God Makes First Contact Through Furniture

We knew it would be big, because God began providing resources well in advance of the project.  Each year we have a project called the Household Items Giveaway, as a way of welcoming new, incoming international students by helping them furnish their apartments with microwaves, furniture, kitchenware, mattresses, desks, tables chairs, bookshelves and other items.  Students come from all over the world bringing to our city only a couple suitcases of clothing, and then move into unfurnished apartments where they sleep on mats on the floor. 

Our first indication that God was going to greatly expand the project was that He provided a truck.  God enabled us to purchase a 36 year old delivery truck that actually only has about 60K miles on it and runs great!  It has been just exactly what we needed.

The second indicator was that we were given access to a much larger storage space.  A local rescue mission, Cherry Street Mission Ministries partnered with us to provide both volunteer coordination (assigning drivers to students) and use half of the third floor of their storage warehouse.

The third indicator was that individuals, churches and organizations began spontaneously calling us about donating items as early as April.  One warehouse of surplus furniture offered us 100 desks (of which we gave away more than 50), as well as dozens and dozens of tables, chairs and bookshelves.  All throughout the project God flowed in the materials as they were needed (Luke 6:38). 

At one point we were at the surplus warehouse and asked them for more chairs, which we desperately needed, but their supply was low and they were only able to give us more desks.  While my son Andrew and I were in the process of loading the desks, another truck pulled up to a second loading dock and began to unload 30 beautiful chairs!  The lady took one look at the chairs and said, “Oh, these are the older style office chairs with only four legs and casters.  We are not allowed to put these back into service because the new rules dictate that we can only use chairs with five legs or more!  You can have them!”  God arranged a delivery of chairs at the very moment we happened to be there!

It is hard to describe the results of this project.  A year ago we were able to help 33 apartments receive furniture.  This year, God supplied 10 drivers, plus all of the above, and we were able to help at least 75 apartments!  With roughly an average of three students per apartment, which means, God used this giveaway to greet about 225 students arriving in our city from all over the world.  We helped students from India, Iran, China, Jordan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and more.

We love to help students in this immensely practical way simply because Jesus taught us to love  and serve everyone from every nation as our neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).  Most students have no transportation and no way to get furniture.  They are amazed that we not only give them what they need for free, but deliver it as well!

One married student couple from a 95% Muslim country invited me to stay and share tea with them after delivering furniture.  They began to ask many questions about Jesus and the Bible, even though we had never met before.  This couple has since become involved in several other programs for English help that we work with as well.  Doors continue to open.