Nehemiah 2:17, “Let us rebuild…!”
This phase and the story of Nehemiah rebuilding is what motivated us to start My Jerusalem in our community with a handful of obedient people. And it continues to motivate many in our community to “rebuild and restore” to this day. It’s hard to believe all that God has done over the past 10 years! We have seen physical homes repaired and we have witnessed relationships developed and lives restored to a right relationship with God. We have seen the body of Christ united in our community to selflessly serve and help one another. Through the hundreds of home repair projects completed over the last decade, people from all walks of life have (and continue to) come together all across our community for one purpose. That purpose is a person. Jesus!
(Looking for the My Jerusalem Signup Page? Click here!)
Over and over again, we have found that the act of serving actually helps strengthen our faith as Christians, helps to reveal sin and blind spots in our lives, and can cause our relationship with Jesus to grow deeper as we also cultivate relationships with one another. We are able to recount several stories where an individual developed a lifelong friendship with someone they initially came to serve just for a day. As an example, one of our compassion team members, Ms. Linda spent a day with Ms. Josie, whose house was being repaired, and the two became friends. That friendship lasted all the way until the day they both held hands as Ms. Josie passed on into eternity! They both said they were better because of their relationship, and we know they will be reunited one day in Heaven with our Lord.
Another memorable moment was when we were asked to work on Ms. Mary’s home. Her home had many repairs completed on it to make her family safe and secure, but more importantly we developed a relationship with Ms. Mary and her grandsons that will last for eternity. After going back over and over to repair the home relationships were formed and strengthened to the point that we became like family. Almost 10 years later Ms. Mary’s grandson prayed to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior! Today, there are Bible studies going on in our community that were birthed from this relationship. There are many (including myself) that would say our lives are better because we said, “Yes,” to serve and be used by God to rebuild the broken and restore people!
God has taught us a lot over the past 10 years. We have learned that when a large group of people come together to give a little bit of time, the result can have a significant impact in our community. It’s not always about the amount of time spent but the quality of time and consistency over the long haul. This is why we are not only serving during My Jerusalem, but we take time to build relationships afterwards that last a lifetime and give God glory. We thank God for everyone He has called to share the love of Jesus in practical ways with us.
Be a part of rebuilding the broken walls in our community. My Jerusalem will be September 23.
Sign up now! Everyone can serve!
Join in as we celebrate 10 years of serving together! “Let’s Rebuild!”