OUT AND ABOUT 40 September 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition Christmas will be brighter for 450 vulnerable children in Jamaica, thanks to Food For The Poor’s generous donors and the volunteers who packed dozens of toys and school supplies on Saturday. FFTP hosted its second Hearts United Community Day, with nearly 20 volunteers working together in the charity’s Coconut Creek warehouse to pack these special gifts. The toys and school supplies will be sent to the charity’s Angels Of Hope children’s homes in Jamaica. Leann Chong, FFTP’s Director of Angels Of Hope Child Sponsorship Program, said the children will receive the gifts just in time for Christmas. In addition to packing, volunteers also wrote cards to the children with personal messages of love and encouragement. Hank Bleier, a retired CPA and certified life coach, said charity is a way to give thanks for his blessings. “I wish I could be there at Christmas time to see them opening their presents,” Bleier said. “There’s nothing better than watching somebody receive a gift – that big smile is worth a trillion dollars.” Bleier and his wife, Sonia, a retired physical therapist, became regular volunteers at FFTP soon after Join The Pack Ukraine, a food-packing event the charity hosted at Florida Atlantic University in July to support families in Ukraine. It’s not too late to provide a gift for FFTP’s toy drive. In addition to Jamaica, the charity is sending toys and school supplies to children in the charity’s Angels Of Hope homes in the Caribbean and Latin America. Go to www.FoodForThePoor.org/toy drive and click on the AmazonSmile button to shop. Hank Bleier, left, of Boca Raton, writes cards with personal messages that will be included with the toys and school supplies Bleier and other volunteers packed. Photo/Food For The Poor A new mobile prayer app developed by Christian persecution watchdog, Open Doors USA, gives users the ability to connect with persecuted Christians suffering for their faith. Available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the Open Doors Prayer App was created to help strengthen and support Christian communities facing high levels of persecution with prayer and encouragement. "Prayer is the most powerful way to support our brothers and sisters worldwide who are suffering for the sake of the gospel," said David Curry, Open Doors USA CEO. "Through this app, we are excited to provide a simple and accessible way to pray for urgent requests from our persecuted family living in the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians." The app highlights real stories of Christians in countries where persecution is most intense and information is ordinarily limited, including Afghanistan, North Korea, Nigeria and others. Users can watch videos, scroll through prayer requests and click "pray" to let persecuted Christians know fellow believers are supporting them. A "prayer wall" gives users the opportunity to write out their prayer, seeing other prayers in real time. Prayer requests can also be shared via social media, email or text with one click. More than 360 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Operating in more than 60 countries, Open Doors supplies Bibles, training for church leaders, emergency relief and support to followers of Jesus facing persecution. Visit opendoorsusa.org Congregants from Potential Church participated in a Love Life Prayer Walk on Saturday, August 27 in Plantation. Love Life is a national organization uniting and mobilizing the church to create a culture of love and life that will result in an end to abortion and the orphan crisis. Churches gather for a special time of prayer as they walk to protect and defend the unborn. About 60-100 congregants registered for the Prayer Walk, estimated Troy Gramling, Lead Pastor of Potential Church. Reflecting on seeing ultrasounds of his own children, he said, “When it comes to abortion, the more science advances, it will be hard to deny what’s happening in the womb of the mother. Now the pictures are so clear.” More than 600 partner churches have joined the Love Life movement nationwide and conduct prayer walks almost weekly. On November 12, churches will walk together in prayer during a multi-church Love Life Prayer Walk. For more information, visit lovelife.org or email [email protected]. Potential Church Gathers in Support of Life Volunteers Pack Toys, Write Cards to Vulnerable Children in Jamaica Members of Potential Church participate in a Love Live Prayer Walk in Plantation. Prayer App Connects American Believers with Persecuted Christians
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