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It’s a Small World...
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Recently, I was at a coffee shop and God stopped me to remind me of His heart for the families that come through Sheepfold. I walked up to the counter to order, saw the near empty case of pastries, and just thought I’d ask the barista if they ever donated their leftover baked goods to local shelters. He took my name and information then asked what shelter I worked for. As soon as I said, “The Sheepfold” he froze and said, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
He then described the house to me and told me that as a young boy he and his mother lived at Sheepfold. He told me a few more pieces of his story and then said, “I owe my life to that place. If it weren’t for Sheepfold, I would have probably been on the street. Instead, I have now finished college, have two jobs and my mom is doing great and has an amazing job.”
Years later, this young man was able to see the impact that Sheepfold had on his family’s life. The blessing of being able to help mothers in a time of need is something that goes deeper than meets the eye. I believe that the time a mother spends here alters not only her life but also her children’s lives forever.
I pray that every child and mother that comes through the doors of Sheepfold will have their own encouraging story to share in the future. I pray our residents’ futures will be altered because they met Jesus at Sheepfold.
It can be difficult to see the tangible ways that we impact a family, but as I remember this young man’s story, I chose to believe that God is not finished with His work when a resident leaves our program. I believe that God uses Sheepfold as a piece of a family’s story, and the impact might not be seen until years later.
- Christina, House Manager
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
- Philippians 1:6
Thank You for Letting God Use You!
Today, I had a not so gentle reminder of why we at Sheepfold do what we do. As the Volunteer Coordinator I’m not part of the interview process for our residents, but I see and hear the families as they come and go from our office and I often know about their general circumstances.
Today was like any other day, a mom and her two boys came in to the office for an interview, but then everything changed when we realized that this mom and her boys wouldn’t be safe if they went home. Her husband would make it home before she would, which meant she couldn’t hide the fact that she had been out of the house and would have lots and lots of questions to answer.
Statistically, one of the most dangerous times for a woman in an abusive relationship is when she leaves (or tries to leave). Two of our staff members sat with this woman and explained to her the dangers of returning home that day and encouraged her to come into Sheepfold immediately.
As I sat at my desk I could hear the fear and anxiety in this mom’s voice, part of which could be explained by the typical anxiety about moving into a shelter, but most of which was connected to the fact that she and her boys literally had only the clothes on their back. They would be leaving all their worldly possessions behind (with the hope of returning in the near future with a police escort to get the essentials). In that moment all I could do was pray that whatever her decision God would keep her safe—but I begged God to let her choose Sheepfold.
She made the heart-wrenching decision to move in immediately! With much excitement our staff pulled together clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, pajamas, jackets, toys, school supplies, and toiletries so this family would no longer have only the clothes they walked through our door with. It was an amazing realization to me that we had each and every item that this family needed, down to the exact type of toys the boys loved.
Each of those items came from people just like you who donated items at Christmas, had friends buy items for Sheepfold for your birthday instead of gifts for yourself, prayed for God’s provision and protection for this ministry, or picked up an item or two off our shelter needs list. You clothed this family, you provided them with comfort on one of the most difficult days of their life, you gave them a safe place to sleep tonight—you showed them the love of Jesus.
Thank you for letting God use you to share the hope and love of Jesus Christ with each and every family that walks through our door.
- Erin, Volunteer Coordinator
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