God at Work in the Community

God continues to work. The past 2 blogs on the Agape Blitz have only touched the surface. I guess I will be blogging about this for the next few weeks.

Weeks ago the new Fire Marshall visited Dignity Village. He stated that there needed to be a lot of changes for the safety of the residents. One of the major changes was to turn 17 tent structures into permanent structures. The residents began to "panic" in a sense. We talked about it and they were nervous. I mentioned that they wouldn't be shut down--what will Portland do with 60 more homeless people? I agreed to call Scott to talk with him.

In our phone conversation he shared with me his concerns for their safety and how big this project would be. We agreed to talk to churches about funding this. I didn't know how we could do this. God did.

The construction guys ran down estimates for the work. $7K. By the middle of the week of the first blitz they got it down to $4K and a lumber company that would deliver it. Toby, see Blitz 2 blog, agreed to take the cost and let us pay it off.

Scott the Fire Marshall visited the village. "Man you guys got a huge project going, can I bring out men from our men's group at church?" he said on the phone.

The leader of the men's group called me, sent out a general email to the men of the church (Greater Portland Church), and requested $1000 collection from them for the cost.

We all worked. We got the job done. People cried that next Sunday.

Scott took up a contribution from their church last Sunday. $815!

We both said, "God provides in big ways."

He told me that his church dismisses on Sunday to paint and clean Wilson High School. I shared with him that we also do this at Lincoln.

When people have a similar passion for Jesus, the church does the same type of work. Even more, we actually get excited planning it, doing it, and seeing God bless it.

I feel sorry for people who are in a church that doesn't have this same excitement.