Cornerstone Arts :: Newsletters :: 2005-A Year for the Books!

Greetings from Kiev, Ukraine! I've had a very fruitful time in Zagreb, Croatia and here in Kiev, doing double duty: mixing business with seeing friends! I've had a chance to speak 3 times in Croatia, and twice here in Kiev, and I've had a chance to see a plethora of friends! I leave tomorrow for Rzeszow, Poland to begin my first show for 2006.

2005- A Year for the Books

With all the blessings that accompany a year, there are also "challenges" that the Lord uses to mature us and make us come before His presence in earnest prayer. Well, 2005 was just such a year! From prison to funerals, it was a year of sadness, and victories. So, grab a cup of coffee, and sit back! I proudly present to you a look back at 2005…

January-2005

Greetings from Nisporeni, Moldova! Victor Antoci is my very gracious host and a prominent pastor here in Nisporeni. I could easily have entitled this, "City Boy Goes to the Farm". First of all, there are dirt roads. There is no central heating, and it is cold! How do they heat their homes? Wood, and cow dung! (there's no smell, though) . There is no heating in the toilet or bathroom. And there is no running water. Do the math…. I have not had a bath for three days.

Today, I had the blessing to preach twice in two of Victor's churches. Right now, the Orthodox churches rule here. The pastors of the Christian churches are weary from working so hard. To do a production has been almost impossible. The temperature is below zero. We have to find wood, and plane it to look like boards. We have to work outside and build the sets in the snow, as there is no such thing as a "warehouse" or work area. If there is, there's no heat. We have finished the set, and moved into the theatre, which has no heat. We have worked 2 days in the theatre to mount the set, and it's been below zero IN the hall.

We have had to rent a generator to power the lights that we've had to rent from the capital, because there are NO lights in this hall. We've had to hire an electrician (who isn't drunk) to rewire the hall (which requires the mayor's permission, who is an Orthodox, and is against us) , to plug in a heater we have had to borrow to heat the hall. For two days, the pastor has had to stay on top of the mayor and the electrician to do this, meanwhile, we've had no choice but to work in the cold…. 8-10 hours a day.

There are no bathrooms inside. Only outhouses. They have no electricity, so they're pitch black. It's wise to always carry a flashlight, which I do.

Now, add to all that the fact that the Orthodox are very opposed to all "sects" like all Protestant churches. There are only 3 Protestant churches here, and my friend, the pastor, Victor Antoci, has started 2. The other is a Baptist church.

Last night, as we were building the sets in the bitter cold temperatures of the hall, an angry mob, about 40 plus, raided the hall. They came to stop the show by destroying the sets and decorations. We have spent well over $2000 to build everything! We had to stop them, and as my male actors held them back, I told the girls to move all the decorations as far to the back of the stage, while we guarded the stage and prevented the mob from coming on the stage. We called the police, but they were on their side!

They are furious that we want to do a show without their permission. The priest came and fueled the mob earlier, but then he left, so that he wouldn't be seen as starting a riot. Later, he came to chart the progress of his mob, but he said, "No, I came to bring peace." He's the very one who was with them an hour earlier, leading them in what they should do!

Here is the proof of spiritual warfare. The hypocrisy is that there are several discos and bars in town. They don't meet in mobs to stop them! No, it's all right to align with the world, but if you try to do something for the Lord, then you will be stopped. Miracle! I wanted to get pictures, so I took out my camera and started flashing pictures. The mob, surprisingly ran away! Why? They were afraid that these pictures might make the newspaper, so as crazy as it sounds, the camera scared them away! They left!

The Orthodox mob promises to be even bigger and more vocal tonight. They promise to close our show, and to stop anyone coming from entering the hall. We have had to hire police already, but now we're going to have to go back to the mayor for more protection. And he's against us.

I suppose the part that brings me peace is that our wonderful friend and Savior, Jesus Christ went through very much the same situation. He dealt with the Pharisaical crowd who confronted, and schemed against Him. My friend, the Lord is going to do a miracle tonight. I highly covet your prayers, not just for tonight, but for the entire weekend, as we present the Gospel of Jesus Christ through this powerful drama.

Last week, I had a chance to fly from Korea to London, to meet my host from Durban Christian Centre, South Africa, Minister of Music, Charmaine Smith. She was just a delight to get to know, and we spent lots of time talking about the show in March.

February-2005

Detainment in Moldova. The show last week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, was met with a lot of resistance. However, we had hired the police to come and keep order. The Orthodox were out in full force, and threatened, insulted and scared many coming to see the show. The priest and his followers would yell out, "You're going to hell if you enter this hall!" "You don't love God if you go in." "You will be ex-communicated from the Orthodox church and your family if you go in." Consequently, many people left, as the Orthodox Church wields great power here. They're a stronghold of religiosity.

The irony is that just the opposite is true. If they enter, they'll FIND Jesus! They'll find THE way, the truth and the life that leads them away from hell. They'll become part of the family of God, and a child of the Kingdom. How sad. Many did brave to come in. One man told the priest, "I know you think I'm going to hell, but I just want to see what's going on, and then I'll decide." Praise the Lord for people like that! Another went outside to the priest and said, "Did you even see this show? It's not offensive at all! I was expecting to cause problems, but after I saw it, I cried."

Altogether, 60 people were saved! Praise You, Lord. The struggle was worth it. However, what a struggle. We never got enough heaters, so each night, the hall was at just below freezing, and so we all froze. Sunday night, we were finally through! I hugged all my actors goodbye, and left to Kishenau, as I'd fly to Poland at 6 a.m. Monday.

Confusion Reigns. The enemy was furious with me. We had plowed up a lot of hardened ground, and the church will begin to grow. I was up at 3:30 a.m. and went to the airport, looking forward to sleeping on the plane to Poland. I went through Customs.

The Customs agent, a woman who spoke very little English, asked how much money I had in my wallet. I said $200. She asked to see it, and I showed her. She said, "Write here" and handed me a declaration form. As I filled it out, she searched my bags, but found nothing (often, they try to find something so that they can hassle you and then get a bribe, which helps them live) . She motioned me on to check my bags. I forgot, though, that I had not written down the $1700 in cash I had in my coat. I told her, "I didn't claim the rest, and I'd like to fill out another declaration" as I reached for the old declaration. She said, "No problem… you go." I finally showed her the money, but she yelled, "You lie! And two men who were following me came immediately, took my passport and ticket. They took me to the customs agent, and they all began to yell at me. They handed her the money, they seized my luggage, and took me to another area, and proceeded to write report after report about all that had transpired. I was frantic, because the time was passing, and if they didn't hurry, I'd miss my plane.

There would be no plane. This all happened at 5 a.m., and for the next 15 hours, I would be questioned, interrogated, and threatened. I tried to explain in English, Russian and Spanish, but no one tried to understand me. I was finally allowed to call my friend, Pastor Sasha. After 4 hours at the airport, I was taken to the Central Customs office, and interrogated afresh by a new man.

The situation is that I was found guilty, (in their eyes) , and I would have to go before the judge, in 4-5 months. In the meantime, I would be jailed.

So, now I really am a prisoner here in Moldova. I have no choice but to wait until the trial is over. What's next? I have to wait to be interviewed by the prosecuting attorney next week, and then wait a week for the trial. I wake up each morning hoping it's all a nightmare, but unfortunately, it's very real. I face losing the $1700 (my money for the church in Poland) , 2 years in jail and a $500 fine, plus lawyer's fees, if I'm found guilty.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, but I just don't have a "victim mentality". Although I'm very worried, I refuse to mope and cry. I love what the Lord said to Moses in Ex. 13:15, "Stop praying, and get moving" as he stood by the Red Sea. His situation was hopeless, but he trusted God. I'm going to do the same.

There's a saying in English: "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" The devil wants to detain me in Moldova? FINE! I will tell and lead as many people to Jesus Christ as I can while I'm here! I've decided to go ahead and do another show. I may be in jail, but we're going to OPEN TOMORROW NIGHT! The little church my friend pastors, believes God to win 126 souls to Christ (and that's quiet a vision in very Orthodox Moldova!) .

I was supposed to have left 11 days ago, and I'm still being held by authorities. It's anyone's guess when and how I'll be tried! What they actually wanted was a bribe. I was supposed to face the prosecution this week, and my lawyer who is supposed to be defending me, smiled when he saw the customs officer. I later learned they used to work together. Since then, the wheels have stopped turning.

Since I was here, we went ahead and did another production of "The Judgment Seat"! We didn't have long to advertise, but had 4 days. The church was up to it, and blitzed the city with posters, especially around the theatre. And, the people came! We prayed against the religious spirits, and God answered! There was absolutely NO interruptions from the Orthodox church mobs. The people were free to come and watch. And they did! At the end of the performance, what a blessing to hear that dozens were walking the aisle during the altar call!

The sad part is that this country is so corrupt, they all want to be bribed. I have so many people holding out their hands to me for money. It's crazy. You can't follow the law here. If you do, you'll be buried in legalities, which could take months. So, now, I'm being buried in paperwork, because we're trying to follow the law, but it's getting worse, and worse, and worse...... Help me, Lord! In the meantime, I'm going to continue to serve the Lord and take care of Kingdom business. I have such an urgency on my heart.

February 11-2005

Here's a stress-building fact: I HAVE TO leave for South Africa Monday, February 21. I had already purchased my plane ticket over a month ago, and I'm scheduled to fly out of Warsaw, on Monday. The ticket is non-refundable. So, I have to get to Warsaw by then.

It had been a long week of hearing nothing. I sit in jail. The weekend was spent ministering to anyone who would listen, but on the legal front….. nothing. My Moldovan lawyer talks a lot, but does little-to-nothing. They did a check on Interpol, and found (of course) nothing. However, that lost us a week.

February 16-2005

Then, out of nowhere, HOPE! The American Embassy, whom the Lord has been using greatly, has helped me get a court date! We now have to wait until Friday morning to go to set the court trial date. The American Embassy is pushing very strongly to have Immigration release my passport. There's another "glitch". My original host, Victor, never did register me (which is a must in Communist countries) , so I still have a problem there, and that would complicate me getting out of the country. Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch…..I have been "like a madman" ministering and talking about God's great love.

February 18-2005

Okay, we tried. Today I'm supposed to go to trial, and possible be free! Nothing. Today was a day filled with great expectancy. I was up at 1:30 a.m., and couldn't go back to sleep, I was so sure of God's miracles. Nothing.

My lawyer was so late yesterday in signing the court's documents, that we missed my court trial. We'd have to re-schedule for another time! NO! This couldn't be happening! My lawyer kept insisting he knew the right people to talk to, but after following him around and around for 2 hours, I was so stressed, I was ready to pass out. I sat in a busy court corridor, stunned.

The court was filled with police, and all kinds of people in handcuffs. Not what I need to see in my predicament. I spent most of my time in prayer. At 4, we got word of a new trial time! "Finally", I thought, "it's late, but let's get this over with." Then came the bad news. My next court date was set for…………….. March 9!!!!!!!!

There's no way! I was so much in shock, that I don't really remember what happened after that. I remember we left, with my lawyer talking and talking, and making all kinds of grand gestures. I'm so exhausted emotionally, and physically, and well, yes, spiritually. I don't understand why this is happening. But God owes me NO explanation. He understands exactly what's going on.

I have to be in Port Elizabeth, South Africa Tuesday afternoon. I have to be on that plane to South Africa by 11 p.m. So, I have Saturday and Sunday to minister to as many precious Moldovans as possible, and I have Monday left for God to do a miracle.

Monday morning is IT. If I look at the circumstances, then I of all people am the saddest. After all, there's nothing to look at. But, like Peter, I REFUSE to look at the circumstances as I walk on the water. I'm going to keep my eyes on Jesus, because He's my only hope now.

February 20-2005

I had gotten word from the American Embassy that the Ambassador had been contacted, and would move on my behalf. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also at work in this situation. Because of this, my trial went from March 9, suddenly to February 21! Even so, I chose to spend the time ministering as much as I could.

February 21-2005

I couldn't sleep. I somehow KNEW that the Lord was going to do something. I finally was able to go to trial. My lawyer had rehearsed with me for weeks on a "not guilty" plea. On the way into the judge's court, my lawyer said, "When they ask you how you plead, just say ‘Guilty'". WHAT??? Now, we're standing before the judge, and she was looking me over. We began. "How do you plead?" "Guilty". I felt like I had been betrayed, but nonetheless, my trial had begun.

To my surprise, the prosecution, Nicolae Tricolici, treated me with the utmost respect, and asked me questions as if to vindicate me! He didn't condemn me, but "protected" me! This had to be the Lord answering the thousands of prayers like yours on my behalf!

Then came the witnesses, the Custom's Agents. They said, "He was very peaceful and polite" and "He was very nice for a foreigner in his situation." And so it went! The judge called for a recess, and after some time, called us back in, and declared me "Not Guilty". I would be freed immediately!

Now came the race! We had 3 hours to get my passport, buy my plane ticket, register, and pack. I had to go through Customs again, and was checked, and re-checked. I got on the plane, so desperate, and so afraid. As we became airborne, I burst into tears. I was off Moldovan ground!

I landed in Budapest, so afraid to speak to anyone. I expected the "Moldovan treatment" for which I had become accustomed to. I asked to buy a new ticket to South Africa. They were smiling and polite. "Sure! When?" I said, "Today?" They said, "Of course. The price is $3800. However, we see you were supposed to fly yesterday, so we'll charge you the same… $1200" I was numb to their wonderful kindness.

They swiped my card, and I prayed that there were sufficient funds. After a little time, the ticket agent said, "Sir, I'm sorry, but…………" My heart sank. I started to panic. I'm spiritually drained, and don't have any faith left. I'm operating on the prayers of the saints right now. She continued, "…… I'm sorry, but our computer won't let me swipe."! She said, "Let me go to a different computer." She did, and came back and said, "Okay, here's your ticket. Enjoy your flight!" Hallelujah! I boarded, and flew on to South Africa!

I landed late in the day, and was so surprised at how tropically warm it was here! What a contrast, from waist high snow, to stifling heat! I went to church service with Pastors Jimmy and Mariana Crompton. Everyone burst into applause when I entered the sanctuary! They had been praying for my release, and now were so surprised to see me! God has been so good to have so many kind people come up and love on me. I have needed it desperately. We're so behind on this show, but we had auditions. The next day, we had more auditions, and had lots of actors and singers.

We began a 12 hour day of rehearsals. But after hour 8, I lost my voice, because of the cold in Moldova had taken a toll on my body. So, we had to cancel the rest of the day. We've begun, though, and everyone is excited about the new show!

Tonight my Moldovan cast is presenting "The Judgment Seat" in Ungheni, Moldova! Even though I'm gone from Moldova, the ministry continues, and souls will continue to come to Christ for months and months to come! During the time I was there, we drew out a plan to continue to present evangelical outreaches through this production. So, I may be gone, but because of my detainment, we had time to develop a strategy to reach all Moldova for Christ!

From London, I went to Croatia, and met Vlado Hoblaj, who will be one of my hosts, along with Pastor Branko, when I produce a theatrical event in 2007. Here, I speak to a congregation outside Zagreb, the capital.

March-2005

After the last month of "unusual circumstances", what do I possibly write about? Moldova! Pastor Victor wrote me to tell me that over 100 people came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! And we are planning still ANOTHER production next week in the capital city of Kishenau! I'm believing that someday soon, Moldova will no longer be described as an "atheistic" country, but one through whom the Lord is using to bring great revival.

We will be presenting a beautiful Easter musical here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, "The Promise". However, the show is mammoth, and we have been working hard to get the show ready. My prayer request is that we would be able to finish casting.

We have ordered the wood, and the building on the set is beginning. The costumers are coming from America, busy buying material, and we are in rehearsals, teaching dances, staging and designing lighting, draping, building props, etc. So, all in all, we are busy! We opened "The Promise", and had thousands come to watch the production, and we saw hundreds and hundreds come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I was so blessed to see "rivers" of people walking the aisles to go to the back to fill out cards, and to learn more about the Lord! What an artistic and spiritual success!

April-2005

Greetings from Seoul, Korea! We've had auditions, and we've begun rehearsals, and in fact, we open in 3 weeks! The cherry blossoms are everywhere, and it's a beautiful time to be in Korea, about the Father's business.

This week, we began blocking (staging) the different scenes for the upcoming production here in Seoul. And the Korean actors are determined to do the show in English, even though they're simply learning it! Imagine US memorizing an entire musical in Korean! It's not enough that I have one month to stage them, teach them music and dances, and get them to portray the characters correctly, but now to also have to teach them pronunciation?

Back in Moldova, Pastor Victor Antoci, along with the faithful cast presented "The Judgment Seat" in Kishenau, the capital. Altogether, over 250 people came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Praise the Lord!

In Seoul, I had friends from the U.S. come to help with the costumes, and my friend, Herman Potgieter from South Africa, played the role of Jesus. We presented "The Promise" at Olympic Hall, which seats about 4,000, and we had packed houses every night! Best of all, so many lives were touched through the production. Thank You, Lord, for using us in Korea to reach even more with God's love for them.

May-2005

Greetings from Dallas, Texas! After 11 months, I'm finally home again! It's great to be home. I left Korea and boarded to fly to Japan, then to Chicago, and finally home. It was a long trip, about 24 hours, and I missed out on a night of sleep!

Since I've been back, we begin production on the 6th annual "View from the Edge" at U.T.-Arlington theatre later this month. As well, I had callback auditions for "The Promise" in Glen Rose, and last night, we cast the show, and tonight, we begin rehearsals. We waste NO time getting to work for the Lord! I love my job (s)!

I had the opportunity to see my dear friend, Claudia Lowery in Elysian Fields, Texas, and to speak to the church there about missions. It was a wonderful time, and I had a chance to pray for all those who are called to the mission field. Immediately afterwards, I flew to Midland to see my family. I wanted to see my sweet niece, Melissa, was graduating from Nursing School, and I wanted to see my dad, who's doing great since mom's passing last year. Lots of family and fun!

Back in Dallas, I worked non-stop on "A View from the Edge", the show I would be directing. We opened the show last week, and ran until Sunday night. The show was beautiful, and many lives were impacted and touched. I'm so blessed to be a part of such a great show annually, but I'm sooooo tired!

Typical of most small towns in Croatia, a small town square dating back hundreds of years still marks the center for commerce and culture.

June-2005

Well, this weekend, we opened "The Promise" here in Glen Rose, and what a two weeks it has been! We have been in rehearsals, but as we rehearsed, some disgruntled cast members dropped out of the show just a few days before the show, leaving us having to replace them at the last minute. We didn't have anyone to play the role of Jesus, so I invited my friend from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Herman Potgieter to come and be a part of the production. He has graciously stepped in and has done a beautiful job just TWO DAYS before Opening Night!

"The Promise" has now been officially launched, and is now going into the 4th weekend of a 20 week run. We started a little "bumpy" with our sound on opening weekend, but things have gotten better, and the show is looking beautiful. We've seen and heard of many salvations, and the comments are great! So, praise the Lord, things are going well!

My third and final show in the U.S. for 2005 is going to be a July 4th musical called "Our Flag Was Still There", a stirring musical about all the difficulties that our country has been through, and through it all, she stands.

Remembering Dad. Now that "Promise" has been launched and is going well, I've been concentrating on the July 4th production coming up. This week, while leading a dance rehearsal for the show, I got a call from my sister with the unbelievable news that no one could have possibly expected…. Dad had passed away.

Tina, my sister, had planned for her 11 year old son, Elijah, to come spend a week with dad as they went camping, fishing, etc. Dad was ecstatic. They drove in from Austin, bringing Elijah to dad. They saw the house open, and supposed dad to be working around the house. As they called out, no one responded, until they went into the den, and found dad on the floor.

In the shock of it all, I KNOW how wonderful our heavenly Father is. He graciously allowed dad to go quickly and quietly: no sickness, no dehabilitative state, no Alzheimer's disease… One minute he was here, full of life, and the next minute… gone.

The funeral was yesterday, June 30. It was a military funeral, with the flag draped coffin, representatives of the U.S. Army played taps and gave dad full military honors. Our family was together again, and considering the entire situation, it was truly a blessed event. I miss you, dad.

July-2005

Last week, we were working fast and hard as we finished last minute preparations on Celebration Covenant Church's patriotic musical, "Our Flag Was Still There". Monday, July 4th was spent shopping for last minute travel items, and packing, and seeing some friends at the last minute. The evening was truly beautiful, and a wonderful way for me to spend my last night in Dallas.

Greetings from Constanza, Romania! Well, my 13th World Tour has begun again. I arrived in Bucharest and was met by my good friend, Ovidiu Tanase. We are meeting with pastors, and scoping out some sights for performances next year here in Constanza.

Greetings from Nisporeni, Moldova! Yes, it's true, I'm back again! I think that many people are surprised that I would return to Moldova, after my arrest and imprisonment here, thinking I would be discouraged from ever returning. Actually, just the opposite has occurred. I'm more on fire to change Moldova than ever before!

Tonight, we open "The Judgment Seat". Originally, we were supposed to only do one show, and we saw just over 60 people saved in January. However, after my arrest, I was stuck here for 3 weeks, so we went to work and continued to do the show. Altogether, to date, we've seen 1,000 people saved! It's hard to believe, but this is my FIFTH show in Moldova for 2005! We traveled there last Friday, and we transported the sets, put everything up, and opened the shows. We had to bus in the people from the different villages, but they filled the hall, and ultimately, we saw 250 people give their heart to the Lord this weekend! Hallelujah!

August-2005

Greetings from Mexico City, Mexico! This is truly a HUGE city. In fact, it's the biggest city in the world, with over 35 million people living here. I just arrived on Sunday! It's been a busy week, to say the least. I always send all the plans well ahead of time.

Imagine my shock when I arrived on Sunday. Nothing was ready! Two days before the show, we still had nothing. However, God, being the wonderful God He is, provided a saint. Pedro came and accessed the situation in incredible unbelief that we would attempt to do the show in two days. Being the humble, kind man he is, he agreed to help us… for an unbelievably low price. This was a miracle!

Pedro and his crew showed up, and started installing the stage, and the woodwork, the frames, the lighting trusses, the lights, and well they worked into the night, while I worked with the actors preparing them in rehearsal. Needless to say, we were in earnest prayer for a miracle!

Day of the Show. By 6, we were 1.5 hours away from opening, but 5 hours away from being ready. By 7, the audience was gathering in the lobby, and horror of horrors! It begins to POUR RAIN! The tarps on the leaky roof held most of the rain, but it poured rain INSIDE! In the auditiorium, and on the stage! We put buckets everywhere, and the people who had gathered were packing into the lobby. By 7:30, and we were close to ready, but still working on the set. The audience wanted IN! We told the ushers to keep the doors closed, and by 7:45, we finished the set! By 8 p.m. the audience had filled the very wet and cold auditorium.

We opened, and the show went off beautifully. As the show unfolded, the actors were anointed, and the set was so beautiful, I started to cry. I never cease to be amazed at how, God, once more, came through for us. After the show, we had the altar call, and the people streamed down the aisle to receive Jesus.

The next weekend, pastor was planning for 1,000 per performance, but I encouraged him to believe for more. He agreed, and we put out 2,000 chairs. Good thing we did! We had over 2500 people attend the 5:00 p.m. show! After the first show, the altar call came, and to everyone's surprise, the aisles jammed with people coming forward! We had so many rushing forward, I thought maybe they misunderstood the call! However, many were weeping and were greatly touched. We say them come to the Lord, and I was so grateful for the almost 500 that got saved.

We were supposed to begin the new show at 7:00 p.m. The new audience was lined up outside for about a block! We let them in at 7:15, and were ready for the new show. There were even more people, as many decided to stay for the second show. We had almost 3,000 in attendance! Wow! The altar call came, and again, over 500 accepted the challenge, and came forward to receive Jesus Christ as Savior! We were dumbfounded, and just watched as people flooded the altar area for prayer.

Altogether, we have seen more that 1500 come to Jesus Christ in Mexico. What a great way to wrap up my stay in Mexico. I left Mexico City on Wednesday, and flew into Dallas. I had found out a week earlier that I would be ordained by the apostolic leadership of the church. I thought since I'd be there such a short time, that it would be a private ceremony. I was surprised to hear that I would be ordained in the actual service! I was so blessed, and even though I had resolved not to cry (I had to be cool, you know!) , I still cried like a baby!

Greetings from Istanbul, Turkey! We have been having a wonderful, and simultaneously hectic time as we prepare for the production. Pastor Gucliu Erman and I have been in meeting after meeting preparing for the production. We have seen the Lord do a myriad of little miracles. It's as if to say, "Hey, I'm are aware of what you're doing, and I'm helping you." Truly, the Lord is involved in every area, including the most minute details.

The Motherland Statue, overlooking the might Dniper River, is a symbol in Ukraine, and the same size as the Statue of Liberty in the U.S. Enormous!

September-2005

We have had to get permits, and register each actor with the police, so that they will know who's participating. These brave souls are "coming out of the underground", and essentially, declaring that they're Christian in a Muslim nation. It's VERY BRAVE of them! One young man, not in our cast, was called into his bosses office when they found out he was a Christian. There he was met by 8 other co-workers who proceeded to beat him, and kick him, and get him to denounce Jesus. This is a very real situation in Turkey.

The manager of the theatre, with whom we had an amiable agreement with, decided we should suddenly pay an exhorbant amount MORE. We had been building and working professionally, quietly, and courteously. I was so proud of our team. Yet, he accused us of being loud, unprofessional and taking advantage of their workers. He wouldn't let us even ask why, or explain. It was either "Pay up, or get out!" We don't have extra money to pay him!

Guclu, and I went to prayer. I suggested writing him a letter explaining that we have done nothing wrong, and have in fact, fed their workers, paid their workers, and even helped them do THEIR work. He wrote the letter.

The day of the show, we were concerned, because after all our work, we might not have a show if he forces us to pay. The cast doesn't know how close we were to losing the theatre, and cancel a weekend of performances. Guclu gave him the letter earlier, and then he called us into a meeting. He started by being upset, and was having a heated, one sided conversation with Guclu, in Turkish. I just prayed, and prayed, and prayed. I said, "Lord, we've done all we can. This is Your show, please help."

Then, something MIRACULOUS happened! We all sat in the office, but no one was behind the desk. Suddenly, while I prayed, a man, an angel, or someone APPEARED behind the desk, dressed in white! He smiled at me, then made some kind of gesture like, as if to say, "Don't worry, I'll handle this." He leaned over the desk, and laid his hand on the manager's shoulder!

He paused. He stood up, without Guclu saying much, and walked out. I said, "Thank you!", even though I had no idea what the outcome was. I couldn't wait to tell Guclu. As we walked out of the office, I began to tell him, but Guclu said, "Well, you won't believe it, but he said at the end of his talk, ‘We should charge, but it was a mistake we made, so you have to pay nothing, and you can do your show.'" I was out of my mind with joy! I told Guclu what had happened, and we both got chills at what the Lord was accomplishing!

We finished the production in Istanbul, without an incident! I was so happy that the Lord blessed the production, and that we had many saved. Of course, the real measure of success is to see how many will be in the church one year from now. We want to see disciples, and not just converts.

Turkey, is very clearly, and almost exclusively, Muslim. We saw 120 Muslims respond to the altar call! The sad news was that the attack that I felt would come from the Muslims, didn't come from the Muslims at all! It came from the Christians! I saw the same thing in Moldova, which is an atheist nation. The attack didn't come from the atheists, or the communists, it came from the Orthodox church! Istanbul had a similar reaction. We hit a proverbial "religious bee's nest" with a stick!

After the successful production of "The Judgment Seat" in Istanbul, I had a chance to relax with some friends, for 3 days, in southeastern Turkey, or better known as the Seven Churches of Revelation! It was truly an inspirational three days, and it changed the way I saw everything in my Bible!

October-2005

Greetings from Dallas, Texas! I hit the ground running by going into, NO, not ONE show, but TWO! We have had auditions all week for the English version of "The Judgment Seat", and the Spanish version as well. I have been overwhelmed with work! But, what an opportunity to reach Dallas with the gospel of Jesus Christ through this production!

November-2005

Please pardon me for not writing more, but my time in Dallas has been so crazy, I haven't had a moment to write a single newsletter! "The Judgment Seat" at my church in Covenant Church was a huge blessing, as we had not done it in quiet some time. So, for many members, it was a brand new show, and better still, hundreds were saved!

As if though that was not enough, we simultaneously presented the same show in Spanish, "El Trono del Juicio", and we had huge crowds of Hispanics coming to see the show, and hundreds were born again! I am so blessed to see so many salvations over a one week period of time! Thank You, Lord, for using me!

Greetings from Seoul, Korea! I arrived, and went right into auditions. With the cast in place, rehearsals continue on a nightly basis, with daytime filled with meetings for production, design and promotion. We have been granted the use of Yoido and it's 10,000 seat sanctuary, for free! What a blessing that will be! Best of all, we'll have a chance to reach many more people with the Gospel, holiday style!

December-2005

The sets are going up, the lighting rigs and trusses are mounted and the curtains have been hung. We have successfully transformed Yoido, the world's largest church, into the world's largest theatre! Promotions are everywhere, and tickets are gone! We're expecting 10,000 people tomorrow night and for the next three nights.

We finally opened "Two from Galilee" at Yoido Full Gospel Church, and we had an average attendance of 8,000 nightly. Wow! Many dignitaries also came the other nights, but the most welcomed guest of all was the Lord, for His presence was felt at every performance. The most wonderful thing was thousands were touched for the Lord, and we all had a chance to pray with audience members afterwards. There's no way to know how many were touched, because of the size of the crowds. Someday in Heaven we'll know the impact of the work last week.

Greetings from Beijing, China! We finished the show, and whoosh, I was off the next day to beautiful Beijing, for a little bit of rest and hopefully to "spy out the land" and hopefully to meet some pastors.

THAT'S IT!!!!

I tried to shorten it, too, as much as I could! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking back at all the Lord did. It was truly a miraculous year filled with blessings, and lots of hardship. Even so, the Lord was glorified, and for me, that's the bottom line. May the Lord do great things in 2006 in YOUR ministry, as well as mine. God bless you!

Dear Friends & Family,