My dear friend, thank you for praying for Wendy and me as we went to pick up our beautiful and bright-eyed daughter in Ethiopia. We are back, and Sadie Anne Rediet is a pure joy and gift from God. Despite having ear infections, she made the 35 hours of travel as one of the best travelling children I have ever seen - perfect for our family!

The boys were safe and happy here in Portland with our friends, the Rhoades and Jacksons, and our family. Christopher and Jonathan are great big brothers, generous and loving and excited and helpful. We could have never thought that she could be such a tremendous blessing in our lives until now that we are receiving it.

Prior to meeting up with Wendy and her sister, Amanda, in Ethiopia, I was blessed to serve alongside the rest of Wendy’s family in Mandeville, Jamaica, at the Best Dressed 50 Fest. The festival was put on by my father-in-law’s company to celebrate their 50 years of business and to proclaim the Good News throughout the island. For the first time in history, all the different denominational groups came together to reach out to the nation.

In Mandeville, I had the privilege of speaking to 59 business and civic leaders at a luncheon and was thrilled when 19 made public decisions for the Lord. Several of those decisions were made by long-time friends of my wife’s family. We were all greatly encouraged. The next two nights at the festival there were more than 35,000 in attendance with 3,004 documented decisions for Christ. Awesome! The numbers on the sidebar show a snapshot of the many activities and the impact of what was - without question - an absolutely historic nationwide outreach.

I leave this Friday morning for Romania for the festival in Bucharest. Please be praying for the churches that have invited us to come and have prepared the way. It is the first open proclamation of the Gospel in a public and civic space in Bucharest history, right in the heart of the city and at the end of the main boulevard, in front of the historic People’s Palace.

We have seen God open many doors, yet we are also experiencing challenges - some internal and some external. Pray for God to shine brightly through the festival and that the churches would be energized and lifted up through our efforts with a whole new era and generation in Romania. Pray also as we help the local committee and churches close the gap in fundraising. If you are praying about where to invest in Kingdom work, please consider this awesome project.

Thank you for all that you do and for continuing to pray for Wendy, the kids and me, and the Luis Palau Association.

Posted in Andrew Palau News, Bucharest Festival, Jamaica Festival