Just Put Your Toe in the Water....

I hear people say all the time "I should be doing more"....."I really wish I could get involved in something but I'm so busy...."I can't go on one of those big mission trips; they're too far away, too expensive, the work's too hard...." or whatever.

I know - I have felt the same way many times.  I'll admit I have not always been able to actually do the things I suggest in this blog.  And depending on your situation, you may have a legitimate excuse.  Your health could get in the way of taking a mission trip or doing physical work on a Habitat for Humanity project, for example.  

When Jesus calls us to serve, he doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be hard.  Listen to what he's telling you.  Sometimes he says "Just get started on something!"  Sometimes doing good can come from just paying attention.

Statue adjacent to the Oklahoma City National Memorial

So here are some ideas of ways to serve....you might be surprised how easy it can be.  And how good it can feel.  Open your eyes to opportunities, and your mind and heart to being blessed.

1.  Love Thy Neighbor - Look around your neighborhood.  Is someone having mobility problems and on your way to work you see them struggling to get to the walk to pick up their paper?  Are they unable to drive?  They may have trouble getting their groceries.  A simple offer to put the paper on the porch for them in the mornings or pick up a few things for them when you do your shopping could make a huge difference.  And you might make a new friend.

2.  Share a Cup of Coffee - Sharing Christian love can be as easy as buying someone a cup of coffee. Or their lunch.  Next time you're in line at the coffee shop or McDonald's, look at the people around you.  Is that young mom with kids in tow digging through her purse for loose change to pay for her food?  Is the person in the rearview mirror driving a clunker?  Tell the person at the window you want to pay for their order too.  Don't be judgmental about them being at Starbuck's.  The simple act of reaching out and offering to help is what's most important; the cup of coffee is just the vehicle.  You may be the only nice thing that happens to that person all day.

3.  Cleanliness is Next to Godliness - Do you travel for work and spend the night in hotels?  Collect the miniature shampoo, conditioner and lotions that are in your rooms.  These can be donated to many different organizations that serve those in need, such as homeless organizations and women's shelters.  Take some zip lock bags with you on your trip to protect your things in case of spillage. When you get a gallon bag full, drop them off.  Your opinion on public assistance such as "food stamps" aside, in most states these programs do not pay for toiletries, not even toilet paper.  So people quite often go without these necessities, or buy the absolute cheapest things they can find.

4.  And Taking This a Step Further - Does your church or community organization that serves low-income families provide toiletries?   Have a toiletry collection.  Whether you do it once or once a month, a project like this is such a blessing.  Contact an organization that provides a food pantry or food vouchers for the local food bank, for example.  Get a list of what they feel is most needed - don't presume you know.  Distribute the list at church  (you can do this church wide or in your small group) or at your office and ask people to bring items throughout the month.  For example we had a "T.P. Sunday" at our church, where members brought sealed packages of toilet paper all month - it's the most expensive thing people have to buy.  One small package of toilet paper, or bottle of shampoo, is a relatively inexpensive way for people to get involved.  But at the end of the month you will be surprised what a great collection of goodies you'll have.

I have more ideas.....just wait!

I Love Bob and Georgette Kornegay.

Not LOOOVVE them, but love their work. And love their heart and soul and dedication to Jesus' call on their lives and how they have obediently lived that out.

A very humble couple from Snyder, Texas, (pop. 11,000)  they serve an area in and around Guatemala City, Guatemala.  The area is full of several things.....beautiful greenery, bubbling streams, bright colored hand-loomed fabric made into clothing worn by friendly Guatemalans.  But most notably it is full of poverty.  And not full of running water in most of the small villages.

Source: http://www.servantsheartsministries.com

From their website, www.servantsheartsministries.com:

"We felt the call to the mission field from a few years back when we went on some short term mission trips.

Then we went to Guatemala in November of 2006 and fell in love with the people there and Charlie and Pat Reynolds with His Appointed Time Ministries who have been there for 11 years. We felt that we are to go and help with the work in the private Christian school they have up and running and also help with the restoration center that is under construction and also to help with the distribution of good clean drinking water to the poor and needy as a part of the water ministry that Charlie has started. Other needs include Ministry work to widows and orphans. Helping with Casa Shalom Orphanage,and a feeding center in Rio Bravo." 

With the help of missionary teams that visit they have changed the lives of thousands.  Bob and Georgette work alongside the village clergy and other leaders to dig water wells and install water purifications systems.  The villagers agree in advance to help with the project and to learn to maintain the equipment.  Them buying in to the project helps assure success.  Bob and Georgette don't "dig and run";  they develop a relationship with the villagers and minister to them.  They stay in touch and help with maintenance issues.  Consequently, the villagers have better health through water free of disease.  Children are able to attend school consistently, not only because they are healthier but also because it isn't necessary for them to haul water every day.  It's life changing.

Over the years, they decided they could also impact people's health by installing properly ventilated wood burning stoves in people's home.  Poor ventilation of cooking and heating stoves or cooking on an open fire within the home is a huge problem.  Children especially suffer and are ill a good part of the time due to smoke backing into their houses.  The somewhat simple and inexpensive task of installing these clean burning stoves is another life changing act.

For several years Bob and Georgette have helped provide food for the children at Santa Maria de Jesus feeding center.  They regularly assure that 400 children have at least one nutritious meal.   They also minister in this village.  For example along with a mission group from Snyder, Tx. they built a home for a family with five children who had been living in a one-room very simple home.  Their new home has a kitchen and  a new stove.  

Servants Hearts is funded totally by donations from churches and individuals.  They operate through the First Baptist Church in Snyder, TX and I personally think they are a great "bang for the buck" investment of your donation dollar.  They can build or install quality houses, water wells, purification systems, and cook stoves, and feed a child very, very economically!  This is a great group of folks to volunteer with, too.  People come from all over the U.S. to help them impact the poor in the name of Jesus.  Contact Bob and Georgette through their website. (see above)

Quoting some comments from a mission team on the Servants Hearts web site....."We came to bless these people, but we are the ones that got blessed."  "I would have never thought that someone with so little could be so happy."  "They work so very hard just to survive, but have great joy."

The Mechanics of Blogging are Bogging Me Down.

Please bear with me; I know this is 
visually boring....
I am working on making this much more interesting to look at.  Hopefully soon you will see great art and photographs to support what I'm writing.  I decided to move forward and add more as I figure it out!

A little more about why I am compelled to share this information.  As my friend Laurie Foster says, "Jesus said to."  She quit a successful career as an educator and started a nonprofit called Backyard Missions that provides home repairs for seniors.  Their office is in my hometown of Lubbock, Texas.  She has a very small group of volunteers doing a tremendous job honoring the Lord.  All because Jesus told her to.  More to come on Backyard Missions.

Not that this blog is about me at all.  But how I was drawn to provide information on ways to serve is part of the story.  I was called to do this and eventually listened.  Maybe you're being called and like I did, you're ignoring that little whisper in your ear.

It took me awhile to notice (I always have been slow on the uptake) but information about folks doing interesting things to help others seems to just fall in my lap.  I mean, like every day.  When I was the mission director at our church it made sense.  Sometimes I was able to entice the congregation to support some of these efforts.  I realized this was probably a God thing and in my prayer time I had often asked a very dangerous question - "What do you want me to do to serve you, Lord?"  (Have you ever heard "If you can't stand the answer don't ask the question."?  This question definitely falls into that category.) 

 One day he said "I want you to share this information."

So he asks me, of all people, to do this.  In this technology-filled era.  Where information is best shared by email, website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  And he asks me, knowing full well how technically inept I am.  Yes I text.  Voraciously.  Yes I'm on Facebook.  And of course email.  All way too often, truthfully.  But that's about it.  Adding a picture from my phone to my status is doable; not comfortable, but doable.  (note lack of pictures here)

He and I had long conversations about this over a couple of years.  I complained, nagged and whined.  More than once when conversing about this, he said "I never said this was going to be easy."  Yeah, right.

But he also reminded me he wouldn't ask me to do something and not provide what I need to meet the challenge.  I have been well prepared in all other ways to do this.  My entire work life (that's longer than I will share here, but let me jut say I've been working since I was 14, and since 14-year-olds don't work anymore, you know it's been a long time) has been full of various types of marketing.....management in all types of sales, advertising, promotion, and then those four years I was called to serve in mission and outreach ministry within the church.

And the information kept coming, and by this time I had several files full of it.

My husband and I moved to Fort Worth, TX in late 2014.  During that process the information train slowed down.  Of course the Lord knew I didn't have time to pay attention to anything but the upheaval in our lives.  But I only got a break for a couple of months.  I learned about a couple of short classes that would help me improve my computer skills and teach me to blog.  It was time well spent - it's given me the courage to answer the call.