Love given, received at Cornerstone outreach

Updated: 12/15/06

Love given, received at Cornerstone outreach

By Barbara Bedrick

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—The gift of love is lighting up the lives of two Carrollton volunteers, but their gift of time has blessed dozens of other people.

Deidra Stribling and Carl Wafer, who are engaged to be married, volunteer with community outreach programs at Cornerstone Baptist Church, an inner-city Dallas congregation—programs from which they benefited just one year ago.

Their relationship began when Stribling was homeless, and she showed up at Cornerstone seeking help.

“I had nowhere to go,” she said. “My mom was in a nursing home, and my father had passed away. I came to Cornerstone, and they gave me dinner, a blanket and a coat.”

A serving of turkey and dressing became a spiritual turning point for the Carrollton couple.

“I was raised in the church,” Stribling explained. “But after graduating from high school, I began turning to the wrong things, like spending time with the wrong crowd. I was in jail a couple of times.”

Stribling credits Cornerstone—and Wafer—with playing a significant role in her faith journey from living on the streets to living for God.

Wafer was driving a truck commercially when he saw Cornerstone’s outreach ministry and decided to stop last year on Thanksgiving because it looked like “a nice crowd,” Stribling explained.

Stribling and Wafer soon started dating, began attending Cornerstone, became Christians and joined the choir.

“Among the hundreds of volunteers (we have), the two who really touch my heart are Carl and Deidra,” said Chris Simmons, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Simmons was surprised when he found out they met last Thanksgiving during Cornerstone’s meal for the homeless and needy.

“In less than a year, God did an amazing work, and this couple that was served last year … was serving this year,” Simmons said. “They made a commitment to follow Christ. When they did, they came back to the church where they were originally served.”

Deidra Stribling serves Thanksgiving dinner to a woman recently released from prison during a community outreach meal sponsored by Cornerstone Baptist Church, an inner-city congregation in Dallas.

Wafer now drives Stribling to church for Bible study and worship every Sunday. They also attend mid-week Bible studies.

But the couple put their heart for missions into community outreach because it holds a special place in their lives.

On Thanksgiving Day, they helped feed 1,200 people and provide blankets and coats to needy people in South Dallas.

Their pastor said he probably will never know which one of the many volunteers served the couple, or if it was their smile, hug, conversation or concern that transformed their lives, but the Thanksgiving “Coats and Blankets of Love” ministry reached this couple.

“This is a suburban/urban church partnership,” Simmons said. “Seven Baptist churches worked together to make this happen.”

The meals came from First Baptist Church of Richardson, and about 200 volunteers came from Park Cities and Wilshire Baptist churches of Dallas, Lake Point Church in Rockwall, the Heights Baptist Church in Richardson and the Village Church in Flower Mound, as well as Cornerstone.

Volunteers like Stribling and Wafer—who are selecting their wedding rings now—plan to serve a Texas barbecue for another Cornerstone Christmas celebration ministry soon.

The congregation will offer homemade baked goods and nutritious meals. They also will tell their dinner guests the story of Jesus—and describe the hope people can find in him.

By embracing that hope, Stribling feels blessed. She now has an apartment and a job, and she will not soon forget whom to thank.

“It was the Lord who took care of both of us,” Stribling said.