Go Beyond

One of the most enjoyable days of the year for me is our staff development day. That’s the day when we close our office doors and head out the door to serve our community. Today our staff made the 20-minute drive from Katy to Brookshire to serve The Manna House, one of our favorite local partners. Since 1997, the Manna House has provided a Christ-centered recovery and restoration program to more than 600 men with drug and/or alcohol addictions.

Today, we engaged in several projects at The Manna House campus. We painted walls and installed new lighting in their meeting room, installed new flooring in their thrift shop, planted flowers and mulched all of their flower beds and around trees, installed new car stops, provided new chairs for their meeting and classroom area, and repaired some low spots in their walkways. And we did all of this under cloudy skies and the threat of rain.

We had an absolutely great day as we worked and laughed together and made some meaningful connections with the Manna House staff and residents. Everybody worked hard and demonstrated a willingness to do whatever needed to be done. No job was too small and every task was made more enjoyable because we worked together. We have some really talented folks on our staff — men and women who can use power tools like pros.

We concluded our day by grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. I loved seeing all of the clusters of Kingsland staff and Manna House residents sitting at picnic tables or on the grass, enjoying good conversation around a delicious meal. The Manna House team overflowed with gratitude for all that we were able to accomplish. We love this ministry and all that they do to love and care for men seeking a way out of addiction. I am thankful that God brought us together more than eight years ago and that we continue to work together to advance God’s purposes.