Monday, June 29, 2009

H2 - h0meless Water Outreach Snapshot!!

This past Friday I was able to get a little snapshot created of what it’s like when we hit the streets with cold water. Our cargo van has gone to be with Jesus, so Antioch Missionary Baptist stepped in and helped us get out there. If you are interested in helping out with this amazing outreach opportunity, please contact me! Enjoy!


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Busy Busy Week!!!

We are busy busy this week at the Dorcas House and it's only Tuesday!! There have been a lot of excited kiddos running around the last few days! This week we have 2 extremely fun activities going on! First of all, in the mornings the children ages 5-12 are attending Vacation Bible School at Little Rock's First Baptist Church. This year, the theme is Boomerang Express and the kids have been having a great time experiencing the "Land Down Under" in a unique way! Secondly, our kids and mothers are attending Willow Springs Water Park's Bible Camp in the afternoon and evening times! So, between hearing the VBS songs in the hallways and seeing some tan faces, I know that the children are having a great week so far!!!

I have spent the last 5 summers and the 13 months prior to working at Dorcas House working at a Christian Sports and Lakefront Adventure Camp outside of Austin, Texas called TBarM Camps. One thing that I loved about camp was the fast paced and relational environment! For these 2 reasons, I have really been enjoying my summer so far at the Dorcas House!! I love the constant commotion (most of the times=) here! I love the relationships that I am able to develop with the women and children! I love seeing the children riding their bikes and playing in our little kiddie pool! I know that I am still the "newbie" and have miles of things to learn, but I am very excited about the road ahead!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Affecting Change

I recently celebrated my first year of service with the Union Rescue Mission on June 2. Coming from the world of academia, this has definitely been a year of transition for me. I taught writing at UCA for three years - mostly freshman composition; and I would teach an occasional Technical Writing class, depending on the need.

I prayed every day that I would make a change in a student's life somehow, someway. I was always open and honest about my relationship with the Lord to my students, and I never judged them for sharing different opinions or beliefs. In fact, those students brave enough to trust me to share their own beliefs would usually ignite some of our more passionate, classroom discussions. I miss them from time-to-time - the students and the discussions.

I left UCA because I felt a call on my heart to help people - to share the things that I had learned through trial and error in my walk with the Lord. So I took this ministry position with a tractor trailer full of excitement and a bucket full of apprehension. It would be my first step into "ministry."

My office was this 10' X 10' room with no windows on the second floor of the Dorcas House. I revamped the Mission website and the newsletter, helped organize Feeding the Multitudes, organized volunteers, and took several HUNDRED phone calls between October and November for 600 food box orders. Was this ministry? It couldn't be! Obviously, it's all ministry. It's not how I envisioned ministry, but what I do still affects this Mission. My ministry tools are a computer, some software, the Internet, and a telephone; and what I do with these tools reaches you in your home quarterly, monthly, and maybe even daily.

I still miss a classroom setting and probably always will. I may even return one day. However, my passionate, classroom discussions have now turned into so much more. You see, none of this was ever really about me. It's about them - the men and women we help at the Mission; and it's about Jesus and how he wants to reach them. I am the bridge in this Mission between you and the people we serve. I have the honor of sharing their lives with you, our faithful contributors and donors.

I now understand how God uses our skills and talents to expand His kingdom and to bring Him glory, and it's humbling to know that He chose me for this.

May the Lord anoint you where you are!
Blessings,
Denise Pote
Director of Public Relations

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Our Busy Season

June at the Dorcas house is always one of our busiest seasons. Father's Day is just around the corner. For years we realized that our census has consistently been highest in June but didn't really know why. Then last year with a plethora of domestic violence incidents in the news we got a call the morning after Father's Day. One of our clients who had gone back to her abusive husband was in the emergency room at Baptist Hospital. She was badly beaten from head to foot. I went to pick her up and said, "Honey, can you tell me what happened?" As she sobbed the story poured out of all he husband's disappointment in how his kids neglected him on Father's Day and didn't show him the respect he deserved. By the end of the day he was ready to take his anger and frustration out on someone. Unfortunately, she was the only one there. Later I began to ask the other women who lived in Dorcas House if they had ever had similar experiences on Father's Day. The response was overwhelmingly affirmative. So at this time of year more than any other, there are fathers who should be commended and fathers who should be convicted. But above all, there are mothers and children who need a place where they can be safe. They need someone to tell them and show them that there is a Father who loves them unconditionally and will never let them go!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Is It June Already.....

It's hard to believe that we have just started the month of June, but 2009 is very close to being half over!! Things around the Men's Recovery Center are as busy as ever! Last month we graduated a new class from our 9 month Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Program. This is always a very special time for us and the men who have been with us for 9 months of their life. It's an amazing journey for them as well as for myself & Aaron. Getting to watch everyday the miracles that God works in their lives is an amazing thing. Graduation was held on May 19, 2009 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock. Members from the church provided Corkey's BBQ to all in attendance and it was wonderful!! Thanks again to them for hosting this event for us! This go around we were able to honor four men, who over the last 9 to 10 months have made amazing progress, in not only getting control over their addiction, but renewing their relationships with God. Matt Williams, John Thomas, John Fitzgibbons and TJ Thompson were all presented with their Certificates of Graduation by Aaron. Brandan Thomas gave an amazing message about not following the ways of the world, but always to follow God! TJ Thompson was the graduate selected to give his own personal testimnony. TJ spoke of his past, his brush with death and the fact that he knows that God has more in store for him! The evening was concluded by a prayer over all four graduates and all those people who had a hand in helping them during their time with us, were invited to circle the graduates and lay hands on them as our Executive Director, William Tollett led us in prayer.