This time of the quarantine has been an opportunity for us to be in the Word even more, and to do family devotions together. One thing that's come out of this is a conviction to care for the people who live near us who are also going through this crisis. As we thought about how we might be able to reach out to others, we came up with an idea:

We started making care packages for our neighbors with a note card that gave our names and numbers, letting them know if they needed anything (including prayer) to please call or text. The girls wrote the note cards, Eleni decorated the bags, and we set out to deliver them.

We heard back immediately from a few neighbors! It really blessed their hearts. I soon heard from a friend who now lives in Texas, who saw that the girls and I were doing this, and she told me of a dear older lady friend who she thought lived near us and asked if we could make and deliver a bag to her. Of course we could! We made up a very special one, with homemade chocolate chip cookies and an extra pretty picture that Eleni drew and colored. The lady, Judy, literally lived around the corner from us!

We went to deliver it, and Thalía and I waited as Eleni went up to knock on the door. Eventually, Judy came to the door, and Eleni explained that we were dropping off a care package and that we love her and so does Jesus! She was moved to tears and said we couldn’t know what this meant to her. She had been in the ER a few days ago with heart issues, and she was so touched that someone would reach out to her. I then told her about our mutual friend who let us know where she lived, and she beamed! She asked if she could hug Eleni - and it was very sweet.

Since then, Judy and I have been texting back and forth. She has sent me pictures of Eleni’s drawing on her fridge. More importantly, she has asked us to pray for the neighbors across from her as she has been trying to witness. I told her we would come up with an extra special care package for her neighbors and deliver it. God is working and we are SO thankful to be part of it!