A MAN WHO WAS LISTENING! The other day a man approached me. He said, "Preacher, I think you have almost converted me....l was a drunkard and now I only drink two days a week, but do not get drunk, I do not enjoy it anymore....I love coming out now to hear the Gospel!” Then he asked me a question with tears in his eyes. “Preacher, I have lived a wicked life, do you think God will forgive me?” He went on, “I have AIDS and I am going to die, can God forgive me?” He had contacted the disease from a dirty needle. I talked to him about the Blood of Jesus Christ and he smiled. I could see God was moving in his life. Praise God! Praise God!!!

VISITORS we have enjoyed our visitors this summer. Becky Engle and sons, Joshua and Jacob, joined us for two weeks from Liberty Church, Pensacola, Florida. They were in on the rough stuff”, that is the first few days we occupied the pub. We surely did appreciate their help in cleaning up, painting, etc. etc. They were willing workers and did just about everything! They also were a big help with the evangelistic outreach. It was a blessing to see Becky walk around with her “Jesus” sign and a big smile on her face. Joshua preached and was cussed at and mocked. He would just yell, “Jesus!” each time. A group of young people came with Martin Glenn from Indiana and also helped out those first days. They were indeed a help and one of them even stayed on for several more weeks to help morel A few weeks later another group of young people came later with Joel Hollingsworth from Taylorsville, NC. They were on their way to Romania for a week of ministry there. Joel and his family ministered in Germany for many years and he now does a lot of work in Romania.

We were also blessed to have Karon, daughter of Ron and Lynn with us for about 10 days. The Staggs ministered in Thailand for ten years and did a tremendous work there. I enjoyed having Karon go with me out to minister at Leicester Square. One night a drunk man tried to pull me off the ladder. I heard Karon yelling, “Dirk, look out!” I did come off the ladder, but I had warning. A few minutes later I guess she had had enough when I felt someone trying to pull me off again. I look and saw Karon, who is 14 years old, wrestling him, elbowing him to keep him away from me. she stopped him, I was impressed!

Jack and Sandra Stone from Lindale, TX have been with us for six weeks. They have become part of the family and have both been a tremendous help painting, doing carpentry work, and anything that needed to be done. It has also been a blessing to have them go out with us each weekend to minister at Leicester Square and Speaker’s Corner. I would like to share a few excerpts from a letter Jack wrote:

This has been a very rewarding experience for both of US. When we first arrived, Dirk challenged us to read through the Bible starting with Genesis...straight through to Revelation. I have read through the Bible and have started over again...Sandra should finish in about another week I have now set a goal to read through the Bible once a month. One of the most amazing things I have Seamed is that the Bible is a continuing story of God’s creation and was meant to be read from beginning to end....it doesn’t need interpretation if properly read from front to back we have been going out to minister on the streets of London. This is certainly the front lines of evangelism. The British, for the most part, have hardened their hearts. You must deal with the hecklers, the drunks and the Muslims while you a 3 trying to preach the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. We have had an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with people from all over the earth as they pass through London. These people will never be able to tell God on judgment day, “I didn’t know.” It has been very exciting!

Jack has his MS degree in Computer Science and has been teaching in a community college for the last 13 years. Sandra just retired after 27 years of teaching in elementary public schools. We have grown to love them and hate to see them go and look forward to the day they can come again! We are exciting that they plan to return to work with us in London next year.

JEW CLAIMS JESUS WAS A FALSE PROPHET. One night while preaching, a Jew came up and said to me that Jesus was a false prophet. I had been saying that no man can come into the Father except he come through Jesus Christ. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. His blood alone can cleanse you from all sin. If a man deny Jesus Christ, his future is sealed and hell is his plight. He charged the stepladder and kicked it so hard I landed on my posterior. To my amazement, I was not hurt one bit. Sitting up, I found myself laughing, got up and back on the ladder I went. People got madder and began cussing and threatening. I kept preaching. The Jew came up and spit in my face and glory filled my soul. Hallelujah! “Praise God, I am being persecuted for righteousness sake,” I kept preaching That night I asked God how he was going to bring the Jews into the Kingdom of God. They are so violently opposed to Jesus Christ. Then I saw Jerusalem surrounded by the armies of the world. God is going to deal with Israel and Jerusalem wilt be a blood bath, but then Israel will be saved. These were reflections from Bible reading. Then I realized how much grace God had shed on my life. I was thrown out of high school for fighting and I was good at it. The challenge was, “Will you continue to serve Christ if it means suffering?” “Can you take this punk’s action and not let self reign?” “Can you let him nail you to the cross and not nail him with a knock out punch?” Praise God for His grace!

LONDON OUTREACH CENTER we hope to have the LOC open this time next month. We ran into some unseen difficulties in the renovation. The building is at least a hundred years old and when you begin doing certain things you find out other things must be done. The Center will enable us to do many things and establishes us in the heart of London, a polycultural metropolis. Every tribe, tongue and nation is here. If any one would be interested in enrolling in our Distance Study Program, write or e-mail us at the address below. We guarantee this program will change your life.

ABIGAIL UPDATE! Yes, she’s growing fast. Her first birthday is soon approaching on August 31st. It’s hard to believe. She’s on the verge of walking and seems to do something new every day. one day everyone was painting on the first floor. Elizabeth came down and put Abigail in her walker. I called Elizabeth over to help decide about what should be painted what color. We were all looking up at the ceiling for several minutes. Sandra was the first to look down. Abigail had come over in her walker, stuck both hands in a full bucket of paint and proceeded to “finger-paint” her walker!

We will be visiting the US next April and May. If you would like us to visit you, please let us know as soon as possible. Thanks!

PS It’s time to remember our OPEN HOUSE held each Christmas in the Philippines. Summer clothes and shoes that you no longer need or want can be a tremendous blessing to those in need there. Children’s things are especially helpful. Box them up and get them in the mail by the first of September(Surface Rate) to reach them in time. Enclose a note saying the contents are a donated gift to Arise & Shine Evangelistic Association, which is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization with SEC No. 138292. The box should be mailed to: ASEA; Post Office, Cabuyao; 4025 Laguna; PHILIPPINES