Why Help Messiah's Branch care for the people?
Messiah's Branch
Mission 803 west Maple, Wichita, Ks
Mailing address 230 west 4th street.
Florence, Ks 66851
Mission & voice mail (316) 619-4886, (620) 878-4682
Mission Updates below link
Messiah's Branch a Labor of Love!
Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace,
I hope to answer some questions some may have. Yes In Wichita there are some other places to eat. There are a few churches who also feed one day a week or a month. The Lord's diner feeds everyday to who ever walks in and signs their name. So Why Messiah's Branch?
Let's first talk about the Lord's diner. Yes it is a good place to eat. Free to any who walk in. Many homeless eat there as well as poor. For the most part it pulls people from the neighborhood it is in. Yes many homeless walk over there and we even give them rides there after they have spent the day with us.
Most that we take there are not trying to over stuff themselves but use it as a place to look for others. The rule at the diner though is eat and leave. Many elderly, sick, or disabled cannot get clear to the diner. If you opened one in almost any neighborhood in Wichita it would not phase one bit what they do. That is how many poor are in Wichita.
So who does Messiah's Branch feed? We feed poor from all over town. Not all are homeless about half are or more. We open the door at 1 PM we are open till 6 or 6:30 PM. Most of the time we run out of what ever mom ( my wife sisterlinda ) fixes as we offer to-go-plates. For many that is the only way to get their next meal as many cannot go to the Lord's diner or will not. We feed brunch from 1 till 3 PM..generally egg sandwiches with cheese or grilled cheese something like that. We have donuts out all day or some other sweets which are donated, as well as coffee and tea. A movie is played and games come out such as chess or checkers. Then at 4:30 is the meal that mom makes here in Florence mostly and is reheated. Hamburger and noodles or chicken and noodles are a couple of the favorites served with a vegtable and sometimes potatoes or maybe canned peaches depending on what the ministry has.
You see during the day we provide a safe place for them to come to, a place of love to get out of the street where they are treated normal and do not have to fear. Many come for prayers and family type love as that is also what we offer. We cannot keep Bibles and are out of them now. We only give out KJV Bibles or Messianic.
Like on came to me and told me how he asked another Pastor to pray for him from a very large church, the man in tears told be he had back slid and asked the Pastor for prayer. the pastor gave him his card and said " Okay make and appointment" Wow he could not even bother with this man for a moment. When someone asks for prayer I reach into my pocket break out the anointing oil and right then we pray....I have seen miracles right then!
For many they come to be around our children. Yes that's right our 4 children. You see many have lost their children because of the place they are at in life and they miss family greatly. My 9 year old was taught how to play chess by some of the homeless and he is good. He told me Tuesday someone finally beat him...those are his words.
Some are mentally ill and cannot be around large crowds. I know how to deal with special needs of these people as it comes from within a real love that can only come from a higher power, the Holy Spirit. Many of these disabled people only get $185 a month while waiting on Social Security. Where can you stay for that?
Children? yes we get family in with children more in the summer than in winter. I like to give them some little toy or something if I have it. You would not believe the way their faces light up when you do this or give them some candy or something special, which reminds me I need to pray some things in.
Some are kicked out of the Lord's diner and other places so this is why they come to us. yes some are drunks of the worst kinds drinking mouthwash to get high on. So why would I bother with these people? Because God loves them and so do we. These are the people that need help the most. I treat them as I would you or anyone else you see God is not a respecter of people. Someone has to love them. So yes we do get the very worst but they behave while they are at Messiah's Branch. Oh there is an occasional out break of a few Word but not very often. You see they come for peace, black, white, green, purple, brown etc all are the same in the Branch and in God's eyes.
Starting about the middle of the month we get older people from the neighborhood and elsewhere coming in. We have had some elderly come in dressed very nice but just cannot afford to eat. We have people come in and ask for to go plates for shut ins. Some come at the end of the month or middle asking for bread or a little food to get by. We are not a food bank but it seems we have always manage to give food to those in real need. Now we are out of that kind of food but I am sure the father will provide.
We are just a very small storefront Church so many eat and leave and come and go all day so it is hard to tell how much really goes out or rather the number of people. I know we have did as many as 7 dozen egg sandwiches in one or more plus the 4:30 meal.
I doctor them for colds, cuts, and other wounds as many cannot afford a trip to the doctor or again just will not go. When different ones are missing for a while I go out and look for them. Yes I take food as needed under the bridges. Never do I question why just do it.
We drive 120 miles round trip to Wichita twice a week to do this. I also drive around town looking for them and picking them up or just checking on them, someone has to love them right? I drive a full size van so you can guess how much it costs in gas....but it is part of what the Lord has put on my heart to do.
Prayers are offered before every meal but I do not require them to hear a sermon to eat. We are Messianic and keep the same Sabbath as Messiah, Friday Dark till Sat Dark. So after we feed on Friday and get clamed down we have Sabbath service. We are a small group which makes us like a home Church or family. Family yes as that is how all is treated as much as possible as family.
We have them walk in during service and mom gut's up and feeds them anyway. We end up getting done very late 11 PM or later. Sometimes I have not gotten home till 5 PM in the morning. As we also fellowship somewhat after service.
As I am disabled my self on social security we are not a rich family. Funds come from a mail out newsletter Mom and I do and have done for 109 monthly issues. The rest comes from our ministry on the net. Yes mom and I both have to spend many, many, hours a day on the net to keep up with our various ministries on the net. Which some of these kind saints donate. Yes My wife works nights at a motel night audit they call it.
We have small group of Christian Bikers bring some food and things in once a month. Last month they was able to bring some cash too and we were broke. We have bread donated but it is not very fresh. I really wish we could get fresher bread but I am not complaining.
We have been in this little storefront doing this since November of 2000. July of 2000 was when I started with another ministry and we were feeding up to 200 a day in the park!
Messiah's Branch is about The Father's love, about Messiah's love.........It's all about His love...It's all about Him and not us.
Love thy neighbor as thy self, Messiah said and all men and women are your neighbors..
Matthew 25:31
31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. The FATHER bless thee and keep thee;
The FATHER make His face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee;
The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee shalom. (peace)
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26
The FATHER make His face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee;
The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee shalom. (peace)
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26
In Yeshua's Name,
Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch