Some of you might not know Tim and Lisa Jones. They were part of the New Life Staff for years and then God called them from Northern Virginia to the “wrong side of the tracks” in Cincinnati. Here’s an update we recently received from them summing up the last year.
We’ve been with BLOC for a year…
And look what we have to show for it!!
No, we didn’t have a baby in this past year, but I was asked to come to the hospital by the mama, and I did get to pray for her and have my hand squeezed (tightly) in the labor room. And I did get to watch this baby girl come into the world. In much the same way that a baby isn’t conceived and born in a day, our ministry with this baby’s family wasn’t quick or easy either. None of our ministry here has been…but when you do get to see results, they are ever so sweet and beautiful.
*Charity is the grandma, and I started to get to know her first at the Community dinners Tim and I help facilitate every Thursday night. Every week I would do my best to connect with Charity and her 3 grand babies she is raising. And every week I would see the walls come down a bit…but come the next week, they were back and reinforced. After about two months of this, she was letting me in a bit…but Tim? That was another story! One day she came right out and advertised her intuition about Tim (apparently based on her bad experience with men), and said, “He cusses you and beats you, don’t he?” As you can imagine, I was taken by surprise. “What?! Tim?!? No. He would never…why would you even ask that?” I was laughing a little at the thought of it, and sad at the same time that Charity lived a reality where that question was neither absurd or out of the ordinary.
In our year of ministry here, I have seen the walls come down completely with this family. Charity called us for guidance when her son was suspended from school; she and Tim have become buds, and she now proclaims that Tim would never leave me; she asked us to come and pray over her grand baby before surgery, and she asked me to just hang out with her at the hospital. The next day, when her adult daughter *Nasia went into labor, they called me to come to the hospital…which lead to me being in the labor and delivery room for 9 hours and witnessing the birth of this precious little one. God has given us a place in this family’s hearts and lives, and we are honored to share Jesus with this family week after week. It takes time to make a difference here, and by your prayers and your financial support, you have supplied us with that time and Holy Spirit effectiveness. Thank you!!
BLOC’s Weightless Anchor Ministry
Weightless Anchor is BLOC’s outreach to women in poverty, prostitution and drug addiction in one of the worst neighborhoods in Cincinnati–Lower Price Hill. Working there, since it’s opening in March, has been an inside look at the victims of poverty and drug addiction, and these women have found a place in my heart and prayers forever.
Meet *Faith. When I first met her, I met a sweet, funny, and bawdy woman in her fifties who had bad taste in men, and too much taste for alcohol. She was appreciative of everything we do for the ladies: the food we bring in; the laundry we wash, dry and fold; and the time we give them, just sitting and talking about life. I have seen Faith laugh, and be giddy as a school girl over an Easter egg hunt we had for the ladies. I have seen her sobbing and fearful of her “old man” (live in boyfriend) after he threw her dinner in the floor, and her dishes against the wall. And I have seen her take him back the next day. When I just look at Faith through my privileged eyes, I can wonder why she doesn’t just snap out of it. Get rid of him for good. Stop the drinking–take back her life.
Every woman at Weightless has a story. Let’s just say, I would not like to walk a mile in any of their shoes. Not Faith’s–who had her 3 year old abducted from her front yard. Not Candy’s–who has fetal alcohol syndrome. Not Mindy’s–who’s mom pushed her into prostitution. Not Terri’s–who was raped and forced to get an abortion. These women are truly “the least of these”. And they don’t stand a chance without God’s people reaching out to them in love and living out Christ in front of them. It is my privilege to have family style dinner with these women every Wednesday night. I love seeing them wide eyed, as they find scripture verses on their plates, or special treats made just for them. Though this ministry doesn’t come with quick results or the promise of success, as we define it, little by little we see hearts soften. We see dreams awakened. We see the chance for the gospel to be preached in action and in words. The stories I’ve shared in this update are just a sampling of our ministry at BLOC. This work is hard, but it is exactly where we feel God has called us. Please never forget that we simply could not devote our lives to these people without your prayer support and your financial investment. You are making a difference and doing the work of Christ when you give so sacrificially. Thank you!!! And please let us know how we can make this a more satisfying partnership for you. Knowing you are with us and for us keeps us encouraged and revived! We love you all so much.
Your friends in the Kingdom work,
Tim and Lisa
(support can be made out to BLOC Ministries with “for Tim and Lisa” in the memo. Our address: 506 Considine Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205, or at timandlisajones.com)
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*names have been changed.