A Solution for Homelessness

We don’t want to disperse ‘bandaids’… we are into digging… digging for the root.

Every problem has a root. From the root source is where the fruit becomes.

If we only cut the ‘plant’ or ‘problem’ from the surface, without pulling up the roots- guess what?

The problem still exists, and will continue to grow.

If the fruit we see is poverty, addiction, mental illness, broken relationships, hopelessness, homelessness- we desire to trace the fruit to the root.

If we only focus on relief, without discipleship and restoration, it becomes a perpetual ongoing cycle with no end in sight.

Nothing changes.

But, if we focus on the root cause, and long term relationships-restoration can be attained.

As born again believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we ALL were once broken, hopeless, indeed- ‘homeless’ without Jesus.

We didn’t have a firm foundation to rebuild on without Jesus… until someone took the time to notice us, and invest in us, and in introduce us to Him.

Jesus. This is where discipleship begins. This is where restoration begins. This is where homelessness ends.

Our ministry, HELPING THE HOMELESS, is a 501 (C) 3 tax deductible non profit with a vision, mission and purpose.

VISION: We exist to minister and disciple the homeless or extremely poor men, women and children through God’s love.

MISSION: To fulfill God’s mandate to ‘GO YE into our communities and meet the spiritual and practical needs of the hungry, thirsty, naked, and imprisioned homeless or extremely poor through the love and preaching of Jesus Christ (according to Matthew 25:35-40)

PURPOSE: The purpose of HELPING THE HOMELESS is to demonstrate the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. We desire to transform lives through encouragement, training, equipping, restoring and transforming individuals to live independent on the Word of God.

Relief and restoration are different—but they both matter.

Relief can happen without relationship, but restoration can’t.

Relief and restoration are different—but they both matter.

We decide to run fast with relief or go long with restoration.

Relief is immediate, temporary help to reduce suffering during and after a crisis.

Restoration happens through long-term relationships which rebuild people, families, and communities back to their God-designed wholeness.

Both matter.

If people don’t have food, clothing, or shelter, they need immediate relief. This is the responsibility of the church, not the government.

However, when we choose to get to know people, we see each other for more than their needs and our resources.

Part of our vision is ‘CAMP RESTORATION.‘

A place where the homeless, broken and hopeless can come live for a year free, find hope, be mended and be restored with a Christian 12 month discipleship plan building a firm foundation on the Word of God, with a Foundation of Faith, and training for anger management, job skills, budgeting God’s way, and to prepare them to restart in life equipped to succeed.

After they leave, there will be ongoing mentoring for 18 months, with a 200 hour serving requirement and 10% tithing back to Camp Restoration, and they become part of helping others.

To contribute to our ministry and help this vision come to be, click here:

Helping The Homeless Ministry website

We care about the WHOLE person: spirit, soul and body.

There is a way to help without enabling or hurting. We aren’t bandaids dispensers. We are disciple makers. The goal is Restoration, discipleship and a personal ongoing relationship with Jesus.

“Human beings are multi-faceted, implying that poverty alleviation efforts should be multifaceted as well. If we reduce human beings to being simply physical, as Western thought is prone to do, our poverty-alleviation efforts will tend to focus on material solutions. But if we remember that humans are spiritual, social, psychological and physical beings, our poverty-alleviation efforts will be more holistic in their design and execution.” 

—Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts

Help us Help the Homeless

Yesterday.

In preparation for late last nights blizzard and today’s freezing temperatures and snow, our ministry team was in full force operations!

This food bus busy with Chef Todd pumping out homemade turkey chunky harvest veggie soups- 20 gallons- (smelled like thanksgiving dinner!!!) – while Wendy was busy stretching the donated $289 shopping the clearances at multiple locations that purchased 5 insulated coveralls, tons of socks, gloves, hats, scarves and hand warmers, 4 huge boxes of hot chocolate mix- and picking up donated winter THICK coats (shout out to Doug and Kim Hibbs @ The Courthouse Restaurant who loaded us up with boots, nice Carhart heavy coats and thermal padded flannels, and all the other amazing donations you all sent.

My little Honda was loaded every spare inch full… made the trek to our meeting place in New Kent where Kim Lumpkin met me, we transferred everything to her big truck… and a few hours later, Rhonda’s Richmond team was out serving and feeding the homeless population hot nutritious soups, hot chocolates, and passing out 💯 of all donated goods.

The overflow shelters are not able to provide beds, blankets or food… nor are there enough spots to let all the homeless waiting in the freezing cold lines in…so this aspect of ministry is vital to sustaining life.

This is day and night, night and day.

We ARE a 501 (C) 3 ministry. We are not operating from our church or any particular church- we ARE the church, the body of Christ.

We are a mobile church, made up of hundreds of caring volunteers who happen to attend multiple various churches spanning as far as Petersburg, Tappahannock, Chester, Sandston, New Kent, King William, King & Queen, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Gloucester, Middlesex, Mathews, Ashland, Richmond, throughout Virginia even as far as Philadelphia PA- all coming together as the full body does its part. We transcend denominational barriers. We are united.

No one person or church location gets any credit or desires it- all, every bit, is GOD’s doing. This is HIS heart, HIS ministry, and He continues to work wonders!!!

We are believing & expecting God for supernatural breakthrough this year!

Someone will share this to the right page and right person who had the right building and location we need who will donate it to us or rent to us for a dollar for tax benefits and to sow into God’s Kingdom!

Someone will share this to the right page or to the right person or foundation that has the financial ability to contribute the hundreds of thousands we will need to operate our Homeless Center, ‘CAMP RESTORATION’, a 12 month Christ based discipleship center where the homeless and broken can come mend their hearts, get back on their feet, and have their lives restored by the Word of God anda Christ-based foundation to start off on. Free.

We will have a strong mentoring program. We will have several job models within our ministry so that those we serve may learn job skills, anger management, budgeting help, learn to save.. we will work with professional therapists and counselors, as well as focus on spiritual development.

Worship, praise and thanksgiving will be the norm. Weekly bible study, with church services and mission outreaches will help us remain grateful.

We will have gardens year round, fruit bearing trees, chicken coops with fresh eggs… we will learn to be good stewards of our resources God entrusts us with.

As we identify the root problem and come up with a game plan, our residents learn how to become independently dependent on Christ. Three trimesters… and the last 3 months of transition we will aid in interviews, finding employment and housing and transportation… after exiting- they will in turn become part of the solution by giving back a minimum of 200 hours of volunteering and tithing 10% of their income to Camp Restoration to help the new residents.

We will start and operate a church here as well- Pastor Wendy & husband Doug will lead it-for ALL people, for truly, we are ALL homeless without Jesus- this world is not our home, we are only passing through.

We see it.

We believe it.

We are expecting it.

God’s vision.

And we wait on Him.

He shall provide- but He works through people.

People.

On God’s heart.

More precious than ANYTHING.

In Acts 2:45-47

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

and 4:32-37 we read of the power of focusing on those in need and coming together in unity with sacrifice- all the people came together and sold her possessions and gave to those who had need. And the church add a daily such as well been saved thousands.

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.

For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

God’s word has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever… what He did then He still wants to do now.

I’m sure it grieves His heart when He sees precious people whom He loves and sent His Son Jesus to die for freezing on the streets, sleeping on the sidewalks, with no room available for them to lay their head. Just like when Jesus Himself was born, there was no room for Him at the inn.

Can we find room in our hearts to do what God said we as Christians are to do?

Can we love our things less and live people more, willing to sacrifice and come together as one body in unity for one cause? God’s?

Your charitable contributions may be made online, http://www.helpingthehomelessministry.com or mail payable to HELPING THE HOMELESS, PO Box 204 New Kent, VA 23124… either one, comment ‘camp restoration fund’.

I’ll leave you with the Words of Jesus, in Matthew 25:35-46…

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Wake up Church!

I find it interesting that so many people in America place their value and worth on their possessions.

Material possessions, value and appearance of vehicles, houses and church buildings; yet Jesus did not put importance on things.

In fact, other than the clothes on His back and the sandals He had on His feet, He had no material possessions.

Jesus didn’t have a house to call His home. He left His home, he became homeless, so that we might find our eternal home in Him.

He didn’t stay in one place. He was nomadic. Truly, Jesus was a ‘mobile church.’

He initiated ‘Go Ye.’ He gave us the example- watch what He did.

That’s how we are to do. GO to the people, be about teaching, preaching, and healing all who are oppressed.

Jesus placed all importance and emphasis on people. PEOPLE. All people.

He knew people are a priority for God. So people (not buildings, not clothing, not material items) should be important to us as followers of Jesus.

He left His everything in Heaven to come to earth and give us ‘everything’ -Himself.

Yet many reject Him, and chose their ‘g’od of self, and chose ‘things’ to love.

People are created to be loved while things are made to be used.

But often times, we have this backwards because many are holding onto their things that they love and use more than being willing to let go and give to those who are in need.

Sadly, this is true within the walls of churches all across America. Is this bringing honor and glory to God? (Colossians 3:17; 23)

The Bible says that Satan has blinded the eyes of man, and I can see where lust for money and things has blinded eyes to real needs of so many people.

People living here in our own town have genuine need such as a roof over their head, food to eat etc. as well as people in other countries who are just as valuable to God.

I just returned from a mission trip in Africa with husband and one of our daughters.

The stark contrast of lavishness and luxurious things money is spent on- even within our own churches-give me cause and pause to think:

Is this pleasing to God? Are we really being good stewards of all God has given us? What is God thinking?

Do we really have Jesus’s priorities?

How are we really living biblical values?

Are we putting needs of people before our personal comfort?

Unless you leave your country and travel to another, you really have no idea.

It’s so difficult coming home and seeing the thousands of things that we take for granted that many have never experienced.

A bed that soft and comfortable with clean sheets with pillows with blankets…

Climate controlled rooms with air-conditioning, or heat adjustable at a moments touch of a control-

Clean, accessible drinking water whenever and wherever we are.

A roof over our head that covers multiple rooms in our house filled with multiple things that we don’t even use…

Stores everywhere within a moments reach that we can buy anything to our hearts desires.

Maybe it’s time we line up our hearts desires to mirror God’s Heart.

Maybe then, real people with real needs will see a real Jesus in us… and start receiving real love.

Food for thought…

What voice are you hearing?

I have been meditating a lot on this topic-
We are a triune being- we are a spirit, we possess a soul, and we live in a physical body.

…and a few days ago during my morning devotion it came up again…

So I decided to give birth to my thoughts and see what’s born…

Many have ‘awareness’ of this concept, based on bible truth-but few have revelation that we are a three part being and each part has a voice:

‘Conscience’ is the voice of our human spirit.
‘Reason’ is the voice of the soul, or mind.
‘Feeling’ is the voice of our body, or flesh.

Our Heavenly Father connects with us through our spirits, our inward witness… He doesn’t speak to our soul or our bodies… 

Nowhere in the Bible are we told God speaks to our body., or has a relationship with our mind.  

On the contrary, it’s our spirit man that is born again, but our mind has to be renewed daily.

Yet, the enemy ALWAYS gains access to us through our bodies (flesh) and our souls (mind)… in the ‘sense arena’- Satan appeals to what we ‘see’, ‘feel’, ‘hear’, ‘imagine’ or ‘think.’

And this is where it’s dangerous.

Satan is a liar, the father of all lies, in him there is no truth.   (John 8:44) He is a master of deception, and though there is nothing good about Satan, he is good at what he does:

Kill.  Steal.  Destroy.

That’s it.  That is his job description according to John 10:10.

He uses our senses to deceive us, so he can steal from us, destroy us, kill us.
Satan can not succeed however, unless we permit him to.  And God will permit what we permit.

Most of us get caught in the ‘feeling’ part… and get stuck there.

Many believe if they feel sick that they are sick.  Then they begin confessing the sickness, and their confession soon leads to possession… 

Before you are even aware- the thought that came by a wrong feeling was entertained, and settled into the heart, then confessed out of the mouth- bingo.  

Life is born from the wrong thought, that failed to get caught or run through the filter of Truth, God’s Word.

Follow the fruit to its root. Did it come to kill, steal or destroy, or, did it come to bring life, more abundantly? 
Folks- consider the root and inspect the fruit.

Many times you will actually hear people refer to a sickness as theirs…  In talking about it, without thinking, often they will say something like “my cancer has returned” thus, they are calling it theirs.  
Or, will say something like “I have the flu.” Taking ownership of it… agreeing with, permitting it rights to remain., assuming  there is no other way- if they have medical facts it exists, if they are feeling the symptoms, it must be so. 

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21).

Many believe that if they see, hear or feel it, ‘it’ must be true.

I’m not suggesting we live with our head in the clouds and ignore reality, symptoms, feelings or facts.  I’m stating that though something might exist and be a fact doesn’t mean it has the rights to remain and become a truth.

Friends, there’s a profound difference between ‘truth’ and ‘fact.’

If we give in to what we feel, or hear, or see- we are not living by faith. We are living by the worlds standards, not God’s.  We become a ploy for the enemy.

If we ‘feel’ something, we believe we ‘are’ what we feel. If we go by feelings alone, we become deceived and give in to these feelings.

God doesn’t call us to walk by our ‘feelings’. 

He created us with feelings, our emotions serve a purpose and it’s good to understand them, but as believers, we are not called to live by our feelings or get caught in the sense realm.

Rather, we are called to live by faith., by the Spirit. Not by sight.

Feelings are subject to change.

Thoughts and reasoning are subject to change.

Feelings and thoughts are based on facts- and facts are subject to change.

Truth (Jesus is Truth- and Jesus is The Word- therefore God’s Word is Truth.). So Truth, however, will never change, but has the power to change facts when acted upon by faith.

We are spirit, soul and body. Each has a voice.  

So… I’ll close with this thought provoking question:
Which voice is dominating you?   
1 Thess 5:23. Romans 8:1.  

12 Cor 5:7-10. Gal 5:18-20.

John 17:17. 
Minister Wendy J Roundy, international motivational speaker & missionary

Founder of ‘iamjesusgal ministries’ Iamjesusgal website

Founder of ‘Helping The Homeless Ministry’ Helping The Homeless Website

Homeless Center: it SHALL come to pass

When God gives you a vision… when God gives you a word… when God gives you a promise- then you can believe it shall come to pass. 
We founded and lead a 501 (C) 3 non profit ministry, ‘Helping The Homeless.’ 
God gave a clear vision plan, and step by step over the last 7 years it’s been unfolding into existence just as He said. 
 Every step has been laying the foundation, strong and sure, for its purpose. 
People are God most precious and valuable asset. 

Yet in our world we have people starving, hungry and thirsty, homeless. 
And people with the means to change this often walk right past them. 
We treat animals with better provisions of shelters and humane societies than our struggling neighbors, and this just is NOT OK. 
I’m not talking about applying a bandaid to a gapping wound- I am talking about a plan to resolve this problem for good.   I’m talking about a solution. 
A bible based plan, one that God Himself implemented and illustrated for us. 
We are by faith calling our 12 month Christ-Centered discipleship center, ‘CAMP RESTORATION’ into existence- a place where the hurting and broken people struggling with homelessness can come restore their lives and hearts freely, build a firm foundation of faith, learn job skills, anger management skills, money management skills, receive the love and support needed to get back in their feet and become independently dependent on Christ, then assist with finding transportation, employment and own housing during transition into being back in their own… 
I can see it.  Can you visualize it? I’ve been seeing it, ever since God gave me the vision in a dream.  And it SHALL come to pass!
It’s all about loving our neighbors and caring for others the way God said to do, changing the life of homelessness one person, one family at a time. 

Consider our ministry when praying over giving. Be part of making a difference in lives spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Give securely you online Tax deductible contributions here
Follow our ministry at Helping The Homeless FB Link

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