Heaventrain & We Care Connection

This past week must have been "outreach week" for the Muniaks because the outreach continued through the weekend. However, instead of going to another county, we ministered right here in Cleveland. It was a great experience for the both of us.

Saturday morning we headed to the East side of Cleveland to participate in the "Heaventrain" ministry for the first time. It was something me (Elaine) and my husband have wanted to do since we heard about it. This ministry focuses on reaching out to children in the inner city. They take their bus (dubbed the Heaventrain) and have services for the children on the bus and then give them a sandwich to eat. They fill the physical need as well as the spiritual. Seeing the bus pull up was almost surreal. It was amazing to look at something so legendary in Cleveland in the flesh. We even took two breaks during our time out there to go inside the bus and see how it all happens. When we weren't doing that, we were merely playing with the children who were waiting to go on the bus for their church service. We left at the end of the day tired but full of joy over the exciting things that God is doing in the lives of these kids and with the desire to serve with the Heaventrain group again.

We Care followed this on Sunday afternoon. We have gone out with We Care for over a year and it is always exciting to see how God is working in the lives of the workers as well as the homeless they minister too. We Care offers so much with their outings: food, hygiene items, prayer, biblical truth, and worship music. So many needs are being met with this ministry. Ryan spent most of the time handing out tracts and witnessing to those who did not have a relationship with Christ. There was one Muslim man in particular that seemed so close to getting saved. He allowed a couple of people to pray with him and even took a Bible. My day consisted of singing for those we were serving. It is amazing what happens when one or two people start to sing praises to God. Soon others will come over and join in, both Christian and non and the whole atmosphere changes. One of the workers came and sang with me for almost the entire time. I came to find out that this girl had actually been involved in singing competitively! That's a God thing.

By the end of the weekend, Ryan and I were exhausted, but overjoyed. We were thrilled to be obeying the call of God on our life to reach out to the lost and fill their physical and spiritual needs. We anxiously await our next adventure wherever God intends to lead us. "Where He leads me I will follow!" (Where He Leads Me Hymn)