Making a difference update, from the recovery field – November 2016 edition…
Below are some bullet points of the highlights that happened in the Life Issues ministry over the last month:
- Six people made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, in the month of November!
- We distributed 3 boxes of towels, bed linens, and bath rugs to students on 11-1, that a church member donated!
- We picked up a student from a rehab facility in Warrensburg on 11-9.
- We distributed a fridge & microwave to a student on 11-15, that were donated by one of our leaders.
- Our 8 member mission team, purchased airline tickets to India on 11-15, leaving 12-29 / returning 1-11-17
- We had our annual Life Issues leadership meeting on 11-17, and we had 15 present!
- Life Issues received a memorial donation of $635 on 11-20, from the passing of a beloved HBF member
- HBF & Life Issues was given 30 X $25 Smithfield gift cards, to distribute in Christmas boxes this year!
- Pat Lee gave a moving testimony at our Final Friday meeting on 11-25 to a group of approximately 50 people! Rose and her daughter, Shyla, and Pat Lee sang a tribute song, to Rose’s deceased brother, and hearts were stirred! After the song and testimony, the group stayed for a Thanksgiving dinner and fellowship!
- We had at least a dozen first time visitors in November and two new students started our program.
- Two of our leaders and two students are starting HBF’s discipleship.
I have to tell you one of the most remarkable stories of God’s goodness in a student’s life that I have ever been a part of. It started when one of our church members convinced an alcoholic co-worker to visit one of our meetings (7-29). I didn’t meet this man then, but he started coming regularly in October, and he was broken. I learned that he was 3 months behind on his rent and was being evicted, he was also behind on car payments, and his employer was behind on paying him, so his water had been shut off to the house where he lived with his mother and niece, so he was at the bottom.
This man began attending HBF too, and he responded to the invitation on Sunday, 11-13, and accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour! He was so excited to have the burden of sin lifted, that he ran up to me after service to tell me of his decision! Meanwhile, one of our Life Issues leaders had been talking to him about coming to work for him, so on 11-18 he began working for him. Things were looking up for this man, but on 11-21, early in the morning, his house caught on fire, and the fire department said that they couldn’t stay there any longer, due to smoke damage.
I was out of town for the holidays, but I let our pastor know, and HBF graciously put this family up in a motel for a couple of nights. So, the word went out on social media of this family’s need for a house to rent, and on 11-23, the day before Thanksgiving, our leader / his new employer, knew a man who just took possession of a rental house THAT DAY and was willing to rent it to our student and his family. Another call went out to a local official who pressure checked the gas line, and the fire department came and certified the test. The city came out and stayed late (on the night before the holiday) to turn on the electric. The gas company ended up working late too, in order to make sure that this family had heat. The Red Cross helped and was involved along the way too, but most of this transpired in about 3 hours’ time!
As an added blessing, our leader gave him an advance on his pay, so that he could make a car payment, so that he wouldn’t get his car repossessed! This man’s world has changed drastically in a month’s time, and this Sunday (12-11), he’s getting baptized and joining our church (HBF). Those of you who have heard me tell the poem of the starfish thrower, know that I look for a “starfish” / person (or more) each year, to guide and help be made into the image of Christ, and this year he’s the one that I feel like God has put into my life for such purpose. This story is nothing short of miraculous and all the glory goes to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; thanks for letting me share it with each of you!
Sincerely, Steve Fleshman – Life Issues pastor and founder, Proverbs 4:23…
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