Dear Pastors Dennis and Colleen,

Christ is the reason for the season, and HE is alive and working in our small group!!! My husband Troy and I belong to Mike and Lynne Slaughter's V-Group, and we would like to share a beautiful testimony of the true Christmas spirit. I hope that this email finds you well and rejoicing in the love of Christ this Christmas Season.

Troy and I joined Tim Johnson's Freedom Outreach Team recently and have gone out on a couple of trips to the inner city to minister to the homeless. We instantly received God's calling on our life and truly love the work Tim and his team do for the 7 Bridges Outreach in the City of Atlanta. We decided that we would contribute to the mission by giving our family Christmas fund to the 7 Bridges Outreach to assist in their endeavors. At one of our small group meetings I casually spoke about Victory's Freedom Outreach Ministry and the need for clothes, blankets, etc. I asked that if anyone had any clothing to donate to please consider doing so and to let us know. It was unanimously discussed in our group that everyone would participate and even go farther than just donating items. We all agreed to forego our "Secret Santa" we were planning for our group and give the money instead to a pool to help buy Hygiene Kits. In our small group of three couples and four single individuals we raised an astonishing $540.00 for the kits and countless donations of men's and women's clothing, children's clothes, infant clothing and many coats!

We went shopping!! Wal-Mart gave us a $50.00 credit against our final bill and the manager was sorry he could not do more, but he explained that during Christmas he tried to give discounts to as many organizations as possible. We were overjoyed. We even ministered God's great love to shoppers in Wal-Mart that were curious about our strange buggy full to the top with soap, shampoo, razors and all the good things one needs for hygiene. We ended up purchasing enough supplies to make 50 hygiene kits with a few things thrown in that were not on the 7 Bridges list of needs. We had $129.00 dollars left and we decided to pick a family right there in Wal-Mart and bless them with our leftover money. We prayed and asked God to lead us to the family that HE wanted us to bless. The family was more than shocked that strangers wanted to give them a wad of money for nothing in return. As we turned and walked away, the husband called out to us "God Bless You!"

I have attached a picture of our group getting together and assembling the Hygiene Kits. It was an amazing night of fellowship and love.

Troy and I definitely feel blessed to be in such a warm and loving group. We have truly grown to be a family that we can trust and share our lives with in Christ. It's amazing what God will lead you to...if you only listen and open your hearts.

Sincerely,

Troy and Kimberly Paige

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