Our project for Compassion in Action, was to go yard saling for specific items needed by refugees that are sponsored by World Relief. We were given $60 and a list of items like vacuum cleaners, radios, cd players, stock pots, etc. to purchase.

At our second stop, we walked up the driveway, and the owner of the home saw our shirts, and asked us what group we were with. We told her we were from 12Stone Church and what our mission was. As soon as she heard we were from 12Stone Church, she said, "Let me tell you what 12Stone Church did!" I thought, "Oh no, this could be good or it could be bad." She started looking for something and pulled out a picture of some people with cerebral palsy. She proceeded to tell us how these people needed carpet and during the 12Days 12Ways campaign some 12Stone people came along side them and purchased the carpet they needed. She was so excited, and so were we. After she told us the story, she told us to take whatever we needed from her yard sale.

It was amazing for us to see how almost two years ago, God used people from 12Stone® to help this family out, and now that same family is helping someone else out. In the process, we were blessed to be able to see how God used people before us to prepare the way for us as we were in search of items for the refugees. We got to see how one of act of kindness lead to another act of kindness.

Overall most people were really understanding that we were representing the love of God. However, there were some who at first were skeptical that we were giving away free water without a "catch". Some of the testimonies to come out of our group were:

• While handing out water at Kohl's one group ran out. A woman approached her and gave her $10 to buy more water to pass out "for her". She then went on to say that she wished that her church did more things like that.
• Another group of ladies were handing out water at a QT.. They were able to pass out water to lots of people and even met a woman who had just moved here and was looking for a church for her and her family. They also had someone give them a $1 for the water!
• Mike & Randy were at home depot and they had the opportunity to invite a couple to service as well.

This is from a Starbucks employee that attends 12Stone.

A woman came through the drive thru and I was teasing her that she only got a drink and nothing to eat. She said that she had had her treat for the day. She went on to tell me that she was walking the Park today and there were people from 12Stone handing out waters and brownies. She asked what they were doing it for and they told her they were there just to get out into the community to say "Hi" and make someone's day special. She went on to say how incredible it was that a Church did something like that.

I went on to tell her about some of the other community service projects that were underway that day. She was amazed and astounded. I welcomed her to the Church as she told me that she had driven by several times but didn't know what 12Stone was all about. She said she would possibly stop by one Sunday!

A group went to inner city Atlanta to clean up a neighborhood. Not only did they collect approximately 300 bags of trash, but they also hauled away over 1000 old tires. Here's a response from one of the residents that was impacted:

"All the trash across the street was cleaned up by folks that don't even live in our neighborhood. That's love. Thank you!!"

I created several "teams" and via email, requested that everyone choose a "team" and let me know if they could contribute $, water, tools etc...There were four teams...1. Shed Team 2. Green Team 3. Prayer Walk team 4. Server of the Servers Team. There was one young lady that had contacted me after I sent out the first email and had let me know that she would be glad to serve on any of the "teams"...I had left her as a floater until I saw what the needs were for the group.

She contacted me again on Friday night and I gave her a couple of options- she showed up Saturday ready to go on the prayer walk with me...Once we were there and I had everyone busy, Debbie and I started the prayer walk...her first question to me- "no one else signed up for this?" I said no, but that I still wanted to go through with it, if she was ok with just the two of us participating. I had scripture references for the staff and for the children and told her I would do the praying if she would read the scripture for me...she agreed and off we went!

I closed the prayer and Debbie turned to me and asked if she could say a prayer- I apologized and said that of course she could! At that point she began to fight back the tears (which meant I too was fighting back tears-and I didn't even know why yet!) and she told me (after a couple of minutes) that she had not wanted this to be about her! But that she had lived in a shelter in her youth and that this opportunity to not just do lawn work but to actually lift up the youth in prayer had been very meaningful for her! It was so sweet! I just loved that God worked it out that the two of us we alone-I just don't think she would have shared had there been anyone else with us!

This morning and getting the families there was not as easy as I would have hoped. For those of you who didn't know, the keys were locked in the van that I was going to bring them in. The only person with a set of keys lives in Douglasville. She hit construction on the way here. We devised an alternative plan and everyone was still able to have a great day today. When we got ready to leave, they wanted to stay!!

Because we were late in arriving, our server was not as busy as she might have been. One of our volunteers, Cyndi, was given an opportunity to speak with her about Christ. When Cyndi asked if she was a Christian, she said no but would like to be. They made plans to meet in the next few days to discuss Jesus more in depth and how she can become a Christian. God worked it out . Today were we able to help some homeless families to have a day of fun and forget about their situation for a few hours. God was able to put us in the right place at the right time so that we could reach one of His lost children. Everything happens for a reason.

On Saturday morning Marlene a volunteer from the COOP said she saw 2 of the first people that came to the cookout and if they were the only ones that came; it would be a success. She knew that because they came to the cookout they would have food to eat that day at the cookout and they would not be hungry. Those were some of the stories we continued to hear that day, the cookout was the only food some of the clients would have that day to eat and they were so thankful and appreciative.

There was a family that volunteered to help at the cookout and the 12 year old daughter asked if she could have some chalk, which we gave her. She drew a circle of squares for a cake walk. She made numbers that would be pulled for the winners of the cake walk, she found a radio to play music and we gave away the brownies we received from the worship service at 12Stone on Saturday morning. The clients were so excited to win something and take it home; how awesome for a preteen to think of the joy and excitement she gave to those clients.

A team of high school students dispersed throughout local neighborhoods to knock on doors in an effort to collect food for the local food pantries. They knocked on this particular door, only to find a lady who had recently lost her job and had no food to give. Without hesitation the teens in this team handed over to the lady an entire box of food. With tears in her eyes she expressed her gratitude. Thru CIA God reached out to this lady and supplied her with a generous amount of food.

Lisa was giving free haircuts to those who stopped by to enjoy lunch and games. There was a 13 year old girl who had not taken very good care of her hair; it was long (about ½ way down her back), but not maintained well. The girls’ aunt insisted that Lisa cut it short, and hearing this, the girl was very upset, but also realizing she didn’t have much say in the matter; obeyed. When Lisa was finished with the cut, the young girl was so devastated, despite the fact that she looked so much better. She was so emotional that she put her head down and could not look at herself in the mirror; she was sad, tears were in her eyes.

With this, Lisa told her that she would take the hair she just cut and send it to an organization called “Locks of Love” that takes hair to make wigs for children with cancer. She told the girl that God would bless her for this gift, and this so inspired the young girl that she immediately changed her demeanor and was no longer sad about the haircut. She told us that she would take better care of her hair, and cut it again to give her hair away to children who had none.

Recently I participated in CIA weekend and I used my gifts God gave me to make a prayer quilt. Together we sewed the quilts, then took them home and were told to pray that God would send us someone to give the quilts to. On Tuesday October 6th at about 3pm the father of my brother's best friend passed away leaving a wife, three adult children, and 4 grandchildren. He had a sudden massive heart attack. His name is John. I am going tomorrow to give my quilt to his wife Lori. My brother just returned to his faith after a bout with alcohol earlier this year and has been very active in 12stone.

This family has been long time friends of my entire family. I have a few Water's Edge small groups praying over the quilt and the family, and I would like to ask for the prayer team to say a special prayer. This family has strayed in their beliefs, and if anything can come out of their father's death I hope they will get back into church. I want them to know that 12stone is lifting them up in prayer and is thinking about them in their time of need.