All posts tagged: youth

God wants to answer our prayers

I hope that you will be blessed with the stories below.

We have been busy these past few days with our regular Kindness Days and Food pantries. On October 8, we helped a person in need of yard  clean up, household chores, built a chicken coop and light construction. Thanks to Southport Presbyterian Church for sending 17 Youth and 2 adults to bless an individual who is in need of assistance. After the outreach, we found out that this person has been praying for help.

Our Pantry of Faith was on Oct. 13th at Iglesia Wesleyana Monte de Sion. This church has been praying for ways to serve the community and God has been using FHL to plant a self-sustained pantry since April 2012. They now serve between 40-50 families and have 20+ regular volunteers. 

There are many ways we can communicate with God and one of them is through prayers.

Just this past weekend, FHL partnered with Northview Church in Carmel, IN to mobilize more than 200 volunteers for their “Good Neighbor Weekend.” We brought a few groups to our Heal the Land Project. Before we gave instructions for the neighborhood clean up, I shared with the group that cleaning the streets is only secondary to their collective presence and prayers in the area. Since we have God in our hearts, we can also release His Presence wherever we are. I encouraged them to do prayer walk as well. We prayed together before we started the clean up.

This particular outreach site is in a tough neighborhood with prostitution and drug problems. It seems like the majority of the residents (and/or the residents near the area) do not care for their surrounding since they have chronic problem of trashing the alleys and the vacant and abandoned lots. We have been bringing volunteers in this same area for almost two years on a regular basis but with some progress. However, we believe that God wants to heal this land.

After a few hours of clean up we gathered together for testimonials and debriefing. One of the testimonials was about a couple that badly needs assistance in clearing and cleaning their backyard. The lady of the house is 81 years old. Their backyard was full of overgrown weeds and all kinds of trash. After one of the volunteers prayed for them, I had the opportunity to interview the man of the house. He shared that he was fasting and praying that God would send help to assist in cleaning their yard. He almost broke down when one of the groups showed up in his backyard that afternoon. His prayers reached God and He got his answer immediately.

We ended the outreach with debriefing and prayer. As our Project Manager , Bill was leading the prayer in front of about 70 volunteers on the side of a street, I noticed a woman walking in front of me. She looked depressed and she looked surprised that a bunch of people in her neighborhood is praying together on the street. I continued to pray and forgot about the woman. Soon, all the volunteers left. As I was gathering our tools, I saw the same woman being prayed for by Bill & Donna. She came back and spilled her heart to them. God convicted her to come back to us instead to pursuing her plan to shoplift. She had a black eye and backache because her boyfriend beat her and left her. She did not have anyone in her life because her children were taken away from her a number of years ago while she was in jail. She was going to help herself at one of the grocery stores to clean her apartment because she will be kicked out in the streets in the next few days. She will go to court the following week because of her habitual shoplifting. Bill & Donna led her to the Lord. I asked her if I can pray for healing of her black eye. She hesitantly agreed and within a minute of prayer she said that her eye was not hurting anymore. Bill & Donna ended up providing her assistance for her clothes, supplies and food.

Daniel 9:23, “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.” God had heard the prayers of the church who wanted assistance in starting a food pantry, a person in need of assistance for yard work and household chores,  a couple that needed help in their backyard, a woman in desperation and for our group to be a part of what He is doing in a neighborhood.

Be encouraged that your prayers are heard in heaven. God wants to provide the best for His children and He wants to answer your prayers.

Merlin GonzalesGod wants to answer our prayers
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FHL Week 2012: Day 7 Plus

Saturday, July 28th started with working with the Ch 8 Religion in the News Staff at the There’s Hope Project. We did some painting and cleaning the surrounding areas around the trailer home. Later, our carpenter came to finish the flooring in 2 rooms with brand new linoleum.

My next and last stop for the day was at the Honoring Hometown Heroes at the Falls Park in Pendleton, In. This event has been planned in February this. Incidentally, the day before, there was a shooting in Pendleton that claimed 2 lives, a Anderson Policeman shot in the leg and a Pendleton Policeman. It was a timely event although a tragic incident happen. The Pendleton/Anderson area leaders worked hard to provide the First Responders (Policemen, Firemen & Emergency Personnel) a day with gifts for them and their family members, food, music and kids activities. My day ended with attending a wedding ceremony and a concert at The Prairie.

You may be wondering why there’s a “+” sign added to the Title of this Blog. It is because there were 2 more projects today, Sunday, the 29th. After visiting a participating church in Martindale-Brightwood area, I visited the Food Collection with Concert at Noodles & Co. at the Midtown area. Later, I supported the Play, “The Point” at Trinity Baptist.

It’s been an eventful week and so many blessings, it’s hard to record everything. In the coming days, I will be writing a Blog regarding the entire FHL Week 2012.

Merlin GonzalesFHL Week 2012: Day 7 Plus
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Life-changing

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Merlin GonzalesLife-changing
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Compartiendo el Amor de Dios

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Merlin GonzalesCompartiendo el Amor de Dios
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Westfield In Mayor on Kingdom of God

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Merlin GonzalesWestfield In Mayor on Kingdom of God
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