A Lesson and a Bless'n!

Our AWANA ministry has grown into more of an outreach then a ministry within the church. A couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me that the children from the bus ministry would not be going anywhere for Spring Break! Our church family would visit family and vacation but those kids would have zero plans. In fact, their being home would be a financial hardship on most families. They would have to feed the children 3 meals a day instead of just one.

I mentioned an idea to a couple of ladies and as always they responded, "Let's Do IT" and more!

A grocery list was established and we asked for volunteers within the church to fill them. We requested foods that the children could prepare for themselves knowing that many of them would be home alone. Bread, PBJ, fresh fruits and veggies along with cereal and milk were presented to families! A few of us meet to pray and go deliver. As I was driving a church van, I looked at my co-pilot Janet. I asked her if she remembered where we were a year ago? She said, yes and it had been heavy on her heart as well that just a year ago our lives were changed forever on a mission trip to Vietnam. As we rode in a van with our 5 children, about 10 gallons of milk and a bunch of groceries rolling around I asked her, "Do you think we would be doing this if we did not do what we did this time last year?" Janet and I both felt sure, that we would not.

There is so much that we learned from that trip! In fact, over half of our Vnam team is involved in the AWANA ministry and the outreach it has become. Upon delivering groceries, we were able to talk with families, bless them, share their burdens and surprise them all the same! This week has been its own little mission trip right here in our own town! I will post more on that later but I want to leave you with what God showed me HUGE while in Vnam!

He is GOD, He does not need our help! But, He invites us to join Him for our benefit!

Just like Janet said, we would probably not be where we are today if we had not been in Vnam last year. God invited us to go so we went! He filled us with a deep desire to serve Him by serving others. We have, and still struggle with the "American Dream," the price of eating out a meal, and spending money on "stuff" when we have seen how little others have and with so much more happiness! He has shown us "our Vnam" and it is right here in our little town!! A whole "nother" world! Oh how He has blessed us by allowing us to serve in "our" Vnam!

So, I challenge you! Stop and watch where God is working and join in! He will have a lesson and a bless'n all wrapped in one!

More to come about our Spring Break outreach!