FAITHFUL IN THE WAITING

ZOiË VIE Ministry family, long time no talk! It’s Olivia Mendiola, ZV Outreach Director, back to tell you all about what we’ve been up to the last several months since we last spoke. If you follow us on our social media platforms, you may know some of what I’ll talk about here today, but reading through this blog post will give you a more in-depth explanation and look at our current ministry initiatives and the incredible growth we’ve seen over the last year. Our bi-monthly food pantry/clothing closet is on its way to becoming a community staple, but it's not the only thing God has done through His ministry. Follow along with me to see His Spirit move in “Faithful In the Waiting,” and check back soon for the second half of the story!

Looking back one year, I can remember a schedule full of meetings. Last June the ministry was only a few months old and our focus was primarily on listening and learning. We met with directors of similar nonprofit organizations, and other individuals with wisdom in aligning areas of ministry. We did this while volunteering and gaining our own experience for quite some time. Each meeting and volunteer opportunity brought us closer to preparedness. The Lord spoke profound messages through His people; things that we could only hear if we took the time to listen. Like anyone else called to ministry, each of us were eager to get started doing the work, ready with a lengthening list of great ideas, but the importance of this season became increasingly clear as time went on. Some of the topics that were brought to our attention in meetings we went to, were things that had never occurred to us. Reflecting on it, we are grateful that the Lord made us slow down and sit in the waiting, in the listening. Even now, we still have representatives who faithfully serve weekly at Miracle Hill and are excited to make new connections whom we can learn from in and around the community. Some other things that we focused on in the waiting, were continuously working on our own personal relationships with God, and spending time looking within ourselves, seeking areas where change was necessary. We spent time doing bible studies, fasting once a week, and meditating on God's commands. We did not idle! 

At some point during this season, the Holy Spirit began to move very noticeably in my church and through my pastor. His desires for the congregation to get involved in ministry work, and to become a generally more “healthy church,” stuck out to me. I decided to share this observation with our ministry board members, and we collectively agreed that it would be a good idea to meet with him so that we could share our vision in more detail. We had been praying for a location to operate from, from which we could open a food pantry and a clothing closet, as a starting point for programs we are able to provide. Upon meeting with my pastor, John Lee, we saw that his heart reflected ours. The church building had several available rooms, and the programs posed a great opportunity for church member involvement and growth, and would align with the desires he had been bringing to the congregation's attention; while at the same time providing a base of operations for ZOiË VIE. Pastor John showed us two separate rooms that we would be able to use for the programs. This was completely Spirit led. Our God is not a God of coincidence. With a God-sent location secured, we were able to begin planning our first steps.

With two board members expecting tiny blessings, due within a few months of one another, it was mutually decided that we would wait until after the new year to officially open doors for the food pantry and clothing closet. However, that didn't mean we would idle then either. We hosted our very first ZOiË VIE Ministry event on Thanksgiving Day 2024 at Beaumont Baptist Church, the same place we would soon open our pantry and clothing closet. The holiday dinner welcomed anyone in the community who had no table to eat at for Thanksgiving, regardless of what their circumstances were. Starting in the days prior, up until hours before the start of dinner, we lovingly prepared a delicious (if I may say so myself) dinner spread for 100 people. Many of you prayed, donated, helped to spread the word or volunteered to help make this event a success and it was! Our hearts were filled with gratitude as we received deliveries of items off of our Amazon registry, monetary gifts toward groceries, dinnerware and other supplies; as we filled our shopping carts at the store, and as we spent time in our kitchens preparing this meal. Most importantly, that day, the Lord showed up in a very God-like way. The event allowed church members who graciously volunteered their time to get acquainted with the ministry, and fed those that God needed fed that Thanksgiving Day! 

To summarize this piece, I'll leave you with some scripture, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10 NKJV. Faithful in the waiting, what does it mean? It means be still, listen to the voice of our Lord and obey. His plan is perfect and His plan is timely. Patience is fruitful.

In our upcoming blog post, come back to read all about our new programs and how they are thriving by the grace of our Father in Heaven!

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