"Think it's time you got serious mate", do me a favour.
I hope this doesn't come across as self righteous or overly heroic but I live in a nation that has less than 1% evangelical christians, on an island that has the highest abortion rate in spain, work in a place that has more bars and pubs per square mile than anywhere else on the whole of the european continent, my wife was out last night and they were running a "Slut Party"! in the west end (actually they invited her in, but only if she would take her top off), I have watched a prostitute come out from under our prayer room and spit sperm out on the floor in front of me after she had given a customer a blow job, talked with friends who have had mates die on beaches of drug overdoses, regularly I step over vomit, kneel in piss and beer, I am offered cocaine on an almost daily basis, we pray with the bereaved, the lonely and the drunken on a regular basis. My children are constantly bombarded with images of naked ladies and have seen more things than I would really have wanted them to see at this young age. Last summer I had to tell them that all drug dealer weren't black after we had been out for a walk in the west end. We don't have a salary and rely completely on the generosity of others
I am either serious or mad, I prefer to think that I am very serious about this beautiful island, thats why I am here.
20 comments:
OK that was graffic--but absolutely necessary. Thanks for sharing the real deal, and just for the record, I have a tremendous amount of respect for your outreach, there in "the gutter." Maybe some people who obviously haven't understood what you do, really needed a gritty post to get a better picture.
Press on. Keep lovin them. They'll find themselves drawn to Christ at the oddest times. God bless!
Well said Brian. Very gracious response i would say.
It is so cowardly to leave an anonymous comment like that. At least have the guts to put a name to a comment like that (if you are still reading this "anon")! Better still don't leave a comment like that, unless you really know what Brian is doing, have visited him, pray for him regularly, and examine yourself for sin before you do...
It's one of the reasons i changed from blogger was to ensure people left a valid email address before leaving a comment ...
I appreciate your heart and your commitment to reaching the lost, downtrodden, prostitutes, etc., on your island. Keep up the good work!
And you can dream,
So dream out loud,
And don't let the bastards grind you down
really looking forward to visiting,
puke, piss and prostitutes, I hope the weather is nice
You go Brian! This post was needed to bring reality to those who believe what you do 'is a walk in the park', but instead it's a walk in sick, semen, drugs...well, only you know the rest.
You have the best attitude to deal what's happening there, not sure if I could do it and I'd challenge anyone who thinks it's easy, (with anons attitude I bet they think it's a walk in the park too).
keep going team ibiza!
there will always be voices telling you you're crazy, telling you you're wrong to be where you are, telling you all the things that your heart knows aren't true. but keep going! i've had people literally "rebuke" me until i was in tears, telling me i shouldn't be in crack bars and brothels.
but tell me, where else would Jesus be, if not in places like ibiza and boys town? he didn't come for the healthy, but the sick. and he hasn't asked us to follow him to those places carrying condemnation, but carrying joy! so, keep going in joy and love and kindness, knowing it's the kindness of the Lord that draws us all to repentance.
you and your family are a constant source of inspiration to me, brian. thanks for being serious about what you do without taking yourself so seriously - you guys are legends!
lots and lots of love from mexico.
~kelly
hi brian!
thanks for the love and prayers. i'm happy that cockroaches remind you of us :-)
btw, we think a great deal of team ibiza and your family in particular. the gritty reality of your location would terrify many but you guys face it with courage, grace and humour. people who read your blog don't see the hours spent in prayer or feel the weight of the place.
see you in guilford quite soon!
The MAN will try and kick you down, stop you dreaming and doing what you know is true......
STICK IT TO THE MAN
Great to read your blog and Kelly's comment from Boys Town. Keep up the good work all of you. We love you, you make us realise that there is still a living church somewhere and it is still worth really following Jesus in a mad world.
keep er lit Heasley family!
...fists in the air to Team Ibiza.
That was an outrageously gracious reply, Brian. Thanks for painting the picture.
Brian, I respect and uphold you and your family hugely for living for God! It is harsh when we are misunderstood because criticised by people who merely judge in the light of their own constricted, limited and very personal experience. If God gives you a dream, passion and compassion, you go for it bro! Good U2 quote J-Mac!!!
Respect is due my friend.
B, I pray for you nearly everyday during my one hour commute home into the mountains, from my office in Calgary ... Around 4:30 p.m. local time here in Calgary you and your family come to mind and heart... perpetually, almost daily.
Last week I was driving home into the mountains listening to Delirious? Mezzamorphosis and was singing HEAVEN at the top of my lungs and praying for your kids and my kids in particular:
"I've walked down a road where the devil's been
Where the kid's have seen things they should never have seen
And the ancient stone knows the deeper tale
About a bloody game, they called the holy war
Heaven is my home and there'll be no shame
I've walked down a road where the angels been
Where the kids have seen things that we never have seen
And the ancient stone knows the deeper tale
About a bloody king who won the holy war
Heaven is my home and there'll be no shame to bear
Heaven is my home and there'll be no refugees"
Brian,
I appreciate your response but don't defend yourself. There is no need. There will always be those like 'Slice of Laodacia' out there, that want nothing more than to irritate you and rob you of your joy. Remember you have a place in Iceland to Holiday, come September. :-)
e
mate... i love it!
Glory given God oriented mission centred response...
challenging even to those who are with wat you are doin!
keep er lit
You have my complete and utter respect for the work you do. Don't think I would last five minutes. Praying for you guys.
Tienes mi respecto completo por el trabajo que haces. No pensar que duraría cinco minutos. Rogando para ti a individuos.
Great post!
I read your blog most days and know alot about you as we have mutual friends (I sound like a stalker) but I just wanted to introduce myself and encourage you in your life on the island. I think it's fantastic.
Ellen Wright, Emmanuel Church, Lurgan, Northern Ireland.
hey brian ... everyone else has put it more eloquently than i could, but the heart of it is this: you are in the midst of it bringing redemption and kindness to the "least of these" ... god is interested in these people and so, in obedience, you and tracy are too.
cheering you on and holding you up in saskatoon ...well done,
::dan::
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