You may remember that we purchased a food truck that we named “Taste and See…” based on Psalm 34:8 which says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Our bigger goal with this effort has always been more about going to at risk neighborhoods and engaging new friends in authentic relationships that allow us to share the good news of the gospel and real hope for their family’s challenges.
During one of our grocery distributions at the Boys and Girls Club, a team member named Christi met a young single mother, named Ashely. Ashely had learned that we would be supplying groceries and stopped by the food truck while picking up her daughters after work. Unfortunately, we had just handed out our last bag. Ashely was disappointed because she was counting on the groceries to help her get through December’s demands to feed her family — her and her three daughters. Thankfully, we had more groceries at The Rock, and Christi told her that she could deliver them to her house that evening.
Ashely’s family was so friendly and welcoming when she arrived, and they invited Christi to stay and have a girls night. Everyone had a wonderful time. In fact, Ashely invited Christi to attend the Whoville Christmas celebration in Jonesborough with her children on Saturday, and Christi gladly accepted.
Christi attends The Rock church at Holston Home and naturally invited Ashely and her children to join her the next day. I was filling in for our pastor that morning, and I shared about the story of Lazarus. I recounted how Jesus had called Lazarus out of his grave into more life. I went on to share that the Lord calls unbelievers out of their graves and into new life in Him but that the story doesn’t stop there. He is constantly calling all of us as His disciples to leave the hindrances of this world that seek to entomb us. He calls us to more life, closer life, and abundant life in Him this side of the grave and this side of heaven. After church, Ashely told Christi that the message was for her because she hadn’t been to church since she was a child. Since then, she and her girls have been attending church with us. She told Christi that she and her daughters had not experienced the support of a church and its congregation before. Christi and she are continuing to grow in their relationship and are investing in each other’s lives weekly over lunch.
“I got a great friend out of it (meeting Christi through the food truck ministry) and I’m slowly finding God again,” Ashely said. “I don’t really have friends and I haven’t had a friend like you (Christi) in a long time…”
Ashely had her first baby when she was only 16 years old and never had a chance to learn how to drive. She still has not learned how to drive nine years later, primarily because she has not been able to find two people available at the same time to watch her children and to teach her. She has always wanted to learn to drive and get her driver’s license. As you can imagine the fact that she has not held a license has affected her ability to have a long-term job and has made her daily life more challenging because she has either had to work where she could walk or where she knew someone that she could ride with.
Holston Home is now helping Ashely with driving lessons and childcare, and she will be able to get her driver’s license soon! We also plan to help secure a reliable car for her and her three little girls.
We are honored that the Lord would call her out of her grave and trust her and her beautiful family to be ministered to by an incredible lady like Christi and the Holston Home family. We are thrilled that we can call Ashely our friend and have the privilege to love and help her family.
Thank you for supporting this ministry that is helping children and families grow closer to Jesus. You are making a lasting impact that you may never fully know. Your support gives us the resources to invest in the lives of Ashely and her little girls as well as 300+ kids and families on any given day. I pray blessings for you and your families and I pray that you and I will continue to hear the Savior’s voice and keep experiencing more life with Him — it is absolutely who we were created to be!
In Christ,
