & Mia were with us for ten days in August, which was super. They return to what seems an ever worsening security situation in Afghanistan - do pray for their safety (and all who work with them, both locals and expats).
James and Holly - are now in their last year in Barnet before returning North for James' first curacy starting in the Summer of '09.
Looking back over the past year I'm so thankful to the Lord for the renewed strength He's given me to take the Gospel to so many lost and lonely people (though Anno Domini keeps sneaking up!). May He continue to grant us all the grace we need to serve him well.
As ever, in Christ,
Gus
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