The Elisha House
 

Our church in Jackson bought the 4 acres next door 18 months ago, and it had a brick house on it that was built in the 60's. We have completely refurbished it and turned it into the "Elisha House". We have wanted to have a home like this for 15 years or so! It is a place for wounded or displaced ministers and their families to come and stay for six months to a year, attending church and just soaking it up and healing. Or it can be for missionaries on furlough if no one is living there at the time. We paid the house and land off two weeks ago and moved our first family in today! It's a couple with three boys who have been on staff in another state and were just totally wounded and devastated. :IAM They are so excited! They will be living there for eleven months. The house turned out beautifully!! I will try to post some pictures later.

This couple are almost scared to believe that anyone would want to love on them like this. It's almost like they think there's going to be a catch somehow. Our church has just showered them with affection, and it's made me so proud. We were able to move them in with a stocked pantry, stocked refrigerator, all new furniture and appliances, new flooring, etc. I hope they find it restful and are able to come back stronger than ever!!! I think it's such a needed ministry.

Sherri that is wonderful!

I was there the service the visiting minister prophesied that you guys would be doing this!

Awesome Sister.Great idea.

Oh! that all had a heart to help others...Thank you in behalf of all that will ever stay there. May God repy you many times over.

Matt 25:34-26:1

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.


KJV

Matt 10:42

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
KJV

Those are the Master´s words. That is what Jesus would be doing if He were here in person among us today. His friendships always shocked the "well behaved" of His day.

A worthy cause - A house built with "Love" for the man of God! Awesome- may you /congregation be blessed abundantly for blessing the man of God....

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome - Such a great Cause

Some old timers spoke of a similar ministry years ago. Good to hear of its resurgence!

Your post brought tears to my eyes...what a wonderful project y'all have undertaken.

My prayer as always for you and Elder is that God would continue to bless the work of your hands.

How wonderful, Sherri..........sounds like you folks are going about the Master's business!

Most excellent! You should be proud of your church!

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. The family was at church today and was so excited about the house. The 12 year old boy told me that he slept so good in his new bed, and he loved his room! They are the cutest boys.

Rgcraig referred to the prophet earlier. Lloyd Bustard was at our church about 18 months ago,and we had just put the earnest money down on this house and land, but he didn't know anything about it. We had already decided to make it the Elisha House, and then he prophesied that we would be doing a home for wounded and burnt out ministers. He had no idea that it was already in the works, so it was a great confirmation for us! No one in our church except the deacons knew anything about it before that night.

Pictures of the Elisha House from Sherri:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0894.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0896.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0898.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0899.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0902.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0904.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0906.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0907.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...g/100_0908.jpg

Sherri,

That is awesome! The rooms are beautiful!

What a blessing to the ones that will be able to stay here through the years!

Thanks for posting these, Renda! It was so much fun decorating and fixing it up!!! I just kept thinking about how blessed we've been in the ministry, and how some people have not been so blessed, but have been broken instead. We just want to make them feel pampered!

This is a terrific work that you are doing....and a very much needed one. I believe that you and your church will be greatly blessed.

It's amazing what God is doing through your ministry...once again, Sis. C, God bless you both!!

It's lovely, what color did you use on the walls?

Sherri,

I think this is a wonderful thing you all are doing.

I have prayed much that the Lord would enable us to do something like this.

That has been a burden of mine for a long time. Seeing what you have been blessed to be able to do has encouraged me.

Thanks!

I just saw this, this morning.

It brought tears to my eyes. It is just wonderful! May God bless you and your church many times over.

Sherri, thats AWESOME!!! the Church would be wise to follow the model of your example.... there could perhaps be more ministers salvaged through this method of love and compassion....

the "Good Samaritan" mindset towards ministry, I feel is lacking....

Thanks for the encouraging words, everyone. This is something we have felt strongly about for many years, and it was a real God-thing the way this house came to us. Sometimes it takes years to see your dreams fulfilled, but God always comes through.

Now.....we have other dreams.......we're waiting on God.

Brother Lloyd Bustard was at CLC out here in Tempe a month or so ago. He is awesome. He totally gave a great word for a man that had lost his wife and Bro. Bustard had no clue, but God used him. It was awesome once he spoke the word out of his mouth it was like "Oh man!" Right on!

Beautiful! The way you have decorated the house looks so relaxing!

I pray that God's blesses you and your church.

trent4

I don't know the names of the colors. They were kind of like a cocoa color and then a lighter shade of the same thing. My sister's whole house is painted in this darker cocoa color and it actually goes with everything. It's beautiful!