Showers of God's Grace

"The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him."
Psalm 145:14-16, 18.

I wish all of you could have been there. The moment was so sweet; we stood together, holding hands, and I prayed for the new mom and her baby, for her example to be godly, and for a hedge of protection around her family. As I said "Amen" the tiny voice of her four-year-old son continued, "Thank you Jesus, for my new little sister, and for my mom. AMEN." Out of the mouths of babes....may he grow to be a man after God's own heart.
There are so many opportunities to see God's hand work in the lives of guests and volunteer missionaries alike at Forest Park Ministry Center. The work is not easy; stories that we hear are heartwrenching. But through it all, God's hand covers all, meets the need, and provides His Hope for hurting and lost people.

This month, the numbers of families seeking assistance rose dramatically. It is a sobering reminder that "the poor are always with us." The work will never cease, until Christ returns! So here are some current stats, and then following, read about the ways that new ministry will be accomplished this summer!

Number of families assisted in April: 139 - 32% were new guests of the center.
This represented 335 family members helped.

There were THREE professions of faith - Praise the Lord! - Please pray for them as they begin their new life in Christ, to follow through with public profession and plugging into a church for discipleship and spiritual growth.

3,536 pounds of food distributed to the families.

Please pray for "Danielle" who so sincerely shared with me (during a home visit to see her and her newborn baby) about her desire for her child to attend finish school. She only finished 9th grade, and truly regrets it. But she is working, and is trying to juggle motherhood, work, and GED classes. Pray for her to look to the Only Source, Jesus Christ, as Her Lord and guide in life.

"Danielle's" story is all too familiar. Choices made early that you regret, but you live with the consequences, sometimes for the rest of your life. Pray for cycle of generational poverty to stop with this generation.

This summer, there are at least four new ministry opportunities:
1. Ashley Loomis, a busy home-school Mom from Heritage, has a heart for teaching children healthy and safe ways to prepare food. Many children in the Southlawn Commons and Sherwood Apartment complexes have to prepare their own dinner, because Mom is out of the home in the evening, often working late shifts. Ashley is teaching cooking classes on Wednesdays for kids at the Molina Center (located inside Southlawn Commons), beginning in June. Pray for her and her volunteers as they reach children in this creative way. If you feel led to help with this ministry, email or call and let us know, so we can plug you in!

2. Ann Bush, Mom and career woman, and passionate about teaching Conversational English to Mixtec Moms in the Forest Park neighborhood, will begin classes for these Moms in June at the center on Thursdays. Please pray for Ann and her assistant Evelyn in this incredible opportunity to reach those marginalized in our society because of language barriers.

3. Stories from the Porch is a weekly story hour with related activites for Forest Park neighborhood children. Each Thursday afternoon this summer, children will gather in the front yard of Forest Park Ministry Center to hear a story that shares the truth of Christ's love, and to have activities that reinforce His truth. Pray for the youth from Eastern Hills and Heritage and other churches who will participate in reaching these children each week.

4. In July, MissionServe will send a construction team to the ministry center to construct the multipurpose room (the enclosure of the carport area). We are so excited about having this addition to our facility in the future for classes and groups at the center, as well as for receiving donations during service days.

Speaking of MissionServe, PLEASE consider participating in the MissionServe Banquet in November. You will be treated to a wonderful meal, testimonies and information about MissionServe, and you will be supporting a ministry that is already reaching out to this ministry!!!!! More details to follow.....

Have a blessed May. Mother's Day is this weekend, and I'm reminded of what a blessing it is to have a godly mom who has been an example of being God's vessel. Thanks, Mom, and thank you, God, for my mom. Blessings to all of you.