Faith = R-I-S-K

For our first day of service in Vancouver, WA we started out at Valley Homestead, a family homeless shelter. This shelter is just one branch of the Share House which is an amazing organization that serves the homeless all throughout Clark County. (Later this week we are eating in their downtown soup kitchen for lunch) We prepared and served lunch for the residents and met with Lorenzo, the director of this shelter. He has great compassion for the families who walk through these doors and is extremely dedicated to serving the Lord through this “ministry”.
This afternoon we had the privilege of visiting “Friends of the Carpenter”. This is a ministry that reaches out to the homeless through the vehicle of woodworking. This organization was envisioned by a Presbyterian pastor named Duane who has a huge heart for the homeless in the Vancouver area. The basic purpose of this ministry is to form relationships through woodworking. The final wood-crafted object is just a by-product…it is not the goal…the goal is to share God’s love and to bring people to Christ.
As Duane was explaining the ministry, he paused and asked us, “How do you spell faith in four letters?” His reply was “R-I-S-K!” It is so true…Faith enables individuals, and Latreia, to venture beyond what one would consider safe, to step out on a limb of faith, to risk putting oneself beyond what he/she is able to control.

Stephanie