Client 186, Spiritual Gifts, and OnRampDFW

Spiritual gifts — special abilities and qualities given to us by God to fulfill His mission for our lives — manifest themselves in a variety of forms that can include teaching, giving, serving, hospitality, and so much more. Our most recent client, Lupe, embodies the particular spiritual gift of serving. She has proven to be a remarkable caregiver to people in her community. Her heart overflows with compassion for those in need.

Before Lupe lost access to transportation, caregiving was more than just a job. It was her passion and calling. She forged deep relationships with those under her care, extending far beyond daily tasks. Lupe offered not only physical assistance but also emotional support, friendship, and hope to those in need. So understandably, when her vehicle broke down and she could no longer reach her clients, she was heartbroken to leave the work she cherished, as well as the income she counted on.

Fast forward to this week. Through the kindness and nomination of Patsy Shubert, a member of Aldersgate Methodist, Lupe received a reliable Camry from OnRamp. But this is so much more than just a vehicle; it’s an opportunity for Lupe to continue her calling of caregiving. With this newfound mobility, Lupe can once again flourish in her spiritual gift, caring for others in need. This one vehicle will bless many through her compassionate service.

As we celebrate Lupe’s spiritual gift, we invite you to reflect on your own. How can you use your gifts to continue God’s mission of love and compassion in our community?


OnRampDFW

Beyond our community, God continues to expand the impact of OnRamp to serve new cities and new clients throughout Texas. Our staff traveled to Dallas last week to spend time with the growing OnRampDFW team who continue to amaze us. This all-volunteer team has already given reliable vehicles to twenty clients; and check out the graph to see how diverse these clients are based on their native languages! God is using this team to demonstrate the love of Christ in a tangible way to men and women from all over the world. If you or your friends or family live in DFW and are looking for a faith-based charity to support, I strongly encourage you to consider this amazing ministry. You can give here.

Our staff team in the Brazos Valley counts it a privilege and priority to train and equip new OnRamp ministries like DFW as they scale up and grow. We used this “OnRamp RoadTrip” to Dallas to share the processes and software systems we’ve developed that can manage hundreds of clients at a time, and we offer these to expansion ministries free of charge (though they have to purchase the actual system software from the companies we bought it from). Yet in addition to us teaching what we’ve learned, we also learn from them. Their own experiences as an OnRamp startup have taught us much and given us new ideas to implement back here in the Brazos Valley. I’ll be honest: I pray for a day when a dozen OnRamp teams covering a wide swath of the US gather annually for an OnRamp conference to share what we’re learning, solve new problems, and plan for greater impact in the future. May it be so, Lord!

To all those who help to fund OnRamp here in the Brazos Valley, we want you to know that your giving is fueling impact that goes far beyond our community. Thank you for supporting our efforts to bless families in need throughout Texas!