The power of prayer (and parties)
Sometimes it takes a party to make you turn to prayer.
The Me & My Baby program at Urban Ventures provides education and support for new and expecting mothers. In the beginning, the program focused exclusively on brand new moms. But as their children grew, so did their relationships and the sense of community within the program.
As their babies became toddlers, leaving the program felt like leaving their family. They pleaded with Susana and Silvia, who run the program, to see if they could stay. The groups were so helpful, but they still had so much to learn and were so grateful for the support.
Having more participants in your program is a great challenge to have, but it’s still a challenge. Susana and Silvia had been planning a family party for a much smaller age range, just a couple of years. Now the moms were imploring them to invite all the moms, from pregnant to children 5 years old.
They wanted to expand the party, but they didn’t have the budget. “We didn’t know how we were going to give gifts to all these families,” Susana shares, “Of course we want them there, but we didn’t have the budget to expand.” Growing the party also meant needing more supplies and more people to help things run smoothly. Not sure what to do, they turned to prayer.
“It is always better to pray when you don’t know what to do,” Susana said. She and Silvia lifted their conundrum up to God, trusting that he could make a way for them to invite all the families. Susana recalls, “I don’t really know what I expected him to do, I just know it is always better to ask him, you know?”
Shortly after they said “amen,” Susana’s phone rang. It was the Hennepin County Library, calling to let her know they had 100 children’s books that they would like to donate. There was now a gift for every guest. A tremendous answer to prayer.
But God wasn’t done showing off. More good news came quickly. One of Urban Ventures’ key partners, Christ Presbyterian Church, had scheduled a day of service. They reached out to UV to ask if there were any volunteer needs on the specific date they had chosen. Which “just happened” to be the date of the party. Not only that, but the church would also contribute a financial gift to help pay for the event. “This is fantastic!” Susana exclaimed upon hearing the news. “They can come exactly during the time frame that we need them, and they are providing practically 99% of our budget! What a Blessing”
With gifts, supplies, and staffing solved, the Me & My Baby program was able include every family in the program. Susana reflected, “It is a good reminder that no matter how hard we work, prayer makes it work better.”
We are grateful for the many ways our supporters come alongside Urban Ventures. Donations and volunteers are crucial parts of maximizing our impact in our community. This story reminds us of the power of prayer, and how important it is to the work we do. Will you pause today and pray for Urban Ventures, our participants and neighbors, and our neighborhood?
