Happy Advent & Merry Christmas & a Wonderful New Year to you!!

God chose to gift His gift of Jesus in a world torn by Middle Eastern strife—Herod’s unjust political tyranny, corruption, slavery, poverty prevailing among the family Jesus was born into—and yet His Mother was bursting with Hope and Faith: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”

That’s what I am feeling here as I live at Mama Nita’s Coffee House Ministry home—a place so many of you have been a part of this past year in so many ways. I’m so amazed at how God has been moving in and through us this past year! It’s really been an adventure of encountering His Presence and seeking to make this new mission a place where God’s “Christmas Presence” can flourish.

To re-cap for some of you, I returned from Africa in the Fall of 2011 and bought a run down 5200 sq ft mansion this past January. After uniting with my friends from different churches we recognized it is time to “do something” that will usher in God’s unity among us Christians in Steubenville and facilitates encounters with our Loving God in this downtown area. It’s now my home.

“Doing good in the hood” is our motto down here, and that’s what’s been happening. Here are some highlights we can join with Mary in “proclaim the greatness of the Lord”:

• Over 3000 volunteer hours from people around the nation to work on the house and over 20 churches represented
• A weekly praise and worship and intercession time on Mondays and prayer for the city twice monthly
• Several people recommitting their life to God through our ministry and many receiving prayer and relationships with neighbors deepening
• 29 of you sponsored windows so now ALL of our 38 windows are replaced! (There’s still 4 left!)
Others supplied rugs, furniture, curtains, bedding, kitchen supplies, etc so that I hardly had to buy anything!
• A real sense of “God’s about to move in our city” from many of our local intercessors and a move on the Franciscan Campus of student’s hunger to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
• A few movie nights with Furious Love and Father of Lights and a mini concert by Chat Smith
• Last but not least, a growth in my heart to hunger to have a deeper capacity to love God and others—keep me in prayer to continue to grow in generosity in loving others.

I have been praying for local people to be moved to volunteer here. Not primarily because I need the help (which I do!) but because it’s a sign of something the Holy Spirit is doing among the poor downtown to “give back” and find dignity and pleasure in giving of their time and talents.

On one of the warm November days I decided to inaugurate our winter with one last mow of the little bit of weeded-lawn we have. A middle aged man walked by with a few empty jugs. “Hi—how you doing?” I chimed in as a I took a break from my mowing.
I soon found out “Lawrence” was moving from Fort Steuben apartments to a house around the corner. “I got to get out of that place. It’s bad. The drugs. There’s no peace or quiet there. It’s bad there.” Since he didn’t have enough money for his water company deposit, he was walking 10 blocks to get water for his grandkids he was taking care of and his girlfriend.

Since that time, I’ve gotten to know Lawrence and his girl, Lauraine who is a patient at the free clinic I serve at on Thursdays. He now knows how to use my front load washer which was donated by Franciscan University, and pushes our neighbor Ruby’s grocery cart with jugs of water he’s filled from our faucets. After a few weeks of this, he said, “Do you need help around here? I’m a jack of all trades. I want to give back to you. You’ve helped us out so much. I want to give back.”

So now, Lawrence (Ruby calls him ‘Whispers’ for some reason I’ve not discovered yet) is putting on mudding to the dry wall that Jonathan put up and will start on some basement work next week. Walter, another neighbor who was the first to volunteer back in February is the first local person to donate financially to our mission and helped pay for the Boiler company to evaluate our boiler. “Katie, don’t worry” he always tells me. God is moving in our people down here… Good in the hood.

It’s really coming together. God is doing a great work here. May the Lord especially bless those who have served here this last year either from afar through prayers and giving and those near who have joined me in doing so much to get this house and mission up and running.

We still have far to go but it’s amazing how far we’ve come. I thank you God for the grace and favor!

So, I say to you, my friends: “Don’t worry…God wants to give back to you, fill you, refresh you. Amidst so much turmoil in our world, in the quietness, in the stillness, HE is HERE. Jesus will never leave you no matter how much you may get sidetracked. God is GOOD and is so ready to heal your hearts, fill you up and strengthen you to be a blessing to those around us.

May your spirits rise up like Mary’s does and say with all the Saints and Angels amidst any trial that may be going on and say, “My soul proclaims the greatness of my God!”
Much love to each of you and your families!! You’re all welcome to visit anytime!!

Thank you for being in my life!
Katie

We've come a LONG way since the Spring! Though we still do not have heat yet due to a leaking gas line (yes, the gas is shut off!) we are doing great. Here are some photos to show you how far we've come. Please pray for us to find someone to fix our gas lines and then get our boiler working. It's quite cold in this 5000 square foot brick home! Brrrrrrrrrr! But as I always say, "All for Him!" God bless you all and thanks for your prayers and support for us. The PRAYER ROOM BEFORE:

and AFTER our Amazing Volunteers:

Honoring our Volunteers!

What a beautiful celebration we had on September 29th at Mama Nitas House to celebrate all our wonderful volunteers who have worked so hard to

restore the house to it's currently beautiful condition. Over 2500 volunteer hours have been donated since we started cleaning out the house last February. Over 20 churches, young and old all helped. Thanks to those of Youth Works who traveled from Minnesota, Philadelphia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Massachusetts (and others States!) to spend time in Steubenville to serve our people. You're beautiful! Thanks to each of you local Steubenvillers who have served so joyously! God bless you and reward you! I and Joan are living there now and though we still have much to do before the winter hits to get the house insulated, we are enjoying the opportunity to live and serve downtown. We will soon be inviting people on Monday nights for praise and worship at our house, and have been praying for the city the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month. God is doing something beautiful in our city! We sense it, and are beginning to see it. Pray with us and pray for YOUR city to be renewed and for revival to break forth. God's love culture is the answer to our nation's issues. When individual hearts are changed and set free-- we're going to really see some beautiful things happen around us. Thanks for your support!

Adopt a Window!

Many hands makes light the work… Thanks to all who have been volunteering and helping to fix up rooms at Mama Nitas! We’ve got so much done since February! Now I would like to give you an opportunity to ‘Adopt a Window”. We’ve got 18 left after the 20 windows I replaced from my own money. Your name, or the name of someone you want to honor, will be written in the corner and we will pray for them. You will be forever remembered! These are available: Living “Music” room windows: 2 @ $175 each “Sozo” Prayer room large window @ $350 and small one @ $175 Sun room “Happy Room” large windows x 4 @ $350 each Kitchen windows x 3 @ $175 each Bedroom windows 1 large @ $350 and 4 @ $175 each Attic Gathering room windows x 3 @ $175 each Tax deduct. gifts can be made payable to: All for him, Inc. PO Box 4701, Steubenville, OH 43952 or via Paypal on the web: katiegesto.blogspot.com, BLOG: mamanitascoffeehouse.blogspot.com Lowes Gift cards are always welcome too! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING!!

"Bringing people together"

That was the word God gave me in November about what the key charism of this mission house would be... and so it is happening. * Christ the King Church in Weirton has adopted a room to refinish * Word of Life Church just finished the living room! * Franciscan Summer Mission Team just finished the Sun Room AKA "Happy Room" * A bunch of us finished the Sozo Prayer room * Franciscan University donated money to finish the Guest Room * Youth Works committed to finishing a bedroom! * Underground youth mission committed to finishing a bedroom * Mike and Theresa from Holy Family Catholic church finished the sitting room in memory of their son, Christopher... It's GORGEOUS! * Bernadine White from Tower of Power church is heading up the revival of a bedroom * Impact Church from Pittsburgh finished the Kitchen floor and tore down the attic ceiling for us * The Methodist Youth Group of Wintersville redid the entrance hallway * Christ Community Church of Steubenville has donated hours of labor along with their electric sander for us to use * Pastor Cindy Seward's husband Joe is helping us get the roof in shape! Go-Joe-Go! * Nathan is living there now, and soon I will be moving in along with another girl. Many more hands and hearts are coming together to make this mission what God has in mind for it. We're excited!!! Nothing is impossible for God-- even the transformation of Steubenville! God is doing something great in our city! Thanks everyone, and for all who have and will donate so that we can buy the paint, insulation, etc. and please keep praying for our city. And please keep praying for all God has for us in this mission. In the word of Bernadine White, "God is moving in our city. Things are changing. I can see it, I can feel it... Let's keep praying!"

God job Dave!

Dave Gossett of the Herald Star came down this week and wrote a great article for us. So far, 2 people have already called me to volunteer! Whahoo! In case you missed reading it, here it is.

God's doing something in our city...

We had an amazing time with Franciscan student volunteers for several days and Saturday a bunch come also along with some kids from the local High School. Please pray for Mama Nita, (AKA Juanita Slappy) has had her second Grandson shot in the last month in our downtown area. The first boy died and now Leroy is stable. This drug-gang war has to stop in Jesus' Name! It's so sad. We know our house will in some way will have a part in stopping this war of revenge.

Please also pray for our friends and brothers and sister in Nuba Mountains where I served a year ago for 2 months. Darius, a Sudanese doctor and dear friend, emailed me an hour ago saying there is heavy fighting near them and they are constantly in the surgical room mending near fatal wounds from the antenov bomber plane. The northern regime has declared all out war against the Christians and sympathetic Muslims in the north and have declared officially "Sharia law". These brave missionaries will stay there to care for the poor and wounded. Pray with me, please, for their courage, health, strength, wisdom and protection. Please pray for an end to the war there and for wisdom from other countries if they should intervene so that this genocide doesn't continue.

I wish I could be there, but God has made it clear to me to do this mission in Steubenville where we have our own war going on. Again, thanks so much for your prayers. God is teaching me so much lately. One thing is that, like Mother Mary, we can be small but mighty. "He who is mighty has done great things for me!" Luke 1. I may be only one small lady in the midst of a drug and corruption war in Steubenville, but together with many hands all enveloped in the Lord's hands, we can change this city around to become a city that loves God's heart and honors and respects each other. It CAN happen. I'm going to be childlike enough to believe it. It is NOT impossible for God. Please stand with me on this to see it happen.

I was VERY encouraged yesterday with a phone call from Pastor Jason from a church around the corner from us. He heard what we are doing and said something like, "That is exactly what we are seeing around the world-- God is moving mightily in the out of the box types of places like Christian coffee houses and people are having encounters with God in beautiful ways. I fully support you and if you need anything let me know!" My own parish is doing a fund raiser this week for us, too. God, YOU are moving in downtown Steubenville! Have your way!

Thanks for all those volunteering and sending words of encouragement. They mean a lot to us! God is really doing something great our city... Let's believe and pray for more!

I wish you all a very wonderful Holy Week and soon Easter.

Big hugs to you all!
Katie

Gratefulness

I am just amazed at the way God is moving in our new mission at Mama Nita's. He's sending such amazing people to us to build our Mama Nita's family and renovate our house...Bernadine, who just lost her grandson, Lee in a fire 3 weeks ago has been coming to volunteer to fix out house up. Lou Tucker, a local plumber said, "I will do your plumbing work under one condition: you don't pay me for my service. Lisa Reeves Foster cleaned up so many dusty dirty clothes and washed them and dropped them at Good Will and threw the rest out the window into our 30 yard dumpsters.

Luke Yanko and Ben Bowers plunged into the grotesque basement with gas masks and cleaned the whole thing out to fill up another dumpster. Brave men they are! And Walter Malorie from the local Pentecostal church has come faithfully to look out for me and serve to clean out the house out of the goodness of his heart. Mary O'Connor, my dear friend in all this, has done so much also along with hauling away the tree branches we cut off from the jungle outside. And we can't forget Mike Givens and Mark Richardson who are both doing windows and electric at cost. Wow, thanks Guys! Jonathan and Johanna Mears who donated the electrical supplies and did most of the work also. Thanks Ray for chainsawing the trees down, drilling the ground rod holes and shootin' the breeze with us-- and thanks Gary Bebee for serving in so many ways too!

Then we were blessed by 20 Franciscan students who came this week to clean, paint and dig up roots from the bushes outside. It now looks like a home! You guys are amazing. They teamed up with the Big Red High school kids and both cheered each other on and got to know one another. I felt like a proud mother watching them interact. Chris Sparks, Anna and so many other Franciscan students have been coming down regularly to brighten our house and bring so much joy and life to us!
Romans 1:21 – Even though men “knew” God they didn’t “give thanks” and their foolish heart was darkened. The list goes on and on.

I am touched this week about the importance of Gratefulness... I am so grateful. I think Gratefulness is going to be a charism of our house because that grace needs to be revitalized in our city. It is the foundation of all virtues it seems to me. Romans 1:21 says that even though men “knew” God they didn’t “give thanks” and their foolish heart was darkened. Darkness pervades our downtown area. Join us in becoming Eucharistic people-- actively grateful is the meaning of that word, Eucharist.

Pray for me and for all of us please to allow this grace of Gratefulness to permeate our lives and overflow into the streets around us!

It's official! We have the house!

Thank God! We have the house in Steubenville for our ministry! We filled a 20' dumpster yesterday within 6 hours! Thanks to Ben, Luke, Jonathan, Matt, Chris, Mike, Mary, Lisa and Vaughn Foster and Walter for helping! 2 more dumpster to go! Attached is a summary of what is on our heart for this mission. Pray with us for renewal, unity and restoration in Steubenville. God bless you!

January to March happenings

Thanks so much for your desire to help us get started at Mama Nita’s Coffee House!

We’re starting from scratch, on a breadth of faith, trusting the Lord to work beautiful things through each of our efforts. I’m sure we will see our community coming together through many of you to come down and volunteer, praying for us and our city, those who come share their gifts, talents and materials.

Here’s a summary of what will be going on from end of January to March:
* January 14th, clean up day! Katie & the owner agree on the sale price.
• Jan 16 to Feb 7th: Cleaning up the house and painting the rooms
• Decorating after the walls are painted & furnishing the rooms
• Opening up the house for various group meetings that need a place to meet—most likely opening the house for that by end of February. If your group needs a place to meet, contact me with your groups information
• Meeting weekly to pray for the city: starting by mid-February.
• Volunteers to be present during the week to be ‘listening ears’ to people in our city who just need a cup of coffee and to talk. If this interests you, please contact me.

What things do we need? I will make a list below of things we would love donated. I will update this weekly, so when we no longer need it, you will see it’s been taken care of. There is a separate document called, “Donated Items Needed”

We're almost mission-house owners! Pray that we can soon close the deal on this house. Though it needs a lot of work, it's got great potential! These are the beginnings of Mama Nita's Coffee House!