Eric and Daphne Bouch have kindly provided this report from Keswick Market and Skelton Show.

Keswick Market

This year has seen us with a few extra responsibilities as well as taking our turn manning the market stall at Keswick. We have agreed to co ordinate the rota for the market and also purchase, locate or resource the literature we are able to use on the markets and shows. We are just getting used to how much we need and what material is most used in the work of reaching souls with the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.

Also I have been given the responsibility of reporting of the work to local churches and Assemblies. As we see the Lord working in peoples’ lives as they visit the market, it is with gladness in my heart that I am able to speak of this work.

With the work continuing right through the year it is a little more difficult to fill the rota in the winter months. However there are still many people around in Keswick all year round and we can have some very busy Saturdays in winter. This has been a very cold winter, as we all know, but especially cold when you are standing in the open air from 8 – 30am until 4 or 5 pm. We have had two Saturdays when, after arriving in Keswick the weather has been too bad to hold the market.

The Congregational church has very kindly consented to us using space in their church rooms for storing the equipment and literature when need be. Jane and her husband have been very helpful, week-by-week, helping to load and unload the car. “

“Fellow labourers in the Gospel of Christ” 1 Thess. 3 v.2.

As well as having Christians from all corners of the world, India Australia, USA Canada, Ireland, and France with whom we share a common bond, we also have had many searching for the truth. Here are just a few: -

1. A man from Middlesbrough came to the guessing box and before he went away he had the good news of salvation through Christ, explained to him.
2. 3 young girls also were very interested. They had no Bible so we presented them each with a Bible and daily reading scripture notes. It was explained to them how Jesus had died on the cross to take away our sin and that we can have a home in heaven if we only believe.
3. A gentleman, who had visited the stall previously, had a sister with Parkinson’s disease. He could not understand why she had not been healed when we said that we would pray for her. After a lengthy discussion that we feel, really touched his heart, he went away with several pieces of literature.
4. A young man, just browsing around the stall took a booklet “What in the world is Satan doing?"
5. A Lady whose husband had died very recently and was finding it hard to cope, had a good long talk with us and took the booklet “How can I live with my loss?”
6. One older Roman Catholic lady asked if the Daily bread bible study notes were religious. When we said that they were to help us understand the message of the Bible and how God speaks to us, through His written word. She asked if she could have one. We were more than delighted to say, “Yes”
7. A young girl with her Grandparents told us “Mum and Dad don’t believe in God, but I do” “Except we become as little children…… ”

Skelton Show

We had the Van at the Skelton show in August, where we had quite a few opportunities to speak to people about the Lord. We have a tract of the conversion of the ex footballer, George Best just before he died, which seemed to go quite readily. It was very windy that day and a sudden gust of wind blew some of the literature from the stall. John’s gospel chapter 3 verse 16 flying all over the place. A gentleman helped us gather them in and when he saw the George Best tract his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Had he known the late footballer? His wife said that it was his absolute passion. What an opportunity to tell him of a wonderful Saviour that can forgive all our sin, even at the eleventh hour. We told him that George would be in heaven. He readily put the tract into his pocket and went on his way.

Such opportunities – Such a wonderful Saviour!

Eric and Daphne Bouch.