A couple of weeks ago, a woman came to our office by mistake as she was looking for another office in our building. She looked very heavy-burdened and asked Emily what we do. Emily told her, then asked if we could pray for her. Her granddaughter had just been murdered and she was trying to get custody of her other granddaughter, so Kathy and Emily prayed with her. A few weeks later she came back, but Emily wasn’t in. When Emily returned to the office, she called and the woman came back the next day so Emily could pray with her in person. This woman was going through a very difficult time, and she knew that she could return to our office for prayer.
Not long after that, we received a phone call from a nearby apartment complex where our Family Reach team has been having prayer walks. The apartment manager was concerned about an elderly gentlemen who is left home alone during the daytime while his son and daughter-in-law are working and is often seen sitting outside in the heat. Kathy Alex and Ruben Sanchez went to visit him, taking groceries that had been donated to the ministry along with a good, hot Mexican meal! They learned that Mr. Benitez needs to see a doctor about problems he has with his legs and back. Kathy is calling a nearby clinic to see if they will aceept his Gold Card. She and Ruben plan to visit again with a fruit basket and vitamins.
The day prior to Ruben and Kathy’s visit with Mr. Benitez, we received a phone call from John Clifton, who heads up one of our newest Somebody Cares chapters in St. Augustine, asking us if we would connect with Norman, the brother of one of his SC ministry partners. Brother Norman is a retired Baptist minister from Michigan who was in Houston with his wife, who had surgery for cancer at M.D. Anderson but contracted pneumonia during her recovery and had to be re-admitted to the hospital. Calling him immediately, we left a message and the number for our office. He returned the call first thing the next morning and spoke with Tania Hernandez, our newest staff member, who learned he was staying with friends, but commuting daily to the hospital and packing his lunch. Taking Walmart gift cards and groceries with her, Tania stopped by the hospital on her way home to visit the couple and encourage them.
The next day we got an email from John Clifton, saying, “I just heard from Ken [Norman’s brother from St. Augustine], and he was so grateful for Somebody Cares and how you ministered to his brother Norman at such a difficult time. Thank you so much for following through with this, I am just in awe of how God uses us to touch lives and be his witness through unity in action.Thank you, thank you!”
Brother Norman also wrote to us: “What a blessing it was to receive the gift of food that Tania brought to the hospital. That was so timely and appreciated more than words can tell. I felt like Elijah when God provided for him.”
These are just a few stories from the every day life of the ministry. From Houston TX to the four corners of the world, your partnership with Turning Point and Somebody Cares is making a daily difference in the lives of so many! Thank you for caring!