Last night we returned home from Revere, Mass. where we were part of a city-wide outreach called "Reach the Beach".  Many local churches work together to do street evangelism through performing arts and witnessing.  We did 10 shows in four days!  It was a huge blessing to work alongside our worship team from our home church in Bridgton, Maine on several of those days.  Revere Beach is the oldest public beach in the USA, and there is a mix of virtually every ethnic group on earth there on any given day.  Also, there is a large homeless population that live near the beach due to the availability of public restrooms and proximity to Mass. General Hospital.

We are told that between 14 and 16 people that we know of came to a saving relationship with Jesus on the beach last week.  Four of those conversions led immediately into the person commiting themselves into detox programs.  Here are some of my memories from the week of Reach the Beach:

1)  A HUGE thunderstorm that blew through on Thursday afternoon.  These was horizontal wind, dime size hail, and lightning strikes right nearby.  We huddled in the pavilion to keep each other as dry as possible, and to comfort each other.

2)  For several days, Rose befriended a Muslim family: a mom and two young daughters.  She especially loved holding the two year old little girl... I'll have pictures up in our gallery soon.  Apparently, the woman has been visiting a local church, not for services, but for the fellowship time afterwards.  Rose was a wonderful example of the love of Christ to the whole family.  By the end of the week, she was almost like a mother's helper!

3)  Teens from Mass. and our teenaged daughters making lasting friendships, and renewing friendships from last summer's RTB.

4)  Sky, a homeless woman who loved to sing with our worship team, being given a new set of clothes from RTB co-organizer, Carol.

5)  Eddie, a homeless man we met last year, who was always drunk, even when we would arrive at the beach at 9:00 AM.  This year, he is saved, sober and off of drugs for 10 months now.  He was a RTB volunteer, lives with friends, and is working on getting into a follow-up program at the Boston YMCA.  He worked tirelessly, especially reaching out to the street people whom he shared the streets with just a year ago.

6)  Sue going with Carol to feed the homeless on Saturday, and coming back so blessed.

It was a great week, and God moved in very big ways.  We loved every minute of it!