Deadlines for Sochi and Vanuatu

[Rich Swingle]

[To view this as a website visit http://blog.richdrama.com (8/8/13).]

La Gente que Jesús Conoció Photo by Yonattan A.

I just flew back from the Christians in Theatre Arts conference in Puerto Rico, where I performed Beyond the Chariots with Spanish translations, and "La Gente que Jesús Conoció" (The People Jesus Knew) in Spanish. I also taught three workshops, and in one, we created a rough draft of the piece we'll perform on the streets of Sochi, Russia, during the Winter Olympics. Everyone was excited to get it on its feet, especially those who took part!  

It was just announced that we need to complete our team by September 1 in order to secure housing, etc. You don't have to have all your money in until the end of the year, but if you sense the Lord is calling you to join us we encourage you to take that step of faith now. This is a short term missions trip, so whether you're an actor, dancer, musician or want to come along for support, talk to your pastor about taking donations through your home church so that your supporters can receive a tax deduction.

If this is the first time you're hearing about the trip you can find more details and register at www.RichDrama.com/Sochi.

We hope to work with you in Russia, and reach people from dozens of nations with the message that the Lord loves them!

We play husband and wife in the film Indescribable.

On another front, I'm working on a team to create a film about John and Margaret Paton, who served the people of The New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the 1800s. Before the Patons arrived, fifty missionaries had died of disease and cannibalism. That's right: They were eaten by the same people they went to serve. John's first wife, Mary, and their newborn baby both died of disease four months after they arrived. John became ill 17 times before being driven off the island by natives yelling, "We will cut you up and eat you in every village." In response, he raised funds to return and somehow wooed Margaret Whitecross into marrying him and going back with him! Their return to the islands for no other purpose than to show the people God's love won the islanders over. John and Margaret brought fresh water, literacy and the people on their island into a saving relationship with the Lord.  The Patons' impact can be seen even now: Vanuatu recently was rated "happiest place on earth" in Rough Guide.

I'm on the board of Olive Tree Pictures (www.OliveTreePictures.com), and I'm working with them to create a 5-minute documentary and a ten-minute short film in which Joyce and I will play Margaret and John. Our hope is that with something of the kind of quality that Olive Tree produces we will be able to raise funds for a feature-length documentary and a feature-length film.

We want to fly to Vanuatu in September to shoot the footage before the hurricane season moves into that part of the ocean. My expenses (flights, housing, food, fees, etc.) will come to about $3,000.

Please pray about getting this project started by making a donation at www.RichDrama.com/Donate.

Thanks so much for considering it!

Rich and Joyce

[To view this as a website visit http://blog.richdrama.com (8/8/13).]