Missions Matters - Chets Creek Church

The Difference of One
What difference can one person make
We have statistics surrounding us about the 925 million hungry people in the world, the 1.3 million abortions performed each year in the U.S., and the
3 million people affected by natural disasters in 2010. It is easy to see why we get overwhelmed. It’s difficult to put faces with such staggering numbers.
Many at Chets have the privilege of putting faces with numbers like these. They have joined with local and global missions hoping to see lives
transformed in the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at what they had to say about the difference one person can make.
Steve McCollum, though retired, spends much of his week building and repairing homes for Beaches Habitat for Humanity and Beaches Emerge ncy
Assistance Ministry. In his spare time you find him doing handyman work at church or First Coast Women’s Services. When asked why he does this he said
because the Bible teaches us to serve and he finds joy in helping others. He has made a difference to more than one person. Families previously misplaced
now own a quality home and have food in their pantry. Steve says it has benefited him as well. He never gets bored and doesn’t have to pay a gym
membership to get a good workout. “You can’t do everything to solve the world’s problems but you can do something. God has gifted each of us and we
are to be good stewards of those gifts, whether it’s our time, talents or resources. Don’t do what I do. Do what God leads you to do.”
Diane Engelhardt spends one evening a week outside her comfort zone volunteer-counseling at First Coast Women’s Services. She considers it a privilege
to walk mothers through the painful but selfless journey of adoption. While many choose life, others have left the center without her knowing the
outcome. The weight of such decisions would be unbearable if not for the hope of making a difference for one life. Though Diane never thought she
would be counseling at FCWS, she has no regrets. She says she is a different person now than when she started volunteering six years ago. “It has
transformed me into a person who relies fully on God. It is only by our dependence on Him that we can make a difference and impact lives.” To the person
who says they could never do what she does, Diane reassures, “On your own you can’t, but with the Lord all things are possible. God shows up in each
session, and you realize you are never alone.”
Another from our Chets family who has impacted the world is Carmen Mantay. She collected a refurbished shipping container, money, needed supplies
and clothing for the victims of the tsunami in the southern part of Chile. Though this task seemed daunting, Carmen never doubted God would complete
what He started when He gave her the idea. She saw this project through to completion and was left amazed at how the Lord orchestrated all the details.
From receiving the container to the pictures that confirm the mission was accomplished, she says God worked miracles to make it all happen. Though
Carmen couldn’t be there to hold a child or hug a mother, she has wrapped God’s arms around many in the form of a warm jacket or blanket. To them, she
has made a difference. “Saying you care is nice, but showing you care is powerful. It glorifies our Lord, and it is contagious.”
Rick and Jo Ray recently read Radical, by David Platt, and were challenged to serve locally, yet out of their context. Through World Relief, they have since
befriended a refugee family from Cuba. Each week they take them to church and LifeGroup. They have helped re-furnish their apartment and are
working to help them find employment. Though the language barrier can sometimes be difficult, Jo says seeds are being planted and you have to trust
God with the results. She encourages others to get involved. “If you are not uncomfortable with what you are doing for God’s Kingdom, you may not be
operating in the fullness of your calling. God did not call us to be comfortable. He called us to be compassionate.” To this Cuban family, the Rays have
made a difference.
Lynn Bledsoe also volunteers her time with the refugees that have been brought to Jacksonville from all over the world. She has seen families come
because of famine, religious or political persecution or natural disasters. Usually arriving with only the clothes on their backs and a $900 check from
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Far left: Diane Engelhardt holds a malnourished child
while in Guatemala on a Chets missions journey.
Left: Lynn Bledsoe helps direct volunteers at the
Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement warehouse.
Opposite Top Left: Steve and Dee McCollum help sort
donations at B.E.A.M.
Opposite Top Right: Missionaries in Chile receive the
shipping container of tsunami relief supplies.
Opposite Right: Carmen and Frank Mantay preparing
to send a packed container to Chile.
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Chets Creek Church