Welcome to Montrose Street Church

local prostitutes

one of the many sweet faces we see each week at church

some are without shoes :(

there is always a church that brings a great meal and snacks for all the homeless

There is much to do and much to see each week at Street Church.  It starts at 6:30pm till 9:00pm.  We serve about 150 to 200 people and children too.  They are given opportunity for jobs, help, rehab programs, prenatals, maternity homes, etc.   We minister not only to the physical, but their souls.

Unsung Heroes of Montrose Street Church

Unsung Heroes- these are the men who do all our heavy, hot, lifting work at Street Church.  They are faithful and regular.  Some live on the streets, some just very low income.  We had a great friend chicken dinner for them as a Thank You for all their hard work!

Sharing Jesus at Street Church

Wednesday  night was our time to share our testimonies and minister at Street Church.  The photos below say more than our words can.  Nancy found a doll in the children's area and wondered if he could give her some of that thick hair!!!!!   She and Conley shared about total surrender and the "streets" of their lives that they had traveled on.  After the service, there was an altar call and several responded and we got to pray with them!!! Great night of ministry to these broken hearted people.

A 6yr. old doll at street church enjoying a snack!!!

Nancy sharing about her "Streets" she experienced in life

Conley spoke on total surrender to Jesus at street church

ministering at the altar after service

Broken Bus...bring on the ice cream!

 Oklahoma Team brought a church bus that had mechanical problems during ministry one night....

 Some of the kids went to a pharmacy near by and bought Blue Bell Ice Cream while they waited!!!!!

One of our street family's came with us and this little one ate too.  He was rescued into a home the next week!

The Montrose Tree

Here at this tree is where the YWAM team and staff meet on Friday nights before doing street ministry.  This is the meeting point and area for the Gay Pride parade of Houston each year.  Montrose  is known for the homosexual activity, gay bars, transvestites, and drag queens!  It is the center of sexual perversion.  It has been prophesied that when revival comes to Montrose, it will sweep the city of Houston like a fire.  Perhaps that is why we meet there and do open air praise and worship.  We speak out declarations before we go and meet again next Friday night.  The roots of the tree are on top of the ground and very, very large.  You can walk, sit, or stand on them.  It's as if the roots have come up for air and perhaps, that's what those caught in this sin need to do, come up for air and meet the Lord! 

Chick-Fel-A Supporters

Between ministry and office duties with YWAM, we snuck off and support Chick-Fel-A and go some great FREE food !!!!!!!!!!

Street Babies

Sweet baby girl seen every week at street church.  Her mom is a prostitute.

This little one come with a very dysfunctional mom.  We are trying to get to know her better to see if we can rescue him off the streets.

Red and Yellow, Black and White they ARE precious in HIS sight!

Some of the challenges we meet here is working slowly with these street moms to win their confidence.  When they see we care and will assist them, they frequently come for help not only for themselves, but their babies.  They use our rescue homes that leads into our Christian foster care program and then to adoption if they can't pull themselves together.  These sweet faces are NOT rescued yet.  Please pray for them.

Louisiana comes to minister at Street Church

 Singing contest among the congregation!

 YWAM had a team and the sax player was a hit!!!

Jumbalaya served for dinner and there was plenty to go around. The church drove 5 1/2 hr. to come and serve and hold the service for Wed. night.  What a blessing they were and we really loved the food :)

FACES of HOUSTON

These are the sweet faces we see each week at Street Church.  The children belong to parents who are on the streets or very needy.  The children play in designated areas while we have a service for their parents and they get a very nutritious meal provided for by area churches here in Houston.  

Montrose Street Reach

The Tree

 Friday nights is the street ministry to the homeless, needy, and poor.  The Tree near Montrose in Houston is the meeting place before we go to the streets.  Here is the young team from Kansas gathering before we left Friday night to hand out water, snacks, and other items to share with those we found under bridges or sleeping in parks.  We were able to pray with each group and make sure they knew about the Wednesday night Street Church.  The people are receptive.  They do allow us to pray and many were at church Wednesday night :) 

Praise and Worship before ministry

Houston Street Church

service at street church

about 90 people attended the service

 These are a few of the photos we got this week during our street church meeting in Houston.  The parking lot was full of needy people and CHILDREN !!!  

street baby

4 local churches help feed the homeless

 We had a team from Kansas doing the entire service with the message of God's love and hope for them.  They were fed, given opportunities for jobs, rehab information, given clothing, blankets, and supplies for the children.  Bibles were given out after prayer needs and request from the needy people.  We found them so grateful, friendly, and we see MORE children that need to be rescued.

street baby looking for safety and love

Martin has His very own adoption !!!!!!

Martin is rescued by Houston YWAM and Jesus !

Martin is 9 yr. old and has found his Forever family at last.  He  and his 2 brothers were rescued by the YWAM Houston street ministry for children.  He experienced his very own adoption yesterday and what an experience it was for everyone!  The judge said it was his first adoption to ever do.  Martin was very spontaneous and even asked if the judge was the President :)  After the adoption, Martin sat in the judge's chair and took pictures with all his family and the YWAM team.  There are many more out there and the Harvest is full here in Houston.

Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 5:21 PM

Today was an amazing orientation into the Houston YWAM ministry.  We looked at a house and found the foundation cracked !  So, we did loose the bid to the other house yesterday and this one is NOT one to bid on, so we are back to the dugout.  We just dropped by the YWAM office and they said we should stay to see the termination of a street mom's rights to her daughter that was 9 months old.  We have seen adoption ceremonies, but never been in on the termination part of adoption.  The thin, street mom came into the beautiful office on the 2nd floor very quiet and frail.  She was wearing on both arms and neck many tattoos, very short hair, her little false eyelashes, and weighing about 100lb.  Both hands were red where she tried to die her inch long hair last night with her hands because she did not have gloves.  She could not make much eye contact and spoke only when spoken too.  Her front teeth were missing in areas and her countenance was very down.  She sat at the table beside me and looked at the new photos given to her by her caseworker with YWAM Houston.  She smiled and laughed as she saw her baby daughter dressed in pink fluffy dresses and posing in Barbie cars!  It was as if, there were no emotions.  There was a large wall around her and I respected that.  She was 32, yet looked 52 to me.  I was called back in to be a witness.  After signing what seemed to be a ton of papers, Kim Dale, the Houston founder, asked if I would pray with her.  As I stood at the back of her chair and her head hug down, I placed both hands on her shoulders and told her," Emily(not her real name), my birth mother did what you are doing for your daughter.  Perhaps, if she had not, I would not be here today.  This is a VERY selfless act of love and one that shows you do love your daughter."  Tears came and I could feel her shoulders fall forward as I prayed for her to be wrapped in His grace and mercy.  Remembering the birth moms of Fatherheart and the weeks and months we walked them through the grief, I knew what was ahead of Emily.  She may seem fine, unmoved, but that is NOT true.  Inside she is hurting and deeply.  There has been a rescue of this little daughter, but Emily's rescue still remains unaccomplished.  

As many of these women walk through this hard decision, I see such a difference in what I have experienced the last 3 1/2 years at Fatherheart.  She did not come from night training classes on the Love of God, or wake to bacon cooking in the kitchen each morning.  Emily has not slept in the King's beds on the second floor with beauty and comfort all around.  She remains in her pain and suffering and hard life.  How did she get there, what is her story.... that I do not know, but I hope to find out.  One thing I did learn at Fatherheart is that we are not just here to rescue babies, but the moms too!  That will never leave my heart nor the process we had to go through to make them know we loved and cared about them,the follow up, the photos, the calls.  I told Emily as I left today that I would be seeing here again.  I am hoping that on the Wednesday night street church meetings I see Emily again and again and bring her into  a relationship with the Father.  This is NOT a ministry of judgement and criticism.  It is Not a ministry to point fingers and assume.  It is one of compassion and bathing the feet of the wounded souls that Jesus is chasing after.  

We have lots of decisions to make about our future here and appreciate your prayers.  We have decided to start at the office now and work since the housing is NOT coming open as we had hoped.  We have really funny things happening each day from dropping the only tube of toothpaste into the toilet to oil spilled on our jeans out of the suitcases and a dog wearing size 2 diapers until we get our own place :(  Small sacrifices, highs and lows, but we know HE is with us and looking for that right house.  Thank you for praying for us.  God bless and Houston, here we come!!!!!!!!

--
Chasing the Dreams of God,
     Conley and Nancy

http://chasingthedreamsofgod.blogspot.com   FB: Conley Brown
                                                                         Nancy Brown

HOUSTON, TEXAS.............www.ywamhouston.org

For those who do not know.... we have moved to Houston, Texas.  We are coming to work with the YWAM Houston base and minister to some family needs that are here too.  God is faithful to let us do both and keep working in the areas we have a passion for.  This transition came a little quickly for us, but we know the Lord spoke to us it was time to go.  We are  presently living between our children, but in 2 days, we will be moving to their base apartment with Galen our dog :)  Everyone is great and helping, but that house finding is a challenge at this time.  We are hoping this will be over in a few months at the most! 

Our first experience with the base was witnessing the signing of a street mom's rights to her 9 month old daughter.  It was so different from at Fatherheart.  We have been in training this last week and tonight we finish our classes on the foster to adopt training for the parents trying to partner with all of us for these little children.  Most of the children rescued are between the ages of 0 to 4 years.  The rescue families are from all over the Houston area, Christians, and doing this without state assistance, but by their standards.  Our part will be to minister to the parents and see if we can assist them in programs or help them with the children.  Next week we are in full time and will be at the street church on Wednesdays and ministering on the streets on most Friday nights. 

Please check out the awesome web sight www.ywamhouston.org and especially go to the Little Footprint section!!!!!!  We will be posting photos and stories frequently, so please continue to follow our blog here at Houston.   Blessings and prayers from us to you.    Conley and Nancy

Houston Ministry /Family Needs:

We have finished our course at Fatherheart Maternity Home and have moved to Houston this past week.  Our family is having need of closer support and there has been a 5 hour distance between us.  The Lord has released us to come and work with the Houston YWAM base as we are also closer to support our family needs here.  We will be taking a short rest and getting our home set up, then back to work for the Lord.  We know there will be rescue for street children who need adoption and there are many other areas of service with Kim and Martin Dale of Houston.  Please continue to follow us as we walk this new journey with the Lord. 

Elya goes home and all come to say good bye !

The gang all came to say good bye!













Saying good bye is a great time to admire the new little one if our girls parent. Here our counselor was at FH and had a moment to hold the new bundle!















The graphics department even came over!






 And Big Aaron who is our cook and a gentle giant got to hold the baby.  Another FH girl finished the race and we were able to send her home healthy with her choice to parent.

Landen is here at last, a wee early!

 Landen surprised us on 3-31-12!  He came 2 weeks early, but healthy and doing well.  Landon was 6lb 13 oz. and 20 1/4" long.  His mom, Elya, will be taking him home to her parent's home and being a single parent.  Our stats use to be 70% parent and 30% adopt, but since last year, our adoptions are up to 50% !   Pray for Elya as she walks into single parenting and letting the Lord help her all the way.

Noah visites Coach

 Noah came by to see us the other day. His mommy lived with us and we really loved her and him!  Now that he is out for us to see, we love his stop in visits.  He is one of our bi-racial babies here at the maternity home who was loved from the moment we knew he was being formed.  Thank you Noah for coming by, come again soon !!!!!!!

New Commers

 Two new girls at Fatherheart!  One from a shelter, one from an abusive relationship. After love, a beautiful room, great meals, and the Lord's love, they both left the program shortly after they came.  Hard to understand and very disappointing, because HE had soooooooooo much planned for them both here. :( Pray for those who leave the safe place God has prepared for them.