Hello friends!

I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I am trusting that it will be an amazing year for all of us!

I wanted to update you on the Barrymore Outreach. This is the one that we do at the apartments in South Dallas. Ellen Jenkins, my ministry partner, and I decided to do a Ladies Tea, a time to love on and pamper the ladies, as well as to celebrate Christmas with them. We had recently learned that the management company had been changed, and Laura, the manager who invited me in to do the outreach, had been let go. She was very panicked, becuase it would not only mean the loss of her job, but of her apartment, and all of that at Christmas time. So we went into it wondering if we would be able to continue our outreach there. We prayed with Laura that God would change their minds, and that Laura could stay. The Sojourn Church Ladies Prayer Group provided each woman with a lovely gift, and Ann Heckenlaible came and brought beautiful little arrangements with name tags for each of the ladies. The tables were loaded with goodies, and decorated so lovely ( thanks you Ellen!) and everyone was in high spirits. We served the ladies, not allowing them to serve themselves. I told them the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary. They were touched having never thought of Mary, as a person, nor ever heard the story in that way, possibly not knowing the Christmas story at all. As I challenged them to be like Mary, willing to say to God: "Let it be done to me according to your word", regardless of the cost, many became teary eyed. Ellen then shared the Proverbs 31 scripture, also challenging them to be women of excellence. We then talked about the New Year, wondering what we could believe for. I told them about the scripture in Job 22:28: " You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways." We began to declare and decree things for the New Year and many of them were crying. It was beautiful! Such a time of hope! Declaration went up to give up addictions, to quit cutting, to be free of depression, to be healthy, to be free of poverty, to try to get to see her children etc. One of the ladies told me privately that ever year at Christmas she tries to kill herself. We have been praying against that.

Then an amazing thing happened. We had made a special gift for the manager Laura, to thank her for allowing us to be there. We really wanted to honor her. So when she came in we clapped and cheered, and served her, and presented her with her gift. With tear filled eyes she told us that she had just received news that they were going to keep her on at Barrymore Apartments! God has done a miracle for her, and for us!!

Thank you everyone who prayed, and donated and cared! It was such an amazing time! We can do so much when we all work together!

We are planning in this next year, to expand the ministry to a Bible study, bread and prayer. Pray with us that God will continue to heal these lovely ladies, and bring them to Himself.

Laura, the manager on the left!

Beautiful Caroline on the right

The ladies with Ellen!

The beautiful name cards!

Please pray for the ladies of these apartments! Pray that Laura will be blessed in her work, and that more people will come to rent. (they have an entire building with just a few people in it!)

Also, pray for the men. We are able, by God's grace, to touch their lives too! I will tell you more of their stories next time.

God bless you!!! Barbara

Psalm 65:11: "You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance."