Blessed are we when we're at the end of our rope

Hello dear friends, family, and prayer warriors! It's amazing how much can be packed into two weeks, although sometimes I can't believe it's already been that long. I have to say thank you, first of all, because your prayers are very much felt. It means a lot to know that you're looking after us in that way, and God clearly is using them.

For example, God altered our scheduled show for us a couple days ago. The team went to Greenwich area to dance for London City Mission. As a side note, Greenwich time is the time by which all time is set. Strange and slightly intimidating to think about as a girl who is challenged in the area of punctuality. The mission is kind of a drop in centre for the community in the area, and they'd invited their regular teens to come, as well as made some flyers to hand out to anyone in the area. However, when show time came, no one was there, so we took down our set and moved it to the streets by the Thames River. It was beautiful with the sun setting, and we drew a crowd from the area along with those who'd been invited that wanted to come to an open show. There were some great conversations that we got to have with people in the crowd, some about things like evolution and creation, others about believing in God but not having relationship with Him, some just about the lives of the people living there and what our team was doing in England. We all agreed that it was definitely a good thing that we'd ended up outside instead of in the mission building. Isn't that awesome? I have to say, only God can something like empty seats at a show and turn it into an effective street mission. Also, God makes it very clear that it is by His power we're doing any of this when our plans humbly fizzle out. May we always remember how small we are before we need reminding.

With that in mind, can I ask for prayer for our tired bodies? About half the team is in definite need of some body and health restoration, as sickness has bit some of us pretty hard, and our beloved leaders both rely on God's provision pretty regularly for strength when their bodies never really get time to heal. Another quick answer to prayer- yesterday when we did a show for an open church bbq, our dearly loved narrator was too sick to come with us, and our ipod was almost dead with no charger. Needless to say, even if we had the promise of music, our show with no narration is severly crippled in its message delivery. Adrian asked the audience to pray, and our dancer Jacee learned the lines on the way to the show, narrated very well, and the ipod died the minute our show was over. These kinds of things happen so frequently, words can't say how much of this trip we owe to God.

Another thing to keep in your prayers would be this upcoming week of dance camps. We'll get to be with the same groups of kids all week, which will be a great opportunity. If you could pray that the kids that God wants at these camps would come, that would be much appreciated. Also pray for openness within the groups, that the kids would be able to be vulnerable with us as we are with them, so that no guardedness will restrict what God wants to do in them and us this week. Again, be praying for our bodies also, as we will be very busy with younger kids in the morning and high school students (actually secondary students as they call them) in the evenings.

Well, I will sign off for now. Thanks again so much for all your support, we have been needing it and benefiting from it so much. Cheers!

Chelsea Peters

p.s.
Did you know that intstant coffee just turned 100? They've been drinking it here almost as long as we've been a country. And yet still they haven't given up on it... just kidding. But seriously. There's a reason tea is the drink of choice around here.

Outwardly wasting away, yet inwardly being renewed day by day...

Well, it looks as though we are about at the half way point to this trip, and it has been a good one! God has been doing some amazing things in and through our team and hosts. The last two days we have been given the opportunity to do open air ministry. This is where we step outside in a market place where there are lots of people passing by and begin to dance. We bring along a piece of linoleum so the concrete becomes a little smoother to slide on, and a generator so that we can have power to our sound system. I have to say, I can speak for everyone on the team in that this is the scariest thing to do because you are performing for people who are wild cards. We havent been invited to these places, we are on other peoples terrain and we are at the mercy of their opinion. And yet even with our fears, God shined through and worked very powerfully.
We set up two days ago in a square in Kingston surrounded by shopping malls. It was very populated even though it was a thursday because school had just gotten out. We arrived at 1:00 and spent 30 mins trying to rig something up with our backdrop that will sufficient as a changing room. The wind was against us and we finally figured something out that worked quite well. Then the generator wouldnt start, so we began to pray, this is all while hundreds of people are walking by every 5 mins. And God heard our prayers, and it started up, we got the music going and the crowds came! We performed 4 different times and each time we would perform there was about a group of 200 plus people, and they stayed and listened and talked with us afterwards. God is good!
After a dinner of classic fish and chips, we moved location to where church service was going to be held, we performed two more sections and then asked the crowd to come inside and hear our stories. The pastor first interviewed me and asked about the name of Refined/Undignified and our history and why we do what we do. Then he called up Winston and had him tell his story, it was a very powerful night. The people from the church said they had never seen a crowd in the marketplace that big, and in the church service there were many new faces they were very excited! Praise the Lord!
We are all tired, sore and some of us are sick, but God has been revealing to us that His grace is sufficient for us, and doesnt matter if it is weak, damaged or sick bodies, God always give us what we need for each performance and to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

London is a bustling city saturated with excitement. People hurry to the double deck buses, the Tube, or swerve their cars through the narrow streets (while us Canadians try to hold in our laughter, feeling slightly like we're on a rollercoaster!) London is a fantastic city but when I allow my mind to see the reality of life here... the excitement begins to fade away and my heart begins to ache. Taking the time to look into people's eyes and think about what they believe in or what eternal life they are heading towards puts the way I spend my time into a new perspective. God has saved me... He has saved our team and we want to tell the people here (and wherever we go) that God wants to set them free and offer them true abundant life.

Yesterday evening we did a show at a church for about 30 people. We went out on the streets to hand out flyers, inviting people to the show before it started. Caralee and I went out together and got VERY lost... we had no idea where we were! While we walked we prayed that if God had a specific plan or someone specific that He wanted us to meet while we were lost that we would not miss that opportunity. Seconds later we passed a guy in his 20s who was just sitting on his steps. Both Caralee and I knew without even speaking to each other that we needed to invite him to our show. We stopped and talked with him and he decided to come to our show. When we talked to him at the end of the show he had tears in his eyes... he talked with us for about an hour after the show and is hoping to come and hang out with our team over the next couple of weeks. We prayed that he would come, and God answered our prayers!

It has been incredible for our team to learn that we truly have nothing to offer but through the power of Jesus Christ He is using us. We are learning more each day of what it means to live with the purpose that Christ has given us... to worship Him and spread the story of what He has done. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things of earth will grow strangely dim."

Angela

Today we had the amazing opportunity to serve some of the people who have been so gracious to us since we arrived here in London. We didn't have any events planned until later on this evening so have spent the day cleaning the church. It was nice to get our hands dirty and help out in such a simple and practical way. Tonight we are attending a BBQ at All Saints Church, and then dancing for the youth group. It is always exciting anticipating the work the God has planned for these nights, especially where there is plenty of opportunity for conversations with the youth following the program.
I imagine my team mates have already included some amazing stories from the past week of performing in schools, so I will mention only one story. A young girl, 14 years old, came to our Friday night performance here at Twynhold Baptist Church. She came alone as her friends weren't interested, which already showed an amazing amount of courage. I talked to her briefly before the show, and then reconnected with her after the performance. Through the conversation she began to ask me some pretty amazing questions about who Jesus is, why bad things happen in the world, questions the easily allowed for me to share the Gospel with her. She was so curious about Christ, and it was clear that most of what I was telling her she was hearing for the first time. I asked her if she would be interested in having her own Bible to read so she could contintue to learn about Jesus. It was incredible to see this girl leaving at the end of the night, clutching her new Bible. This is just one moment of the past week which reminds me that God is faithful and when we are obedient he blesses us by allowing us to be part of his work.
Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for RU, I'm sure many of our stories we have been sharing are a result or your prayers.
Jen

Hey everyone!

Today was our day off, we all went and saw Buckingham Palace and Picadilly Circus it was a really good, relaxing day off :). Our time in England has been delightful, Im really enjoying meeting all the people here, they are all so friendly and welcoming. I feel strongly that this is where Gods wants us and he is working on over drive; yesterday we went on a prayer walk and on it we just met many wonderful people and got to minister to them and invite them to our show that was last night, happily some of them showed up which was awesome.

We've performed at many primary schools and one secondary school, it was really neat to see how all the kids responded to our show, they were really intrigued by the deep concept of how Jesus loved them and died to take away thier sins. I was nervous because I didn't know how the kids would react to the show, God was truly present at all our shows and his way was fulfilled I do believe. We all are just continueing to pray for the kids we have met at the shows we have done so far and for the many people we are to meet in the near future.

My prayer is that the people of England would just truly open up thier hearts and recieve Jesus, I just want people to know Jesus loves them and for a change in this society.

Thats all for now, thanks for reading our blog!

Blessings,

Sharmane :)

'Ello Bruvv!

Hey RU supporters and family! Let me tell you, our days have been FULL. It's usually when we're halfway through our ministry each day that I really feel ready for a break, but by the time I get in bed I wonder where the day has gone.

Yesterday we danced out the gospel for two groups of 400 students at a secular school. I found it very interesting how a disclaimer was given before each of our shows... staff really need to cover their butt before they present Jesus. In such a diverse city as London, kids of many different religions have seen and will be seeing our show.

It was very new to us performing our "Want More" show in front such a secular audience. Certainly, people who do not follow Jesus have seen the show before, but I've really only performed with this group at venues which support Jesus. To do our final drime "Everything" in front of this year 8/9 audience, to see and hear them laugh as I'm tormented by demons, and then to hear them laugh and applaud as Jesus is crucified... that was new for me. I felt like throwing up. Several kids were asking yesterday if the relationship between my character and Jesus was gay. Adrian commented that when these students grow up in a culture that says a close relationship between two men is a gay, of course that they are going to think that.

That event was the closest thing I have yet experienced to knowing what it would have been like to see my Saviour mocked as he was actually crucified. It was definitely an 'oh' moment. We read Matthew 5:1-12 this morning, and in light of yesterday, it has greater signicance to me. As awful as it felt, I do pray that I get to share and witness that humiliation every day... that the gospel would become more and more alive to me, that a complacent and beige lifestyle would become less and less an option.

I also got to share my life for 4 minutes with two different classes of girls yesterday about how the Lord delivered me from living a gay lifestyle. Learning more and more how to share and what to share and WHY. One class laughed as I spoke, taking my focus off of Him. Robin Baldwin my said I spoke well but she questioned my heart...seeing me shift in focus, not fully aiming to glorify the Lord BY the Lord, but going on my own steam- really appreciated that. She said that it is in the times that I share that she best sees the man I am. It was really difficult trying to explain my testimony later when the girls asked questions. The words came quickly but their eyes rarely seemed to click.

In summary, I'm loving my time here. Some hard growth and feeling myself being emptied... and I'm so thankful to Him and I count it a privilege.

Please pray for our physical and spiritual health.

Kevin

A Team in a Telephone Booth...

56 hours in England, and we are all loving it! We seem to be adjusting quite well to the time change, but every once in while a couple of us will be hit with a short wave of exhaustion. Within the last 2 days, we've lead 3 chapels, and 6 workshops in 3 different elementary schools. It's amazing how God has caused principals and teachers to allow us into their schools, even public ones, to speak of Jesus Christ and of how He has transformed our lives.

We are continually astounded by how many children we meet who have an incredible ability to dance ... As we've connected with these kids through our common interest in dance, we've been able to invite them to a dance camp that will be held our 3rd week here, with our hosting pastors and other local christians. There have already been a few kids who have expressed interest. Please pray that there would be more who will decide to come. We will be having small groups after the dance workshops where we will be exploring some of lifes deep questions, and reading through the gospel of John.

This afternoon, we had nothing booked in schools, so we took advantage of our afternoon off to be tourists. We jumped onto a double decker bus and proceeded to take the Tube down town, where we visited Parliement Square and saw Big Ben, went to the Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, and watched street performers as we walked along the Thames River. All those were very exciting, but most thrilling (according to some of us) was our team picture in a telephone booth :).

Wheww! All that excitement can be a little draining. So I will leave you with that for the time being. Tomorrow we will be leading some more chapels, so I've got to make sure that jet lag doesn't catch up to me ;).

Caralee