As volunteers prepared to open the Outreach room this week, they opened the freezer lid to check the food supply. The freezer was near empty. Normally guests are given a container or two of soup, a casserole, and a loaf of bread. There was no soup this time. Not one container. This was a problem. 

In two weeks the Outreach room would close for the summer, so our food supply was dwindling. Still, it needed to last until the end. 

“How about if we pray for soup,” suggested one volunteer “right here, right now, and watch Him bring it.” The two smiled at each other and bowed their heads over the opened freezer, thanking God for knowing their needs and asking Him to provide. A guest sat across the room, silently watching. 

The freezer lid was closed, and they continued to serve guests whatever was in stock. 

Within about a half hour, another volunteer arrived ... with soup! Some had also been prepared for delivery the following day. 

God really is in our everyday. He is present and involved. Even in such things as soup. 

A torrential downpour flooded Steinbach streets when she called. 
"We're completely out of food. The kids have no supper." 
Theirs is not a pretty story. Prison, drugs and poverty dot their history and their present.  Sandwiches were offered though not accepted. "My kids won't eat that." 
It was almost 9:00 in the evening when the call ended unresolved.  

At 9:01 the phone rang again, this time a man with a problem. "My freezer just died - everything in it is going to be lost. Do you know anyone who could use a freezer full of food?" 
The woman with hungry children came to mind - and happened to live just blocks away. She was called back and told the news. 
"Really? That's amazing! I was just praying that God would help us!" 
Fifteen minutes later the food arrived - food her children would eat. 

In times like this it's easy for us - as volunteers, as citizens, as readers - to judge. Beggars can't be choosers after all, right? But, as John Piper suggests, as easy as it is to judge "the arrogant poor", "it is from this attitude we must fast." 

When we purse our lips and shake our heads at other people's circumstances or choices as though we are somehow better, we are also the arrogant poor. 

It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor. 
Proverbs 14:21

Thankfully, even in our sin Christ died for us. That we could be saved from our sin and made new. Even when our stories aren't pretty. It's encouraging to see people we work with crying out to God. It's a beautiful thing too, to witness their recognition of his hand. He provides and they know it. 

Please pray with us that our guests will continue to seek God - that they would know Him more, trust Him more, and recognize His hand in their lives.  Thank you for your prayers! He is responding.

Her life changed completely last summer, and I haven't seen her since. 
She had been homeless for years, camping in the woods just outside of town. (Have you ever gone camping in January? I don't know how she did it!) She used to come to Outreach for food and blankets. We gave her what we could, and secretly prayed for her throughout the weeks and months.

Right from the beginning, God gave me an adoration for her. Each time she came in, it would be a surprise.  I never knew which version of her I would meet. Would she smile and chat, or would she grunt and avoid eye contact? It took months for her to risk even telling me her name. Giving to her was not rewarded with gushing gratitude or even acknowledgment. It made no sense that my heart swelled with adoration for her. None at all. That's how I know it was God giving me his love for her. I was so filled with joy when I would see her, it would nearly bring me to tears. God really loves her a lot. 

Then, as summer ended, her circumstances became even more difficult. She would not be able to live in the bush any more. Something had to change. She called Irene, who had been encouraging her from day one to leave homelessness behind, and said those four life changing words.

"Okay Irene, I'm ready." 

She was immediately helped into a job and home. I hadn't seen her since.... until last week. 

Volunteers bunched around a table tossing ideas around when she called. She needed work boots. 
"Absolutely!" Irene spoke into the phone, "Come on over - we're here"
Minutes later, when she came in, that familiar joy welled up again. She showed Irene her tattered work boots, and searched for replacements. There were none, so she and Irene arranged to buy her brand new boots. And then she was gone.

The funny thing about helping people at Outreach is that you're glad to not see them anymore.

New life, new boots. Keep walking girl. You're doing great. 

He wandered into town carrying a dufflebag in each hand. It's been years, decades maybe, since he's had a home. Now, during the May rains, he arrived in Steinbach. As usually happens, he was referred to Irene to get help finding a place to stay for the  night. The emergency shelter Today House, being volunteer-run, was not available that night. Had it not been for the donation of hotel gift certificates, he might have had to stay out on the street. 

Your donations make a tangible, practical difference in people's lives. Because of your gifts and prayer we are able to serve people on the front lines and help them through difficult times. As one appreciative guest puts it, "You don't know what you're doing for me." 


Thank you.

It was another awesome day at Outreach today, with lots of special moments to celebrate. 
We got to pray with two guests today, we cultivated relationships with people- guests and volunteers - and we were able to help meet physical needs of every person that came in. 

Here is one I especially can't wait to tell you about:

One of the volunteers sat with three young men. They sipped coffee and talked about life. Joblessness, poverty and isolation is the life they know. But Peter accepted them, and has from the first day they met. The boys hung on his every word. He gently and boldly spoke life into them. When they spoke discouraging words over themselves, he spoke encouragment. Every "I can't" and "It's useless" was met with "Keep trying. You can do this."  He urged them not to give up, and to keep looking for work. 

We other volunteers busied ourselves with folding clothes, giving them a wide berth for their manly bonding. It was beautiful to listen in on. Jesus provided a father to the fatherless today. And they couldn't get enough. 
As the boys left, one stopped to shake hands. 
"Thanks for the encouragement"

Later, while driving through town, I saw the boys walking. I watched, amazed as they entered the very workplace they had been told to 'keep trying' at.  They were applying for jobs in town. 
By God's grace, his words had made an impact. 

...Ever notice how the investment you make into another person's life goes mostly unnoticed and especially unsung? 
If you volunteer - wherever it is - don't lose heart. Your words make more of an impact than you will ever know in this life. 
Keep on praying and sowing. The fruit will come. 

"Keep trying" 

"You can do this."