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Impact Houston is blessed to have many special and distinctive people involved with the daily life of their congregation. The mere presence of these members is an encouragement based chiefly on what they must accomplish just to be in the assembly each Sunday. And yes, they are here without fail unless extreme health issues make the trip impossible. But not only are they here, their smiles and handshakes, their words of love and comfort to each other and to all members, and their willingness to make phone calls, host studies at their living facilities...all such activities are a vital link to the entire church family. Here are their stories in a most abbreviated form:
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 Daniel Flores is a long time member of the church family and is brought here for all church functions and Hispanic worship services. As a victim of cerebral palsy since birth, he has no ability to voice his words, but his never ending smile and visual excitement speak volumes to all who come into his presence. He is the uncle of our children’s minister, Lluvia, and he also has other family members and friends who take care of his physical needs. Manuel is the perfect example of the importance every member of God’s creation has towards their environment and those who surround them. |
 Rose Lee is not inhibited by her need for a wheelchair. She lives in a public housing project where she helps host a Tuesday Bible study taught by Impact ministers and attended by others in her apartment unit. She is quiet by nature, but her demeanor displays the warmth of Christian hospitality. |
 Roseline Emriezk lives at the Highland Park Nursing Home and is brought here each week by a caring family from Impact. She sits with calm reverence for both Bible class and the worship hour. Her vocal abilities are quite limited, but when asked why she faithfully struggles to be here each week she simply whispered, “Because I have found God here at this place.” This statement represents a common thread voiced by all of these members. With a matronly, distinguished aura, Roseline represents the best of Christ like principles. |
 Carolyn Mannes has attended Impact worship services and Bible studies at Independence Hall, where she resides, for several years. She is known to all ministry leaders and church family members. Her statement for the desire to be here each week is: “I come here for the teaching and the people. The people are great at Impact.” Regardless of her health issues, and they are many, she says she will continue to come to Impact as long as the Lord allows. |
 Debbie Boudreaux is another Independence Hall resident. Her physical abilities are extremely limited, but her desire to attend Impact and her faithfulness to make this happen each week represents another life lived as an encouragement to others. She states, “Impact has been an answer to my prayers. I prayed for a family and I have found one. God gave me Impact.” And just as important God gave Impact Debbie. |
 Mary Bailey lives at Highland Park and depends on public transportation and special church friends in order to be here every week. She is a genuine uplift for all the pulpit ministers to whom she listens very carefully. Her statement, also delivered in a whispered tone, provides this beautiful message: “I love to be at Impact to see all the people and for the smiles I get. I see Christ in all of the people here. Impact is my home away from home. It is the only place I have ever felt like this. It is here that I learn all about God.” |
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Winston Bridges is an Impact icon of sorts. The love he has for Impact is multiplied by the love members of Impact have for him. Winston is undergoing a rigorous regiment of chemotherapy for which he has to take a bus from this area to the medical center. By the time returns, he is exhausted, but not so much that he cannot come back into the kitchen to attend to
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My Friend Winston
There are people in our lives who make a difference and then there are people who change us forever. Winston Bridges changed me forever. Not in a grand and adventurous way but in the simple ways that I watched Jesus working in Winston’s life.
When I first saw Winston he was eating with the outdoorsmen and listening to one of Les Rose’s sermons. He looked about the age of my Grandfather and I supposed he was one of the ministers at Impact or just helping out. I was shocked to discover that Winston was an outdoorsmen himself. I couldn’t believe at his age he could survive without a roof over his head at night. I was even more shocked to find out that he was without family. He looked for them, but never found them. No family…no home…How has he survived?
When I introduced myself to Winston he pulled on the corner of his baseball cap and shuffled his feet and told me how he was feeling and what was going on in the kitchen at Impact. And so it went for ten years. Almost every day I worked at Impact he would find me and say hi and pull on the corner of his baseball hat and shuffle his feet and tell me how he was feeling and what was going on in the kitchen at Impact. Every once in a while I could get some stories out of him about his days working with horses in the circus and pranks he played as a child, but mostly our relationship consisted of our simple hellos and me watching and learning.
I watched him when he started working with Doug Williams in the kitchen at Impact. He took ownership of his job and worked hard. He was proud of himself and the people he worked with. I went to visit him when he and Felton moved into their new home close to the Church. He was comfortable there. He seemed content to share his new home with friends. I listened to his stories of the holidays he spent at the Williams house or at Impact. Of what Bethul cooked for him and what he and his roommates did. He was happy over the holidays. I watched him hand out Christmas, birthday, and thank you cards to many people at Impact over the years. They all contained just his simple signature and for all of us that was enough. When babies were born he would buy them gifts. He always gave the gifts really secretively but we knew who gave them to us. For years I watched Winston be generous with his time, his money, and his love. He had this unique ability to make everyone feel loved and important even when he was tired and sick.
When Winston started getting sick fairly regularly I would visit him in the hospital. Sometimes I would ride with him in the ambulance and always the first question the staff would ask is, “Does this man have family?” My answer was always “No, he does not have any family that we know of.” But something always bothered me about this answer. Over the years I had watched Winston go from no family to a whole church that considers him their own, from no job to working regularly, from homeless to a house of his own. So when Winston got really sick and went to the hospital for the last time the nurse looked at me and asked that same question, “Does this man have a family?” And for the first time I answered that question truthfully. “Yes Ma’am. This man has more family then most of us ever will.” Impact is Winston’s family. Winston is our family. Winston is my family.
Winston taught me a lot of things in this life, but the most valuable lesson I learned from him is that when you fill your life with Jesus Christ it does not matter how much you have or don’t have. God will give abundantly from his riches to provide for all of your needs. Winston found his family and home at Impact and the love Jesus put in his heart was shared with all of us. I already can’t wait for the day when Winston will pull on the corner of his baseball cap and shuffle his feet and tell me hi and how he is feeling and what is going on in the kitchen in Heaven. I miss you already my friend…my family.
Jenny Winters
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