Wow! ~ Week 9

Hi all, this is Amanda here… I am taking the honors of recording the amazing things that GOD has done this week! First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has supported us. Your prayers, donations and encouragement have been invaluable. On a personal note, before I jot down what GOD has done this past week in PB I would like to share a little of what GOD has shown me… The Lord has taught me through this endeavor, that He does not need our resources, our talents, or our abilities. He simply looks for a willing heart and he allows us to be blessed by working through us. I have learned the importance of a dollar and that I (we) have a great responsibility for what GOD has given us. He has taught me to value and make good use of my time. He has taught me to love, love and then love some more.

I want to encourage all of you, if you feel as though the Lord is leading you to do something for His kingdom, do it! Take that step of faith. He will honor it and you will be so blessed in the process.

Now, on to week 9…

It is amazing to me how GOD can speak to one about the smallest things. When I prepare to cook I pause for a moment and always hear that small voice instruct me on how much I should prepare. I had only planned on making one tray of spaghetti this week because I knew that other people were bringing food to help out (my mother-in-law and sister-in-law had committed to bringing chili and hot dogs). However, when I started to cook I knew I needed to make more. GOD plans things perfectly! The amount of food we prepare is always just enough!

Word of mouth travels fast… More and more people come week by week. On the streets free meals given to the homeless are called “feeds”. The homeless tell each other where the feeds are and what day of the week one is available. We are now known as “The Friday Night Feed” on the streets.
Our team (Teri, Jason, Jen, Joey, Beau and I) was blessed this week by a family from Vista. Beau and Teri have been placing ads on Craig’s list asking for donations of clothing, blankets and food and man oh man did this family deliver. They were such a blessing. They stayed for hours with us and ate and fellowshipped. They plan on coming back on a regular basis which is a huge blessing. They brought down tons of clothes and blankets as well as nonperishable food items that the guys could take with them to last through the week. The guys and a few gals rummaged through the clothes and you could hear the excitement when a pair of socks or a sweatshirt in good condition was found.

It has been such a humbling and convicting experience. I realize that there are so many things that I take for granted. I never stopped to consider (until now) how fortunate I am to have clean socks, a bed, pillows, and the ability to take a warm shower. I have been shown that something I consider “small” or “insignificant” is huge to someone that goes without.
I was blessed by a little cute lady named Linda. Her son was on the pier fishing and it was too cold for her so she was sitting on the boardwalk. She noticed us and came over to see what we were doing. We explained our ministry and told her that we just want to share the love of our Lord Jesus. She knows the Lord and was encouraged by what was taking place. I asked her to come on over and have some food with us and she asked me to put her to work since she is a “worker”. She stood by my side for most of the evening helping me prepare the plates for the guys. We were able to share some of our life experiences and what GOD has done for us. I will probably never see her again (she was on a 2-3 day trip from Arizona) but I will never forget her.

A man named Larry came to get his plate of food. He handed Beau a hand crafted boat made from a poker chip, paper and matchsticks. You have to see it, it is amazing! Beau will be posting pictures of it. He sells them for 5 dollars but wanted to give one to Beau as a token of his appreciation.

Amy, Joe and Mandy from our home fellowship came by. It was great to have them there. I would look up from time to time as I was serving food and was excited to see that each one of them were opening up and talking to the guys. After meeting Amy, Joe and Mandy a few of the guys let us know that they are interested in coming to home fellowship. I know this will be a good thing, a little more intimate and less intimidating than stepping into a huge church.

A few guys from campus crusade joined us. They hung out and talked and ministered to the guys. They told us that their group that is down here for the summer will be praying for us.

The police did come by, as they normally do, but this time they popped their heads over and said “We are just checking on you” smiled and carried on. The power of prayer is amazing.

We spent a good amount of time talking to a man we call “Chicago”. He really opened up and told us many amazing stories about his life. He is a broken man and needs the Lord desperately. Joe spent a lot of time talking to Chicago and Mandy was able to make him smile. We prayed for him and he fought back tears.

To sum it all up, The Lord is doing amazing things. I know that I have to pray ALOT in order to keep up with what He is doing! Our intentions are to follow the Lord in all He will have us do. I am continually amazed and reminded that His ways are not our ways. He has used these men to teach and reveal so many things to me. I have all that I have because of the Lord. In closing, this verse seems to fit!

Proverbs 3:27-28:
Do not withhold good from those whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, “go and come back and tomorrow I will give it", when you have it with you.