02/19/2015
So how did we get started? Here is something Todd Glasgow wrote on 8/1/12......
Last July my father, Kent moved in with us. We moved him up here from Corpus Christi. He was living in a small fishing town that had a weekly meal hosted by 6 different churches. Each one taking a turn at providing a feel meal to the community. (So, first It is not a new idea) We met a gentleman in H-E-B while visiting my father down there, who was buying groceries for the weekly meal. As we spoke with him, both Abbie and myself felt the need to pay for his groceries. That sparked the desire.
Over the next 7 months, I did not cultivate anything other than an occasional day dream. Even after the service, Pastor Ryan's message was on taking the inside out, I did not do much with it. Then I finally made a modest effort and approached Ryan with what GOD had put on my heart. He basically said, "We (church) are not interested, but I was then given the opportunity to be a representative as a board member on RACAPS. That is where the GOD moments began.
I mentioned my inspired idea to Jesse, the RACAP director, she told me that she would be willing to put it as new business on the next board meeting if I was wanting. Still, I was not sure I was ready. In the meantime, Jesse's daughter was put in the ICU following a bad infection. I did not get a chance to tell her I was still mulling the "particulars" over. Basically, I had not let God's conviction on my heart have any effect on my actions. However; GOD is greater than my own procrastination and I was on the board minutes and instead of passing until "I" was ready, yielded to GOD and explained to the RACAP board what GOD had put on my heart. A simple plan fashioned after the one I had heard about from my dad with many questions still to be answered. This was on a Tuesday.
I took the next two weeks creating literature, coming up with a name, and registering a domain. All the busy work I was good at, but not much more than planning. Then on a Friday evening, 8:45 to be exact, Abbie and I were wanting to find some dinner and stopped in to eat Thai at a little place just off Pat Booker. To my surprise, they would not seat us, because it was too close to closing. I was furious, I really wanted Thai and could not go anywhere else in time before they be closed. So I pouted and stormed off, got in our pickup and drove away disappointed and hungry. While scouring the area for a place open late enough to get some food, we said let's try Pappy G's even after we had passed it by. So we turned around to see if they were still open. Til 10pm, Praise GOD. We would finally get to eat.
We had thought of trying Pappy's a couple of times before, once it was closed and never had a strong conviction to memorize the hours of operation. So, as we ordered we saw a man dressed in chef attire, short in stature speaking with other guests. He approached Abbie and myself and introduced himself as Pappy G. After dispelling with pleasantries, Abbie in her boldness began to speaking with Pappy about our ministry. Which was not really a ministry, but an idea at the time. Pappy is a minister, chef, servant. He led a congregation for several years in Seguin and had a food ministry feeding the homeless under the bridge before the City of San Antonio outlawed such acts of cruelty and violence. Sarcasm, of course.
He got excited, we got excited. It was a definite GOD moment, a divine appointment Pappy would say. After we were done and the place should have been closed and abandoned sometime earlier, Pappy invited us to a Tuesday luncheon he hosts called "Lunch with the Lord". A group of pastors, believers and various rift raft are served a meal at no cost and get to listen to a devotional message from a guest speaker. He also told us that there were some "people" we might benefit from meeting at this luncheon.
On the following Tuesday, we went to the City of San Antonio Health Dept and got the glorious news. Sarcasm yet again. A few years back, the city decided to pass an ordinance that required anyone giving or selling food to do so from a kitchen that is fully licensed with the health dept. So, basically we have to have a restaurant kitchen to give away food. Not exactly the answers we were hoping for, but nonetheless GOD is always on the throne.
We made it to lunch, and the first people we met were those that Pappy had told us about the previous Friday. They are part of a community center. We heard an inspiring message on "pushing through" and after the speaker was done, she said that she knew the message was for us and she was spot on. It was exactly what we needed to hear. The other GOD moment was the laying of hands on my father for healing that day. He is now off his oxygen completely and GOD is using him in a mighty way to help our older adult outreach. We made a tentative appointment to meet the community center people later that week on Thursday.
Thursday came and that morning we ventured out to the San Antonio Food Bank. We were basically told, "Don't call us, we will call you." Another hurdle, but we were still headed for another GOD moment. We met with the Director of the Get Up Community Center that afternoon and he handed us keys to a 6000 sq foot building. Their plans were to finish construction on a commercial kitchen, but had a licensed mobile kitchen on premises to use in the mean time. Things were moving along at the speed of GOD.
During our meeting we (Abbie and me) offered to help with their food pantry day the upcoming Saturday. At which time we would distribute our flyers and promote our first meal. We were planning on that being May 22, 2012. Two weeks in the future However; Todd (me) forgot to put that date on those fliers and so the following Tuesday we had our first meal on May 15, 2012. Which incidentally was the same night of my RACAP board meeting. I took 8 to go dinners for everyone to sample and try and put to words what GOD had done in the last 4 weeks.
That is the background of how we came about, the stories of things we have been able to be a part of since then is just as inspiring. Knowing that GOD is still moving in our midst. We have served over 600 meals. We have had people come share a meal with us who are homeless, some have not eaten in several days, some whom were in need of prayer and others just needed fellowship. We pray with each of our friends who eats with us and try to learn a little about them as we can. We have had close to 200 different people come to dinner, some every week and others just once. Our friends have included 3 homeless men, 6 special need adults, widows, widowers, single people, couples, families, employed, under employed, unemployed, some lost and some saved, but all of them GOD's children. We make sure everyone leaves with a full belly and prayer. We have have several prayers answered and others have been healed.
Despite the never ceasing GOD moments since then, only 11 weeks ago. There have been challenges and trials on many different levels. We have continued to seek Godly advice and have several tough decisions ahead. Whether we are "pushing through", "keep moving" or "taking the next step" God is our leader and our provider.
We have have 60ish for dinner the last 5-6 week. Not all the same people, many new people. We are quickly outgrowing our current space. Our immediate need/goal is to acquire a mobile kitchen of our own so that we can have an additional nights in a different parts of town.
That ended the testimony. Where does the ministry go from now forward? Please pray for guidance.
