SVG 1

Hello from SVG,

Here's a quick update of what God is doing here:

The guys on our team has been in the men's prison the past 3 days. We were only allowed to be there for 30-45 minutes each day, but it has been awesome. We saw 10-15 men come to know the Lord. Pray for them that they can start to grow despite their situation in prison. This morning I went up to the condemned cells where the "death row" prisoners are. It is crazy to see how they keep them - 2 or 3 men in a small cell (proabably the size of your smallest bathroom in your house), with only a 5 gallon bucket to do their business in and a book or two. Its damp and hot - I can only imagine what types of diseases thrive in that condition. Those men were hardened to the Gospel - brushing us (at least me) off and not responding.

Also, the last 3 days we've been driving an hour and a half (sometimes more) to a place called Sandy Bay. The locals say its the worst of the worst of the island. It's the poorest community - the most poverty and crime stricken. We held outdoor meetings each night with music, dramas, speakers, and invitations to know Jesus. The response there was minimal, but we know God's Word doesn't return void - seeds were planted.

We've been doing some raw street witnessing as well. I've encountered 2 rastafarian (sp?) guys. They are totally weird, but need Jesus just the same. They are all rasta'd out with dreads to their backs and red, yellow, and green floppy beanies ... total Bob Marley. Oh, and we smell people smoking weed every day. Anyways, that has been a time of stretching for me. The people here overall are kind, but we never know what kind of people we'll come across on the streets.

We've also been working with kids a lot. Pray for patience for me - I'm not the most kid-friendly guy, but they seem to be attracted to me.

The team is doing great - all getting along and experiencing some neat things together. Thanks for continuing to support us in prayer. I can't say how much it means to me that I know people are praying for me. Tonight I relied on that truth ... so thanks.

By the way, the time difference is only 3 hours - we're in eastern time. That may help you pray for us intentionally time-wise.

Much love and respect mon (some island lingo I picked up),
Jon

P.S. SVG means Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
P.S.S. I'm getting some great pictures - but won't be able to post them until I get back.