24-7 Ibiza Summer Report by Brian & Tracy Heasley

Tracy Heasley, November 13th, 2007

This year saw the 24-7 Ibiza community spend 23 weeks working in the West End of San Antonio. As a team we spent 4 nights a week walking the streets from 12 midnight till 5am.  We also opened the office adjoining our prayer room and used it as a centre to provide free internet use for workers 6 days a week. We hosted four teams for 2 weeks each and two people who came and worked for 6 weeks. Phew, we've been busy!  As the summer season draws to an end we wanted to stop, take stock and write a little report about what life has been like on the White Isle in 2007.

Prayer Room

Every night before we go out, we pray in our prayer room (we really believe in intimacy and involvement).  We pray all together then half of us go out, whilst the rest stay back and continue to pray. This is the rhythm of our life here.  Many workers have commented on the peaceful atmosphere of the prayer room.  We believe that this is more than décor; rather a sense of God’s Spirit dwelling in the place.  Prayer is the key to all we do; the prayer room helps us focus on the importance of this.  Arthur Wallace wrote about the Scottish revivals: “let it be burned upon our hearts by the spirit of God that this mighty movement, was not only born out of prayer, but that it brought forth prayer and was maintained by prayer”. Prayer is the key to revival here in Ibiza.

Internet Room

The internet room has been a fantastic success.  We meet workers when we are out on the streets, but it can be difficult for them to stop and talk as they are busy.  Their job is to get people into the various bars and clubs and are often only paid on a commission basis.  The longer they talk to us the more money they lose, and the jumpier their employers become!  The internet room gave us a space to connect and build better relationships with many of them.  We averaged 10 -15 visitors every day for 23 weeks, many of whom would use the prayer room before they used the computers. Because we were open regularly, we became known as a place where you could come for help.  People saw what we did on the streets and knew we were genuine and would then pop up to see us for assistance. We helped people get bail from prison, report stolen property, sort out lost wallets, and retrieve lost club tickets.  We also gave lifts to airports, took people to the consulate to sort out lost passports, helped people phone their credit card companies, gave advice on sunburn, helped with lost flight tickets as well as accompanying people to the doctors or police station to help with translation. One worker whose baby sitter had fallen through came and asked if we would baby sit. She said, “I knew I could trust you guys”, and we were pleased to help.

Welcome Bags

This year we gave out "welcome bags" to many workers in San Antonio; these contained various goodies, sweets, teabags, a CD, prayer request forms and few other bits and bobs.  They also contained a bible. We were stunned at how popular these bibles became; we had workers approaching us on the street asking for their own copies.  We heard of people reading them behind bars and saw others reading them on the street.  On one occasion we were stopped and asked to explain a particular passage.  Some workers asked for complete bibles rather than just the new testament and others asked for The King James version instead of The Message! They really created a buzz around the west end and it so lovely to know that God’s word is being read by many people who would not normally read it. We gave one guy, a bar manager, a bible and he said “I’ve never had a bible before”

The Vomit Van!!!

At the beginning of the summer, we were able to purchase a people carrier to aid us in our work on the street. We have used this van for getting drunk or injured people to hospital and also for getting people back to their hotels when they are vulnerable. We find girls drunk and abandoned by their friends, drunken lads who want to sleep on the beach and generally messed up people that taxi drivers refuse to take home. Often people left like this are easy prey for thieves.  We have buckets, wet wipes and water in the van, but despite all this it is hard not to end up with vomit on your hands and clothes! Hence the affectionately named 'Vomit Van'. We have taken over 120 people home this year, which is a significant increase on last year.  We've received a number of emails from people we have helped or who have seen us helping others:

"I was recently in ibiza and on the day before my birthday! i got my drink spiked in a bar, but I'm not sure because i can't remember! Everything I have learned about the incident is from the girl i was with. We had been out on a trip and was planning to go to a club after going to a few bars.I had been having a really good holiday until that night and it just made me realise the messed up people out there.I am so grateful for your team coming to help me and my friend get back to our hotel. This email is just to say how grateful I am because if you weren't there then i duno what would have happened, i just hope with people like you on the island the impact of such a stupid thing can be lessened."

From the mother of a holiday maker "My son has just come back from Ibiza and he told me you went to help some girls who were not so good, and prayed and cared for them….”

From another mother: "I am writing to thank you for helping my son while on holiday at San Antoni about 2 weeks ago. He was helping a friend who was having difficulty walking (sadly too much alcohol) to get back to their hotel and it was looking like his friend would not be able to walk any further when your car appeared from nowhere and took them both back to their hotel. My son has given me your card with the e mail address for 24-7 Ibiza. While he was away I was praying everyday for him and his friends that they would be kept safe and out of trouble.”

Jesus said: “What you do unto the least of these you do unto Me”.  We continue to believe that this is what we are modelling as a team in the west end of San Antonio; helping people, cleaning them up,  praying with them, listening to them is our simple act of worship to Him.