In 1979 the Lord gave birth to a new and exciting outdoor evangelistic
ministry while we were serving as missionaries in Brazil. Having no
money, no building, no contacts, and not knowing where to begin to
start a church from ground zero we began with what was in our hands,
puppets. While waiting on the Lord and crying out for answers to the
question of how and where to start our ministry I heard a message.
Tom Kyle, then Brazil's formost missionary and evangelist, preached a
message on Moses Staff - What Is In Your Hand? It was like a bolt of
lightning from heaven. In my hand, and in my suitcase stored in our
attic was a puppet I had used during my pastoral ministry and vacation
Bible school programs. That's what was in my hand. I hated that
thought! I didn't want a kids ministry! I didn't want to play with
puppets. But God said so clearly, WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND? Give it to
me and I will use it. So out came Milton, the green turtle I had
contrived from our daughters stuffed animal -- even did the sewing
myself!
We knew three things:
1) People needed to be reached and they wouldn't darken the door of
evangelical churches, especially ones with foreign pastors.
3) We had no money to rent even a store front for a church.
2) The masses of people were in the parks and playgrounds on weekends.
God gave us the burden and vision to start on the streets with a mobil
evangelism unit (our car), and two 4x8 plywood sheets to hide our
puppets behind. We had no church so we would take church to the
people, out on the streets. That was the best thing we could have
ever done.
People fell in love with the Noah's Ark Ministry. Eventually we built
an ark on a trailer painted with all the colors of the rainbow and
used as our puppet stage. Everywhere Noah's Ark went it was a great
success. People in apartment buildings opened their triple locked
doors when we would ring the doorbell and say "We are the pastor from
Noah's Ark. Adults came under conviction of the Holy Spirit while
listening to the Gospel presentations from their apartment windows
next to the parks. Kids were saved, young people came to the Lord,
and most amazingly, adults were getting saved through the Noah's Ark
ministry. Probably the most shocking to me was that my unsaved
neighbor on seeing the Ark presentation and Mrs Noah (me behind the
puppet) asked why in normal conversation I spoke with an American
accent, like all missionaries, but Mrs Noah spoke fluent Portugese,
without an accent. Then I knew for certain, there must have been a
gift of tongues that accompanied the gift of puppetry!
Out of that simple ministry a church was born. Today there is a large
Alliance church in Parque Santa Fe, Porto Alegre, and a daughter
church, as a direct result of the Noah's Ark Ministry. Literally
hundreds of souls have come to Christ through this simple ministry.
CAN IT WORK HERE?
That is a question I often here from American church people. My
answer is, yes. Anything can work if you give it to God and work it.
The Noah's Ark concept needs to be adapted for US audiences, instead
of the Parks it should be done in poor neighborhoods in cities, in
shopping malls, as a portable outdoor VBS program in the community.
It can be used in day care centers, and at the County Fair in every
community! It just needs someone with a vision and a burden for kids.
What is in your hand? Give it to the Lord and he will use it and
astound you with the results.
Next Page: The Program
