The concept of Project Restoration came from a vision of helping those who need a step up, in the same way as if I found myself with nothing to my name I would hope someone could afford what sometimes is referred to as ‘Christian Charity’ to myself. This all came about a couple of years back when we assisted a troubled young lady when most of the society around her turned the other way. That night when we found her she was underdressed and was about to enter -4c night sat outside with no where to go, what has this society come to where this is even a thing? What has it come to that I/we felt ill equipped to assist?. The thought came to me; we must, at very least a followers of Christ, put ourselves in a position at the point of need to immediately assist, for that young lady was facing ‘there and then’ the possibility of not making it through that cold night, its no good coming up with a 10 point plan in a meeting room 1 week from now, we need a response/to respond immediately to meet the need, with all we have.

‘…Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead….’ (James 2:15-17)

I am reminded of the book of Luke, chapter 6 in the Bible;

31 ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.’

On my fathers hunt through the family tree I was stunned to see that my Great Grandfather has also had a vision of similar nature, (unbeknown to me) after he himself left prison and was reformed by the Gospel message he went on to stumble into the opportunity of helping those less fortunate, driven by his Christian beliefs. So much so this was written about in the local news paper at the time, with one of the the gentlemen he cared for stating;

“I am sure I have been put on the right path through Christian guidance”

From a different source and a different place in the world (Burma), I love this quote which I felt ties in nicely, and is certainly an encouragement;

“[I say to God] God all the good things you have for us I want them and anything useful to do that I can do, I would like to do it, so I’ll say yes. And I want to say ‘no’ to the swamp of sin on one side that gets me bogged down and no to the swamp of ‘good things’ to do, christian things to do that God didn’t ask me to do that will also bog me down. And I want to say yes to that line that God has which I believe has no caution lights, its green, go man, as fast as you want to go, ‘how much faith do you have?’ , Go, thats what I want to do” - David Eubank (Free Burma Rangers: https://www.freeburmarangers.org/our-story)

In the blood?

Lifeboat #1 Deployed