When Pastors Dustin Blanscet and Joshua Freeman first met about seven years ago, they quickly became good friends. Their wives, Heather and Miranda, had been best friends for many years, having grown up in the New Horizons conference and attended the Tiger Mountain summer camps. The lives of the Blanscets and Freemans run parallel, as they have both been pastoring full-time for about three years—Dustin at Solid Rock Church in Magazine, Arkansas, and Joshua at Lighthouse Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dustin and Heather are parents to two daughters, Havilah and Hallie, while Joshua and Miranda have one son, Judah, with another on the way.
Heather, Hallie, Havilah, and Dustin Blanscet
Miranda, Judah, and Joshua Freeman
Pastor Joshua works as the warehouse manager for a community organization called CityServe. According to their website, “At CityServe, we provide the capacity, systems and resources churches need to reach their communities, meet needs, bring hope, and see the lost redeemed in Jesus on a local and global level. Our collaborative network of faith-based non-profits, corporate, retail, farm and food supply partnerships are resourcing and empowering churches to make greater impact in the world across 10 specific areas of community engagement.”
CityServe: a Collaborative Network of Faith-based Non-Profits
Through these partners, CityServe frequently receives large donations; about two months ago, they were blessed with thousands of pairs of Jordan tennis shoes. CityServe was responsible for distribution, and many wonderful organizations and churches received these Jordan tennis shoes.
Shoes in Transit
Shoes in Transit
Pastor Dustin was on the list of recipients and had an idea of what to do with his portion. He had been a youth pastor at Solid Rock Church since 2016, before becoming head pastor. Because his heart is for the young people of his town, he got to thinking not only of his church but the entire local school system. He spoke with the school board and offered to share the shoes with some of the students. The school board was appreciative and told Pastor Dustin that it was possible that he had enough Jordans on hand to gift to the entire middle school and high school (5th-12th grade). Their district in Magazine, Arkansas, is small, with only 273 students in those grades, so they would have more than enough to give out! Pastor Dustin was thrilled to share this blessing with the entire district, and he named the endeavor “Sole to Soul.” The only possible issue was ensuring that each student received the correct size.
Jordan 1 Tennis Shoes
Pastor Joshua shared that CityServe didn’t look through the pallets of shoes before distribution; once they knew that a church or organization wanted them, they would send on a pallet, sizes unknown. Pastor Dustin didn’t know which sizes he had on hand, but he prayed that they would be the correct sizes for the students. As they began sorting, he found that he had 155 pairs of size 10.5! That seemed like too many of just one size! Would they be able to find the other sizes they would need?
When the day of distribution arrived, from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., students from the 9th to the 12th grade entered the gymnasium and found their shoes. Pastor Dustin told of how they needed a range of sizes, from the smallest available to the largest, saying that there were even a few students who needed larger sizes, such as 12, 13, or 14! At 1 to 2 pm, students from the 5th to the 8th grade came in and found their sizes. Pastor Dustin shared, “We were able to give every single student their exact shoe size. It’s a God thing; it was like the feeding of the 5000! The right shoe sizes kept multiplying.”
Some of the Students with Their New Shoes
Talking with Pastor Dustin, the greatest blessing to come out of this gift of shoes is that 273 students, plus faculty and staff, were able to hear the gospel message, to learn a little bit about the love of Christ.
Pastor Dustin Blanscet Sharing the Gospel at the Sole to Soul Event
Pastor Joshua Freeman shared that the thousands of shoes that CityServe received have since been distributed to those in need, including this small school district in Magazine, Arkansas. A friendship, many years in the making, brought about a gift of shoes to 273 students; some who may not have ever received a pair of Jordans otherwise. A true sole match.
