Progress

This morning I read this version of James 1:26 “Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.”  I love the message. Week after week we have continued our efforts to guard our sweet homeless friends from the corruption of their godless world. This is our heart cry. To be a refuge an “oasis” in the midst of corruption.  We are not here to measure our success by the looks of a building or number of its residence but instead through the significance of changed lives. I wanted to start this blog by asking you to consider….consider playing your part in the epic story of God’s restoration to the streets of OKC. God is so at work and we are diligently seeking Him as He allows us to play our part in His story. I am here to tell you of the miracles of His ways…..

                                                                 

This weekend we had another phenomenal workday. We love gathering churches together. What a blessing it is to see people stepping out of church buildings to “Be” the church on the streets of OKC.  With the efforts of many local churches, home-groups, and college students we completed 5 rooms this past Saturday. A miracle indeed.  I was walking room to room watching youth…that’s right young people lay flooring like it was nobody business. It was a sight! We had another church who regularly visits the street corners of Shartel and California stop by to check out the work of the Refuge. They were eager to help in any way and we were excited to see their interests peak. We were also blessed by a donor this weekend who was working in one of the rooms and then went a step further and purchased cabinetry and fans for the refuge. What an amazing gift. We are so humbled as we continue see the provision of our Lord being poured out in this place. As you can see the renovation of the Refuge is taking shape. Each week we have been encouraged and strengthened through the unity of the body of Christ. As I close we are sending out some specific prayer needs. We are calling on prayer warriors to intercede on behalf of the refuge as we seek the Lord with the following:

*Pray for the disciplers that are committing to join the Refuge by leaving their homes and moving into full time street ministry.

*Pray that occupancy is restored to the refuge and that we receive the green light to move a family back in.

* Pray that God would continue to stir the hearts of His people and that others would come forth to help partner with us in furnishing the newly remodeled rooms.

*Continue to pray for Supplies.

* Most important lets lock arms in prayer for The Ulrichs. Pray for their time together to be multiplied and that God’s grace would continue to rest on their lives as they pour into the refuge daily.

                         

Look for more prayer updates later this week. Thank you so much for your efforts in rebuilding this ancient ruin. We love you and appreciate your prayers more than you will ever know.

Amy Newberry

Stories

All along as we unite in our efforts to reach the inner city we are keenly aware that it is NOT ABOUT A BUILDING but ABOUT THE PEOPLE. The point of restoration is taking shape in the form of reconstructing a building but all along lives have been touched and people who are without hope are being changed. Here is just one example from a dedicated worker:

Tim:

I’ll look forward to seeing you this weekend at the Refuge work day.I know there are lots of people who love to meet and visit with you on workdays, so I thought I would send this email, just in case we don’t get much of a chance to visit.

You may not remember, but a month or so before the block party, I remember talking with you about God giving me the opportunity to really have a “heart to heart” witness with a young black man over at the Rescue mission.  His name is Branden.   He was rapping and singing and being a “Cool Dude”, but also being the tough guy, a bad dude, bragging about his criminal past.  I was just listening and watching, and when he started talking about his murder rap, the Holy Spirit started to intercede, just like the Bible says will happen.  I looked him straight in the eye, and took his hand between both of mine and squeezed it as hard as I could, and began to tell him how he needed to stop what he was doing and get his life straight.  He was just stunned, and I kept going.  I told him that he was a young, vibrant, handsome, and strong man with a great talent for singing and song writing.  I told him that God had a plan for him and a purpose for his life, and said that when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he had YOU(Branden) on his mind.  He was listening closely to every word I said.  I continued a little while longer, and he agreed to do some Bible reading and to consider the choices he had been making.

When I arrived at work on Monday morning, my “verse of the day” calendar on my desk read: “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

I make a copy of that verse, and carried it in my pocket every weekend, so I could find Branden and give it to him.  You asked me to show it to you when we were visiting at the Refuge.  I carried that verse around for several weeks, and could not find Branden.  Then, at the block party, I saw him as he was coming through the security gate at the table I was in charge of.  So I was able to meet up with him again briefly to let him know we cared, and that Jesus cares, and that we love him, and to ask him how he was doing.

Every time since, when I visited the City Rescue Mission or the Refuge, or just driving by, I kept looking for Branden, to no avail.

This past Saturday afternoon, I was helping the very first person I met at the Rescue Mission that God put a burden on my heart for.  She (Isis) has no car, so I took her around looking for a Section 8 home that she could move into, the next step in getting her children back from DHS.  As I was returning her to her job, she at the last minute asked me if I knew someone named “Tick” at the mission—–a big, bad, black dude.  I asked her to describe him, and then she remembered his name—Branden.  She said that he went with a couple of guys to Madill, OK one weekend and they were robbed, beaten, and shot, and that Branden died……. I could not even speak.

And so I share this story with you, Tim, so that you are reminded how incredibly important, and what an awesome impact your ministry is having in our lives.  To think that I was able to share Christ’s story with someone who may have never heard it before, and then to pray and have another opportunity to show that we cared means everything to me.  I hope he accepted the Lord, and that I will see him in Heaven one day.

Know that God is working through you in a special way, and that we all love you so very much.

In Christ,

Candy

So there it is week after week lives are being changed by our willingness to “seek out” the lonely and “love”  the lost. I am looking for your stories. So many of you have been downtown these last few months. I would love to hear what God has been doing in your life through the ministry of the Refuge. However, short or long e-mail your story to amynewberry1@hotmail.com. We are so blessed by the people gathered around the City rescue and the Refuge it is unreal. We see God moving in their hearts everyday and are truly humbled by being able to play our part!

Amy Newberry 

check out what others are saying about the refuge

i had a chance to meet this guy who came down to the refuge.  if you would like to hear and see what he experienced, feel free to check out his blog by clicking the below link.

http://5and2fish.com/category/the-refuge/

lights and sound equipment

it is becoming a trend to see God use various parts of the body and the city to put things together in 1 week without the other side knowing that it is happening.  as the same with the heaters and air conditioners, the sound equipment and the lighting have also been donated to The Refuge.  it is appearing that the LORD is really beginning to put something together.  i am not sure what it is or how it is all going to come together, but it is fun in the mean time to watch it.

heaters and air conditioners in 1 week

the LORD is so amazing and faithful.  we are seeing God provide all of our needs…plus more.  two different people have been instrumental in providing heaters and air conditioning units.  i can’t tell you how amazing it is for me to see how God is continue to show that He is leading this ministry.  it is so fun to watch Him pour out His blessings.

sorry it has been so long

I am sure like many of you, the holidays really seemed to make things busy.  I hadn’t blogged much but the work of the Refuge had and has continued.  I have asked Amy Newberry, a great friend and fellow warrior in the work of the inner city to help keep the news and updates flowing.  She and her husband Joshua have been a tremendous blessing to the work of The Refuge and I look forward to seeing how the LORD is going to use them in this venture.  So, thank you for your patience and I hope you will continue to check in with the news and updates that will continue to flow as things continue to develop.

Tim

Prayer/Leadership Meeting

Refuge Announcement:

Friday, January 25th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm we are having a gathering to see and hear about what is coming up for this year.  I really wanted to get all of the missionaries together who are going to making their way into the Refuge community here very soon.  With all that is going on and the way and size that this things is shaping up, I really wanted to get everyone together that we may hear and see together all that God is doing as He continues to show us His heart in restoring the inner city of Oklahoma City.  Hope to see you all there at the Refuge.

On a side note, there is going to be a group using the Refuge afterwards for their Praise Night that they have been doing for a few months now.  You are more than welcome to stay afterwards and join them.  They often will go from 8:30pm till about 11ish or 12ish.  But you can stay for as long as you would like.

Blessings,

Tim

No Great Thing…..just small things with Great Love!

Hello All,

My name is Amy Newberry and my husband and I are so blessed to be partnering with Tim and Leanne in the effort to reconstruct the interior layout of the refuge. I can tell you personally this place is such a ray of hope on a block where hopelessness and despair continue to devour its people. I have been serving the homeless for sometime now and week in and week out I have seen God begin a movement among His believers. I know that those of you who are reading this have been or are interested in coming down and working so here is an update:

Yesterday was one of the largest workdays we have had in a long time. Many of us who are directly involved with the refuge spent the week under a grueling attack. As circumstances began to stack big time against us we saw God moving in our behalf. It was truly incredible to be in the midst of it yet plainly trust that God is the author and perfector of all things. Our preparation was so timely as Saturday morning arrived and 130+ volunteers show up at the refuge. Men, women and youth began to work and as the morning took way we stood astonished at how quickly things were getting done. Flooring was being laid, walls were painted, and heaters were hung in almost every unit. Women sat up tables downstairs and sorted through toothbrushes, combs, and blankets as we prepared to open the doors to feed and blanket the needy. Unity and Love filled the air. We closed the day with a church service and Joshua and I along with our family had the privilege to take several of our homeless friends to Irma’s diner for some burgers. We celebrated all that God was doing at the refuge.

We are so grateful to be doing our part. Mother Theresa spoke these words “We attempt to do no great thing…….but SMALL things with GREAT love.” I love this statement. It simplifies our hearts. We see God taking back the streets of Shartel and California. He is casting out the darkness with the light and love of His followers. We are getting more and more organized at the Refuge. My husband Joshua is the project manager and if you or your group are interested in our adopt –a- room program then please e-mail him personally at Joshua@nocsupply.com. We also are hosting another workday this weekend some come down and check it out. I would love to meet you. Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Stay tuned into the blog more updates and pics will be posted soon.

Until All Have Heard,

The Newberry’s