Special Update: God Is Restoring a Family

Even though we sent out our regular newsletter just 10 days ago, God has been doing something so amazing in the last week I knew the news could not wait for our next regular newsletter. Over the last year we have introduced you from time to time to a woman named Cheryl.  Cheryl began to connect with our missional community in the summer of 2013 and God has been using our relationship to restore her faith that was shattered by many of the tragedies she had experienced in childhood.  She has become one of the core members of our community. As she has grown in her faith, Cheryl has often shared the burden she feels for the other members of her family that are far from Christ and engaged in different self-destructive behaviors.  This is especially true of her two sons, her brother, and her two nephews.  We have been praying for them and seeking to connect with them when God opens a door into their lives. October 18 Cheryl, I, and on outreach worker from the organization we work with in serving friends without homes met with Cheryl's brother, Al.  Al has dealt with drug and alcohol addiction for thirty years.  He has also been in and out of homelessness.  Our hope in this meeting was to start a relationship where we could begin to walk him toward making changes in his life. God had something more amazing planned and had prepared Al's heart to make some radical changes in his life.  As we sat at Hardee's to talk with him, Al was very open about his need to let go of the additions that had stolen so much from him.  We began to work a plan to get him into a recovery program.  A couple of times along the way we were not sure if he would follow through on this.  Saturday, though, I sat with Al and Cheryl at a local ER while he received medical clearance and help to detox.  He then spent Saturday night detoxing with the help of Cheryl.  It was easier than either of them expected.  Yesterday we were able to enroll Al into a local faith-based Adult Rehabilitation Center as he begins a 6-month life recovery program with them.  Our missional community will be with him the whole way through this process. Pray for Al as he begins a new life in Christ.  There is no way I can see this as anything other than God's miraculous intervention in Al's life and the answer to the prayers of all the people who have been praying for him.  It is the prayers and financial support of our partners that enables Tina and I to be there for people like Cheryl and Al.  Thanks to everyone who partners with us.