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.”
IAMJESUSGAL 