Dear Faithful,
We had seen an increase of 26% in family visits from January '08 to January '09 and the weather was bad for several days. We have already seen over 70 families this month. Our needs will continue to increase. I praise God for His miraculous supply. In a few days we will be receiving the second half of our CERF grant, an additional $10,000. We won't have to fret about the rent this year. PTL!!!!!
We visited one of our new supporting churches, LifePoint Church, the last two weeks. We tried something new. We used yellow bags with a list of pantry staples on it for the folks to return the following Sunday. They left the bags behind their cars and trucks and the 5th and 6th graders went around the parking lot picking them up. Yellow bags filled our truck. After we got the final count we had collected 2,397 items. The clients had a variety this week they don't normally have. Thanks to the Zone 56 kids for organizing the food drive. We are excited about LifePoint partnering with us.
I would like to tell you about two people that God had brought back into my life this week.
First, I would like to tell you about a young mother who we helped several years ago. She lived in the inner city in not a very good place but we shared God's love with her. We helped her get furnishings for her house when she had nothing. She had made some bad choices in her life and they caused her to loose custody of her son. Just last week God had put her back in my path to help. She has moved into the Beech Grove area now. She is trying to make better choices this time around to get her son back. Pray for us as we try to minister to her and her son.
Second, God reminded me of an old friend last week, Jim Flanders. Jim and his wife Judy attend church at LifePoint Church. Our newest supporting church. God put Jim in my life 41 years ago when I was an eighth grader in his math class. Jim took a liking to me and took me under his wing. You see, Jim invited me to the Methodist church in Beech Grove where he attended back then. He and one of my other teachers, Ron Melbert, were my Sunday school teachers. They had a positive influence on my life. In today's mixed up world they might not have had the freedom to ask a young man to church. I was so thankful to share with Jim a couple of Sundays ago that God may not be using me in the ministry today, if it wouldn't have been for that eighth grade math teacher sharing God's love with me.
Has God used someone in your life to have an impact on you? Call them up or drop them an email to let them know how God is using you today.
In His Service,
Bill
