Monday, August 30, 2010

God has called me out of my comfort zone

I’ve just begun my third year at Haven of Rest Ministries, and I am learning so much. Is it easy, no, but it’s worth it to know that I have been called into a ministry where my love for the Lord has grown greater in areas that I have never know. My compassion for hurting people is stronger, and my willingness to serve is consuming. God has called me out of my comfort zone. This is a whole new life for me. God is drawing me closer to Him, and I feel Him preparing me for the journey.

Being special events coordinator can sometimes be very draining. It’s August and I am worried about Christmas at the mission. Being in outreach, we met the needs of people where they are. It tugs at the heart to know that some children may be disappointed because their parent(s) are unable to purchase gifts for Christmas. Will there be enough toys for the Happy Birthday Jesus Party? Will there be enough African American dolls or other ethnic dolls for gifts to young girls. Will there be enough trucks and games? Often these thoughts cross my mind and then I have to remind myself that God is in control.

Just the other day I was talking to someone about responsibility and life’s challenges. Life is not meant to be a series of challenges that leave us feeling defeated. It’s meant to shape our character. I remember her telling me: “God never gives us more than we can bear.” At first I thought, well, maybe He doesn’t know me that well. It’s not easy to feel that way when you can hear desperation in the voices of people. I look at this new role that God has entrusted me to play and I am thankful that I am beginning to see a new character in me that I have not seen before.

Katrina Henry
Special Events Coordinator

Monday, June 28, 2010

When Your Test Becomes Your Testimony

Today is my birthday. It would only be natural to think about celebrating. God has given me another year of life where He has again lavished His grace upon me and my family. However, my birthday is not the only reason I have been thinking about celebrating.

Almost a year ago my wife went to the doctor for what we thought was an ulcer on her tongue. Instead we found out that my wife had a rare tongue cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma. She completed all of her treatments this past February and has begun the healing process. However, after a routine PET Scan the doctors discovered a small mass on her thyroid. There was some concern about what the mass might be so additional tests were ordered. After a semi-anxious week, Friday we received the great news that the tests were negative. Talk about your reasons to celebrate!

This past year has been difficult but even in the midst of the difficulty we can celebrate the fact that God is still in control and is very well aware of our circumstances. We celebrate His precious promise to never leave us or forsake us.

Recently, we had great cause to celebrate in the men’s ministry as well. One of our men received his certificate for his GED and later that week he and another resident completed the final portion of our program called Career Development. Haven of Rest now employs one of these men, while the other is actively seeking employment. Yet another man completed our morning Life Application Bible Study. For some these may seem like minor accomplishments, but we see them as monumental milestones that deserve to be celebrated.

As great as these reasons are for celebrating, the best reason is the eternal difference God is making in the lives of men and women who receive our services. God has used this ministry to lead a people to make decisions for Christ—I know I am one of them. In a similar manner one of the men now on our program came to know of Jesus and His life transforming grace while here at Haven of Rest. In Luke 15 we are told that the angels in heaven celebrate and rejoice when “one sinner repents.”

Those of us who are on staff here at the mission are so thankful that we get to celebrate what God is doing; but, we also say thank you and celebrate you for your partnership in this ministry.

Jason Hubbard
Chaplain’s Assistant

Monday, April 26, 2010

April 26, 2010

Haven of Rest programs are designed to EDUCATE, EMPOWER and ENCOURAGE men and women to be their best. People who come here are in need of love, motivation and guidance. As a result, God gave wisdom to help us design programs to aid the needs of hurting people. The mission plants seeds of Christ and self-worth in their lives, so they can develop hope for the future.

I was listening to Marvin Sapp song ‘The Best In Me’ and this song touches every being of my spirit and my soul. It brings tears to my eyes as it explores the corner of my heart; this is truly a song that everyone can relate to. It speaks of Gods love for us all and how He notices the best in us in spite of what others may see.

When someone comes to the mission, they are broken and it takes courage for them to come but once they are here, they begin to see so much more that God has in store.

He is not only working on the ones who come to the mission for help, but He is also molding the ones who work here. We all are being revamped. It is a blessing that we are able to pray daily for each other, share each other’s lives and encourage one-another.

Haven of Rest opened its doors in 1943, and is still going strong, serving men, women and children who may come to the mission for help while also helping the ones who work here to stay strong in our faith. With God in the forefront, we know that today’s blessings will inspire someone’s future.

Katrina Henry
Special Events Coordinator

Monday, April 12, 2010

April 12, 2010

On Easter Sunday I was able to hang out with a volunteer I had just met. John and I worked together handing out ‘Hope Totes’ to those who came to the mission or lunch.

It was such a beautiful day. While watching the sun shining through the glass windows we talked about what had brought us to the mission. As we talked we were able to see, even though we were from different backgrounds, we had so much in common, like our love for Christ Jesus and His people, our compassion to serve and our desire to do God’s will.

As the men, women, and children passed through the line to receive their purple bag of personal care items, we were able to talk to some of them briefly and share that there was a tract inside of their bag. We also told them how much a blessing it was to have them eat lunch with us.

Working here at the mission I’ve learned that being estranged from loved ones can really be hard on an individual during the holidays. That is why it is so important for me, as well as John, to extend the same love to others that God’s grace has extended to us. There were so many other groups working as teams that day to serve and show love. Keep volunteering.

It was a very blessed day, if I say so myself!

Katrina Henry
Special Events Coordinator

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Restoring Hope

Restoring hope! Not only is that the theme of this year’s banquets, but it is also the daily goal of this mission. Every day we have the blessing and opportunity to make an eternal difference in the lives of the men and women that we serve here. But have you ever asked yourself the question, how? How is it that we can help restore hope to the hurting? The answer to that is really quite simple. Love is how we start to make a difference.

The apostle Paul wrote, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The love that we share here is not your candy hearts and flowers type of love. Instead it is the love commanded in 1 John 3:18. “…let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” We seek to love in deed by providing to those whom God b rings through our doors the basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter all at no cost .

We seek to love in truth by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We want those who come to us to know that they do have an intrinsic worth, that there is a God who loves them and has made a way of reconciliation for them. We want them to know that there is a better, more abundant life available for them. We want to see them flee from themselves and instead cling to the cross.

As all of this happens, we have the privilege of being ambassadors for Christ. Our clients are watching our lives. They are seeing and hearing the hardships that we all face, and in the process they get to see how God is providing that hope for us. And as they see and listen they themselves begin to have hope. It is then that we get to see God’s miraculous hand. For as their hope grows, so their faith grows, and as their faith grows, their love grows. As their love grows they have the opportunity to share the hope they found in Christ Jesus.

How do you restore hope? One soul at time.

Jason Hubbard
Assistant to the Chaplin