The Grocery Store

Hey everyone. The most amazing thing happened last night that I had to share. You have all heard me talk about a dear friend of mine. She attended one of Asbury campues on Easter Sunday. She was pretty uncomfortable in church and she said on the way there that she wasn't really a church person, but she came because I asked her too.

She is on the WIC program and went to Dillon's last night to get milk, etc. There was a problem with her WIC, they didn't have the kind of milk she was supposed to get and the Dillon's she went to last night wouldn't substitute a comparable brand. Apparently she even talked to the manager and they were nasty to her and made her feel horrible, she was crying in the store. About that time a gentleman went to her and told her that she didn't look like she ate enough and if she had to fight the grocery store to get what she needed then he was going to pay for it. He handed her $20 and told her his church, Asbury, was doing something called "pay-it-forward". By-the-time she got home she was crying for a much better reason. She told her mom that she was just at that church on Sunday. What an awesome way to minister to someone.

We Can

I received the Pay It Forward envelope and spent considerable time trying to determine where I could make a difference in someone's life. One of my favorite passages is "feed my sheep". A business downtown sees many homeless people every day as they pass by and linger if the sun is shining to warm themselves. This business let me place a "We Can" box in their reception area and food donations have been made on a regular basis. A particular homeless person is known to the business. I went to McDonald's and got three $5.00 meal cards and placed an Asbury business card in the envelop with the card. The person who gave the cards, one at a time, told Darrell; "God and the people of Asbury Church love you".

I have also told Pastor Francis Rathbun of Bethany United Methodist Church about "Pay It Forward". Bethany started it's own "Pay It Forward" this spring. The members were excited about doing something to show God's love in a tangible way. I plan to keep showing other churches the "Pay It Forward" model we use, my goal would be for churches all over Wichita to have their own "Pay It Forward" campaigns going.

I continue the P.I.F. by getting a couple meal cards every month and handing them to those individuals where I see a need.

Blessings, Kathy Adkins

Laid Off

I prayed repeatedly asking God what He wanted us to do with His "Pay It Forward" money. I kept waiting, trying to listen well, but did not feel His leading. The deadline of March 20th came and went and I still did not know. Then on March 24th I learned that three siblings in the elementary school where I work, were going to have to move again. They did not have much and I knew it would be hard. Dad had been laid off and as a result needed to move their family out-of-state to move into the basement of his parents house.

Immediately I knew without a doubt that this was where the money was to go. I arranged for an envelope to be started in the office so others who would like to could contribute also. When the time came and I handed the envelope of money from the school to the parents, a look of total shock came over their faces as their hearts were touched. They were very appreciative, as they had little. The money by the way, more than quadrupled! As much as I knew it was a blessing to them, I was blessed more!

Darlene Rosales

Anthony Family Shelter

The law firm where my sister works sponsors a family in need each Christmas season. They have worked in the past with Anthony Family Shelter, which is a part of Catholic Charities. With the current economic situation, we decided that the money we received could best be utilized by helping this cause in some way.

Initially we thought about assisting with unpaid utility bills. Through a contact with Anthony Family Shelter, my sister was told that those bills, especially past due ones could run in the thousands of dollars. She suggested that we consider purchasing bibles, especially men's and children's since the shelter already has a source that provides bibles for women. She further recommended that they have a library for families who reside there on a transitional basis until they are able to reestablish their own residences.

I contacted the Asbury Church office to determine if they had a source for purchasing Christian reading material. I was given a website where the church orders their own reading material. I went online and purchased $400 worth of reading material and videos for their library, primarily for children, teens and men. My sister and I printed on colored paper "Compliments of Asbury Church PAY IT FORWARD" and affixed one of these labels to each of the 45 items we purchased. Although we don't have the instant gratification of helping individuals on the spot by random act(s) of kindness, we are optimistic that this gift will inspire many in their Christian walk.

Linda Kreiser and Mary Turner

The Family On The Block

Hello! My name is Autumn Weaver and I have been attending Asbury Church for little under a year now. When I heard the sermon on “Paying it Forward”, I became very excited. So when it was finally time to receive our packets I went up with much eager anticipation. My packet had $15 in it and I began to think and pray about what I was going to do with this money. A family in my neighborhood that I don't know much about was suddenly put on my heart. I see them occasionally and pray for them often. As far as I know they have three or four kids and to my understanding they both work as waiters at a restaurant. Before handing over the $15 I decided to ask my bible study group and my roommates if they wanted to contribute to this “pay it forward” experience. The Lord blessed the gift and added a zero to the number. Now I had $150 to give to this family! This was very exciting to me because as a college student, this was way more than I could ever give alone! I then decided to write them a note explaining the love that Jesus Christ has for them. Once it was all ready I slipped the blessing into their mailbox. I decided to do it this way because I didn’t want them to reject this gift, I felt as if this was the best way to present it. Even though I don’t know the out come or get to see their reaction, I pray that it hit home and struck up an interest in their hearts to get to know their Lord and Savior, the one that truly paid it all forward! Love You Asbury, - Autumn Weaver