Story by: Deb Saraka-Rubin
The group met at the Timberlake Outreach Center on the Campus of Open Door Mission. Boys from Conquest and girls from Challenge and their parents helped sort the many donations; which included hanging clothes, sorting toys and restocking the toys from large containers on pallets. The kids especially liked when the toys were on the bottom of the of the containers because then they could climb in and hand the toys out. There is also lots of work to be done because all the donations are sorted by volunteers. The center serves over 10,000 community members a month so the free donations go out as fast as they come in.
After the sorting, the Conquest and Challenge group saw the warehouse where all the toys were being stored. All the sorting was complete. Open Door mission was waiting on specific toys for teens which were expected to arrive during the week. Next, the group toured the Lydia House and saw where the women, children, and families stay. There were a few common areas that had mats where the overflow guests stay. It has been like that for over a year.
The youth were shown where Lydia House donations were stored and what a 1 bedroom family apartment looked like. Guests can stay as long as necessary to get their life together. Open Door mission also has drug/alcohol recovery programs, journey to work and GED programs. All of these are bible based and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Overall, the Conquest and Challenge group apostolic project helped them to learn firsthand about Gospel charity, caring and giving, especially this time of year.
