Alicia, who lives in one of the Apartment mission sites, shares with us the internal wrestling match of loving the undesirables.  She points to that reality in all our hearts: its easier to love those who are like us than those who make us feel awkward.  Neverthless Jesus calls us to a higher love.

This morning I faced a big question…a very big question. It was one of those moments in which I realized something so powerful, so life-changing, and so obvious, that felt like a complete idiot to have lived this long in life without realizing it. Unfortunately, this happens to me often. Sometimes, I become convinced that I must have known it once, and just forgotten….and forgotten that I forgot. At least, I hope that is what happened. In any case, I know it now. And it causes that question to haunt me...as it should.

I take you through the lessons that God has been teaching me over the last 8 months ( 5 months prior to moving into an Apartment Complex Initiative location and 3 months after having moved in):  continue reading Alicia's story.

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If there is one thing I won’t be lacking this Thanksgiving season, it’s the joy God has given to me in serving Him through the work we do at Barberry Village.

I sit on a hay bale and look over at my fiancé, Matt, with two kids piled on each side of him, a wide grin on all three faces.

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love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind [and]…love your neighbor as yourself. these words are almost cliché amongst christian circles these days, but i didn’t have a clue what they truly meant until i moved into barberry roughly a month ago.

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In February of this year our Bible study group went to the Barberry Apartments to serve lunch and fellowship with the residents there. We met a young man that had recently immigrated and had only been here for three weeks. This meeting has brought forth an incredible relationship with him and his extended family of fourteen who are all refugees, as we were instantly drawn to them and them to us.

Over the past several months we have had some great times together. We have been able to assist them in everyday tasks such as shopping, transportation, learning English, translating at dentist appointments, getting clothing vouchers at Salvation Army, and taking some of them to church. Recently we took them up to Mt Hood to see snow for the first time. It was an amazing experience for them and us. We have also had them over for dinner, taken them to concerts and played dominos. It has been such a blessing to have them in our lives as we learn about their culture and language as we teach them about ours. On one occasion we were able to go to Google maps and see the refugee camp where they lived and actually see their old neighborhood and listen to them talk about their neighbors and friends they left behind.

Most of the family are not Christians and they were afraid that we would be offended because of that, but we assured them that that is not what our friendship is based on and that we love them for who they are. We continue to pray for their salvation and for God's love to be revealed through our actions and love for them.

To share with others just a few snapshots from life at Barberry:

A knock at the door. Four little girls with exotic looking flowers. “For you—a gift.”

Meet new brothers and sisters in surprising places. Be blessed by His providence in just the right moment.

Go to the Lord in prayer, totally unsure of what to do, begging for His will and His wisdom.

Meet a girl who is recovering from an addiction to Heroin. Answer her questions about God. Pray like you’ve never prayed before that she makes it through the night. Trust Him to love her and care for her the way you know you never could.

Go to get your mail. Come back half an hour later, sweaty from playing soccer.

Thank God with a full heart for the...