A team of St. John’s Lombard teens and adults completed a project serving at two tent communities in Chicago. Below is the beautiful report they submitted.
“After all of the shopping was complete and the blessing bags were assembled God took the wheel and showed exactly what and who He had plans for.
Francisco: Resident of a southside tent city was overjoyed to see us the morning we arrived. He was living in a one person tent with only a sheet to cover himself. He was sitting on a milk crate and had a cast on his leg. After talking to him and asking him how we could pray for him we were able to set him up with a four person tent, a sleeping pad and a rechargeable fan. We also gave him a new camping chair to sit on and reading materials that were donated to the project. He loved all of the items in the blessing bag, especially the snacks and toothbrush.
April: A long time resident of the tent city was so excited to receive a huge comfortable donated quilt and a pair of rubber boots. Her smile filled up the entire tent. She was also especially grateful for the pad of paper and markers. Her favorite item in the blessing bag was the socks!
Tony: The team was able to set Tony up with a solar power bank purchased with the grant money. Tony is searching for a new job and was waiting on an email when his phone lost power. When we gave him the power bank to charge his phone and told him he could keep it, his entire face lit up.
The team has been carrying the blessing bags in their cars ever since they were assembled and have been able to bless many people on the streets of the suburbs who are in desperate situations. One night, a team member was able to pray with a man outside of a 7-11 as he gave him a blessing bag.
The St. John’s congregation has been so generous to the mission, donating money and purchasing items off of the wish lists. The vacation bible team decided to collect more items to make more blessing bags, this last week at St. John’s VBS, the kids have been bringing in socks, toilet paper, baby wipes, toothbrushes and much more. Lija’s love is spreading like wildfire in the hearts of the UKANDU mission team and in the people they are reaching!”
