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May 7, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 6-Final Day at Miss Shirley’s home

Last Day

Driving to Shirley’s house for the last time, it felt bittersweet. There were a lot of thoughts that came into our minds- from whether or not we would be able to finish our goals, how we might balance the tasks we faced, and the relationships that could be harvested. We all prayed about it the night before, that we won’t forget that the most important aspect would be to minister to Shirley.

Paul reminded us of being okay with doing what we can in our morning prayer at the job site. From then on, we all seamlessly went back to our respective duties or to a new duty (for some, they needed a change of pace). We worked from 8:30 til noon and then we went down to eat at Chick-fil-A. We also invited Eric, Chris, and Shirley with us. Then we returned to work until 4 pm, which was an hour longer than our usual week. Frankly we didn’t want to leave; we really wanted to keep on working to finish the home. However, as Paul mentioned during group sharing, although our accomplishments are not 100% complete, God can still use what the was done faithfully to heal hearts.

After putting away all the tools and supplies into the Habitat trailer, we all toured the house to admire each individual’s handiwork. The ramp was 95% completed and fully functional. All eight windows, three doors, and coordinating trims were installed, pending for caulk. The front facing panel wall was fully painted with two coats.

It was four days of hard work at the Shirley house requiring 19 volunteers, 2 site supervisors, and one home owner. We were proud of all the progress we made as a team. It is tempting to compare which job was more important, but in reality, God blessed Shirley through each task. Craig, Kevin T, Chris C, and Eric provided Shirley with a new bathroom equipped with all new fixtures and a raised floor. The ramp team (Paul, Kevin L., Pam, Roz., Virginia, Patrick, Jimmy, Peter, and Randy) helped provide relief for Shirley’s bad knees. Now, she can walk comfortably up and down from her house rather than climbing stairs. The windows and doors team (Tommy, John, Art, Brandon, and Jeff) provided a whole new perspective of the world. She remarked to us, the beauty of seeing her front yard through her new double pane windows. Also, the scrape team (Jimmy, Virginia, Roz, Pam, Alice) were also blessed to know Shirley better as they worked side by side doing the same task.

We left the site with bittersweet prayer and blessing the house and Shirley. Site supervisor Chris H also prayed for our safe journey home. We also learned that Chris H, being touched by our Christ-like will join us on our next year trip (at another state) in high probability. If so, we hope that we get more volunteers so that Chris H, Paul, and Paul’s wife, Denise, can fully use their leadership skills as site supervisors to their potential.

After a hamburger and hot dog dinner, we had group worship and sharing. There were conflicts that got resolved, we encouraged one another to grow. and also reflected on how God used this experience to grow our own faith.

To celebrate our hard work and to have a last fellowship together, we all went out for late night cookies and ice cream in Bricktown, OK.

Tomorrow is our flight home. Please continue to pray for the continual relationship with Shirley and for a planted seed to grow.

Here’s our video and slideshow

May 6, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 5 – Hitting the wall

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone.”- 2 Peter 3:9

Kevin T started the morning with a testimony of how God proved to be faithful in his life. Growing up getting good grades, becoming an Eagle Scout (only 4 in every 100 scouts achieve this rank), and being accepted into law school, Kevin thoroughly understood success through hard work and perseverance. However, after receiving a no pass on the bar exam, everything he was sure about, he suddenly doubted. Anxiety set in. He begin to question if law was the path that God was directing him, although he had previously prayed and received affirmation in the last. Through his Mom, he was urged to listen to the song, Thy Will Be Done. Listening to the song, he felt as if God was speaking. He broke down and realized how much anxiety he had about his future and how it was affecting him spiritually.

“During lunch I listened to the song and I started to weep… [I asked God to] give me peace so I don’t have anxiety anymore.”- Kevin.

From then on, Kevin worked to free himself from the stress of needing to succeed as he focused his perspective back on God. Thus, he is leaning on God and His plans rather than by his own strength and expectations.

“Don’t be discouraged if you missed your mark. Instead embrace [the disappointment]… and let His will be done.” -Kevin.

Shirley Home Update

We had our time limited at the house because we had to help out to raise the framing for the walls for the new build site. For three hours, we quickly, but safely without cutting corners, continued to finish as much as we could. We began to prepare the restroom to install the floors. Additional windows were added along with the trim. The tail end of the ramp was added. The scrape team continued to patiently finish the east side of the house. Since tomorrow is our last day, we hope to complete the top repairs.

Finishing installing the sink, floor, toilet for the restroom.
Paint the house.
Complete the ramp.
Complete the trimming for the windows.

Saying Goodbyes

We went to the new build site to help with the walls, then we had two bittersweet farewells. First, Lorin had to return back home two days early for personal family reasons. Then, we said goodbye to Jose and Serafin because there is a possibility will may not be coming back to OKC next year. We prayed for both of them, and the new build house. Please pray for a safe return for Lorin.

Devotional

Devotionals led by Brandon and Tommy (with Chris C at guitar for worship) commenced after a tasty dinner of pulled pork and chicken.

Brandon

1 Corinthians 1:36-31

Brandon shared how God wants us to admit our weakness to Him in order for us know God’s patience, his love, and power. We are all chosen to be here to be weak so we can show God’s strength. Through that, we can bless others. However, he revealed that showing weakness was not easy for him.

“I set myself pretty high standards and sometimes when I don’t meet those expectations I ask myself-am I doing enough?” -Brandon

God revealed a lesson for Brandon through his MSG’s message, but didn’t understand it at first. But by humbling himself and asking God about his purpose during the trip, he realized the point was the willingness to be used in whatever capacity-big or small.

“It wasn’t about what I want to do but how can the Lord use me for his glory and purpose for this trip… [I asked God should I] allow you to use me .. and He (God) said ‘Yes, that’s what I want you to do.’ ” -Brandon

Tommy

Tommy shared advice on preparing ourselves to have a blurb to share with family and friends. This was tip he learned from his daughter. It will help us with being concise and having something meaningful to share with others.

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” -Mark 4:39

He also reminded us about how the Lord does not prevent bad things from occurring, but it’s what our response is that is important. On the job site, it’s easy to get hurt if we are being careless. But sometimes, bad things do happen even if we do take every precaution. However, it does not mean God is uncaring. Rather, we must remember that Jesus is always there with us at all times. We were not created by God to be happy, but to be, rather, we are meant to be holy. By this, we can find ourselves closer to God, which leads to peace and joy.

“Ask yourself, are we looking for safety or are we truly seeking after holiness as God intends…”- Tommy

Enjoy today’s photo album here

Here is the video recap for today

May 6, 2017

OKC 2017 – Folding with Lorin

Lorin got a chance to share with the 4th-5th graders at Hilltop Baptist

Afterwards, a few of the kids stuck around to get a personal private teaching on how to make the top out of origami!

For you that wanted to see how it was done.. Here it is!

May 5, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 4 Alice’s (plus 2 & 3) recap

Alice has been pulling triple duty as team photographer, helping with the blog, and of course, working on the house. Here’s her notes on the last few days at Miss Shirley’s home:

We were thankful that it wasn’t cold today (day 4). We immediately got back to work on the major aspects of the house.

1) Bathroom

Kevin, Craig, and Chris were the bravest members of the team for they had to work 2 inches away from the main pipe to the toilet. There were so many problems to the restroom. Half the floor was rotten and had mostly sunken into the ground. Our team pulled out the damaged area to release the floor. Chris C went under the crawl space, despite the smells, to jack up the joists that held up the restroom floor.

“So many problems [with the bathroom]. As we were laying the subfloor, we jacked up the joist in hopes we can level out the floor better. In the end we we had a dip… it was the best we could do [given the circumstances]. The restroom will still work, [but] I’m a perfectionist.”- Kevin T

The next plan to fix the dip in the floor is to level it out with Wonderboard or to level it as they do the actual flooring over the base.

2) Windows and Scrape team

Most windows were up and the scrape team is 80% finished with removing the paint from the walls. Already it’s looking really good. Shirley can still decide on color of the trim- forest green or off white. However, she still has some time. We don’t plan to start painting until Saturday.

“Art and I were starting a window. There were old metal pieces in there that were blocking the way like nails. Chris Hearn grabbed a crow bar and hammer and just whacked them in. Genius! We all have something to learn and everyone teaches each other. “- John.

3) Back ramp

John and Tommy both worked on the back door and completed it on day 2. Right after which, the Ramp team started working on the deck. Paul was the unofficial “architect” for the team. Although it seemed easy on paper, the team met many obstacles. First, the team found out that wood naturally warps, which was challenging in getting things to be straight. Thanks to the group effort, they made great progress, having set in the posts down into the ground with Quickcrete.

“The wood was bowed..[so] it was like piecing like a puzzle, however, the cuts were pretty good”- Randy.

“I dug a hole…[it] took 15 minutes (2 feet deep)..[It was] for the deck post.”- John

4) Plumbing

On day two, we found out that the sewage line was disconnected and clogged up. Due to the bad smell, we all were called to stop scraping on that side of the house. Others, however, still continued to work there to finish the door and start of the deck. But to fix the sewer line, we still had a plumber called in. It was a bit difficult for the plumbers to work since it was right next to the deck being built, however, we all worked to get out of each other’s way. Now the plumbing was unclogged and good to go.

“Habitat volunteers can’t do electrical and plumbing. We can do framing and handyman stuff… those aren’t as regulated. Electrical and plumbing must be [according to] code… you need a license [to do that]” -Patrick

5) Mid-Day Treat

From Eric, one of the Habitat construction staff, we learned that Sonic has a Thursday 50cent corn dog special. Upon hearing this, Peter was immediately sold and graciously offered to buy everyone a corn dog. Lorin sweetened the offer by buying us any drink we wanted.

6) Connecting with Shirley.

Shirley, the homeowner, is incurably sweet. As we were leaving, she asked us for our contact information so she could send us a letter afterwards. Both Alice and Virginia got to know her better as well.

“I was walking around the house looking for something to do after spending 3 hours scraping stubborn paint off the walls. It’s really hard for me to walk away from doing something sometimes. However, it seemed like God was telling me to stop doing what I was doing and move on to other things. It was like He was planting a thought in my head, that I was missing out on the things going on around the house. I hate missing out on stuff so I went and explored. I finally found myself with nothing to do and went inside the house to find Shirley taking a break from scraping due to her bad knees. I suddenly started to talking to her and asking her about things. I can’t recall what. Eventually, she started talking about her husband who passed away last year. She really missed her husband, whom she did everything with. I then asked her about her support groups and she says he has a friend and a daughter. I really hope she can grow her community and that she can experience the everlasting love of Jesus Christ one day.” -Alice

“When Shirley first walked up to the house [on Wednesday], Jeff and I asked her about her meeting with a local agency and how it went. She said it did not go well. She said she was frustrated. Later that day, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to talk to her and see how I could help her with her problem. We sat in her living room and she tried to explain the problem. I was unsure how to help her… I told her that God cares for the widows and he has provided people to come alongside her to help her. I prayed for her and asked the Lord to strengthen her and to provide someone to help her. Still feeling like I didn’t help her, I asked Eric, the site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity, if they had any resources to help her in this area. He recommended that she go to Legal Aid of Oklahoma. I quickly went her to tell her about Legal Aid and she was very happy to hear about it.” -Virginia

7) Dinner with OKC Habitat Crew.

We invited Jose, Serafin, Eric, and Chris from the Habitat Crew along with their families.

Unfortunately, Serafin and Eric’s wife were unable to attend. We had dinner at Hideaway’s, a popular pizza parlor near the church. It was a very casual and relaxing environment for us to get to know the crew we work with. We found out some interesting things. For example, Jose has undergone three miraculous accidents without significant injury. Once, at the AT&T Center in Texas, a nail penetrated his hand, but he did not suffer any blood loss. Also, at the same site, his foot got caught in a cable connected to a crane and he was lifted 20 feet into the air! Jose agreed with us that God must have been protecting him.

“John and I had the opportunity to speak and interact with Jose and his big family. I feel like it was God-ordained, since John and I have some ability to speak Spanish. It was good to get to know them. His kids, ages 2, 6, 7, and 7 months are simply adorable, happy kids. Jose is a good man, and I hope both John and I can continue to follow up with him now that John has his contact information.” -Alice

May 5, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 4 – Miss Shirley’s house

This is our second day at this site. Miss Shirley has been working side by side with us as we continue to make renovations to her home.

The team has finished prepping 3 out of 4 sides of her home for paint, installed two exterior doors, rebuilt the subfloor in her bathroom so the shower can be reinstalled, replaced damaged windows and built half an access ramp in the back.

Part of the build was putting in posts for the rear access ramp. Some of the team wrote prayers and words of encouragements to be put in the cement foundations for those posts. Site supervisors said if there’s a tornado, that deck would likely be the thing most likely to survive.

After the workday, we had a dinner with our site supervisors, Jose, Chris H and Eric and their families at a local pizza place. It was a great time of spending social time outside the worksite with the Habitat team as well among ourselves. It was blocks away from the devastation of the Moore tornado destruction and site of our new build of the first year.

Tomorrow is half a day working at Miss Shirley’s, then we return to the site of our first day of Habitat work to work with Jose for one last day

Enjoy the photos for the day!

And the video recap

May 4, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 3-Recap for the day

Today was the first day on the site with Miss Shirley Smith. Our site leaders, were Chris H and Eric for Habitat.

We’d seen photos of the house before, and it looked in much better shape than some of us expected. A new roof had been put on where we had seen blue tarps in the photo before

But when we arrived, it looked in better shape:

But there was still water damage from the once open roof.

So we went to work. We had a few tasks ahead of us:
a) replace the exterior doors (3)
b) replace bathroom floor, tub and commode
c) remove old paint from siding and repaint
d) build an access ramp/deck in the back for scooters/wheelchairs
e) repair ceiling damage (from the once open roof) in living room, kitchen

Some of the projects proved more complicated as they were worked on. Craig, Kevin T and Chris were working in the bathroom and had to raise/jack up the house because it had sank so much

Since the bathroom was unavailable to us, and we hadn’t yet received delivery of the outhouse, we drove to a local park to have lunch. It was cold and windy, and most of us stayed in the cars.

Afterwards, some of us picked up warm drinks at a local Starbucks, and we chatted with a few of the hundreds of FFA students who were here for a statewide meeting. We also noticed a man that was folding paper in the most interesting ways. Lorin went inside to engage with the fellow, sharing their interest in origami. It was a nice way to connect and understand someone, through their hobbies and interests, and we went on our way.

Later that evening, Lorin would be asked by a teacher at Hilltop Baptist, to speak and familiarize the kids (4-5 grade) with us being “missionaries.”

The kids got it, understanding that missionaries could be people just coming to visit people in a different town or culture. That they could come for a variety of reasons, including to help in case of disaster, but they really did understand that Lorin and her team came to bless because we’ve been blessed by God.

May 3, 2017

OKC 2017 – Craig’s reflection on meeting Ranger Dan McKee

Team Leader Craig met someone special on the visit to the OKC National Memorial

Each year the team visits the Oklahoma City National Memorial, a tribute to the victims, survivors, and rescuers of the horrible and tragic bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. We visit the site to remind ourselves of the pain and suffering this city has experienced not only from natural disasters but the evil of man himself. It causes me to appreciate the good life God has given me yet inspires me to make a difference in this city that God has led us to this week.

Today, unlike previous years, I noticed National Park Service Rangers walking the area around the reflecting pool of the memorial. Having been to the Memorial four times now, I politely passed when Park Ranger Dan McKee asked if I had any questions. However, on second thought, I did have a question so I called back to Ranger Dan. He had an enthusiasm for his job, I thought, as he described the former location of buildings that surrounded the blast site. Soon, other team members joined the conversation and we found out that Dan had worked in numerous California National Parks including Sequoia. As it turned out, Dan did love his job and the visitors to the National Parks in which he was assigned. And, because of that, we made a friend today. Hats off to you, Park Ranger, Dan McKee. Thanks for sharing your life with us today.

May 3, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 2-Recap Video-New Build with Jose and Celebrating Uncle Roy’s Bday

Alice is cooking up an update for you, but we’re posting the video for you

Today was new build day with Jose and it was all about the trusses.

And at the end of the video….

Every year, at some point in the trip, we’d go get custard to celebrate Uncle Roy’s birthday, but even without him being here, we did so tonight.

Near the end of our time at Rusty’s, Kevin L, Paul and Art prayed for Donny, a man that they met that was going through a difficult time

Click here for the photos

May 2, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 1-Visiting Memorial, COHFH office, Hilltop Baptist Yard Sale

Sleep deprived, we all marched into the kitchen at 8 am to the aroma of bacon, sausage patties, and fluffy butter pancakes. We were also greeted by Pastor Matt, senior pastor of Hilltop Baptist, a man of cheer, love for God, and respect for his church. From him, we learned how Hilltop returned to the basics of their faith in the congregation after going through the 2013 Moore tornado disaster that resulted in $2 billion in damages within the county. Although God allowed disasters, He also brought greater healing. For without that wake up call, Hilltop might not have refocused themselves or become the hosting site for volunteers from around the nation, such as our team, to serve within the damaged and broken community.

Patrick shared the first devotional of the week, making us all laugh with a parrot/plumber joke before reminding us that the time we have on this earth is a fleeting moment compared to eternity. He encouraged us to make the best use our time by serving the Lord and seeking his will and purpose in our lives. We were also blessed by our cook, Laura, who by sharing her personal story allowed herself to be vulnerable not only to us, but also towards God’s unforeseen plan in using her for his kingdom.

There were no building-related activities for us today, so we had a short visit to the OKC National Memorial in memory of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building that occurred in 1995. There Craig met a Park Ranger, Daniel M., who used to lived in California. He had also worked at other national parks including the Grand Canyon.

Afterwards, we went to tour the OKC Habitat main office to learn more about the daily operations. The tour ended with enthusiasm as team members scrambled to buy signature Habitat tees and sweaters.

We lunched at Bedlam Bar-B-Q under the sunshine and
trees in the backyard patio. Their bbq menu included ribs, hot links,
bologna, and turkey. The number one favorite amongst the crew was the
ribs.

Our first assignment at OKC was to organize the church’s yard sale. We found a number of interesting items; most notably, an extensive collection of clown-themed decor. It was nice to help Hilltop, which lacked the manpower to set up over three hundred items for sale. According to Toby (a church member who, along with Donna, graciously volunteered to cook dinner for us), most members work or are unable to make the commute. Unlike LA, OKC is very spread out and the population is much lower since it’s a rural community.

For group worship, we had music led by John, a returning OKC team member. Lorin shared a personal story from the heart based on Proverbs 27:17, Randy followed up with an activity. Each group of six wrote notes of encouragement to each individual of another group. With groans of disappointment, we learned that we wouldn’t be reading the notes out loud as we had hoped. Rather, they will be distributed tomorrow for each one to read on their own for purposes of encouragement.

We ended the night with around-the-group sharing. Jeff shared a powerful story about listening to Holy Spirit in his encounter with a stranger at a gas station. By obeying the nagging feeling God had placed in his heart, he opened himself up for communication by offering free soft drinks to the man and his girlfriend. The man revealed his struggles with Jeff, who offered to pray for him and shared the Gospel. With the Lord’s leading, Jeff was able to be a comforter in the name of Christ to him. We hope you will continue to pray for God to work mightily in this man’s life.

Tommy followed up on this truth that God blesses and has a purpose for every interaction we have. He recounted how he and his wife gave a car ride to their daughter’s friend. Through their conversation, the Yamadas both sensed some guilt the young girl felt, to which Debbie spoke truth into- that nothing we will ever do can cease God’s redeeming love for us.
What amazing grace! Fast forward 25 years later, and that young girl, now married and a mother of two, reached out unexpectantly to the Yamadas in thankfulness for those very words. Sometimes we don’t get to see the growing process, but we must be faithful in believing God will use our sincere actions for his purpose.

Craig’s Health

Lastly, we also want to update you on Craig’s health. He left LAX for OKC in severe pain, unsure of the cause, but sensing God still wanted him to travel with the team. However, it turns out that it was more than just pain alone. Below is the story:

Craig: “I felt like the Lord was saying, ‘Trust me; there is something that I don’t want you to miss out on.’ So I prayed, ‘Lord, give me some strength,’ and I got on the escalator and got in line for the TSA screening. I was blessed to see that the line for screening was very short and almost effortless. When I got to the terminal, I became very distracted by the pain. Tommy came over and encouraged me, saying, “I think you are being attacked spiritually.” I had already told many in the group about the pain, and many of them prayed for me. I don’t know what happened, but after getting on the plane and sitting down, I finally felt some peace and actually slept through the entire flight. I still felt like the Lord wanted me to come here and even though I didn’t know what he wanted me to experience yet, He gave me a lot of strength starting from last night. I started to feel less distracted.

Being able to lead all of you is something I desire in my heart, and I know that with the other leaders here all would be fine, but I just wanted to see what God was planning when he called me here even in my suffering. I finally got to the ER (earlier today – diagnosis was an infection with a treatment course of antibiotics), but I think the main focus was God’s lesson to me about the outpouring of love. I know that the church family at home and here in OKC was supporting me and lifting me up. It reminded me about the paralytic lowered through the roof, carried by his friends. Brandon, Jeff, and Kevin T. were like Jesus to me (and Virginia was like a caring mother to me). I was sharing with Chris yesterday about a vision I had that God wanted me to play a different role at the job site. I saw myself not involved in one specific task, but rather going around to see what everyone else is doing. I think that part of the reason for my affliction, since the doctor ordered no heavy lifting, is so that I can do that. I feel blessed to lead this team and each one of you is a blessing to me.”

Here’s today’s photos

What a blessed day the Lord gave the team. Here is the video to recap our day.

May 2, 2017

OKC 2017 Day 0-On Meeting the Greenwoods, Special Post

The following is more background information from meeting the Greenwoods. We got back real late last night and didn’t have the time to write a post thoughtfully. With input from team members (especially from Pam and Lorin), here is a more in-depth view of yesterday. Please join us in our continued prayers for this loving family.

—–

“ Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” Matthew 9:38

Sweat equity, some labor exchanged, is a requirement for Habitat for Humanity grant recipients. Not only does putting one’s mark in the work provide a sense of pride in homeownership, but also allows for connections to be made. That’s how the OKC team came to know Robert and Joyce Greenwood, along with their very big family.

Robert and Joyce Greenwood are of the Chickasaw and Ponca tribe, respectively, and have been married for almost 50 years. They met in the late 60s at a local church gathering. Today they have three grown children and beautiful grandchildren whom they graciously help raise, feed, shelter and love.

“Robert also served in the Vietnam War in which he received a purple heart (note: the Vietnam War ended 42 years ago today…thank you, Robert, for serving our country)!”- Pam

Through the determination of their eldest daughter, Gracie, they were able to apply with Habitat for Humanity to convert their garage-bedroom into a real livable space. With the help of our 2016 OKC team, two new walls were raised, insulation was installed, and an attic access-stairway was added among other upgrades. Now, the Greenwoods’ youngest daughter and her five sons can live in that space without enduring drafty winds and other safety hazards.

“ At that time, there was a total of 8 family members living in a 3 bedroom/1 bath house. After we left, there were 13 family members living there.”- Pam.

Many of that OKC 2016 team returned this year and we stopped by to visit. Joyce immediately welcomed us graciously into her home. We were joyous to find out that their youngest daughter had just moved into her very own home with her sons just the week prior. Now the renovated room is empty, but bursting with new opportunities for the Greenwoods to make home feel more like home.

After a quick group picture, with their youngest granddaughter running out of the room in fear of ‘being in the photo’, we took the Greenwoods to Legacy Grill (interesting fact: the grill was originally owned by Kevin Durant prior to his departure from the OKC Thunder). There, we learned more about the Greenwoods’ deep commitment to their family, spiritual faith, community, and marriage.

“I could see the joy of “making merry” in the reuniting of relationship with the Greenwoods, as well as the bonding of this year’s relief team. ”- Pam

Back at the Greenwood household, we prayed for Christ to continue watching over them, for health, and for safety. In turn, the Greenwoods also gave us a blessing with heartfelt thankfulness wrought with deep emotion. The Spirit of God was surely in the room and some of us had to hold back tears during prayer.

“Ms. Joyce … remind[ed] me that when the Father has us perform a work, it always produces fruit that keeps producing more fruit. Jesus’ description of the Kingdom being like a mustard seed comes to mind, reminding me that any work or conversion we allow God to use us in can have wonderful outcomes.”- Paul Waters

One can calculate the days and time spent with the Greenwood family on one hand. However, in those short moments, a bridge was built and a friendship was strengthened; most importantly of all, a seed was planted according to the will of God.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…” 1 Peter 1:8-9