Reflections on what God has done in Ibiza this year
A year complete with vomit, drugs, drunks, tears,
excrement and above all, the outrageous love of God. Brian and Tracey
Heasley have been looking back at all that God has done in San Antonio
this year.
24-7 Ibiza aims to
care for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the people they
meet. This often comes in a form that is far from glamorous, the team
come home most nights covered in everything from the night before .....
But with the privilege of feeling that they are daily living out the
greatest commandment:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour
as yourself" Luke 10:27
Check out this update from Brian and Tracey Heasley talking about the testimony of how God has been moving powerfully this year:
Happy Christmas from 24-7 Ibiza
You may have heard us say this before, but this was the best summer yet! Our long term team members were outstanding - vital to the work and a pleasure to have here - we were very sad to say goodbye to them.
We took home an average of 21 people each week in the vomit van - messed up, drugged, drunk, lost, injured. It was messy - there was vomit, urine, blood, tears, even excrement!
We walked or wheel-chaired home an average of 14 people each week - not so far to go and less messy on the whole. But whether helped by wheelchair, on foot or in the van, many hours were spent waiting with and watching over people until they could remember where they were staying.
At the heart of all this, there was prayer. We reminded ourselves and all the teams, that we are 24-7 prayer in Ibiza, not 24-7 vomit. We prayed with more people than ever before; we witnessed, chatted, talked about God, invited people home for meals, celebrated birthdays, gave gifts, helped out and generally made friends - and it was all fuelled by prayer.
Among the many that we regularly talked and prayed with was a 27 year old girl; we thanked God when she came out of prostitution and found other work. Some female team members visited all of the West End's lap dancing bars this summer - the dancers described the girls as their angels. One dancer friend recently posted this on her facebook status; ‘Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.' This is the stuff.
We gave out literally hundreds of bibles; we wrote personal messages in them, read portions out loud with people on the streets and were excited every time someone told us that they had been reading their copy.
Then there was Danny, Danny became friends with the team this summer, working on the same street as the centre. Danny did normal life with the team here; eating meals, photography trips, talked to them, laughed with them - did what normal friends do.
Danny went home to the UK in September, but not for long - he quickly returned wanting to help us for the final season. He became a part of the community, living with the team, praying with them, reading his bible avidly and helping on the streets. Danny had found a home where he belonged.
During that month he gave his life to Jesus and before he left we got the chance to baptise Danny in the sea - the most beautiful end to the season!
We hope you are encouraged by reading just a bit of what you help to make possible. Please keep supporting us in prayer, we greatly appreciate it.
Source: 24-7 Prayer
