Flashbacks

Good evening, folks! Things are quiet in the House tonight, but don’t let that fool you. My brain is scurrying through a host of things to be done in the coming hours, days, and weeks. The most exciting current project is a new frontier for me.

The House was recently able to hire Jamie, the spring intern, as the full time Development Coordinator. One of her new jobs will be exploring the world of grant writing. As Hospitality House looks to expand to serve more families, we will begin looking at possible funding from foundation grants.  Jamie has been sent to a few grant writing classes to help her get started. This week, I had the privilege of being her copilot! We road-tripped to Ft. Worth to attend a course on case statements, an integral part of the process.  As it turns out, grant writing is completely relevant to me! Basically, it boils down to persuasion. Foundations receive hundreds of grant applications every day and there is a lot of competition. Our job is to communicate the impact of our organization and its importance in the community. I am thrilled to start, because I truly believe in the ministry here at Hospitality House. What we do here is unique and necessary. It will be my pleasure to document what this ministry is all about and why it deserves support.  I’m also excited to build a great skill to add to my resume. I can only hope that the rest of my career leads me to other organizations that I am passionate about. Maybe I have found myself a future job!

Tonight, I sit here collecting facts, figures, quotes, and notes to use in our case statement. There is a photo album with newspaper clippings from the House’s early years. Lots of repeats about the 24 –hour build done by the Texas Baptist Men. Lots of stories on the first director and his wife. Lots of reports about how the House has changed the lives of families across the state. As I read through these, I am so very inspired by the service and commitment of those who have come before me. So many of the people in these articles faithfully support the House to this day. Recorded here are the lives of committed followers of Christ, serving others with everything they have. What a legacy!

Youth. Beautiful, reckless, stupid youth. The passion inside the hearts of young people is easily ignited by the power of the gospel. Young people are often involved in grandiose movements and experiences. And so often, in our zest for life we forget the legacies that paved the way. We treat Christianity as if it’s new. We seem to think that we are the first ones who ever really understood the Bible and followed God’s will. What a shame! For generations, people have followed God with a perseverance that we can’t even conceive of. This is my own personal shout-out. Wisdom and faithfulness long before me puts me in the position to serve today.

In other news, I made some yummy truffles today. We are trying to decide what to feed the trustees tomorrow for lunch since we are on our own like big kids. Debra and Joe are taking a well-deserved break visiting their daughters. My esteemed colleagues and I are having a good time holding down the fort J

 

Things to pray for:

 

Execution next week- pray for the family as they travel and grieve. Pray for us to be sensitive

to their needs. Pray that God uses this difficult time to open people up to the gospel.

 

Good memories- Pray that Myriam and I remember all the tasks that need to be done in

Debra and Joe's absence. There is to be no falling down on the job!

 

My best bud Krista- She is also serving with GoNow in the Pacific Rim. Her emails tell me that

God is opening many doors for her to minister to the women in her area. But as the only girl

on her team, she faces tough circumstances. Pray that she is healthy inside and out and

everything in between!