This past Friday and Saturday were days of tremendous fun and encouragement in the Gardere area! Over 250 volunteers from at least 13 churches came together to show God’s love to people who live in that area of Baton Rouge. The folks from the Gardere churches were so encouraged that others would come join them and the folks from the other churches were thrilled to team up with them.
Pastor Rodriguez and a member of El Aposento Alto, above, were among those who hung clothes on Friday so they could be given away on Saturday. We gave away massive amounts of clothes, TV’s, computers, things for the kitchen, pillows, blankets, bicycles, toys, furniture, and appliances. Thanks to those who donated all these things that met the needs of those who received them!!!!
Saturday we also provided jambalaya for 950 people and free medical evaluations to over 200 people. We had great singers, evangelistic messages, and some fun things for kids like face painting and crafts.
Hispanic believers gave away Spanish Bibles and Christian children’s literature in Spanish. At the end of the day Saturday, they had contact information for 200 Hispanic people who live in the Gardere area. Sunday morning 17 new people attended El Aposento Alto and 8 of them received Christ as their Savior.
I have a great story from Saturday to share with you. Some of the volunteers made bracelets with the children. The bracelets had colored beads that represented the main points of the Gospel. The volunteers explained what the colors represented as they made the bracelets with the kids.
When one woman told a girl that the red bead represented Jesus dying for us to pay for our sins, the girl looked at the woman and said, “You mean He would die for me?” The woman said, “Yes” and went on to explain the rest of the Good News. The girl put her faith in Christ to be the one who paid for her sins and received God’s forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. Then the girl’s parents joined the conversation and said they wanted to begin attending one of the churches nearby.
Soon we will meet with the pastors of the Gardere churches to ask them, “What next?”
Please join us in praying that we will continue to follow the Lord’s leadership as we serve in support of the Gardere churches and that the Gardere churches will be fruitful in their ministries in that area!
Thanks for praying!
Clayton Hays
