My heart breaks at seeing one family live in the park across the street from our house and eke out an existence without any walls, without any plumbing or electricity, without anything. My heart hurts even more when I begin to realize there are many families in this situation--and we have so much. How can we give so we are really helping and not just putting a Band-Aid on a really big problem?
My heart breaks for the hero status that a young boy, a member of the local gang, gets after being shot. I have seen many in our neighborhood with shirts commemorating his life--he is flashing his gang sign for all to see why he lived. "Lord, put the words in my mouth…help me to be a part of bringing these broken youth to a restored relationship with their Father. Come to their gatherings and be there with them, heal their hurts, and start a movement among them for your glory."
My heart breaks for the 11- or 12-year-old boy that was in handcuffs as I drove down the street. He almost looked proud. I weep deep from the heart, and tears fill my eyes when I see the prostitutes out at an hour when most people are finishing their breakfast or reading the morning news. Why must this go on?
My hands feel tied. What can I do? A quote from William Shedd comes to mind: "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." We know we are here for a reason. Lives are in the lurch. The battle is the Lord’s, and He will build His Church. Many of these scenes have been brought across our eyes and ears in the last couple of days because God wants us to pray. We are called to be light in this dark place and to offer hope. Please join with us in praying through these situations and asking God for His answers. We would love to hear from you directly if God lays anything specific on your heart to encourage or guide us in our ministry here. Thank you for lifting us and these beautiful people up before the Lord. It is an honor to be serving the Lord with you.
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken." ~C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)
We continue to be available to our community and build relationships. We are continuing to blossom some of our relationships and watching for a person of peace--somebody that is receptive, is recognized and has a reputation in the community (based on Luke 10).
• Please pray for fruit—lives snatched out of the depravity of sin and godlessness and thrust into the overwhelming grace and goodness of Jesus.
• Pray for wisdom in how we spend our time and resources. Some people appear to be receptive, but really just want to suck our time and resources, while others appear to be closed, but after a second act of kindness have broken open.
• We open our home weekly for people to study the Bible, pray and share life. Please pray that these times would be fruitful.
Broken, yet restored in Christ.
The Wolyns
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