From Tim and Laurie DeValve's front porch, you can see Darlene Williams' house. Darlene and her two young girls moved in across the street just over a year ago.

Looking around Darlene's kitchen you'll see two cards on the counter by the phone, next to the stove. They're both from Laurie, who has lived in this quiet neighborhood in Manchester, Conn., for 10 years. One card is a thank-you for the turkey dinner Darlene fixed for her family; the other, a note to let her know that she's praying for her. The cards mean a lot to Darlene, who also has a lot to thank Laurie for.

Laurie's tangible gestures of God's love have opened doors for spiritual conversations. They've allowed Darlene to see God working in her life in a practical way.

Laurie first showed love to Darlene by caring for her children. She invited Darlene's daughters to her house to join a "Five-Day Club," a group much like a Vacation Bible School. Fourteen neighborhood children sat on blankets spread open in Laurie's backyard -- among them, the Williams girls. For five days the group sang songs, heard Bible stories and memorized Scripture. On the first day, both Williams sisters invited Christ into their hearts.

By reaching out to her children, Laurie touched Darlene's heart. "It makes you feel like you're not alone," Darlene says of people helping with her children. "When someone else comes along, it does lessen the burden."

In seeing Laurie's life lived out, Darlene considers her a mentor, especially when it comes to parenting. Darlene is a good parent, but she'd like to learn to be better -- like Laurie, she says.

"She has an overabundance of patience," Darlene says of Laurie and her relationship with her four boys. "She can stand there listening to her kids yelling in her face, 'I want this,' or, 'I want to do that,' or 'He's bothering me.' I only have two kids, and after five minutes of that I have to go escape somewhere."

"Being a single mom, she's got a tough job," Laurie says. "She's got to be Mom and Dad, and she also has the spiritual concern for her children. She's not just investigating God for herself, but for her kids too."

Beyond parenting help, Darlene had other needs which weren't being met. Laurie and her husband, Tim, then helped meet Darlene's biggest need: a car. They felt God telling them to show Darlene His care for her by providing what she had been without for two years.

Eating dessert in the DeValves' living room that humid, August night, Darlene sensed something unusual was happening from the way the DeValves were acting. "Darlene, we ran into some extra money and we were thinking of what to do with it," Tim said, smiling. "And we've decided to buy a car for you. We know you need one." Darlene was flabbergasted.

"I mentioned to Laurie that I was working on trying to get a car, but that it was very hard for me to save for one," Darlene explains. "There are really no words to explain how I felt when they told me."

Although in good condition, the '87 Ford Taurus still needed work when rolled onto Darlene's driveway. Laurie and Darlene spent their days together filling in rust spots, getting repairs done and reinforcing their relationship. Their time together opened conversations, and Laurie invited Darlene to her home for a four-week investigative Bible study.

On Thursdays, Laurie and Darlene covered the basics: the Trinity, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection. Darlene and her girls have also started coming with the DeValves to church, where Darlene especially appreciates the Sunday-school class for parents of preteens.

Laurie loves watching Darlene learn more about God. But she guards against others thinking she's only interested in their salvation.

"We didn't buy the car for her to share the gospel with her," Laurie stresses. "We bought it for her because we felt God laying it on our hearts. But what flowed naturally out of that was her having more of an interest in us and why we did it and what kind of a God would do this for her."

"Someday, when I'm on my own two feet, I hope to help someone else," Darlene says. "I hope to give back what Laurie and Tim did for me. I want to do it for someone else."