Our God is so amazing…..I’m sure you already know that, but let me give you another illustration of God’s hand at work.
Calvary’s Outreach team has identified several ministries to support in three categories: Local, National, and International. (A summary of those are in last week’s Who Is My Neighbor.) These ministries were brought to our attention by you…..the body of Christ at Calvary.
We have two international ministries about which Calvary is passionate: Buliisa and Haiti. We also have many local ministries with whom Calvary folks have a special place in their hearts.
The missing piece was national ministry…..something outside of our immediate area, but still in the US. Workcamp is one of those ministries….our youth sponsor that trip yearly and many adults and youth reach out to others in a particular region. However, we wanted to partner with a ministry that was close enough that all ages could participate and anyone could easily drive there in a day. I knew about Red Bird Mission, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and the important services they provide the people in that area. We began financially supporting that ministry and wanted to fulfill our commitment to not just give money to ministries, but to also give of our time in volunteering. We had not yet found anyone to run with this because they were already committed to other outreach ministries. Until…
Sandy and Gary Dickson read about Red Bird Mission in a Who Is Your Neighbor article and the fire in their hearts was immediately lit. God worked in them and within 6 weeks, they were on their way to Kentucky with the following items that were needed:
NEW:
5 sheet sets
5 blankets
3 fleece throws
1 throw pillow
2 crocheted baby blankets
3 crocheted scarves
1 pair gloves
USED:
10 sheet sets
2 flat sheets
8 assorted pillow cases
3 bed quilts (1 was handmade)
1 fleece throw
1 bag of stocking caps, gloves, scarf)
1 bag of small stuffed toys
6 pair nearly new shoes
1 pair men’s work boots
Thanks to a quick turnaround from all of you, the Dicksons had a full load of items that the staff at Red Bird had identified as immediate needs. Thank you church! And thank you all for listening to God’s call on your life. We never know when God will nudge us and say, “Look….over there. That’s your neighbor.”
(Read more about this ministry at www.rbmission.org)
About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC