When God Brings the Opportunity
Sometimes We Say Yes Before We Know Why
When God invites us to take a step of faith, we rarely know what He's preparing us for.
Sometimes all we can see is the next right step. We don't know the people we'll meet, the prayers we'll pray, or the ways God will work through an ordinary "yes."
This summer, we're sharing stories from Women of Welcome Local Chapter leaders across the country. These women aren't experts. They're ordinary women who sensed God stirring their hearts and chose to respond, trusting Him with what came next.
Today, we're introducing you to Tracey from Plano, Texas.
Meet Tracey
When I came across the Women of Welcome Facebook posts in January of this year, I was drawn to them not only because of the compassion they showed but also the Scripture they shared. God begs us to welcome the stranger over and over again!
I knew I had to get involved when I couldn’t stop thinking about these precious people, immigrants from other lands who are now more susceptible to cruel treatment. They stayed on my heart and mind. While they may be strangers to us, they are not to God.
After prayerful consideration, I decided to apply to start a local chapter at the end of January. Little did I know who God would place in our care three weeks later, even before our first chapter meeting. An immigrant family in our church found themselves in an awful situation. In the middle of waiting for asylum, they were the victims of domestic abuse. With the father incarcerated, the sponsor threw them out of their apartment and took back their car. This mother and three children, ages 15, 11, and 5, had nowhere to go.
Our church has supplied housing. The members of our Women of Welcome chapter, plus some incredible men, have provided food, phones, Walmart gift cards, transportation, ESL classes, legal help, and friendship to this family. It has taken a generous village, and the work is not done. We continue to help with pending court hearings, legal status, schoolwork, and basic needs. But we see God working in such amazing ways. At every turn, God has supplied the right people to help and the means to do so.
We have learned that flexibility, faith, and courage are important to this ministry. Prayer is essential. Respect for the people we serve, for their culture, and their own agency, is vital. Compassion must undergird everything. And of course, a sense of humor is a necessity in all our work as the hands and feet, the smile and voice, of Jesus.
Our local chapter continues in other ways as well. We are reading and discussing the book The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong by Karen Gonzales, who is a staff member at World Relief and an immigrant herself. We celebrated World Refugee Day on June 20 with a prayer walk in a local park. And we continue to pray specifically for immigrants and situations in our community.
Faithfulness Begins with One Yes
Tracey's story reminds us that God often prepares His people before He reveals the need.
When Tracey applied to start a Women of Welcome chapter, she couldn't have imagined what was waiting just a few weeks later. But because she was willing to say yes, a community was already forming when a local family needed one most.
We may never know what God is preparing us for when we take our next faithful step. But we can trust that He is already at work, inviting us to join Him in loving our neighbors with compassion, humility, and hope.
Ready to Take Your Next Step?
Whether you're looking for encouragement, practical resources, or a community of women committed to Christlike welcome, we'd love to help you begin.
Download Love Locally, our free summer resource filled with simple, practical ways to practice biblical hospitality right where you are. Then, find a local chapter near you or learn more about starting one of your own.
You never know how God might use one simple "yes."
