The Cast and Crew of "Saint Nicholas: The Extraordinary Journey of His Life" on stage after the premiere.

After the show, I spoke for a few minutes about why I wrote the book on which this book is based: to give people hope. After each sentence of my talk, the daughter of our musician translated my words into Italian. One man said afterwards that as I was speaking, he felt something happening inside of him. He said he didn’t know what it was, but it felt like "a bomb of hope"going off! He was grateful to the point of tears.

When I heard he felt that, I knew that the Holy Spirit had answered our prayers. I knew HE had shown up. And He had given this man Hope.

I also knew that when the Holy Spirit shows up, we don’t just get a tiny piece of Him, like His little toe. When the Spirit shows up, He shows up FULLY. And that’s what it felt like that night. It felt like God was FULLY PRESENT, manifest in the tears of this man–and in the hearts of many others who came to watch the show.

It was fantastic on so many levels, to see this story come to life in this gorgeous theater in the form of an Italian puppet opera. There were no curtains hiding the puppeteers, so they were just as much a part of the show as the puppets were.

Beyond bringing my story to life, the puppeteers, musician, and narrator made this a show of their own. It was in their own style, for their own people, and in their own language.

One of my favorite moments was when the narrator, who was a full-sized, real-life person, stepped in front of the scenery and sat down next to a puppet of Saint Nicholas in prison. The narrator and the puppet interacted as if they were both very real people. It was beyond magical. There was such a tenderness, such a care, and such a deep conversation between the two, that it couldn’t help but warm my heart.

I’m currently editing the video we captured during rehearsals and the performance. I can’t wait to show you the finished show! It’s a beautiful portrayal of the real life of Saint Nicholas, and the story of how he still inspires people around the world who look to him for hope.

The truth is, Nicholas looked to CHRIST for his hope. And that’s the story I want to share with you and with so many others.

Christ has given me hope beyond measure in the 36 years I’ve known Him, and He continues to give me hope, even in these last few weeks!

I know He can do the same for you. I pray as you read these words that God will drop "a bomb of hope" inside you, and that you will sense the Holy Spirit in your life–not just His little toe, but THE WHOLE OF HIM!

To those who have prayed, encouraged, and donated to bring this show to life, I want to say a hearty, sincere, and voluminous THANK YOU! Your prayers, encouragement, and support really have made a difference. We are already committing to taking the puppet opera to two more cities and big theaters in Italy next year, with a possibility of five new cities in all.

As if seeing the show itself wasn’t enough, I wanted to let you know how God spoke to me through the funding of this show. I received the last $100 donation towards the $12,000 needed–just two weeks before the curtain went up! I had been praying we would raise the full $12,000 before the curtain rose at the premiere. And after 18 months of praying, planning, and fundraising, the last $100 come in just two weeks before the show. When that happened, I knew God was sealing the deal. I knew that He had plans and purposes for this show that go beyond anything I can see. And He still does!

Between the new cities we’re adding and the film version I’m editing, I’m praying that many, many more people will have a bomb of hope go off in their hearts.

Thank you again and Happy New Year to you all! If you’d like to make a donation towards the next two cities we’re adding next year ($2,000 per city) you can make a tax-deductible donation at this link:

https://ericelder.com/donate/

Thank you SO MUCH!