by Brenda Banks

Please pray for me, as this week I will be attending a forum with the City of Omaha Dept of Human Development.  We are setting the 2010 budget for the city’s federal funds for Neighborhood Emergency Shelter Grant, Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Act and Economic Development.  Please pray for me to be able to be heard and received.  I will be presenting information in regards to the need for economic development through job training and entry level job creation, as well as the need for transitional housing.

I have a number of praises to report for Cross Training Center (CTC):

CTC has been selected for job training and as a Community Service Provider by the Federal Probation Officers Association in Omaha for their parolees, Nebraska General Assistance for their benefactors and by the State of Nebraska’s Employment First Program for job training.  What this means is we have many more people being referred to us to receive j0b training, serve in various capacities and apply to be in our program.  This increases our capacity to minister to the underprivileged and make a bigger impact into the community.  Praise the Lord!

The Lord has provided licensed plumbers and electricians to complete the work in the Angel kitchen and the ministry room.  Westside Church has adopted CTC for 6 months to send a team of workers once a month for projects.  With these experts in various fields, we will be able to get a lot of work done.  Our men will work along side them and learn, so they will derive a lot from all this.  I believe the money for materials is out there and just needs to be brought in.  I am asking the Lord for one or more project manager(s), so that I can give my attention elsewhere.

An Omaha church is now meeting at CTC on Sundays and Thursdays.  It’s a small church - about 40 people - who have been meeting over in the Irvington area for a while and needed a new place.  It’s Pastor Dala Alphonso and the Uncommon Church.  Read about them at www.uncommonchurch.com.  They have been meeting at CTC for a month now, and it has been working very nicely.  I’m excited about this because they are a great fit.  Pastor Dala is a good Bible teacher and focuses on teaching about Kingdom lifestyle and putting our faith into action.  Consequently, his small flock really have servants hearts and have been very active at CTC.  They partner with us to pick up people at the Francis House on Sunday mornings and are very active in Angels on Wheels street ministry on Fridays.

The Lord had provided an abundant flow of pantry items (food) through the Tri-city Food Pantry for our men and other needs at CTC.  This is such a blessing, so we can spend that money on other needs.

So many ministry praises - with the men in the program, those in our job training program and out on the streets.  The Lord is really at work among us.

Please pray for finances and Kingdom resources to be released to CTC.  Especially to have a flow of financial support to ease the tension of not knowing each month how the rent, utilities, operating costs are being paid and to be able to allocate funds for payroll.  Right now nobody is paid except a small amount to the IT Manager.  And I really need my home to sell to keep things going forward.

This is the 10th year of Angels on Wheels and no different than every other year; leaders and team members seem to change in the spring season.  Please pray that many leaders will surface and that I would be able to steward CTC righteously.

by Matt Lockett

It would kind of be an understatement to point out that today is very different than a year ago.  I would like to highlight something extremely encouraging, though, that has changed for the better.  In the past few weeks, four separate public opinion polls have been released that surprisingly indicate that the heart of the nation is changing concerning abortion.  Gallup, Pew, Rasmussen, and Fox have all conducted surveys that indicate that Americans are more pro-life than they were a year ago.

 I’d like to specifically highlight the Gallup Poll released last Friday that shows at the beginning of May 2008, 50% of Americans identified themselves as pro-choice, and 44% were pro-life.  Shockingly and dramatically, the statistics make an immediate sharp reversal.  Now a year later, 51% of Americans self-identify as PRO-LIFE, and only 42% are pro-choice.  This marks the first time that THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE PRO-LIFE.

What could possibly account for this unforseen change?

No doubt there are multiple factors fueling this turnaround.  All of them are answers to prayer for the hearts and minds of the nation to change.  I’d like to point out a couple of startling facts, though, that I believe will encourage you.

Last year, the Lord led us to mobilize thousands of intercessors to gather for solemn assemblies at every Supreme Court in America; 51 to be exact.  6,200 Christians gathered for a Silent Siege and worship at every state’s Supreme Court along with the U.S. Supreme Court in DC on the same day at the same time.  On April 26th, Passover, we cried out for mercy and pleaded the blood of Jesus over America and our courts.  Then, following that day, we mobilized a team in DC to continue praying in front of the U.S. Supreme Court day and night 24/7 for nearly four months.  As summer temperatures soared to 110 degrees, intercessors took their stand going up into the gap before the Court.

The statistics show the dramatic reversal coinciding with these two Bound4life events.

I don’t believe it’s any coincidence, and I know it’s answer to prayer.  I’m encouraged that these numbers are now supported in multiple ways by multiple polls.  A Rasmussen poll shows that a clear majority of Americans now think that abortion is morally wrong most of the time.  Let’s continue to pray for the nation and our leaders and believe together for a growing MORAL OUTCRY to explode that protects the pre-born and rejects the agenda of death.

by Aaron L. Hall, National Director, Omaha Rapid Response

We are looking for people willing to be contacted, in the event of a local or national disaster, to join a Rapid Response team.  Being contacted does not obligate you in any way.  We realize that most volunteers have “day” jobs and cannot always get off work.  There are two lists: 

The first is for those willing to be called in the event of a local disaster.  This would include the Omaha Metro area and parts of eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. 

The second is for those interested in being contacted for national disasters, that is some disaster occurring within the United States.

There are many ways you can help:  removal and hauling (after storms), food service or distribution, mucking out mud, and, of course, there is always prayer - because the main point is that people would know Jesus.  There were many Rapid Response opportunities in 2008:

Hurricane Ike was the third most destructive hurricane ever to hit the U.S.  The team spent many days cutting trees, cleaning, stripping (called mudding) homes, digging out, and treating the awful spread of mold; and building relationships with unbelievers, as well as those that had ties to one of the churches.  View pictures and read personal stories from the team here:  http://www.omaharapidresponse.org/IkeUS.htm

While some residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana had recently rebuilt their homes, many others had yet to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (in 2005) when Hurricane Gustav pummelled the area again.  ORR provided help in tangible ways, like purchasing 2000 pounds of water on their way down when they learned of a bottled water shortage; and, once they arrived, clearing trees, removing tree limbs from houses, and patching roofs.  View pictures of the destruction in the city and the team at work here:     http://www.omaharapidresponse.org/GustavUS.htm 

The year 2008 was particularly rough for Nebraska and Iowa, as strong thunderstorm systems and tornadoes ripped through the Midwest.  Omaha Rapid Response dispatched a team to the Omaha area to help with tree removal and clean up.  See the story in pictures at:  http://www.omaharapidresponse.org/NebIowa2008storms.htm  

These are just a few ways Omaha Rapid Response is serving our community and nation, and we’re looking for more to join us.  Again, signing up does not obligate you.  It simply means that you are interested in being involved on a Rapid Response team locally or nationally.  Having a list prepared in advance will help us in planning and make it easier to put teams together on short notice.

If you’re interested, please email me at aaron.hall@omaharapidresponse.org with your name, email, phone number, and type of trip preference, i.e. local, national, or international.  If at any time you no longer wish to be contacted, just let me know.  This is a no pain, no obligation offer!

We need you!  We all have a part to play.  Some give, some pray, and some go!  Let us know where you fit in!