FBC Jonesville - What a blessing they are to us!

Back in Jonesville!  We were here two years ago helping with the Bread Crumb ministry and with First Baptist Jonesville's fall festival, so we knew we wanted to make sure to come back by on this trip as well.  They were so much like family, we couldn't wait to visit with them again.  Jonesville and Olla will always have a special place in our hearts. 

We arrived and were immediately welcomed with open arms and a make shift red carpet

.  Oh and did I mention that we get to stay in their parsonage while we are here?!?!  Everything was all set and waiting on us to arrive.  What a relief, I am sure you can imagine after a long ride, to come to a beautiful home to relax and settle in for our month stay.

We quickly settled in and got re-acquainted with everyone, it was like we never left.  They not only show great hospitality, but they are such a blessing to serve with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

For Momma and I's birthday we planned to go to the Balloon Glow, which was on the first night of their balloon races in Natchez along the Mississippi River.  We went over to Vidalia, which is directly across the river from Natchez (minus all the crazy traffic and mobs of people).  We had the best seat in the house, right between the two bridges, absolutely beautiful.  We were blessed to be able to follow Paul, Marie and Anna, their precious daughter.  We also were tagging along with our new friend and sister in Christ, Katrina and her 3 adorable children.  To say the least, Daddy was loving it with all the kids to play with.  Seeing the balloons light up at night was amazing, it was just magical, just wish it would have lasted a little longer.  After the balloon glow they had fireworks, nothing beats fireworks, again, a front row seat because they were shooting them off a barge in the river directly in front of us.  Absolutely beautiful.  It was truly a great birthday celebration night!

They even had a parade for us when we got to town...OK OK OK, so it was really the Homecoming parade, but it was literally out our front door, so yes, we just had to go out and be a part of the community and hang out with the best neighbors ever, Paul, Marie and Anna!!!


While we were in Jonesville we had many opportunities to serve and share.  First off was helping with their fall festival.  With their best estimate, they had over 500 come through.  They decorate car trunks, as most of you know is called Trunk or Treat.  All of the trunks were decorated with Bible stories, they had Noah's ark, Jonah and the whale, the Nativity scene, Daniel and the lions den, women of the Bible, baby Moses in the bull rushes, and Daddy did Jesus feeding the 5000(I think he just wanted to be Jesus for the night :) (hehehe).  They gave out free everything, hot dogs, drinks, cotton candy, and games of every kind for the children.   Momma was at it again with face painting with the children, right up her alley!  It was truly a wonderful night with everyone volunteering and serving their community and again, being the hands and feet of Jesus and sharing the Gospel.  What a blessing this night was to all the families that came and participated.

Another opportunity I had was to share my story with my Sunday school class.  What an honor it is every time that God allows me to share what HE has done in me.  It never gets old, it never ceases to amaze me that He took me from death to life in a split second on the floor of my home, just me and the Lord, the best moment of my life!  I praise Him continually for what He has done and what He continues to do in my life.  Thank you God for the opportunity to serve you, to love you and to KNOW you!

Momma and I were invited to the association wide World Day of Prayer.  Again, what a blessing to meet and pray with some wonderful women.  I just love hearing women pray, there is just something so beautiful about that to me.  We prayed for other women all over the world, and to know that women all over the world all in one day are all praying for the the same countries, really how awesome is that.  We were so excited to also see some of the ladies we met last time we were here, so again, it was great getting to catch up with them and to love on them a bit.  Such a sweet sweet spirit that day, again, thank you God for the opportunity!

One of the great parts of being in Jonesville, is that there is ALWAYS an opportunity to serve.  They have a tremendous mission field right at their doorstep, which is the Bread Crumb.  We were so excited to be able to go back and volunteer with the wonderful people that have for years, kept this place running.  The Breadcrumb is a clothing and food pantry.  One of the days we were there, they gave out over 1500lbs of food.  I love how they give 10lbs per person in each family, so that way, they are able to ensure to give the same amount to each family that comes in.  They give out food on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  While the folks are waiting for their food they also have an opportunity to shop in their thrift store.  God always provides an over abundance of clothing.  As fast as they can get them on the racks, more is being dropped off to put out.  God always makes sure the folks that are in desperate need are taken care of and I loved being able to come along side of Bread Crumb to help and give back to the community while we were there. 

Breadcrumb two years ago is where my heart was broken and torn open wide for the ones that most people overlook, turn away from and usually are forgotten.  As far as I am concerned, we are ALL in such desperate need of a savior and I don't want the amazing folks that are usually forgotten to be forgotten when it comes to Jesus!  Not on my watch, that's for sure!  So, again, we LOVE YOU BREAD CRUMB VOLUNTEERS and will continue to lift you up as you serve faithfully every Tuesday and Thursday!

After sharing my story in our class that Sunday, one of the ladies, Sara, asked if I would come and share at their recovery support group, Transformed by Grace (LOVE THAT NAME).  So we lined it up and WOW, what an amazing night.  God is so awesome at what He does, we just have to get out of His way and let the Holy Spirit roll.  I was so thankful for the opportunity to share.  What a wonderful group, not all the churchy stuff, but the raw reality of addiction, the pains, the hurts and the dreams that, WE all hope for in our lives.  It was so great to be able to share how Jesus, transformed me by His amazing grace.  Met some wonderful people there and am so grateful for the work they are doing because they love people and want to share Jesus, the only one that can truly HEAL us, no matter what the issues are.  

 

FBC Jonesville is one of two relay centers for the East Central Louisiana area for Operation Christmas Child.  WOW - What a wonderful ministry to be a part of.  The countless stories of children having their eyes opened to who God is and surrendering their lives to Him.  Love it!!!  Marie is the area coordinator and heads it up for FBCJ.  What a huge job she has.  While we were there the church packed over 70 boxes at the Packing Party, which all of the children and youth classes on Wednesday night came together and to participate.  It was so cool watching each of the children filling the boxes and the youth packing the boxes for other children.  We loved being a part of that.  They ended up all said and done with over 100 boxes filled and packed.  Collection week was the week we were packing up to leave so we weren't able to help as much as we wanted too, but here is the really cool part....The head big wigs with OCC sent out a challenge to increase the collection by 12% - the night before collection ended FBCJ was about 80 boxes short of reaching the goal - last day - a church comes and drops off 101 boxes...The church wasn't even registered as a church that would be collecting boxes.  Their goal with the 12% increase was 1697 and their final count at the end of the collection week, they not only met their 12% increase goal, but God exceeded it - 1729 being a 14% increase.  So again - another God story of how HE collects His boxes for the children and families that He intends to touch.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21


A part from all of the ministry opportunities in Jonesville, we were able to settle in for a bit and enjoy "family" fellowship with countless members that had us over for dinner, or brought us dinner, or took us out for dinner, oh and we can not forget the donuts...Yes, we were really really really well fed!  We thank you ALL for your wonderful hospitality, ya'll know how to do that very well.  I must say though, God has placed some really amazing people here and I am so thankful to be able to call them friends...Love ya'll!!!

With all of the love and kindness that was shown to us by our "Jonesville Family" it made it hard to say good-bye.  We never like to say good-bye, we want to plan to come back again, but the reality was, we did have to say good-bye for now.  Bitter sweet, kinda like leaving our home church family all over again, the sadness and the missing that we know will happen, but also, knowing God has so much more in store for us to do. 
 

WE LOVE YOU JONESVILLE, AND LORD WILLING WE WILL BE BACK!

To our Jonesville family...
"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Philippians 1:3-5

If you are ever passing through, make sure you stop in for some great southern hospitality but most of all for some wonderful fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

OH, OH, OH and one more thing before we left Jonesville, we were able to go back over with our "Olla Family" and give out Thanksgiving turkeys that were purchased with the money from the fair. It was so cool to see it come around full circle. Thank you God for that...It was so great hearing Brother Randy share the gospel and then to give out 60 or 70 turkeys...How awesome is that?!?!?! They also give out turkeys again at Christmas. What a wonderful gift to those that truly need it.


Until next time....
Kristi
Bob & Carol
RV'n 4 Jesus
Galatians 6:9-10

We have an address through mid-January!!!!

711 North Center Street

San Antonio, TX 78202

 

Surprise birthday party and balloon festival

 FBCJ FALL FESTIVAL

BREADCRUMB MINISTRIES

"FAMILY" FUN AND FOOD

  OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

PASSING OUT TURKEYS IN OLLA

 

 

 

It has been a big past few weeks for these two...

2 birthdays and an anniversary....

Happy Birthday's and Happy 54th Anniversary!

 

Thank you so much for those of you who have donated and or help sponsor our journey across the United States.

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