The Benefit of Close Proximity

For those who are unaware, I'm currently living in an RV in the Vanguard Trailer Park in Moonachie, NJ, so I'm learning about the numerous facets of close proximity. For instance, right now, I happen to be laying on my bunk and my head is literally about six inches from the ceiling, so I will be refraining from any sudden movements. I'm staying in this RV with my "adopted" parents (Jim and Jeni), which allows for some wonderful fellowship time when we aren't busy working on installing insulation, walking the dogs, or ministering to others in the park. Across the street lives Scooby, who has been kind enough to open his trailer for Bob to bunk there for a couple weeks as we all work together in Vanguard doing what we feel God has called us to do. On top of that, the first job we are working on, which will involve re-insulation, new drywall, and new floors, is literally right around the corner from where we are currently living. This all outlines the physical benefits of close proximity, but we learned tonight about the spiritual benefits of close proximity.
After dinner this evening we hosted our first Bible study. A handful of people had been invited, but we weren't quite sure how many to expect. Right before it was supposed to begin, though, it began to rain. With the coming of rain, we were skeptical about whether anybody would show up. A little after 7pm, though, there came a knock on our door. It was A (I'm choosing to use initials rather than names) who lives right next to Scooby. He said he had heard about the Bible study from Scooby and would be right back with his wife D. About five minutes later they came over and introduced themselves, but prefaced it with, "We can't stay long because we haven't eaten dinner." We were understanding of that fact, but wanted to get to know our new neighbors and a bit of their story. D was very excited about us being here and immediately launched into a story about how earlier in the week she had been praying to God to reveal some type of service to her, much like the past fifteen years. She shared that she felt God was listening because the bus driver that day was singing Gospel songs as she drove her route. On top of that, today on the walk home from the bus stop with A, they apparently launched into a discussion about whether they were first seeking God's kingdom (Matthew 6:33), and low and behold, when they got home, Scooby told them about the Bible study we were hosting. D has a strong desire to be on fire for Christ again, and I believe A does too, but is more low key about it. This evolved into an hour and a half discussion about how we need to have a personal relationship with Christ and imitate His ways in order to serve Him. They both have a desire to serve, which is a blessing to us because we are in need of people with drywall and painting skills, which is something A and D have experience with. I really like how D phrased it when she said, "Being a Christian and being able to serve God is the greatest honor and calling." Her favorite verse happens to be Isaiah 6:8, which states, "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me,'" and she is absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to live it out. She doesn't want to be sitting around waiting for help, but wants to be one to go out and help others.
Another take home point from the evening was the fact that there needs to be a catalyst to bring a community together and that sometimes we all need another Christian brother or sister to reach out to us and guide us. The reason that we all returned to Vanguard is because we sense the need in this community for salt and light. We need to illuminate this darkness and do as Jesus told Peter in John 21:17 and "feed His sheep." Many accepted Christ into their hearts back in November, but had no clear direction afterwards, and many probably need more indepth teachings as to why they truly need a Savior. Our purpose in the next month is to not only help provide the physical needs of re-insulating and rebuilding, but also to provide spiritual nourishment for those who are lost and searching for hope.
One more interesting twist to this proximity discussion is who A and D are good friends with. Back in November, there was a woman that we interacted with almost daily during our last week who had some troubles with alcohol. She was staying with another woman who was struggling and her boyfriend, G. A and D happen to be good friends with G and want to invite him to tomorrow's Bible study. We were all amazed and astonished at the intricacies of God's plan and how we are finally seeing some of it unfold. We all can't wait to see what He has in store for us and how he might use us in the coming weeks. One thing is for sure, we are definitely benefiting from our proximity within this community.