HOW THE JOBLESS FEED THE HOMELESS

We may have come up with the strangest title for a post to date, but there is no shame or sorrow in the truth. Only the utmost faith in the Most High God! Praise The Lord for His Goodness!

YES, I (Steve) are jobless, because the company that I worked for downsized this past week and I was let go and am now UNEMPLOYED! With that being said, what do we do? EASY! The same as we always do, we Praise God in the Storm, (thanks Casting Crowns) and we feed the homeless. My beloved wife Trachena and I have NO fear or doubt that when God closes one door, He has a huge door ready to be opened. God's Word says that He takes care of the birds of the air, so how much more does He love His children. We have concerns, that is human, but are we afraid, NO, because God's Word NEVER goes out and comes back void. It always accomplishes what it sets out to do. Like millions of American families, we have many bills to pay, we have our share of expenses and responsibilities, but we have a GREATER calling then that.

When times are tough, when money is tight, when the darkness comes before the dawn, what are God's people supposed to do? RELY ON HIM, ALWAYS, RELY ON HIM.

This is NOT the time to worry, to say, wow, we need all that money for our bills or we should save it until I find a job. NO, this is the time to step out in faith and GIVE MORE. This is the time to TRUST God and His Word that we should FEAR NOT, for He is with us! We will continue to give, we will continue to serve, even after our common sense says save, our Godly sense says GIVE!. Are we crazy, yup, crazy in LOVE with His Word and His Truth! So, we keep on giving, until God takes us home!

What an awesome day of ministry, we served another 220 "Love Bags", handed out 47 more Bibles, as well as 124 pairs of socks, (Wow they need socks) and prayed with a few people and helped spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we are CALLED to do!

Lavell and Mari, along with their kids helped the ministry team of Surrender40 to FEED THE NEED in downtown Miami. Talk about unselfish acts. It was Mari's 32ND birthday, and they chose to serve God instead of themselves, WOW!

FOOTNOTE: We visited Robin again on Saturday at Homestead Correctional Facility and her Mom was down from Indiana. The family is doing well under such difficult circumstances. Please pray for Robin and the peace of God that passes ALL understanding. She has come such a long way and we are so blessed to have her in our lives!

NOW, the heartfelt cry for help!

Knowing what you now know about our lack of employment and our absolute devotion to Surrender40 and feeding the homeless, we are asking for your help. We need your financial support big time. JUST KNOW that we pay for the food and Bibles ourselves and are COMPLETELY dependant upon your goodness and love to support our ministry. WE NEED YOU NOW MORE THEN EVER AND WE WILL BE SO BLESSED BY YOUR SUPPORT.

We are counting on your donations to help us prepare for Thanksgiving week, because NO MATTER WHAT happens in the world of employment for me, WE WILL FEED THE HOMELESS, WE WILL BE THERE FOR THE PEOPLE OF MIAMI, AND AS LONG AS WE HAVE BREATH, WE WILL PRAISE THE LORD!

"LET THERE BE SOCKS"

Praise God for another BLESSED and ANOINTED day on the streets of Miami. The ministry team of Surrender40 was once again accompanied by Lavell & Mari and their young team of future pastors as we served 220 "Love Bags"to homeless and hungry people and handed out 60 more Bibles, and 84 pairs of BRAND NEW SOCKS! What an awesome blessing it is to watch young people serve God's people and give up their Sunday to preach the Gospel to the lost and hurting people of Miami. So, what was the word for the day, and how can we explain this to our readers. It's simple, and yes, it's in the title of the post....SOCKS!!

Yes, that is correct, socks. Think about this beloved, every day, you and I come home from work or school and we take off our dirty clothes, socks and underwear, and throw them in the dirty laundry and a saint, (in this case my beloved wife Trachena) washes, folds and gives them right back. OK, great, but it doesn't work that way on the streets! They NEVER get a chance to change their socks because there is NO WAY to wash them. What does that mean? It means that they either do not have socks or they are filthy. Imagine the joy in the very simple act of handing a brand new pair of clean white socks to someone who has NOTHING on their feet in some cases. It is pure joy, and once again we would like to personally thank the ministry team of Mr & Mrs Sanders, who on a regular basis BLESS Surrender40 with a fresh shipment of brand new socks! What a joy your gifts have brought to the people of Miami!!! Thank you so much friends and partners.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have socks that you can spare, good socks, not the ones that the dog plays with, the new ones. Please consider going through your drawers and rounding up socks and sending them to us at the following address.

Surrender40

PO Box 700047

Miami, Florida 33170

****PRISON MINISTRY UPDATE****

Robin is doing great as we visited her again on Saturday 10-24-09 and twice last weekend at Homestead Correctional Institute. We had lunch, we laughed, we cried, we prayed and we talked about how GREAT IS OUR GOD! What an awesome time we had. Please keep Robin in your prayers at night and continue to pray for our ministry as we are 100% self supported and we NEED your love and donations to keep going into the places that everyone else tries to get out of!

Thanks and God Bless,

Surrender40

Surrender40 experiences our very first "TRILOGY OF LOVE"

Praise God, Beloved Family, we have the most awesome news to report from the STREETS OF MIAMI! In case you didn't know it, GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME! Thank you Jesus for allowing us the blessings that we experienced this weekend!

The FIRST thing that we would like to do is to welcome the newest members of the ministry team of Surrender40, Lavell & Mari. These two saints also showed up with their precious son Jonathon, and 2 nephews, Joey and Cesar to help "FEED THE NEED" and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much to this wonderful family for unselfishly giving up their Sunday to help spread love in Miami.

But, first things first!

As stated in the title of the post, Surrender40 experienced our very first "Trilogy of Love", visiting Robin in prison on Saturday morning, preaching the gospel at Homestead Hospital on Saturday afternoon, and "Feeding the Need" in downtown Miami on Sunday!

PRAISE THE LORD for allowing us to serve His people in all 3 ministry areas in one very BLESSED weekend. It was the most fulfilling and BLESSED weekend we have known as a ministry so far. We handed out a record 101 Bibles, and served 220 more "Love Bags".

But let's take the weekend in order and recap the blessings;

Saturday Morning-Prison Ministry

Off to Homestead Correctional Institute to visit with Robin, who was so excited and happy to see us. She is grateful for the time that Trachena spends writing letters to her and even more BLESSED by the "in person" visits that God has blessed us with. Even though she has served 16 years of her sentence and has 20 more years to go, my wife has offered her love, hope and a lifelong friend that we believe was brought about by the prayers of many righteous people. Special thanks and shout out to Linda from "Letters 4 the Lord", who gave us Robin's name to begin with. You are a blessing to many and God will greatly bless the work you do. THANK YOU!

Saturday Afternoon/Evening-Hospital Ministry

Off to Homestead Hospital where we go from floor to floor as God leads us to minister to the sick. Jesus said that we should visit the people that are sick and suffering, as well as the prisoner, so we are faithful to His Word! We were privileged to be able to meet and pray for two women that were each very different in their own way. The first had her Bible open on her food table, and praise God when I tell you that this Bible was probably older then most of you that are reading this post. She was so happy we were there and blessed us as much as we blessed her. The second lady was more of an intense visit. She is an active cocaine addict that almost blew out her heart smoking crack. When we started to preach to her she broke down and cried, and it appeared that she felt she had lost ALL hope. By the time we had finished she had recommitted her life back to Jesus and I believe that she will reach out to us when she gets out. Praise the Lord!

Sunday-Homeless Ministry

This day belonged to the homeless of Miami, as adults, (Trachena, Steve, Lavell and Mari) and kids (Sara, Jonathon, Joey and Cesar) fed, preached and handed out Bibles to hundreds of people. The kids were in awe as we parked 1 block from the AAA Arena where the Miami Heat were getting ready to play the San Antonio Spurs, and here, just 1,000 yards from the arena, we are feeding homeless people and handing out The Word! SIDE NOTE: The Spurs team bus drove right by us as we were blessing people down the block. Grab your Bible and help us out Tony Parker, you will be BLESSED!

All in all, we cannot tell you what an awesome site it is to see young people in the middle of the street, a busy dirty nasty street, preaching the Gospel and offering LOVE to all who would take it. Just look closely at some of the pictures above.

OK, it's time for you, our family and friends, to step it up and become an active part of our team. PLEASE KNOW that we rely 100% on donations of clothing, socks, and money to keep this ministry going. We are calling on all friends now to stand up and make some noise for the people of Miami, in prisons, hospitals and the homeless. We NEED your help, just $5 will feed 5 people, $100 will feed 100 people, you guys get the idea. Give like someones life depends upon it, because, it does!

We love you and thank you so much and we will use your gifts to glorify God!

In His Love,

The Ministry Team of Surrender40

Pictures speak LOUDER than words

This post will be short and sweet.

Sometimes, pictures speak LOUDER than words, therefore our words will be few.

Praise the Lord, we served 220 meals yesterday; Sunday, October 4, 2009, gave out 40 Bibles, 84 pairs of socks, 4 pairs of shoes, clothes, toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant. Thank you to all the wonderful people that helped with this outreach, it was a sure blessing.

This brings our total meals served: 2,847 and we have handed out 462 Bibles!! Thank you we couldn't have done this without you nor can we continue without you.

If you ever wanted to give to a ministry and know that the funds are truly being used for what is said, sow into our ministry. We really do what we say we are doing.

Please let the pictures speak to your heart and consider helping us with our next outreach on Sunday, October 11, 2009. Little by little we will reach the homeless with God's love.

Thank you friends. Now sit back and take in TRUTH as seen this weekend on some of the most dangerous streets of Miami, FL.

All for Him!!

SURRENDER40 CELEBRATES OUR FIRST INMATE VISIT

Praise the Lord!!!

We are very happy to announce our very first trip to a Florida prison (Saturday, September 26, 2009) to visit with an inmate was not only a huge success, but a TOTAL blessing. We wish we could provide pictures for this post, however, the Florida Department of Corrections will not allow that, and we would protect this young lady's privacy anyway. With that being said, what we can tell you is that God is working in the lives of all the members of Surrender40, as well as in the life of this BLESSED young lady that we ministered to.

As a ministry, we have been writing to prisoners all over the country since June, but this was our very first opportunbity to visit with someone in person. So, lets give you some background of the young lady that we visited. Her name is Robin and she was born in 1963, and has been in prison for 16 years! That is a long time until you realize that she has 20 years left on her 36 year sentence. My beloved wife Trachena and her have developed such a warm and loving relationship in the past few months that it was moved on my wife's heart to visit her in prison. One look into Robin's eyes and you can be sure that God's Holy Spirit dwells within her. She has had a total transformation while locked up and has completely given her life to the Lord. Robin has completed over 300 Bible Studies in the 16 years that she has done and she is currently teaching Spanish women English as a second language. She is well respected in the dorm, as well as by the administration. Not only was Robin a glowing example of God's Mercy and Grace, but she was a living testimony for our 13 year old daughter Sara, who attended the visit with us. There could be no better witness to a teenager then to meet with someone who has committed a violant crime, is paying their debt to society, BUT is debt free in the eyes of our Father in Heaven because she has accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. The ministry team of Surrender40 was deeply touched by the love and joy displayed by Robin in the time that we were there. So much so, in fact, that we cannot wait to go back because we were all so blessed. What an awesome day it was, and we thank you for your love and prayers.

We pray that through your support and prayers, we will be able to continue not only our homeless feeding ministry, but that our Prison Ministry will flourish and grow. Please remember that we rely TOTALLY upon your love, prayers and financial support to survive, grow and minister to the homeless, the lost, the sick and the prisoner.

Please click on the donate button to help support the work of God through Surrender40! May God Richly Bless You All.

"I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE HOMELESS"

Piercing words! Say those words to yourselves, say them twice, say them slowly, and then imagine there was truth behind those words in your life TODAY, because for many, for SO, SO many, THIS IS THEIR TRUTH!!!

These words immediately found their way to the very depths of the heart of my wife Trachena as she stood handing out the clothing and food that God has blessed us with for this Labor Day Outreach. I know my wife well, and I can tell you that these words struck a chord in her that that reaches to the very deepest part of her soul. Because my wife lives, eats and breathes a fiery passion for the homeless, I can tell you that this will register in her heart forever. Sometimes, even in the middle a mission while doing God's work, something is either said, or seen, that has an immediate and very deep impact on the heart of the servant. That is what took place today as a homelsss man began to talk to Trachena and share his heart with her.

There is a moment that takes place, maybe only once or twice during the course of your lifetime that someone does or says something that can have such an impact for both people.

"I never thought I would be homeless"

Understand that these can be LIFE CHANGING moments for some people. I mean both ways, to say it and to hear it. The person that is sleeping on the street, receiving food from two strangers sent by God is suddenly thrust into a moment in time where they have humbled themselves enough to speak the tragic truth that they have "NO HOME". What about the servant (Trachena) that hears those words, and is seeking God's will in her life everyday and asking to be used of God to advance His Kingdom? What affect do those words have. I can tell you that the fire that burns within my wife to serve God, got HOTTER and burned even BRIGHTER after that man said what he said. She told me that she wished she could do what we do EVERY DAY, ALL DAY. That is a heart on fire and makes me so proud to be married to a woman with a heart after God!

My wife and I pray that everyone of you that reads this post and looks at these pictures will have a desire to help. We pray that someday, you will have a desire to give. But most of all we pray that someday, you will SHOW UP, strapped with the Word of God in one hand and a burning desire to see first hand, what a homeless person lives like. We pray that you will come to Miami, help us make hundreds of sandwiches, and then hit the streets with us as we spread the Love of Christ to the very people HE would seek if he were walking the Earth today.

Jesus is alive people, and He lives in those that believe that God gave His only begotten Son to die for our sin. He lives in the hearts and minds of His people.

The Bible says in 2nd Chronicles; "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"

If everyone of us, everyone that is reading this post would donate $10, or a pair of shoes, socks, or some clothing that you will NEVER wear again, every person that has ever been hungry or has a financial need. Every Christian or non Christian that has ever looked at a person on the street and said to themeselves "There but for the Grace of God, go I".

If every one of us would search our hearts and give, then God would BEGIN to heal our hearts, our lives and our land. WHY? Because "IT IS WRITTEN"

"FRIENDS, PARTNERS, BELOVED, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE SURVIVE AND OPERATE ENTIRELY ON DONATIONS AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. LET THE WORDS THAT YOU HAVE READ HERE BE WRITTEN ON THE TABLET OF YOUR HEART AND PURPOSE IN YOUR SPIRIT AND SOUL TO FEED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NEXT TIME WE GO ON A MISSION. WE NEED PEOPLE TO PARTNER WITH US TO "FEED THE NEED" HERE IN MIAMI! PLEASE, WE CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH BLESSING YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM THIS SIMPLE ACT OF GIVING. LOOK AT THE ABOVE PICTURES MANY TIMES, AND ANSWER YOUR HEART" THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL!