Come to Serve and Learn

 

“I may not be here to serve but to learn,” concluded Pastor Eddie Cole of Salem Church as he watched team members from his church interact with orphans on a recent trip to Peru.  He shared in his sermon back at Salem Church the importance of being humble before God and that we can do nothing for the Lord apart from the Holy Spirit in us.

As teams come with ReachGlobal Crisis Response to serve Staten Island with Salem Church, this is what makes the difference in the impact they will have.  We come to serve, but we must be humble and ready to learn through the experience.  We must allow God to fill us with the Holy Spirit so we can accomplish greater things that we could not do in our own power, and we must be open to what He wants to accomplish in our lives.

Why You Should Come Serve in New Jersey with ReachGlobal Crisis Response

A volunteer in New Jersey explained, “I get the thrill of accomplishment when I’m here.”  He talked about watching Extreme Makeover and the thrill homeowners have when they see their redone home.  “It’s a home. … to leave destruction and come back to something so renewed.”  He is picturing in his mind the joy of the homeowners when they can return to a restored home.

Another volunteer shared about her experience, “Faith moves mountains in my heart.”  She was determined to do whatever it took to serve God this week.  Feeling that she was too unskilled in construction to be useful, she was impressed that people believed in her and loved her enough to provide the finances for her to come.  The team leader explained that it was because her passion to serve was so evident.

One man told us he had gotten more out of this than he had given, but he wanted to share all he was feeling inside with others, to pass on the blessings.  He talked about the 5 loaves and 2 fish that never ran out when they were being passed out.  He said, “Our cup doesn’t get empty if we are pouring it out, but if we hold on to it, it becomes stagnant, stale, and starts leaking out.”  We are meant to share the blessings God pours into our lives and hearts.

The team was pleased with working with ReachGlobal Crisis Response.  “Logistically, you guys make it easy to bring a group down here.  You guys take care of them.”  He felt there was a good balance of work, knowledge, level of challenge, tools, and support.  “This is an organization I can count on to take care of my people so they can have an experience like this.”  The staff didn’t just tell them what to do, but they showed them out to do it.

A bond of love and appreciation was also formed with the people from the local churches working with them.  “Their faith is what brought us to them.”  The green shirts worn by the volunteers were compared to a “beacon of hope” in the community.

Faith Alone in Christ Alone

One of the things I love in New Jersey with ReachGlobal Crisis Response is sharing time.  Last night, I was blessed by both the stories of team members and stories of people from Brigantine Bible Church.  Team members found opportunities to hear needs of local residents and pray with them.  When asked why they were helping, a volunteer explained that he was “compelled as a Christian.”  An ice cream truck driver became involved with a spiritual discussion with one volunteer.  One team was blessed with a 25% thank you discount when they went to purchase lunch.

Kitty, a joyful woman from Brigantine Bible Church, shared her story with the teams.  She is from Ireland and met her husband when he was in the navy and stationed in Ireland.  They returned to live in the United States where they raised a family.  Kitty began drinking more and more, thinking she could stop at any time, but she couldn’t.  She was drinking heavily.  She tried different groups including AA, but no one could help her gain victory over her addiction.

While off work for a disability with a serious rash, she turned on the T.V. during the day.  A voice with an accent caught her attention, because she thought the speaker might be Irish.  He was Scottish and explained that he had been a seventh generation alcoholic.  This pastor explained, “You need Jesus.”  He went on to say, “There is a lady watching today.  You are very religious, but it’s not just religion, it’s a relationship.”  Kitty was very religious.  He went on to say she had tried programs, but he clarified, “It’s not a program.  It’s a relationship.”  Kitty knew he was speaking to her.  She fell down on her knees and gave her life to Christ.  She never needed another drink after that.

Kitty smoked until convicted that her body was the temple of the Holy Spirit.  God helped her give up smoking.  She had relied on pills to sleep at night, but prayed, “Lord, you rock me to sleep tonight.”  In faith, she flushed all her pills down the toilet and went to bed.  It was morning when she awakened.

Kitty and her husband had divorced before she became a Christian.  She called a friend to find a Bible believing church.  Her friend was overwhelmed at this answer to prayer.  She had been calling out to the Lord over concern for her friend, Sandy, whose husband had left her.  She prayed, “Send me someone who can relate to Sandy.”  Kitty was the answer to this prayer.  Kitty and Sandy became prayer partners and friends.

As Kitty read her Bible, Malachi 2:16 spoke to her revealing that God hates divorce.  I Corinthians 7 convicted her that she was either to remain single or be reconciled to her husband.  She started praying that God would bring her husband, Richard, back.  It took 12 years, but God saved Richard and brought them back together again.  Kitty realized that it had taken 12 years for God to make the needed changes in her life before He returned Richard to her.  Kitty said she had to become a Christian to learn to be a wife.  Kitty’s summary of her life now is “Faith alone in Christ alone.”

Kitty's house was condemned 8 months ago due to structural damage, and 2 weeks later her husband died from CJD.  She still holds firm to her faith.

Kitty and Sandy