Breakfast Club No. 2

We were excited and encouraged after the club last week. This week we were a little more apprehensive. The club took place outside the home of one of the ladies from the church (Paty). It was an experiment and the first time we have done something like that. We will have the club in four different areas around the church and each time we are inviting them to come to the main event which will start in the church in 3 weeks time. The main purpose of the first four week sis just to get alongside the kids and give them such a memorable time that they will be excited and eager to come to the church.

Last week Paty was so excited that we were going to have the club at her house. We made all the flyers and she got to work handing them out and inviting people to come. When we arrived at her house there were a few people waiting at the top of her streets with their kids. There weren't many. There were however 4 adults that she had invited to come. They were people from a local charity who wanted to meet us and see what we were doing. I (Carol) had a chance to talk with them (Andrew was leaving Katherine and Caroline to the airport) and they offered to help us in any way they could. I was amazed to find out that there are almost as many people in the area we are working as there are inhabitants of Northern Ireland! I explained who we are, what we were doing, what our objective is and a little about MEFI as well. Later when the people were introduced to those who had come to the club it was interesting to hear the guy in charge give his support to what we are doing and though he isn't a Christian he stated his belief that if more people in the area would worship God there would be less problems.

Anyway, it wasn't long before Paty's Patio :) started to fill up. By the end we had 45 kids and about 20 mums. When we announced the last game some of the kids groaned. When we asked who would be coming to the church there was a loud cheer. The mums seemed keen too. Pray that this enthusiasm will last. Praise God for Paty, a woman dedicated to seeing her neighbours won for Christ. I congratulated her afterwards, saying that the turnout was testimony to her example in the neighbourhood and hoping that it would open up further opportunities for her to share the gospel. She responded that it already had! 45 kids is far more than I ever expected. In 2 weeks we have met 105 kids. This morning in church Miguel shared that the vision is the have the club in the main church area and have 300 kids attending. The congregation responded with a cheer and a round of applause. What an encouragement to have the whole church behind us. Another great couple came and offered to get involved afterwards.

Another encouragement is that after the club one of the mums came up to a ladies meeting in the church. She came back to the service this morning and was still there chatting to one of the ladies by the time we were leaving! Pray, pray, pray for this work. It is so exciting and is so full of potential. Who knows how we will be able to fund it but as the saying goes God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.