Men's Home
• for the men in the home to come to a full understanding of who they are in the Lord and for them to be set free
Nursery/Friday Night Children's Church
• Christian coloring books
• Christian coloring books
• Christian children's videos and music
• Toys for ages 1-4
Bible studies
• all of the vehicles that are used to pick up kids for Bible studies are in need of repair
• volunteers with a commercial driver's licence are needed to drive buses
Office/Other
• a copy machine is needed
• four new tires are needed for one of the buses
• a truck is needed for use in the lawn service
Thank you for your prayers!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
I asked the Lord to reveal any areas in my life that as the house director I could better serve Him. The Lord responded by convicting me of a lack of positive input with the men at the home. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, and it is very easy for me to point out the areas that need improvement. I was convicted that my negatives outweighed my positives by a long shot. So I have made it my commitment to speak a positive comment before I can speak a negative and to make sure that the positives outnumber the negatives. I am nowhere near perfect in this area, but I found out that by encouraging more, I can change the morale of the home.
Andy, Will, and George are the only men in the home right now. I have been extremely encouraged to see the changes in Will's life. Since Will has moved into the home, he has lost approximately 30 pounds, which is contrary to what happens in most cases with the guys at the home. I can't exclude Andy because in his 10 months, he has lost over 90 pounds, which is outstanding. We are trying to emphasize not only our spiritual well-being but also our physical well-being. We believe that we need to be good stewards with what the Lord has given us. We are attempting to build good living habits that we can continue for the rest of our lives. Incorporated into our daily routine, we are walking 30 minutes, 5 days a week. So far we have been very consistent. In addition to better eating habits, Will has been learning to manage his time and money better. George, on the other hand, came in weighing less than he should; he has put on some weight and is maintaining it. After a minor setback, George has been making strong improvements in his spiritual walk. He has learned that his identity is in Christ and that he has authority over the enemy. This has encouraged him to overcome many of the mental battles that the enemy has waged against him.
We are planning to take the men's home to the Promise Keepers conference in August, which has always been a blessing. We have been provided with the registration fees for the guys, and we will have a car wash to supply the remaining funds for the hotel costs and other expenses.
Please pray for wisdom to run the home as God desires, for discernment as to who needs to be allowed in the home, and that the men would remain steadfast, growing strong in the Lord.
Thank you,
Travis Sawin
Teach older women to be reverent in the way they live . . . then they can teach the younger women to love their husbands and their children .. Titus 2: 3-5.
As a young lady, I remember all the questions I had about God, love, and life. If only someone could have been there that I could look up to, to answer my questions. When the Lord save me and placed a calling on my life, I decided I would be "that someone" for as many as would allow me. I began to disciple and mentor teenage girls. Many years have passed by, and these teens have become godly women with husbands and children.
In a prayer meeting with the S.O.S. staff, J. J. shared a vision he had to disciple 200 young people in the next year! So I took this same challenge to our women's Bible study class (where we have been basing our Bible study on the Titus 2 woman). I challenged them that as godly women, God is providing every one of them the opportunity to be an "older woman" for the teenage girls of this ministry. The term "older women" has nothing to do with age but spiritual maturity of a woman. Because I have full confidence in these women, I know the impact they can have on the younger women. I challenged them to prayerfully consider taking on one girl. They would spend time with this girl, and when they pray for their kids, they would also pray for these girls, invite them into their home (because most of Christianity is not taught; it's caught) and pour into them all that God has taught them, as they live out their everyday life!
These women excitedly took the challenge and began to pray for three weeks for God to show them which girl He was directing them to take on as a disciple/mentor relationship. Erica came to me and said, "I was getting frustrated because I was getting no answer 'til I saw Jackie and the way she acts. She acts just like me as a teen, and as I prayed and talked to my husband, we knew she was the one for me." Ann came and said, "Save Jessica for me because every time I see the anger she has against her mother, I can relate to her, and although my relationship with my mother still needs help, I think I can be challenged to grow as I help her." Tracy said, "I want Nancy. When I read her story, she touched my heart, and I feel like I can help her." And the list went on. Before long, I wasn't getting as many phone calls from the teen, because these women made themselves available to the girls to start calling them instead of me. But I do get calls from the ladies. They call for council as they take on the burdens of these girls. Please pray for God to bless and give wisdom as we disciple the younger women, "so that no one will malign the word of God"! Titus 2:5b
Carmen Sifuentez
We had a wonderful time at the camping trip in Somerville. About 70 people were able to attend. Everyone stayed safe and enjoyed the time "roughing it" at the campgrounds. Thank you for praying.
Upcoming Events
July 26
End Time Church in Bryan at 7:30 p.m.
July 28
Deliverance of God Ministries in Brenham at 3 p.m.
July 31
Brazos Miracle Outreach in Bryan at 7 p.m.
August 7, 21, and 27
Luther Unit Prison in Navasota
August 18
College Heights Assembly of God in Bryan at 10:30 a.m.
August 25
Faith Outreach Christian Center in Navasota at 10 a.m.
August 28
First Baptist Church in Bryan at 6 p.m.
September 18
Bethel Temple Assembly of God in Bryan at 7 p.m.
September 26
First Annual S.O.S. Fundraising Banquet
September 28
Walk A Mile In His Steps fundraiser
September 29
New Destiny Family Worship Center in Houston at 9 a.m.
On May 4, 2002, I graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor of Science in Christian Care and Counseling. In lieu of a senior paper, most of the social science majors were required to volunteer 100 hours of service at an agency in the community by serving as an intern.
Practical Application of Helping Skills I & II was the class that required fulfilling the obligation of an intern. The assignment mandated that I select 10 different people helping agencies and give a brief report on each agency. After the completion of the 10 agencies, I had to choose five from the ten and interview the directors and do a thorough report on each agency. In part II, I was to select from the five and serve as an intern. The five agencies from the list were: Aldersgate UMC, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley, Hope Pregnancy Centers, Planned Parenthood, and S.O.S. Ministries.
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| Pierre Moranza,intern |
My experience went far beyond my expectations. I completed 147 hours instead of the 100 that were required. In fact, I am still volunteering. Just recently, J. J. and I travelled to Bourne, Texas and ministered in a state prison. What an awesome time we had in the Lord. I stayed up all night with him during his annual Bar-B-Q brisket plate sale. I traveled with him as he responded to many ministry crisis calls. One included a journey to pick up a homeless man 100 miles on Christmas night. That trip alone convicted me because of the dedication J. J. has , first of all to the Lord and then to the people he is called to serve.
I was also able to see the necessary work required behind the scenes in order to have a healthy ministry. I learned through my previous ministry that the real heroes are often times the ones that go unnoticed. I worked daily assisting the administrator, Rob McDonald in the office. I did everything from helping him make deposits to picking up J. J.'s two boys from school.
I was also able to see the commitment level of Travis Sawin, the men's home director. Travis actually lives in the same house with at least six other men and is totally responsible for making sure these men attend a 6:OO a.m. Bible study, which he leads, running the lawn service, providing transportation for the men that have jobs, and making sure the house maintains a level of peace that would be pleasing to Jesus. I tip my hat off to you, Travis; U da man!
I was not able to see the girl's and women's home on site, but I was able to see how the women and girls responded to the presence of the Lord during Friday's worship service. I sensed strongly that the Lord had used Carmen significantly in her Bible studies that she led.
I could go on and on and on and on about the good things (or should I say the God things) happening at S.O.S. If I had to sum it up in a sentence or two, I would have to refer to the way the queen of Sheba felt after her short stay with King Solomon. She had heard so many good things about how the Lord was blessing Solomon and his servants that she and her entourage traveled a great distance to listen to Solomon's wisdom and to see for herself. Her conclusion, after she had surveyed the reports and had sat at Solomon's feet to her his wisdom was that the " . . . half had not been told . . ." about how much was actually going on (1 Kings 10:1-13).
Anyone, especially a college student needing a place to serve as an intern, should seriously consider fulfilling that obligation with S.O.S. Ministries. By the way, I received and "A" in both classes. Isn't God AWESOME to allow me to receive credit for a class while serving Him in His Kingdom? What a mighty God we serve.
Pierre Moranza