This time it was just Cissa and I journeying out to serve the OKC area the Hope Chest way! We delivered to 3 families and did 2 pick-ups that took us about 8 hours of greatness! Our Hope Chest work day last week was canceled due to the snow, so even through the rain, wind, and cold of this work day, we were going to work through it!
First thing in the morning we went to our Hope Chest storage to pick up the furniture items we’d need for our first delivery. This entailed a couch, dresser, queen box springs and mattress. It was quite hilarious seeing us 2 little ladies lugging those up the truck bed and fighting the elements! The wind was pushing against the mattress and box springs, turning them into sails pushing us in all the directions we were trying NOT to go! We laughed so hard and figured the people down the way might have thought we were a little nuts. But we didn’t mind! We’re just nuts for Jesus! 
We ultimately finagled all of the items to fit into the bed of our truck, strapped them in, and started on our journey!
We dropped these items off to our friend Edna. She was so grateful!!! She had temporarily borrowed furniture from a friend and was glad to be able to return them to him and have her own things! She loved the couch (said it reminded her of her mother’s couch) and was so thankful to have her own bed! We loved her spunky, loving personality. She offered us a brownie, and mentioned how glad she was that she’d be able to cook real food now that Hope Chest had been able to give her a set of pots and pans and dishes! We prayed with her and her 2 friends that helped us move the furniture in, and it was a great moment.
After leaving there, we drove back to our Hope Chest storage unit and reloaded our truck! This time we loaded up a kitchen table, 5 chairs, and a dresser! We were able to deliver these items to a father, John, who had just experienced the tragedy of their home and belongings being burned in a house fire! They’re living temporarily somewhere else until their house gets repaired, and as far as household goods, we were able to jump start them into their future of healing, renewal, and HOPE. Thank you Lord!
And this is when the rain began!
Then it was time for a lunch break! Cissa and I stopped at Louie’s and had fried pickles & chili in a bread bowl for lunch. Next it was off to our pick-up!
This sweet couple had gotten married about a year ago and were donating a bunch of furniture and household goods they didn’t need anymore; combining their things together and figuring out what they wanted to keep and what they didn’t. Great candidates for donating! They gave us a beautiful couch, a desk, a TV, TV stand, DVD player, and lots of linens! And we were able to take all of this but the desk and linens to our next delivery family! But first, we drove back to our storage building and unloaded the desk and bags of linens, and then drove to my house and picked up a twin bed! (My husband and I are doing the same thing the other couple were too, because we just got married 5 months ago!)
So then we were on our way to our last delivery of the day, to sweet Kylie. Her helper did most of the heavy unloading and we got a couch, twin bed, TV, TV stand, and DVD player into her home! The rain was still going strong so unfortunately we had to deliver wet and damp furniture to her, but she was still really happy to be able to get them, saying her living room heats up pretty well so they should dry out quick! Thank goodness! (Don’t you love how God takes care of us in the smallest of ways?) I love how receiving these things just lights up people’s lives. It’s such a relief to see that there’s things you don’t have to worry about and you’re going to have a place to lay your head at night, sit your hiney, and be able to function the way a home is meant to! And then to get the added awesomeness of a TV, stand, and DVD player is just fun! We prayed with her and her helper, and then wrapped up our day.
We love serving in this way. It’s all about leaving tangible evidence that God and his people love and care about you… and want you to have a fresh beginning of HOPE! This is Hope Chest Ministries, Inc.’s purpose!
Our next delivery date is set for April 17th! If you can donate and/or volunteer with us, we would love your help!
Letting God lead,
Mindi