August Testimony
The following is a testimony from a friend at Victim Relief Ministry here in the area. VRM works with local law enforcement, homeland security, and victim service organizations to serves victims of crime, disaster, and terrorism. We have been supplying VRM with Bibles for 2 years now.
“I wanted to share the story of a recent Victim Relief Ministries deployment to San Marcos and Wimberley following the devastating floods which occurred over the Memorial Day weekend. I was asked to meet with a woman in San Marcos who was described as angry, withdrawn, depressed, felt abandoned, was partially disabled by a stroke two and a half years ago. Without health insurance had not seen a doctor since being released from the hospital. I found her to be in a state of despair. Typical with a stroke like hers, emotions tend to swing dramatically. As we talked, she told me that God had abandoned her because she prayed He would take her life and because she was alive, meant He had abandoned her. I asked her if I could pray with her and I prayed that God would make himself known to her in ways that she had never experienced.
Over the next three days, the power of the Holy Spirit was evident and working on this woman. On the last day, My wife Gail and I carried her a Bible donated to Victim Relief Ministries by Urban Bible Outreach. Upon our arrival, we found her in a state of depression. She was again feeling abandoned and said she did not have the strength to continue. The night before as my wife looked for an appropriate passage to share with her, God laid Isaiah 41:10 on my wife’s heart. “So do not fear, for I am with you; I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Gail wrote the passage in the front of the Bible. Upon hearing that she was feeling weak and had no strength to carry on, Gail read the passage and gave her the Bible. This time she asked me to pray for her instead of me asking to pray. We prayed and continued ministering to her for about an hour before moving on to other flood victims.
The last day we saw her, she asked me about some of the difficult circumstances I face as a crisis chaplain and told me “ I want you to know that I prayed for you last night.” In 3 days, the power of the Holy Spirit moved this woman’s heart to a place she could look past her own problems and pray for someone else. We left her in the care of a local agency who is connecting her to social services. I pray that God will continue to reveal his presence in her life. God does amazing things in every Victim Relief Ministries deployment.
The Bibles supplied by Urban Bible Outreach plays a vital an important part in reaching those who suffer personal tragedies. I hope this story provides an encouragement to you and your ministry team and an understanding of the important work you doing impact the lives of others. VRM is particularly blessed to be on your donation list.”
Glenn Cato, Victim Relief Ministries