God is transforming more lives

There are many steps to take to bring a person out of homelessness. The most important step is showing them the love of God and introducing them to Jesus Christ. Then discipleship must take place. When we are in other cities we always point the homeless to the church we are working with. In our hometown of Dothan, Ala., we invite them to the Love In Action warehouse for Tuesday nights Celebrate Recovery, Wednesday nights Bible study, and to our home church of Harvest or another church we know they would be welcomed and taught the word of God.

Then the needs of shelter, food and jobs must be taken care of, as well as helping them get IDs and other things most of us take for granted.

Jobs are the main thing because without a job you can't have shelter or food on a permanent basis. This year we are seeing God do amazing things in the lives of the homeless, and He is taking them off the streets and into lives He had planned for them from the beginning.

For example, two homeless guys we met back in April in the woods in Dothan are now out of the woods and well on their way to experiencing the lives God planned for them. Charles is almost there. He recently started a permanent full-time job. He has his own apartment, and beginning this month, he is able to pay for his utilities and rent on his own for the first time. He has his own car now, and he put gas in it on his own for the first time last week. As he says it, he's so excited he doesn't know what to say. God has really blown his mind.

His friend Patrick is on his way now too. Charles took him in as a roommate because Patrick had nowhere else to go. Charles said the reason why he took Patrick in is because of what God has done for him, and that those of us with Love In Action have shown him how to help others. Praise God! That's a great blessing. He has experienced God's love in action, and now he wants to help spread God's love to others.

Patrick begins a permanent full-time job tomorrow. Praise God! It won't be long before he can have his own place and car, etc.

Another homeless man we met earlier this year in Dothan also has a permanent full-time job, a car, and soon he will have his own apartment.

All three of these men attend church with us and attend Celebrate Recovery and Bible study when they aren't working.

Finding these men permanent full-time jobs instead of them working through temp services was our prayer. With a permanent job they can truly get back on their feet financially. And, we offer them financial advice if they want it. Most are excited to receive the help.

We have four more men and two women we are working with who need full-time work. Right now they are doing side jobs and working through temp services and it's a real struggle. If anyone in Dothan, Ala., reading this owns a business or knows of any labor or restaurant jobs available in Dothan, please contact me at 334-494-4995 or loveinactionministries@hotmail.com

It's exciting watching God transform lives. It's exciting being part of that transformation. Those of you who pray for this ministry, volunteer and give financially are part of that transformation. We wouldn't be seeing all of this take place if not for your faithfulness and obedience to God.

Thank you and may God continue to bless you, your families, churches and businesses.