Monday, March 5, 2012

Beginning New Things

So, there has been this two-month lapse in the blog. During this lapse, we have been turning the M&M Diner into Oaks Cafe & Ministry Center.


God has blessed us incredibly throughout this process. He has given us some amazing volunteers who love to renovate, paint and do pretty much anything else we throw at them. These guys have been awesome. Sample of the past two months: "God, we need an electrician." Next day, an electrician shows up to volunteer.

"Lord, we really could use a foosball table." "Hey! Could you guys use our foosball table we have lying around?"

"Lord, megablocks would be really awesome for these kids." A wonderful woman shows up to make curtains, incidentally with a trunk full of toys and megablocks. And an artist daughter to help us make the space pretty.


Yesterday, we officially opened. Two former Starbucks baristas, a bunch of amazing bakers, several musicians, a token extrovert pulling people in off the street and so many more helped to pull the Cafe together and bring in the folks in the neighborhood. There were foosball death-matches with some of the neighborhood teens and much hot chocolate, cookies, fruits and veggies were consumed. Younger neighborhood kids came and played in the toy corner and had foosball (less-than-death) matches. It was really great to see them all chowing down in between games! Half of Missing Link Street Mission came wandering in to check it out and give us support.


And we had our opening Eucharist, led by Bishop Love.

So many churches were represented there - it was really beautiful, seeing different facets of the body of Christ come together to worship in the little cafe in North Troy. We worshiped, prayed, got the altar (built by the amazing Scotty Gladstone) consecrated, and sang Amazing Grace while processing around the block. It was a great way to start.


It has been quite a process - but God has pulled together an amazing collection of people to make it happen; we are so blessed. This is a hungry neighborhood, physically and spiritually. And now, we continue to pray that God would use this cafe and the ministry there to spread the light and hope of the Gospel into North Central Troy, healing, feeding, delivering, saving.

3 comments:

  1. Words cannot express how thrilled I am to hear the news and see all the photos!! This is the answer to soooo many prayers! Praise the Lord and pass the coffee!!!

    (((hugs)))
    Peg

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  2. May our Lord richly bless this new chapter in your amazing ministry. God bless you both.

    Scotty

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  3. This is amazing, Hannah and Christina!

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