Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to engage both over the phone and in person with a new friend, Matt Y.  He devoted several years to serving in Tuolumne City, CA, reaching out to those he encountered with true needs and who aren’t necessarilly able to make their needs known.

I’d like to challenge us as a county to follow his example.  He did well and has received high praises from those who still live in the little town of Tuolumne.  He presented Jesus Christ to people in tangible ways, giving work opportunities and helping people with finding housing.  He worked with my other newer buddy there, Dave D, to help him come out of a harder place and find Christ.  Dave D now continues Matt Y’s labors of love in the town.  The Atkin extended family and others are also continuing this work.  Pat Atkins, the mom of some of my best friends in the county, spoke with me for about an hour recently telling me about Matt Y’s manner of interacting with the people of Tuolumne.  She said about the town, “I believe God looks at this little town and says, ‘Small town, but expect big things.'”

I’ll continue to write about what I observe in Tuolumne.  God is shaking the foundations of our county and raising our eyes to behold His greatness and His glory.  We are being brought to a vision of Him as He draws us to Himself.  May neighborhood after neighborhood become places where the Savior is being shown to those in genuine need, whether spiritually, emotionally, physcially, or all of the above.  Our greatest concern is for the souls of those we encounter.  We are all in despirate spiritual need for Christ and to find our purpose in Him, yet it is often in the other areas of genuine need that we find out how to reach the soul of a person.

This is where neighborhood, community, and work-place demonstration of God’s love is hugely fruitful.  Matt Y continues to get many opportunities along with his bride and children to show Christ to a needy world.  Now they are in a region that is despirately dark spiritually in the Bay Area of California.  May God be with you, brother, and may we continue to see fruit between where you are now and where we are here in good old Tuolumne County.  May Christ be shown to a needy and dying world THROUGH US.

In His compassion,

– Torrey