Experiencing the Kingdom of God

My worksite, The Forge for Families, has recently begun trying to get the staff to go out into the community on a regular basis to truly live out Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves. We've been going out in small groups of people to local schools, neighborhoods, businesses, and apartment complexes to try to meet the needs of people who are literally right next door to us. We've only started this effort over the past three weeks, so we are still in the early stages and things are a bit uncomfortable and unorganized at times.

Well, yesterday my roommate Jaimie went out with our coworker, Glenn, to hand out some flyers about The Forge's fall festival this weekend. She came back and told me about this elderly woman they met who invited them into her apartment and asked them to pray for her. Jaimie and Glenn decided to go back to visit this woman today and to bring her a warm meal. They invited me to come along with them.

I just returned from visiting Ms. Justina. She lives in a small apartment with her 14-year-old nephew. She has several medical issues and just went to the hospital last night because her nose was bleeding so much and she was scared about how much blood she was losing. We found out that most of her furniture used to be in storage, but it was in storage too long and it was eventually gotten rid of. Now her apartment is barren, and she only has one hard mattress for herself to sleep on, but no place for her nephew to sleep. They also are in need of other furniture items, such as dressers or chairs or a couch. Her phone was recently cut off because she couldn't pay the bill. Fortunately, she has a niece who takes care of her each day, but she is unsatisfied with her care and would really like someone else to help her out. Her kitchen was also painfully bare, and she tends to eat frozen meals whenever her niece will warm one up for her.

Today we brought her some hamburgers and salad for her to eat today and tomorrow. We sat and talked with her for nearly an hour, and we spent some time really trying to figure out practical ways we could help meet some of her immediate needs. She was so grateful to have us come into her life, and she kept saying that she knew God brought us to her. She has such a beautiful faith in Jesus, even in her present state. She asked us to pray for her again today before we left, and Jaimie, Justina, and I held hands and prayed together for her needs. I couldn't help but cry as we sat there and prayed together, as I witnessed this most beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God coming here, to the Third Ward of Houston, Texas. As we were gathered in this small, barren apartment, I felt so hopeful and certain of the love and goodness of God.

As Jaimie and I left and walked back to work (just a couple blocks), I turned to her, still with tears in my eyes, and said, "This is the Kingdom of God."

This is why I'm here this year. To serve and love and be transformed by people like Ms. Justina, and to bring the love of God to people who are so desperately in need.

My team and I are still doing fundraising to continue our work here. Please consider giving to this cause. We are each trying to raise $2000 more by Thanksgiving, two weeks from today, and every little bit helps.

www.missionyear.org/donate