When God called me and Alisan, along with our kids, to Brasil, we did not know what it would look like. We had a general sense of what the work would look like, but we had no idea the ways in which the Holy Spirit would energize and equip us for the work the Lord had set before us. In the same sense, when the Lord called us back to the United States, in the city of Philadelphia, we had an idea of the work, but not the Holy Spirit’s process of seeing the work realized. We knew God had called us to serve the least of these in a section of the city notorious for drug use, prostitution, and homicide. Like any journey with the Lord, when we stepped out in faith, he showed up to see his purposes fulfilled.

In the summer of 2017, when we first arrived in Philadelphia from Brasil, we did not have a real budget, but we knew God would do mighty things with the little things we lay at His feet. Each week, we would use what we had, and trust that God would show up. Alisan was passionate about providing healthy meals for the people in our community. One week she cooked a meal and we invited whoever was in earshot in front of the house, and by the end of the night there was no food left. We began cooking and hosting our “family meals,” on a weekly basis and before long a steady line of people was flowing through the house. During this time, we knew the Kingdom wasn’t merely bodily health; each week we would say, “Lord show up however you see fit tonight, this is all for you.” Every week, God would show up in mighty ways to touch the hearts of everyone that came.

Our simple yes in the beginning has led to monthly movie nights, cook-outs, and picnics to bless and love our neighbors in our community. Saying yes, without having the whole picture, opened doors in the past three years to train and equip over 1000 people from various churches and ministries, to walk in power and authority when they minister on the streets. People have been supernaturally healed from addiction, families reconciled, and people made whole, all from a simple yes to God.