Today, team Harvest (joined by a girls team from the other gap squad) got the opportunity to leave campus and do some local ministry! We were placed with a ministry called Good Samaritan in Gainesville, GA that provides food for people who can’t afford it on their own. I think when most of us heard about what we were doing we didn’t expect what we actually got to do. When we first arrived we did the typical food pantry volunteer mission. Packing drinks into bags for easy packing into the big boxes. But it wasn’t long after when the leader of the food bank told us we would actually be able to help the people coming to pick up food 1 on 1. Whether that was helping them bring the food and unload it in their car, simply bringing the cart back to the building, or by getting to know them a little bit and praying for them! While I brought countless carts back, and was able to exercise my muy poquito Español skills, I was able to meet and pray over 3 very special people in particular.
Jackie:
When the initial rush happened most of us asked people if they wanted help and were faced with the “I’m okay, thank you!” Which after a few of those started to feel discouraging. However, that was until a woman came walking down with a cane and I could tell God was leading me to her. After getting her cart I went over and asked if she wanted some help getting everything to her car. She was super appreciative and took the offer. I introduced myself and came to find out she had a daughter named Katie, which we thought was the sweetest thing that it’s also my name! Having a cane she was walking at a slower pace, and she kept apologizing which broke my heart. I used the walk to get to know her a little bit. She had just had surgery on her leg, making it very difficult for her to walk, and expressed the heaviness of her neighbor’s cancer diagnosis weighing on her heart. I knew this was God’s nudge to ask if I could pray for her and her healing. She said something along the lines of, “Yes ma’am, please I will take all the prayers.” After loading up the car with her food I placed my hand on her back and I prayed over her, and her friend. I talked to her a little bit more about how powerful our Lord is and how I love her faith despite how many obstacles are being thrown at her. Seeing the way she loves the Lord and seeing her tear up on the way back to the building filled me with an immense amount of emotions after she expressed her gratitude and told her goodbye. You could tell she loved just knowing someone wanted to listen, she could express her pain (physical and emotional) and know someone is praying for her and loves her!
My conversation with Jackie changed my outlook on missions and evangelism. Sharing the gospel starts with a conversation, to which the Lord nudges you when an opportunity comes up to share about Him! He places the people in your path and you just need to obey.
After helping Jackie, I was asked to pack some treat bags, just little ziplocks filled with some candy that the kids get. But after those were finished, I went back outside. I did some laps of the parking lot to grab some people’s carts to bring back, and then when I ran to get one man’s cart in particular a guy leaning against a car started talking to me.
Joseph & Connie:
“You guys are the happiest volunteers I’ve ever seen,” I hear as I grab a cart from a man behind him. “We all love serving and want to be here!” I told him as I pushed the cart down the hill to Emma since I just knew I was going to have a conversation with this guy. He goes on to say how he loves seeing such young people out serving and asks if we are from around here. I explained to him a little about Adventures in Missions and what we are all doing. He says how he desires to serve others but can’t because he needs hip surgery, but can’t get it because he needs to be smoke free for 6 weeks. I ask if I could pray for him and he says yes. I pray that the Lord would give him the strength to help break his addiction so he can get the surgery he needs and then serve God’s people with the servant’s heart he has. By this time his wife came over and he introduced me to her. She shares how she is also addicted to smoking and how they plan to quit together once they run out, and how they are all each other have because of family deaths and struggles.They then both expressed their desire to get reconnected with a church, not knowing the area I ran down to the building asked where the nearest church was and ran back to tell them! They were so excited to get connected back in a Christian community because they know the importance of the influence you recieve from a church family. That truly warmed my heart! I then felt called to pray again, but this time for both of them. We join hands and I pray that they would lean on the Lord while they are going through their journey with quitting smoking and know that they are not alone because they not only have each other but the Lord is with them alway too! (this part was completely Holy Spirit led because I’m not good with scripture memory) —> Just like it says in Ecclesiastes 4, 3 strands are not easily broken. Once we finished praying, Joseph said how he knows the Lord will help him through this because in Mark 11:22-23 it says that mountains will be moved if you believe, not might me, but WILL BE. I found that so encouraging knowing his faith in the Lord! I told them how grateful I was to meet them, and that I not only will be praying for them constantly but truly love them!
Seeing how the Lord was moving today through everyone serving was a beautiful sight of what the next 9 months will look like. While some of us got rejections, we all came back to the base so filled with joy from the Spirit! This experience made me realize what evangelism really is, and how the Lord leads you to the specific people he wants you to share with! The last part of Matthew 28:20, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” has never shown more truth than in serving today!
If you would like to donate to this ministry to help families put food on their table here is their website to copy and paste: https://www.gsfoodministries.com/
Here are pictures from our day, including one of my favorites, praying with Joseph & Connie:
We talked about this very thing today in class- how to reach people who need the Lord . God will give us the words when we need them. I love the mission you’re on and it’s so needed in this world. Love you Tana
Oh Miss Katie Jean! My heart is bursting with joy for you right now!! God is using you and your smile for the good! Prayers for safe travels!