Home  Newsletters Molly Molly's October 2007 newsletter
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Molly's October 2007 newsletter |
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Dear Friends,
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
-Genesis 50:20
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
-Romans 8:28
Hard Times Café is still closed. A one-month project that would have itself caused significant financial hardship for the workers has turned into a two-and-a-half month fiasco with no definite end in sight. Problems of every sort you can name—now involving hassles from the city regarding permits—have arisen and delayed the reopening of the café. Hard Times is not only a source of income for the people who work there; it is also a gathering ground for a multitude of fascinating people, a place for homeless people to get out of the cold, and the locus of my ministry on the West Bank. What good could come from such a lengthy closure? Until recently, I did not have a good answer.
Strangely enough, not having Hard Times open has proved to be a huge blessing in a few areas. One of the most unexpected things has been that a number of my relationships with people there have actually deepened, and I have even been able to have serious discussions about God by e-mail with people who have at times been difficult for me to connect with meaningfully in person! I discovered that I am more accepted than I previously thought when one of the baristas invited me to a show his band was playing with another band he thought I would like, and he spent much of the evening talking with me! We have been becoming better friends, and talking a lot about God, since then. Moreover, I have seen that a number of people on the West Bank don’t merely tolerate the Jesus Kitchen, as I often suspect. In fact, one of our “regulars” has been driving 40+ minutes from where he lives to spend Saturday nights with us on the street.
One of the things I am most excited about is that we have been able to practically bless workers at the Hard Times. We pooled money from individual Jesus Kitchen members, some of the church’s money allotted for the Jesus Kitchen, and took a special offering at church, with which we have been able to send them hundreds of dollars in grocery store gift cards. We are so happy to be able to help out in a tangible way and serve them in their time of need. We want to bless them no matter what, but we of course hope that they will also experience the love of Christ through our gifts.
Another odd blessing came through a rumor that started a couple weeks ago, saying that Hard Times was not going to be able to reopen. I quickly contacted everyone I know and discovered that this was not true. However, it made me realize just how much I love that place and the people there. I have always known that my heart is on the West Bank, but the near-panic I felt at the prospect of Hard Times closing permanently showed me just how much I treasure the people there and what a gift it is that I get to simply share in their lives. And that gets to the heart of what this time has taught me—the value of being truly present. I love these people. And I want to love them more. I want to know them more. I want to bless them more. I want to be more like Jesus among them. I wrote last month about desiring greater moves of God, and while nothing radical has happened (yet!), I feel as if other, deep work is going on. Last week, I saw a young man at Jesus Kitchen whom I had met on his first day in Minneapolis, and I had prayed for him to find friends. When he stopped by again, he was deeply touched that I remembered his name and told me that my prayer had really helped him. These little things are, I believe, part of our calling on the West Bank—to be truly present with the love and passion of Christ. When we love with his power, even the smallest thing, like remembering a name, has eternal impact on God’s Kingdom and his lost children. I pray, no matter what the future holds—whether miraculous signs and sweeping revival, or decades of simply planting seeds—that we never lose sight of the importance of simply being present with the presence of Christ. Thank you all for being present in my life and blessing me with the love of God.
Take hold of the life that is truly life!
Molly S. Waggoner
Prayer requests:
- One of the long-time baristas at Hard Times has cancer, and the prognosis is not good. His wife passed away earlier this year, leaving him with two young daughters. His name is Brian. Please pray for him. Pray for healing, and also for financial provision. He does have insurance, but it is not covering some essentials (like the special food he is required to eat because of a food tube he had put in!).
- As expected, I met with Jodi Pierce to discuss my role at the New Zealand school next year. She and her husband David want me to serve as their personal assistant during the school. What I do will vary day-to-day and may involve things relating to the school or other needs within Steiger. I am excited about this opportunity. Please pray that it will be a productive time. Also, I will need someone to lead the Jesus Kitchen while I am gone, so please pray for wisdom and guidance about who should take that over.
- No one has stepped up to take over church finances yet. Please pray that the right person would emerge quickly so that I can move into areas that I feel more called to.
- I have begun teaching theology at the SHIFT Discipleship School again this year. Our first class went well, and I am excited to have this opportunity! Please pray for God to give me an ability to communicate in truly meaningful ways to the students, and that he would help me prepare effectively. This endeavor makes my schedule quite full (there are only two nights a week where I am not involved in a church activity, not including time I need to prepare for teaching, and once Hard Times opens back up, I will certainly be there several nights a week as well), so I need God’s grace and strength to accomplish everything I need to do. I want to be faithful with the responsibility I have to impart knowledge to students who desire to learn about God!
- There are going to be some important decisions in my personal life coming up soon, so I would appreciate your prayers for guidance, wisdom, and strength.
Thank you!
MSW
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