The Reason

Thank Lenny & Nancy for your kind gift in the name of your children: Russell, Leanne & Steve, Robyn & Doug, Andrew & Elena, Raegan & Marc, and Ranelle & Kurt. You gift will enable lives to be transformed In the Name of Christ!

We wish you all a very merry Christ-mas.

Year-end

It is a blessing to look back at how God has used us and provided for this ministry in ways we could not have possibly predicted a year ago when we were pulling together our budget! So we're very thankful. I'm writing to ask that you consider sending a year-end donation to Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) to help us end the year fully funded and to help us start out the New Year well. If you would ever like a copy of our budget to see how our money is spent, we'd be happy to make it available to you. And all your gifts are tax-deductible. So if you're looking for a write-off for this year's taxes, there's just a couple more weeks that you can do so.

You can send your gifts to Love INC, PO Box 724, Los Fresnos, TX 78566 and we'll send you a return envelope with each gift. And don't forget Goodsearch.com. This year, we received our annual check from them that came to $162.41. So we earned about 44 cents a day from you using your Goodsearch as your web browser and by doing your online shopping through Goodshop.com - and it didn't cost you anything! If you want more info on that, email us and we'll tell you how to use it.

Thanks for partnering with us in this ministry!

God Bless!
Mimi Price

December Needs List

Special thanks to Brownsville Community Fellowship, Christ’s Harbor Church , Church of the Advent, Down by the Border, International Christian Center, Los Fresnos Church of Christ, and Los Fresnos Fellowship of Christian Athletes for their assistance in meeting needs.

Please announce the needs listed below to your congregation, put in your bulletin, post on your bulletin board or display electronically and please feel free to forward to your contacts. As always thank you for all you do!!

· Queen Bed Frame – Unemployed single mother of 3 blessed with a bed needs a bed frame – Queen-size. [Pt Isabel](11H08)

· Beds, sheets, & towels – A family recently moved to be close to father. Husband is self-employed. Wife had an accident and husband developed health problems. 1 Full & 3 twin beds needed. (*Men’s pants – 34 x 32; 36x34; *Boy’s – large shirts, *Girls 5-6, *Women’s – size 16 pants, large & 2x tops) (11G08­) [Boca Chica/Old Pt Isabel area]

· Work – Father with three children, needs any kind of work, experienced in cutting lawns.(11F08) [Los Fresnos]

· Dressers, bed, table & chairs – family with three children recently relocated. Have limited income because they have been helping support elderly mother. (11E08) [Los Fresnos]

· 3 Twin beds, beds, and refrigerator – Single mom recently relocated from San Antonio and unable to bring her furniture with her. (11C08) [Southmost area]

· Dining table & chairs –family of 4 with a new baby due any day. (11B08) [FM 511/ Hwy 48 area]

· Table & chairs, bed, dryer – Single mother with a disabled child. (11A08) [Los Fresnos]

· Bed – A couple (wife is legally blind) on limited income in need of a bed. (close to Valley Baptist-Brownsville) (10J08)

· Dresser, bed, night stands – A family recently moved to the Brownsville-area and the husband is working few hours. (10E08) [Southmost area]

· Electrician needed – FEMA helped an elderly widow (on a very limited income) get parts to replace her fuse box but she is unable to pay for an electrician to do the work. She lives outside the Los Fresnos city limits (near FM 510 & FM 803). (10C08)

· Couch – An amputee in Brownsville is in need of a couch. (10B08)

· Ceiling fan & Delivery of 2 doors – an elderly widow in Pt Isabel would like a ceiling fan to help keep her electric bill down. 2 doors located in Los Fresnos need to be delivered. (09G08)

· Bed, heater, tv, dishes, pots & pans – Disabled, formerly homeless, man starting over. (09D08) [downtown Brownsville]

· Window AC Unit – Elderly widow needs window unit while on waiting list to replace central unit. (09B08) [near the Port of Brownsville]

· Bed (Full Size or larger) – Couple’s bed in Brownsville was ruined in their recent move. (07E08) [Brownsville]

· Plumbing repairs – Disabled woman has leaks under kitchen sink & the outside spigot (by Pace HS). (07A08)

· Washing machine – Couple with 7 children (father & 3 of the children are on disability) in need of a washing machine. (02C08) [Brownsville]

· Grocery bags – Do you have an over-abundance of grocery bags? Don’t throw them away! Good Neighbor Settlement House can use them! They can be delivered directly there or call the Love INC office and arrangements can be made. This is an on-going need. Thank you to all who have been taking your bags directly there.

· Old Suitcases – Do you have old suitcases you don’t know what to do with? Don’t throw them away! Give our office a call – the K-9 unit from one of the local law enforcement offices has mentioned they could use suitcases in their continued training of the dogs. (This is an on-going need – those dogs go through many suitcases!)

Please call the Love INC office @ 233-1844 if you can help with any of the needs listed above. Please reference the 5 digit number listed at the end of each request/need. Also, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have or if more information is needed.

Prayer:

· Intake volunteers have the opportunity to pray with most of the clients who call in with needs (sometimes it is the only time they have heard someone pray with/for them). Please pray that the above listed clients will develop a desire to know more about the Lord.

· Pray for the Love INC Board members, staff, volunteers and their families. Pray that God would bless them and give them wisdom and insight. Pray also that God would protect them and their families from the attacks of the enemy as they strive to make a difference for Christ.

Relational Seminar

The image is rather small, so be sure to go to Central Christian Church's website (www.cccbrownsville.org) to see more information about this seminar.

James 1:27

The call came in mid-morning on a Monday. A young mom with 3 children under age 6 desperately needed help. Her husband had been killed in an auto accident six weeks earlier and she was trying to start over in a small apartment close to her in-laws. As the intake worker took her information – the dire situation this young woman was in was overwhelming and she was trying to figure out how these needs were ever going to get met? No promises could be made, but the worker told the young mom that once her application was verified, the needs would be made known to the churches on the list which we send out bi-monthly; and started praying. Twin beds for her boys; a window A/C unit for the bedroom; a refrigerator, dining table, clothes for her 18 month old, and a washing machine were her major concerns along with an urgent prayer that her husband’s death certificate would be released so she could apply for whatever benefits were available as she had no income at all. An extremely tall order but with God, all things are possible.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

This is the Scripture the Love INC staff had been given. Events have shown that God had the situation under control before the need was even made known to us.

Many things were happening without our knowledge that, over a short period of time, have shown us how adjectives are impotent to describe how great our Lord is and how, through His church, He was going to be taking care of these orphans and their mother.

This young widow had been unable to get things straightened out with the Social Security Administration because her husband’s death certificate had not been released. Staff and volunteers at the Love INC office started praying for direction and wisdom. A simple call to DPS helped take care of the death certificate and the widow got her appointment with the Social Security Administration to register for survivor’s benefits.

Our director was talking to the pastor of one of the participating churches about another need when she mentioned this case and as it turned out he happened to have been at the scene of the accident where this young mother’s husband was killed. He was asked to please go visit her and pray with her and ask the Lord for wisdom for Love INC as to how assess the best way to help her and he instantly agreed. We shared a few of the needs with the pastor and he mentioned that the church would have a refrigerator available in a few days and could take it to her. A few weeks before this need came to the clearinghouse, someone had made a donation of a dining room table and someone else, a trundle bed to Christ’s Harbor and these were taken to her by members from Los Fresnos Church of Christ and BCF.

The Love INC office received a call from someone at BCF that was moving out of state and they had a window A/C unit and microwave oven available for this family.

And on it goes. As you can imagine, this one family’s needs are on-going. So are the needs of others in our community. Through your heart, help and hands God is making a difference: showing his goodness and love.

Honestly, there are times when we are overwhelmed by the needs which come through our office and are sent out to the local churches and wonder if they are being read. This case, among others, has shown this family in need as well as Love INC staff and volunteers not only that God cares for us but that He is actively interested in our needs and will demonstrate His love for us.

Dale House & Nate from Los Fresnos Church of Christ picking up trundle bed

Pastor Chris Edge from Abundant Life Church helping load items

This is the refrigerator donated by Los Fresnos Church of Christ.

Angel Food Pick Up

Boy Scout Troop 214 helping Living Bread Ministries with Angel Food distribution at Faith Church.


Rosie (Faith Church) ready to help check you in










The guys from Troop 214 ready to fill boxes

Rockfest 2008!

SALVADOR!

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

South Padre Island Convention Center

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Concert starts at 7:00 pm. No tickets needed

AWARD WINNING, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN AUSTIN-BASED
LATIN FUNK BAND
8 HIT ALBUMS (MOST RECENT RELEASE "AWARE")

Come join the music!!

For more information - check out the church website at www.ChristsHarborChurch.com,
or email rockfest@ChristsHarborChurch.com

Love INC participates in Job Fair

Love INC had the privilege to participate in CWCCP's Job Fair on Friday, May 30th. Raising awareness about what Love INC can offer.

Tables being set up and preparing for people to come looking for jobs.

Bob Robey manning the Love INC table.

Slide Show!

American Idol

Everyone’s heard of American Idol – right? Well, American Christian is kind of the same thing – only with a Christian twist.

American Christian is an attempt to bring Christian musicians/groups together to showcase a variety of musical talent and lead the audience into a time of worship. Last year, American Christian had their 1st annual show featuring 3 groups.

What American Christian hopes to achieve with this event is (1) Bands can demonstrate worship from their point of view/style of music (according to how God has given them abilities). (2) The audience can experience worship from different “flavors” of those performing. (3) That people can invite friends that don’t go to church to see how Christians can have good music and a good time.

This event is being planned for August 13, 2008, and you can help by presenting this to your congregation and if anyone is interested and would like more information, please call the Love INC office for STEEL YOUTH MINISTRY's contact information.

Boy Scout Troop 214 at it again!

The following is shared by committee member Preston Vidos:

Hi everyone:

I would like to give you all a quick update on the latest Troop 214 happenings.

Last Sunday, April 6th, five of the boys helped me clean up a donated wheelchair from Christ's Harbor. We then delivered it to an elderly lady that was in need. She was very grateful, and almost in tears when we delivered it to her. The neighborhood that she lived in makes our downtown neighborhood look like Beverly Hills. It was an eye-opening experience for the boys, and myself.

Sound off

The Love INC Sound Off for Poverty is a national youth initiative that teaches young people about poverty in America, and empowers them to do something about it by raising awareness and funds to help people in need through Love INC. How? By conducting a MEDIA FAST (abstaining from electronic entertainment for at least 3 days or up to one week). In this way the youth tune out life's distractions (no cell phones, MySpace, ipods, etc.) and tune in to God's heart for the poor.

Did you know that there are approximately the same percentage of Americans living in poverty today as when President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty over 40 years ago? One in every 8 Americans are living in poverty.

Love INC has declared "The Love on Poverty" because Scripture tells us that love never fails (I Corinthians 13:8).

Funds raised by youth during their Media Fast supports the work of Love INC in meeting the needs of the poor in our communities.

Love INC Board Meetings

Love INC Board of Directors meeting @ Piedad's Restaurant

BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE
SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH @ 6:00 PM.

Everyone is welcome to attend these Board meeting which generally last a maximum of two hours. Please come and join us. We solicit and encourage your suggestions and comments at any of these meetings!

Call the office and someone there will let you know the location of the next meeting as this often changes from month to month.

5 Years!

This year Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) celebrates a major milestone – 5 years of ministry! Love In the Name of Christ National Headquarters will recognize this special achievement at this year’s national conference. We are so blessed by all who volunteer and all the partner & participating churches that serve to show the love of Christ to those in need in our communities.

This year Love INC also hosted the first annual Love Dinner at Piedad’s Restaurant in Los Fresnos.

Ana Parks with Amparo Escalante (proprieter of Piedad’s)

Executive Director Mimi Price

Good food; fellowship; music and testimonies were shared.

Special music by Pastor Greg Fish

Pastor Don Ceglar with speakers Tom Hegadorn & Fran Gordon

Dinner attendees: