UPDATE -UPDATE YA'LL NEED AN UPDATE!!!

Hello Everyone,

That is right it is update time. It has been almost a month since writing. Many things have been going on during this month of September. We had Jim and Kristin come up for a week to see us. They were gracious and stayed in a hotel. Joel and I look forward to the day God will give us our own place and people do NOT have to stay in a hotel to see us. WE had a blast with them and they even approached a few grocery stores for us.

During their stay we found out that one of our dear dear dear friends that the four of us knew took his life. It was heart breaking and hard to come to terms with. We all decided we would go to the funeral in LA. So Joel and I followed Jim and Kristin two days later down to LA and met them at the Funeral. Joel and I stayed in LA for 5 days seeing old friends that we knew through Friend SHIps. We stayed with our dear friends Curt and Theresa.

During our stay it happened to be my birthday. Theresa was so kind. She got me a funnel cake, a churro and a birthday cake on my birthday. I was so full by the end of the day.

We went to Matthew Barnett's Church Angelus Temple which Matthew is over the Dream center as well. When Pastor Matthew got up to preach he said "I am not going to give a message today so you don't need your bible" JOel and I looked at each other disappointedly. (Is that a word? disappointedly) Then Pastor Matthew went on to say "It is my 15 year anniversary for being a pastor and I am going to share 3 main things I have learned from my 15 years as a pastor." He went on to talk about how pursuing a calling from God you do NOT want instant success. GOd wants your foundation to be big and sturdy so that it can hold anything that God wants to put on your foundations.
He also talked about how Quiters never win. That if you decide never to give up you WILL have SUCCESS. And the third point was ALWAYS give God the glory. People always ask him what his formula is for his success as a pastor or what they can do to have success in their ministry. Pastor Matthew said that he is messes up, he has staff that are mess up that do things wrong, he has drug dealers and prostitutes who work for him but because of God they are a successful. So give GOD THE GLORY.

During his talk I was thinking does this really apply to any one else besides JOel or I. This message seems just for us. I was blown away.

So in the past month of September we have hit the total of 52 grocery stores just in the city of STOCKTON. And we recieved one yes and they have not given us any food yet. We have approached every grocery store on the map and on Monday I was praying asking God "Okay so what do you want us to do now, we are at a dead end." It was then put on my heart with much much much excitement to go for Warehouse space. The next day we got an email from a dear friend saying He had a Refrigeration truck for Joel and I if we needed it. OH MY GOODNESS WE NEED IT!!! He is concerned it wouldn't make it to Stockton but is having his maintance guys check it out. SO either we will fly and pick it up or we will find a way to get it here. To God be the GLORY.
SO while Joel and I were going from grocery store to grocery store JOel and I thought well maybe we should approach wholesale (info: grocery is retail) I went and asked the Lord about it and he said "If I wanted you to approach wholesale at this time I would have given you a Box truck and a warehouse." Looking back I am like hm well here comes our box truck, Lord may there be a warehouse to follow. THen we can start appraoching wholesalers.

SO that is where we are at now, sending letters and faxes and calls to companies who own warehouses to see if they would donate temperary warehouse space. God did promise we would have a huge ministry to help provide for the church everything they need to outreach in thier local community as well as the homeless, mentally disable, poor, etc. So JOel and I are standing on His promise and knowing He will do what HE said he would do.

We have found in STockton ALONE dozens and dozens of brand new warehouses never moved into and no one is really looking at this time because of the economy. I have found I prefere the warehouses that are used because they have office space in them and are a bit more developed. (And there are a few used warehouses that are vacant, okay a good handful of them) The brand new warehouses have that never been used do not have offices and they are one big room with truck loading docks. Either way they would work but I am asking Heavenly Daddy for a used one.

That is it from us. WE love and miss all ya'll. Keep us in your prayers when you talk to Father God.

Love love love,
The Butlers

I am dreaming of Fall and Winter (Can't wait until it is here)
(Pic at my Parents Cabin, IDAHO)

In Noxon, Montana

Life and Encouragment from God!!!

Hey Everyone,

Our life has been such a roller coaster since getting back from picking up the mini-bus. We hit the ground running as soon as we got back asking grocery stores for their non-sellable products. Or in lame terms for food that consumers will not buy because of the expiration date or it has a little mold on it and so grocery stores throw it away even though it is perfectly good.

Well I had assumed this would be the easy part. I thought I would just walk into two or three or four grocery stores and wah-la they would give and think it was the greatest idea in the world. WRONG. God is sure funny. I am learning a lot about God and how He matures his children or people who are called to do things for Him. So far Joel and I have been to over 40 grocery stores and we haven't received one solid yes yet. Mostly no's, a few I will call you back, and others who just don't answer. It has been frustrating to say the least. Because there are a hand full of stores that are giving and but most are throwing away and refuse to give you the food they are throwing away!! Every day I make the choice to either throw a crying tantrum or trust God. (I tend to choose differently each day, depending on my mood {Hey I am just being honest})

It has been discouraging to say the least. But with each day God either sends a person to encourage us or a scripture. The most amazing part about this is they all say the same thing. I am blown away. And it is not like they talk to each other or they read the scriptures I have put on our walls that the Lord has given to me. But they all tell Joel and I a few things

1) God's timing is perfect. God will do what He wants when He wants and I need to wait patiently for Him to act. (Psalms 37 talks about Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait PATIENCLY for Him to act)

2) That He is maturing JOel and I through these trials and frustrations. That it is testing our faith in God which leads to endurance and endurance leads to character and hope and maturity and all that good stuff that goes with being tested. WOW who knew, NOT IT!!!

3) We need to not give up. BAD IDEA (though I have to admit I have thought about it or at least trying a new vocation) But it says in Galatians: Do not grow weary in doing good. For at JUST THE RIGHT TIME (there is that time thing again) we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

There are other leasons but one of the most encouraging talks I had was with Ray (my old boss at Friend Ships) Ray and I have this understanding about the food ministry that he or I don't really have with anyone else. There have been a few (VERY FEW) people in his life Ray shared the same passion with but Ray and I can talk for hours about the food minstry. I called him up and told him my frustrations. And he said that the EXACT same thing happened to him in LA. He was mad and frustrated wanted to blame it on people or God or who ever. Wanted to go back to Seattle where the food ministry was flowing like milk and honey. But He believes looking back that God was doing someting and Ray said he believes now God is doing something and purposely stopping us from getting a yes. He doesn't know what and I don't know what but God is doing it on purpose for a reason. Ray said that if he were I that he would doubt God. But then he said quickly "BUT WE DO NOT DOUBT GOD, and WE DO NOT QUESTION GOD." (which has snapped me out of doubting God) Then Ray went on to say that after the food started to flow in Los Angeles Friend Ships had the biggest food ministry in the history of Friend SHips. ON a weekly basis Friend Ships was picking up 150,000 pounds of food a week on average. And that I shouldn't give up.

So what are we doing now: NOt giving up. What are we doing now: Waiting (patiently and impatiently at times. Trying harder for patience) What are we doing now: Still knocking on doors.

So that is where we are at now. God is good whether I see his Hand move today or not. That it will come and that I just need to do what Joel and I were called to do. Start a ministry for HIM.

Love all ya'll. Be blessed in JESUS whether you see God move or not.

Dess Butler
God's Property