Being Jesus’ hands and feet for Matu

In a world where loving yourself often comes first, we know Jesus calls us to be different. He calls us to see the hurting and downcast, to meet them where they’re at, and journey with them.  Jesus calls us to ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’.

When struggling dad, Matu, fell on hard times, school chaplain Nicola met them where they were at in life, and showed them God’s love when they needed it most.

During the height of COVID lockdowns, Matu was homeless and sleeping on the beach. He’d lost his job, and was struggling to make ends meet for his teenage son.

“I first met Matu about six years ago when he’d pick his son up from school, but I really became involved in their story when COVID began to impact the economy. Matu lost his job. He was forced to sell his car and was struggling to find a place to live,” shares Nicola.

“He was able to find accommodation for his son, but not for him. Being a New Zealand citizen meant he didn’t qualify for most Government assistance. So with virtually no funds, Matu slept on the beach.”

“As I listened to Matu talking about his circumstances, I heard the sense of hopelessness he felt for the future.”

But despite the dire circumstances, Nicola knew God would make a way.

“Matu’s son was in Grade 6 at the time, so our first priority was to make sure he was able to finish the school year. I reached out to two local chaplaincy supporters who rented out an AirBnb near the school. They were able to take in Matu and his son until the end of Term 4.”

A gamechanging moment…

Nicola then teamed up with support organisations in the area to find Matu a job.

“Together we helped him with referees and a CV, but being car-less threw up constant barriers to him finding work,” Nicola recalls.

“When my husband and I found ourselves in the position to upgrade my old car – I knew this would be a gamechanger for Matu. With the help of donations from my church community, I was able to gift the car to him and have it registered for a further 6 months.”

Thanks to your support, Matu was able to access the help of a school chaplain and the support networks that come with that.

From being homeless and unemployed, Matu is now standing on his own and supporting his son, giving him the best chance to thrive.

You are part of this story of hope. Thank you for sharing our heart to see more children, young people and their families discovering life in God’s big story.

To further this work in your local area, follow the links below.