If you are keeping up you’ve already met Colleen and Don. Both live in the San Antonio Metro area but about 40 miles apart. Both are in churches located in small towns but surrounded by the urban sprawl of America’s 7th largest city.
Colleen and Don are champions of two new military ministries – Colleen in Angels All Around You Military Ministry in Boerne, Texas – Don in Military Ministry of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Selma, Texas. In both stories we’ve seen how God called key individuals and equipped them at the Bridges to Healing Seminar.
Now meet Marina, a military wife, an Italian married to an Air Force pilot, moving to the states from Korea, mother of an almost 3yr old, and expecting a baby in August. Marina arrived here in San Antonio about two months before her husband, due to her advanced pregnancy.
Marina’s first task was to buy a car and a house. Simple! Alone in a strange city with a small child in tow, it sounds overwhelming.
At the car dealership Marina met salesperson, Theresa, who happens to be part of a new military ministry. As a military mom, Theresa quickly recognized the challenges Marina was facing and connected her with Colleen and Angels All Around You Military Ministry. Theresa still has no idea what possessed her to seek a career selling cars. She worked there only one month, just long enough to meet Marina!
Soon Colleen learned that Marina needed a place for her two cats to stay temporarily. Colleen’s sister was happy to take care of the cats, and through this simple act of compassion, Colleen established a relationship with Marina. Over the next few weeks Colleen and the ministry continued to reach out to Marina, inviting her to dinner, and including her in their big event, the Boerne’s Berges Fest Parade.
On parade day Marina came, and despite the Texas heat, hung out all day, even staying after the parade to help at the ministry booth in the park. Colleen says Marina cried all day because of all the love shown to her.
The next day, on Sunday, Marina decided to attend church on her side of town . As it turns out it was Don’s church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Selma, TX. It was the same day the church announced the formation of their new Military Ministry. Marina was so excited that she ran down front to sign up as a volunteer!
Imagine our excitement at hearing this story. You see, Colleen and Don did not know one another, nor did either know about each other’s church or the new ministries each had founded. Only God knew the details, the hearts of compassion he created, and the churches he strategically placed and divinely prepared at both ends of the net he is casting across our city.
Mom! This story is so amazing! :-D
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