Love Beyond Borders

This morning (5AM), I woke up to this picture!

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A month ago, we partnered with a 5th grade class to ship shoes to orphans in India… Well, the package arrived yesterday.

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With the help of these young generous givers we were able to provide shoes for 35 shoeless orphans, and 7 adults that care for them from Faith India Ministries. It is amazing knowing that this box of shoes traveled from College Park to India to resource people we may never meet.

Love Beyond Walls is officially overseas…#lovebeyondwalls #lovebeyondborders

Terence

Days 26-27 Love Boxes in College Park!

Last week, we got a chance to partner with Warehouse of Hope, and provide groceries for 30 elderly residents that live in College Park’s Housing Authority community!

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We were amazed at the number of residents who are past retirement age that live in this community who struggle with food resources. We are looking to service 60 families (residents) a month who lack resources and means to purchase food. Why are we doing this? Simple to provide love, hope, and food to people where they are. It was good to pray with, love on, and show people that God is real and does love them.

It was a great experience to see that people who lacked resources get encouraged the through the gift of food!

Love-Boxes

Terence

Days 22-25 Love Pittsburgh

Today, is day 25 in one outfit! I’m literally thinking about so many now, but nothing more that helping the communities, families, and children that God will bring us before. On my 31st, I’ll release a series of videos explaining in depth how this campaign #closetstrike will benefit many schools and students!

One great event we having coming up is a partnership with the Salvation Army & It’s Just A Dream to provide love and hope to those in the Pittsburgh community. Below are the details!

LovePittsburgh-Instagram

Terence

 

Exceeded our goal #projectTHIRST

This weekend, #lovebeyondwalls met and exceeded our water goal for the summer! Schools, individuals, youth, and businesses all chipped in and helped us to meet our goal.

Not only did the contribution this weekend put us over our goal, but it revealed the power of collaboration, and storytelling to accomplish something great for those who we aim to serve.

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Terence

Day 17 – Walking in the shoes!

Today makes 17 DAYS in one outfit! I’m determined to go the distance. This is the greatest sacrifice I’ve ever had to endure. If ever you want to know the pains of people, walk in their shoes instead of judging…

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Terence

Days 15-16 Worth in lack!

On of the things I admire about Jesus is more times than often he had a unique way of seeing the good in people, and even helping them to see worth in their situations even when they couldn’t. A classic example of this is the man who was at the pool of Bethesda for a few decades (read John 5:1-15). This man was lame, had been paralyzed in one geographical location, and limited (hoping to one day be healed one day). Jesus walks up to this man, sees value in this guy, asks him a pivotal question, and tells him that he has power to take up his bed and walk.

Jesus saw enough worth in the man even when the man was hopeless and had nothing! What does this suggest… Well, it suggests a number of things, but one main thing I see in the passage is that “lack does not determine worth.” There are many families in lack, and even more children who go without basic needs like clothes. But, because they are in lack doesn’t mean they do not have worth and value in the eyes of God.

Today, is the 16th DAY that I’ll go wearing one outfit on behalf of students, and children across the country and world that have few resources and little or no closets for #closetstrike. May God use this sacrifice to bless others, and push even more to live incarnationally.

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Terence

Days 12-14 Serving water

This AM was amazing! Why? We went out and passed out tons of water we collected during our #projectTHIRST campaign! This morning we encountered several people who said that they have experienced dehydration before while living on the streets, and were grateful for the water.

While serving, I got a chance to help some people on 14th day of #closetstrike… It was humbling…I’ve been wearing one outfit for 14 DAYS straight, and I still can’t believe it…

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Now, some may say that it is pointless to go out and distribute bottles of water, but I beg to differ… Our goal was to collect tons of water to encounter people who are subject to dehydration, and build relationships with them, learn their stories, and see how we can get them the resources needed to transition off of the streets (while making sure they are hydrated during Summer months).

Well, while serving we encountered this 28 year young man named Lamar! By passing out one bottle of water, it sparked a conversation that ended up with me driving him to Atlanta Crisis Center to check himself in… He told me he hadn’t slept in three days because of the hard drugs he was doing…But for some reason he wanted to try to leave the streets this AM…

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So, was it the water, or was it the conversation that mattered. I believe it was the conversation! I believe it was the relationship, and I believe it was because we chose to go beyond a hand out…

Hand outs do nothing, but hearing stories and building relationships can be used by God to do wonders!

Below is the bottle of water that sparked the conversation. Pray that we reach more people, hydrate more people, and pray that I stay committed to the #closetstrike journey.

Terence

Days 10-11 with #closetstrike

Today is DAY 11 of me wearing one outfit! It has been extremely hard wearing only one outfit. The thought that I have 79 more days to go frightens me. It frightens me because I don’t know if my closet will be restored at the end of my journey, I don’t know if people will be impacted, and I don’t know if it will even matter! Those are my true thoughts at this present moment! But, there are a few thoughts that are greater than those!

I wonder what it would be like to resources low income schools to help students who struggle with “family poverty…”

I wonder what it would be like to see families who will lack this coming school year be encouraged that they have support from their school and organization that cares…

I wonder what it would be like to help children who literally have no closets get a closet and adaquate clothing to survive…

I wonder what it will be like to teach students how to use technology and campaigns to solve societal ills by inviting people to get involved on the ground level…

I wonder how God’s love will inspire those through this sacrifice….

These wonders and my faith is what is driving me right now!

They are the fuel that God is using to push me forward… And guess what???? I’m not stopping until I see people reached for good. Therefore, I solicit your prayers as I continue to walk this road for those who do not have. Pray that #lovebeyondwalls continues to raise awareness, and move people to provide solutions!

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Terence

 

Days 7-9 #closetstrike

This morning makes 9 DAYS in one outfit. That’s 216 hours straight. When I woke up this morning, all I could think about is surviving day to day. As a matter of fact, when you have no other options survival is all you have. Lord, give me the strength to continue this journey to help children who have little in their closets.

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Terence

Days 5&6… #closetstrike

This morning had to have been the rough morning for me! Why? Because for the last six days, I have literally had on the same outfit every single day. I have done everything in it. I have gone to meetings, done work around the office, and have used this one outfit for every single thing. If I can be honest, it hurts knowing I cannot wear anything else …Also, it hurts knowing that I am confined to one outfit for every single event that I will partake in over the next 84 days (I can only imagine how students feel who go through this struggle).

In fact, this morning I visited a school in Douglas County (Chapel Hill High) because a student did a campaign to raise awareness about homelessness and partner with students and teachers on behalf of our organization #lovebeyondwalls. The news paper showed up (Douglasville Sentinel), and I was in the same outfit again. Below is a picture on Kamara (student), Jeff (editor), and myself (same outfit) discussing how students rallied around our efforts to reach the less fortunate.

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Nonetheless, while on this journey I have been humbled, and extremely appreciative of every single thing that I have had the privilege to own.

Being on this journey has shown me how ungrateful we can sometimes be when we have many options at our disposal. I encourage any/every/one to cherish anything God has entrusted them with (no matter if they do not think it is a lot).
Terence