On Sunday Pastor Horner shared a little piece of our past during his sermon here at Deer Creek Campers’ Church.

A flood of memories came back to my mind.  Memories of individuals that were struggling, trying to make it one day at a time.  Days of difficulty and disappointments lined up in a row.  Days when they thought all hope was gone and than a small glimmer, a small ray of hope kept them going.

We could spend time sharing many stories of these brave, courageous souls.

The meeting of the minds .  .  .

God blessed us when we met a dear couple Wayne and Irene Barnes.  Wayne and Irene were both successful professionals in their entrepreneurial endeavours.  But more importantly they had a heart for God and a heart for people.

They were living in a very nice down town condo in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta at the time we met.  They told us that one morning as they were getting dressed for the day they looked out their window and noticed a man rummaging through the condo garbage dumpster.  He found a few scraps of food, a few empty pop cans and than went on his way, searching for another site.

At that moment they knew they must do something to help, not just this man, but others in the same circumstance.

You may ask Why?  Why bother?

Wayne and Irene had other things to think about that day; the next sale, the next high power lunch meeting, the next marketing strategy, the next . . .   They were too busy to worry about some lost soul who obviously was a loser.

However, over the past few years their hearts had been prepared by God for such a time as this.  There hearts had been softened by the things of God.

At the same time . . .

While Wayne and Irene were being exposed to and started giving lunches to the homeless, we had finished our current ministry project.  As a member of the executive board of World Vision Canada, Richard had learned a great deal and we ourselves had seen poverty in many different countries of the world.

Bob  Pierce the founder of World Vision said, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”

These word rang in our ears on many occasions and very strongly as we met with Wayne and Irene sharing our thoughts on how we could make a difference in the lives of the homeless in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

After all each of us our just one wrong decision away from being in the same circumstance as these tired souls.

And so it began . . .

Brown paper lunch bags were prepared every Saturday night, with a sandwich, can of pop, bar, and a piece of fruit.  The pick up trucks were ready for early Sunday morning.  Volunteers making up the bags and volunteers in the distribution centre.

The distribution centre really was just an empty Atco Gas parking lot on 111th Street and 106 Avenue behind the Grant MacEwan College.

Everything was free to all comers, with no questions asked.  It was infectious and the word just spread among the homeless people.  The crowds would come, slowly coming across the way with their shopping carts, pack sacks of personal belongings, eyes full of hope and sadness.  Looking for the gift of love.

And there we were with a small measure of love and hope.

After the crowd of between 600 – 700 people had gathered in the once empty parking lot one of the volunteers would hop up on the back of one of the pick ups, ask for some quietness, say a prayer, share a short meaningful devotion with biblical references,

During the prayer and devotion you could hear a pin drop.  Each man removing his cap, each women keeping their children quiet.  A very respectful time.

Then after a short prayer thanking God for the food, each of the attendees were asked to form a line.  They lined up in a queue for a lunch bag,  hot bowl of soup, loaf of bread, and muffins to go.

While they warmed themselves with the food the volunteers would wander through the crowd with new tube socks, mitts, toques or whatever was provided for that week.  This gave them opportunity to talk, to listen and hear of needs.  Personal contact was vital, a time to listen and respond.  Friendships were developed and a trust level was growing.

 

 

Welcome to Paradise . . .

The first contact was a mad named Benjamin.  He lived in a back lane in a garage provided by a kind home owner.  Each week we would watch him make his grand entrance into the parking lot with a new outfit every time.  Usually attired with his latest flashy, sparkly looking scarf he would announce, “Welcome to Paradise” and always looking for hugs.  The many years of street life and alcohol abuse has paid its toll on his body.  But his spirit and soul were rich with kindness.

Benjamin was the first of our new street friends that accepted Christ into his life to become his personal Savior.  Did this mean all was well, everything would change? No you see becoming a Christian is not about creating a perfect space to live out the rest of our days, it is about forgiveness and service.  Benjamin served us with his big heart, his smile, his laughter, his winsome ways.  He served his fellow street people in many different practical ways as well.

Contributors filled cars, vans and pickups with all the clothing, blankets and plastic-bagged care packages of toiletries and goodies.  For Christmas each person left with a new back pack full of the essentials of life to keep a body warm, smelling and looking good; just a small token of love.  St. Philip Catholic Elementary School collected the materials for one Sunday as a Christmas project.  St. Philip’s prinicpal Betty Posteraro said, “Students realize we are all part of God’s family” and learn by “knowing we made a small difference in their lives,”

So every Sunday morning would find us gathered in the Atco Gas parking lot worshipping, sharing, feeding, and most importantly listening as many began to trust and share their lives.  Some days were extremely cold but it did not matter they would come and we must be there also, how could we not.

One Stitch Closer . . . .

Here is a short video of a young gal who is using her God given gifts, talents and leadership abilities to help the poor.  And the work goes on until he comes.

Christ said, “The poor you will always have with you . . . Matthew 26:11.