The following is a report from Suzette after the first weekend of the Orange City Taking.

The City Taking in Orange city Australia has started.

It kicked off over the weekend with the help of about 120 helpers from a Korean church in Sydney, who came down to Orange city to cook for and serve food to over 500 people!

Many young people already got saved during the first two days.

On the second evening, a group of young people came – totally unsaved and uncharted.

I walked to the back of the venue and saw them sitting and laughing.

I went over and invited them to be my personal VIP’s on the second row, and they agreed.

As young people came to the front to dance, I urged them to do the same.

One of them gave me her jacket; she seemed to be the leader of the group.

So I started praying: “Lord when she wears this jacket again, touch her heart”.

After the altar call, all her friends responded to the call of salvation – except her.

I looked at her and asked “What about you? “, but she refused.

After I finished the prayer of salvation and sent people for counselling, I saw her put her jacket back on. So I stepped over, looked at her and said: “Do you want to receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?”

She looked at me and said “Yes, I do...” God is still in the place of working wonders!

Today the real city taking outreach begins! 40 people went out with our roses and spoke to over 900 people for 2 hours. They all came back excited and encouraged after seeing how wonderful a tool for evangelism the roses are.

It feels like the last three days have been about healing people in spirit, soul and body. As if the Lord wants to restore His people first.

We eagerly believe for a breakthrough.

A local newspaper writes:

“Orange City Alive is an opportunity to be touched by God’s love. It’s a 9 day event starting on 11/11/11, during which hundreds of Christians from a wide range of local denominations will be finding practical ways of showing God’s love to the city."

"The nine day event will include a free dinner, a free multicultural family fun day, street theatre, street music, a 5+ hour youth concert (featuring four rock & hard core youth bands), acts of kindness occurring around the city, roses being handed out, and prayer tents throughout the CBD "

A small army of volunteers have come together from across the churches in Orange, to perform acts of kindness for people in need. The volunteers will be mowing lawns, repairing houses, babysitting etc, for people who live in our community, and for one reason or another are in a difficult situation. And it’s not just people in need, who will be receiving acts of kindness . The Churches in Orange have bought thousands of single roses, and will be door knocking the city on weekday afternoons, to give them out freely. “God wants people to know that He loves them” said Ps Tim White. “Most people in Orange believe in God” he went on to explain, “but few really know deep in their hearts, that the God who made the universe is interested in them, and cares about what’s going in their lives. People from across the denominations of Orange will be walking the streets handing out roses because of the impact that God has made in their own lives. Put it in a vase” he suggested, “and let it bring a smile to your heart.”

Orange City Taking brochure