05/24/2026
This is from last year but it lifted me up today, so I wanted to share it. As many of us know, this mission is not always easy but this makes it all worth it. Sometimes we need a reminder...
This feeds our souls & inspires us to keep pushing no matter how hard some days are. Thank you Ella for the heartful testimonial. We love you, Sim & Phillip. We're proud of you! 💜
Love Lifted Me
By Ella
Love lifted me.
My husband, our child, and I came with not much expectation. At this point, we had exhausted many of the organizations around us. Most were full to capacity, leaving little room; except for one that would only take our child. And since our child is young, there was no way we could separate from him.
Jesus Christ has been good to us along this path, ensuring we were never hungry. With the help of Pastor Jackie, who also works at CAC, and Wendy at the office, we were given a list of places. One of them happened to be Next Step Initiative.
We showed up at their door. This wasn’t our usual environment. Neither my husband nor I are users, but we had fallen on hard times. Let’s be honest, many people are just a paycheck or an unanswered prayer away from struggle.
The first thing I noticed was love. It was overwhelming, in the best way. Kristina gave me the biggest hug I’ve ever received in my entire life. Jesse James was so kind to our child. I’ve been to many places, even those more equipped for children, but I’ve never felt such peace.
I’m an observer. I sat, watched, and spoke with Nancy, Kristina, and her daughter. These people had genuine love and were willing to help, even though we didn’t fit the typical situation they deal with. Yet they helped anyway. Why? Because love motivated them.
Dwight L. Moody once wrote in A Life for Christ:
“If then you do not feel a fervent love and profound pity for humanity, be assured that the gift of Christian eloquence has been denied you. You will not win souls; neither will you acquire that most excellent of earthly sovereignties~sovereignty over human hearts.”
Next Step Initiative has that love; the kind that reaches out to people who are hurting. I’ve seen some come just for a hug.
As the week flew by, I watched Kristina call about 16 people, one after another, trying to help us remain at our current location, which we didn’t have the funds for. She was frustrated by the closed doors and lack of resources, but she never gave up.
My heart was moved, because I too had been running into brick walls. But I’ve learned that God opens the right doors at the right time. We don’t need to force our way in; He will already have someone’s heart prepared to help us. He just needs people like Next Step Initiative who are willing to keep going.
It was Thursday, and we had to be out of our motel by Saturday morning. The check from my previous job never arrived. The streets were calling our name.
We came to NSI for a meal and shared our story with others there. Listening to their stories of how NSI helped them was eye-opening. Every single one of them began with, “They give great hugs.” Many were downcast, but they had such loving hearts toward one another.
We’re not naïve to the nature of our surroundings, but what stood out was how they treated each other and cared for their belongings. They cleaned up after themselves. There was dignity.
As our checkout time approached, I called Miss Addie. I introduced myself and shared our situation. She told me she wanted to meet us. That Friday, we went to see her. I had never met her, but she had such a unique presence that I knew it was her before she even reached the door.
She greeted everyone by name with long hugs~ hugs that she didn’t let go of until they did. We spoke, and the next thing I knew, she was on the phone calling churches. She called about seven before finding the one that God had prepared to help us.
I can only imagine how exhausting it must be for these ladies to explain the situation repeatedly to strangers. And yet they did. Why? Because of love.
Next Step Initiative was ready to give us the shirt off their backs, even though we were strangers. Other organizations (no offense to them) can only do what they can. But here, my husband even helped someone with their bandage, and he told me, “This reminds me of when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.”
One of many lessons I’ve learned here is this: striving to be more like Jesus means taking care of others, simply out of love.
Having patience~even when every phone call brings bad news~made me hopeful. If nothing else, they did it out of love.
Being humble enough to ask for help.
This place showed me that there is no category of people; however hopeless or disgraced, who can’t be reached by love. We just need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones to reach them, not out of duty, but out of love.
Let’s lay aside our prejudices.
Among all that’s happening, for God to continue blessing NSI, it hardly matters whether the work is done in the exact way we would expect or have seen before.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4:
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful.”
I’ve not heard them boast or be prideful about what they do. The work speaks for itself. There is humility and diligent work done in quiet, which God will reward openly, and He already is.
So I write this not only for whoever may read this testimony, wherever it may go~but also for myself, as a stone of remembrance.
“The neck is bent by the sword, but the heart is only bent by the heart.”
Love is key. And it is irresistible.
Thanks,
Ella
