Look What God’s Been Up to! (Newsletter #1)

Dec 3

On any given Saturday morning, you’ll see anywhere from 200 to 350 families lined up on the sidewalk at the corner of 4th and New Street, where Downey First Christian Church is located.

The families are there to receive food items distributed from the church food bank, known locally as 'Food Help'. They pour in from the city of Downey in Los Angeles County and many of its surrounding communities.

Downey First Christian Church members don't merely see these families as recipients; they refer to them as "the Neighbors".

Although the Neighbors come for physical food and drink, they also receive something else. A team of volunteers, led by Lena, strike up conversations with the Neighbors, providing them with the spiritual food and water they may not even know yet that they need!

Here are a few encouraging stories of what God has been up to lately. (Some names have been changed.)

Hearts Transformed

A Neighbor, Rachel, wanted to attend Downey First Christian Church, but her controlling husband wouldn’t let her. He wanted nothing to do with Christianity and often persecuted Rachel for her faith.

Over the course of many months, the team regularly chatted with Rachel as she waited in the Food Help line on Saturday mornings. She was often in tears, and the team prayed that God would touch her husband's heart.

Then, no one saw Rachel for a while. Until suddenly, one Lord's Day, she showed up for service—and with a big bounce in her step! Because you never guess who had joined her for church that morning... Her husband! The two were walking hand-in-hand and smiling. God had softened his heart!

Salvations & Baptisms

Mark, a Neighbor in his late twenties, was in a rough spot when the team started chatting with him in the Food Help line.

Mark knew God was calling him and immediately accepted the invitation to come to church. He soon started attending consistently, began exploring the Bible, and gave his life to the Lord.

A few weeks later, Mark was baptized in front of the congregation at Downey First Christian Church. The angels in heaven are rejoicing!

Reaching the Youth

Over the past year, the team has frequently chatted with Adriana, a 17-year-old Neighbor who regularly comes to the food bank with her mom.

Adriana never showed any interest in attending church. However, she finally read the Gospel tract she'd received months earlier from the team. When she did, she was so impacted by what she learned that she asked for extra copies for her four siblings.

She then requested a Bible, and the team got her a pretty, pink-covered copy of God's Word and a journal. Now Adriana is reading the Bible, journaling about what she’s learning, and sharing it with her younger brothers and sisters!

Note: This ministry update was sent out as a newsletter to Lena’s email subscribers.