December 17th, 2005

December Prayer

You haven’t heard from us for awhile,
and here’s why.
I’ve been involved in

2005-12 newsletter
2005-12 newsletter

On November 14th I jumped on board with Focus on the Family, Singapore when they got permission from Singapore Tourism Board to create a giant WORLD OF NARNIA at a prime location for the 8 days leading up to Christmas. Narnia has come to the entrance of Orchard Road, the biggest commercial shopping street in Singapore.

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A bit over a month later, the carnival and interactive live show/tour, of four 5 minute scenes from the story, just started an hour ago!

Focus on the Family started in Singapore in 2000 so most people are not aware of their ministry. In 1998 they produced a Radio Drama of the story so the CS Lewis Foundation, Disney & Walden Media was willing to collaborate with us in creating this event. It serves Disney to promote their film. It serves Focus (and some other Christian co-sponsors) to promote their ministry to families, and it serves Jesus to make the public more aware of his hope and salvation through the allegory of The Chronicles of Narnia.

It’s been a fun faith stretching experience to see God bring all the elements together in 4 short weeks.

There are more than 200 volunteers a day on the site, teaching archery, helping families make snow globes or picture frames together, taking photos etc. etc.

2005-12 newsletter

For my part as a director of the Main Tent, 2 of my “5 Stars” hopped on board as co-directors to help me write the script, do the casting, rally 8 other professional actors to help in creating and teaching more than 70 volunteers, and most of the rehearsals were here at our house.

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I wish you could have seen it this week, we had one day, 10 Edmunds and 6 White Witches in different rooms running their scene, while Fauns and Lucys met at the lampost in my living room, Mr & Mrs Beaver puppets practiced in the guest room and warriors were learning their choreographed fight scene downstairs in the condo’s function room! Thank goodness for this big house!

Though this is the first time I’ve told you about it, I know that many of you pray regularly for us. This was WAY WAY beyond anything I could have managed in my own strength. Thank you for your support of us through prayer and for those of you who support us financially too. Some of you may know that I worked for a couple of years in the Disneyland Entertainment Dept. (1980-82), and have been blessed all my life by the resources Focus on the Family had for my parents in raising me, and now for me in being a parent. The area of theatre I feel strongest in is in creating short dramas of 8 minutes or less. So, over the years, I can see that God has prepared me for helping on this project (though it is much bigger than I’m used to!).

Join us in praying that this event will glorify our Saviour who’s birth we celebrate this month. Pray that this event will draw people to a personal relationship with the King of Kings. I’m also praying that this is a good witness to the professional actors I’ve hired who are not yet followers of Jesus, that they will get in the crazy backstage mix with Christian volunteer families, and fellow actors, and for them to see the difference Jesus has made in our lives by the way we handle stress and treat one another.

Here’s a link to the WORLD OF NARNIA

Here’s where you can find more of my photos, and the script, the recording of my British Mr & Mrs Beaver, etc.

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We’re also happy that Jim’s mom Lynn, and Howard her dear husband, are here with us through December 27th. They arrived yesterday morning to the exciting chaos of our lives. Got to see the children off to their last day of the semester, and this afternoon are here for Cameron’s 9th birthday party! Cameron is having a Star Wars theme…I was unsuccessful in convincing him to have it be Narnia, even if I could make it complete with falling snow! Ah well, I can go back to enjoying Jedi light saber duels for a few hours today!

Tyler and I get to perform together tomorrow and on Christmas Eve as White Witch and Edmund. That should be fun too! And both the boys were in school Christmas plays for the FIRST TIME, since they started at the International School this year (pics above). New experiences for us as a family!

Merry, Merry Christmas to you all!

Love to you from Singapore, where we’ve got the Christmas spirit even though it’s in the 80′s,

Jesus shall reign where ‘ere the sun
Does its successive journeys run
His kingdom spread from shore to shore
Till moon shall wax and wane no more.

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