When Evan Moon moved to Birmingham, AL, he immediately became involved with our monthly food delivery ministry. I’m not sure anyone even asked, “do you want to do food delivery with us?” We probably assumed Evan would be there and he was almost every month. He always drove his big work truck, ready to handle the recycling of all the cardboard we didn’t need. Whether he was making funny videos with some of the guys, hauling boxes of food to the cars of volunteers, or praying with people, he was intentionally befriending everyone that showed up.

Sometimes, ok, maybe all the time, we act a little crazy on food delivery mornings. We may take crazy pictures, dance to music or toss onions in the boxes as we pretend to be on the grand finale of the “Bozo show.” The guys may be pushing the kids around on hand dollies or high-fiving the two year old that’s in charge of apple distribution. Some months we are eating Larry’s famous and amazing cheese grits or the donuts our friend April always brings.

Asbury UMC has this huge double door and they always sling it open for us. We have been partnering together since 2009, as they share love, space and resources with us, and we share serving, prayers and friendship with them. When Evan moved to Birmingham, he didn’t hesitate to appreciate our family at Asbury UMC, the volunteers who come to help pack boxes, and the volunteers who deliver the food boxes to families around our city. He helps prep the food boxes, helps clean up, handles the recycling, and then delivers food box routes. Yes, it takes all day, but Evan doesn’t mind. At first he delivered food boxes by himself, until he admitted it drove him crazy to be alone, and then he started delivering with Michael and Giorgio.

So, how was a food delivery without Evan? Hard. Everyone knows Evan. He’s the fun-loving, crazy dressed, red beard. When most of the boxes were picked up, a bunch of us gathered to pray for Evan. We prayed for healing, for the spread of the Gospel, for courage, for his parents, for the doctors. Some of us admitted we were angry and we didn’t understand why. Why did he have to get a tumor on his brain? Why did he have to have emergency brain surgery? Others confessed to Jesus that we missed him, was sad he wasn’t going on the Africa mission trip, or that he wasn’t around to hang out. We thanked God that Evan taught us how to notice people and we are choosing to love today as we await his return. We prayed peace and rest for Evan. We cried because we miss him and we want him back here with us. We grieved that Evan hasn’t lived in Birmingham for a week, but it feels like months. We thanked God for Evan and we hugged each other, longing for the Evan hug we all really wanted instead.

Food delivery was a LOT quieter without Evan. Our every day lives are a lot quieter too. And the beeps on our cellphones. We weeded the garden at the office on Monday and he would have been there. We moved couches and cleaned out the garage at the community house. He lives there and he would have been there. We marked out dates on donated bread on Tuesday and he would have helped carry the boxes. We went biking and he would have pedaled beside us. We snap chatted something funny and he would have laughed. We ate tacos on Wednesday and he would have been there. We cleaned out the recycling bin to make room for more and he would have handled it.We were heart broken for a friend and he would have been heartbroken with us. We prayed and he would have prayed with us.

We went to a free movie on Thursday and he would have been there. We ate fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from the garden and he would have eaten them with us. We stopped by Seeds for a cup of coffee and he would have too. We picked up shares from Trader Joe’s and he wouldn’t have missed it. We raised funds for the upcoming mission trip to Zambia and hosted missionaries from Lesotho. He would have helped us.

We can all look forward to the day that Evan returns to Birmingham, AL, where we will worship together, drink hot tea, watch YouTube videos, make a million trips to Home Depot, ride bikes, serve together, explore, break up pallets, pray and build a bonfire. We will have a party and we will laugh, tell stories and talk for hours. We will watch sunsets and eat healthy. We will welcome our brother home.

Today, Evan’s body is using all its energy and resolve to heal. Right now, we cannot receive from his bounty of gifts, but we can give to him.

We can pray. Praying without ceasing for God to heal his body.

“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 4:17

We can love. We can love every person that comes in our path.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7

We can give rest. We can text someone else with the sports scores, the joke, the sunset picture and the prayer to give his beeping phone a break. We can tell him we gave that rest when we really wanted to talk to him.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

We can encourage. We can send funny pictures, scripture, memories of good times together, songs and poems to [email protected]. That way, all the encouragement can be consolidated in one place for his parents to read when they can’t sleep, and so it’s all in one place for Evan to enjoy when he regains energy.

“Let each of us please his brother for his good, to build him up.” – Romans 15:2

We can share his updates to keep friends informed and inspired.

We can give money. We can sacrifice something we really wanted and give to his recovery fund or we can share some of our surplus to help him and his family. Our giving can relieve some pressure off of his mom and dad as they must feel the strain of trying to work and care for him at the same time. Everyone knows how much Evan loves his mom and dad, so when we care for them, we care for Evan!

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” – Proverbs 3:27

If you can give towards relief for his financial expenses, here’s how:

Mail checks to:
Grace Klein Community, Inc., 1678 Montgomery Hwy #104, Birmingham, AL 35216
Memo: Evan Moon Assistance Program

OR via our website: gracekleincommunity.com/donate

We can wait patiently. We can give Evan and his family the space they need during this recovery. Even when we really want to see him, we can wait for the right time out of respect for his recovery. When we wait, we allow his body to conserve that energy and use it to regain strength and endurance.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:25

An update from Evan’s family:

“During this recovery journey there will be much success and some setbacks. As we traverse this with Evan we may ask for general prayers on those difficult days. Today is one of those days. Evan was moved from the rehab center back to the hospital and a specialized unit is managing his care. Rest for Evan’s body is very important to his recovery. Please pray with us.”

Evan took this picture for his mom and the family wanted us to share it with all of you.

Love from the “Moon.”

When Evan Moon moved to Birmingham, AL, he immediately became involved with our monthly food delivery ministry. I’m not sure anyone even asked, “do you want to do food delivery with us?” We probably assumed Evan would be there and he was almost every month. He always drove his big work truck, ready to handle the recycling of all the cardboard we didn’t need. Whether he was making funny videos with some of the guys, hauling boxes of food to the cars of volunteers, or praying with people, he was intentionally befriending everyone that showed up.

Sometimes, ok, maybe all the time, we act a little crazy on food delivery mornings. We may take crazy pictures, dance to music or toss onions in the boxes as we pretend to be on the grand finale of the “Bozo show.” The guys may be pushing the kids around on hand dollies or high-fiving the two year old that’s in charge of apple distribution. Some months we are eating Larry’s famous and amazing cheese grits or the donuts our friend April always brings.

Asbury UMC has this huge double door and they always sling it open for us. We have been partnering together since 2009, as they share love, space and resources with us, and we share serving, prayers and friendship with them. When Evan moved to Birmingham, he didn’t hesitate to appreciate our family at Asbury UMC, the volunteers who come to help pack boxes, and the volunteers who deliver the food boxes to families around our city. He helps prep the food boxes, helps clean up, handles the recycling, and then delivers food box routes. Yes, it takes all day, but Evan doesn’t mind. At first he delivered food boxes by himself, until he admitted it drove him crazy to be alone, and then he started delivering with Michael and Giorgio.

So, how was a food delivery without Evan? Hard. Everyone knows Evan. He’s the fun-loving, crazy dressed, red beard. When most of the boxes were picked up, a bunch of us gathered to pray for Evan. We prayed for healing, for the spread of the Gospel, for courage, for his parents, for the doctors. Some of us admitted we were angry and we didn’t understand why. Why did he have to get a tumor on his brain? Why did he have to have emergency brain surgery? Others confessed to Jesus that we missed him, was sad he wasn’t going on the Africa mission trip, or that he wasn’t around to hang out. We thanked God that Evan taught us how to notice people and we are choosing to love today as we await his return. We prayed peace and rest for Evan. We cried because we miss him and we want him back here with us. We grieved that Evan hasn’t lived in Birmingham for a week, but it feels like months. We thanked God for Evan and we hugged each other, longing for the Evan hug we all really wanted instead.

Food delivery was a LOT quieter without Evan. Our every day lives are a lot quieter too. And the beeps on our cellphones. We weeded the garden at the office on Monday and he would have been there. We moved couches and cleaned out the garage at the community house. He lives there and he would have been there. We marked out dates on donated bread on Tuesday and he would have helped carry the boxes. We went biking and he would have pedaled beside us. We snap chatted something funny and he would have laughed. We ate tacos on Wednesday and he would have been there. We cleaned out the recycling bin to make room for more and he would have handled it.We were heart broken for a friend and he would have been heartbroken with us. We prayed and he would have prayed with us.

We went to a free movie on Thursday and he would have been there. We ate fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from the garden and he would have eaten them with us. We stopped by Seeds for a cup of coffee and he would have too. We picked up shares from Trader Joe’s and he wouldn’t have missed it. We raised funds for the upcoming mission trip to Zambia and hosted missionaries from Lesotho. He would have helped us.

We can all look forward to the day that Evan returns to Birmingham, AL, where we will worship together, drink hot tea, watch YouTube videos, make a million trips to Home Depot, ride bikes, serve together, explore, break up pallets, pray and build a bonfire. We will have a party and we will laugh, tell stories and talk for hours. We will watch sunsets and eat healthy. We will welcome our brother home.

Today, Evan’s body is using all its energy and resolve to heal. Right now, we cannot receive from his bounty of gifts, but we can give to him.

We can pray. Praying without ceasing for God to heal his body.

“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 4:17

We can love. We can love every person that comes in our path.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7

We can give rest. We can text someone else with the sports scores, the joke, the sunset picture and the prayer to give his beeping phone a break. We can tell him we gave that rest when we really wanted to talk to him.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

We can encourage. We can send funny pictures, scripture, memories of good times together, songs and poems to [email protected]. That way, all the encouragement can be consolidated in one place for his parents to read when they can’t sleep, and so it’s all in one place for Evan to enjoy when he regains energy.

“Let each of us please his brother for his good, to build him up.” – Romans 15:2

We can share his updates to keep friends informed and inspired.

We can give money. We can sacrifice something we really wanted and give to his recovery fund or we can share some of our surplus to help him and his family. Our giving can relieve some pressure off of his mom and dad as they must feel the strain of trying to work and care for him at the same time. Everyone knows how much Evan loves his mom and dad, so when we care for them, we care for Evan!

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” – Proverbs 3:27

If you can give towards relief for his financial expenses, here’s how:

Mail checks to:
Grace Klein Community, Inc., 1678 Montgomery Hwy #104, Birmingham, AL 35216
Memo: Evan Moon Assistance Program

OR via our website: gracekleincommunity.com/donate

We can wait patiently. We can give Evan and his family the space they need during this recovery. Even when we really want to see him, we can wait for the right time out of respect for his recovery. When we wait, we allow his body to conserve that energy and use it to regain strength and endurance.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:25

An update from Evan’s family:

“During this recovery journey there will be much success and some setbacks. As we traverse this with Evan we may ask for general prayers on those difficult days. Today is one of those days. Evan was moved from the rehab center back to the hospital and a specialized unit is managing his care. Rest for Evan’s body is very important to his recovery. Please pray with us.”

Evan took this picture for his mom and the family wanted us to share it with all of you.

Love from the “Moon.”