Deland volunteer gives real hope to New Hope Villas

Jacksonville (FBC)-Fern crops covered with black tarps line the state highway between Jennie Bowers' home and New Hope Villas, the government-built migrant housing in Seville.

While others driving by may see the crops, Jennie Bowers sees fields of souls.

Having a heart for missions led Bowers to the "adults on missions" group at Stetson Baptist Church in Deland. But it was God who led her to minister to migrant farm workers and their families in the Seville area.

Stetson's adult mission group decided to organize various one-day mission projects as part of its on-going ministry.

A full-time nurse, wife and mother of four, Bowers picked a mission project and began to plan it in her spare time. Yet every attempt to coordinate the one-day event failed.

"I was trying to do a one-day ministry and God wiped it out," she said. "Then He picked a project and took it from a one time thing to a full-time project," Bowers excitedly recalled.

God's "full-time" project," was a ministry at New Hope Villas apartment complex.

Bowers and New Hope manager, Patricia Lara, attended a ladies retreat together. Lara suggested the Villas as a ministry site because she felt many residents of the 62-unit housing complex did not know Christ.

Over the course of a year, Bowers, with the support of her church, coordinated several one-day ministry events at New Hope during Christmas, Easter and recently a Christmas in August-a program pioneered by Woman's Missionary Union to help those in need.

At Easter, Bowers and her husband, Jessie, planned an Easter egg hunt at the complex. Approximately 90 children participated in the event. This project, like all the ministry projects, is designed to provide an opportunity for sharing Christ with the residents.

"But even when there is not a project here, Jennie comes by to drop things off," said Lara. "The Bowers see the need to spread the word about the Lord to all people," she added.

Recently, with the help of local churches and funds from the World Hunger Offering, a pantry stocked with a variety of ethnic and American foods was opened on the apartment complex grounds.

Residents and area migrants in need can receive food assistance up to three times in a year. A form used to keep a record of assistance received, includes a request to receive a Bible. An optional survey helps to gather information on the recipient's spiritual health.

The pantry is overseen by Theresa Juarez.

God began to sow the seed of salvation in Juarez's heart through a year-long relationship with Lara.

"I had believed there was a God and that He could do miracles, but no one ever explained to me that you must ask Him into your heart to be saved," said Juarez.

One evening, Bowers, Lara and Juarez spent an "emotional" two hours on the meaning of John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son."

With Lara as translator, Bowers led Juarez to Christ that night.

"Not even language is a barrier for God," said Bowers. "When God wants you to do something, He enables you. He has taught me a lot about being a vessel."

As residents of the apartment complex come to know Christ, the need for spiritual guidance is a concern. Bowers helped open doors for a Spanish language Bible study led by Oscar and Claudia Rojas who now disciple Juarez and other new converts.

The Rojas are sponsored with financial resources from the Florida Baptist Convention Church and Community Ministries Department migrant ministry fund. First Baptist Church of Seville offered to open its facilities for their Hispanic Bible Study one evening a week.

The Stetson group is working to expand mission projects at New Hope. Plans include an upcoming sports day and GED preparatory classes.

"Missions work is done so all people may know God," said Bowers. "Missions and these mission projects are my passion. I do this because God is worthy."