Two Stories of Resilient Faith
The Jones Family
Christopher and Lauren Jones exude the calm, contented faith so many of us long for. Christopher has served as one of his church’s full-time maintenance technicians for years while Lauren stayed home to raise their three young sons. Though their income was small, they were able to make do until the engine failed in their one working vehicle, leaving Christopher without a way to get to his job thirty miles away. The church graciously loaned them one of its vans, but it was only temporary and had no AC. Imagine working full-time, raising 3 young boys, pinching every penny just to make ends meet… and then this happens! This is where many of us, myself included, would become angry and bitter. But Christopher and Lauren did not. As one of our interviewers remarked, “I was really impressed by Christopher’s work ethic and his contentment. He was willing to do whatever he needed to do to make ends meet…even if it was mowing lawns as a side hustle.” Another said, “the words calm faithfulness come to mind. He talks about the tough things with a calmness that reveals a faith that God has good things in store for him and his family.”
Fortunately, God came through for the Jones family by providing a reliable Toyota Rav4 last week through OnRamp! Thanks to your generous donations, Christopher, Lauren, and their boys are back on the road working hard and serving the Lord as our 288th client family.
Priscilla
Our clients’ deep faith in God continues to impress us even after the vehicle donation, as demonstrated by Priscilla, our 270th client. When we gifted her a Civic in March, Priscilla shared her belief that God would use this vehicle to open new and unexpected doors for her and her family. Sure enough, a few months later she succeeded in securing a job in heavy construction that came with a massive pay increase. She now works more than full-time driving large machinery. She even got her son a job on the construction crew. She now sends us updates of the machinery she has learned and been certified on - bulldozers, excavators, graders - each new qualification brings more pay. We’re so proud of Priscilla and inspired by her proven faith in God’s provision.
OnRamp Update
This past weekend, our OnRamp Brazos Board of Directors gathered for our annual planning retreat, and were blessed to be joined by representatives of the other three OnRamp Affiliates, DFW, Coastal Bend, and San Antonio. We spent the day praying for our branches, discussing trends, challenges, and opportunities, and hashing out the details of our new National OnRamp Affiliation. We are so grateful for these dedicated servant-leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to guide our staff and plan our future. Please join with us in praying that God would open doors for the OnRamp Network to continue to grow if it be His will.
