I recently sat down with some of the Agape House staff to get information on what they have recently accomplished. In particular I was asking for stats. Let’s face it, everyone loves to be ‘Wowed’ by big impressive numbers. We get impressed when we hear how many people were baptized, how many people viewed the Facebook post, how many people visited the website last month, how much money was raised, and on and on and on.
When I asked how many people the Agape House had help last year, the number of supported families was around 4 or 5 families. Or something like that. I didn’t write the number down, since it wasn’t this big grandiose number. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to use that statistic, so I dismissed it.
Then they talked about a celebration that they were planning for all of the families that they have helped since Agape House started in 2013. They said that they are inviting all of the 13 families. Again, I thought ‘Darn’, I need some numbers to ‘Wow’ the readers of the blog.
After I left the meeting, God clearly set my perception straight. In this case, it is truly a quality as well as a quantity issue. The quality of mentoring and life-changing assistance that Agape House gives one family is mind-blowing to say the least. But this is where the low numbers were stumbling me. For example, one family, a mother and three children, is technically 4 people. 4 people’s lives that are changed forever.
But what about all of the lives that they are going to change?
As we know from scripture, seeds of faith are planted all of the time. We don’t know exactly when these seeds will reap a harvest, but they are planted and ready to witness and help others. To apply this analogy to the families of Agape House, we will never know how these families will influence other families. We will never know how their new found life will place them in an opportunity to help others, a chance to lead by example, lend a helping hand, or work in a field where they are the ones that are doing the helping. Not to mention their own children. They have ended the downward spiral of bad decisions. No more thinking they aren’t good enough. They can begin saying ‘Yes’ to a life of independence.
The families that the Agape House have walked along side in this process of leaving homelessness behind are sometimes referred to as ‘Graduates’. They graduated through the process and are now leading a prosperous life and living independently. Staff also refers to these families as ‘Overcomers’, which I personally think is a great title. That title comes directly from scripture:
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
These families have overcome more than we will ever know.
I admit, numbers still drive me, it is human nature. So, if you do want some numbers to ‘Wow’ you – here are some that will knock your socks off:
In the past three years, Agape House has:
- Poured 963.05 Mentor Hours into Agape families
- Helped 24 Students
- Provided Rent and Utilities 278 times
- Paid and provided 7,750 Nights of bedding
- Dedicated 298 Hours of Counseling and Life Skills
Praise to God for the work that Agape House has done for the families of Prescott, Arizona.