Refrigerator Rights!

If you have been following us through this journey you know it has definitely been an up and down one.
After talking with our attorney and working through what is the safest and best thing for our family, we have to move. It's not something we wanted or needed to do right now. I will say I am looking forward to living in a house that has a working refrigerator and air conditioning though.

We are asking those that follow what we are doing and have been praying for us,  we need your prayers this week. After talking with the attorney yesterday, they feel it is best if we move out before another month of rent is due on the 5th. We don't have all the necessary resources to make the move but as has always been and will always be.....God is faithful.

We have found a house and it is ready for us to move in and is absolutely perfect for our family. Pray that God provides what we need to do this by the deadline of Sunday.

Even more important, please pray that this move is not a distraction for us and that we can stay focused on why we are here and the people God has put in our lives and that no matter what there is not a disruption in our meetings at the park on Saturdays. This time that we spend there is very important and consistency is crucial.

We can't tell all of you how much we appreciate your support, concern and prayers!

Bernie's Big Announcement!

We pulled into the parking lot at the park, pulled out all the tables and chairs, set up all the food, when Bernie walked over to the group and said, "I have an announcement to make. Do you know what tithe is?"  As we acknowledged him, he proceeded to tell us that he was reminded the night before of a lady with quite a few kids who came to church when he was younger. He said she would come every week and give what she could. He knew she did not have much but he remembered her putting something in the offering every single week. So he handed us some money and said here is my tithe.

 Bernie has been part of our group longer than most. He's been homeless for a long time. He's been very sick and in and out of the hospital and certainly does not have the money to give to ReMerge or anyone else for that matter. He gave out of obedience!

Almost 2 years ago we packed up everything we owned and put it in storage and with $100 in our pockets we stepped out in faith and obeyed what we felt God calling us to do. God provided and within a few days we were on our way. These past 2 years have been the hardest of my life. I wouldn't change it for anything but there have been many times that I wanted to give up. I know we can't. We can't because we know God wants us here. Like Bernie, when we know God is telling us to do something, we must be obedient.

On August 1st we need to be in a new home. We don't have the ability to do that right now. Please pray that God provides what we need by the time we need it and that we stay faithful to what and who God has called us too!

A Shocking Experience

So about a month ago we started having trouble with our appliances, mainly our

refrigerator. One day I woke up and it just wasn't running right. So we immediately notified our landlord who brought in another- not working so right-refrigerator. This one came with the added bonus of shocking you every time you touched it. Although it may be a good way to lose weight,  not so good with a house full of kids. So we notified the landlord again, who brought in yet another refrigerator. After a few days it wasn't running right either. It turns out we live in a house that is not grounded well nor does it have enough power to run any real major appliances which would explain the lack of air conditioning. We have been very thankful for our house and have absolutley no desire to move, but after the power company, the electrician and the city tried to convince the owner the best thing to do was make the home safe and habitable, it seems the owner may not be interested in doing that.

So it looks like we will have to move. This is not something we want to do or for that matter can really afford at all to do, but looks like we may not have any choice. Today we looked at a house that was perfect for us. It is the house that I have been looking for since we moved here. We need far more money than we have right now to get into it.

We had just now started to really get back on track after Jeff'''s surgery and finally starting to equalize when this started to happen. We have been pouring everything we have into ReMerge and its growth.

We have to raise around $4000 to make this move. Please pray that God provides what we need, whether it is this house or another house.  If you have ever thought about supporting ReMerge and the work God is doing in South Florida email us. There is so much going on and so many people being touched by God's love for them. Please pray this is not a distraction or something that sidetracks us from what God wants us to be doing.

More Than A Meal To Go

 

Ripped off!

Mike and Tracy were very excited about the new venture they were diving into. The life long dream of leaving the daily rat race and opening a business of their own was finally going to happen. Their new partner had great ideas and a confidence that was contagious. They went ahead and signed the papers at the bank for a second mortgage to finance the new I.T. company that was sure to be a huge success. They took the loan proceeds and bought all the equipment they needed to not only build and maintain business networks, but, to host web pages and provide internet services. Just imagine their horror when a couple weeks later they walked into their newly leased office and everything, including their partner, was gone without a trace. With no income, product or capital, it didn’t take long for them to lose everything.

　

Death of Compassion

With stories like this, we’ve found that many homeless people are in the situation they are in because of reasons other than addictions. Regardless of the situation, the homeless are stuck with the stigma that they are less than human. This attitude makes the road to recovery amazingly hard and often results in a further decent mentally and physically into the gutter. In today’s information age where everything is automated and little to no real human interaction happens, compassion seems to be a thing of the past.

　

More than a Meal To-Go

Although a meal is what many of the homeless need, ReMerge is much more than a meal in a to-go box. Merge means water and water is life. To bring new life to those who are dead to society is our mission. It only take 30 minutes to feed breakfast in the park, so why are we in the park for nearly 2 hours? We are building relationships with people hungry for community and compassion, we are re-building hope.

　

Will work for beer

The homeless are known for flying signs at intersections, begging for money. However, the ones you see are a small representation of the homeless population. Mike and Tracy never panhandled. Mike took what ever work he could find. Many times he helped me move people, deliver couches or other furniture and helped me assemble IKEA furniture. His work ethic and attitude were always good despite his situation. About 6 months ago, they were able to leave their tent and move into a small apartment after living on the streets for over a year.

　

New growth

ReMerge’s outreach is growing and we need the equipment to handle the new growth. Not only do we need the food service equipment, we need a larger vehicle to transport it. The vehicle will double as a source of income for those willing to work and learn a new trade. Following is a list of the items we need and the costs of the items. Now is your chance to offer hope in an age of hopelessness, to be the light in a dark world.

ReMerge’s goal - $10,000

Items needed Item cost
Food Service Equipment - $ 240
Generator - 450
4 folding tables - 240
20 folding chairs - 220
4 portable canopies - 320
Truck - 6,500
Misc. tools - 400
Licenses, permits & Insurance 1,230
Administrative 400

TOTAL $10,000

To be a part, small or large, of this opportunity, you can either click on the donate button in the upper right hand area of this blog or if you do not want to use the paypal option you can email us at remerge@hotmail.com or you can mail a check to "ReMerge, Inc." 31 SW 7th Street, Hallandale, FL 33009. Please give today and please help us spread the word by sharing this blog! 

out of time

Dwayne is a guy that has been coming to breakfast at the park for over a year now. He's lived back behind the Tri-Rail station in squaller conditions with Mark, Rick, Bernie, Andy, Jerry, Greg and a handfull of others. He's been working on and off at anything that comes along. He's had a problem with gout flair-ups so bad at times that he can't walk without a cane.

Dwayne has a family, but, nobody knows where they are. He has a last name, but, nobody knows what it is. He has been hurt before and does not let anyone in. It took him 6 months just to come to breakfast because he sure doesn't trust anyone who says they are doing something because God told them to do it.

Lately Dwayne has been coming more frequently and even opened up a little, asking how Ruthie is doing in her swim, giving the twins a hard time in good sport. A little while back, he looked me in the eye and shook my hand and said, "thanks Jeff, it's a really good thing you're doing hear, it helps a lot of people."

Friday night around mid-night, Dwayne was hit by a train and died on the scene, 50 years old.

You gotta love 'em while you got 'em.

I would have loved to have more time with Dwayne. Please pray that we can reach them, before God calls them home.

Empty Hands

We had just put the last of the chairs into the van. There was only a snack bag left which we had just handed to Bernie because he was late arriving and there was nothing else to give him.

Within a few minutes a pickup pulled into the park. It was a family we had seen before. They were curious but had always kept their distance. The door opened and out came 2 younger kids with their pregnant big sister, their mom and their grandma. The sisters boyfriend had gone off to work and dropped them off at the park.  They walked over to the benches and just sat for a few minutes before the mother got up enough courage to walk over and talk with me. She asked me if we were giving anything away. My heart sank in my chest as I told her that we had given away everything. Even the jelly was all gone. All I had left was about a half a gallon of water. As I grabbed the jug and some cups she walked away to give her family a drink. I was trying to hold back the tears as I walked back over to Jeff devasted that we had nothing to offer. I had $1.00 in quarters to my name when I arrived at the park and had already handed that to somone else.

This past Saturday was a chilling reminder of why we are here. It was also a chilling reminder of how much there is to do and how far we have to go.

Our vision is to someday have a facility to prepare and serve out of so that we never have to turn anyone away empty handed. Please pray that God provides in big ways! Please pray for Bernie who is very sick. Please pray that God provides that right amount of what we need every week. Please pray that we don't get discouraged  when it feels like that all that we are left with is empty hands.

Tomorrow night we are planning a BBQ meal at the park. Right now we do not have everything we need to make this happen. Please pray God provides for everything and everyone who comes!