Gabriel Project Ministry

• Diapers + Wipes
• Baby Shampoo + Lotion
• HEB, Costco, or other Gift Cards to purchase supplies
• New or Gently Used Clothing (Sizes Newborn – 24 mos.)
• New or Gently Used Household Baby Items (Pack n’ Play, stroller, crib, bedding...)

All items can be dropped off at the parish office. Thank you!

"Do not be afraid . . . for nothing will be impossible for God"
-Luke 1:30 & 37 ~ The angel Gabriel's words to the Virgin Mary

Thank you, St. Austin’s, for honoring this month of October as Respect Life Month!  Many parishioners have offered prayers along with material and financial resources to the Gabriel Project to benefit struggling families with children.

1 Peter 4:10
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

When a family enters the Gabriel Project, they are paired with a volunteer “Angel.”  The Angel walks alongside the family in their life journey, calling on the Holy Spirit to help create an emotional and spiritual connection while also meeting their material needs.  As a Church, we are all ONE BODY.  Your role in providing material resources contributes to the work of the Spirit in the lives of these families!
 
Introducing…
We are thrilled to introduce to you a lovely family participating in the Gabriel Project’s new EWYL (Earn While You Learn) offering.  Meron and her family are refugees from Eritrea (a country bordering Ethiopia and Sudan).  At age 15, Meron was about to be mandated to join the military in her unstable country.  Out of concern for their daughter, Meron’s family arranged a marriage for her with her current husband, Henok.  The couple fled and walked for four days to Sudan.  It was very dangerous and they were threatened at gunpoint many times by men demanding to harm Meron.  Henok always said, “No! You will have to kill me first!”  Every day they had to hide the fact that they were Christians for fear of their lives.  In His mercy, God watched over them and they remained safe.
 
From Sudan to the U.S.
Meron and Henok eventually entered a refugee camp in Sudan.  During their time in the camp, they gave birth to three children.  With the money they had saved by working, along with contributions from family back in Eritrea, they were able to obtain plane tickets to the U.S.  Once they arrived in the U.S. they asked for political asylum.  Since they had no papers, Henok had to go to a detention center and wait for a judge to hear their case for asylum.  Meron and the children stayed with some nuns in Harlingen, Texas.  After two months, a judge granted the family asylum and they began the next phase of their life in this new country.
 
Arrival in Austin, TX
When the family came to Austin they had to stay in separate shelters (one for men and one for women with children).  Henok initially found a job washing dishes and later a job as an independent taxi driver.  After eight months in the shelters, their case manager helped them get established in an apartment.  A kind woman named Irene, from St. Ignatius Parish, regularly visited the shelter.  She helped them find furniture and other material needs.  A fellow refugee, who had been at the shelter with Meron, told her about learning opportunities through Goodwill.

Matthew 21:22
Jesus says:  “And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer,
believing, you shall receive.”

A career for Meron
It was at Goodwill that Meron studied English and the Certified Nursing Assistant program simultaneously (even though the instructors advised she only attempt the English class)!  Meron did not want to waste any time!  She had an English/Amharic dictionary that she carried with her at all times.  Wow…she was a hard worker!  Every day after bringing the children to daycare, Meron went to school early.  She studied and attended classes.  After that, she picked up the children, made dinner, cleaned up the apartment, put the children to bed and then studied until 2am.  She would sleep for three or four hours and then start the process all over again.  Despite the difficult schedule, she was a good student.  If she didn’t pass a written test the first time she tried harder and passed the second time.  She always scored 100% on the practicum portions of her studies.  She knew the final licensure test would be very difficult.  On the day of the test she prayed, “God go before me into this test.  I don’t know how I’ll do it.  YOU do it for me!”  She passed her licensure on the first attempt with 95%!
 
A new baby for the family
Shortly after Meron started work as a CNA, she and Henok learned they were expecting a new baby.  Meron cried because this was not what she had planned.  Her husband said not to worry; children are gifts that God gives us.  He told her it would be all right and that she could stop work when it became too tiring.
 
EARN While You LEARN
In fleeing Sudan, the family had come with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.  Thinking of all the material items needed for a new baby was overwhelming.  Fortunately, Irene told Meron about the Gabriel Project at St. Austin’s.  Meron became our first Earn-While-You-Learn student.  She has been coming to the church as much as possible to learn about parenting, labor and delivery, immunizations, child safety, etc.  The classes generally involve a DVD presentation with follow-up questions for discussion.  We also recently held a Q & A session on Nutrition facilitated by a generous parishioner who works in the field of pediatric nutrition.
 
Even though Meron already has three children, she is still learning many new things.  She earns points for every hour spent in class or training sessions, which then get exchanged for various “big-ticket” baby items.  Meron has been able to earn a crib, car seat, stroller, and a rocker chair. She has EARNED and LEARNED more than she imagined!  Her husband, Henok, recognizes how much Meron has helped their family by earning these items that would be difficult to afford in their current circumstances.
 
Meron’s contribution of her time and dedication to the EWYL program has supported her dignity and is a gift to her family.  God’s love and provision have strengthened her faith.  Meron, Henok, and their three children will be welcoming a new baby girl to their family in early November!
 
THANK YOU!
Thank you, St. Austin’s, for being an instrument of God’s grace to all the families served by the Gabriel Project!

Story by: Gabriel Angel Mary Vanderheyden

The Angel Gabriel has always been a messenger of love. His first words, "Be Not Afraid" opened the door of love to a poor unwed mother, the Mother of God. The mission of the Gabriel Project is to plant the seed of God's love within the hearts of women who feel lost, alone and afraid—whether rich or poor, s ingle, married, young or older. The need in an unplanned pregnancy is one of understanding and caring. We offer a resource network to support a mother's decision to choose LIFE for their baby and give hope for the future.

At the heart of the Gabriel Project are the women (Gabriel Angels) and men (Michael Angels) volunteers who serve as mentors. A Coordinator, who is also a Gabriel Angel, manages the ministry at the parish level. The St. Austin Catholic Parish Gabriel Project ministry serves zip codes 78705, 78722, 78751 and 78756. Angels serving Gabriel Project clients are required to take Ethics and Integrity Training and Gabriel Angel Training. They are a living example of God's love and compassion to the women they serve.

Angels meet regularly with the expectant mother to help her identify, plan and set goals to obtain self sufficiency. The relationship can last through the duration of the pregnancy and until the baby is one year old.

To find out more about our ministry and becoming an Angel, please call our Gabriel Project Coordinator Carmen Adams at 512-417-8309.

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I dedicated you, . . ."   - Jeremiah 1:5