I would like to share the details of how we distribute to the impoverished kids but first let us lay some groundwork about Bethany where these kids live (and Jesus kept returning to in His ministry which included “lodging” there; Lazarus was from Bethany).
Jesus spoke to the multitudes in Matthew chapter 5:
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
First of all, my friend Alan shared some details of why FATHER most likely moved my wife and me to Bethany:
Rarely is this ‘natural sense realm input’ totally reliable, and we usually interpret definitions in a negative mentality. A good example is ‘beyt ah-niy’, “…house of the poor”. You probably recognize this word as Bethany. You may even know someone that resides there. ‘beyt ah-niy’ is often referred to as “…the house of the poor”, because ‘ah-niy’ is often associated with, or translated directly, as ‘poor’.
We like to quote the following: “Blessed are the ‘poor’ in spirit”. But, why are they ‘poor’ in spirit? Is it because they have no ‘spirit presence’ with which to identify, or turn to? Not at all, I say. They are called ‘poor’ because the ‘afflictions’ (ah-nuh) of life have kept them from being arrogant, and filled with soulish pride. The ‘poor’ (ah-niy) in spirit are those that are not filled with soulish pride, and carnal arrogance.
‘ah-niy’ is also translated several times as ‘afflictions’; Gen. 16:11, Psalm 22:24 and Isaiah 48:10 are some good examples of expressing ‘ah-niy and ‘ah-nah’ as ‘afflictions’. Gen. 15:13 is also a valid expression. Numbers 12:3: ‘meek’ is from the Hebrew ‘ah-nav’ (wn[), one whose ‘afflictions’ or ‘answers’ from life has kept them from being inflated with pride or arrogance. Psalm 147:7 translates ‘ah-nav’ as “Sing”, as a form of an answer to Him.
I realize this is a very broad and ‘generic’ overview, but I hope this will give you a feel for what you are seeking. Sometimes the answer we seek must first be recognized in the ‘afflictions’ and ‘poor’ experiences of our existence, to propel us further to find Our Father. When the ‘afflictions’ of this life no longer dictate who we are, we are getting much closer to the character and nature of our Elder Brother. You may have been living in ‘Bethany’ for more reasons than were readily recognized.
In this sense, “humble in spirit,” or, “poor in spirit,” which means to be humble and totally dependent upon God for everything. It is synonymous with “pious” or “saintly,” not just in the sense of those who possess nothing. It could be translated “Delighted are those who have surrendered completely to God and trust only in HIM.”
With this as a background, Bethany Public Schools covers one square mile within the City of Bethany. Another school system much larger surrounds this small area. The superintendent and I are friends and I approached him concerning our assistance. He fully embraced our support as well as his three principals who are all believers.
We met and established that we wanted to distributed “assistance” through “gift” cards from the local supermarket chain (the owner and I went to school together and he was excited about preparing cards for us) and Walmart for essentials. In addition, they set up an internal account specific for our assistance to draw from when they needed supplies, shoes, etc. via the Internet.
The counselors and teachers were notified of this source of assistance so they could provide input to the principals for approval. We believe that only true impoverished families are receiving our support because of the relationships established through their teachers and counselors.
The teachers see these kids more than anyone else thus they know what shape their clothing and shoes are in. They know hunger when they see it.
As you can see, this has become a very effective way for our funds to minister to those kids. Once per month, I gather all the contributions and buy food and gift cards as well as write a check to “reload” the school assistance account. The superintendent provides the details for optimum disbursement.
Servias takes no bows for we chose to be rather “anonymous” to these kids and their families. Let Our Heavenly Father receive ALL the glory and honor. Servias Ministries is simply here to serve!