Compassion has no boundaries in Flagstaff! Inflation and food shortages have hit many organizations hard. The needs have become greater, but the finances and supplies to feed the need are shrinking.

The family at Compassion Ministries goes the extra mile to collaborate and serve as many people as possible. We stretch our resources to the max while using our provisions responsibly. Last month an organization with group homes  that serves people with disabilities in Flagstaff needed help with boxes of food. The Compassion Ministries Team found one more way to serve the community.

Want to get involved as a volunteer or supporter? do you or someone you know need help? Call the compassion line at: 903-917-9947. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
​Jesus loves you and so do we.
#JLYASDW #compassionministriesflagstaff #ywap4Christ

LightBreak is an outreach of Compassion Ministries at the Flagstaff Shelter in Arizona. Folks end up at the Shelter for countless reasons. Sometimes we’re in awe of the staff who work there . They meet the needs of destitute people in so many ways. Around every corner is a different problem and they go the extra mile to solve it with compassion.
The folks who made this an extra special day came from as far away as Buffalo, NY. Some donated money to purchase underwear and socks. A thrift store donated clothes. A local retailer gave a $50 gift card to buy personal items. The team of Compassion Ministry purchased and prepared a ton of food that provided up to three helpings for hungry folks. This was a significant collaboration with a heart-touching impact.
A lot of faith in action is easy to see through people serving, but sometimes a special request pulls us away to a more personal space. One of our volunteers is a young lady named Marlee. A man asked her to help a woman who was laying by a sidewalk in front of the Shelter. Marlee asked a team member to go with her.
We found the woman behind a blanket held up by a stick tied to a wheelchair. It provided shade from the hot sun. She was lying on a sleeping bag on top of thin piece of cardboard covering a wooden pallet. She had just been released from the hospital and was in pain and unable to do much to help herself. Marlee sat in the dirty sidewalk and began to minister and give comfort to the woman.
It’s one thing to pray for a person, but it’s another to back up your prayers with action. Marlee went the extra mile in so many ways. She entered into a discovery process that lead to a plan to meet the woman’s needs. The night ended several hours later with the woman, her dog and a friend comfortably nestled in a hotel room. Marlee will meet them again this morning to help them board an Amtrak train that will take her to a place where she can get the help she needs.
​ Marlee will tell she did all of this because of what she read in her Bible.
​ “My dear brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone claims to have faith but demonstrates no good works to prove it? How could this kind of faith save anyone? For example, if a brother or sister in the faith is poorly clothed and hungry and you leave them saying, “Good-bye. I hope you stay warm and have plenty to eat,” but you don’t provide them with a coat or even a cup of soup, what good is your faith? So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony.”
‭‭James 2:14-17‬ ‭TPT‬‬
We’d like thank the long list of folks who collaborated to make the seen and unseen acts of compassion happen. A kind lady from Flagstaff who always reaches out with clothing and financial donations. A people from Buffalo who support our efforts through online giving. The Northern Arizona Collaboration of Churches, Urban Hope Church, Youth With A Purpose, Sam’s Club, Coconino County Health Disparities Program and the Compassion Ministries family. Compassion is truly a many-collaborative kind of neighborly love.
​ Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. JLYASDW

The wind probably would have sent the Bounce House shuffling off to Buffalo, NY from the sandy flatlands of the NAOMI House. We had to tell the kids it was a safety factor in leaving the air out of our favorite inflatable toy.
The sad faces and deflated demeanors were quickly replaced by laughter and joy as the water follies began! The kind and generous folks came from Compassion Ministries, Urban Hope Church, the Man Cave Prayer guys and Youth With A Purpose.
​ NAOMI is an acronym for Native American Outreach Ministries Inc. It’s a safe home for primarily Navajo children whose parents need some assistance in raising them. Regardless of the circumstances that brought them here, the children are happy and phenomenally care for.
There are many needs and opportunities for youth groups and churches to get involved in greater ways of being loved and giving loved.. Building relationships with the children is the most important thing you can do, but there’s plenty of work projects as well.
It was Memorial Day Weekend and we made sure the kids knew the meaning of the holiday in the midst of having fun. We spoke about sacrifice and how folks who love each other are willing to lay down their lives so that others might live. Jesus did that. He’s the best model we know for loving God and our neighbors more abundantly.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
(Let us know if you’d like to get involved in loving more abundantly!)😎

          Our last visit to the NAOMI House was a blast! It was our first time in history that volunteers outnumbered the children. There’s a few reasons for that, but let’s just focus on one. The hearts of these children and the staff at the NAOMI House contain a contagious love that touches people in big way. Word is getting out that being around these children and their caretakers is a life changing experience. It was a great day all around with many special happenings, but the last few moments were the most precious because of Blue Takis.
          Mentoring builds relationships one precious moment at a time. It's wise to remember special moments and use them as stepping stones of wisdom in future relationship building. Last year as we were leaving, we asked one of the boys what we could bring the next time we visited. His answer was a Blue Gatorade and some Takis. We knew about Gatorade, but Takis was new to us. They taste like somebody combined a snack with a flame thrower! Kids like tasty heat! Most stores carry them so they were easy to find. On our next trip, we brought a case of Gatorade and a case of Takis. We gave them to the boy who requested them (planting the suggestion that he might want to share them!) His eyes lit up and he smiled. We had kept our word.
          To many children, commitment is a foreign word representing an unknown promise. There's a lot of parents and adults who say a lot of things and never do what they say they'll do. The Gatorade and Takis represented a relationship breakthrough. Keeping your word means you care. Children quickly recognize the difference between truth tellers and fakers.
          The last few moments of our most recent trip to NAOMI House represent an opportunity for greater relationship building. Several of the youngsters were having fun until something happened that hurt someone's feelings. One of the girls sat alone in the sand with her head down feeling sad. Kneeling down beside her at eye level, I asked what we could bring her the next time we came back. She said, "Blue Takis." I asked her to repeat what she said to make sure I'd heard correctly. "Blue Takis." Her answer was immediately imprinted on my heart. The sad feelings started to fade away. This moment too will fade away and probably won't be remembered until we show up with Blue Takis.   
          There were many beautiful and fun times that far outnumbered any sad moments. There was the bouncy house, face painting, squirting each other with water bottles, Bible stories and a wonderful lunch. We're grateful for all the volunteers from Urban Hope Church, Youth With A Mission, Hope Cottage, Youth With A Purpose and Compassion Ministries. Mostly though, we're grateful for the children and staff at NAOMI House who do something beyond anything we could imagine. They cause us to leave them with more love in our hearts than when we arrived.
​          Thanks for taking the time to read this. Go do something nice for somebody.
​Jesus loves you and so do we.

​It was a beautiful night in the mountainhood for LightBreak at the Flagstaff Shelter!
Socks & Stew were served up by the Compassion Ministries Crew (not in the same pot!)
We gave away lot’s of clothes, shoes, books, Bibles, Jesus Wristbands & smiles!

If you can help us out with some new white socks or men's briefs (underwear), please let us know. Some items are really valuable and appreciated. Please call 716-830-8240.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
JLYASDW
#bettertogetherflagstaff #urbanhopeflagstaff #cftnflag #compassionministries #ywap4Christ #flagstaffshelter #JLYASDW

Nothing stops the Compassion Ministries team from going the extra mile to serve people!

On Wednesday night (2-16) at the Flagstaff Shelter they warmed a lot of hearts in a lot of ways!
Spaghetti, socks, hot chocolate, Bibles, toilet paper and a few other essential items were shared with smiles - despite some unsmiling weather!

The picture above shows Compassion Ministries Director Marvin Johnson tapping into some hot chocolate as snow flurries swirl around him. Marvin backed the ministry barbecue trailer into the backyard of the Shelter and served a delicious spaghetti dinner.

Socks came from many different people and please know - WE WILL ALWAYS NEED NEW SOCKS!
​
Thank you to everyone who shared a helping hand and a happy smile! Jesus loves you and so do we!
Urban Hope Church, Youth With A Purpose Inc, Church For The Nations Flagstaff, Doney Park Neighbors
#CompassionMinistries
#ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

It was an incredibly prayerful day in the mountainhood!
It’s one thing to go to church and say you love God and your neighbors, it’s an entirely different thing to take God’s love to your neighbors!
The Compassion Ministries family moved God’s love into the neighborhood!
We freely gave what we’ve been freely given.
Good food, (for people & dogs too!) New friendships, great giveaways and best of all there was prayer. We invited God to be the center of a beautiful day in the mountainhood!
#grillandaprayer #compassionministriesflagstaff #urbanhopechurch #cftnflagstaff #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW

     There are many ways to describe fathers. All of those ways can't be applied to all fathers, but there is one word that does describe all fathers. It's a heavy word called, "Brokenness."
     The Father's Heart Tour is generating understanding and healing as it traverses the country from coast to coast. It's real and it's raw. it's heart-wrenching and heart-warming. It produces heart-seeds of greater love. All men are broken. All women are broken. All sons and daughters are broken. We're all broken, but there's hope for our hearts to be healed in understanding forgiveness and our own brokenness. Jesus became broken to heal our brokenness. 
     The evening began with" the Internationally Nominated Documentary on the impact of fatherhood and how it shapes our perceptions of God" The film is called, "If You Only Knew My Father." The movie was filled with deep heart-penetrating moments that brought buried memories to the surface. We believe wounds were healed and wisdom was gained.
     We're grateful for folks like Justin and Cindy Butow who are the directors of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) - Tribal Winds. They're on the front lines of human struggles - lifting up young hearts into the mercy and grace of Christ. They invited the Father's Heart Tour into the Northern Arizona community. They made a huge difference in an area where fatherhood could use a boost of God's love. We also want to thank the staff and volunteers at YWAM, especially Mark Zarubin who went the extra mile to share this great opportunity.
     You can find out more about this life changing tour at, 
https://www.facebook.com/ifyouonlyknewmyfather
Noble Films
 [email protected]   
     Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#the fathershearttour #ywamtribalwinds #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW