Generation to Generation

What a wonder to see my son holding his newborn son! It stirs an emotion in me that reminds me of God's goodness and the miracle of His creation. A new grandchild, two weeks old yesterday, and he is just adorable! He is a reminder of how God has such a perfect design for His grace and goodness to extend from generation to generation.

God's grace and goodness from generation to generation - a passionate desire of those who minister through Forest Park to see in the lives of guests of the center and their families. Please allow me to share some hopeful stories with you.

"Amy" is a young student at a local school where our volunteers tutor. Her family has recently experienced a tragedy in the near death of her father. Thankfully, he will recover; but for weeks, we could not put our finger on what was causing such a gloomy disposition in this ordinarily happy and jubilant child. Prayer for her and her family prior to entering the school and showing her specific concern about what she needed to concentrate on and learn - in other words, just knowing someone cares about her - is showing results. Today, she smiled and even asked to work on a new area that needs improvement!

C. is just one of many mothers who are desperately praying for their children to resist the temptation of the streets. Even for Christian families, the pressures that are present in the everyday lives of children and adults alike are intense, and for children in poverty, the presence of criminal activity in stressed neighborhoods is a constant concern for their parents. Pray for parents like C who are striving to show their children Christ's way, and to break the cycle of unhealthy and sinful choices.

Here's more hope: a local group of concerned Christians is cooperatively working on a community garden in Montgomery - on the corner of Holt and Emerson Streets. This will be a valuable tool to both demonstrate and encourage growing and eating healthy foods, and also to foster cooperation among people in a constructive project. And when they ask, "Why would you do this for us?", the answer is, "Because Christ's love compels us to."

And COMPLETE - an awesome experience that I was so blessed to be a part of, showed me that there are young women in the youth generation that have a passion for Christ and sharing His love with others. Thank you, girls, for allowing me to be blessed by you during COMPLETE.

This summer, Forest Park Ministry Center will be abuzz with activity in addition to the twice weekly food and clothing assistance. Each week, "Summer Stories from the Porch" will feature a great story told and fun related activities for the children in the neighborhood. Also each week, Mixtec Moms who want to learn Conversational English will have classes being taught by church members who have been trained specifically for that purpose. In addition, a Mission Serve team is coming to the center in July to construct the addition to the center so direly needed! God is so good, and we are relying on Him to provide the materials needed - we have enough for phase I, and are looking now to raise funds for the interior phase.

A summary of the work in March 2010: 109 guests of the center, representing 252 family members, but only 17% new guests. One guest had a very dire need, and thanks to two of our MBA churches, her family was able to have a funeral for their infant that passed away unexpectedly. Nearly 1.5 tons of food was distributed, and even more importantly, prayers were lifted on behalf of those who visited. It was a great time in the Lord, and April is looking great, too! Keep praying for these families, and for Christ's hope of Abundant Life to be realized in the hearts and minds of families everywhere.

Finally, please put on your calendars a fundraiser for MissionServe. The date is November 9, and you will receive a wonderful dinner, information and testimony about this incredible organization. MissionServe is the group coming to Forest Park Ministry Center to construct the addition to the center, along with members of MBA churches. The event on November 9 will be at Mt. Hebron West Baptist Church in Elmore County. Hope to see you there!