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WITH JUST ONE INVITATION
Jesus saw a couple of fishermen and invited them to come and follow. He invites the crowd to sit down and have some dinner. Jesus invites Peter, James and John to go camping up on a high mountain where they witnessed the transfiguration. He also invited Himself to have dinner at the house of a short tax collector. Then Jesus invites His disciples to have one last supper with Him. These stories are all told in the Gospels of the Bible. And what do all of these invitations have in common..
....that these people lives were changed forever by one simple invitation
Last December, one of our friends invited a young Single Mother of two boys to be a guest at our Single-Mom Christmas Banquet. Her name is Erika.
Erika is a delightful lady that owns an older home and works full time. At the banquet she innocently asks, "Who is Be the Gift and do you happen to know anyone who could help me with a home repair or two". Our eyes lit up and we said "That is who we are and what we do". Our BTG assessment team met with her and although she has much that needed to be fixed, we saw her greatest need in her bathroom. It was very difficult to not have a tub, but only a shower to use with her two small boys; ages 1 and 4. As with so many moms that we meet, she is a survivor, very humble and did not want to ask for too much even though her primary concern was the safety and welfare of her children. We determined that her greatest need and our first priority would be to purchase and install a bathtub and remodel one of her rooms to give her children more privacy and a better environment to sleep and play. We spent several days in her home and were blessed to have over 14 volunteers help us.
As we got to know Erika, she shared with us that she was recently divorced and unsure of her future and how she could provide for her children and keep her house. Because of that one timely invitation in December and through Be the Gift, she shared that her faith in God was restored as well as her faith and confidence in people. She gained a sense of security, hope and resolve that she can and will make it. Erika received not only much needed help in her home, but received something priceless...Faith, Hope and Love.
For you my friends as you can see, behind every invitation is an adventure, unseen potential and something that can change a life. Jesus extended another invitation that we go into all the world and share and get involved in people lives. We at Be the Gift came away with the knowledge that God has set this Ministry in motion at a time when the need has never been greater. But as you can see, it's more than just repairing a home....
.... it is an avenue that brings who God is into people lives
and to bring who God is in you into the world.
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The Price of a Project----- Priceless
How can we put a price tag on such a valuable transformation in Erika's life and in her home? We 
