Spreading JESUS through stitches!

A few years back Pastor Nick Paff told Karen and I a story about how the grandmothers in the Soviet Union would pray for the pregnant mothers in their communities, in secret.
Karen and I were so touched by the story that we started thinking we should pray too, for the pregnant mothers out in the streets of our community, in the open...
and one thing led to another and we had our very first of what would become, several 'street baby showers' across the city . Esther, Gloria, Karen and I went to the street not expecting too much but hoping that JESUS would be preached and prayers would be shared.
We made cupcakes, gathered baby items, went to yard sales and took everything into the most dangerous part of our city.
Karen preached that day like I had never seen to a crowd that was over a hundred, straight from the bible, bold and as we say, she didn't 'bear dog it' but preached it...
Esther translated with boldness and sincerity everything we said in English to Spanish, and added what the Lord put on her heart,,,
and Gloria spoke from her heart in Spanish with a grandmother's love, urging the mothers to pray for their kids because time is short.
I don't know if I was more blessed by being alongside such mighty women in the Lord, or by the families who came and listened so attentively... but it was definitely a day I will never forget...
the Spirit of the Lord came upon that place, that place known notoriously for murder and gangs and on that day, souls were saved, tears were shed and testimonies shared.
Shaynee was there to pray for our team as we preached and Suzy, Maddie, Cece too, and something rose up inside of me and unplanned, i opened my mouth to share a very personal testimony about how the LORD saved me and my unborn son, Anthony, many years ago.
We later laid hands on many pregnant mothers and I did on a fifteen year old pregnant girl, not knowing her name, or her story, and I prayed and prayed and prayed alongside my sisters for her salvation and protection for her unborn baby.

Jump two years forward.
I put a call out about ten days ago for anyone to donate $5 or sew a baby blanket for our outreach to New Orleans.
I used this blog, email and facebook, not expecting too much but that it would be a testimony to others of the LORD's faithfulness.
We are heading to the most dangerous part of the city of New Orleans a few days from now
To the forgotten, lost, lonely, hurting and hungry and pregnant mothers.
Karen and I again, got a prompt from the Lord to 'not bear dog it' and pray for the unborn babies and mothers there, not in secret, but out in the open of the projects.
This post is to testify to how God has worked since I sent that email out, just ten days ago.
But not quite yet.

Jump back several months ago, I think it was before Thanksgiving.
Out on the street in Quail Run outreach Bernadette asked me if there was a place for a homeless, pregnant mother to live.
I didn't know of a place but was devastated by the few facts I knew...
That there was a pregnant, homeless mother without a name... AGAIN....
Our county is full of money.
It's the 'wine country.'
There are millions of dollars raised for charities throughout the wine country and animal shelters, etc.
If there was a pregnant, homeless, nameless dog, our community would open its doors and wallets to provide...
Yet, where? Where do we turn for a mother?
I remember pouring my heart out to the LORD for this mother and with Karen, petitioning God for her soul and that HE would meet every need.
Karen had preached, "call upon the Lord in your day of trouble..." so we did.
I also remembering feeling devastated by it.
So much work.
So many homeless, lonely, pregnant, young, hungry, lost.
So many needs.
So few laborers.
But God was working.

Jump to last Monday.
A friend, Ginnie told me she got the email forwarded to her by a friend about the baby blankets and invited me to her home to sew some baby blankets for New Orleans.
Karen and I went with Erika and our fabric to sew.
I met her new 'roommate....'
Yes, she had opened her home to the very young mother who Karen and I prayed for last fall, Chante.
We had church in Ginnie's home that night, praising God, petitioning God, pouring our hearts out to one another and sharing the love from Christ.
She had a testimony and gave all glory to God for our prayers and for her new home.
Miracle.

Jump to today.
The young lady I laid hands on at our very first baby shower is my new daughter Erika, who lives with us and her baby, Anthony.
She has found Christ and is relentless in sharing her testimony across the city.
She bonded with Chante at Ginnie's and together, they are ready to preach and share JESUS with other mothers.

Jump to this upcoming Saturday in Iberville....
The blankets have arrived through many hands and hearts stitching so that Karen, Maddie, Cece, Gloria, Suzy and I together with 200 other RAVEN members may share JESUS in our baby shower to the streets
with the mommies and children of Iberville in New Orleans.
Nancy, Megan, Savannah, Ginnie, Karen, Dot and I have together sewn 33 blankets.
Suzy has been gathering baby hats.
They have arrived on my doorstep, in the mail, and in my living room from as far away as Los Angeles.
Naomi came and laid hands upon them today and prayed over them before I get to packing them up.
The scripture she prayed was the same one Pastor Rudy has been preaching from Ephesians.

Do I believe in miracles?
yes.

As we go4GOD to New Orleans, may the LORD use them to cover these tiny babies and children and break the bonds of wickedness, hunger, poverty, addiction, suffering in their lives, that they may find hope in Christ and be led to repentance and forgiveness of sins, and may the LORD be exalted.

May these stitches be used to spread the love of JESUS and may we not bear dog it, but remain steadfast in our witness of Christ in the gulf coast.
Thank you all for answering the call!