Both Hands Project: A Real Story of Compassion from an FP Group
One of the best parts of my job as the missions pastor at Faith Promise is getting to see our church family grow in their faith and in their love for others. One of the ways I can see this best is when a family or small group takes the initiative on their own and seeks out ways to minister to their community and the world around us. The following post was written by one of our small group leaders at Faith Promise, and they are going to let you in on a really great ministry that God laid on their group’s heart to partner with. If you or your small group are serving in any ministry in the community, I’d love to hear from you! Just drop me a line at [email protected] . Thanks, and enjoy!
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It had been scorching hot for days on end. The kind of hot that makes you feel like you can’t breathe. Our group was all set to spend the next day at the home of a sweet lady that none of us had ever met. And the forecast said rain. Lots of rain.
We were supposed to tear down her deck. Tear out the weeds and overgrown shrubs. Power wash years of built-up dirt off her walkways. Cut down a rotting old tree. Then build her a new deck. Clean her home. Plant new plants full of life and hope. And let her know that we love her and that she is not forgotten.
But the rain was coming, and so could we do all that we had set before us? We prayed that God would have His hands on our project and that he would show us favor with weather that would allow us to work outside and complete our tasks.
Before I go on, let me introduce you to a family. A family central to our story.
Meet the Bowlings.
Chad and Stephanie and their two boys are adopting two sweet children from Ghana—Bernard, who just turned 1 year old, and Christy, who is 5 years old. The Bowlings received a grant from the Both Hands Foundation, which is an organization that seeks to live out James 1:27:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Through this foundation, the Bowlings were matched to a sweet woman called Mrs. Bain who is a widow of 24 years. Mrs. Bain’s home was in great need of some basic repairs and maintenance. So the Bowlings gathered a team together to go to Mrs. Bain’s home and spend the day serving and loving on her. In return, the team of volunteers (our group included) reached out to family and friends, asking for financial sponsorship that would in turn go to the Bowlings for their adoption costs (think of a school walk-a-thon where children walk laps and in turn gather sponsorships and donations for their school).
The next morning, all the members of our group gathered together bright and early at Mrs. Bain’s home. We arrived to a pleasant breeze, a sun that was shaded by clouds, and not a drop of rain in sight. As we worked through the day, the conversations kept coming back to the AMAZING weather and the absolute joy and peace that surrounded us. Hammering and pulling weeds and digging dirt and tearing down a tree was exhausting work, and yet, we were energized and excited to be standing there in obedience and love. The very presence of the Lord was in that place. And it was incredible.
Mrs. Bain took some time to share some sweet goodies and even sweeter words with us at lunch. She also reminded us of words that had been whispering to her heart all morning:
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. -Ephesian 3:20-21
What an honor it was to meet Mrs. Bain and serve her. What a blessing she was to all of us! And the weather? Well, we had perfect weather the entire time we worked. Not only did it NOT rain, but it was NOT scorching hot, either. The sun hid behind perfectly placed clouds through the day, and just as we put all of our tools away and said goodbye, the rain came. The rain came and washed away the old dirt and watered the newly planted flowers and shrubs, bringing with it a promise of life, and of growth, and the knowledge that God’s way is always perfect.
This project was a blessing for our small group, and we are so glad we were able to serve in this way. If you or your small group is seeking to serve in some way, there are a list of ministries here, and they are all overflowing with needs, so get in contact with one today.
Here’s a look at our day…I hope you enjoy! – The Magee’s
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To_OQTZ1vFk[/youtube]
