Summer Missions, Summer Fun, Summer's Busy!

For those who are in community ministries, you know that summer is not a time for being laid back!  It is a time to plant lots of spiritual seed, to reach into neighborhoods through Backyard Bible Studies, to find new and creative ways to foster healthy entertainment and fun for children when out of school, and to reach their families with Christ's hope.  This summer, our two summer missionaries, Allison Poole and Victoria Bye, have done just that.  In addition to assisting on food and clothing distribution days (which during June saw 120 families, distributed over 3,200 pounds of food, and even saw a family finally able to be cooled by an air conditioner graciously donated by an MBA church member),  these young women have planned and implemented both Bible studies for children and supplemental Bible activies for the Reading on Wheels sessions at the center and have recruited coaches and formed Flag Football teams at a West Montgomery apartment complex, during which a motivational and inspirational time is held while taking their water break (last week, Philippians 4:13 was the theme, and appropriate it was, as many of these 9 - 13 year old boys had just faced a big hurdle when one of their "older friends" had been shot and killed just the day before.)  I felt it appropriate that each one of our summer missionaries speak to you specifically about how God has moved in them and through their work at Forest Park Ministry Center.

Allison's thoughts:
            "Every Thursday morning Victoria and I teach Mixtec children a Bible lesson and we do a craft with them. Jessica also helps us with the children. We have ten children that come, and their ages range from two to ten years old. At first, I was a little nervous about teaching these children, because I was not sure how well they understood English. However, the older kids can actually speak English really well. Our lessons started with the Creation story in Genesis and we went through some Old Testament stories. The day we learned about Jonah, they made fish and we went fishing. The kids really enjoyed doing that. Last week we learned about Jesus, that He came to earth to be our Savior.
            At the beginning of the summer I was asked what was one thing I wanted to see happen this summer. I said I wanted the children to remember the Bible lessons we are teaching them. I want them to know they can always rely on God and that Jesus is our Savior. When I leave Montgomery I’m not sure if I will ever see these children again, but I hope we are planting seeds that will continue to grow in their lives.
            I encourage everyone to pray for these Mixtec children and families. The children have to grow up really fast. Once they learn English, they become translators for their parents. Many of the parents only speak the    Mixtec language. Sometimes it is hard to work with people who don’t speak our same language, but I have learned that we are called to be kind to everyone and God will take care of the rest."

Victoria's thoughts: (In addition to Montgomery community ministries, Victoria just returned from a week's mission trip with her church to Nicaragua.)
            "Hopelessness. Although they are thousands of miles apart, their eyes tell the same story. They live everyday wondering what they will eat, where they will sleep, and why no one seems to care. The sweet little children in La Chureca (the city dump in Managua, Nicaragua) and those in the projects of west Montgomery live the life of “the least of these.” Whether it’s the seven year old girl in the dump whose mother will prostitute her to a truck driver tonight in order to receive the best trash off of his garbage truck or the nine year old boy in the projects who is forced to care for his younger siblings because his mom is an alcoholic and his dad has abandoned the family, they need to feel the love of Jesus. They need to know that there is a better life than the cycle of desolation that they are stuck in. They need to know that there is a God who is bigger than all of their pain and suffering. Will you show them? Will you step outside of your home and venture to the other side of town? Will you give up a week of work to go overseas? Will you set aside your pride and step out of your comfort zone? Will you take love to the ends of the earth? Will you go?"
And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40

How gracious is our Heavenly Father to move these two faithful young women to reach those in need in the city of Montgomery this summer through Forest Park Ministry Center.  Other volunteer missionaries including Mission Serve and several church youth ministries have also plugged into the missions opportunities at the center. To God be the glory!

Summer's Here!

            “When my child looks at me, who does he see?  What kind of person do I want him to see?”  These are the kinds of questions that the new moms are pondering as we meet on Thursday afternoons for our MOMS group.  These mothers of newborns have one thing in common – they want their children to have a more productive and joyful childhood than they have had, but they are stumped as to how to accomplish it.  On May 19, 2011, we began meeting, babies in tow, to discuss and work through a new tool being used called “My Baby’s Milestones: Goals for Life”.  The first milestone, the baby recognizing his or her parent, is the basis for this first discussion, and it has been fodder for very fruitful and insightful revelations.  Learning to model respect so that the child himself learns through experience, realizing that the teaching the value of education begins with valuing it oneself, and most of all, realizing that the bond between parent and child is the first example of our “Heavenly Father” their child will experience – some of these concepts are new to these moms, so they are thinking more deeply and planning accordingly, one step at a time, to accomplish goals that had before seemed “out there somewhere”.  Would you please pray for these young families?  After all, they are an important part of the future of our community and precious daughters and sons of our Creator.

            Summer is upon us!  As I write this, the Memorial Day holiday is just before us, bringing a promise of sunny days, lots of children in the Forest Park neighborhood, summer missionaries to help with ministry, and construction projects down the pike.  Here are some tangible ways that you can plug into the ministries this summer at Forest Park Ministry Center:

• Pray:
• for Allison and Victoria (summer missionaries), and for Donna and the volunteer missionaries at the center during a wonderfully hectic summer!
• for the children who will attend functions, and for the Reading on Wheels staff as they visit the center every Thursday for the benefit of the Forest Park neighborhood.
• for classes both for Mixtecan families and for the moms of newborns.
• for the mission teams coming to assist with construction and ministry.
• Give:
• fans for families who do not have sufficient air conditioning this hot summer.
• lumber – need 10 ▪ 2x4x8 to construct the closet for audiovisual equipment and storage in the new classroom.
• sheetrock – need 4 – 6 sheets for the closet wall being constructed.
• trim – need shoe moulding and 2 thresholds.
• doors for the closet – double doors or bifold, preferred.  Size of doors donated will determine size of opening when constructing the closet wall!
• a new shredder for the center– the old one has bit the dust, literally!!!!!

In May, we saw a 20% increase in guest traffic over April, and saw many more large families, so the number of pounds of food nearly doubled.  We are so grateful for partnering churches and their members who faithfully donate food for the food pantry, and we are excited about receiving fresh produce from Heritage’s container garden this summer!  Thanks to all; may God bless your walk with Him.

Increased Opportunities for Ministry!

Dear Faithful Friends:
     In Matthew, the 18th chapter, Jesus called a child to His side as an example and told His disciples, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in.  Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.  What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.”   Childlike faith seems simple; yet for adults who are busy going about the complexities of life, how do we do it?  Recently, a friend related a true story to me that illustrates this beautifully.
     My friend described to me that she had had a very “down” day.  Ever have one of those?  The checkbook looks bleak.  An unexpected phone call with bad news.  A bill that is unusually high.  Or maybe just no energy – can’t really put your finger on it – but no matter, your “joy meter” is not registering very high on that day.  My friend was having one of those days.  So after dragging herself through another work day, she needed to stop at WalMart for some things that she needed at home.  Not exactly your “pick me up” place to go – especially if there are long lines and little assistance, but go she must; so she battled the parking lot, parked, made her way into the store and exhaustedly plopped into one of the battery operated cars.  She
could not take another step on her own.
     As she found her needed items and made her way to the cash register, she must have looked tired, weary, and worn.  Nearby, a young boy was helping his mom with her shopping.  Without warning, he approached my friend from behind, wrapped his arms around her, gave her a huge hug, and walked away.  She describes the next moments as if the Holy Spirit moved her in a most palpable way.  This child, who she had never seen before, and who could not even see her face at the time, was moved to express such care for her.  Almost immediately, she felt awash with God’s spirit of encouragement, knowing full well that He had brought the touch of a child with a willing spirit to show her His love.
    We talked about her experience a few days later, and we marveled at God’s way of using children.  Reminded of Christ’s words to His disciples in Matthew 18, it seems poignant to note that when a person’s childlike faith is totally dependent on the Lord, he or she does not even see evidence of a need; the Lord’s eyes are more than adequate.  We just need to allow Him to do the leading.
    We have been praying collectively at the center and privately as well for God’s leading to “expand the territory” and show us in what manner He would desire it done.  He has answered our prayers in some unexpected ways.  The recent storm events in our state and needed disaster relief, a young man in the neighborhood who has come to ask for help to overcome his drug addiction, the young mothers in the neighborhood who are eager to begin a “group” to talk about ways to become the family and home that will be healthy for their children, the increased number of guests just in this first week of May, all point to a direct answer from God to the question, “Where, when, and how, Lord?”  Already in May, we have seen a third of
the number of families seen the entire month of April. 
    The territory is indeed expanding.  As of May 1, Forest Park Ministry Center is serving zip codes 36104, 36105, 36106, 36107, 36108, and 36109, and guests are eligible for services if needed every three months instead of four.  We look forward to what God has in store for ministry as we approach the summer months.  Please pray for Victoria Bye, our summer missionary who will be joining us in the coming weeks.  (By the way, a huge congratulations to her – she is the 2011 Jimmy Hitchcock Award recipient – and we are so excited to see what God is doing in her life!)  Children’s activities, reading programs, gardening (a huge thank you to Heritage – their herb and vegetable garden is going to be a fantastic learning tool
for the Child Development Center and a harvest of blessing in fresh produce for the center’s guests!), another Mission Serve project at the center in July, and so much more!  We praise the Lord for His provision, for your faithful prayers and support, and for His leading.  May we put our own agenda
aside and allow Him to lead us in ministering in the neighborhood.  May you experience the Lord’s  leading and blessings as you walk in fellowship with Him.
Joyfully serving,
Donna McCullough, Director
Forest Park Ministry Center
http://www.forestparkministry.blogspot.com/
forestparkministry@yahoo.com
2026 East 4th Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36106
(334)269-5726