70x7

Counting feet

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Rev. 7:9

We have an unwritten rule while praying with people during outreach, only the person praying is allowed to close their eyes.  Everyone else in the van is to keep their eyes open and watch what is happening around the van.  The same is true when we are standing outside the van praying with people.  Well this week there was a group of us standing in a circle holding hands and praying, my mind started straying and I counted the feet of the people in the circle.  There were 19 pairs of feet and when it really hit me that we had such a large group I kept thinking of all the scriptures where the Lord had His people count the tribes, the followers, etc., etc.  Then I remembered in Revelation where the crowd was so great they couldn’t be counted and my heart really started to rejoice.  Lord, how many of these feet will be walking with you in heaven?  How many of these precious feet represent different nations, tribes, people, and languages? 

Our next stop took us to the abandominium of some of our cross-dresser friends.  Cindy got out of the van to pray with our friends and the rest of us stayed in the van and kept watch.  Next door a man was mowing his lawn, going back and forth, back and forth, until he noticed the prayer circle.  He turned off his mower and leaned against his car, folded his hands and bowed his head.  He looked up once and I caught his eye and beckoned him to come closer.  He proceeded to tell us that we were an answer to prayer.  In the last few weeks he felt he needed to seek God and go to church.  This past Sunday he stepped out in faith and went to an LDS church.  He told us that somehow that church didn’t feel right and he came home and asked God to show him the right path.  Monday night we showed up at his neighbors and thus were an answer to prayer.  We asked him to try another church in the area and trust the Holy Spirit to guide his feet to the right church.  We have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of this man.

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.  Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:18-20

The Lord wasn’t done showing us feet walking a new path.  The last person we saw was a homeless man we have known for quite a few years.  This man always claimed a faith in God but did not believe that Christ was God.  He faithfully read the New World Translation Bible and when he would talk about it we would challenge him and then ask him to read the Bible we gave him.  Well about 2 weeks him picked up the NIV and started reading it.  When we saw him we saw and heard a new man!  He was talking non-stop about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He had accepted Him as his Lord and Savior and he was so excited to tell us.   This man’s feet were now walking in the light!  Thank you Jesus!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor. 5:17

Blessings,

Donna

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Radiant!

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Ps. 106:1

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.  Ps. 5:11

Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?  Ex. 15:11

Outreach this week as been an absolute joy, I’m so thankful our Lord is so very, very good.  We connected with a client that we haven’t seen in almost a month.  It was an encounter we almost missed because we didn’t recognize her at first.  She was dressed in a pretty dress instead of her usual grubby sweats, her hair was washed, and she had a glow about her that was absolutely radiant!

 “Oh, I’m so glad I saw you, I was afraid I would miss you.  I have left the streets, I haven’t shot up any heroin since April 23rd, and I feel a joy and peace I never imagined I could have.”  “I was hoping I would see you so we could pray”, she said.

Her joy was so evident and contagious that I think the whole van lit up like a Christmas tree!  We serve an awesome God who is always at work in the lives of those who surrender to His will.  Father we thank you for opening this young lady’s heart to the hope and future you have for her. 

Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel!  Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!  The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.  The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.  Zeph. 3:14-15

Blessings,

Donna

www.70x7outreach.org

P.S. we are getting quite a few requests for deodorant, wash cloths, and razors.  Now that the weather is getting nicer everyone is shedding their layered look and wants to smell clean and fresh!

Focus

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. Matthew 6:6 MSG

I wanted to sit down and write about all the wonderful people we saw this week and all the challenges some are facing but I find I can’t keep my mind focused. I keep straying to all the emails I’ve received this week and the wonderful people that took the time to write them. So I think that this week I will pray for all the ministries new friends and hopefully get my focus back on the streets again next week. I do have one request though. We met with one of the families we see on a weekly basis and while visiting with them we heard gunshots very close to their home. I jumped when I heard the shots but the kids just stood there and said ‘oh don’t worry we hear gunshots all the time’. Please pray for the protection of these young children that have to live in the midst of the warzone we call a city.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:10-12 NIV

Blessings,

Donna

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Ps. 90:17
The favor of the Lord was with us as we handed out over 670 Easter Baskets this year. Thank you Jesus! And thank YOU, all of you who donated baskets or prayed for us. We had so many wonderful encounters with people. There were tears of joy, opportunities to pray the salvation prayer with others, receiving knee hugs from the little ones, and looks of amazement when we shared the meaning of Easter with those who had never heard the message of the Cross.

This year 70x7 was blessed with the opportunity to have a few visitors ride with us and share in the joy of handing out baskets. And on Saturday we had a group from Revive load up their vehicles with baskets and hit the streets. I think they must have had fun because a small group of them hung out with some young men in the neighborhood and played football!

Thank you everyone!!

He is Risen Indeed!!!

Donna
www.70x7outreach.org

Easter already?

It’s that time of year again, the time when 70x7 asks for help in blessing our clients and wonderful strangers we get to meet at this special time of the year, with an Easter basket.  If you feel lead to help us out, below is a list of what we are praying for.

Easter Baskets for 70x7

1 Easter basket, any kind (The dollar stores usually have nice ones)

1 wash cloth (please DON’T use any of the colored grass in the bottom of the basket, the

            people just throw it on the streets, a wash cloth would provide a nice cushion)

Candy, any kind, as much or as little as you can provide.  You can also add other treats like nuts, dried fruits, chips or whatever non-perishable item that strikes your fancy.

There are really no limits as to how you can put your baskets together the only thing I ask is PLEASE don’t use the colored grass in the baskets.  If possible please wrap the baskets in cellophane.  Last year I found cute cellophane bags at the $ store.

Be creative, put an Easter card in the basket if you’d like, just please don’t write your full name or address on the card AND PLEASE NO MONEY!! 

It’s such a joy to see grown men and women cry when we give them an Easter Basket.  So many of our clients never really had a childhood and they are tickled pink when we give them the basket and acknowledge the child in them.  Pray over the baskets, pray:

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Luke 18:16

Thank you for helping us bless the people on the streets and pray that we speak truth to them, the truth of what Easter is really all about, the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing in Him,

Donna

P.S. I will need the baskets BEFORE the week of April 1^st.  

Please contact me at 313-801-2204 so we can arrange pick-up/delivery, or if you prefer they can be dropped off at Kensington Troy campus in the little room by the West entrance Receptionist desk.  If you do drop them at KCC can you shoot me an email or text message that way I will know to go by there and pick them up.  Thanks!!

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Rose

I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Song of Solomon 2:1

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the LORD rose from the place where it was standing. Ezekiel 3:12

Two very different verses using the same word, Rose, in different ways.  I never gave this any thought before tonight but how like life can one thing actually have 2 different meanings.  She could be a lady dressed in fine clothes, living in a beautiful home or a lady of the night, dressed in ragged clothes, squatting in an abandoned home, yet our gracious Lord loves them both the same. 

Outreach is always encounters with contrasting outcomes.  We meet a lady whose prayer request is about her struggles living with Lupus.  We prayed with her gave her a Rose for Valentine’s Day and she literally skips down the street while smelling her Rose.  The next lady we meet doesn’t have a specific prayer request, so we ask for God’s protection over her, give her a Rose and she breaks down and cries.  Did the first lady receive joy in the form of a Rose and the next lady get touched by the Spirit as God Rose up to meet her in her time of need?  Whichever Rose our friends received we are so very grateful that the Lord prompted us to bring Roses to hand out to our friends for Valentine’s Day.

And yes, we did bring Roses to share with our male friends as well and they were so delighted to receive one.  One guy kept saying, “this is for me?, this is for me?, Really??”

Blessings,

Donna

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Drive-by gifting

Sorry it has taken me so long to send an update about the Christmas outreach.  I’ve had a bit of a stale fruitcake brain lately.

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

Matt. 25:38 NIV

We may lovingly call the Christmas outreach’s “Drive-by gifting” because we stop and offer a Christmas gift to everyone we see on the streets, whether homeless, a family walking to the store or someone just getting off the bus.  God shows up in the most unusual encounters.  “Hello, May we offer you a Christmas gift and a prayer?” we ask.  The woman looks stunned and then smiles.  “A prayer? Yes, I would love a prayer.  I just got off the bus from work and was praying that I could make it home safely and God shows up in a van.  You have no idea how thankful I am, I was so afraid to walk home and here is a group of angels asking to pray for me and offer me a Christmas gift,” she says. 

Oh look 3 young teenage boys and they aren’t dressed very warmly, let’s bend our rules and see if they will let us pray for them.  We approach the teens and only one of them talks to us as the other 2 walk away.  When we explain who we are and that we want to pray for them and give them a Christmas gift the teen calls his 2 friends back to the van.  We pray for them, give each of them a gift and drive away.   About a ½ hour later we are driving down the street and see the 3 teens again.  They holler for us to stop, so we pull over.  They thank us again for the gifts and prayers and then tell us that they gave the gifts to some homeless people they saw down the street and they wanted to thank us for making it possible for them to give others the gifts.  We offered to give them gifts they could keep but they declined and said we made their night and their Christmas very happy.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Gal. 6:9 NKJV

I pray our hearts never becomes immune to the needs of the people we see weekly, for in them we see Christ.  So many of the people we met prayed with and gave gifts of sweatshirts/hoodies to did not even wait until Christmas to open their gifts.  Most of them sat right down on the cold sidewalk tore into their bags and put the sweatshirts on right there on the street. 

Thank you everyone for making this one of the most beautiful Christmas’s ever!!  The joy we had in giving gifts of sweatshirts, cookies, candy, flashlights, hats, gloves, hygiene, and even toilet paper was a blessing not only to those who received the gifts but for us on the team also.  Glory to God!!  I wish you could have seen the tears of joy on the faces of the fathers, mothers, kids, and mostly those who feel disenfranchised. 

Blessings,

Donna

 

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Good Gifts

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matt. 7:11 NLT

At first I thought this passage didn’t speak to what the Lord placed on my heart but every time I thought about our last few weeks on the streets this verse kept coming to mind.  I keep thinking how; me as a sinner wants to give good gifts at Christmas knowing that the greatest gift I can give is to share the love of Christ with others who are not my children. 

Many of us are very busy at this time of year but if you get the chance to read this before Christmas I want to share with you a beautiful picture story.  So that when you open gifts with family or friends you can offer up a little prayer for the people you helped to bless. 

“Oh I’m so glad to see you, I need my prayer”, she said.  We prayed with her and then offered her a Christmas gift.  “Thank you, this is the only gift I will get”, said Tracey.  “No honey this is not the only gift you will receive.  We are getting ready to celebrate the birth of our savior and He offers the greatest gift you can ever receive.  Do you know who Jesus is?” we reply.  She mumbles yes she knows of Jesus, but before we can say any more she asks us to wait as there is another girl approaching and she needs a gift and a prayer.  Luci approaches the van; we pray with her and give her a gift bag also.  The girls start giggling, walk away and sit down on the cold sidewalk to open their gifts.  As we drive away we see the girls putting on the hoodies, hats, and gloves, laughing with joy over the hygiene items, socks, candy, and flashlights for those without power. 

Down the street we run into a few more ladies, share with them the meaning of Christmas, prayer and a gift bag.  The scene repeats over and over, ladies, men, and families laughing with joy over their gifts, not even waiting but tearing into their bags and putting on the items inside.  At one stop before we could even say anything the lady said, “I hear you are giving out gifts.  May I get my prayer and a gift?”  News was traveling fast and our prayer was that the Spirit of God would travel into their hearts just as fast as the news of gifts was traveling.  Of the 323 hoodies, and many other wonderful items we received, we have given out over 250 of them so we will wrap-up our Christmas outreach this week and I can’t wait to meet whomever the Lord brings to the van.

So as you prepare to celebrate this most joyous season may your heart be filled with the joy you shared with so many that were blessed by your generosity.  The 70x7 team is very thankful for your gifts and prayers.  May you and your loved ones be filled with the gift of love offered by our Heavenly Father through His son Jesus Christ and may the Spirit of Christmas fill your hearts and home. 

Merry CHRISTmas,

Donna

P.S. if you are a post-Christmas sale shopper and would like to help us keep our clients warm this winter we are still in need of men’s gloves and socks for both men and women.  Thank you!!!

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

First born over all creation

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”  Romans 1:16-17 NIV
 
I’m stepping outside the norm with this week’s email but the church/organizations whose websites I’m sharing are something that is very near and dear to my heart.  So this Christmas I’ve decided to call attention to the beauty of Christ’s working through people and places that may also touch your heart. 
 
70x7 Street Outreach is so very thankful for over 10 years of being able to go out every week and meet the “Least of these” to share a lunch bag, hygiene kit, and prayer with people that are quite often overlooked.  We serve a God who loved each of us so much that He sent His son to die for us and He raised up people to share that love with others. 
70x7 is blessed to be able to operate under the umbrella of Abide Ministries (sorry they don’t have a website).  Thank you Abide for abiding with us.
 
As we prepare our hearts (and wallets) for this blessed season may we find it in our hearts to share some of that joy with others less fortunate.   Please note these are organizations that are close to my heart, you may have a church or organization that you feel the Lord is calling you to pray for and/or support. 
 
Kensington Church/Christmas Revolution:
http://vimeo.com/31627343
 
International Justice Mission:
http://www.ijm.org/content/advent-conspiracy
 
Esthers Children:
http://www.estherschildren.org/
 
ProvideInc:
http://www.provideinc.org/
 
70x7 Street Outreach(Abide Ministries)
www.70x7outreach.org
 
If you are looking for other ways to share the Christmas spirit of giving please consider one of these ideas: Gloves for men (I have a big supply of women’s gloves so I only need them for men), socks for men and women, or flashlights with batteries.  Our friends on the street would love warm hands and feet.  The flashlights are for those who live or squat in a home with no electricity.  They burn candles for light and that is very dangerous hence the request for flashlights. 
 
 
WARNING!!!!  This last website may not be appropriate for everyone.  The trailer you will view (if you choose) will haunt you and hopefully open your eyes to a growing problem.  Thankfully they are an organization that follows Christ and brings HOPE to many!
 
Exodus Cry:
http://nefariousdocumentary.com/
 
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
 
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Col. 1:15-20 NIV
 
Blessings,
Donna
313-801-2204
www.70x7outreach.org

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Thanksgiving everyday

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Heb. 13:15 NKJV
 
“Giving thanks to His name”, not just on Thanksgiving but everyday as there are so many things to be thankful for:
 
To shop and buy our own Turkey and fixings.  Many of the people who received a Thanksgiving basket struggle everyday to feed themselves.
Lights and heat - Some of the people we see do not have electricity or a working furnace.
A bed – Knocking on a door to deliver a basket and seeing that the parents and 5 children are all sleeping on the living room floor, on blankets and coats. 
A toilet – Yes a working toilet something I definitely take for granted.  And something that is hard to wrap your mind around when you see the plastic buckets filled with waste.
Windows – Oh the joy of looking out the window at the trees or even the rain instead of staring at boarded up windows with graffiti on them.
 
The list could go on and on but none of that really matters when you see the joy on someone’s face when you hold their hand and pray.  They may not all understand who God is and the sacrifice Christ made for us but their hearts are open to receiving the love He has for each of them.  We pray that each and every single day we rise with joy in our hearts, the joy in Christ that is meant to be shared with everyone we meet. 
 
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col. 3:17 NIV
 
First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them. I Tim. 2:1 CEV
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. I Chr. 16:34 NIV
 
Blessings,
Donna