March 2014:

March certainly came in like a lion; we had one of the harshest winters of our 15 years here! Our hearts were heavy each time the weight of the winter snow would land on our compromised leaky roof. We experienced new leaks in rooms the summer rains had not come through. Even though the Lord had provided through your generous hands the resources to fix the roof we still had the challenge of dry weather to get the job done.

In a series of God led events the Lord gave Jim a peace to use a Christian construction company in Lancaster. This was the only company that agreed with Jim that the old roof needed to be taken off completely. Jim feared the wood was damaged underneath and didn’t want to just cover over potential future problems. As Rory, Jim, Frank, and Bob were on the roof pulling up layers of disintegrating roof paper the wood was in fact rotten. Rory actually stepped through in a few places as the wood crumbled! Thankfully, no one was hurt and Rory was able to replace all of the rotten beams.

What joy filled our hearts when the new rubber roof was installed and all of the challenges of the old roof were resolved. During the next rain, Jim stood and watched the water roll off the new roof and rejoiced that it was doing its job perfectly.

With the new roof in place we took to the most damaged room, our bedroom. The process of pulling down water logged plaster and rotten wood was messy! We discovered the mold issue that appeared over the summer was not from the leaky roof but from the bathroom vent that had become disconnected and was blowing the humid air up the wall into our room. That was a much simpler fix than we had expected. Rory also installed a new closet system, put everything beautifully back together and Jim did an excellent painting job. We had paint, linens, and a rug donated that made the room really come together. We both love the results. When I open my eyes in the morning my soul sings, “Great is thy faithfulness…all I hath needed thy hand has provided, great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me!”

The next challenge we face is repairing the damage done downstairs. One of our supporters that helped to fund the bedroom restoration asked me, “Jen, how long are you going to live here?” I answered, “Forever, I guess…” to which she responded, “Then we need to make the repairs as soon as possible!”  We struggle with putting resources into our personal home. We look at all the patchwork holding the ceiling together and know this is a need but it is still challenging to “take away” from ministry funds. Please pray for the next phase of the renovations, for peace in the decision process, for the resources in the form of finances or donated materials, and for us to endure the process with our marriage and ministry intact!

We are celebrating all the Lord had done, all the ministry that has continued in the midst of a fierce winter, the next phase of construction next door and to our home! Great is thy faithfulness!! Thank you for being the hands he uses to provide for all of this. We are so thankful.

November 2013

Danny has always lived in Kensington and his hard life of alcohol abuse is taking its’ toll. When I pulled my van out early Wednesday morning Danny was retching by the el pole. The hand he used to balance himself against the pole had a hospital band on his wrist. He had been released a couple of days before after a visit due to a near overdose.

It will not take much for Danny to overdose. He has done so much physical damage to his body, his system is shutting down. He has had to stop drinking because his body can no longer process alcohol.

Unfortunately, he is using heroin to maintain a drug induced state of being. When he wakes up in the morning he needs to use heroin to not be physically sick. In some ways I “hope” he gets enough to allow his body to be at peace, but I know that is not an answer to what he really needs. What the enemy promises as a solution is slowly robbing Danny of life. The reality is Danny will not be on this earth much longer. Even if today he never does another drug he is an end stage addict. He has a pace maker in his heart, his kidneys are shutting down, his liver is severely damaged. You can see visible swelling when he sits on the sidewalk.

As hopeless as this all sounds there is a perfectly alive soul in Danny that may or may not spend eternity in heaven in a new restored body. He has heard the gospel many times, some of you have sat and shared with him. When he is sober he is kind, intelligent, articulate, and eager to hear the “good news”. The addiction grips his body, he chooses to follow his flesh nearing its’ end. I know the Lord would exchange Danny’s filthy garments for a clean robe of righteousness at any point.  My prayer is that he would make that decision and soon.

His physical state of being has opened my eyes to the desperate situation many of our neighbors are in; balancing on the edge of this world and eternal life. We believe we need even more prayer to see the lives that are gripped by the enemy released. Our neighbors hate the drugs they use, hate themselves for using, hate what they have to do to buy their drugs but they live in a state of hopelessness unaware of the freedom in Christ they can experience. Our prayers may open these prison doors. It is definitely a spiritual battle; Danny is in the fight of his life.

Living here every day I am made aware of how temporary this life is. I see the evidence in the eyes of those slowly killing themselves by the lifestyle they “live”. A new life in Christ is an incredible gift for us all. I am so thankful for His grace and mercy. He makes himself available to all who call upon his name. Oh may Danny’s voice be singing in that heavenly choir…Holy, Holy, Holy…Please keep him in your prayers. We pray a miracle both physically and spiritually!

Recently a visiting Pastor from Cuba shared with our church a timeless message from Psalm 103. It blessed my soul to hear a man who came in faith to encourage an American congregation to count the benefits of the Lord. We all know how blessed we are to live in a land of plenty, but it doesn’t hurt to shake our finger at our soul and remind ourselves just how blessed we are by the Lord. His simple yet profound word to remember all the Lord has done and will do inspired me greatly. So much so that it has been several weeks and I still hear his voice commanding my soul to rejoice and take courage.

A David Psalm 103
O my soul, bless God.
From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

When Jesus hung on the cross he pictured each of our faces as he forgave all our sin. Not until all of his creation was accounted for did he say, “It is finished”. He walks each of us through our diseases and heals our bodies of their infirmities. (As I type this Abigail has a temperature of 101 and Aaron had a biopsy yesterday for a suspicious mole, please pray in their healing!) In our eternal lives he redeems us from hell, what a benefit the Lord generously gives. Not only does he take the blame for our sin but he crowns us with love and mercy. They follow us all our days. When he looks at our faces or hears our names he sees goodness and beauty. In the Lord’s eyes we are always young.

Since the message came to me I speak back to fear and doubt with the word of the Lord. We needed braces for Abigail and the cost was too exorbitant for us to pay. We prayed to the Lord and he led us to an orthodontist in our church! The fee to get Abby’s braces from beginning to end was several thousand dollars, but we only had to pay 10% of that fee. Thank you, Grace and Mercy for following us and she was provided for!

I shake my finger at my worry and exchange it with meditation on his faithfulness, answers to prayers, miracles, abundant provision, love, eternal life, and health. Just to name a few; he provides for all of our financial needs every month, our pediatrician is a wonderful Christian man, our dentist recently has done several crowns for Jim and I and has not charged us for this extremely expensive procedure, and we have been safe for all these years living in a very dangerous place. We don’t want to take any of these benefits for granted. We are in constant appreciation for all of your gifts, also!

As we face today’s battles we arm ourselves with the powerful evidence of what God has done and build our faith to pray in the miracles we haven’t seen yet. In the words of Pastor Jose, “Shake your finger at your soul, and do not forget all his benefits!”

Jenifer Snider
June 2013

I struggle with this monthly if not weekly. I have this accounting man in me that wants’ to keep money in the bank for the future bills and this Christ man that sees the need and desires to meets it.  Just last week a man came and wanted to go to a recovery program, that I have been suggesting he go to and although I am thrilled for his desire (Christ) I am concerned (accountant) for how I will get the $130 for the bus trip.

Thank you for your financial and prayer support for this ministry. We would not even be here without you let alone be able to minister to all the poor and hurting here in Philly. I am always blessed when the mail comes and it has the funds needed to match the monthly needs. I heard a verse this weekend on giving and the Lord said this about giving the tithe and the offering “Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.” Malachi   I pray this over you and your finances so that you can not only continue to bless us here at Cast Your Cares but many other as well.

I am still going through the process to get the gentleman into the program and I am sure the funds will be there when needed.  The Lord continues to meet the needs in this ministry and your generosity truly amazes me!

Blessings

When the weather turns warm we spend as much time out of doors as possible. It is quite contrary to living in Florida most of my life where I spent time trying to avoid the heat. We are fortunate to have a beautiful side lot and spring marks the season where most city dwellers come out of their brick dens to officially end hibernation. Last year while dining in the side lot I dropped a glass sending it shattering all over the rock gravel lot. I hurried to clean up all of the shards before anyone got hurt and headed inside.

A couple of days later I went to the lot to do some early morning reading. The sun was shining so bright directly over my path and I stopped in my tracks as I saw more glass shards. I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me about all the shards that reflected in the clear light of day. I couldn’t believe how many I missed! He spoke how in our most painful moments we tend to pick up the large shards and call ourselves healed briskly move on with life. Only when we are capable of deeper healing does God reveal more shards that need to be gently removed.

As you can imagine I needed a word from God at that moment in my life. I thought I was past a hurt and was bothered by this gentle reminder there was even more healing I needed. Until that moment I hadn’t realized festering shards were still in my heart that without God’s gentle hand removing them I could never be completely whole. I was well enough to do my day to day but God always wants more for us than to just get by.

Tender mercy and grace are His way. Our ministry to the hurting souls in Kensington is full of “shard removal”. I thought moving here we would preach the good news and all would be healed. Instead I have learned we are in fact healed bit by bit through a process that is just as important as the final healing! We have been enduring many processes just as you have and continue to see God’s hand in them all. The construction renovation moves nicely along. Faithfully each week men sacrifice their day off to build God’s kingdom here on Kensington Ave. as it is in heaven. The food cupboard remains open and full of food for more than 80 families each week. Jim’s time spent on the street continues to prove fruitful.  The outreaches are full each Saturday uniting Christ’s bride (the church) spending time with Christ (the least of these). And remains one of the most beautiful things our human eyes can behold.

Thank you for your sustaining support of our shard removal here in Philadelphia. I have a great peace knowing you agree with us to continue the work begun here entrusted to our family and volunteers.

Jenifer

 

It has really been a great few months here in ministry.  I wish you could all come and experience the joy of ministry in the city of Philadelphia with us.  Someone gave me a newspaper article that stated that Philadelphia is the poorest big city in the U.S.  I thought what a great place to be helping the poor!

It should come as no surprise that the “feeding the hungry” ministries are a huge success.  We recently had a visit from Philabundance (Philly Food Bank) and they encouraged me to keep track of the food we give away.  I resisted because I said “We are not that big and it is not a big deal”. We did some rough calculations and we are one of their top food cupboards, as we are on track to give away over 65 thousand pounds of groceries, serve over 8,000 meals and hand out over 10,000 snacks this year!

Yes, those are the numbers but the real impact is the people we get to bless.  They are real people that are having a hard time with life in general. One lady told me it takes her an hour and a half to get here and she does not just come for the food but the fellowship and because of “how blessed” she feels after every visit.  This part of our ministry is the “foot in the door” of people’s lives, and from here we can go on to a deeper relationship with our neighbors.

It has been great to have Bob Marshal helping make bags and giving out the food.  He has been a champion for the hungry by raising over $5,000.00 for the food cupboard ministry.  We are very blessed to have Bob on board helping CYC.  If you are in the Yardley / Langhorne area and want to join Bob one day, give him a call (267-902-4760) and you can join him as he journeys down to Philly to minister. You can also contact him about his “Change for a Change” campaign. (a little spare change goes a long way)

You can tell ministry is growing and our need for a larger facility is upon us.  Right on time we have had a few people come together with a goal to finish construction on the ministry center.  It has been a busy and exciting past month as we now have a construction team with a goal (and plan) to have the first floor done by July 4, 2012.   The first floor ceiling beams are in and we have the approval from the city to drywall and fire seal the first floor ceiling. (That was a huge answer to prayer) We have also replaced the front wall and installed a new front door to code.

NOTE:    Pictures up on facebook at Cast Your Care Ministry also you can friend me friend me at www.facebook.com/jimishere

It is the time of year when everyone tells me I should send out a big “ASK” for year end contributions.  OK, can I have a big year end contribution from you?  Just kidding but in all seriousness those of you receiving this are “the team” and the ministry has grown because of you sharing CYC with your friends and family.  It is really cost prohibitive for us to do those bulk mailings but I know that we have you spreading the word about CYC and I thank you for your support.  We are currently putting together a construction fund raising plan, but if the $70,000 needed comes in before that, it would be an answer to my prayers. FYI, we already have over $11,500 given so know that prayer works.

Blessings to you for ministering here in Philly with us!

 

This picture was taken from our ministry center as a wall of water was being put on a fire that made the national news.  It was a five alarm fire (the biggest) and it burned for days. St Francis Inn across the street was without power for over a day and many in the neighborhood were evacuated for safety concerns.  All was fine here at CYC and we were even able to offer drinks and bathrooms to some of the fire fighters.

We have been meeting many needs this past month and I was getting concerned that we might be giving too much away. I was seeking the Lord about when to stop the out flow so the bills were sure to be paid.  I happen to be reading the story about blind Bartimaeus in Mark chapter 10. As you might recall he was shouting for Jesus and people were telling him to hush. Ah, but Jesus went to him, the dirty blind loud beggar and asked him what did he want. What did he want? Most would assume he would want to see but yet Jesus asked him what he could do for him.

If Jesus said to you what do you want, what would be your reply?

This caused me to praise the Lord for all He has provided and tell the Lord money is definitely not what I would ask for.   That week more than enough money came in to pay all the bills meet all the needs and more.  ABUNDANCE!!

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. NIV

Wondering what I would ask Jesus for?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NIV

Thank for being a part of that immediate and long term blessings that keeps CYC here in the inner-city of Philadelphia all year long.

I pray blessing over you for investing in heavenly treasures!

Jim Snider