Stories from Jesus. All about life
Adelaide:
We would like to share some encouraging things that have been happening to us this week which we hope will be an encouragement to you.
Day One - Monday. One of my JAAL prayer card folks came to speak with John very upset because he had just been told he had lost his driving licence for 6/12 and we all know the impact that can have on ones life style etc. In his distress he had come to realise that he needed to rethink his whole life and talk this through with someone who care might care. John was able to share his faith and he accepted a JAAL book.
Day Two -Tuesday. A customer known to John for 15 yrs came to his officer very distressed as he had gone to his home from work to find the locks changed and the house completely emptied except for his bed and the bank balance cleared. He knew John had a Christian faith and came to talk with him. Again he also accepted a JAAL book.
Day Three - Wednesday. some weeks ago Andrew Denton of Enough Rope made a comment on his program about being an atheist. John decided to put his name on his JAAL prayer card and to write to him personally telling him that he would be praying for him and also to send him a JAAL book. Today we received a personal reply thanking John for caring for his soul, and for sending him the book ( lets pray he reads it).
We cannot wait to see what tomorrow will bring
My daughter …
Nicole’s in her final year of High School. She was happy to do the training at church for the ‘campaign’ and really keen to pray for five friends using the bookmark. Her greatest fear was that the ads would be ‘dorky’. She was very relieved when she saw the ads (downloaded from the net) and started to tell her friends to be on the lookout for them. She is not a ‘loud’ personality, nor is she an obvious evangelist, but since the campaign started she has had at least a conversation a day with her friends at school – EVERY day – and about Jesus, not religion.
The annual ‘House Dinner’ evening at the school has skits. The usual sorts of things. This year one of the items was a spoof of the Jesus: All About Life ad for youth. They have obviously noticed it!
The ‘Stalls in the Malls’
We decided to provide yet another opportunity for people to get their hands on the booklets by having street stalls in the three local shopping malls. We navigated our way through the insurance issues with the mall management and even warmed up some shopkeepers by telling them that we’d be around (and asked if they’d like some booklets). Everyone was OK with the stall idea. Well, we thought everyone was OK with the idea. At the end of the first day a chemist came out of their shop and asked us not to come back. Her complaint? That Jesus name in big letters was not something she wanted to see in her shopping centre.
It’s not all bad news though. This last Saturday when one lady came up and briefly chatted with us and asked if we thought Jesus would mind that she had rollers in her hair - we assured her Jesus would not mind in the least and she took away one of the pamphlets. I hope they might be ‘holy rollers’ …
Another couple had made it to their car in the car park, unloaded the trolley, strapped in the kids and were ready to get out of there (!) when they noticed the banner. They simply walked up and asked if they could have something to read about Jesus. Could they ever!
We have a banner is outside our office. Normally people walk by and ignore us. But over the last two weeks people have come in and asked for directions to our church and details of service times etc.
My wife June and I were visiting Mt. Barker shopping centre - I had my JAAL T’shirt on, and June stopped off at Wnedy’s for an ice cream. June asked for a strawberry and cream and the girl said "Do you want a double?" To which June replied, "Oh no, just a single, but I want it dipped in chocolate please. I will be 70 next birthday and so am not allowed to over indulge." The girl said to her, "You don’t look nearly 70, what kind of foundation cream do you use?" June said, "It’s not what is on the outside that matters, but what is on the inside."
And we started talking about JAAL and the Course we started 8th September. She wanted to know if we had any material to give her - we had none on us, but sent her the Response Book and Pamphlet the next day. She rang to thank us, and June invited her to the next session. She accepted our invitation.
As it turned out we cancelled the session on 15th Sept. because we were called away to Queensland to conduct the funeral of our sister in law who died suddenly with a brain aneurism. We rang and told her and she said she would come this week 22nd.
It’s working, and we are excited about how many opportrunities we are having and others in our small congregation, to share the Life which Jesus gives.
The T’shirts are good discussion starters - a woman we have known for years and years saw me wearing mine, while we were shopping in Woolworths, Murray Bridge and she came to our first session, as a result of June talking with her - we will phone her tomorrow and remind her about Thursday night. Thirty one people attended out first session. We had a big screen and used our new Data Projector for the first time.
Praise God for you and the JAAL team. This resource will be used again and again.
While in Queensland I had opportunity to share JAAL with one of the Pastors at Southport Church of Christ, plus a Pastor friend in Toowoomba. They both said they would check it out on the website.
Our sign writer Stephen Kennedy has made JAAL car stickers for most of the congregation. They look great.
(Web response)
I just wanted to say thanks for providing such a great website. My story is no different from what I’m sure you read every day. I looked over your site and prayed the "Want Jesus?" prayer so I thought I’d let you know. I’m sure you like to hear when your site has touched someone and that’s exactly the way I feel, touched.
I am just an ordinary 21 year old. I like to party, like to socialise and am becoming a bit of a nerd because I’m loving my uni studies so much. Ever since leaving high school I have felt a bit lost, a bit unsure of my place in the world. This came as a real surprise to me because I was always one of those go-getters at high school. You know the type who was on the student representative council, had good grades, played sport yet still participated in a million and one extra-curricular activities? Well that was me in a nutshell.
So when I left high school I started to feel a bit lost and unsure of myself. This feeling kept compounding until December last year when I did quite a few things I was really ashamed of (not to say I was an angel before, but it was at this point everything seemed to culminate).
I had jealousy issues with my boyfriend, and self esteem issues for myself. These combined and I engaged in some very destructive behaviour. I got help though in the form of a counselor and things feel like they are starting to fall into place for me. I am becoming so much happier with myself, and am realising and appreciating the great people I have around me.
I read an article in The Australian today about the new "Jesus All About Life" campaign starting in Adelaide. This really spoke to me so I Googled it on the internet and came across the campaign’s and your sites. Just a note, I’m in QLD so the campaign hasn’t started here yet, but I still ordered the book!
Everything in my life just seems likes its becoming a natural progression and for me this was my next step. So I thank you for providing me with the resources to take that next step.
Thanks again,
*****