Jelly Man

Tomorrow (and thankfully tomorrow only) I get to be Jelly Man in the Superhero holiday club sketch. It reminded me of the scene from the film Mystery Men (staring Ben Stiller as Mr Furious and Eddie Izzard is one of the baddies).

Here's a transcript of the scene from the film (not our sketch)

[Shoveler's backyard.](The yard is crawling with people in various costumes. )
(Furious, Shoveler, Raja, Spleen, and Invisible Boy are seated at a table. A guy with a waffle iron hanging from his belt approaches them.)
Furious: All right, state your name and power.
Waffler: I am the Waffler. With my griddle of justice, I bash the enemy in the head, or, I burn them like so.
(He presses the iron to his face with a gruesome hissing noise.)
Shoveler: Oh, don't do that.
Waffler: I also have my Truth Syrup, which is low fat. And I've been working on a theme song. Kinda like: "Waffle Man!! Oh! I am the Waffler! Golden crispy! Bad guys are history, yow!" And I'm running. Just think about it. Do you have a health plan? Maybe dental? Eye?
Raja: Next.
(Waffler is replaced by a guy in a pencil costume.)
Pencilhead: Hi. Uh...I am Pencilhead.
Son of Pencilhead: (popping out from behind him) And I am Son of Pencilhead.
Pencilhead: We erase crime.
Raja: Uh, two generations of...
Furious: Right.Raja: Yes, thank you.
Son of Pencilhead: Did I do all right?
Pencilhead: Yeah, I think they liked us.
(The Pencilheads wander off, and a menacing-looking guy in a mask and a volumnious black cloak steps up.)
Raja: (impressed) Now, say.Man: I'm...
(opens cloak to reveal a tutu) the Ballerina Man!
Raja: Ah.
Furious: Oh. I don't need to see that.
(Ballerina Man dances.)
Furious: Thanks.
(Ballerina Man sweeps his cloak back around himself and leaves. A young woman in a Wonder Woman-ripoff costume runs up.)
Sexy Woman #1: I am--
(Another young woman in an identical costume arrives.)
Sexy Woman #2: Hey!
Sexy Woman #1: You copied me!
Sexy Woman #2: You copied /me/!
Sexy Woman #1: Did not!
Sexy Woman #2: Liar!
Raja: Ladies, ladies...Now let's play nicely...
(The two women start brawling.)
Furious: I'd say there's potential.
(Follows is a montage of various other loser wanna-be "superheroes":)
Bullfighter: I be the Bullfighter! I fight the bull!
Radio man: Greetings, fellow crimefighters. I am Radio Man.
Squeegieman: I am Squeegieman. Do you sense its power?
Raja: Yes.
PMS Avenger: P.M.S. Avenger. I only work four days a month. Is there a problem with that?
Shoveler: No.
Raja: No.
Furious: No. Whatever you say.
Shoveler: We'll get back to you.
Raja: Quite all right.
PMS Avenger: Whatever!
Furious: (in disgust) Okay, that's it.

Mersey Fist

King’s Kids at MerseyFest, Liverpool, 10th – 23rd August 2005

See Ruth's write up here.

Who:
There were 27 of us (I was one of 9 staff) and there were 18 kids (aged 4-17) mostly from England but with 3 from Belgium, 2 from Switzerland and one girl from Egypt.

What:
We Spent 3 days in boot-camp together in Penketh, West Warrington, teaching, worshipping and learning dances, dramas and circus skills and having lovely meals cooked by Ruth and Beryl.

We then joined 2000 campers in Crohkhy Parhkh (Croxteth Park), Liverpool for a week staying in tent city and having morning worship and teaching in the big top with bands such as Yfriday, Steve and 100 hours.

Every afternoon we went to Penketh, to Greystone Rec (No horses allowed) where we took part in projects such as; building a path, 2 flowerbeds, painting railings, a holiday club for old people, painting a youth centre, cleaning graffiti, playing football, teaching circus skills, 2 band nights, 2 evangelistic events, and a BBQ. In 4 days 4000 people were on the Rec and 29 became Christians through the events that were run.

The weekend saw a massive fun weekend on Crocky Park with huge soundstage and fun fair and huge skate park. We saw Voices With Soul, Dave and Carrie Grant and the guy who was Phil Collins on Stars In their Eyes.

Our final 2 days were spent in a church in Liverpool for team time and debrief.

High points:
· Meeting the most vicarist vicar at St. Paul’s, Penketh, Paul Hockley, who has hundreds of anecdotes that he tells with great enthusiasm.
· Praying for the guys from the young offenders institute who helped with the gardening and path building.
· The complementary coconut shampoo at the health centre where we had our showers. (mmm - non toxic)
· Spending late nights praying and chatting with Alex and Robert (the 2 other male leaders).
· Telling old ladies in Penketh about how much Jesus loves them.
· Seeing the kids on the team grow with God.
· Meeting the Phil Collins tribute act.
· Performing in the pouring rain in the middle of Liverpool City centre for the launch of MerseyFest.
· Making new friends and spending time with old friends.
· Teaching circus skills in the park and to the team.
· Painting railings and each other and building a path with 20 tonnes of dirt.
· Nice weather
· Speaking French with the Swiss and Belgian girls.


Low Points:
· Minibus breaking down in the pouring rain on middle Saturday as we were about to head into town.
· The man who was far too happy greeting us at church. (He was far too happy).
· Walking into the girls showers by accident.
· No beer.
· Puppets.
· The cold.
· No sleep.
· Not being in the newspaper even though they took a photo of me.
· Telling kids off.

Coconut Shampoo

This is my first post in a while but I am alive and have just had a coolios time at MerseyFest with King's Kids (read all about in in my next post).

Meanwhile here are the photos of my sisters wedding.

Take care.

HOTOPIYC (Notorious)

Day 15 Wednesday 26th July. Kiev
Visited the tallest Orthodox Church in the world today. It is on a site open to tourists but still has many priests wandering around in black robes carrying prayer beads. The church was built on 11th century cave system built by monks and their bodies were embalmed and lay in glass coffins in the caves for Orthodox pilgrims to visit. The dry atmosphere has kept the bodies in good condition. We decided to wander round these caves which were about 6 foot high and 2 foot wide passage ways. Many of the “pilgrims” kissed every coffin and crossed themselves.
Afterwards we prayed for the churches in the Ukraine that they would know Jesus not religion.
Afterwards we visited another beautiful church (St Sofia) and walked from there down past many tourist stalls selling all kinds of memorabilia from old war items to Eurovision 2005 merchandise and bootleg CD’s.
That evening we went to an under ground club and witnessed a local rock band who sounded a bit like the B52’s. I quite liked them but Grant, being a musician, said they weren’t all that good.

Day 16 Thursday 27th July. Kiev
Last full day. Had a really good prayer time for each other this morning and then headed out to town for dinner and then went to the old city gates. Really felt that Psalm 24:7 was appropriate about ancient gates opening to receive Jesus and also Isaiah 40 about preparing a way for Jesus to enter the city.
Did some souvenir shopping for a while and I got myself a Dynamo Kiev football shirt with Shevchenko on the back!
Headed back to the YWAM base for the evening to join them for their family night and spent most the evening praying for those who wanted prayer and being bowled over by their faith and passion for God. I was able to give a few prophesies for some of them which really encouraged me. They all tried to enlist us to YWAM and I tried to get the guys girlfriends! Returned home and had a bit of pivo before heading to bed.

Day 17 Friday 28th July. Kiev/London
Our last day together. ahhh I left the apartment early and headed into town to spend the last of my money on presents. The stalls didn’t open until 10 though so I sat in Independence Square and prayed about what happens next. Felt God say “Wait and see” which was kind of reassuring.
Stephan picked us up at 12 and we headed to the airport past many high rise apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city. We had to slow down to allow a couple to cross the motorway!
Took ages to get through customs with all our vodka but eventually got on out lovely sophisticated British Airways flight to Heathrow, and there our adventure ends.

Thank you to the guys for being such great company and for all of you who have supported us with prayer and encouragement. If you ever get a chance to go on mission to Eastern Europe take it because you will be blessed so much.

Does anyone know the song that goes… How wonderful, how marvellous, is the love of God…