| East St. Louis Dream Center |
May 2009
|
|
Hi friends, family and partners,
God is continually reminding me to focus on His LOVE for me. When I do, His LOVE makes life so much easier. Focusing on God's LOVE for me, instead of the problem or challenge makes those things seem small and makes Him how He actually is.... BIG. Look at His LOVE.
Enjoy the stories below and if you are interested in reading more of what God is doing in this ministry, check out the web site, http://www.eaststlouisdreamcenter.blogspot.com/
In His LOVE,
Rachel Buttig
East St. Louis Dream Center |
|
|
ESL DC Director: Rachel Buttig |
 | |
|
|
RELATIONAL WALLS TORN DOWN |
It's been almost a year since I have started serving hamburgers to the young men here in the neighborhood. Yesterday I was thinking about how a simple plate of food can open the door for many opportunities. On Wednesdays, the actual day that we serve food to the young men, not many spectacular things happen. The guys come to my door, we hand them a plate of food and they leave. But yesterday, I realized how building a relationship with them on Wednesdays has paved the way to be involved in other parts of their lives. This simple act of service and love has torn down walls that couldn't have been torn down through something like a Bible study. If it weren't for God using the food, the opportunities listed below would not have happened;
· I was able to visit one of the young men when he was in drug rehabilitation
· One young man opened up to me about drugs and his troubled childhood.
· A homeless young man needed $5 for a place to sleep, we prayed together for it. Thirty minutes later, I found $5 lying on the grass and was able to give it to him.
· I was able to have a conversation with one of the young men about how he has watched these guys "guard my porch and let me into their inner circle."
· Young men who a year ago were very cold to me and were too scared to come on my porch, now smile at me and walk right up to my door.
· From 2 young men to a total of 44 that have come by on Wednesdays
· Have been able to see deeper into their lives and even see the very dark things they are involved in.
· The young men have become like my brothers. I know that they look out for me and I have seen them defend me.
· I was able to visit a young man in the hospital after he had been shot in the leg by one of his friends. |
| PHYSICAL WALLS TORN DOWN |
|
At 7am this morning, I woke to the sound of walls being torn down... literally. One of the apartment buildings here in John DeShields has been abandoned for about 2 years. It has been a hide out for homeless people and crack addicts. It's an eye sore. One of my passions is for God to use us to rebuild and restore this city to be even more prosperous and more beautiful than it EVER was in the past. And I believe one of the ways He is going to do this is by tearing down or restoring the many old abandoned buildings which stand here in East St. Louis.
About 9 months ago we prayer walked around this building and asked God to tear it down. But, it continued to sit there, month after month and I wondered why. When I prayer walk in the mornings, I would walk by it and just ache in my guts for it to be torn down. About a week ago, a Godly anger rose up in me because it still hadn't been torn down. And right then the Holy Spirit reminded me of when JESUS said in Mark 11:23 that we could speak to our mountain, believe in our heart that what we say will happen and it WILL be removed. This building was definitely a mountain in this neighborhood! So, I walked in front of it and spoke to it, commanding that it had to come down.
This morning I got to watch it get torn down! As I watched, I just sensed that the bulldozer is like God. He is tearing down the walls that have stopped Him from reaching people's hearts in East St. Louis. He is rebuilding His city, on the outside (how it looks) and on the inside (people's hearts). |
| SOWING SEED |
If it's stirring in your heart to sow seed into this ministry, checks can be mailed to the address below and made payable to "ESL DC" or you can click on the "DONATE" button below.
In His LOVE,
Rachel |
East St. Louis Dream Center
1235 McCasland Ave., Apt. 9B
East St. Louis, IL 62201
618.482.2791
esldreamcenter@att.net
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
