Ready to Serve

HOUSTON, TEX. – Seeing a man sitting on a curb, I decided to join him. He slowly began to share his pain. He had three children and a pregnant wife. They fled Afghanistan only to have their daughter die on the way. Now, he had lost his job.

I was grateful I could offer more than just sympathy. Volunteers from five Houston area churches gathered diapers and school supplies to add to the food we regularly distributed to refugees.

We were part of a group trying to “Reach the World Next Door.” No longer was it necessary to travel to share God’s love with others; we could do so with those in our own communities.

New online training videos shared how to befriend refugees new to the area. It was exciting to put the training into action.

The ministry impacted church members too. Amaka Nzeadibe from the Houston Central Seventh-day Adventist Church said, “I felt I couldn’t share because I wasn’t where I needed to be, but as we reached out, I grew.”

Who can you befriend in your area?

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By Scott Griswold, Pastor