We had a great time at the outreach yesterday! We handed out waterproof, drawstring bags filled with toiletries and T-Shirts and lunch bags full of homemade sandwiches, apples, chips, soup and a bottle of water with an electrolyte mix, all decorated for Christmas, or with uplifting messages! They were very excited to receive them!
We started out at Bojangles and had a wonderful, interactive discussion around Zechariah 7:8 “And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.'” The discussion that followed was wonderful, filled with uplifting scripture and reminders.
When we reached the camp we visit each week, it had been completely cleaned out. The city of Raleigh came by and took everything that had been there. It was sad to see them lose all their belongings; however, understandable as it is in a very visible area within a shopping center. We found the folks we come by to check on across the street. A discussion followed to see if there is a better place they can stay, that is close, but not so visible to allow them to hang out, fellowship with one another and have a place to store their belongings. We have been working on how to clean up the areas they stay at while providing them a service to clean and wash their clothes and blankets so that they don’t have to dispose of them every few days. Before leaving, we prayed for those who were there, and received a blessing with one of the men praying with and for us!
I can only imagine how hard it is to live out on the streets, in the elements and all alone, without family or a warm, comfortable place to sleep at night. What we have realized is that family is not designated by blood, but rather love. They check on each other daily and look out for one another. We hope, one day soon, to be able to provide them with a place where they can continue living as a family, but with a roof over their head, healthy food to eat and a place to lay their head that is more comfortable than the ground. It looks like it will be maintaining a balance between what our culture wants to “see” and what amenities can be provided to make their lives a little better.
We visited with one of the women we have come to know and handed out bags at the bus stop. One of our other women who has been living on the street is in the hospital, and just came out of an induced coma that she was put in for surgery. She is in a hospital in another state recovering. After leaving, we visited with one of the men we have been working with who has been off the street for 9 months, and who is also in the hospital.
It was a very full, and very uplifting day! I am very grateful for the outreach and the community that is building up within and around it!