February 8, 2008

For the past few weeks, I have been back and forth between New Jersey and Newbern, North Carolina working on a boat project.  When the project was finally finished and I was home, I had a chance to catch up on the many emails that had filled my inbox while I was gone.  To my delight, right at the top of the long list was an encouraging email from Denise Gutierrez, our Community Outreach Director.  With her permission I am forwarding her e-mail to you to both challenge you and encourage you… 

Bob, I just wanted to share a couple of things with you. This past week Teresa and I talked about our upcoming blanket and soup project and its promotion. I had wanted to put a flyer together for the project last week but I wasn’t able to get it done. This past Monday I wanted the Project of the Week done and emailed, but again I was delayed by two days of sickness. Each distraction pushed me getting the information about this project out later and later.  It was very discouraging. 

All that said, here is the part I want you to hear about. God was again before us preparing people’s hearts.  Not long after I finally got the Project of the Week email out, I started to get tons of responses to it.  

The coolest things about what people were emailing me back about this project was they were not letting it stop with just them. They forwarded the Project of the Week and the attached flyer to their friends, neighbors and coworkers. From what I have been reading in my emails, many people outside of Journey 2L2 are now collecting blankets, making soup, and looking forward to distributing these in Trenton with us on February 16th.  Another church (from PA) emailed me and said they have been thinking of doing a similar project and could we give them advice to make their project a success.  

If you or others feel discouraged, they just need to talk about Journey 2L2 and this Project of the Week with someone. Their friend’s responses may greatly surprise them. A forwarded email and a follow up conversation might be the very thing that God might use to lead someone to come and serve with us and worship with us.  Who knows what God might do and how many may end up joining with us.    

It’s so encouraging to me to have received so many responses to this project of love. What tops it off is that this is just what we prayed would happen when we first started to dream about what God’s church would be like and act like. It’s happening and it happened to many people this week. That dream has begun to come to life. People are doing it! They are encouraging others to engage with God in loving people all over the greater Princeton area. 

Last year we had 4 people go to Trenton, this year we will have about 20 or more as of today. If we all keep talking about the project, God may decide to blow or socks off with how many more may end up helping and that means there will be more people that will be helped. 

It was a good week! 

I hope you are going to be a part of this project.  I am encouraged that so many of you are out there spreading the word about a simple act of making soup and handing out blankets.  This Journey is truly a dream come true. 

Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday and serving with you in Trenton next week.

Bob

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