Nothing attractive at all about trash!

Driving downtown Kingston, Jamica I saw a remarkable sight! Goats in the trash on a major street! What in the world could they have been drawn to? Jerk chicken bones, dried up rice and peas, cho cho or maybe some yam. I wonder why animals love the trash? This particular goat was not giving up his territory for anyone or "anygoat"! There were many right on his tail hoping for just one little morsel!

This "photo op" sent me to pondering which is something I like to do. My ponderings never get an audience but I amuse myself by pondering! I love clean! I love a freshly scoured sink, floor tiles that sparkle, freshly laundered clothes. I love a clean house and a clean car and a clean purse! I ponder, is this how we are made? Does being made in HIS image have something to do with this innate desire to be clean?

If this is how we are made, why, like the goats are we so drawn to trash? Of course I don't mean the trash bin or the outside dumpster. I mean the trash that comes along so innocently and comes without an obvious odor. Somehow I think it really does! There is quite a distinct odor to the things that are repulsive to the Savior if we just have the spiritual nose to detect it!

Funny how the simple things in my life become complicated. A word that comes out wrong is trash. A thought that really stinks is trash. A scheme to get what I want is like going to the trash barrel. A fight with a friend, a disregarding of the poor, ignoring the "still, small voice of the Master", a really trashy attitude...well it is all something to be thrown out with the rubbish.

If I work so hard to keep my surroundings sparkling, I must work double to keep my spirit sparkling? The enemy isn't after my sparking house, but he is after this temple! Everything I do in the flesh is as trash, everything I do with a wrong motive is trash, everything I do to get myself noticed is trash, everything that I do to bring discord is trash.

Boy, with all the trash in my life it's a wonder I don't have billy goats tracking me and nipping at my heels!

A photo is worth a thousand words and more!

The ministry of Irvin D. Clown (Children's Evangelist Kevin Ross) has eternal value! A conservative total for salvations in the last 2 weeks is 3300 people! We are sorry to see him travel on. Kevin is a person that a missionary would love to have on the field full time! Jamaica has been highly impacted from the center of the island to the coast in the last few years with Kevin's ministry and we are so delighted that he chose to come to our area a couple of weeks ago.

Once Kevin gets dressed as Irvin in the morning, he stays that way till the ministry for the day is complete. As we would pass through toll gates or red lights we would forget why people were staring in the car! We got so used to Kevin and Renee dressed as clowns that they began to look normal! As a matter of fact one morning when traveling to the ministry site, the local police stopped us and it was all because of Irvin D. Clown! So glad Irvin didn't go to jail that day, we had a lot of ministry planned!

Another thing I really appreciate about Irvin is that wherever we were he used the opportunity to share Christ with his rope tricks or whatever he had in his pocket at the time! After one Sunday afternoon of minstry we stopped at a little place along the road to get a coke and while Renee and I were waiting in the car we saw the family that owned the little shop(that was closed at the time) congregating in this little store front. Kevin was sharing the good news and 3 were saved on the spot! I mentioned the location and the family to the pastor the next day so that she will be able to follow up on these new converts.

We were at a fast food restaurant one other day passing through to the next ministry spot and because clowns are not a normal sight on the island, Irvin D. had an audience! Adults and children alike have been given the gospel and that my friend is what it is all about!

Denny, Renee and I are still on cloud 9 for all we have seen Jesus accomplish in the last 2 weeks. We are motivated even more to train the students in all facets of ministy. God uses everybody and every gift to glorify Himself. Keep praying with us for the island of Jamaica, although a religious people, violence and crime are ever increasing. Domestic abuse and rape are on the rise. The enemy is making claims to the country and its people, however NOW IS THE TIME for Jesus to break forth and shine!

JUST CLOWNIN' AROUND!

You know some days in the ministry are just fun! Today was one of those days! Kevin Ross, an anointed children's evangelist came to Jamaica! Today he trained some of our Bible College students and of course Renee and one of her missionary friends to be clowns and to work puppets! Even the strong guys were pretty tired from the puppets!

They started out the day hitting the streets! Clowns aren't a real common sight on the island. The children were excited to come to the Bible College property to find out what was going on. 11 children accepted Jesus this morning. Then they went back in the afternoon for another fun session.

Let me tell you about our week coming. Tomorrow we will have a church ministry and then travel 2 hours to the north for an afternoon rally. One of our Bible College ladies has started a church without a building! She has 100 children in an open field every Sunday afternoon! This is just so exciting. They are going to love the clowns, skits, tricks and puppets!

Denny has asked Kevin to teach all of his classes in the Bible College next week, emphasizing children's ministries and the Holy Spirit! Wow what a topic! They will also be ministering in the local schools, afternoon street rallies and 2 A/G children's homes.

It is so excting to be a part of what God is doing! He is using a clown that has his M.Div and a passion to see Jesus move in children!

I think of my friend, MaryAnn, who made Renee a clown suit and an extra for a friend before we came to Jamaica and wouldn't take a dime for all her work. I think that she will be surprised someday when she gets to heaven and finds some little Jamaican children who accepted Jesus because of a crazy, anointed clown who taught my little one how to minister alongside him, then again, maybe she won't!! What you do for Jesus has eternal reward! Thanks friend!