More pubs, clubs and bars per square mile than almost anywhere else in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of young people, intent on having the best holiday possible. The beautiful island of Ibiza is often derided for the shocking scenes of excess, violence and incapacity that inevitably result.
24-7 Prayer took up the invitation, God’s call to go to the party island and pray. So Brian and Tracy Heasley went. For seven years, they walked and prayed around the walls of the San Antonio. And most nights, joined by young volunteers, they walked through the town, chatting to clubbers and offering prayer. Thousands said yes. Some knelt, some put their hands together, some shared deep worries and concerns. They helped people home, looked after those in danger of being robbed, and befriended all kinds of people, from bar owners to prostitutes. The familiar T-shirts of 24-7 Ibiza came to be regarded as a fourth emergency service.
Brian and Tracy’s story will inspire you to pray and show God’s love for your own community as you seek to express the gospel in whatever situation he has placed you.
“God so loved the world that God did not just send words on paper, but Word made flesh. In Jesus, God put skin on and moved into the neighborhood, to live among us. One of the most important ministries in the world is the ministry of presence. Walking alongside, living among, earning the right to speak into people’s lives by loving them well – as they are and not as they could be. Sometimes one of the obstacles to Christ has been Christians who have so much to say with our mouths and so little to show of God’s love with our lives. Here is the story of a ministry of presence, a ministry of moving in and listening … It is also a reminder that little Ibiza’s are everywhere if we only have eyes to see. Let it invite you to find your own Ibiza.”
Shane Claiborne, author and activist
“It’s easy to sit on a sofa and critique a decadent, hedonistic culture. There are plenty of books which do that. Or you can swallow your pride, learn the language, meet the people and love them. This raw gem from Brian Heasley tells THAT story.”
Andy Flannagan Director, Christians on the Left
“I got to know Brian and Tracy when they first set up the Ibiza branch of the organisation… one that I’d never heard of till that point. They were out on the street, handing out bits of fruit to workers and tourists. Naturally, I thought it was some kind of PR stunt for a club or bar — so was rather surprised to find out the truth.
As a tourist once put it to me… ‘So: groups are just going round talking to people and then picking up drunks and taking them to their hotels or the hospital — and they’re not selling anything?’
I’ve seen them, over the years, carry away hundreds of drunk, confused people and get them cared for. Many of them have been abandoned or become detached from a group of friends and left alone in the street. The majority of them have got themselves into their situation due to the over-indulgence in all that Ibiza has to offer. But there’s no questioning or moralising on the part of 24/7… They see someone in trouble — and they’re there to help.
I’ve seen them take abuse at times, get covered in vomit, questioned by the police and not receive a word of thanks from those they help. They’ve been accused of being a pirate taxi service and drug dealers too — none of which has deterred them from their voluntary duty.
I suppose, in a way, they are PRs — just not for a bar or a nightclub. Brian once told me that the best way they could spread the word of God, and how much he cares for us, was by showing a practical example of this to people.
The group continues, under new leadership, and they’ll still be on the street tonight helping those that have over-indulged. The bar owners, police, ambulance staff — and the casualties themselves — owe 24/7 a big debt of thanks.”
Sean Conway, The Huddle Bar, Ibiza Read more
