"I used to hand out a dollar or two to homeless people on the street corner, but I now give out H2O bags. I really like giving your bags, because the faces of the homeless people glow when they see me hand a big bag full of food out the window. Keep up what you're doing."
"We had our first stuffing party two weeks ago and set up a table at church with all of the bags available for the taking. Everyone has been raving about them and I gave away my second one today!...It is so much fun (and a blessing) to see the surprised look on the homeless person’s face when I drive up with the bag of goodies already prepared.
I am looking forward to having another stuffing party in 2 weeks to resupply my church and have extra to sell to friends of people who go to my church. Their friends are beginning to notice that they are handing out bags instead of money and want some too. This is such a great ministry and I am so glad that God gave this idea to y’all."
Leia Horton from SW Orlando, Florida emailed us about the H2O chapter she and others started. The speech and debate club she coaches partnered with a church in the area to fill H2O bags. She describes the exciting day:
"Voices of Truth (speech & debate club), SW Orlando built the 500 bags on Saturday, March 14th. The kids came over to First Baptist Church Windermere to explain to the congregation what this ministry project was all about and the bags were distributed on two different Wednesday evenings and Sundays between all the services. Many Christians were empowered to help the homeless. Praise God! May He be glorified. And may the homeless of greater Orlando come to know Him!"
These pictures are of their bag filling day!
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Email us your story or pictures of your H2O chapter, and we'll put it on the blog!
We must go live to feed the hungry Stand beside the broken We must go Stepping forward keep us from just singing Move us into action We must go
These words from Tim Hughes' song, God of Justice, have struck me hard lately. As I sing the words, I often overlook what I am actually asking God. I'm asking Him to keep me from just standing by my pew at church singing songs about living out my faith, but instead, actually walking out the door to feed the hungry, speak out for the oppressed, and wipe the tears of the broken. The prayer in those words is far more life changing than I care to realize.
In America especially, it is easy for the church to get into the habit of singing, thinking, and saying our faith, but not really living it out. Christians here aren't pressed with persecution demanding from them true devotion to Christ like Christians in other countries. Instead, we get by with giving little back to Jesus.
I want to challenge you to go against the "norm" of our culture. I encourage you to move into action along with me. Action that goes beyond words uttered from lips. Action that stands out from the surrounding culture. Action that would go to the grave for Jesus.
Dare to be different. Dare to be unpopular. Dare to live on the edge and out of your comfort zone. Dare to make Jesus look better than you. Dare to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel.
Go!
Matthew 28:18-20"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"
Homeless people are often "invisible" to those busily passing by. However, as this video shows, homeless people are no different than us and great things can happen when we open our eyes and love them.
Proverbs 28:27Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
