We have had some amazing times in our morning chapel services this summer in conference calls directly with partner ministries! Conference calling into foreign countries can present interesting challenges to be sure, but it has been so exciting to connect with our ministry partners. Recently we connected with a ministry in Colombia who is a new partner for Gleanings, but already we see such rich blessing from the Lord through this connection. We bridged in a long time YWAM ministry friend in Colombia to bridge the gap in languages. Steve Bartel translated back and forth to facilitate our conference call. During the call, we were also joined by another ministry team member who was actually distributing food live while we were on the call! We heard from a recipient who along with her husband and child had fled the impoverished nation of Venezuela. We were able to pray a blessing for her, and to encourage her that food from Gleanings would be on it’s way right to her home town of origin in Venezuela as well!
The theme of healing kept coming up last week: healing from sickness, stress, worry, and relationship strain. Be encouraged! You are dearly loved by God. Receive his healing touch, walk in his truth, and ask for help if you need it. We are always encouraged and honored as we pray for the shipments being sent out. Sending the food to partner ministries such as Feed The Children is a tangible sign of God’s love.
“Do not worry about your life … Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25, 27, 33
Did you ever notice things work a little different around here? Instead of paying for all the staff and workers – we all volunteer. Rather than producing a product for sale – we give it all away. Somehow God has a way of blessing each volunteer, each shipment of food, and each receiving partner ministry. This week we have volunteers from Canada to Texas, and backpackers from Europe, Japan, and Brazil – all here helping. We prayed for a truck going to a partner ministry – and they are going to be able to bless a number of different locations where they are connected. God’s economy is rich and abundant.
“Count your many blessings, name them one by one, Count your many Blessings, see what God has done”. Remember the lyrics to the old hymn? When is the last time you tried to actually count the Blessings the Lord has put in your life? For me I am overwhelmed with gratitude before too much time has passed, and have to stop counting. Here are a few candid pictures of some of the staff here at Gleanings for the Hungry last week, and a Convoy of Hope truckload being sent out in prayer. Try counting your blessings as you enjoy these few photos.
