StoneWater Serves 2011 Testimony, Story #2

On the day of StoneWater Serves, God moved in such mighty ways in the hearts of the people serving and being served, but for one home site, God’s movement was physically seen during what could have been a very dangerous accident.  It is hard for the team members to put what happened into words how they saw God move that day.

The site led by project leader Kurt Wenrich was one that required not just simple yard work but the removal of a huge tree.  For nearly 8 hours, the men at this site worked together to take down the tree. It  was in such a spot that made it very tricky to remove without damaging the home, the carport, or the neighbor’s fence.  After a long day of working on it, finally by late afternoon it came down to the last branch.  (The word branch doesn’t seem to do this chunk of lumber justice- it was 20 inches in diameter!)  One team member, Josh Dietzman, was up in the tree with the chainsaw while the rest of the team held the rope below.  Some of the other team members were even videoing the memorable event.  Suddenly, the chainsaw got stuck, and the tree started falling back toward the house and carport and even where the wives and children were standing.  Suzanne Childers says the team started to pray for a wind to come to their rescue.   Meanwhile, the entire team helped one another pull the rope to try to pull the tree back, but that didn’t work.  John Riggs, tied the rope to a truck bumper, but that didn’t work either.

Then God answered the prayer.  Cheryl Campbell remembers, “All of a sudden a big gust of wind came and blew the tree in the right direction towards the street!"  The wind God sent to the team caused the huge, stubborn tree to fall exactly where they needed it, and the only thing damaged was the mailbox post.

The team members on this project site will never forget what happened on the day of StoneWater Serves 2011.  It’s amazing what you’ll experience when you work together to serve the Lord.

Do you have a story from the day of StoneWater Serves to stand as testimony of how great our God is?  Share your story with the Ministry in Action team at info@stonewaterchurch.com

StoneWater Serves 2011 Testimony, Story #1

testimony written by Courtney Reagan

There are many things about StoneWater Serves 2011 that have just brought me to tears out of complete overwhelming emotion and awe. The first reason would have to be how amazed I was that so many people could be brought together to serve others in need. I have never been a part of something like this, and it was just amazing. I could feel God’s power and love around me. I felt it as I was walking into Texana Plaza and we were all wearing our blue shirts getting ready joyfully for some hard work. I could feel it when the band was singing and we were all getting pumped by the songs we sang. You could just feel the excitement and the joy.

One of my proudest moments though, happened earlier in the week. My husband volunteered to lead a project during journey group one night when Casey Oliver explained StoneWater Serves to the group. I was excited for the project and was proud of Johnnie for being willing to serve. Then, the Thursday before, Johnnie went to meet with the owner of the home - Ms. H. He was there for 2 hours, just talking with her. He came back with a feeling of humbleness, thankfulness, and compassion for this woman he barely knew, but immediately cared about. We went to the grocery store that night to get drinks and snacks for our team, and then to Lowes to get materials to fix her porch. I could just see the excitement and desire in his eyes to make this woman happy and to feel loved. Seeing this in him got me pumped and we were thinking of different ways we could make this woman feel special. Since I was 7 months pregnant I knew there wouldn’t be much for me to do the day of, so I baked her some muffins and Johnnie made sure Ms. H would have a 12 pack of diet coke- her favorite - the morning we arrived. The night before we were so excited and so ready to serve God by serving Ms. H. And I was proud of my husband.

The morning of, Johnnie headed to church early with our friend David to get things ready for our team to arrive and find out any last minute info. We sang some songs, Jeremy gave an awesome motivating message and we were off!

When we got there Johnnie delegated and led our team. He told me I had the most important job… to talk with Ms. H. I must say I was a little nervous. I didn’t know her at all and I just wanted to say the right words and after Jeremy’s message- I wanted to give her love more than anything. So for two hours as our team worked and worked on Ms.H’s yard mowing, weed-eating, cleaning up trash, fixing the deck, trimming trees and I’m sure way more- I sat and talked with Ms.H. She was so sweet. So thankful. So overwhelmed. She didn’t understand…why were we doing this???Who does this? Why would we do this for her? She doesn’t go to our church, she doesn’t give back to the community, why would we give her this? All I could say was “We just want to love you.” And I just couldn’t help but thank her! I felt so grateful that she would allow us the opportunity to love on her, spend time with her, and serve her. It’s like I was getting more out of it than she was! I think I finally understood why it is better to give than to receive. I truly was overwhelmed with joy. And she just kept talking about Johnnie, how amazing he was and how I needed to hold on tight to him. She told me all about her life; her husband that just up and left her, how she lost her job as an insurance agent, her daughter that supports her and is “ a true blessing in her life”, and about her daughter that wants nothing to do with her. She told me about how she gets food from the mission and how she’s spent many a cold nights trying to stay warm with layers of clothing since she can’t afford to put the heater on. I can still remember the visual I got when she said she was layered in clothes trying to stay warm, but she just couldn’t get her nose and face warm. I had no words. And then she told me how she felt so guilty for receiving food from the mission or money for bills, because she feels she doesn’t deserve it. She feels she doesn’t do anything to earn it. What could I say? Here I am constantly complaining about being “broke,” meanwhile my husband and I each have a job, college degrees, a home, a loving family,  food on our table- EVERY NIGHT, clothes on our back, and more things I can even think of to be grateful for. All I could say was, “You have no reason to feel guilty, you are loved and people just want to help you.”  We continued talking and I just listened. Probably the first time in my life I listened that attentively. I tend to talk a lot… about myself. But that day God answered my prayer and gave me the ears to listen. And I was blessed. I was blessed to meet Ms. H and to get the chance to just listen and love on her. I was blessed to watch a group of people come together to serve strangers that are often looked down upon because of their lifestyle or living situation. I was blessed because I was able to witness my husband, who not even a year ago accepted Christ into his life, show love, compassion and the leadership and desire to carry out the will of God. I fell in love with God all over again on Sunday. I fell for Ms.H and I can’t help but think of her every day. And I don’t want it to end on last Sunday. She will be seeing more of us. Johnnie promised her he would mow her lawn weekly and I’m sure he will be bringing her that diet coke she loves. And the coolest part of SWS this year for me, I fell in love with my husband all over again. I know this is all for the Glory of God. And I can’t wait to see how he uses Johnnie as the leader of our home to bring Glory, fame, and honor to the Heavenly and Gracious Father we serve.

By the way, Ms.H is very interested in coming to Stonewater and we are praying that she will make the leap one day. She even said she is looking for a cute man in his 60’s that “doesn’t look like a grandpa.” Sweet little lady. She touched our lives in ways she may never know and it was all because StoneWater Serves God by serving others.

Do you have a testimony from StoneWater Serves 2011?  Please e-mail the Ministry in Action team at info@stonewaterchurch.com to share your story.

Camp O.T.S.

CAMP OTS:  WELCOMING THE CHILDREN OF OAK TRAIL SHORES IN JESUS’ NAME

Oddly, it started out about food.  Elizabeth is a great cook and uses her God given culinary talent  serving on StoneWater’s Meal ministry.  As needs arise, she cooks and delivers meals for StoneWater members who are experiencing death of a loved one, hospitalization, or a crisis. While Elizabeth was driving to deliver food for a StoneWater member who is battling cancer, she recently prayed, “Lord, please use me in whatever way you want me to serve.”

Two weeks later, Elizabeth was invited to a meeting with other churches exploring StoneWater getting involved in a summer meal program. Even then, she never dreamed that God had other things in mind for her summer. Elizabeth was looking forward to serving meals through Ruth’s Place.

But StoneWater’s Lara Whidden caught a totally different vision at that meeting. When Lara heard a brief mention that Ruth Place’s place wasn’t going to be able to provide summer activities for the children of Oak Trail Shores, she felt God redirecting StoneWater’s involvement.  Lara surprised Elizabeth when she asked her to head Camp OTS instead of serving meals. 

At first, the directional change caught Elizabeth off guard. But Elizabeth’s husband, Lance, who serves on StoneWater’s tech team, reminded her of her prayer for God to use her “however He wanted to”.  As they prayed about it, Elizabeth sensed God was definitely calling her to step out in faith, even though it wasn’t what she originally expected.

Oak Trail Shores was developed in the 1970’s and currently is home to 2500 people and over one thousand homes.  Ruth’s Place impacts the neighborhood by providing food boxes, teaching English as a Second Language, training, and providing medical and car clinics.  The bags of food that we bring for StoneWater Serves bless Ruth’s Place so they can continue to meet needs in OTS.

Elizabeth recruited journey group friend, Bethany Hart, who serves in the children's ministry at StoneWater to be a co-leader.  Ironically, Bethany, had been disappointed that her summer medical mission trip to Kenya with her husband Brad, a Granbury surgeon (who serves on the tech team & parking team), had been postponed.  She started praying that God would use her somewhere else this summer.  When Bethany heard Elizabeth share about the need for the children at Oak Trail Shores, she realized that God wanted her to serve there instead.   The Harts were first exposed to the needs at Oak Trail Shores last May when their Homebuilders journey group cleaned a yard at StoneWater Serves.

 Camp OTS will operate out of Ruth’s Place in Oak Trail Shores in partnership with the summer lunch program.  The crafts and games will held in a building extension that was made possible by a StoneWater member. 

Starting June 6, our church will provide crafts, games, devotions, sports, and fun for the children ages 4 to 18 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from noon to 1 p.m.  all summer long. Elizabeth and Bethany need an army of volunteers to staff this massive outreach. Come early to build friendships with the kids during lunch.

             Anyone who loves kids and wants to make a difference can serve after going through a background check and one hour of training. Training will be held at Ruth's Place (2723 Maplewood in Oak Trail Shores) on June 1^st (noon to 1 p.m.) or June 6^th (noon to 1 p.m.).  Elizabeth and Bethany are excited that the seniors and college students at StoneWater who want to get involved.  But they still need a minimum of five volunteers, three days a week. You can volunteer for one day, or as often as you can.  Recruit your journey group to participate too!!

With such a great need for volunteers to make Camp OTS possible, both Elizabeth and Bethany were encouraged by Pastor Chris Williams' recent message about Gideon’s army.  It was a confirmation message for them. “We’re definitely stepping out of our comfort zone and we’re counting on God to provide the help we need to love these hurting children for Jesus,” Bethany said. Elizabeth added, “In the Bible, Jesus invites the children to come to Him and we’re so excited that we get to be involved.”

Even if you can’t volunteer, you can help by making a donation (funds are needed to by the crafts and supplies) and by praying for Elizabeth, Bethany, the volunteers, and children at Camp OTS.  And Ruth’s place always appreciates donations of canned and boxed food, hygiene products, diapers (especially larger sizes), and gently used clothes. They also have a special need for doctor and nurse volunteers to support their medical clinics.

One hour is a small sacrifice to make to show a special child that someone cares.  Elizabeth believes, “God can use our love with the kids of Oak Trail Shores to launch exciting new seeds that will help break the cycle of poverty and addiction while making an eternal difference.”

For Elizabeth and Bethany, these two moms get excited when they, “Think about these kids catching a glimpse of the love of Jesus and sharing their experiences with their families and community.”  They both are getting their whole family involved.  As Bethany is learning, “You don’t have to leave Hood County to be a missionary this summer!”  Will you welcome a child in His Name?

For more information on how to help please e-mail campOTS@stonewaterchurch.com  or you call:Bethany Hart – (254)624-9455 orElizabeth Gowens – (806)445-4352.

Armor of Hope

StoneWater members Dale Alexander, an Arlington firefighter, and his wife Christie have served together at Camp Stepping Stone where Christie currently enjoys encouraging second and third grade girls.

“I’ve always wanted to go on an overseas mission trip, but instead God recently directed me to two exciting ventures right in our own backyard,” Christie shared.

            She believes, “Life is always a good choice.” After, their youngest child, Gus, started pre-K and their daughter, Ellie, started first grade, Christie decided to stand for life by volunteering at the Brazos Pregnancy Clinic, located next to Big Lots off Hwy 377.  She counsels young women once a week.  “They just need someone to listen to them and love them,” Christie reflected.  The Clinic has a need for volunteers and donations (cash, maternity and baby clothes or formula & diapers).   To get involved contact 817-579-1233 or visit www.brazospregnancyclinic.com.

            Through their son’s involvement in First Tee, a golf mentoring program that focuses on character skills, the Alexanders also learned about Kids’ Armor of Hope, a local 501c3 that reaches out to abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Granbury area.  Their goal is to curb child abuse, one child at a time by showing them God’s love and building self-esteem and confidence.  Tragically, almost one in four children in the Granbury ISD does not live with their parents.  In 2010, 290 confirmed victims of child abuse in Hood County.

Ignite Women's Retreat testimonies

Precious StoneWater Women:

You’ve seen the flyers, you’ve watched the promotional videos, you’ve heard your friends talking about it…but you’re still wondering, “What is Ignite?”  or “Why should I go?”  For these three StoneWater women, Ignite was a life changing experience. 

*Disclaimer:  Each story is rather long, but the Ministry in Action team feels every detail of the work of God in each story is worth sharing fully!

Rachel’s story

Spring 2009:  Rachel found herself in the midst of an abusive relationship.  The young single mother who had known the Lord since her childhood was being called “worthless” and “waste of skin” by her boyfriend.  Rachel had been attending StoneWater for a few months, but she had yet to become involved enough to know many people. 

Car Clinic

For StoneWater member Wayne Goller, God’s calling for him to serve is simple:  use the skills you’ve got.  For Wayne, he not only uses his God-given skills to earn a living, but he also uses them to be the hands and feet by extending his expertise as an offering in a community wide program called the Car Clinic.

Wayne, along with Pastor Justin Sprayberry, saw a need and wanted to show God’s love in serving that need.  Together, the two spearheaded the Car Clinic in November of 2010.  Wayne describes the Car Clinic as a community outreach both ways;

Capri's Story

Nick and Alyssa met, fell in love and got married December of 2010. They dreamed of a life together, a life full of adventure and excitement. Alyssa didn’t want any children of her own and although she loved children & has a younger brother whom she adores, she just didn’t want any of her own. 

Before Nick and Alyssa met, on May 1, 2006, Alyssa was in a terrible car accident and was only given 72 hrs to live. After surpassing the 72 hr mark, Alyssa's parents were told there was no hope for her and she would be a vegetable for the rest of her life. Today Alyssa is 23 yrs old....she is a testimony of God's healing and little did Alyssa know, God had something amazing in store for her life.....