Getting to Know the Community

Hey,

I just wanted to share a bit about some of the ministry we've been doing from this big gorgeous house. I should start off by telling you about how it all started...

For the first few months feelings for me had been up in the air. Having just moved away from everything I knew for the first time in my life, I didn't really know where I was to fit in; as a mother, a wife and as someone wanting to serve God and reach out to other people too. Then I reached breaking point. I didn't know what in the world God had me here for. He was clearly telling Dan what he was supposed to be doing but as for me, I just had no idea. I started reading James one night and stopped at James 1:26. Then, as most peoples brains do when they're tired, mine started wandering away and I was thinking about the community again and how to get involved. I thought, "Maybe I'll write to the community and see if anyone would like to come over for dinner. Maybe somehow I could find the hungry people and the lonely people and have them over for dinner." I realized my mind had gone off on a tangent and this is what James 1:27 reads: "Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world." Isn't that just crazy! So right away I put out a message on our local email list opening up our house to dinner for the people in the community.

It has been fruitful. Some nights are not as full as others but each week we are able to minister to a great group of people. Dinner's usually start at 6 or 630. Well, I had gotten many RSVP's for dinner yet no one was there by 630. Dan asked me to pray for dinner and I actually said no the first time...then he asked me again and I got the point; he wasn't asking. So I prayed, thanked God for the food and asked Him to please do with Thursday dinners as He wishes. I was discouraged as you can tell by the prayer. Well, within 5 minutes, our guests arrived. They were wonderful. All three of them piled out of the car with open arms and as I greeted them, they embraced me as if they were hugging a friend they hadn't seen in years. It was a wonderful evening. Our neighbors on our property also came up later and we had a great conversation.

This ministry has meant a lot to me. Wednesdays (Chapel) and Thursday nights are my favorite nights of the week. I guess it's because this house is being used for it's purpose. To reach out to people here and that is really what it has become. Thank you to all who are helping to make this happen here. It means the world to me!

Amy