The
Love In Action Christmas Celebration was filled with serving others and
having fun with family and friends.
Click
here for a photo gallery from this great
event.
Martha and I are amazed at all of the wonderful things God did this year through Love In Action as we have seen lives totally transformed by the power of God throughout 2009.
Each of you who have prayed for us, given financially, donated items, and volunteered your time made this year possible, and we thank God for each of you. We could not have done it without you.
Here are some of the wonderful things that God has done through Love In Action in 2009:
- More than 70 people
accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and many others rededicated
their lives to Jesus Christ.
- More than 35 homeless people taken off the streets in Dothan, Ala.
- Shelter provided for many others who needed a roof over their heads while
passing through Dothan.
- More than 150 people discipled through Wednesday night Bible studies and Celebrate
Recovery at the LIA Ministry Center
- 200 people at LIA Ministry Center for Thanksgiving service for great worship,
preaching of God’s Word, dinner and fellowship
- More than 180 people at LIA Ministry Center for Christmas Celebration 2009
for worship, God’s Word, food, fellowship and presents.
- Helped thousands of the homeless and needy through distributing boots, hygiene
items, clothes, blankets and other supplies in Dothan and throughout a five-county
area of southeast Alabama,, and in Atlanta, GA, Brooklyn, NY, Paducah, KY, Baton
Rouge, LA, Ft. Myers, FL, Panama City, FL, Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia,
and Memphis, TN.
The LIA warehouse is now so much more than a place to store and distribute supplies. God has transformed it into a ministry center. A lot of discipleship is now taking place there. Our plans are to keep expanding the outreach and discipleship capabilities of the ministry center. I will write more about this soon, and tell you how you can get more involved and be a part of what God is doing at the Ministry Center.
Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support this year. Please visit our Web site at www.loveinactionministries.com to see lives being transformed through the power of God, and know that you are a big part of it all.
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December
23 was an awesome night as we held our first Christmas Celebration at the Love
In Action Ministry Center. More than 180 people filled the Ministry Center.
Many of those in attendance would not have enjoyed a gathering like this for
Christmas if not for the countless volunteers who helped us with this event.
At Love In Action, we minister to the homeless, needy, and the men and women
at the Houston County Community Corrections work release facility. It was great
seeing families, who would otherwise not see their loved ones this Christmas,
celebrating together. Alan Watson led a wonderful time of worship and Emily
Hinderliter delivered a touching message about serving the "Least of these
brothers of mine" (Matthew 25:40). There was also a program just for the
children who were in attendance. Thanks Cindy!
There was a wonderful time of prayer following Emily's message, and then plenty
of eating and fellowship. Dave Albertson played the trombone as everyone ate.
Thanks to everyone who brought food. Thanks to Tabernacle United Methodist for
sponsoring Celebrate Recover for Love In Action. This outreach couldn't have
happened without your generosity. Thanks Ms. Diana for cooking so much delicious
food. Thanks to everyone who served. It was an awesome night. Most of all, thanks
to God for the greatest gift of all, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus
is the reason for our celebration.
Click
here for more details about Christmas Celebration 2009.
Watch videos from Christmas Celebration 2009
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Emily Hinderliter from Love In Action on Vimeo Video of Emily Hinderliter sharing a wonderful message at Christmas Celebration 2009. |
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Love
In Action traveled to Memphis, TN, to minister to the homeless on Dec. 11-12.
It was a great trip and we handed out nearly 300 boots to the homeless. It was
a rainy and cold weekend, but the homeless were taken care of. We teamed with
Joe and Kelli Carson of the Life Church of Memphis to help the homeless. Joe
and Kelli do a great work in Memphis and it was an honor and a privilege to
join them.
Click
here for more details about this great trip.
Click
here for a photo gallery of the Memphis outreach.
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Love
In Action's Thanksgiving outreach was an amazing event. About 200 people attended,
which is a record crowd at LIA's warehouse. It was a great time of ministry.
Alan Watson from Harvest Church did a wonderful job leading praise and worship,
then LIA board member Brian Turner preached a powerful message. Following Brian's
message was a great time of prayer. Many people came forward for prayer for
a wide variety of needs. Many tears were shed at the altar. Then a feast was
served, thanks to Tabernacle United Methodist Church. After everyone was served
a delicious meal of turkey and all the trimmings (many had seconds), there was
so much food left over Love In Action was able to donate it to two other ministries
that fed about 400 people combined on Thanksgiving day.
Click
here for more on what happened Wednesday night during the Thanksgiving outreach.
It was an awesome night!
Videos
from Thanksgiving outreach 2009
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Brian Turner from Love In Action on Vimeo. Watch Love In Action board member Brian Turner preach a powerful message about "Table Fellowship" at LIA's Thanksgiving outreach.
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Watch highlights from the Thanksgiving worship service, which was led by Alan Watson. |
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Baton
Rouge 2009 Outreach
Love In Action Vice President Martha Tuck talks with a homeless woman under a bridge in Baton Rouge, La.
Love
In Action traveled to Baton Rouge, La., for an outreach to the homeless on Oct.
17, 2009. Love In Action teamed up with the Healing Place Church and Baton Rouge
Dream Center to minister the love of Jesus Christ to the homeless. Love In Action
filled its cargo trailer with about 400 pairs of new boots and took them to
Baton Rouge. The outreach team gave out 150-175 pairs of boots on Oct. 17, and
the Dream Center will give out the rest of the boots in the weeks to come. Socks
were also given to the homeless, and chili was served for lunch. It was a great
outreach with a lot of people receiving the physical items that they needed
and prayer and encouragement. Click
here for more on this outreach.
Click here
for an online photo gallery of the outreach.
Video
highlights from Baton Rouge, including a homeless man singing. There is great
talent on the streets.
Baton Rouge homeless outreach
from Love In Action on Vimeo.
Men from
the Houston County work release program helped during the work day at Love In
Action's warehouse.
Improvements continue at the Love In Action warehouse. A work day was held on Nov. 21, 2009, and it was a full day with a lot of work getting accomplished. The walls in the front of the warehouse that is used for ministry were painted, as was the bathroom. The inside of the bus looks great now after it was swept and washed. The seats were scrubbed and windows washed. A lot of items were sorted and organized, such as clothes, boots, coats and blankets. A trailer load of furniture was donated to LIA from Dothan Steel Fabricators, and having all of the men from work release was a huge help with unloading the trailer. Tables and chairs from Tabernacle United Methodist were also picked up and brought back to the warehouse for the upcoming Thanksgiving service/dinner on Nov. 25. It was a great day and LIA thanks all of the volunteers who came out to get everything accomplished. It will be a great blessing to all of the people Love In Action serves. Click here for a photo gallery from the work day.
Transportation for the homeless
What happens
when you ask God for a 15-passenger van? He gives you a 24-passenger bus! We
have been praying and believing God for a 15-passenger van to help us pick up
all of the people who want to attend our Tuesday night Celebrate Recovery and
Wednesday night Bible study, as well as taking people to church. We are averaging
more than 80 people on Tuesday nights and nearly 40 on Wednesdays. Most of the
homeless don't have transportation, and there isn't much of a public transit
system in Dothan, Ala. Plus, the homeless do not have the money for taxis and
buses. We also pick up men and women from the Houston County Community Corrections
work release facility. We have an eight-passenger mini van, and we use it to
make multiple trips each night to pick up everyone. The bus is going to be a
huge blessing. We will make fewer trips and have the ability to get more people
to places quicker. We can see day trips and other uses for it as well. Now we
need drivers. LIA President Ken Tuck and LIA volunteer Doug Sommers are working
on getting their CDLs. There is also some work to do on the bus before putting
it on the road. The engine and transmission sound and run great. We need new
tires all the way around, and we need to clean the rims to get the rust off
of them. There is some work that needs to be done on the steering, and a major
cleaning of the inside. We would like to paint the outside of the bus as well
and have the LIA logo on it. Pray for us as we work on all of these things,
and if you can help in any of these areas please do. Praise God for the great
things He has done!
'Another
step to freedom'
Charles stands
next to his car, which was donated to Love In Action.
It
has been an amazing six months for Charles. Love In Action's Ken and Martha
Tuck first met Charles in April. He was homeless and living in the woods in
Dothan, Ala. He didn't trust anyone and didn't know much about God's love. Since
then, he has experienced what God's love is all about. He decided to give his
life to Jesus, and six months later he has his own apartment, a full-time job,
and now a car. A Ford Taurus was donated to Love In Action last week and on
Tuesday night, Oct. 27, the title and keys were presented to Charles. He couldn't
believe it. He was in total shock. He was so happy he cried. So did everyone
at the warehouse that night.
Charles told Ken, "That's another step to freedom." When you are homeless,
you are bound by so many obstacles. You have no roof over your head. No idea
where your next meal is coming from. No job and no transportation. Charles is
experiencing the freedom that Jesus promises in John 8:36, "So if the Son
sets you free, you will be free indeed." And, Charles is also learning
about what Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
We praise God for what He is doing in Charles' life and in many others lives.
Thanks to those who pray for Love In Action and give financially, lives are
being transformed by the love and power of Jesus Christ.
Colleen
was abandoned in Dothan, Ala., on Oct. 3. On Oct. 4, God touched her life and
set her on the road to recovery. Colleen came to Love In Action's Celebrate
Recovery BBQ Kickoff Saturday night, and she experienced the love of God through
music, testimony and preaching. She also experienced God's love through volunteers
who gave up their Saturday night to do God's work. On Sunday she told Love In
Action President Ken Tuck that she wanted help, so Ken, Martha and Susie took
her to the hospital where she will go through detox, then begin a yearlong rehab
program. Colleen knows God is with her and will see her through everything.
She also knows she has a family at Love In Action.
Click
here to read more about this amazing story. God is so good. Please keep
Colleen in your prayers. She has a long ways to go, but she's off to a great
start.
Thanks to everyone who prays for LIA and gives financially. Because you prayed
and gave, Colleen is off the road of death and destruction and is now on the
road to life and happiness.
30
accept Jesus in Atlanta
200-plus served lunch and 250 pairs of boots
delivered
The homeless
in Atlanta line up to receive new boots during Love In Action's outreach on
Sept. 26, 2009.
Love
In Action traveled to Atlanta for an outreach to the homeless on Sept. 26. It
was a wonderful day of ministry and showing the love of Jesus Christ to the
homeless. Love In Action President and Vice President Ken and Martha Tuck and
board member Susie Tuck hauled more than 250 pairs of boots to Atlanta to distribute
to the homeless at Eagle's Nest Community Church and Common Ground, a homeless
ministry in Atlanta. The homeless started lining up two hours before the outreach
began. Hamburgers and hotdogs were grilled for lunch, and more than 200 lunches
were served. A service was held before lunch, and the sanctuary at Eagle's Nest
was filled to capacity with more than 200 homeless men and women. Ken preached
a message tilted "Our God is amazing." About 30 people came forward
to pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It was awesome! Following
the service and lunch, the new boots were given out. When the outreach was over
at Eagle's Nest, Love In Action delivered about 100 pairs of boots to Common
Ground.
Click
here for more about this wonderful outreach.
Click
here for an online photo gallery of the Atlanta outreach.
Videos from the Atlanta homeless outreach:
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Calvin leading worship from Ken Tuck on Vimeo. Watch
Calvin Smith, a former homeless man in Atlanta, lead praise and worship
during Love In Action's outreach to the homeless in Atlanta on Sept.
26, 2009. Calvin is very special t o Love In Action. He is an example
of what God can do in a person's life. |
Ken preaching in Atlanta from Ken Tuck on Vimeo. Watch Love In Action International Ministries President Ken Tuck preach at Eagle's Nest Community Church on Sept. 26, 2009.. The sanctuary was filled with more than 200 homeless men and women. He preached a message titled "Our God is amazing" and 30 people responded to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Praise God! |
Boots
for the homeless
Love In Action provided
boots and other supplies for a recent homeless outreach in northern Virginia.
Over the summer Love In Action was blessed with 3,300 pairs of army boots. Since then we have been distributing boots in places like our hometown of Dothan, Ala., Brooklyn, NY., Paducah, KY., and northern Virginia. LIA cofounder Mike Shroades delivered 216 pairs of boots to agencies in five southeast Alabama counties, who will give them to the poor in need of boots for work. Friends of LIA, Ted and Karen Hils, delivered 300 pairs of boots to River City Missions, a homeless ministry in Paducah, KY. We shipped boots, BDUs and other supplies to our friends at Arms Outstretched Ministry in northern Virginia for a recent homeless outreach. Click here for a photo gallery from the outreach in northern Virginia. Love In Action will take boots to two homeless ministries in Atlanta on Sept. 26, and to a homeless ministry in Baton Rouge, La., on Oct. 17. When Love In Action first moved into its warehouse, Ken and Martha Tuck asked God to fill it up with supplies so the ministry could bless the homeless and poor. God filled it up and the homeless and poor are being helped. Praise God! Your prayers and financial support makes it possible for Love In Action to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. Thank you.
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Plenty was accomplished during Love In Action's work day at its warehouse as 25 people came out to volunteer. More than 3,000 boots were organized, clothes were organized, walls painted and insulation put in. Click here to see a photo gallery from the work day. |
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 This homeless man takes a nap in Battery Park, located in lower Manhattan. |
Love
In Action ministered to the homeless in New York City July 23-24. LIA President
and Vice President Ken and Martha Tuck visited Sunset Park Community Church
in Brooklyn, NY, on July 23. Love In Action has worked with Sunset Park the
past six years to help them reach the homeless and poor in their community.
Pastor Larry Pitta and his wife Margie do a great job of ministering to those
in need. Ken and Martha also visited with Benjamin, a former homeless man in
Brooklyn that Love In Action has been working with for six years. Benjamin is
back on track and doing good. He is on the road to restoration. On, July 24,
Ken and Martha gave food to the homeless outside of New York City's Port Authority.
Click here
to read four blogs Ken wrote about their trip to NYC.
Click on the videos below for more from Love In Action's trip to Brooklyn.
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Preparing for the winter
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Check
out the video from Love In Action's trip to Orange Beach |
It's never too early to start preparing for winter. Love In Action President and Vice President Ken and Martha Tuck traveled to Orange Beach, Ala., on July 17, to fill a cargo trailer with blankets donated by Brett/Robinson, a company that owns and rents condos and hotels in Orange Beach. They have been donating blankets to LIA for more than one year, and Ken and Martha are thankful for their relationship with Brett/Robinson. The blankets will help hundreds of homeless people this winter who will be trying to stay warm on the cold streets of cities throughout the U.S. |
Love In Action Vice President Martha Tuck leads a Wednesday
night Bible study at the LIA warehouse.
Wednesday nights are special at the Love In Action warehouse in Dothan, Ala. Each week LIA hosts a Bible study and it has grown from three to an average of 25. Those attending are homeless, work release inmates, and the poor. It is a wonderful time of studying God's Word and discussing issues in Biblical terms. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That's what happens every Wednesday night. It is amazing to watch God working in everyone's lives who attend the Bible studies. Click here for a look at a recent Wednesday night Bible study.
The smile on Charles' face
is genuine. He is now longer homeless. He has a permanent address.
Three months ago when we met Charles he was living in the woods on the north side of Dothan, Ala. Today, he is no longer homeless. Charles moved into his new apartment on Monday, July 13, 2009. He now has a permanent home. As Love In Action President Ken Tuck helped Charles move furniture into his apartment, Charles kept saying, "I have an address. I have a mailbox." Things most of us take for granted means so much more to those who haven't had a permanent address and mailbox in a long time. Charles has decided to follow Jesus Christ and allow God to work in his life. Thanks to those who support Love In Action, the ministry is able to help people like Charles see that God loves them and help them come off the streets. It's an awesome transformation to watch take place, and all of you who support the ministry through prayer, finances and donating items like furniture are the reason why Love In Action can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. Click here for more.
A
huge blessing from Wal-Mart
The Wal-Mart
Foundation made a contribution of $10,000 to Love In Action on May 30.
Pictured are (standing, left to right): Wal-Mart representatives: Terry Wallace
(grocery), Monica
Salinas (electronics), Carolyn Broadwater (market assistant), Jesse Deal (automotive/garden),
Ricky
Ernest (clothing/fashion), and LIA Board Member Susie Tuck. Kneeling, left to
right: LIA President Ken
Tuck, LIA Vice President Martha Tuck, Wal-Mart Market 74 Manager Greg Livingston,
LIA Board Member
Justin Swasey, and LIA Board Member Mike Shroades.
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Pictured at left, Theresa and David Gibbs and Ken Tuck check out the inflatable mattresses. At right, Charles Case unloads a truck at the Love In Action warehouse.
Love
In Action received an awesome donation on Saturday, June 13, 2009. Kaufman's
Army Surplus in Dothan, Ala., donated a large amount of supplies to LIA that
will be used to help the homeless throughout the nation. Here are some of the
items donated:
-
1,961 pairs of boots
- 2 pallets of shirts
-5 pallets of pants
- 1 pallet of overalls
- 1,512 pars of boxer underwear
- 3 pallets of winter coats
- 1 pallet of wool gloves
14 boxes of shoes
- 1 pallet of inflatable mattresses
- 8 boxes of disposable footwear
- 5 boxes of winter wool socks
- a bunch of miscellaneous items
All of those items will be tremendous blessings to the homeless throughout the
nation. All of us at LIA want to say a great big "Thank You" to Mary
at Kaufman's Army Surplus for this awesome donation. Nine LIA volunteers spent
the entire day on Saturday loading the items at Kaufman's warehouse and unloading
them at LIA's warehouse. Five of those volunteers were all homeless in Dothan
earlier this year, but are no longer homeless. They were more than happy to
help the ministry that has helped them so much. It was a great day. For more
on this donation, click
here.
 Click on the photo above for an online photo gallery from June 13. |
Click above for raw video footage from June 13 and the huge donation from Kaufman's Army Surplus. |
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Love
In Action hosted a cookout for the homeless at its warehouse in Dothan, Ala.,
on May 30, 2009. The ministry was joined by several organizations in Dothan
that provides assistance for the homeless and poor. All of these organizations
are part of the Dothan Homeless Coalition. The Coalition have held several cookouts
for the homeless to show the homeless that there is help available for them.
This was the first time Love In Action has served food at its warehouse. About
50 plates of grilled chicken, baked beans, chips and homemade pound cake were
served. The homeless and men from the Houston County Community Corrections Work
Release enjoyed food and fellowship. A number of them also picked out clothes
from the clothing racks in the warehouse. Hygiene packets were also handed out.
It was a great day. LIA thanks Bill Dorminy and Goldfinger restaurant in Dothan
for donating the chicken, women from Southside Baptist Church in Ozark for the
pound cakes, and everyone from the Dothan Homeless Coalition who made it such
a successful day.
Click
here for a photo slide show from the cookout.
Watch
a video of the Cookout for the Homeless
Reaching
the homeless in Virginia
Michelle Humphries
of Arms Outstretched Ministries in northern Virginia gives socks supplied by
Love In Action to the homeless.
Love In Action reaches out to the homeless throughout the nation, and one of
those places is in northern Virginia. We help Arms Outstretched Ministries reach
the homeless through acts of compassion by providing socks and hygiene kits.
Michelle Humphries is the president of Arms Outstretched Ministries and she
does an awesome job of ministering to the needs of the homeless near Washington,
D.C. She reaches out to many of the homeless who live in the woods. Michelle
and her husband do a wonderful job, and we are thankful God has connected our
ministries. By working together, we are making a difference in the lives of
the homeless for the glory of God. When we help meet their physical needs that
opens the door to share Jesus Christ with them. Souls are being saved and lives
changed. Michelle always tells them that a ministry in south Alabama provided
the socks and hygiene kits. They are always very thankful.
Click
here for a photo slideshow of the latest outreach to the homeless in northern
Virginia, and see how your giving is reaching the homeless there.
Building for more ministry
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From left to right, Ken Tuck, Franklin Moore, Kelly Hudson and Jim Kaye work on phase one of the construction project at the Love In Action warehouse.
Work
continues at the Love In Action warehouse on phase one of construction that
will increase our ability to do more ministry. Phase one consists of constructing
a restroom, installing plumbing, and building a wall to separate the ministry
area from the storage area. The ministry area will increase our ability to minister
to the homeless in Dothan, Ala. During the second phase of construction we will
build another restroom, install two showers and a washer and dryer. Then the
homeless will be able to come to the warehouse to take showers and have their
clothes cleaned. We already have men, women and children clothing on racks and
on tables for the homeless to pick out their own clothes. The third phase will
be the most expensive as it will consist of a commercial kitchen. Then we will
be able to cook and serve food to the homeless. We will also start holding Saturday
night dinners and services.
The storage area of the warehouse will help us be more efficient in storing
and shipping supplies to the churches and ministries we help throughout the
nation that reaches out to the homeless.
We are doing the construction as we can afford it. It has taken four months
to do the first phase and we are not finished with it yet. But, we're getting
close. We are excited about how everything has been coming together this past
month. We especially want to thank Franklin Moore, Kelly Hudson and Jim Kaye
for all of their volunteer work. All three men are retired and attend Harvest
Church in Dothan, which is also our home church. Franklin is in charge of the
project and he is making sure everything is being done according to city code.
Click here
for a photo slideshow of the construction at the LIA warehouse.
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Charles lived in this tent in the woods in Dothan, Ala. for a year. Now, Charles and his dog, New Kirk, are living at Love In Action's transitional house. Click here for an online photo gallery.
A good number of the homeless in Dothan, Ala., live in tents located in wooded areas throughout the city. Charles was one of those who called the woods his home. He braved the weather --rain, cold and the suffocating heat of south Alabama - - in a tent. Charles lived in the tent for a year. Then on Saturday, April 25, 2009, Charles met a friend of Love In Action. Doug Sommers called LIA President Ken Tuck to tell him about Charles. Ken and Richard, who is living in LIA's transitional house, put together a care package for him. After talking with Charles and hearing his story and desire to better himself, Ken talked with him about living in LIA's transitional house. Click here for the entire story.
Richard
Jackson (left) and Love In Action President Ken Tuck pose for this photo
in front of LIA's first transitional house. Click on the photo above for a photo
gallery of the house.
Love In Action's first transitional house is now open. We moved the first person into the house on March 20, 2009. This house is being used to help transition the homeless from off the streets and shelters into permanent housing. We have a 90-day program that helps people find jobs, teaches them financial skills such as tithing and budgeting, and provides a Christian environment for Christian discipleship. Click here for more information.
Helping those in need
Love In Action
President Ken Tuck holds baby Hannah while her mom, Shannon, talks on the phone.
Click on the photo for an online photo gallery of this precious family.
Love
In Action proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. Recently
we received word that a single mother and her two children needed help. They
had nowhere to go until her brother said they could move in with him at his
apartment. While they had a roof over their heads, that was it. Other than a
futon with no cushion, they had no furniture and no food. We were able to take
them a large amount of food and furniture. We had recently been given a queen
size bed, a table and two chairs, and a dresser, so we delivered the furniture
and food to them. They were very thankful and really receptive to the Word of
God.
Click
here for more about LIA helping this family and a homeless elderly family.
Love In Action's van is rolling
God has answered another prayer request. Love In Action now has a van. Through
the kindness of some people in Dothan, Ala., a 1993 Chevy Astro van was donated
to LIA. It's in good shape, and it only has 123,000 miles on it. The transmission
has been repaired and it has new tires. We put the van in use this weekend as
we took five men from the Houston County Community Work Release to church on
March 22, then took a homeless woman off the streets that same day. Praise God!
Thanks to those who gave and worked hard to make this happen. May God richly
bless each of you.
Meet
the homeless in Dothan, Ala.
The homeless are real people
living in real tough situations. Everyone's story is different as to why and
how they became homeless. Some due to drugs and alcohol, but recently, many
have become homeless due to the recession in the US With so many people living
from paycheck to paycheck, when they lose their jobs they also lose their housing.
Over the next few weeks Love In Action will feature some of the homeless that
we are ministering to and working with in Dothan, Ala.
Click on the links below to read their stories, and please keep them in your
prayers. Also, please keep us in your prayers, and please continue to give financial
so we can continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion.
Story 1: Homeless with cancer
Story 2: Leaving everything to return to Christ
Love In
Action President Ken Tuck (left) and LIA board member Susie Tuck talk
with Kilbert, a homeless Hispanic man in Dothan, Ala. Click
on the photo for a photo
slideshow from the cookout for the homeless on Saturday, Feb. 28.
God had a plan for the Southeast Alabama Coalition for the homeless cookout at Kinney Park in Dothan, Ala. Once the hotdogs were ready it started raining. Some of the homeless braved the weather, but it was a light turnout. It stopped raining around 1:30 p.m. and 10 minutes later a Hispanic man named Kilbert walked through the doors of Mama Tina's Mission House. He took his plate of food back outside and sat down on a bench on the porch. Several of us went outside to chat with him. He spoke broken English, and a few of us spoke broken Spanish. He looked tired and hopeless. He was. He tried to explain his situation to us. He was homeless and lived on the streets. As he talked, tears started streaming down his face. He was afraid. Fearful of what might happen to him next. Little did he know, God had a plan for him. Click here for the rest of the story.
Love In Action President Ken Tuck, Russell Clausell of United Christian Fellowship
of Dothan, and Debra Thomas of T.O.P.S. stand under a bridge in Dothan where
a homeless person lives. We left a blanket and a hygiene kit on the person's
makeshift bed.
Love In Action has joined with the Southeast Alabama Coalition for the Homeless to further help the homeless in Dothan, Ala. An outreach committee has been formed and Love In Action President Ken Tuck is helping to lead efforts to meet the needs of the homeless and to make the public aware of the homeless situation in Dothan. On Saturday, Feb. 21, Ken and LIA Vice President Martha Tuck took three members of the committee - Russell Clausell of United Christian Fellowship of Dothan, Debra Thomas of T.O.P.S., and Bill Block of the Alfred Saliba Family Services Clinic - under a bridge and along the train tracks in Dothan to show them where the homeless live. Russell, Debra and Bill are dedicated to helping reach the homeless and the poor in Dothan. One our way back to the LIA warehouse, we came across an elderly woman walking back to her house. After talking with her, we discovered she needed some groceries, so we took her back to the warehouse and let her go shopping at our food pantry. We also gave her hygiene items and other items she needed for herself, her daughter and two grandchildren.
Transitional
housing almost ready
Love In
Acition's first transitional house will be ready March 6.
Click on the photo above for a photo gallery of the house.
A big need for helping the homeless come off the streets and transition back into society is transitional housing, which bridges the gap from living on the streets and in shelters to permanent housing. The leaders of Love In Action have been praying for transitional housing, and our prayers have been answered. Beginning March 6, Love In Action will have its first transitional house in Dothan, Ala. Three men will be the first occupants in this three-bedroom house. The house also has two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area and large den. It also has a large front porch, and a back porch with a washer and dyer. We are excited about this awesome opportunity. Click here to read more about our transitional house.
Love In Action volunteer
Steve Panjic (left) and LIA President Ken Tuck
pray with those making decisions for Jesus during the Atlanta Homeless Outreach.
Click on the photo above for a photo gallery of the outreach.
Love
In Action traveled to Atlanta on Feb. 7, for an outreach to the homeless with
our friends at Eagle's Nest Community Church. Spring-like temperatures and clear
blue skies replaced bitter cold temperatures on Saturday. Under the beautiful
Georgia blue skies, the 25 Love In Action volunteers hit the streets to invite
the homeless to lunch. About 75 were served homemade beef-vegetable soup, Mexican
cornbread, brownies and pound cake. Before lunch, Love In Action Co-founder
and board member Mike Shroades shared a message from John 3:16. Before he gave
the invitation to receive Jesus Christ, one homeless man went forward to accept
Jesus. Nine more followed him. It was a powerful message. Following the lunch,
the homeless were given blankets, socks and clothes. It was a great day.
Click
here for more about this outreach.
Click on the videos below to watch Pastor Mike's awesome message to the homeless in Atlanta. The message is in two parts.
|
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Former
homeless man shares his testimony
Joe is a former homeless man who lived on the streets of Atlanta, Ga. He shared his testimony at Eagle's Nest Community Church in Atlanta during Love In Action's outreach to the homeless on Feb. 7, 2009. Click on the video above and watch him share his testimony and see a life changed by the power of God.
3
more receive Jesus
We
had record attendance at this week's Bible study as 22 people came together
at the Love In Action warehouse to study the Word of God. After the Bible study,
three people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Praise God! That's
what it's all about. Click
here for more information about the Feb. 11, Bible study.
A
great week!
It's been a great week. Click
here for all the details. God is really doing an awesome work!
This homeless man enjoys a hot meal at the Dothan, Ala. Homeless Connect.
Love
In Action joined other organizations and agencies in Dothan, Ala., for the Homeless
Connect event, which was held nationwide in an effort to count the number of
homeless in the U.S. and to provide necessities and services to the homeless.
Love In Action gave the homeless Bibles and hygiene kits.
Click
here for more information about this event and the great month of ministry
Love In Action had in January.
Click
here for a photo slideshow of the Dothan Homeless Connect
Click on the video above for more information about all of the ministry Love
In Action did throughout the month of January and the Dothan Homeless Connect.
When
Love In Action moved into its warehouse, one of the goals Ken and Martha Tuck
had was to start a Bible study for the homeless. Throughout the past four months,
LIA has worked on the warehouse as finances were available. Electricity was
ran into the office/conference room area, the ceiling tiles were replaced and
walls painted. It's a perfect room for a Bible study. The Bible studies started
out with three homeless men, and has now grown to 19 with men from the Houston
County Community Corrections joining the homeless. Tonight (Jan. 28) two men
accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. One was a homeless man and the
other from Community Corrections. Praise God! That's what it's all about. Proclaiming
the gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. These two men have a
new start in life. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Those attending the Bible study also received food, coats, clothes and hygiene
kits. Please pray for these weekly Bible studies.
Click
here to read more about tonight's Bible study.
Providing
shelter for the homeless
Dave
and his son were homeless, living in tents in Dothan, Ala.. in November 2008.
Love In Action has been working with them since the week of Thanksgiving. They
are both doing much better and living in a hotel and attending church. Dave
joined Harvest Church today (Jan. 18) and is excited about being part of several
discipleship classes at church.
Love
In Action has provided shelter for 16 people in Dothan, Ala., during the month
of January. This week we are providing shelter for 14 people, including a family
of 6. The others are three couples and a father and son. One of the couples
is facing more than just homelessness. The wife has cancer. We are working with
each of these families; helping them with food, clothing, and job searches.
We are holding Bible studies at the Love In Action warehouse and encouraging
them to get involved with a church. All of them are in church. One homeless
man we started helping in November 2008 is no longer homeless. He is excited
about living for Jesus, and God is restoring many things in his life, including
his family.
We are able to do all of this thanks to those of you who are praying and giving
financially. Thank you very much. Please keep all of these families in your
prayers.
Hygiene kits
for the homeless
Love In Action
Vice President Martha Tuck folds wash cloths for hygiene kits.
A very important part
of reaching out to the homeless is providing hygiene products for them. On Saturday,
Jan. 17, Love In Action president and vice president Ken and Martha Tuck and
Love In Action board members Susie Tuck and Brian Turner put 300 hygiene kits
together. These kits will be given to the homeless in Dothan, Ala., on Jan.
31, and shipped to northern Virginia for an outreach to the homeless conducted
by Arms Outstretched Ministries. The kits contain soap, shampoo, lotion, razor,
shaving cream, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, wash cloth, and a Christian tract.
Click here for a photo
slideshow of the LIA team putting together the hygiene kits.
More work was accomplished over the weekend at Love In Action's warehouse. It was a great weekend as three men from Dothan, Ala., who Love In Action has been working with to help them overcome homelessness and other issues joined Love In Action President and Vice President Ken and Martha Tuck to work at the warehouse this weekend. Click here for more about the work accomplished at the warehouse, and click on the photo above for a photo slideshow. What God is doing in these men's lives will encourage you.
Click here for more about what Love In
Action has accomplished in 2008.
Click here for more about Love In Action's
major outreaches in 2007.
