It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Uplift Mid-MO has been busy in the last couple of months. As the weather began to get colder, we realized we needed to go somewhere with our excess hygiene items that were left over from the blessing tent events, so several volunteers got together, assembled, and hand-delivered 10 care baskets to local churches. There was still more product left (this donation was kind of like the fishes and loaves and just kept on blessing us over and over). We donated the remaining product to CMCA (Williams Center/Head-Start), the High School Necessities Closet, ACCIS and Networking for Needs. We will continue our Blessing Tent in 2020 during the warmer months.
In November, Uplift members partnered up with the Children’s division and Angel Wings Clothing Closet to host a “Shine a Light on Adoption” event. The event was well received and brought double the crowd from last year. There was music, prayer and fellowship – along with a lot of wind!
We went out on our very first prayer walk in mid-November. We went door-to-door, asking community members what we could do to better assist the community. We gained some important information and truly enjoyed the opportunity to get out in the community and share Jesus. This type of event will become more common as we move forward and will be open to registered volunteers in the future.
The Uplift Board of Directors donated and assembled a complete Thanksgiving meal for a disabled couple, along with some necessity products. It was made with love and received in love! It was a blessing to see the smiles on the faces of the couple that received this donation.
In December, we were able to adopt a family for Christmas. Thanks to the generous donations of Uplift Mid-MO members and partners, we were able to provide gifts to two children and their mother. There were tears flowing as the gifts were received. God willing, this is something that we hope to continue to do in future years. It is something so simple that speaks volumes into the hearts of these families. We see them the way God sees them – as a valued, loved child of God. We would like to extend a special thank you to the volunteers who wrapped and delivered the gifts. This could not have been done without you!
As the weather got colder, we decided to gather up some hats and gloves to give to the children at the Williams Center/Head-Start. Many children don’t come prepared with hats and gloves, so we wanted to make sure each child had a set there to wear in case they forgot to bring some from home. Thanks to our generous volunteers, the need was met almost immediately. We appreciated the quick response and look forward to helping Head-Start more in the future!
As we drew closer to Christmas, God had something special on his agenda. Multiple people that were on the prayer walk had the same desire; to somehow bless a gentleman that we met that day. This man lost his wife recently, and is confined to his home due to health issues. He has no family, and is struggling to make ends meet.
Thanks to Diner 54, as well as donations from Uplift members and business partners, Uplift was able to bless him with a Christmas Eve lunch, fellowship, and a few gifts for he and his caregiver. Little did we know, the grill that we purchased him would be life-changing. His oven is non-functional. God knows our needs, and this is a perfect example of that. We visited with him for a while, talked about Jesus, and left him with a hug. He said to us as we were leaving, “Thank you for making my Christmas.”
None of this would be possible without God paving the way before us. We are so thankful that he is giving us such amazing opportunities to change lives in our community. Thank you to each and every one of you who have contributed, volunteered, prayed and encouraged us as we seek God’s will for Uplift Mid-MO. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Uplift Mid-MO 