Monday, September 14, 2009

I Changed the World With 20 Dollars.

How did you use your 20 dollars to transform a life, renew the campus or change the world?  Post your story below!

29 comments:

  1. We put our money together ($80) and we are throwing a fiesta on thursday October 8th from 3:30 - til whenever. It's gonna be held at the university ampitheater (probably). Expect free food, live music, and a proxe station highlighting the needs of our campus (specifically latino students).


    Here's the thing...

    If we did the math correctly, this thing will only cost us ten bucks. Which means we still have seventy leftover dollars to use for the kingdom. However, we would have never done this if we weren't challenged by the movemement meeting. Crazy, huh?

    Anyway, please come if you want. We would love to see all of your beautiful faces there.

    -LaFe

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  2. My 20 dollars went to a dinner with a friend who was really sad. It was a good time trying to encourage him and guide his thoughts toward Christ and His sufficiency rather than my friend's awful situation.
    Matt Engel

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  3. Barry and I decided we wanted to spend our 20 dollars by taking a homeless person out to breakfast, maybe get him or her some supplies that he or she needed and hopefully have a chance to share the love of Jesus Christ.

    We drove around and met a lady living on the street named Candy. She was more than glad to get something to eat and it was obvious that she needed more than food in her stomach. After making a trip to Wal-Mart we were able to sustain her immediate needs with blankets and toiletries. The part about sharing Jesus' love didn't exactly go according to plan.

    One thing we both agreed on is that homeless people are very prideful. Candy was no exception. All she really wanted was to eat breakfast alone yet we really wanted to have a legitimate conversation with her. We were able to tell her that Jesus loves her no matter what which she was grateful for but that was about the extent of the conversation.

    I don't know who got more out of this experience, Candy or us. After leaving it got us thinking, does our pride get in the way of letting Jesus talk to us and let him help us? All He wants to do is have a conversation with us and let him be who we come to when we are in need but I don't think we always let Him, because we want to do it on our own. I think Jesus wanted to show us more of Him through this experience than His love to her.

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  4. What I did with my $20 has a story behind it. My dad was diagnosed with ALS the summer before my freshman year of high school. He passed away my junior year. Around my junior year I began a photo album of pictures of just my dad, my brother, and me, before his diagnoses and after. This really helped me remember him through those moments. I also keep a journal of memories to help me remember who he was.

    About a year ago my mom came home telling us of a girl she worked with whose best friend's husband was just diagnosed with ALS. My mom also told me that they had a daughter in middle school. I knew that I wanted to use my money to help this girl cope with what she was going through. I tried to get together with her for lunch to speak with her but she was unavailable so instead I decided to buy her a photo album and a journal and write her a letter of my story. I am hoping that she will take up my offer and give me a call if she needs help and I can only pray that my words move her, I know how it feels to feel alone during that time, and I hope God works through my words.

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  5. Well I did a few things with my movement money. I had a hard time deciding between some events that I decided to do sot he first thing I did was try to increase the money that I had. Starting with 20 dollars I began to buy/trade common items until I was able to trade up to 60 dollars. And then I did 3 separate movement activities.

    Activity 1 was, to give 20$ dollars to a freshman that needed the money for Fall Conference. My freshman year I didn't go to Fall Conference due to money I really wanted to help a freshman be able to take part in the experience without having to worry about it financially and any amount of money helps. God is a provider and I know that through us blessing people financially to attend a possible life changing experience is certainly a building block of the world being changed.

    Activity 2 was, to get the 20$ all in quarters. I then hung out at Pay Parking as well as the metered parking at south campus and would put quarters into the expired meters. I left a note on peoples cars that said, Free parking courtesy of Intervaristy Christian Fellowship and had a URL for the Facebook group. Although a few minutes of parking may not seem like a world changing event, I believe like many people have a warped view of Christians on campus from other activities. I believe that through events like this we can truly show that our intentions are to be a light on this campus and to express God's Love.

    Activity 3 was, to pay actions forward. I gave 20$ to my Friend Lauren to spend however she deemed necessary as long as she was willing to also at some point give someone 20$. She has been trying to update me about how it has been going and what the money has been used for. She bought 5 5$ gift cards at target (she decorates her room with empty gift cards) and spend the money getting items at target for her room. She paid-it-forward and will be updating me about who she gave the money to and how they used it. Giving someone 20$ randomly certainly starts a buzz about why someone would do this. And the fact that people who were non Christians were eager to participate and could already picture people that they would want to bless with 20$ dollars, I believe that it can truly help us to develop a heart for helping others.

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  6. For the longest time I didn't know what I wanted to do with the $20 I was given at movement. But after praying about it God reminded me how letters have encouraged me personally and some of my other friends as well. So after a few bumps in the road, I found a non-profit organization called Soldiers' Angels. What they do is adopt soldiers who don't have home support while they are deployed and they send them care packages and letters to show them that they are appreciated and that they have people behind them. So for the next three months I will be on their letter writing team meaning that I will be writing to two different soldiers every week to support them and encourage them.

    I also told my two pastors at home about writing letters to people who needed the encouragement. They got me a few addresses of people in our church family who are struggling with health problems and loneliness so I'll be writing to them as well.

    The $20 will be used mostly for stamps, I may go out and pick up a few cards but it will mostly go towards stamps. I know the $20 will not provide enough stamps for this little project but that's okay! Without the $20 challenge from movement I wouldn't be doing this, so thanks IV staff for challenging us to reach out to other people and show God's love for them. I haven't written any letters yet, but I'm really excited to get started and see what God does with this.

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  7. My movement money sat on my desk being prayed for everyday. I was really frustrated and one day I decided I was just going to concoct a plan and spend it. But for some reason, I forgot in on my desk. During the day, my roommate told me about a friend of hers who could use some encouragement. How ironic that I had not yet spent the movement money. I helped make her friend some food, and then helped to sponsor him to fall conference! YAY! I cannot wait to see how God will work in his life!

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  8. So I was having tremendous trouble with how to spend my 20 dollars. 1st I was going to go in on something with my small group, but i had been sick for a while so unfortunately I wasn't able to do that. So I decided to carry it around in a separate envelope so it wouldn't get mixed up with everything else and could use it if the opportunity arrived.

    So I have been donating plasma because I can't find a job right now, plus it helps babies, so its a good cause. When I go there there are always a bunch of different people and started talking to a older woman, Cynthia, sitting next to me. I found out that she had recently became homeless.

    I asked her if I could treat her to lunch and talk to her about her life. She ended up sharing with me how she had gotten into the situation that she was in and a lot of information about her life. In turn I told Cynthia stories of my life, similar ones and also told her how I ended up giving my life to Christ.

    I actually spent over the twenty dollars because I saw Cynthia eying a dessert and just had to buy it for her. Due to such a long conversation I actually missed one of my classes, but it was well worth it. When we were getting ready to leave I offered Cynthia one of my extra Bibles in my purse. i wasn't sure she would want it or actually read it. But I have come to find that she reads it all the time and asks me questions when were both at the center at the same time. I try to answer all of her questions best I can, but I am no pastor and have been encouraging her to attend church with me one sunday.

    I am not sure I would have found this opportunity without IV and their encouragement. Thanks so much for believing in us!

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  9. After the meeting, I wrote MOVEMENT across the envelope and taped it on the wall over my desk, praying about it everytime I caught a glimpse of it. For a while, I had no idea how to use it, but as I kept praying for a way to renew, transform and change the world, I realized: t-shirts!
    I'll be using my $20 to buy t-shirts and with my own supplies, make them into shirts that promote IV and it's mission, then give them away to IV attendees.
    As well as being handy for people who can't afford the $10 for the official shirt, these shirts will bring attention to IV and it's mission, and hopefully get people interested in getting to know Jesus.
    The approximately 15 shirts I'm making should be done by the end of next week. Please contact me if you are interested, and pictures will be on facebook! snd23@nau.edu
    Stephanie D.

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  10. So I didn't know what to do with the money at first. I wanted it to be something good, didn't want to waste it. Its been killing me that I couldn't come up with something. But then yesturday it came to my attention that I could send it to Gospel for Asia. Currently I support a boy who lives in Orissa India and times have been really rough for Christians over there. 500 were killed in June this year alone. Fact is hundreds had their houses/churches burned to the ground and some were forced into hide out in the forest for the past 8 months. So GFA is raising money to build very simple homes for displaced Chritians. Soooo I sent the $20 plus another $105 to the house fund. It costs $2500 to build one house. So hopefully with the help of other believers that money will help a fellow Christian on the other side of the world :)

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  11. Tonight, I used my $20 dollars.
    This was my plan: pay for my din-din and regular tip with my own/non-movement $$ and leave the $20 dollars with a note for whoever my waitress/ waiter was.

    I asked a freshman from my small group if she would like to have dinner with me off campus before our small group. I prayed a lot asking God where to go and to just guide me- I figured Coco's was cool with Him because that's where we ended up.

    Turns out, our waitress was super sweet! I kept thinking, 'I am so happy she will be getting this $20!'
    So my note said something like this: Thanks for being a super nice! I've been given this $20 to change the world and this was an attempt at showing God's love in a concrete way. Even though I don't know you, I think God picked YOU out to recieve this money with you as my waitress. Have a great night and just so you know, I'll be praying for you! :)

    It's so amazing to me that I have no idea who this girl really is (other than as a nice waitress named Seirra,) is fully known & loved by God and that He used the $20 to provide for her in some way. And I really want to continually pray for her now! And one of my freshman girls & I got to really strengthen our friendship over a meal with a mission!

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  12. It took me forever to figure out how I was going to use the money, but I finally did!

    I decided that I wanted to use the $20 to buy flowers and then hand them out to people around downtown, saying that the reason I was doing it was because God has done so much in my life, and I wanted to give back. I gave each person that I encountered two flowers, one for them to keep, and another for them to give away to somebody.

    At first I was really nervous, but I think God really used it. Some people were so excited to receive them and give them away, while others absolutely did not want flowers, not even for free. Being able to spread even just a little bit of Christ's love made me realize just how much change we as Christians can bring about when we really live out our faith.

    Thanks IV for having faith in us and trusting us to move!

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  13. On October 25, our small group (all women) is hosting a tea party for the women of Hope Cottage. We are also going to do games and activities for the kids. Our plan is to start developing relationships with these women, and this is our first step. As a small group, we have decided to continue to invest in these women over the year. We have plans for fundraisers and more events and service projects. As we build relationships, we would also like to start a Bible study led by girls in our small group. Basically, this tea party is a first step to what we're hoping will be a ministry that the Reilly women's small group does all year and in years to come!

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  14. (DAVID LORENZ) Here's the dealio. I spend a few days trying to figure out what to do with the money, then I said to myself, "Hey, I'm a businessman, why not invest my $20?" So that's what I did. I added my movement $20 with $980 of my own money and invested in the golf company, Callaway. The very next day, Callaway shot up 45 cents and I had over $120 in my movement fund. I didn't sell, however, and throughout the next weed the stock went back down to its original value. I was not discouraged! I know Jesus has very good plans for His money and I know that I can grow it for him and be ready to have much more when He tells me it's ready for me to take it out of the stock market. I plan on keeping this money in the stock market for at least 6 months, and then going to my friends in Matamoros, Mexico, where I helped build their house a few years ago and give them the movement earnings. As of right now, the Movement Fund is at $51.20 and will continue to grow in this next year, the experts think Callaway will grow, but I know that Jesus is all knowing and all powerful and knows that this money is going to a good cause and will provide for my friends in Mexico.

    (THIS IS DAVID LORENZ)

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  15. Alright. This whole $20 thing has been a big stretch for me, and I'm so glad that I finally got to the point where I can write about it. I learned that it takes a lot of initiative to go out and do this, and that it doesn't come very naturally to me. But I'm really thankful that I had to.

    Anyways ever since that night at Movement, the part in our vision statement of students, faculty and STAFF stood out to me. I thought about the janitor in my dorm and the people who wipe down tables in the union. For a while now, one face in particular stood out and I found him today and got to talk to him. I told him what I was about and asked him if I could give him $20. At first he replied that he didn't need my money, but I explained that it was given to me and I wanted to do something nice for someone else with it. I also asked him if I could pray for him (and this whole time I was nervous and completely unsure of what I was doing) and he said sure and thank you. It probably could have gone smoother, but I really didn't know what to say. I just knew that this was what God laid on my heart. I wasn't planning to do something on my own, but the group idea fell through, and I think that was because God wanted me to do this on my own. It really pushed me and brought me out of my comfort zone, and I learned a lot from that. Thank you for this opportunity!!

    -Esther Rawlings

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  16. When I first walked away from Movement I remember thinking how cool it was that our IV staff invested their own money to help us change the world in whatever way we could with $20. The best part of the whole night was listening to everyone talk about all the awesome ideas they had for how to use the money - on campus or across the world, and praying for what God had for them to do. Which is exactly why this $20 challenge is so cool, it made us all think of ways we could tangibly impact the Kingdom and challenged us to act.

    A group of girls from our small group decided that we wanted to make baby blankets for the Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center here in Flagstaff. We were also able to include a few of our friends who didn't attend Movement, who, when the heard what we were doing decided to invest some of their own money to help us out. We were able to get an amazing deal on fleece material, had a blanket making party, and put together 11 really cute and warm fleece blankets to give to the center. We also put together a package of diapers and wipes and formula with some leftover money and with contributions from other members of our small group.

    It's really cool to think that by investing a little time, effort, and time, as well as building community through fellowship, we were able to provide some needs for young mothers and their children!

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  17. I spent the longest time trying to figure out what to do with my money. I had alot of ideas, but none really seemed right. Monday night God gave me a name of a friend that I have known for a couple years. I stuck the money in an envelope and wrote her a letter about how much I loved her and How much God loves her, even if she doesn't know it. I also told her that she had to spend the money on herself. She's not a christian and doesn't believe in God, but I fully believe that he is going to use that twenty dollars for his kingdom.

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  18. When we were in China this summer it was really important to us to bring back the idea of these intentional relationships with international students. From the experience in China, we are able to understand a little better where international students are coming from. I really felt like God was telling me to build relationships with the Chinese students in my class. So I asked a girl in my class to have coffee with me, and she said yes. So I decided to spend my $20 on buying this international student coffee for the next few weeks. We'll see where it goes. Thanks to the staff for believing in us!

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  19. Survival Packages
    Rachel Rollefstad, Elise Houston, Austen Eames, Genesis Murillo, and Lisa Kluge, with the help of Stacy Roome and Chris Huston
    Wilson Small Group Community

    I felt like God wanted to push us out of our comfort zones and strengthen our community as a small group by reaching out together. I also prayed that God would lead us to something that He would multiply the impact of and that could become an opening for continued service. I purposed the idea of making survival packages to give to homeless people in Flagstaff. Elise, Austen, Genesis, Lisa, and Stacy, even though she did not have any Movement money, jumped on board eagerly.

    We divided up the tasks for 25 bags. Elise bought nonperishable food. Austen purchased Gatorade and water bottles. Genesis bought pairs of socks. Stacy helped me with making a huge vat of fettuccine alfredo with chicken and broccoli. Lisa made delicious chocolate chip cookies. Each of us also picked out a Bible verse which we typed out and attached to our items. We wanted the whole bag to express LOVE.

    Early Saturday morning we met in Raymond. Lisa and Stacy gathered beautiful cloth bags from Safeway that had Show Some Heart and Seeds of Change printed on them. Then we put one of each item in the bags. God could not have given us a more beautiful day. We prayed together for God to bless the bags to express His love, help us to find people to give them to, and teach us through the experience. Unfortunately, Genesis had to leave us at that point, but her socks ended up being the biggest hit of the day.

    The rest us, along with Chris, piled into two cars and headed downtown. We walked around the neighborhood near the Murdoch Community Center. Chris and Elise approached a man on a bicycle who accepted a bag. We also left four bags with a note on a bench where Elise has seen homeless people hang out before.

    At the Amtrak station, Chris offered a bag to a man who was thrilled about the socks. We also met Will and Alton who took bags from us. When we introduced ourselves with handshakes they waved them aside and gave us all hearty hugs.

    At Wheeler Park we met Rick and John. Both men were very excited to receive the gift and kindly thanked us. Rick showed us that he did not even have socks to wear with his shoes. He told us he had just been wondering how he was going to get socks to keep his feet warm.

    At the overpass by Lake Mary Rd. we met Jeff who had just come up from Phoenix and was waiting to meet his friend. He accepted two bags for himself and his friend. Jeff told us that he had a terrible head cold, so I prayed with him that Jesus would heal him. We also left four bags with a note on a bench by the bike path. On the return journey we noticed a makeshift camp hidden in the bushes. No one was there, but I slid down into the dirt ditch and placed a bag on the mat.

    That left us with eight remaining bags which we delivered to Sunshine Rescue Mission.
    I praise God because I feel like He answered our prayers! God definitely multiplied the reach of our individual $20. I continue to pray that this is only the beginning of the adventure for us!

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  20. I have felt like the MOVEMENT has helped me more than it could ever help anyone else. I have taken a lot of time to sit and talk to God about what I should do with the money. it has made me realize how far 20$ can go. A few weeks ago the service spoke out to those of us that have something in the way of our relationship with God. I never stood up. I should have. I realize now the effect this project had on me. Thank you.

    Anyway... I went to joanns and bought material to make blankets for a mom's group. I still need a moms group to donate to, if you have any suggestions or strong feelings towards which one it should go to please let me know.

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  21. One of my friends was feeling depressed and said he was considering suicide, i told him that at a time, i too had suicidal thoughts, and that we should go out and get something to eat sometime and talk about it. We went out for dinner and talked, and i told him how i got through it with the help of God. I hope something i said will help get him through these tough times.

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  22. My $20 went towards getting a helmet for a child of whom I am planning to give a bicycle that was entrusted to me by Emily Siegler. More to come when I find a child that needs a bike (explination later).

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  23. Allison Liem, Casey Richard, Emily Siegler, Natalie Donald, Herbert Thames, Barry Jordan, Bryan Beitel, Ashley Justus, Josiah Sanchez, Brittany Heiling, Corina Williams, Jessica Penman, Judah-Michael Harry, Kelsey Cvach, Laura Barrish, and 2 annonymous.

    I volunteer at a school called Mountain English Spanish Academy here in Flagstaff with Casey Richard, Andrew Liem, and Felicia Bentley. This is a one room school for students in grades 6-8. The school is located in a strip mall and its "playground" is an alley. Most of these students are undocumented, several of them live in local shelters, and several of their families share homes with one another. I asked the head teacher what their school could benefit from the most, and she had a whole list of items from P.E. equipment to school supplies. We decided that the students would be the most excited about P.E. equipment, because they only have a couple (mostly deflated) balls, 2 hula hoops, and a jumprope to play with, and a lot of them talked to us about being embarassed to have P.E. in the alley. We thought it would be awesome to purchase a portable basketball hoop for them, and their teachers both agreed. The AWESOME part is that so many people contributed that we are going to be able to supply MESA with a lot more than we expected to! We are buying a portable basketball hoop, various school supplies, and other equipment/games that the students can use inside the classroom for P.E. when it starts snowing. We are going to deliver it next week!

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  24. Spending my 20 was the one of the biggest challenges that has ever been presented to me by a group or a Christian organization. It sucked but was awesome at the same time. So here is the story of the way I spent it…

    So this last Thursday I was on my way to MESA elementary and to my left I see this place called Tortilla Lady and I felt God say that someone had a financial issue there so I was decided to pray about it and stop by after. For some reason though I could not bring myself to go inside, it just didn’t feel like it was the right time and I was already late being back to school so I said I would go the next day ( Friday).
    So I woke up and realized that we were going to Fall Conference today, I had not spent my 20 yet and I did not think I would have time to do it. I was wrong and decided to head towards Tortilla Lady on Fourth Street. Well the bike ride usually takes me about 15 to 25 minutes but today it took me 10 and I did it with the simplest of wheeze ( I have Asthma…bad joke). I thought “Wow God must want me to get here fast”.
    So I make it to fourth street and about 30 seconds from tortilla lady I pass this man who gives me a friendly head nod, I return it as I speed past him and right then in my head I hear “If tortilla lady is closed give that man the money”. So to my surprise Tortilla Lady is closed! They closed at one and I missed them by 45 minutes. So I went after the man I saw before. I found him in short time and I noticed he was sort of limping and I rode up next to him and said, “Hey I know this is weird but are you having any financial issues?” and these are the things he told me…
    •His name was Dave
    •He just lost his job as a cook
    •He just got hip replacement surgery (hence the limp)
    •He has been sober from alcohol for 2 years
    •He attends a “spiritual” group.

    So I don’t really know how much I believe of his story but who cares God brought me to him so it can’t be all wrong.
    I gave him my 20 told him my story, I just told you and I prayed with him to find a new job, to have his hip healed and for God to bless him. He left me saying that this story was crazy and he can’t wait to tell people and his “spiritual” group.
    That’s how I spent my 20.

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  25. From the beginning of Movement, I knew I wanted to advance God's kingdom with what he had entrusted to me; I just wasn't sure how. Several weeks went by, and I still wasn't sure what to do with the $20. Then at last week's IV, David banded together everyone who hadn't used their $20 yet, to collaborate with them on what they might be able to do. I met with Christie, who told me that she and some other girls were purchasing and delivering baby supplies for an organization that provides for young mothers. I thought I might as well do my part, and bought a box of diapers which I then delivered to Christie.

    I know it doesn't sound like much, but the story doesn't end here. In addition to this, we hope to deliver the supplies to the facility next week and maybe help out with a few practical matters, like yard work around the facility grounds. I'm thankful that God has given me the opportunity to impact someone's life for the better, even through the smallest contributions.

    --Mark

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  26. Cecile and I decided to combine our twenty dollar bills so we had forty dollars. What we did with our money has a little bit of a story behind it as well.

    Recently we both were inducted as members of Blue Key Honors Society here at NAU. Most people do not know what Blue Key is so I will do a brief summary. Blue Key was originally a fraternity which focused on service in the community. In fact, today that focus is still much the same using the original pillars; Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character and Integrity, as when the organization was founded. The only difference is that now girls are allowed to join.

    Our particular chapter of Blue Key has been working closely with a shelter in Flagstaff called Inn Transitions. For a year or so, we have been working on a project to build a playground for the children staying at Inn Transitions. Unfortunately, this project is costly, requiring a little over $5,000 to complete. Our chapter has a little over half that raised and every little bit helps. We will be doing a lot of fund-raising in the coming months.

    We decided to give our forty dollars to this project. Not only because we are members of the club using it but also because we will be able to see the project carried out. We will be there helping to build the playground. The founder of Inn Transitions is so excited for the children to have a place to play, and we are fortunate to be able to contribute the time and money needed to see the project completed.

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  27. At first I was super stoked on the Movement project. An idea came to me that I thought would be fun and challenging at the same time. I decided to pray and ask God to reveal a non christian friend to me that I needed to invest time, as well as the $20, into. God kept laying the same (nearly 30 year old) woman to me who I sit next to every day in my design classes. And let me tell you, she was the LAST person I ever thought God would pick. She had a baby when she was 16, got married at 17, divorced a year later. History with serious drug/substance abuse. Now married with 4 children. What could I possibly have to talk to this lady about?!

    My idea was to approach her and ask her if she'd like to meet with me a couple days a week after class and just talk. I told her each time we met I'd give her a dollar or so (until the $20 ran out). My intention was to purposefully and unashamedly share the Gospel of Jesus with her over and over again each time we met. She was a little weirded out at first, rightfully so, but once I explained the $20 challenge to her she seemed a little more comfortable with the situation. So we started meeting, and I think she misunderstood that I only had the $20 because every time we meet she asks me to buy her Jamba Juice.....?

    Anyway, I'm gonna be honest and say that things haven't been going according to plan. I think God is using this to teach me a lot about patience and relying on HIM to do the work. Because THIS GIRL CAN TALK. I barely get a word in during our time together. She's got such a crazy history and I can tell she just wants someone to hear it all and listen to what she's got to say. She's talked about everything, her family, past, religious beliefs, our shared love for photography, our hectic school lives. I've found a deep interest in passion in listening to her.

    You guys, she is SO lost. Its almost unreal. She searches for hope and fulfillment in all the wrong things. She's trying to be a good mom to her 13 year old daughter but has no idea where the line between friend and mom is. She's got laundry, messes, duties, and responsibilities that come along with the other 3 children all under the age of 6. She has no real friendships here in Flagstaff and her husband looks at other women in front of her. To top it all off, she's trying to finish her degree in December.

    Although I've found that my time spent with her involves a whole lot of listening, I've found that God is there too. He is welcomed into each and every conversation we have as I beg Him to touch and change her life. While my $20 ran out quite some time ago (thanks to Jamba), I've decided to keep meeting with her during the week. I think I'm the only person that truly listens to her. God teaches me more and more about listening each time I'm with her. I hear the desperation in her voice for someone to simple understand her.

    I invited her to Invite Night but she is unable to attend. I've decided that since I've gotten to know her pretty well by now, I'd like to start being more intentional with her about the love and hope that Jesus has for her. She's not too receptive to anything I've had to say about God so far but I have a feeling the further we get in our friendship the more open she will be to it.

    I guess God has shown me that we can plan all we want, but He is in control and He knows how its all gonna turn out. I'm excited to further my friendship with this woman and allow her to see the love and hope that Christ has given me and longs to give to her.

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  28. This is a week late, I know. I deeply apologize. I did spend my twenty dollars 2 weekends ago though.

    Here's the story:
    One of my close friends from my sophomore year and I just reconnected this past January. He graduated a year ahead of me and had gone back to his former drug addictions.
    So in January, I had mixed feelings about talking to him. I wanted to be his friend and be there for him, but I was hesitant due to experiences with 'addicts' who were my close friends. But for some reason I always talked to him when he would talk to me on Facebook or AIM or anything.
    One day he and I were talking on Instant Messanger and he said that he just found out that his mom was diagnosed with cancer. His family consists of him, his mom, his nine year old sister, and their dead-beat step dad who he has never had anything good to say about.
    I was shocked. Their family has never been financially blessed and this is not what they needed.
    The conversation went on and he told me he wanted to move to his former home of Las Vegas. He did so and I tried to stay in touch. But then communication stopped.
    It finally started again about two or three months ago. He told me that he had been arrested for an outstanding warrant he had for his arrest from when he crashed his friend's car while intoxicated and fled the scene.
    As we continued to talk I discovered his mom was still struggling, and all I could do was think of his nine year old sister.
    One day in August he said that he went and bought her soda pop and candy and she was so happy. Later that month IV gave us 20 dollars to do something good with, and immediately I thought of my friend's little sister.
    When I was in town one weekend, he and I went to the dollar store and bought her hair accessories and all the Jonas Brothers merchandise we could find.
    So my $20 was spent on spontaneous gifts for a little girl who has seen far too much in her nine years of life all ready.

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  29. Well done good and faithful servants. I'm thankful for your mission mindedness and desire to proclaim the Kingdom of God. May our Lord continue to bless and watch over all you do!

    The Rev. David L. Stevens
    Christ Church Phoenix

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