Why Venezuela?
As we've been telling family and friends about Samuel's House, occasionally we'll be asked, "So why are you going to Venezuela to work with children when there's so many here in the US that need help?"
Good question. The not-so-simple answer is this: Because God didn't ask us to stay in the US. He called us to work in Venezuela. To some, this may sound a little strange, but we believe there is no other way to live than with God taking the wheel. I recently watched a short video from Urban Outreach at a Denver location, one of the guys interviewed summed it up pretty well, "When God puts something on your heart, He has a way of getting it out and making sure you aren't happy with anything else."
There are two of us but many more of you we are "leaving behind." If you aren't already involved in your community (your "sphere of influence") I would encourage you to look into volunteer opportunities. You don't have to spend a lot of time on it, and you can do so many things. Here are some suggestions if you're interested but have no idea where to start:
1 - Your local library. You would be surprised how much they can use volunteers! There are adult literacy programs, children's activities, and even trying to teach someone English! No special skills or degrees required!
2 - A local Rescue Mission or Homeless Shelter. There are several "Missions" throughout the country, typically in your bigger cities. They need help organizing donations, serving meals, and just helping out in general. (For those of you in the Denver Metro area, there is an organization called "SOX PLACE" that ministers to homeless young adults.)
3 - Food Banks or Salvation Army. With the cold weather, bad economy and Holiday season upon us, you might be able to lend a hand by serving a meal or volunteering your time to help organize shelves, deliver food and so much more.
4 - Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
5 - Pet Rescues. I didn't realize how valuable "foster families" were for older pets!
6 - Hospitals, retirement communities, nursing homes. So many are shut in and don't have families, sometimes going and just visiting or playing a game of cards brightens someone else's day.
...
Your options can be limitless.
Be blessed this Thanksgiving.
Urban Outreach in Denver Colorado
Good question. The not-so-simple answer is this: Because God didn't ask us to stay in the US. He called us to work in Venezuela. To some, this may sound a little strange, but we believe there is no other way to live than with God taking the wheel. I recently watched a short video from Urban Outreach at a Denver location, one of the guys interviewed summed it up pretty well, "When God puts something on your heart, He has a way of getting it out and making sure you aren't happy with anything else."
There are two of us but many more of you we are "leaving behind." If you aren't already involved in your community (your "sphere of influence") I would encourage you to look into volunteer opportunities. You don't have to spend a lot of time on it, and you can do so many things. Here are some suggestions if you're interested but have no idea where to start:
1 - Your local library. You would be surprised how much they can use volunteers! There are adult literacy programs, children's activities, and even trying to teach someone English! No special skills or degrees required!
2 - A local Rescue Mission or Homeless Shelter. There are several "Missions" throughout the country, typically in your bigger cities. They need help organizing donations, serving meals, and just helping out in general. (For those of you in the Denver Metro area, there is an organization called "SOX PLACE" that ministers to homeless young adults.)
3 - Food Banks or Salvation Army. With the cold weather, bad economy and Holiday season upon us, you might be able to lend a hand by serving a meal or volunteering your time to help organize shelves, deliver food and so much more.
4 - Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
5 - Pet Rescues. I didn't realize how valuable "foster families" were for older pets!
6 - Hospitals, retirement communities, nursing homes. So many are shut in and don't have families, sometimes going and just visiting or playing a game of cards brightens someone else's day.
...
Your options can be limitless.
Be blessed this Thanksgiving.
Urban Outreach in Denver Colorado
Comments
Post a Comment