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Nursing Home Outreach
 The students attending
the Power Evangelism School are sharing God's truth and love to people in many different ways on the outreaches. One of
their favorite outreaches is visiting nursing home residents. We visit and pray with different people and sometimes we just
sit with them and listen as they talk. Some of them do not have family so they just need someone to visit and listen to them.
We were touched when one of the patients asked for prayer not for herself but asked us to pray for the doctors, nurses, and
all who take care of them. She said that she knew that taking care of her and the other patients was hard and how she
appreciated what the staff did for her. In her pain she still had compassion for others. We would like to introduce you to one of our
best friends who is ninety three years old and has outlived her friends and family. She is happy to have visitors and welcomes
us with a big smile. At our last outreach we were able to take stuffed teddy bears to the patients and our friend was so happy
when one of the students handed her a small teddy bear. Her face was lit with the same delight one sees on the face
of a child at Christmas time. She named her bear, Sarah, smiling as she hugged and kissed her new friend. We were so thankful
to be able to share God's love to her in the shape of a small stuffed animal and when the visit is over, her teddy bear,
Sarah, is there to keep her company so she doesn't have to feel alone. One of our instructors noticed some of the
residents clothes were torn so the students got together and started bringing clothes to every outreach. As they prayed
for each patient they also looked to see if they had any practical needs. The students have been dedicated in their
search to find different ways to share God's love. Sometimes it was simply offering to write a letter for them as
some of them were not able to write because of damage from a stroke. Most of the residents at the nursing home are elderly, but there are younger patients,
some in their thirties, who have had strokes and other debilitating injuries that leave them unable to physically take care
for themselves. Sometimes when we visit they ask "If God loves me like you say, then why did He let this
happen to me," and we have to admit that we don't know. There are times I've asked this same question, God, why
do they have to suffer like this? Then I seem to hear in my spirit, I didn't tell you that you would have all the answers,
and that it would always be easy. I asked you to go share the truth of my love and mercy with the lost, the lonely and
the hurting. Having personally received God's love and salvation through Jesus Christ I'm grateful to be a small
part of sharing His love, truth and salvation to others.For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish,
but have everlasting life. John 3:16 K.J.V.
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