God Moment at The Lydia Center

Psalm 68:19 (New International Version)
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah”

This beautiful story, experienced at the Lydia Center, is a true demonstration of the freedom, and renewal found in the healing embrace of God. May we be encouraged by the strength and hope that God revealed in this experience!

We went to the river with a bucket of stones. Each stone represented a “failure” that she had been holding on to. She read the list & after each one would throw the stone in the river as in giving it to God. Then after she threw all of her stones she read a letter that was from God to her with truths for each “failure”. It was truly a sacred moment & I can’t tell you how privileged I felt to be a witness of God doing a tremendous healing just with those seemingly small things. She read a scripture from Ephesians 1:4 which talked about how God loved her & “chose her in Christ to be holy without fault in His eyes.” She then played her guitar & sang the song “Lead me to the Cross”. We both just sat there & looked out at the river. It was so heavy with the presence of God that neither of us could or wanted to speak. This was a really a healing time for her since she carried such a weight around with these. God showed her just how big He is & when she has her head up she sees His bigness & not her failures.

Carrie Libonati • Learning Center Instructor

Questions and Realizations Experienced at Wonder Club

Today as I was reading a “Jesus book” to 3-year-old Moses*, he started punching the picture of Jesus. This surprised me, since Moses had just been admiring Jesus and how he had held the children in his arms. I asked him if he was mad at Jesus. He said yes. He said he wanted Jesus to be here. We were looking at the picture of Jesus leaving his friends and going into heaven. Moses then went on to say that he wished “Jesus would come out of the book.” I went on to explain how Jesus can live inside each of us and be with us all the time, even if we can’t see him with our eyes.

Earlier in the day, we had been acting out the story of Noah in the water table. I showed the children a picture of the rainbow and the ark, and told them that God said he’d never cover the whole earth with water again. Moses* kept asking me where God was in the picture, because he wanted to see God.

Pray for Moses and his 4-year-old sister, that Jesus would “come out of the book” for them and that they will know His deep love for them. Pray that they will be able to see the evidence of God all around them.

Thank you, Jesus, for your love for children!
Carmen Garber • Prince Street Teacher

*name has been changed

From My Office Overlooking Prince Street

Being in an office at WSM that overlooks Prince Street has its joys (sunlight) and its “moments”. The “moments” turn out to be the traffic controller who seems to express her life angst though her whistle during the morning and afternoon school times. The car alarm (it’s going off now) that seemingly has a mind of its own and breaks up the background noise of the traffic every 15 minutes or so, again and again ...

In another “moment”, I had the joy (hint of sarcasm) of experiencing a “clapper” who seemed to enjoy clapping while holding a conversation with someone. These conversations could last up to ten (long) minutes. The non-rhythmical clapping sometimes connected with the car alarm and created another level of mixed annoyance.
So what?

As I started to process my irritation, God asked me why I was getting annoyed. The whistle is needed to help make a crossing safer. The alarm is only a device that is way too sensitive (aren’t we all?). Maybe the “clapper” needs to clap, or has an issue or whatever, but really the bigger issue is about me.

How do I really deal with life’s annoyances? What is it in me that gets irritated and why? This gets a little too deep and close to home.

I do not yet have clear answers, but the whistle, car alarm and “Clapper” are all part of someone else’s day too. I am not the center of it all.

Getting annoyed is a choice. Can I make better ones when these things happen next? They do and will happen again. Maybe God can speak though the irritations of our day as well as the joys.
Paul Pearce • VP of Advancement

The National Day of Prayer at Binn’s Park

On Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 The National Day of Prayer Youth Edition was held at Binn’s Park in Lancaster City! The evening was truly a demonstration of God’s hand at work in our city, as hearts were interceding for the needs of our community, nation, and world.

Here Jose Jimenez, the Teen Haven Lancaster Field Director explains more about the evening:

“It was an amazing collaborative event where young and old joined as one in prayer - from countless ministries and churches. Everyone came together, in support of praying for our city, our families, our schools and our civil authorities.

You could hear the echo of worship in our city; such a beautiful unique and united sound. A cry of freedom. Everyone was “Kingdom” minded.

The evening contained many unique demonstrations of prayer! From musical worship, to dance, and even through the paintings of several youth who creatively expressed what God was revealing to them as they prayed.

The National Day of Prayer Youth Edition is only bound to grow and bring more excitement to what God is doing. We are stronger together.”
-Jose Jimenez, Teen Haven Lancaster Field Director

Reflections on the Achievement within one man’s Journey

Matt* came to WSM directly from Lancaster County Prison several years ago with only the clothes on his back. He was only 18, had not finished high school, and did not have an intact family situation to return to from prison. This young man became like a sponge and absorbed the healing water that faith in Christ and a new way of life had to offer him. As his Program Counselor I got the joy of walking with him through realizing that forgiveness was free and a new life was ahead. We shared some difficult seasons as well including the death of his mother.

In just a few months Matt passed all 5 GED tests and completed our Residential Recovery Program in less than one year. He obtained several jobs and commuted to Thaddeus Stevens for several semesters. Surprising himself and others, Matt pulled a decent grade point average. During this time Matt was involved in his local church and maintained a continuous relationship with his mentor. The day came when campus housing was a reality and this young man moved out to a new living situation.

My role as a Program Counselor includes many moments of joy! Matt’s walk with God and others into a new future has been an exhilarating time. He is still in communication with the staff and residents at the Mission and is managing life at school and work quite well. I count it an honor to have the opportunity to walk with men in their individual journeys, and praise the Lord for Matt!

*Name has been changed
Jim Stanton • Program Counselor

Happy Nurses Day!

In case you haven't heard....May 6-May 12, 2010 is Nurses Week!
We are so thankful for all of the nurses who work and volunteer at the WSHS free clinic and around the country for their dedication to free clinics and our patients.

Pray for the nurses here at WSHS and around the nation!
May we have Your healing hands Lord! Touching not only the physical but the whole person as you see them! Meeting them where they are as you showed us so many times when you were here on earth healing the many that came to you!

Luke 6:19“…and the people all tried to touch him (Jesus), because power was coming from him and healing them all.”

Gale Thomason, Executive DirectorWater Street Health Services

New Life Blooms

As I sit in my office watching the blossoms blow off the trees in the prayer garden, I am so thankful for this peaceful place where hurting women can start taking off the layers that have been smothering their souls and be revived with new life.

When Stella* first came she struggled a lot with the program- not caring or sharing with the other women. Through her trials she was motivated to pursue a relationship with her Lord Jesus and he has transformed her life in a beautiful way! Just recently I was driving her to an appointment and she pointed out how pretty the trees were with their blossoms and how green everything was. Before her transformation it would not have been likely for her to point these things out, she was focused on struggle going on inside of her. I shared with Stella the changes I’ve seen in her and we talked about how awesome it is that when we love the Lord and the people around us, it changes our vision- we see things differently.

Lydia Center is not always full of peace but it is so good to know that even through the turbulent times God is working, desiring to bring people to himself and giving new life!
*name has been changed

Joy Gehman • Lydia Center, Case Worker