Has it really been so long since my last blog entry?!?!?!? Wowsers! Oh how time gets the best of you when life gets busy. In any case, for those that have followed along our journey we call "ministry", you can rest assured that we are still going strong. Over the years of pouring into the people living on the streets of our community, God has tenderly touched and has slowly begun to open up their hearts. We have seen firsthand how God will take 2 people who uttered the words "I was so hurt by church and other Christians that we will never step foot near a church" and do something in their hearts by a simple, loving invite (and never giving up or judging) that breaks down those walls and brings them to a place where they are ready and willing to join us for fellowship for service that weekend. Recently so was the case with people I shall keep anonymous. These friends of our joined us faithfully for nearly 5 weeks of continual and steady fellowship, graciously accepting their new bibles as gifts and opening them up on their own. God is amazing and as I've said before - we just get to bear witness to some of those amazing things by showing up and serving in the name of Jesus. The mentioned people have since 'moved on' as we commonly see with this environment, so we can only trust God at His word that "it does not return void".

Tis' The Season...

It saddens me to realize that I have not update this blog in nearly 2 years. There are way too many accounts of blessings and sorrows to try and recall them all. Our team, which has grown from our home church "The Branch" has been faithful to serve alongside us for a few years at this point. Amanda and I have seen a full transition of volunteers except for 1 incredible woman named Betty who has been with us from the beginning. To call her a blessing would be an understatement by far! We are so thankful for all of the volunteers that have crossed our paths to help us make this a successful ministry of love. We take no credit for any of the work that God has done. As I've said time and time again - We just show up and get to watch what God does each week that we meet. Over the last year or so Amanda and I have prayed and discussed the possibility of moving out of state. The time has come for that to become our reality. One of the heaviest things on our hearts was the worry as to what might happen to this ministry once we stop. We have seen miraculous things in the lives of those we've encountered. We dread the thought of it coming to s stop, so we prayed and prayed and prayed for God's will to be done. We cast our prayers and hearts to the Living God of Heaven on behalf of our Neighbors and He was faithful to answer!! In His perfect planning and timing He introduced us to another Body of Believers that meet locally. That congregation has the same heart and mind as us. We've met with their leadership team and had the honor to share about Loving Thy Neighbor as an organic ministry from their pulpit. It is with great joy that I announce that starting January 2018 we pass the torch to Kairos Church. Amanda and I are confident that we are leaving the ministry in very good hands and the work will continue with Jesus Christ being the aim and direction. I ask that you please pray for their church to grow and God would bless their Body. As for Amanda and I, this will be our last month serving as leadership at the park. Our focus will now be on the next chapter in our life that God has for us in a distant land. This is more than likely going to be my last blog entry for Loving Thy Neighbor. God continues to blow our minds each day. I can't fathom how anyone outside of Christ can call Christianity boring. If only they would give Jesus a chance to see what an amazing journey He will take you on if you allow Him to guide you.

In His perfect timing

We met at the park last Friday (Jan 22nd) for the first gathering of the new year. Although it had been 4 weeks since we last served, it felt like it had been a lot longer. I felt the gentle touch of the Holy Spirit pressing on me to share a message this week, so I obeyed. I'm thankful for the brother(s) I can count on to share when I am unable to do so. The message was about the purity of genuine love and what that looks like. For my personal touch, I really enjoy engaging our dinner guests and getting responses to questions I throw out to them. In that sense, it keeps things interesting and helps to know what they think. I can honestly say from my heart, that they have become our "Friends"... like REAL, TRUE friends. For that, there is nothing better to receive (aside from Christ). As the word spreads that we are there, the crowd grows each time we meet. Most come just for the free food, while some of the neighbors come from across the street for free clothing and hygiene supplies, yet while others come for the fellowship among friends. I'm unable to put into words exactly how this all works out, but it does because the hand of God is on our ministry. On this night, an invitation was given to receive Jesus Christ. One of our new guests took that opportunity and together we prayed away from the crowd. This new brother in Christ inquired where he could join us for church on Sunday. I gave him the details, and sure enough he kept to his word and joined us for Sunday service. For the sake of respectful discretion, I shall not share his name online, but I will ask those of you reading this, to please pray for our new brother. He suffers from seizures which requires medication. The side effects of those medications cause memory loss, among other things. I ask that you would join me in prayer for God's healing touch on this mans life in a powerful way to heal him of all ailments.

Rained out

Our fundraiser this past Saturday was not quite what we had hoped for. There are times when you just can not win against the weather. I am so thankful for the dedicated and faithful people that God has placed in our life. Without fail, our team of early birds arrived to the yard sale location at 5am to help with set up. As we set up, the coolness of the brisk morning air became a light drizzle.. that light drizzle than became a bit more consistent. By this time, we had to find cover. Thankfully we managed to round up some large tarps to salvage everything laid out in the yard. Believe it or not, some of our regular customers still kept coming. The rain did not stop them from hitting our fundraiser! God has brought some interesting people across our paths through these yard sales. Some of which, we've become buddies with, even through the broken language barriers. In short, we had planned a full day as we're accustomed to but with the rain as bad as it got, we decided to cut it short. We still raised a decent amount to continue the ministry. Praise Jesus!

Raising funds through Yard Sales

I can not recall whether this was mentioned before or not, but this started happening years ago. We would often come home and find random items sitting either in our driveway or on our doorstep. These items were donations towards the ministry, although with good intentions, somebody without a home might not have any use for a microwave. The donations kept coming and soon we started to fill our garage to its limits. We started doing yard sales to raise funds. This has become our best resource over time. It is certainly a full days work, as any of our team members can testify to that. The start time to set up is usually between 5-5:30am. We can hear the roar of the early bird customers creeping through the neighborhood by 6am, but we try to keep them off the property until 7am as we are still setting up. Manning the hoards of walk ups while setting up is far too overwhelming to take on both at the same time. Because these have become a regular thing, we have repeat customers and through this, we have had wonderful opportunities to build relationships with our clients. We've prayed with people, encouraged others and on a few occasions even had the privilege to lead some to salvation in Christ. What a blessing these tedious and tiresome yard sales have become. They are dreaded each time but they are so worth it in the end. October 17th, 2015 (Next Saturday) is the next. We still seek volunteers to help us. Please pray that God will provide the help.

Never stop loving... ever!

It's been so long since I've last written and so much has changed over the years. I'm at a loss for words, but the burden to post is pressing on my heart, not to just say anything but to glorify God and share of all that He's been doing in that time. Looking back and reviewing the photos, I'm caught in the past, reflecting on the good old days. It's been nearly 7 years since God called us to what we do. Our group in Clairemont has grown to approximately 50 people attending the meals. We may never see the fruits of our labor and I've learned to accept that. It's been a hard lesson for me. For so long, I craved results... not for my own self reward, but to confirm that we weren't wasting our time. That has always been my biggest concern. God has taught me through trials of my own, to wait and trust Him because He is always doing something. Loving Thy Neighbor, as a team has completely changed since the last entry. Only a small handful of original team members remain. Through the things God has orchestrated, we are fully supported by our church family at The Branch San Diego. I am so very grateful for the overwhelming love and support from such kind people. Majority of the new team are fellow members of the Branch. We are currently still only meeting for dinner the last 2 Fridays of the month. It's worked well, although the original plan with the move was to test the waters with serving just 2 weeks out of the month. So what's really new? Hmmm... The relationships that we have built with our friends has never been stronger. A large number of our guests are people we knew from the PB days. Some utilize San Diego's finest public transportation to reach their meal. Keeping that in mind, we make it a point to wait until 5:30pm before we start the night. A message of truth and hope is still given before the food is served. One of the benefits of a smaller crowd these days, is the luxury of changing the menu up. It's no longer just pasta. We have done bbq's, enchiladas, tacos, and may more home-made types of dinners. It's amazing to see the joy and love put into cooking for our guests. (I don't do any of the cooking, just to be clear.) I confess - "I can't cook". Our start time had to change to 5:30 so that I could still be a part of the ministry. I no longer work locally and my commute is less than fun, so 5:30 is the soonest I could get there. Sometimes everything happens so fast that we are reloading the truck by 6:30pm. Let me try to paint you, the reader, a picture in words how it all goes down at the intersection of Genesee & Bannock Ave... Amanda arrives at 4:45pm, greeted by the hungry awaiting guests already forming a line with their backpacks in place. As she pulls up, usually Wayne and other long-time guests are quick to unload the truck and have everything all set up,literallywithin minutes. As the team trickles in, everyone picks their station for the evening. It's very casual. I'm sure it looks strange to people driving by, to see a large group setting up with tables and clothes on the corner of a park. I've stepped away from preaching as much as I was. That privilege has been given to Joey (a long-time team member) and a brother named Paul. Paul is a unique brother with a tremendous gift. He was called by God, to remove himself from all comforts this world has for the working class, and step by faith into the mission field of the houseless life. He literally sold and gave away all that he owned, aside from his Ford Ranger that he sleeps in, to be alongside his peers, whom he shares the Gospel with on a regular basis. I cover in the absence of either of those two brothers. The support of our ministry has grown so much, that we regularly host yard sales to raise funds for special things, such as things found our our wishlist. I'll be sure to follow up on the wishlist another time. The most recent praise report is His provision on us obtaining a shed large enough to hold all the items for the ministry. Pictures will follow soon.

Getting familiar

This past Friday was our second week for the month of February. Our guests were the same as the week before, with a few more.

What I like is that we get to spend some much time with the people. In that we can pray for then or share about why we are doing what we do: "We love because He first loved us."

Our growth is slow at this point and our team had grown with plenty of likeminded brother & sisters who are eager to serve... Only hang up is that we don't have lots to do yet. At least not in this area.

I believe that I'd mentioned other ways our team wants to love on our neighbors through works of service. We are in the process of arranging our first opportunity to help The Body with some needs. This is exciting and I feel this is a great way to get others off their seats and serving Jesus with the gifts He's so generously given us.

Not much to share this week, but it's an update and I can't stress enough the plea to please pray for us.

February - Our 2nd set up

This time was a bit more fruitful than last month. Surely the massive flier campaign we did helped spread the word some but to our surprise... A few guys from PB showed up this week. It was good to catch up and continue building those relationships along with the other new guests that came for dinner.

We served beef tacos this time, including refried beans, and a healthy salad. Our gathering was small yet intimate enough.

With the gathering still being so small, we're able to have some liberty in what amounts we can hand out. We jokingly told the guys to not get used to it as it grows though.

Over all it was a sweet evening full of fun fellowship and feeding some hungry new friends. I look forward to the opportunities that God has laid out for us.

The Green Zone!

Funny thing, that term is.... One because it's a term used for a 'safe haven' or 'non-hostile area'. It can also be used to describe a specific spot or geographical location, which either way could be used for this evenings event.

Tonight was the launch of our Ministry in a new part of town. In preparation we passed out several flyers and met with numerous neighbors in need, giving them well advanced notification of our whereabouts. Including this afternoon, I spent a good portion of the day driving around Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, and Pacific Beach. I got positive responses from everyone I encountered...

Amanda took advantage of the change of pace that's set before us and switched the menu now that we have that opportunity, which was hard to do with such a costly volume of people in PB. Tonight we had Chili, Cornbread, Fresh salad, Fruit Platters, and other goodies.

We didn't know what to expect for the evening, although God knew, we didn't know... and to be quite honest, I was a bit worried earlier this morning. Our team arrived on schedule, meeting at the park or our place beforehand to help with last minute things.

Once we arrived at the park, we set our tables on the big grassy area that faces the nearby bus stop. Hence, the 'green zone'. Our positioning was strategic for those traveling from afar by public bus to see us with no confusion.

Completely breaking the mentality of attendance numbers that we're so used to in PB... We were blessed to serve a total of 5 hungry neighbors, of which not all were "homeless"... Again breaking free from that perception of defining how to love our neighbors. A neighbor is anyone, homeless or not. Our first patron was a young child walking with her father. She enjoyed a giant cookie, while i played with their cute French Bulldog. The rest of the evening was well spent of sweet fellowship amongst one another, catching up an gathering ideas, and simply praying for each others needs.

None of the food went to waste either. All that was made was wisely divided up in preparation for next week as well. Collectively our team enjoyed the heat from such a hearty chili.

Of course we invited all who passed through the park. Many looked puzzled at our presence, just like before, but we are very excited to see what God has in store for us.

Sadness in Reality

As promised to the people of Pacific Beach, it's my duty to keep that group informed of our new location starting this week. In doing so, I went to the boardwalk last night with a stack of flyers to pass out. Boy was it cold down there!

To my surprise, the scene has changed since our departure. I expected to see the same group of neighbors congregating at the usual spots, but there was nobody to be found anywhere. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed because I'd hoped to see some familiar faces and do some catching up.

I did run into one guy who attended our meals. I spent about an hour with him and God gave me a wonderful opportunity to share about His truth with this guy. Before we parted ways, he informed me that one of our old attendees had recently passed away. It saddened me to learn this news.

Tonight, I learned of yet another person (who I shall remain nameless but one our entire team cared deeply about) passed away tonight. I know nothing of the details other than his death is confirmed. This news is a blow to my heart and I do not know how to put it into words.

Tragic as death is, it something that awaits us all. It is final and there is no returning from it. At the moment, all I can think about is how pressed my heart is to share the Gospel of Truth with as many people as I can before it's too late.

The latter of the two guys claimed to know The Lord, and there is slim evidence to prove such, based on his lifestyle. God knows the struggles we all face and it is He who knows if they had a real relationship together. I really hope so!

The Ministry launches the new site in a few days and we don't really know what to expect. I am asking for prayer from those who read this blog. My prayer is that God would bring comfort to our grieving hearts for the loss of a friend, guide and direct us, bring a tight unity to the team, that His Spirit would already be at work on the hearts of those who received the flyers, and that His love would be the shining light that will draw neighbors to Him through our labor of love.

New Season, New Year!

Happy New Year's to all. I, myself am very excited for this new year and whatever God has planned for us as a Ministry.

With only 1 more week until we launch our new location for dinners, we had several volunteers prepare sacked lunches, as a team effort, to spread the word to the surrounding neighbors. In those sacks, we included a pair of new socks, a sandwich, a snack, a Bible track, and a simple flyer with a map indicating where dinner will be served on a regular schedule. I think the number was 45 sacks made.

The original plan was to get them all out on Saturday afternoon, but the sunlight was not in our favor, nor was the chilling weather conditions. Before it got too dark, we were able to pass out about 10 lunches and pray with a few people.

The rest we distributed Sunday afternoon, which was much more productive. We came back to headquarters empty handed.

It still amazes me how God orchestrates things to fall as He plans, and it never comes at a bad time. It's funny how that works....

Just this afternoon, somebody contributed a box full of socks and other clothing items for our neighbors in need.

Oh and I forgot to mention that because of our break from Pacific Beach, we've now had the opportunity to get more organized and what what inventory we have on hand as far as hygienic supplies go. That task alone is major, so having the team over to help get organized was a real blessing for us.

As I've shared with others over the past months, about the new location (being much more local)... A number of others have shown interest in participating. I think change is a good thing and I firmly believe we made the right choice in moving out of PB.

More updates as they come.
May God the Father bring forth paths in the wilderness and rivers in the deserts, just as He promised in Isaiah 43:18-19.

Amen!

Update for the season!

Well, here we are at the end of November... It's been about a month since we've left PB. Of course there are mixed emotions but our team all agrees that we made the right decision.

Being that most of the LTN team fellowships at Horizon anyways, it was no surprise running into some of our friends from PB at this years Thanksgiving outreach. It was neat to see some familiar faces.

I've held back on mentioning what exactly we are aiming towards for a few reasons. The biggest is that Gods ways are not always what we have planned, so things may change if we say "This is what we'll be doing."

For now I can share what things we've been praying about and we are confident that if that's what God will is, the doors will be opened wide...

From experience, we are well aware that the biggest need for the homeless community is at the me of the month. That's being said, we plan to establish ourselves at a park in the heart of Clairemont Mesa on the last Friday of each month. Flyer distribution to inform the locals of our Ministry will start at the beginning of January 2013.

With the last Friday taken care of, we have at least 3 other weeks available for Ministry opportunities. This is where the changes are taking place. I know that not everybody shares the same heart to reach out to the homeless population and that is perfect understandable...

What about sharing some love with the elderly in our communities? Whether that be cooking meals, doing yard work, doing small repairs at somebody's home, walking around and praying in convalescent homes, etc... That's an area that's heavy upon our hearts.

It's undeniable that San Diego is a huge Military town. How can we not love those who willingly risk to lay down their lives for our freedom, including our freedom of religion? In what capacity can our team of servants for Jesus Christ reach out to love on the Military families? Door to door prayer? Teams of people maybe help do the grocery shopping for mothers while their spouse is deployed? There's so much potential to share Jesus is such actions!

The other week is somewhat undetermined still. Originally we were thinking helping in orphanages and loving on the children Jesus talks so much about loving the kids and not preventing them from coming to Him. The only issue is that I have yet to locate any orphanages in San Diego. Our heart is still for children but we are seeking direction and guidance where to go and what to do.

That's all I have to update for now, so please remember us in your prayers. May GOD grant each of you blessings upon blessings, peace, love and joy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A new season!

So it's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post entry. It's with good cause...

Our time serving the community of Pacific Beach has come to an end as if last Friday, so tomorrow will feel awkward for most of us when we don't do our normal routine.

We gave ample notice to our neighbors before leaving them. The last thing any of us wanted to do was leave our dinner guests with the feeling of abandonment or guilt. It was God's calling for us to relocate for a new season, after several months if diligent prayer. Most of them understood what that meant.

Our last night (last week) was monumental. I believe that the word got out that our team was packing up and moving out. We had the largest gathering ever! There was close to 300 people who came out to say their good-byes to us. We would've normally ran out of food for such a large group, but in God's perfect planning, He supplied and met our needs before we knew what was going on. A food donation came to us in addition to what Amanda usually cooks, which left us with just one single plate left after it was all said and done. "God trips me out!" I love the fact that I'm clueless most of the time, because its exciting to see what He's going to do next.

As our friends said their good-byes, they greeted us with warm heartfelt hugs and lots of thankful handshakes. There was even some shedding of tears. I shared the vision God gave us along with the new location we will be setting up in January. Several of our regulars promised to commute to stay in touch with us and continue in their spiritual growth. I am so blessed at the relationships built over our time spent in PB.

This past week, I was given the privilege to share about LTN during chapel at Horizon Christian Academy. Some of the students recalled my visit last school year. We included a sign up sheet for those desiring to become involved... I was blown away at the positive response from the youth.t In addition to volunteers signing up, we received an abundant donation of needed items to continue the work of the gospel through the love of Christ.

It's late and I'm exhausted, so that's all for now folks. Be blessed and please be praying for us.

Proverbs 20:24

"A man's steps are directed by the LORD..."

This week our team had a meeting in which we discussed what GOD was leading us to do. A decision was made and we will be headed in a new direction as He leads us.

Tonight I made the announcement to our dinner guests, which I anticipated negative remarks, but to my surprise came blessings and words of encouragement! Those who 'have the ears to hear' asked that we keep them up to date with our movements because they would like to go where is necessary for fellowship and continual growth in their walk.

Our entire team is excited about this new seasons that He has planned for us, and although we are unsure what it's going to look like exactly, but we walk by faith and not by sight... Right?

The LTN team will finish out October and then we will be spending the rest of this year getting organized and figuring out how to be more productive for the sake of the Gospel. (As we proceed in certain areas of our planning, I will update on here.)

What I will say for now is... "This new venture will give much more opportunity for others to get involved, if they have a heart to serve."

Tonight something really rad happened while in PB... With our Worship Leader unable to join us (due to calendar conflict) our nights have been somewhat hectic. The sound of worship music has a special supernatural power that has kept the area mellow over the years. Most of the fellow musicians have grown an appreciation for Jason's faithfulness and have taken notice of his recent absence, so tonight... Although these two men did not play 'Christian music', they did what they could and did a peaceful jam session with an acoustic guitar and bongo for us while we served everyone dinner. It was pretty sweet!!!

I know we are going to miss the friendships of those we've grown to know during this season, but we understand what it means to follow in obedience when The Lord says to move.

"No fisherman ever stays in the same pond for too long."

Putting things into perspective...

This past Friday in addition to the events if last week has really opened my eyes to the spiritual battle that goes on.

As I gave the message, I'd asked by a show of hands, who believes the statement Jesus said in John 14:6. There was a significant number of hands raised... (somewhere around 30 if I had to guess a number)... but what was revealed to me at that moment wasn't how many people were saved, it was the number of those with hardened hearts and deaf ears unwilling to change even after so many years of hearing the Good News that will save their life.

Months ago, there was an issue with a woman who comes through our line. This time she was so out of control and disrespectful that I had to ask her to leave. She refused and became even more belligerent that I ended up calling the SDPD to handle the situation. Some of her friends, became angry at me and could not understand why I made such a decision, but those of sound mind understood. There has been a great and damaging sense if disrespect for what we are doing in PB. It breaks my heart to see so many people unwilling to receive the goodness of God. Some of our regular guests have shown that they feel they are entitled to something, which I'm afraid is not the case at all. There's. fine line between friendship and ministry. Personally speaking, I feel that if ever there comes a time when somebody after investing so much into their lives, they feel comfortable enough to be your friend and stay in that previous state, rather than change and be fruitful.... one must evaluate and figure if it's time to move on.

We all know that Jesus is bold, direct, and speaks with clarity. He didn't beat around the bush in Luke 9:3-5.

There's no doubt there's a spiritual battle going on, just as the Bible says. One of my brothers in Christ told me after the outraged woman left told me something that really ministered to me: "Thank GOD that's the only thing that happens tonight!" I'm pretty sure the devil wasn't too pleased to see so many people raise their hands without any shame that Jesus Christ is their LORD and confess that He is the only way to salvation.

Here I am Wednesday morning still with a heavy heart, but encouraged in the LORD by my brothers, and seeking direction from our Father. Please join me in prayer what to do.

Thank you and GOD bless you all.

Some thoughts to think about....

When Amanda and I first started this Ministry, we didn't have any expectations... All we knew was that God called us to be down there to feed the people (physically or spiritually at that time, I do not know).

Here we are now 42 months (183 weeks) later and we still see most of the same people in the same position we met them in. Sure... now they listen to the sermons and are thankful and some are actually truly grateful for our kind acts, but it breaks my heart that except for a very few, there has been no change.

There have been several people who have prayed to accept Christ during an invitation, but there hasn't really been any real growth. There are times like tonight, that I wonder if we're spinning our wheels. Should we move to plant seeds elsewhere?

I had a conversation with one of our guests this evening and he'd been around for about 2 years now. He shared with me the perspective from a 'homeless person' towards us and what we do. "As good as the food is, and as nice as you guys are to us, it gets old hearing the same thing and eating the same food over and over again." When I heard that, I was at a lose for words... What does one say to that and still remain walking in the Spirit? I respect his brutal honesty, but it got me thinking about the balance in the fruit we've produced in Pacific Beach and whether or not it's time we relocate to start a new work.

I'm feeling a little defeated... Maybe just discouraged.... But I know this feeling will not last, because I have the promises of a Comforter who will always lift me up when I'm low and He will direct me where He wants us to go.

Earlier this week, some women from our church mentioned that they're starting a women's Bible Study in PB, very close to where we meet on Fridays. They asked me to mention an open invitation to the women that attend the dinner... None of the women were interested.

Don't get me wrong, there are genuinely nice and grateful people who we are helping, but are we now enabling them? There is a difference from a hand-out and a hand-up... so which is it that we are doing?

Tonight I watched people take full advantage of our teams generosity. It was a restless night and there was lots going on: bike theft right behind me while I'm preaching... People barking demands at our team for clothing... Folks cutting in line to help themselves, rather than wait... People changing clothes they just receive from us, only to walk back thru to get more items despite our limitation policy... Cursing towards us when we ask for cooperation... Grumbles when we tell them we don't have an item like razors....

That's not the majority but only a few, but as I said earlier, where is the fruit of our labors?

The one thing I'm asking prayer for myself at the moment, is for wisdom. With wisdom comes clarity. I do not want to make a move without the direction of God, especially of it's based on emotion.

Right now I feel like Peter when he said to Jesus "We've fished all night and have caught NOTHING!"

Off my soapbox and going to sleep now. Maybe God will speak to me in my sleep.

The angels dance...

This week was another miraculous one. A man named Pete came came to the saving grace and found salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We were blessed with a food donation, so we had a change of menu, which I believe is needed every once in awhile. We served cheeseburgers, hot dogs, Mac & cheese, and baked beans. Something happened that I think impacted one of our guests in more of a way than we would suspect. This particular man has lots of health issues and is very selective as to what he eats. Amanda (being well aware of his condition) made this man a special plate of spaghetti, packaged just for him in a container to-go. When he came through the line, he was blown away that Amanda did something out of her way, specifically for him.. And because of that, he was able to join us for dinner.

It was a good fruitful night and it's those times far and few between that make this Ministry so rewarding.

Hello, hello readers! This is sadly the longest I think I've gone without posting reports of what's been going on. Our home computer broke, so finding the time to write has been a big challenge for me. I'll do my best to update everything from memory.... A couple from out of state came through our line for the first time a few weeks ago, and the woman was moved by the Holy Spirit as God directed the message directly to her. That was pretty cool. I had the privilage to pray with them before they left for the evening. We had a young female passer-byer join us in serving a few weeks ago. She was a big help, as we've been short handed on more than one occassion lately. I believe that this experience has touched her in a way that she's never felt. She plans to return and help again. God's timing is awesome! We've had a handful of misc food contributions come in, which has helped us financially. I'll write more after tomorrow's outreach (if I get the chance).

More love, more power...

The doors that GOD has been opening for us, has been exciting to say the least! Our team is seeing a steady flow of volunteers catching the vision and coming to our side to share His love through simple acts of kindness.

Due to the approach that GOD has given us to use to our neighbors, we are witnessing hearts becoming softened. More of our neighbors are wanting to join us in opening prayer, and more are listening intently to the sermon shared. One of the first things that changed, that has been a huge blessing for Amanda and I.... (and my back...) was the amount of men who help unload our truck and set things up with us. We are in this Ministry to give without the expectation of getting anything in return, especially from a group as our neighbors in need, yet they give what they can through serving with their hands. I appreciate them more than words could ever explain.

This week, we had the company of our high school youth group join us. It was beautiful to see young brothers & sisters sharing His ultimate love, with pure hearts and genuine smiles. There is something very special about seeing young people having a heart for others. I hope and pray those are the events in life that will catch the heart of somebody else who maybe doesn't know Jesus, and seeing that will win them over. There was the laying of hands for physical healing this evening and we're excited to see GOD do the healing.

Our church has a very simple, yet very profound vision statement: Win, Disciple, Send. Tonight, as I'm writing this entry, I feel like GOD has shown me how we can apply that vision to our MInistry. We don't know what HOF has planned for any of us... for any of our houseless neighbors... or anything, but we can win the hearts of people (always pointing to Christ). That is something we know we can do if we keep doing what we're doing in love. We can disciple in the sense of biblical discipleship to our neighbors but we can also disciple volunteers in the sense of education of this culture and how to show the way it's best been effective for 'us'. In that same token, we have also send those that have caught the vision, to other parts of the community to do the exact same thing.... Share the love of Jesus Christ in truth and action.

I was surprised to learn that Amanda and I have earned somewhat of a reputation within the community. People from afar talk about the Christians that feed people pasta on Friday nights by the pier. Perhaps we're not known by name (which is fine by me) but there is undeniable doubt that word on the streets is we are feeding Physically & Spiritually.

I mention that because my heart broke when I first heard that although plenty of churches or facilities will hand out some food, not too many places or people are sharing the Word of GOD to such a crowd as these. I thank my Heavenly Father for calling me to this Ministry and gifting me with a way that I'm able to reach my neighbors without cramming the Bible down their throats and scaring them off... They actually keep coming back, knowing they will hear about Jesus. It's awesome!

We keep truckin' along....

Last week, there was nothing new or exciting worth blogging about, other than GOD continuing to be faithful in His provision for His Ministry. I was sick and completely lost my voice, so a friend stepped up to the plate and shared the message that I'd prepared.

We met a couple of passer Byers who were drawn to our gathering by their curiosity. Once they discovered what we were about, they asked how to help and get involved. It's an open invite to all who want to watch what GOD does, because those who are present can't deny He is with us.

As for this past Friday, out regular Worship Leader couldn't make it, so my buddy, Toyo, came out to give a hand. (There is something supernatural about the presence of worship & praise songs!)

Mid-evening, a young gal and guy approached me about participating in a documentary they're working on. We had about a 10 minute interview of questions on why we do what we do and for whom we do it for. I can't wait to see the worldwide web hear about the work that GOD is doing through LTN. I'll keep everyone up to date once I get a copy of the film.

Praise Him!