70x7

Fatherless

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:23:10 -0400

Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. Exodus 22:22-23

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Deut. 10:18

I can’t speak for all of us on the team but in my case I feel like I have spent the majority of my life walking around with impaired vision and only by the grace of God and His love for all people that I am gaining sight. I have read the above verses many times over and never applied it to grown fatherless men. I always think of women and children. Well the Lord has been working in the hearts of the team by drawing us closer and breaking our hearts for the men.

We made our usual stop on a street where there is a lot of drug activity and men. This is the street where one of the dealers invited us to come into the house and pray with the people, a vision being fulfilled. Well when we pulled onto this street there were quite a few cars around and deals being made so no one came over to the van. So we sat in the van asking the Lord to direct us on what to do, do we wait, do we go up to the house, or do we leave? Our answer was to wait but we didn’t have to wait long. A few of the cars drove away and the men started approaching the van. “Thanks for waiting for us, did you bring the Action Bibles tonight?” There were so many approaching the van that they went to both sides to pray with all of us. While I was praying with the guy on my side I saw an SUV pull up behind us, thank you Lord that you direct us to pray with our eyes open. I was a little nervous about this vehicle as I didn’t recognize any of the men approaching us. 4 men got out of this vehicle and split up, 2 went to the passenger side and 2 came to the driver side. “I’m glad we caught you we need prayer”, says one of the men. Oh Father thank you for your protection, for your direction, and for softening our hearts toward these men. Thank you that they are crying out to you, for their identity.

As we’ve been getting to know these men and hearing their stories our hearts are breaking more and more. So many of these guys have been recruited into their illegal activities at a very young age, they’ve been forced to do things out of fear for their lives, most of them have been shot multiple times, and almost none of them know their father. They fear for their lives daily because to leave what they are doing means almost certain death. You can’t do what they do, know who they know, and live where they live and expect to walk away with your life. Father we know you long to give them life that is eternal, to turn them into light-bearers instead of life-stealers, fill their hearts with your love and bring them to their knees where they will find their strength in you!

Blessings,

Donna

One mile

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:54:24 -0400

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Matt. 5:41 NKJV

Every day I pray that my heart and mind will be open to God’s leading and that I will put aside my desires to do as I wish and be obedient to His call to go out on the streets and be a light to those living in the darkness. I am so thankful for a team that keeps me encouraged and has a heart for the lost, and for a loving Father that is always challenging us to go another mile.

We ran into a lady that we hadn’t seen in about a year and she was so excited to see that we were still coming out and praying with the people. When we asked her where she had been for the last year she told us about her health issues. She has a degenerative spine disease and has had 8 surgeries in the last 10 years and she needs to go back into the hospital and have another surgery. I gave her my phone number and asked her to call me when she goes again so that we could come visit her. She broke down and started bawling, she said, “I haven’t scheduled my next surgery because I didn’t want to go to the hospital again and be all alone, no one has ever visited me, would you really come?” Yes dear lady we would come visit you, no one should be alone when they are hurting. Please pray she has the courage to call us.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. Ps. 119:66

For the about the last 2-3 years we have been making a stop on a street where there is a lot of drug-dealing, alcohol, and guns. When we first started visiting this street we were very apprehensive but then we started meeting some of the dealers and they were very welcoming. In fact they started flocking to the van asking for prayer. About a year ago one of our teammates had a vision about a house on that street; the vision was that we would be having Bible studies in a house with a big picture window. Last night that vision started coming to fruition. One of the main dealers asked us if we would be willing to come into the house and pray with those that wouldn’t come out to us. He said, “next time you come by could you come in the house and pray with all the people in there, they need prayer and to hear about God.” We looked over at the house he was pointing at and it had a big picture window!!! Praise God, He is so good, faithful, merciful, and loving!!

Blessings,

Donna

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

Celebrating!

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:53:25 -0500

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— Joel 2:25a

Well one of God’s special children is celebrating 10 years clean and walking with the Lord today. Happy anniversary Cindy! You are the apple of God’s eye and the same could be said by all who know you. What a picture of the transforming power of Christ, your testimony, your love for people, and your faith are a modern day miracle. May our loving Father grant you many more years of joy in Him. If you don’t know Cindy’s story check this out:

https://vimeo.com/41197427

It was so much fun going out this week and telling our friends that Cindy was celebrating her 10^th anniversary. One of our friends was so excited to hear Cindy’s testimony that he wanted to hug everyone in the van. Well, at first he wanted to ignore us because he thought we were DTE energy coming to turn his lights off again. This man has been homeless for 5 years and just recently became eligible for assistance. So he found this tiny run down house to rent and has been struggling to make ends meet. He was recently in the hospital having some major surgery performed and while in there someone broke into his place and stole what few things he had. So now he is without a refrigerator, portable heater (he doesn’t have heat as the house does not have a furnace), microwave and all his blankets and clothes. Yet through all these struggles he is one of the most joyful, joyful in the Lord, people you would ever meet. When he realized we were not DTE he came running over to the van. So I had to tell him that yes we were DTE because we were “Delivering Truth Everywhere”!!!

So many prayers are being answered and I have so much to share that starting next week the emails will not be so much about the people we see but about what the Lord is doing in our city! Stay tuned!

Blessings,

Donna

P.S. we are still praying for Easter Baskets. If you’d like to help us out please contact me via email or at 313-801-2204 THANKS!!

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:14:52 -0500

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. I John 4:12.

What a joy it is to be back out on the streets visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. We have never seen God but we have the privilege of seeing His work in the lives of so many of our friends. Thanks to some of my teammates for venturing out each week in January and loving on the girls. I’m very grateful for their faithfulness but I have to admit I’m glad to be back out there with them. To pray with and hug some wonderful people, to hear their hearts on the challenges they have been dealing with. To see the smiles on their faces when we hold their hands and tell them how much our Lord loves them. God is so very, very good!

In January I took the month off to pray about the direction the ministry might venture into in 2013. It was such a joy to just spend time with and listen to the Lord. I also got to spend time with some of our clients that have left the street life and are struggling with what to do next. I know there are changes coming down the road and we are excited to see how the Lord will direct our paths. Pray for us as the Lord stretches and grows us as only He can do.

Well, can you believe that Easter is only about 7 weeks away. Yeah! Easter is my favorite time of year. We need your help though to bless our friends with Easter Baskets again. Here is a list of our needs:

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. You can find 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!!

Please contact me via email or at 313-801-2204 if you or your small group can help us out. I will need the Baskets on or before Friday March 22^nd.

Blessings,

Donna

Joyful, Joyful!

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 09:33:11 -0500

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above. (Henry J. Van Dyke/ Beethoven)

I love this hymn and the last few weeks in the van have been very joyful! Donations have been pouring in and the blessings have been going out. So many people skipping down the street after receiving a Christmas bag filled with blankets, food (canned goods, cereal, snacks, etc), dish soap, toilet paper, home-made cookies, candy, socks, slippers, hats, gloves, hygiene and love. We were also able to give some special gifts to the children of our clients.

Tonight was our last evening of regular outreach. We will be hitting the streets again this Saturday to do what we lovingly call ‘drive-by gifting’. We had such an awesome outpouring of donations from our friends/supporters that we are going to go out and bless anyone that will allow us to share with them.

Joy, joy, joy, I’m having a difficult time writing this email because we had an encounter this evening that truthfully blew us away with laughter and joy!!! The evening started out peacefully as we delivered gifts to our friends, then we saw one of our ladies hurrying down the street. When she approached the van she was very scared as 2 men were following her. They had been harassing her when she was in the store and followed her out. There was another man coming down the street behind them that was carrying a huge stick. She was so scared that we invited her into the van. We didn’t have an empty seat for her so I asked her if she was willing to sit in the back of the van. We drove her about a mile down the street and I got out and opened the back of the van so she could get out. The whole time I was praying we wouldn’t get pulled over by the police for having her in the back. She was very grateful for the ride and went on her merry way. We continued down the street looking for more of our ladies when we spotted a young family walking down the street. We asked them if they would like a Christmas gift and prayer.

While praying with this young couple the man we had seen earlier carrying the big stick approaches. He stood off to the side and threw the stick down and bowed his head. When I saw that his whole demeanor had changed I told Cindy to go ahead and ask him if he would like prayer and a gift bag. While Cindy was praying with him the police drove up next to us. I put my window down and they asked if we were ok. I said ‘yes’, thanked them and wished them a Merry Christmas. They started to drive away and then stopped, put on their flashing lights and one of them gets out of the car. Oh no! I started running a check list through my mind trying to think of what I might have done wrong. Then I thought maybe he wasn’t coming to us but was going to talk to the guy that had the big stick. Well, that was not the case, the policeman is walking right up to Cindy’s window and now I’m worried about her as I know she still has a huge fear of police from all her years out on the streets. Mr. Policeman walks to Cindy’s window, sticks his head in and says to Cindy, “Don’t I know you?” Cindy blurts out, “I’m not out there anymore so I don’t think so”, and poor Cindy is thinking he knows her from her past life on the streets. He says, ‘Yes, I know you, I saw you in a video at my church and I’ve been praying I would see you out here”. The whole van let out a sigh of relief and started laughing. This police officer was so happy to meet Cindy in person that her opened her car door, gave her a big hug, and asked if he could take her picture so he could show it to his mother! If that don’t beat all, what a way to end the evening!! Our wonderful, joyful, loving Father allowed us to meet 2 police officers (his partner had also approached the van and was talking to me), that not only thanked us for being out there and caring for the ladies but they gave us their personal cell phone numbers to call if we ever had any problems. What a beautiful reminder of this Christmas season, our heavenly Father loves us, every single one of us, so much that he gave us His son to show us how to love and care for one another. Thank you Jesus for the joy you bring to our lives, for the protection you give us on the streets, and for turning our apprehensions about authority into tears of joy that we had a celebrity, Ms. Cindy, in the van with us tonight!

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:11-12

Thank you everyone for your prayers and donations because of you many have received the joy of the Christ child! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Donna

313-801-2204

Christmas wish

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:58:54 -0500

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:27-28b

“Hello Donna? This is M I’m calling to let you know that I moved. I’ve decided that I needed to get my life in order and the only way to do that was to move to a halfway house. I asked the others living in the house if they had a ‘prayer van’ that comes around to pray with them. They said “No!”, they’ve never heard of a van that will pray with people like them, ie: prostitutes, addicts, cross-dressers, most people think they are worthless. Well I told them that the prayer van I know doesn’t judge us they just hug us and pray for us. Anyway, I’m asking if you know of another van that might be in my new neighborhood that could come over and pray with all of us here. “

This was not the first time I’ve received a call like this, a call from a lost sheep looking for the Shepherd. It’s a call that brings joy to my heart that they are reaching out but also breaks my heart that we won’t be able to see them very often. My Christmas wish is that those who are seeking will open their hearts to know that He is near. “Come!” M, and all those who are broken and lost, and take the free gift of the water of life it will fill and satisfy you more than any worldly gift.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Rev. 22:17

Merry Christmas

Donna

313-801-2204

Rambled heart strings

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:18:35 -0500

This week Lindsey offers her heartfelt words over the loss of one of our precious young ladies. Our prayer is that we will see her again, free, whole, joyful, and wrapped in the arms of her Savior!

Blessings,

Donna

Rambled heart strings.

I opened my eyes yesterday morning and the first thing I saw was my computer screen saver, it read “Reach the lost – No matter the cost”

My heart is heavy as I write this…. Someone needs to share her story. There is no obituary. There is no funeral that we know of. There is no certainty as to how it happened. The only certainty I can wrap my mind around and the brokenness I feel in my heart is that the last encounter we had with her she knew that Jesus loved her and as we wrapped our arms around her and prayed over her, chains were broken.

I met her one of my first times out on the streets with 70x7… she was so hesitant to come near our van, she didn’t want prayer and she didn’t want to talk. Each week that we saw her she would come a little closer toward the van, soon she would let us pray over her, and sometimes she would let us in to a little of her world. I remember seeing her for the first time and saying “that girl is hard” and Jaime responded “No, she is broken.” I’ve written about her on this blog numerous times…. She is the girl I wanted to take home with me. She is the girl that kept me awake at night…. often. Each week she looked a little rougher, a little more broken, a little more hurt… the streets were killing her slowly. As time progressed so did her trust in us. She started to come to the window of the van and would share some prayer requests…most always for safety. She then let us get out of the van and hug her. We were there when she was scared. We were there when she got out of jail. We were there after she was beat up and raped. We were there when she got out of rehab and was clean from heroine. We were there when she wanted prayer and we were there when she needed a comforting hug. We were there.

Words fail me…they don’t do justice. Our team loved her. It is easy to recall the last six months of the moments we met with her… but the last two encounters are embedded on my heart. The second to last time we saw her we were on the streets praying with a group of six or seven people and she came running around the corner “can I have one.. Can I have one!!”… Every one of us in the van just started smiling. She was happy to see us; she had been waiting for us. That night she welcomed me out to hug her and pray over her. This was a huge breakthrough. The following week we were out and we ran into our beloved… she had been drinking and was the most talkative we ever saw her. Jeana got out of the van and had a 20 minute conversation with her and she began to pour out her heart. She wasn’t using heroine. She just got out of rehab. She hated being on the streets. She wanted out. She felt trapped. She applied for a job at K-Mart. She didn’t know how things got to this point. She was scared. She wanted to be freed. She wanted to be clean. She passed up a friend who was waiting on her because she WANTED prayer. She had plans. She shared she wanted to get married and have kids one day. She wanted a better life. She also shared she felt hopeless and felt like death was her only option…she didn’t want to live anymore if this was all life had for her. She shared how she got on the streets and about the days before. She opened her heart and we offered her Jesus. Jeana wrapped her arms around her and prayed over her.

Last night we were stopped at the spot she usually is at. We prayed with a few people and then he came over…we asked him where she was and he said “She is no longer with us”…. He went on to share that she died from an overdose. My heart sank. I was numb. I couldn’t move. It seemed like so many people were coming to the van, more than ever in this spot and I felt like I was stuck in time and just couldn’t focus. Even one of the girls on the streets asked if we were okay. As everyone left the van and we rolled up our window our van was silent. I just broke down in a deep cry. The pain was unreal. It was like someone just told me my relative died. I buried my head in my arms and said “Donna you’re gonna have to coach me through this… I don’t know how I get my head back in the game after this”… she said “you don’t….”.

I felt like last night was God saying “do you really know what you are saying yes to” and then showed us a glimpse… the cost is worth it and her death is a reminder of the importance that these girls need to know they are loved and that Jesus Christ died for them. Jaime and I drove home together, a rather quiet drive… we sat in the car in silence and listened to ‘Finish what you started’ by Sean Feucht. “Oh my God, You can do anything…and oh my God, nothing is too hard for you… You’re faithful to the end.. You will finish what You started…” God is faithful until the end. He finishes what He starts. He loved her so much that He sent our team to pray with her every week. As much as it grieves my heart to know that I won’t see her any longer… It encourages me to know that we were used to show her Jesus. Our days are fleeting.. Tomorrow is not promised.. and knowing Jesus is the ONLY thing that matters.

I am so blessed to work with such an amazing team and be a small part in such an incredible outreach. I love our team. Our leader, Donna is like a Mom to us… she called last night to check on us and make sure we were okay… The streets aren’t just an outreach; it’s a part of our lives relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. As much as it pains me to see her go, I am blessed beyond words that we were able to know her. I can’t imagine not being on these streets. Not building these relationships. Not offering hope. I can’t imagine not having these amazing relationships with these girls. I’m so thankful for our team and that we have the privilege to reach God’s children and offer them hope. I’m thankful that the feet that deliver the good news are beautiful and that we were able to offer her hope, love, and Jesus. I can’t imagine doing anything different. Reach the lost – no matter the cost.

In Him,

Lindsey

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

The poor

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 08:17:09 -0400

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Ps. 82:3

I’ve had a burden to write about the plight of quite a few of our clients instead of just focusing on the street activities. I hope and pray I don’t offend anyone as this is not meant to shame but to enlighten. I’ve been working among the poor for almost 20 years now and I’m still surprised but what I don’t know or understand.
The Poor! We see them every week, we hug them, give them lunch bags, pray with them, and yet we realize we still don’t understand the challenges they face on a daily basis. The team thanks God every day that He hasn’t given up on us and gently teaches us about a lifestyle that is very different from ours. I’ve been thinking about the situations our clients live in quite a bit lately as we prepare for the Christmas season. Asking for help/gifts for our clients is a real challenge but I didn’t realize how much of a challenge until a few friends asked me some very valid questions.

A few faithful friends wanted to know why we give blankets when they see some of them thrown out with the trash on the side of a road. That question hit me between the eyes as I realized many people didn’t understand how that could happen. I asked the Lord to give me wisdom in answering as years ago I also didn’t understand why good trash was sitting on street corners in the city. I think the best way to answer this question is to tell a story of a few of our elderly clients. They live in homes they have occupied for 40 or more years. Their house is paid off but taxes eat quite a bit of their Social Security. Now they have to make a decision, do they pay their electric, or heat, or water? So they may decide to just pay the electric because it doesn’t make sense to pay for the heat when their heater is so old it doesn’t work properly anyway. They also don’t pay their water because pipes leak and run up the bill but they can’t afford to pay a plumber to fix the pipes. They don’t own a car because they can’t afford the gas, insurance, or license plates. Now they are at the mercy of family (a few of our elderly clients don’t have any family in the state), friends, and neighbors. People are willing to take them grocery shopping if they give the person taking them $50.00 (that’s the going rate) of their food stamp money to cover the cost of gas and their time.

Well, they had $200.00 on the Bridge Card for groceries for the MONTH, but now they only have $150.00 and they cannot buy anything they cannot eat. So no toilet paper, no dish soap, no shampoo, etc., etc., etc. They learn not to buy too many fresh things because it won’t last for a month so they eat a lot of canned foods. The same person that took them shopping may take them to a Laundromat but you only wash what is absolutely necessary because after you pay your bills you may only have $20.00 left for the rest of the month and most of that you will spend on washing your clothes. When your bed linens get so dirty they could get up and walk you just throw them out because it’s just too expensive to wash them. If you don’t have anyone to drive you to a Laundromat or grocery store then you have to resort to riding a bus, spending more money you don’t have. I shudder to think of how they manage to carry large items on and off a bus.

We thank God everyday that so many of the people we meet trust us enough to share some pretty private financial situations with us. Our heavenly Father has been very gracious and patient in teaching us how expensive it is to be poor as we also did not understand their struggles.

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Ps. 140:12

They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. Ps. 112:9

Blessings,
Donna
313-801-2204

P.S. Here is the Christmas wish list again with an addition I forgot on the first list.

Toilet paper
Toothpaste/brushes
Socks for Men and Women
Men’s gloves
Flip Flops/Clogs or slippers for women
Deodorant
Dish Soap (small bottles please)
Cereal – any size boxes
Soup/Ravioli (in the small cups)
Non-perishable snacks that do not require having teeth in order to eat it

1, 10 or any number would be a huge help, thank you!!!

Darkness or Light?

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:19:12 -0400

“Can I talk to you in private?” he said. Oh oh! was running through my mind. I don’t know you, I don’t think we’ve ever seen you before, we are on the busiest and scariest street on our route is this safe? “Yes, I’d be honored to hear what you have to say”, I replied. So we stepped away from the group gathered around the van. “I heard you pray for people and I need prayer”, he said. “Okay what can I pray for you?” I answered. “Well, I have so much anger inside that I don’t know if I should kill myself or someone else and I don’t want to feel this way. Someone told me that the ‘prayer van’ could pray for me so I’m asking for help”. This young man was wound so tight that I was afraid that if I took his hand to pray for him that he would explode but I really felt this was a desperate call that needed to be presented to the only source that could relieve his pain. So I asked him if I could hold his hand and pray for him, he started crying. We prayed, he hugged me, and we talked some more. It started getting really busy and people were calling my name so I asked him if I could invite one of the ladies from the van over to talk to and pray with him also. He agreed so another member of the team poured into him and led him to the Lord. Before we left that street he asked what his next step should be as he didn’t know Jesus but was very open to learning more so I gave him a copy of the “Action Bible”. When he saw what he was holding in his hands he said, “I never knew a Bible could look so interesting, I always thought it was a boring old book for old people, I can’t wait to read this and I know a lot of other people that need one of these”.

This encounter took place about 6 weeks ago. We’ve been back to that stop almost every week since then but we haven’t seen this young man. When we would ask about him people would tell us that he has not been coming around but that he did ask them to tell us that he is reading his Bible.

About 10 days ago I was cruising that street during the day; I was visiting with another friend that lives on this street, when I see a young man riding a bike up the street. When he got closer he threw the bike down and came running toward the van yelling, “Hey Donna is that you, I’ve been praying I would see the prayer van again but I’ve been staying away from this street at night. I’m only over here today because my mother lives on this street. Can we pray?” We prayed, I gave him my phone number and we parted ways.

Well Tuesday we are on the scary street again, someday I’ll have to take the time to write about the awesome things happening on this street. We were praying with a large group of people again when this young man walks up and asks me if I got his text message. It’s the young man we’ve been praying for! Oh no, did I miss his msg? Sure enough I check my phone and there is his msg. He was asking if we were coming to that street tonight and if so he was waiting at a friend’s house to talk to us. He proceeded to tell us how the Bible is changing his life but just recently he felt that he was facing some major battles and he needed to reach out for prayer. He also asked us if we had anymore of the “Action Bibles” that we could give him to share with some friends that were really interested in reading it with him. Oh boy! Did you hear us screaming with joy? Thank you Father that you allow us to meet your lost sheep in the darkest places, you fill them with your Spirit, and start a new work in them. May we never lose sight of your goodness and mercy.

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph. 2:8-10

Blessings,

Donna

www.70x7outreach.org

313-801-2204

P.S. Christmas is fast approaching and we are reaching out for assistance in helping to bless our clients with some things. If you could help us we need:

Toilet paper

Toothpaste/brushes

Socks for Men and Women

Men’s gloves

Deodorant

Dish Soap (small bottles please)

Cereal – any size boxes

Soup/Ravioli (in the small cups)

Non-perishable snacks that do not require having teeth in order to eat it

1, 10 or any number would be a huge help, thank you!!!

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

Part 2

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:46:05 -0400

I guess I’m making up for lost time. Here is another heart-wrenching update, this one written by Jaime, another beautiful young lady on the team. Lord keep Jaime strong as she reaches out through her own personal heartbreak and touches the lives of the ladies on the street with Your love that shines so brightly through her.

REUNITE

She was the girl we met the very first time I went out with the 70x7 prostitution street ministry. She was a white girl. Short hair. Eerily familiar. She was on my side of the van so my window was down and as Donna prayed for her, I just stared at her. Deep desperation ran through her eyes. Broken. Exhausted. Waiting for the next hit. But I KNEW her. How?

We parted ways, she went one way and we drove another way. The moment we hit the end of the street I knew, she was friends with my brother. My brother, who almost two years ago, died of a heroin overdose. My brother, raised in Troy, Michigan - as suburbs as they come. They were friends. I thought to myself, there is no way. She looked too different. Way too different. I graduated with her brother. Good friends with her brother actually. I knew the heavy set, bleached out hair girl. Not the short brown haired, skinny girl wearing raggedy clothes and an old pair of tennis shoes. My heart broke. I was so shook up.

Last night we went out again. When we finished Lindsey and I were not ready to be done, so we got dropped at our cars and went out again. Before this happened we prayed and asked God to show us specific things we needed to know about the people we should find. Our treasure hunt. Among other things REUNITE was on our list . We stopped at a coney island to find a “bridgette” on our list. No dice. So we drive on our way and just outside the coney island is a woman waiting to be bought. We were going to stop and noticed it was the crazy lady we prayed for earlier so Lindsey said, “keep driving.” Then we see the girl next to her. Grey ragged shirt, brown scraggily hair, a huge mess. I thought to myself and maybe out loud, “Wait, is that a boy or a girl?” She turns to face us and my immediate response out loud was, “Oh crap , she’s the one.” Lindsey thinking nothing says, “Hi! We are from the prayer van, we don’t have food but we would like to pray for you.”

I’m looking into her eyes and my heart is pounding and my hands shaking. Before she answers Lindsey, I look her in the eyes and I point, “What is your last name?” Without hesitation she answers me with the last name I expected to hear. I almost lost it. I fumbled for my seat belt, dropped some choice words, covered my mouth as I cannot believe what just came out of it and ran around the back of my car to her.

I look her dead on and with a hand over my heart I say, “I am Jaime Davis. I am Mark Davis’s sister.”

“Oh. Crap,” She says. Her heart sinks. My heart sinks. I grab her and pull her away from the car and we hug forever it seemed. She cried. I cried. My whole body shook. I couldn’t even believe who I was holding in my arms, rubbing her back, feeling her boney spine with my hand.

“How are you? Does your family know what’s happening? Are you working the streets? How are you? How are you? Tell me everything”

She explains she’s been waiting for her girlfriend for over an hour now. She hasn’t come back yet. She is planning on going to rehab in a couple days. She spoke with her family not too long ago and sometimes she works the streets. She has to. There is no other way. We get in my car and I pray some more for her. We talk. ”Do you want to be free from this?”

“Everyday”

After Lindsey asks about the relationship she had with my brother she told us, “He was the first person I got high with.”

Followed by a mumbled

“It was the hardest funeral I’ve ever been too.”

We prayed for her. We prayed the chains of addiction would be broke. The scars on her arms would be gone. Every area she ever stuck a needle would be healed in the name of Jesus. The blood in her body would run clean and Jesus would replace it with His. That She would never desire another high. That she would have the strength to walk away and to get on the plane to South Dakota and start fresh. That this night would be the first day of the rest of her life. We called out the destiny and purpose for her life.

We prayed three times with her and every time we were done she was wiping away her tears. Lindsey told her she had a vision as we prayed the last time of her living in a nice house, with a family and a husband, with money. That blessings are coming her way.

Lindsey gave me twizzlers I never even intended to eat. And so she, starving, gladly accepted our twizzlers with a, “yeah I want those, I’m fu**ing starving.” She got out of the car. I hugged her again, “I Love you. If you need anything call me. Today is a new beginning, I fully believe that.” As we drove away, Lindsey looks at me with brokenness and says, “How does someone from Troy, Michigan end up in a place like this??”

Today as I was praying for her, this verse came to me, Hosea 2:14

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

and bring her into the wilderness,

and speak tenderly to her.”

And 15 continues to say,

“And there I will give her her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achore a door of hope.

And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,

as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.”

Verse 14 is hers. If you read this, that is what you pray over her. She will walk out of the darkness. Lindsey told me last night that me REUNITING with her gives her hope beyond belief. It reminds her of what will happen if she doesn’t get clean. My brother’s memory will be a lasting impression of why she needs to get better. My brother through his weakness can be her strength.

Lord give her the strength to move on. Supernaturally intervene. This God - His way is Perfect.

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

Same-same but different

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:36:24 -0400

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but

because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

I Peter 5:2

I have been very remiss lately in sending out email updates and I need to get back on track. We have been very busy loving on our friends and I have been having such a wonderful time getting to know some of the new young ladies we have on the team. Every week when I sit down at my computer and try to write an email I go over in my mind the events of the evening and the next thing I know I’m praising God for the awesome team we have, 2 hours have passed and I haven’t written a thing. I used to wonder why I was so blessed with the opportunity to serve on the streets but now I just give thanks!

Tonight I’m doing something a little different, something I should have done a few months ago. I would love for you to take the time to read the attached blog, Lindsey is a blessing and I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for her love for Him and for others.

http://lindseysrestoration.blogspot.com/2012/06/bangkok-to-detroit-same-same-but.html?m=1

Blessings,

Donna

P.S. Christmas is fast approaching if you’d like to help us bless others please email or call me at

313-801-2204 and I can let you know our needs, Thanks!

Heavy hearts

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:53:50 -0400

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 126:4-6

I keep reading this passage over and over again, praying for the songs of joy to come. These last few months have been high and low. We’ve had times where we’ve rejoiced in the looks of astonishment on faces that have seen the light and are turning their lives around. There have been times of laughter in the van with some very special visitors. But there have also been times, like this week, where our hearts are very heavy and it’s a struggle to find the joy.

We’ve lost a few of our girls this summer to the hands of people that took their lives. Sunday night our friend April was brutally murdered and I am so deeply saddened. I can’t get her face, her beautiful shame filled face out of my mind. I’ve met a lot of women over the years and I love every one of them but every once in a while you meet one that really touches your heart. April was one of those women. I’ve been spending hours on the phone the last few days talking to friends of April, sharing memories of her life, her struggles, and the love so many had for her. One friend of hers is feeling guilt over not being there for April. This friend left the street life, drugs and the neighborhood about a year ago but still kept in touch with most of the ladies still in the life. This friend keeps calling me asking me to tell her she made the right decision by leaving the life behind and trusting that the Lord would take care of her. My heart aches for April’s friend as she reaches out to the Lord for love and acceptance, she still doesn’t understand that she’s been washed clean.

Father, some nights our hearts are so heavy for these lost women and the battle they are in. Please continue to guide us, go before us, and prepare the hearts of these precious ladies. We are trusting in you to lead us in showing love and acceptance to these ladies. We are thanking you that we had the privilege of getting to know April and we pray that she is now at peace in your loving arms. Help direct our hearts and minds to stay on the sacrifice of your son Jesus for each of us; that you love all of us more than we can possibly imagine or hope for.

Restore our fortunes Lord, restore our strength, and renew our hearts with the love and knowledge that it is You who performs the miracle of changed lives, You that loves us beyond measure, and You that is always reaching out with hope!! We thank you for the opportunities that you continue to present to us to love each other.

Blessings,

Donna

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

Fellowship Rocks!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:47:31 -0400

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. I John 4:12

Things have been so different this summer that I feel like it’s really the ‘lazy days of summer’. We have only been doing outreach 4 times a month and the rest of the month we have been having the time of our lives taking clients out to dinner.

We’ve had the privilege of sharing meals with people working the streets, homeless gents, x-addicts, x-prostitutes, and beautiful young children. I wish I could share pictures of everyone with all of you but I only have permission from 1 person. This lady’s story may sound familiar to some of you because in the past you have blessed her with prayers and get well cards. What is really awesome is that she has kept ALL the cards she has received.

She almost didn’t go to dinner with us because satan kept telling her she wasn’t good enough, didn’t have the proper clothes, and had no money. Thank you Jesus that she trusted you enough to step out of her comfort zone and bless some of the 70x7 team with her presence at the dinner table.

Judy is what some might call an x-everything; addict, prostitute, thief, liar, etc. We’ve known Judy about 4 or 5 years now. When we first met her she was into everything, including telling us to get lost. Then one day she sent word out on the street that she wanted to see us and everything changed. She told us that she wanted to turn her life around and that she wanted us to teach her about Jesus. Things have not been easy for Judy since she accepted Christ. She developed diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, blood MRSA, had her lungs surgically scraped twice, and a few other physical challenges. Her joy and thankfulness while dealing with these issues is an encouragement to everyone who meets her. At dinner she asked us to teach her how to pray so we told her to just talk to him like he is her best friend. She said, “I don’t know if I can do that He is GOD! So I thank Him for everything He has given me and struggle to ask Him for anything”. Judy God loves you with a love that is deeper and wider than anything you’ve ever known or imagined. You’ve trusted Him to help you walk away from a destructive lifestyle now trust Him to fill you with peace, joy, and love. His grace IS sufficient.

Judy made a wise decision about a year ago and moved away from the neighborhood where everyone knew her. She did confess that she is very lonely in her new place and is sometimes tempted to go back to the old neighborhood but when she starts thinking that way she gets on her knees and thanks God for what she has. We thank God that He is her strength in times of weakness and an inspiration to all of us on the team.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18

Blessings,
Donna

Pic: Betty (team), Cindy (team), Judy (new sister in Christ), Jeana (team), Donna (team)

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

Fowl

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 08:11:41 -0400

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? Luke 12:24 KJV

Rather than take clients to dinner this week we did outreach so that we can stay connected to our friends. It was a joy to see some of them and they were delighted to see us after an absence of 3 weeks. Unfortunately there are some new women out there working the streets and they broke our hearts.

When we saw her the first thing we noticed is that she really looked out of place. She was dressed in a pretty beige sheath, wearing high-heels, perfect make-up and hair. She looked like she just stepped out of a corporate office, but the look in her eyes was absolute fear. When we approached her we thought she might run away but she timidly said yes to our offer of a lunch bag and prayer. She was not the only girl out there these last 2 evenings. We meet way too many new girls working the streets. Some evenings your heart is just so heavy with the knowledge that these ladies are walking a path of destruction. Heartfelt prayers are offered up for these women, Kleenex is passed between hands as they cry when we pray for them. As we drive away we seek the Lord’s strength to love these lost souls, to bring healing to their bodies, their souls and most especially to their families, Mom’s, Dad’s, and children.

The Lord is so faithful to remind us that He cares for each of them by allowing us to see a visual reminder of Luke 12:24. Thank you Jesus that you care for us more than even the fowl hanging out in the middle of the hood! (pic of birds not attached)

Blessings,

Donna

Persevere

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 13:13:29 -0400

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10

This is a verse I have to repeat over and over as I struggle with some of the people we meet. Last week’s dinner guests were a joy to spend time with and we rejoice in the opportunity to get to know them better. A few of our guests are fighting the good fight but a few are also still very lost. Please keep them all lifted up in prayer. Because of the choices some of our friends are making 70x7 will not be sharing the pictures of our dinner guests from last week.

This week we focused on taking out a few of the families we have met over the years.

Monday night we had the pleasure of sharing a meal with Dee and her 3 adopted children. This woman is amazing, for 20 years she was a foster mother and then she decided to adopt these 3 precious young ones. Dee is pictured on the far right with her children in front, Donetta, on the 70x7 team, is next to her and then Terry and Cindy, also on the team, are next to the kids.

We met this family about 2 years ago when we were visiting a crack house down the street from them. We would stop and visit our friends at the crack house and then drive by Dee’s home without stopping. The kids would wave to us as we drove by but we never felt comfortable stopping as we didn’t want to draw attention to them from the people we had just visited. Well one evening that changed and we all felt this gentle prodding to stop and offer them a lunch bag. Thank you Lord for the prompting of the Holy Spirit, it has been a joy getting to know this wonderful family.

Linda, far right with the walker, we have known about 6 years now. When we first met her she didn’t know where her kids were as they had been kidnapped by their father 10 years prior to our meeting her. Many evenings we prayed with Linda for the safety of her children and for the Lord to make a way for her to find them. God answers prayer in the most miraculous way. 2 ½ years ago Linda got a call from Child protective services in Ohio asking her to come get her kids. The most amazing thing is that Linda was wheelchair bound at the time but Jesus gave her the strength to get up out of that wheelchair, get on a bus by herself, attend the court hearing in Ohio and “Yeah God” return home with her kids. The kids are standing behind me, in between Cindy and Judy (70x7 team) on the left and Betty (70x7 team) on the right.

Thank you Jesus for bringing these wonderful, preserving mother’s into our lives. May you continue to bless them with the strength, resources, and love they need every day to be the women you’ve called them to be.

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11

Blessings,

Donna

www.70x7outreach.org

Communication

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:06:11 -0400

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Eph. 4:29 KJV

This summer we are doing things a little differently. Instead of doing street outreach twice a week we are taking clients/friends out to dinner. We will be doing the dinners the first 3 weeks of a month and outreach the last week of the month. We did a few of these dinners last year and they were such a hit with our friends that we decided to expand it this summer so that we can grow deeper in friendship and in our sharing of the Gospel.

Tuesday night 9 of us got together for dinner and had a wonderful time. We even got to celebrate one of the 70x7 team members leaving for 6 months to go do ministry at an Orphanage in India! Jeana you will be missed but we are rejoicing with the Lord in your willingness to step out in faith and love on His children in India!

Please keep us lifted up in prayer that we be used to minister grace unto the hearers we invite to dinner.

Blessings,Donna

www.70x7outreach.org

Counting feet

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:01:58 -0400

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!

Sat, 12 May 2012 20:17:26 -0400

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

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:17:50 -0400

“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

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:09:29 -0400

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