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: -
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A young man, just browsing around the stall took a booklet “What in the world is Satan doing?"
- 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?”
- 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”
- 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.