HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Isaiah's turns 15 on March 10th! Well, officially we’re 15 but we have been loving our neighbors in and around Tulsa for the last 21 years. We’re going to gather in Isaiah’s later this month for An Evening of Gratitude, yep to say thank you to those who have been loving on Isaiah’s for a long long time. It’s way overdue.

March is also national Social Work month. Thank you to all our Social Work partners who are on the front lines every day!

I’ve been praying about how to say thank you at our event, so I’ve been reminiscing and going through LOTS of photographs, thank you cards and notes, even gifts. My heart is overflowing with thankfulness! So many memories of so many of our neighbors that God has brought into my life and the life of Isaiah’s.

Hope!

Cards full of stories tell of the Hope and change brought into others lives.

In honor of our birthday and national Social Work month, I’m going to share some of the stories I’ve rediscovered with you. I believe it’s important to remind us we are made for each other. That we are made in God’s image to be loving, kind, empathetic, compassionate people. Some of us have forgotten this.

I’d also like to ask if Isaiah’s has blessed you in any way, paid a bill, listened, helped you celebrate a birthday, gave you a ride, provided Thanksgiving food or Christmas gifts, will you remind us?

You can text us at 918-260-1933, leave a message at 918-289-0218, send an email to i58ihs@gmail.com. Please share!

We can do more. We can do better. Together.

LOVE GOES

Deni Fholer

What does a Tuesday afternoon look like to you?

We usually meet on Tuesday afternoons. He texted me this past wintry Tuesday and asked what I was doing. “I’m headed out to make sure none of my guys are walking in their usual stomping grounds, we’re checking on our old folks and in-between we’re paying rent and electricity to be sure our neighbors don’t get booted out in the cold. Wanna join me?”

He did.

We delivered water to one of our elders, not that she needed it but because she wanted to see our faces. We hugged her neck and prayed for her. One of our partners put a couple in a motel but the motel wouldn’t take their 5-week-old puppies too, so we picked up the puppies and our dog whisperer, Craig is fostering them at Isaiah’s. Oh, did I mention there are 7 of them!

We went by One Hope Tulsa that is open to our folks on the streets, while AWH4T partners take shifts to feed, love on, and support them. We were asked to transport a couple of guys to an apartment. A friend of theirs offered them a safe place to stay for the duration of the freezing temps.

As we drove, we chatted. They are worried because they’ve been on the housing waiting list for a long time and they wonder if they’ll ever have a place to call home. I gave them my card and offered Isaiah’s to be a resource for them. I asked if we could pray for them, and they said yes. When I helped one of them out of the truck, he told me he has cancer and asked to hug me. We did and our hug lingered. He told me he may be meeting Jesus sooner than he expected. He patted my shoulder and smiled.

Isaiah 58, In His service

…has been loving on our neighbors for the last 15 years. The man who joined me is a member at my church. He’s been willing to help with whatever is needed at the moment it’s needed because he’s made himself available on Tuesday afternoons. He got out of the pew and came out to where the need is.

He asks lots of questions and he’s not just asking me, he’s talking with our neighbors who are struggling so he can better understand the need and help in the best way possible. Is he out of his comfort zone? You bet. Is he overwhelmed by the number of needs and the complexity of the struggle? Absolutely. Does he keep coming back? Yes! And the cool thing is he’s sharing with his life group and asking more people to come with him.

Diana and other “ex-pew sitters” cook breakfast and lunch on Saturdays and Pastor Barry shares how Jesus loved on His neighbors when He walked this earth and reminds us to do the same. We pray for our neighbors and each other. Some of our partners share a meal with us on Saturday so we can provide resources and hope.

We’d love for you to join us on Saturday’s and any other day of the week.

We can do more. We can do better. Together.

LOVE GOES

Isaiah 58, In His service

Valentine’s Day!

Isaiah’s family was invited by International Gospel Center’s family to join them for a spaghetti dinner and a movie!!

We dined on homemade spaghetti and got to vote on our favorite sauce! We all ate too much as we had to go back more than once to be sure we chose the BEST sauce! We played a trivia game and gifts were presented to those who answered the questions correctly! Thankful for the brainiacs who sat close by!

Thank You to

International Gospel Center’s family

We waddled into the sanctuary with popcorn to watch The Forge! It brought home the importance of relationships and the need for men to step up and step into the lives of our youth!

Patty Ehmann, Diane Bale and Chyanna Mull-Anthony and Bishop Osborn thank you so much for the invitation and the perfect evening of fun and fellowship! Thank you too to all the chefs and chefesses who cooked the delicious sauces!!

We can do more. We can do better. Together.

LOVE GOES

Isaiah 58, In His service

International Gospel Center - Tulsa, OK