Summer Harvest!!

“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness…You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..” (Isaiah 25:1,4).

The Mission Serve team found it both amusing and awesome that over two years ago, we had purchased a building permit for the addition to Forest Park Ministry Center. A little presumptuous on my part, some would say, but really, believing that God would provide – and in His good timing, He did! How like God to have the room so near completion – just a little more interior work and we will be able to move our Conversational English classes in there, as well as use it for donation intake. This will make the flow of traffic and the privacy needed when interviewing and sharing Christ with guests work so much more favorably! A huge thank you to Mission Serve, to Heritage Mission Montgomery, and to all the donors and helpers who gave selflessly to see the project through! There is still a little more interior work to do; if you or your group feels led, please contact me ASAP; it would be an awesome thing to have the sheetrock completed and ready for paint when the next group is slated to come in September!
Just the other day, we received a call from a former guest of the center. She wanted prayer for her and her family, and she was serious about it! Earlier in the year, she had visited the center for food assistance and shared her frustration over so many years of seeking Section 8 assistance (it is an arduous process). We prayed with her about this, about God’s provision for her and her family in His timing. That very day as she returned home, she found a letter in her mailbox announcing that she had been approved! Now, several months later, she was facing some new challenges and wanted prayer again.
Don’t get me wrong – it was and still is a privilege to pray with our guests. And when God chooses to reveal His hand at that time, it is an awesome experience, and one to celebrate. We did just that! But I could not let the opportunity to pass in this teachable moment. This precious woman needed the comfort of corporate prayer, but she also needed the reassurance that God hears her prayer; she, as a child of God, has a direct path in prayer to Almighty God, a path made clear because of the blood of Christ that cleanses her sins and makes it possible to enter God’s presence in prayer. As I prayed with her and encouraged her to pray to God herself, just like she was talking to a dear friend – because He is her dearest friend, I was reminded of the responsibility that we have to disciple those that He puts in our path for encouragement.
Then just the other day, another guest came for financial assistance. As we discussed together her situation, made arrangements to resolve her current dilemma, and prayed, again thanking God for His provision, she blessed me! It was a joy to receive the blessing from this dear sister in Christ who even through her own struggles, sees God’s hand, receives the grace of God’s provision and blessing, and chooses to bless others through prayer, too.
The ministry to Mixtec families is growing as well. Eastern Hills youth did a phenomenal job in July to reach the children in our neighborhood; the transformation from unruly and uncooperative to listening, participating, cooperating, and enjoying each other was truly magical ---- no, it was all God! Now, Eastern Hills volunteers, along with volunteers from other churches, are in the process of planning after – school reading and tutoring for Mixtec children, and Mixtec parents are still learning English in the ongoing Conversational English classes designed specifically for them. A tremendous thank you to the team led by Oscar Gonzales from Cuernavaca, MX, who made such inroads into building relationships with these families!
All of this, and we saw families for food and clothing assistance, too. In spite of being closed for half of the month for construction, eighty-two families were provided much needed food supplies, with over a ton of food distributed in just two weeks. Throughout the entire month, the Backyard Bible Club (Summer Stories continued from June) and the English classes continued, and though it was very chaotic, everyone was so accommodating and patient to work together!
I think that everyone that works at the center and the guests alike would agree that this summer has been full of evidence of God’s goodness and grace. May He continue to work in and through each of us, reaching others in His name, sharing His Hope, literally being His hands and feet reaching out to a lost world.
Check out the photos to the right of the work at the center!