Hitting the Streets

Today was the real thing! We began the day with some worship songs, and small group devos. The worship time was fun because like so many missions trips, everyone is included and there is almost no practice time. We all got about 2 minutes practice time before the group worship time, and there were 3 guitars, a bass, a trombone, keyboard, clarinet, congas, 3 backup singers and songs in English and French - none of which I had ever heard before! We had a good time once we all got warmed up!

Doing my thing!

After our small group meetings, we had about another hour to go through our different outreach presentations. The presentations aimed at the adults are Sketchbooks and mime.

Michelle working on her Sketchbook presentation.

 Both of these presentations are performed in a public place where crowds can easily gather. They are meant to allow people to view the presentation, stop, and think about it. The mimes are pretty straightforward - an act and an explanation. The Sketchbook presentation links art with a story that presents the gospel in a simple, yet powerful way. At the end of the presentation, the people in the crowd are then offered invitations to the international services that we are holding each night this week (except tonight and Wednesday).

Man, whoever set up that puppet theater did a great job!

Since I do not speak French, my direct role in the outreaches are limited, specifically, I am part of the Kid's Club ministry, and my responsibilities include:

1) Setting up the puppet theater.
2) Being a friendly bouncer during the Kid's Clubs.

The second responsibility is really just an extension of the first, since any good tech guy will tell you to leave his stuff alone, and during the Kid's Club outreach puppet show, I just make sure that none of the kids knock the stage over (this pretty much involves me trying to look intimidating).

Danny - boy at the Kid's Club

In reality, we get to play games with the kids, and I got a 30- second crash-course in making balloon animals. (I can make a killer poodle or giraffe, depending on how you see it, and something that looks a bit like a sword.) The Kid's Club is set up in the same place each day of the outreach so that the local churches can build relationships with the children there.

Michelle, doing her Sketchbook presentation.

While I was fighting a crowd of kids, desperate for balloon puppies, "Monsieur, monsieur, je veux un chit!" Michelle and Emily were in a different part of the city doing their presentations. Michelle was part of a Sketchbook team, and Emily handed out invitations to passersby.

The finished product!

Emily, and some of the other ladies from the team (in this photo, there are members from Switzerland, the US, and New Zealand)

 All in all, it was a very good day. The adult-focused outreach teams were able to have several good conversations with those who watched the presentations, and we had over 30 kids come to the Kid's Club on the first day.

After the outreach, we went back to the church for dinner, and to practice for our presentations during the international services that begin tomorrow night. When that was over, we packed up and headed to our host home.

The house in Riom where we are staying for the week.

We studied Acts 2 today for our morning devotionals. Please pray that the people of Clermont-Ferrand will respond to the gospel the same way the crowd responded after the Apostle Peter shared the gospel, saying, "What should we do?"
-ted