“Do so much good that the unbelievers will want to meet our King” (1 Peter 2:12)
Since 2015, we longed to birth a ministry center in our capital city of Bridgetown, Barbados. When we asked God how to start, the answer was, “Just do ordinary things.” These ordinary things included feeding the hungry, repairing houses, and planting gardens. In fact, God prompted us to “do so much good that the unbelievers will want to meet our King” (1 Peter 2:12). It was to our great joy when a couple from the community approached us in 2019 with an initiative to start City Lights. They desired to reach those living in the cramped city villages.
We could not have imagined that just six months later, COVID-19 would cause a national lockdown. Our tourism-dependent economy collapsed, putting thousands out of work. In the weeks that followed, special permission was granted to charitable organizations for national humanitarian efforts, and The Living Room members became a “church on the move.” Soups and juices were prepared in cell members’ kitchens, and we banded together to supply bread and hot meals to over 150 people in the city. We listened to their struggles and prayed with them.
Amazing Blessing!
Challenged afresh by the dire economic fallout from the pandemic, we began to pray fervently for a location big enough to house a skills training facility. Within no time, a Barbadian family who owns several warehouses provided a large space rent-free as an outreach center! We remembered that one of the prophetic declarations coming out of the International Leadership Conference in 2019 was God would be providing buildings as new ministries were being birthed. Little did we realize at the time, we would be on the receiving end of this “new thing” that God was doing! It was no coincidence that the only unit available was located right on the main bus route to and from Bridgetown!
We called the center “Harvest 201” because it is a second harvest—a legacy for the next generation of our church. Since June of 2021, we have been setting up skills training programs and distributing food, clothing, prayer, and encouragement to many. It is the culmination of dreaming big with God. We are so blessed and thankful to be working “for the peace and prosperity of the city where He sent us.” Please join us to pray for the coming harvest, “for its welfare will determine our welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).
A lady who had been coming for food for over a year was discovered to be homeless and sleeping on the streets. She has a dream to own her own cleaning business. We’re looking for housing for her, and we’ve employed her to clean the outreach center weekly. This is giving her income and new hope. While there, one of our volunteers takes time to sit with her and teach her about Jesus and how His love cleanses us from sin and heals our brokenness.
Our first sewing course was recently completed. During the eight weeks of classes, our missionary friend and sewing tutor, Monica, taught life skills and prayed with the six ladies. Monica returned to England and we are excited to say one of her students stepped up to lead the next course. We believe Janissa is our “person of peace” in the neighborhood and the first leader from the community to join our team!
Steve and Shelly Moore are lead elders of The Living Room, a DOVE church in Barbados. Harvest 201 is the community network ministry center of The Living Room.
