All I can say to this is WOW! Element Church, THIS is how your shoes are literally being the feet of Jesus in New Mexico. This is an email Terri received from one of the missionaries in the field there.
To our friends at Element Church,
Pastor Marvin shared last Sunday about how they were at the laundromat and there was a young woman there with a couple of children. The little boy was running around with just socks on his feet and the little girl had shoes on that were a couple sizes too big for her. They got into a conversation and the woman told Pastor Marvin that her husband was from another country and had left them to go back there. They were homeless, living out of their van, and she was washing the kids shoes, the only ones they had. The little girl was borrowing her older cousins shoes. Marvin had put a couple boxes of shoes in his truck for just such an occasion and was able to fit them all with shoes and invited them to come to church. They haven’t shown up so far but we are praying for them.
Another story he told was visiting a family just down the road from their house on the ‘rez’. One of the ladies there is called the “Babysitter”. There are six people living in the house that he said is smaller than our church building (that’s pretty small!) The one child there, a little boy around 2 or 3 yrs. of age, has a hearing problem and isn’t able to talk because of it. Marvin found a pair of shoes for him and as he sat talking to the adults (who he also found shoes for. One of them had shoes that were duct taped together), the little boy came up and put his arms around Marvin and gave him a big hug. The parents said he never does that to strangers and so it really touched Marvin’s heart. When he left, the little boy threw the door wide open and stood there waving at him. What a blessing to be able to share such simple things as shoes! I have some material that I am going to make into a blanket for the little boy and we’ll deliver it to him and hopefully get more acquainted with them.
Another story: When we visited with James at the Sexual Assault Center, and he gave us his cards – one day last week, Bill Ashe was walking through the parking lot of a store when a young woman, who had been crying, and her little girl came and asked for money. She said her boyfriend had beat her up and kicked her out of their house. She was looking for money to get a room for the night. Bill didn’t have any money but he was able to find her a place to stay and gave her James card to get in touch with to hopefully be referred to someplace that could help her more. Without the shoes, you wouldn’t have met James and wouldn’t have gotten his card!
Wayne took a box of shoes to where he is working to give out too. I haven’t heard if anyone has taken them or not. Also, one of our church families took some to give to their other families in need of shoes.
I’m sure more “Soul Testimonies” will be coming your way. Again, a BIG thank you to everyone at Element Church who donated from the bottom of their ‘feet’! You help our ministry in New Mexico continue onwards in ways only God knows about. There are so many hurting people here and if we can help them in any way, even if it’s a pair of shoes, it blesses God’s heart.
Wayne and I hope to come and meet you in person someday. God bless you and keep up your good works of ministering to others.
In Him,
Wayne & Sharon Cartwright
