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Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and Pastor Lee Harris was thinking about who might need a Box of Love® and an opportunity to hear the gospel. Pastor Lee serves Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church, a partner of Cru® Inner City in Jacksonville, Florida.
One day, while on a walk in the neighborhood, Pastor Lee met Delbert. He learned five people lived in Delbert’s home—two children and three adults. “Would you be interested in receiving some love for Thanksgiving?” Lee asked. Delbert answered “yes.”
When the day came to deliver the Boxes of Love®, Pastor Lee and Tony Johnson, a staff member of Cru, made Delbert’s home their first stop. Delbert’s mother answered the door. Pastor Lee introduced himself and explained that the box included turkey and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. Delbert’s mother was overcome by tears of appreciation. “I was just praying that God would bless us for Thanksgiving!” she revealed.
Pastor Lee met and prayed with the whole family. They all responded to his invitation to worship at Mount Olive and began attending! Delbert and his young sons heard the gospel message. Pastor Lee invited Delbert to an evening discipleship group, which he was eager to join. Soon, Delbert gave his life to Christ, was baptized the first Sunday in December and has been a faithful member of the church ever since.
The transformation didn’t stop there! Delbert had been seeking employment, but past incarceration was a barrier. Pastor Lee connected Delbert to a program which helps young adults establish a career path. Participants are supported by earning their G.E.D., learning to write a résumé, and mastering interview techniques, soft employability skills, and more. Delbert entered this program and got a job!
Prior to coming to faith in Christ, Delbert had been sleeping on a mattress pad on the floor of his apartment with his children’s mother and their two children. Church members gave him a full bedroom set. His fiancée has also come to know the Lord, and joined Mt. Olive’s congregation! She recently moved out until she and Delbert get married. The two are now going through premarital counseling, hoping to be joined under God’s marital blessings!
Delbert’s entire family has been changed, thanks to your generosity. Making Boxes of Love available for our church partners is having an impact on inner-city communities across the country because God’s love is changing lives.
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Kimberly Danneker serves as the Communications Specialist for Cru's inner-city ministry.
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