Members of Grace Bible Church Pearlside reached out to homeless individuals and families on Thursday, July 18 at Blaisdell Park in Pearl City with a generous gesture that included a hot meal, new clothing, personal supplies, gifts, and fellowship that lifted their spirits while encouraging a renewed sense of hope to guide them away from despair and towards the light that shines upon their souls.
“We’re here to do fellowship with the people that live here and meet their needs and build a relationship with them. We just want to serve and love God’s people. I just feel like it’s a privilege to be able to do God’s work and to share the love that he has for me with others and let them know that God loves them too."
…..Hoku Cruz, Grace Bible Church Pearlside member, community volunteer
"We are basically here to serve the people that are in need. It feels good knowing that we are able to help them when they need it spiritually and physically."
…..Eli Cruz, Grace Bible Church Pearlside member, community volunteer
“What we really do at Grace Bible Church Pearlside is really reach the unreached. Reach those that are hopeless, those who have needs. Those who need to be loved and cared for, so its extending beyond the church, beyond our homes and extending into our community, one life at a time. Reaching these families and loving these families unconditionally. Sharing what we have and blessing them because they are in so much of a desperate need to be cared for. It’s about loving them. What we’re doing is actually uniting together. The Lord says, “Where there is unity, it commands a blessing.” We’re not only blessed by doing this, we’re blessed by receiving from them as well. It’s a give and take. Working together with the church and being out in the community is really what we need to do more of. It’s reaching these lives, and touching the lives. I call this the dark side of paradise which we enter into these areas and really bring the light into people’s lives.
It's our volunteers that make it happen. Volunteers, selfless people who donate their time, their money, their effort. I mean they donate items, clothing, toiletries; the grab bags are all donated. It’s just great. It’s people giving their heart away. It’s not so much about money, we value people, we value families and the children which touches the heart the most. It’s about the people.”
…..Camille Omo, Pastor, Grace Bible Church Pearlside
Experiencing the commitment and dedication for those in need by the Grace Bible Church Pearlside members is life changing. The spirit to better the lives of the many unfortunate residents in our Pearl City community that have fallen upon hard times and forced into homelessness is truly guided by the power of their Lord and the love that runs through them as one.
I would like to personally say thank you to Jits Fujimura for inviting me to be a part of Grace Bible Church Pearlside's gift to the needy in our community and also to Pastor Omo for making me feel welcome and a part of the fellowship that was extended to me.
To learn more about Grace Bible Church Pearlside and their work in our community, log on to: http://www.gbchawaii.org/
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pastor Camille Omo (left) is pictured with Grace Bible Church Pearlside member and community
volunteer Jits Fujimura on Thursday, July 18, 2013 in the parking lot of Blaisdell Park in Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Grace Bible Church Pearlside members and community volunteers Hoku and Eli Cruz generously
donated their time for their church and community on Thursday, July 18, 2013 to serve the homeless
in their time of need at Blaisdell Park in Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Grace Bible Church Pearlside Pastor's William Pacarro and Camille Omo chat for a moment as
they watch over their church members serving the crowd Thursday afternoon at Blaisdell Park in
Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Prayer played a spiritual role in feeding the mind and soul of both the Grace Bible Church
community volunteers and the homeless men, women, and children as the church members
shared a hot meal, clothing, supplies and fellowship on Thursday at Blaisdell Park in Pearl City.