In 2011 - 2012, Peter (my husband) and I had extremely hard years with lots of losses. Many deaths of our loved ones, job losses and Peter's back pain and not working again. We were 100% out of all money and being supported by our church family.
Humility was in abundance because we could not even buy toilet paper. That also was given to us by our church family. There were many sleepless nights, anxiety was rapid along with anger, depression and a boat load of tears. I felt the black hole of $40,000 dollars of debt pilling up on our shoulders as our nerves were shot. Our church family never gave up on us and continued to love and support us.
Through all of this I could hear the Lord telling me to start a ministry called P.J. Ministry He knew my love and education and my passion to be a chaplain. So I kept hearing messages, and having dreams of P.J. Ministry. I kept battling with how could I Lynn Murphy, start a ministry. I was broke, full of doubt and was not even able to help myself - let alone someone else. So then I started thinking maybe Jesus wanted me to make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the homeless. P.J. Ministry. But I had no money to buy any of the supplies.
I put the vision on the back burner to face reality and deal with my own heartaches and losses. Jesus is a very patient Lord and left me alone for awhile so I could figure out my plan for my life my way. As I struggled through the year 2012 - I looked forward to a new year of 2013. It would be better I told myself, Peter has a brand new job, his back is healed and I will get a job soon. We will get back to normal, and I will be able to start my P.J. Ministry. Thank you Lord!
Our Lord Jesus does have a compassionate way to reach a broken heart. Pastor Gabe kept preaching, Life Matters - Life in God - Life with others and Life for others. As I knew I would never be able to laugh, touch, hug, eat a meal, or even see the beautiful faces of all my loved ones again here on earth including my brother Freddie who died as a homeless person, I knew Pastor Gabe was right and Jesus was once again tugging on my heart strings to start P.J. Ministry.
As I began to say yes Lord I'll go, Peter was hit with another serious back injury. He was in so much pain and out of work again, by July I was at my wits end. Now what Jesus???? I'm still out of work and now Peter's out of work again. Our church stepped right in and helped us again. They knew Peter and I had always been faithful to Jesus and our tithes through all the heartaches and doubts. They knew our love for Jesus was the real deal.
Jesus kept showing me to trust him and to start the P.J. Ministry (He taught me P.J. stood for, Pleasing Jesus, and the mission statement is, ("sowing seeds of kindness" to the Homeless.)
As I look back on our struggles with, hardships, deaths, the murders in our families, all the suicides, drugs, prison terms, the alcohol abuse, the violence, the rapes, child molestation and all the sorrow – I now know Jesus was preparing me for the P.J. Ministry with the homeless..
P.J. Ministry began in December of 2013 when Peter and I decided to spend our Christmas serving the homeless in our neighborhood. We gave them blankets, gift certificates to Ross, Armadillo Willies, Starbucks, Safeway, and when Jesus asked me to ask our local barber shop if they would serve our homeless with shampoos, shaves and haircuts, we knew we had done God's will of, "sewing seeds of kindness."
P.J. Ministry has now even reached International boarders and helped the homeless people in the Philippines after the horrible typhoon that destroyed thousands who are now homeless. We have helped with new fishing boats, tents to live in, shower kits, and the means to build 2 new churches.
We are now in the process of giving back packs filled with school supplies and toys for the homeless children in Santa Clara County. Our Lord Jesus is breaking down walls and building bridges in the hearts of the homeless, and the Holy Spirit is refreshing the soul’s of one’s that were so parched they are now smiling, laughing and singing new songs.
Jesus our Lord leads us to His people on the streets and we follow.
Annette Walls RN, - this ministry has brought my heart and mind to a new awareness of the homeless people and has given me, my family, friends and collogues a new appreciation and perspective of the homeless people from the work of PJ Ministry.”
Chaplain Lynn Murphy, -“PJ Ministry has taught me more compassion then I have ever known and how important it is to meet the physical needs of broken people before you can meet their spiritual needs.” PJ Ministry goal is to meet both.