Bastrop Area Archives - Page 13 of 15 - Feed the Need Missions

New Site Location: Stony Point

We’re excited to announce the start of a new location at Stony Point in Del Valle, Texas! This has been a site we have desired to start for a number of years, as it is an area that’s impoverished and has great needs.

Stony Point is located on the border of Bastrop and Travis Counties and is a neighborhood in Del Valle, however it is a somewhat forgotten community with lots of poverty and several gangs who call this area home.

After lots of prayer and God leading the right people to use to cultivate relationships, the ground is fertile and the community is ready to receive us. The Mission U-Too Stony Point site officially started 4 weeks ago and has been growing ever since.

Gang members in their mid teens are even stopping by to get a hot meal. They enjoyed the meal so much they came through the line three times! They asked before leaving “are you really going to be here every Monday night?”

A local that runs and owns a little convenient store on the corner in Stony Point has said “we’ve been needing this for a number of years. I’ve tried helping people out but I can’t do it by myself.” He’s grateful that we are there to help his community. Even with the little resources this store has, the owner has a huge heart to help. Every week he gives Mission U-Too bags of ice to keep our drinks cold.

Steven, a young boy who serves at this new location, waits for our arrival on Monday evenings. He serves until feeding time is over and then will take food back to his family. If there are any leftovers more food is sent to his family and he shares it with his neighbors as well. Steven has found a place that he can make a difference in his community.

Another volunteer, Gabriel, started cutting the grass and helps keep the area cleaned up. The grass has been overgrown and the park hasn’t been taken care of. It’s great to see the community coming out and helping serve with Mission U-Too but also shows care and respect of their community.

Persistence and consistency are key to our sites. Serving each location the same day every week at the same time builds trust and grows relationships. Larry White, one of our volunteers, said, “It’s been a great blessing and has refreshed my spirit to be able to serve in Stony Point. People are so grateful there and are surprised that we have kept our promise to be there.”

We are so excited to now be serving hot meals to the people who call Stony Point home. Mission U-Too will continue using the body of Christ to come together to serve communities across the country.

Stony Point meets every Monday night.

June 13, 2016/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area, Volunteers

Saying Goodbye is Never Forever

Saying goodbye is sometimes hard, especially when you’ve been in ministry together and doing life for a few years. However, saying goodbye is never forever and we’re excited for a new adventure for our friends!

Lee and Shirley have been volunteering with Mission U-Too for five years. They helped start and lead two sites until other people were able to step up and lead, and then they trained those new leaders. Now it’s time to celebrate all they have done within Mission U-Too and their life.

They love the Lord with all their heart and they are obedient to His Word in making disciples and being the hands and feet of Jesus. Now Jesus is calling them to a new journey. As they leave the Bastrop area and head to Austin they are leaving a legacy behind. The people of Bastrop will greatly miss them, especially the lives they impacted through Mission U-Too.

Lee is fighting prostate cancer and skin cancer and Shirley who has many different health issue, dementia being one, are moving closer to family members who can help take care of them. They served the Lord with open hearts and now it’s time for them to be served.

Thank you Lee and Shirley for being the hands and feet of Christ and feeding people physically and spiritually with Mission U-Too. They prayed for others and honored every relationship they came upon by cooking and serving a burger. We are thankful for their service and obedience to the Lord to serve our community, they truly changed lives.

April 29, 2016/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area, Testimony

“You are not a burden”

“What, a free burger? What do I have to do to get a free burger?” said Phylis who is paralyzed from the waist down. When we told her nothing tears began to flow down her face.

Phylis was in a terrible car accident several years ago and it left her paralyzed from her waist down. She lives by herself in the government subsidize housing in Bastrop. One of our Bastrop sites is set up down the street from her front door. As you can imagine life is a challenge for her, not to mention she feels like she’s a burden.

Most of you know how it feels to feel like a burden to others. Now imagine your life having to depend on others all the time. Phylis is a believer in Christ and knows that her time on earth was not suppose to end when she had her accident. She was 1/4″ away from severing her spine in half and dying. Phylis says “she wished everyone would have a life transformation and know that Jesus is there and loves them.” And so do we!

Earlier this week at the site we saw Phylis outside by her house. We walked down to check in on her and the first thing she said was “what are you cooking today, a burger?” We told her yes and had a conversation with her letting her know she’s welcome to come every week, not just when she’s in dire need. Then we walked back to the site with her and she gave us an update on herself letting us know that she was hungry. She said she was glad to see us set up and was thankful we came down to visit her because she feels like a burden. We assured her that we miss seeing her and she’s not a burden. She told us that her ride wasn’t able to take her grocery shopping yet and she had no food in her house. There was joy in our hearts that God was using us, as this is why we were there!

Mission U-Too strives to feed people physically and spiritually. We never know the battles that are going on in the home or within one’s heart. When you are hungry physically life around feels like it’s in shambles, but when you are hungry spiritually you feel alone and empty. Phylis was feeling both and, with the relationship we have built with her the last two years, she finally felt like she could stroll down in her wheelchair for the first time instead of us taking food to her, and enjoy a hot meal in the presence of her Mission U-Too family.

April 14, 2016/by Feed the Need Missions

Smithville, Volunteers

Meet a Volunteer: Doug

Doug Byrom has been a resident of Smithville, Texas for 15 years. He’s been serving with Mission U-Too for almost a year and because of his busy work schedule working in the oil industry he wasn’t able to serve outside of his church. He said “I would show up Sunday’s and do my thing, but I was wanting more.”

He heard about Mission U-Too from Larry White, the site coordinator at the Bastrop South site. Larry was grocery shopping for the weekly meal at Mission U-Too and Doug was behind Larry in the check out line. He asked Larry why he had so many burgers and buns and asked when the cookout was. It was a great opportunity for Larry to share with Doug the meaning behind the “cookout.” Doug mentioned that Mission U-Too has been the outlet he’s been looking for. He’s been wanting to get out into his community of 15 years, as he knew so little about the people of his community. He said “I used to be one of those who stayed inside the church building, and now I’m not.”

It’s people like Doug who catch the mission and vision of Mission U-Too and have a desire and a heart to impact his community. He’s interested in starting new sites and shares with his church about Mission U-Too to help unite the body.

March 3, 2016/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area, Disaster Relief, Smithville

Bastrop County Clean Up

We need your help.

It has been a long tough few weeks in Bastrop County with the recent fires in Smithville and now flooding throughout Bastrop County for the second time this year. As a result there are many people displaced and in need of a helping hand to get back on their feet.

Mission U-Too has been out supporting our community by cooking nonstop since the fires broke out last month. But right now this community desperately needs volunteers that are willing to show up and let God use them in the first stage of clean up from these fires and floods.

Samaritan’s Purse is helping coordinate these efforts for our community, and now more than ever your help is needed to bring aid to many people lost and hurting.

Click the button below for more details and to sign up to help.

SIGN UP

November 13, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area, Disaster Relief, Smithville

Fire & Flooding Relief Efforts

It’s been a tough month for the Central Texas area with the Hidden Pines fires near Smithville and the most recent flooding in the Austin area. Bastrop County has been hit three times this year alone with natural disasters that have left many people displaced and left to sort through the damage.

Now that the fires and floods have subsided the hard part begins. The cleanup. Several organizations are on the ground coordinating the actual cleanup, and Mission U-Too has been asked to serve food to the volunteers and families who lost their homes. Also as the news media covers the fires and flooding less and less, volunteers on the ground decreases, but the need stays the same.

Mission U-Too is committed to providing disaster relief efforts, first in our own communities and then to communities where we are called to go serve. Right now we are coordinating efforts in Smithville throughout the fire cleanup, Bastrop throughout the flood cleanup, and now in Onion Creek in southeast Austin to help with flooding relief efforts. And we need your help.

The most critical need is for donations. So far we have served over 7,000 meals and over the next few weeks we will serve many more. But in order to continue, we need your financial support to make sure we have enough food for anyone who comes for a meal. Donate today.

We also need volunteers to help us over the next few days in Onion Creek. We served there a couple years ago when this area was devastated by floods, and we were asked by the fire chief to come back and serve as this community struggles with round two of flooding. We will be out there all day Wednesday and Thursday this week and need volunteers to help cook, serve, and lend a listening ear.

If you are able to come out this week, please fill out this volunteer registration form so we can best coordinate these efforts.

Thank you for continuing to lift those affected by the fires and floods in your prayers. Cleanup is a long road and can be very difficult physically and emotionally for all of those involved. Thank you also for praying for Mission U-Too as we are sent out to these locations.

November 3, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions

Disaster Relief, Smithville

Update: Bastrop County Fires

Since Thursday, Mission U-Too has served over 700 meals each day to victims, evacuees, volunteers, and first responders from the Hidden Pines Fire in Bastrop County.

Every day we have served breakfast, lunch, and dinner to anyone who needs a meal. We’ve also sent volunteers to deliver food to local hotels where evacuees and victims have been staying.

There are many hurting and anxious people who are unsure what to expect, not knowing if they lost their home or wondering if anything is salvageable from the fire damage. It is a confusing and difficult time, and our team has been there to lend a listening ear to anyone who needs it.

We plan to continue serving at the Smithville Rec Center through Wednesday, with the possibility of continuing to serve even more in the days following as well.

Right now donations are critical. When we first set up to serve we had much of the food donated from various local sources, but now Mission U-Too is completely covering all the food costs. And we don’t want to run out of food.

To give, simply make your donation today. Your financial support is greatly needed and appreciated.

We also need more volunteers to serve. If you are able to volunteer, please fill out the volunteer form below and let us know what times you are available. That way we will be able to better schedule and serve our community well in the following days.

And, of course, continue to pray for the victims and evacuees as they struggle to make sense of everything, for the volunteers as they serve the community, and for protection and wisdom for the first responders as they fight this fire.

Thank you so much for the outpouring of support you have already shown, we really couldn’t be doing what we are doing without you.

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October 18, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions

Disaster Relief, Smithville

Bastrop County Fires: We Need Your Help

Update: It’s been a few days since we have been serving, and we could still use your help.

As the governor declares Bastrop County in a state of disaster, the Mission U-Too team is setting up to serve in one of their very own communities. This is our home and these are our neighbors, and we can’t think of any place we’d rather be serving right now, especially because this isn’t the first time we have done this right here in Bastrop County.

Right now we are setting up at the northeast corner of the Smithville Recreation Center serving food to first responders. Our plan is to be out here as long as we are needed, serving food and lending a listening ear to anyone who needs it. But in order to serve well, we need your help!

Here are some ways you can help serve first responders, evacuees, and victims of the 2015 Bastrop County fire.

Donations – We need your financial support to cover costs of food and other expenses for our team while we serve. Since we plan to be here into next week we definitely could use your support. Make a donation today.

Volunteer – Not only do we need your financial support, we need people to help serve. We are looking for people to help cook food and volunteers to deliver the food to those who need it, especially those with larger vehicles like SUVs or vans. Either just show up at the Smithville Recreation Center located at 106 Royston St, Smithville, TX 78957 or contact Jason Bray at 214.236.4446 or Jonah Beyer at 512.988.8365 if you have any questions about volunteering.

Prayer – Pray, pray, pray…we need you to pray for the firefighters and other first responders for their safety as they battle the fire, that there is minimum damage to homes and businesses, as well as for the families either evacuated or victims of the fire. Also pray for Mission U-Too and the leadership that God would use us to share His love.

Thank you for sharing and for your support through donations, volunteering, and prayer, we appreciate all of you who support what God is doing through Mission U-Too!

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October 15, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area

New Children’s Ministry in Bastrop

We love seeing God speak vision and calling through people who serve at Mission U-Too. A few months ago one of our dedicated volunteers, Carol Palermo, felt led to start a weekly children’s ministry at our Bastrop North community, and so she did.

Carol started serving alongside Mission U-Too in July 2014 and has experienced quite a transformation. This past May, she caught a vision to start reaching the children during our weekly meetings.

Carol said, “God has placed on my heart to do a children’s ministry within Mission U-too who serves the local community by feeding people not only physically, but spiritually also. With a goal, to continue to share the love of Christ with the kiddos who come to Mission U-too and to try and give them Hope in Christ like never before. Opening their hearts to his love and showing them a love from their peers that could only say Jesus is the light within them.”

It’s only been a few months, but this ministry is making a big impact. In July three of our kids prayed and accepted Christ. We love seeing God move in our communities!

This children’s ministry continues to serve and bless the kids at the Bastrop North site and we’d love for you to get involved. Simply contact the site coordinator for more information or just show up on a Sunday to serve.

September 30, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions

Bastrop Area, Prayer Requests

Prayer Request: Michele & Adrian

by Christine Farquhar, Mission U-Too Bastrop North Site Coordinator

We are reaching out to the Mission U-Too community and asking for prayer for this Bastrop couple.

Michele has a rare form of brain cancer. About four months ago she had the tumor removed from her brain. Unfortunately, during this intensive surgery she had a stroke. Because of this she lost her speech and the ability to walk.

Michele’s husband, Adrian, has diligently served Michele for the past couple months, but he is struggling with depression and their difficult situation. And understandably so. He also has not been able to work because his wife needs full time care. They are currently homeless and have been staying in a hotel room, but are needing to find a permanent residence very soon. Adrian is also struggling with making right decisions. He said, “I continue to come every week because it’s the only positive influence I have.” I asked him this past week how his walk with Jesus is, and he replied that some days it’s good and others not so much.

Please pray for both Michele and Adrian, as she continues rehabilitation and as they seek out permanent housing. At Mission U-Too this past week she cried and cried with me as I held her in my arms and prayed for her. Pray for encouragement and that they would draw close to God during this difficult situation.

May 29, 2015/by Feed the Need Missions