New Life

There was a very good reason why Paul did not attend last Tuesday night. On the previous Friday, 08/15/08, Paul and Charity were blessed by God to welcome into the world Mckenzie Carmen Blumer. She was 5 lbs and 8 oz and was 19 inches long. Everyone is doing well and the Blumers are spending their time with their new daughter and my granddaughter.

We had two of our volunteers give the message from the Word of God on Tuesday night. Tony gave his testimony how God had saved him. He described his life before Christ and how God is His mercy reached down saved him from his sin. It was very encouraging to everyone. Lee, another volunteer, expounded on John 3:30 that stated that "He must increase, but I must decrease". This verse refers to John the Baptist who exalts Christ but as Lee explained we also must decrease and Christ must increase in our lives. Our focus should be on Christ and not ourselves. Only then will others see Christ through us.

Cathy, another volunteer, who is a nurse was kind enough to check the blood pressure of many of our downtown friends. She checked 14 individual and found 6 to have high blood pressure. These folks were referred to the Medical Clinic for treatment. We appreciate everyone who uses their talents to provided for the less fortunate downtown.

We had a good turn our last Tuesday night. We provided hot food and drink for 100 individuals with the assistance of 14 volunteers.

The a picture on the right is one our friends who wanted to show us his best friend.

~Marc

Talking Back

Sharing the Word downtown can be difficult at times. Unlike in church where everyone will sit and listen to your message, the homeless downtown will talk back to you. It can be very helpful because it allows us to develop a dialog with some for further discussion. But at other times, it can be very distracting. It takes someone special such as Paul who can respond with humility but at the same time maintain order and clearly articulate the Gospel.

Last Tuesday night, Mark Brewton was up to the task of substituting for Paul who could not attend Tuesday night. I was amazed that a young man could be asked to speak without any preparation and in ten minutes could stand up give an exposition the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11 and. in addition, answer the inevitable questions from the crowd. I am very thankful for Mark’s service each week and especially for sharing the Word with our downtown folks last Tuesday night.

Last Tuesday we were blessed to have 16 volunteers. Many worked in the kitchen preparing and serving 75 hot meals. Some spend their time talking and praying with the downtown folks and others assisted in providing much needed clothing or transportation. They provided shoes for a lady who was wearing flip flops and a shirt for a gentleman who was in a tee shirt. Even at this time of year, there are requests for blankets, pillows, large shirts and shoes for men. If anyone would like to donate those items or funds for that purpose, please contact us.
~Marc

Our Tax Dollars Help

Recently, I heard a statement that “bums should not be allowed in the library because they do not pay taxes". I thought at the time that I should have reminded this person that the library is for the public; like public roads. We don’t check with someone walking down a public street to determine if they pay taxes. I think her real concern was being around the homeless. She would rather see these individuals spend their time away from public buildings and more time around ministries such as soup kitchens or homeless shelters. I agree that these ministries are important to the homeless, but I think the public library also provides a real service to the homeless in Greenville. It is a place where they can find a cool place in the summer and a warm place in the winter. So what, if they take a snooze in a chair, I have done the same thing. But more importantly, the library provides a means for the homeless to stay in touch with their families through email. This service could be instrumental in reestablishing a connection with families that could help them get off the street.

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The library is not a ministry such as Food for Life, but it does provide a real service for the less fortunate who live on the streets. I am grateful that my tax dollars are used help those who do not pay taxes.
~Marc

Come and Go

Many of the homeless and volunteers come and go for different reasons. It certainly is not natural, by the world’s standards, to attend a weekly ministry with people who are not naturally pleasing to be around; especially with all the other distractions we have in this world. Many volunteers attend out of curiosity, but may not have a real passion to serve the less fortunate. They come a few times and then we don’t see them return. There are others who attend every week without fail. I was talking to one such person last Tuesday night. He told me of the difficulties he had experienced in his life and how he wanted to help others that were experiencing similar difficulties. His form of volunteering was to spend individual time with as many of the homeless as he could. He always waited until the meal was served and then he would sit across from an individual and spend that quality time showing that he cared. He told me that his desire came from heart knowledge not head knowledge. He said he had read a lot of books on counseling but nothing prepared him like the passion he had in his heart for loving and caring for each person. His only problem was that he could not spend as much time as he would like with every single individual. We all have different talents downtown. No one has to tell a volunteer who attends every week what to do. Each of them recognizes how they can best serve and they just do it. It does not matter whether it is getting the food together, making the tea, or preaching the Word. We are all lead by the passion we feel in our hearts.

Many of the homeless don’t show up every week. Some find a better place to receive a free meal or a cooler place to get out of the heat. Last Tuesday night, one group showed up and saw me taking pictures. They wanted their picture taken and requested a few different shots. Usually when I take out my camera, either they will not want their picture taken (for various obvious reasons) or they immediately start posing. I guess we all want to be in the lime light unless we are hiding. However, there are those that come every week. They bring their Bible and focus on Paul’s message and are looking for a Word from the Lord concerning their situation. They enjoy the meal but mostly they are seeking Spiritual food. They are the first to help prevent distractions and the first to help clean up and say “thank you” when they leave. They, also, have an investment in our ministry and feel like they are part of a family that many never had growing up.

So where does that desire come from to perform an unnatural act when there are better things to do according to the world’s standards. I think the answer can be found in the Bible. It is a heart changed by God. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “know the Lord” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest’ declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 33:33-34).
~Marc

Who is your neighbor?

Hello friends and family of Food for life,

I want to start off this week by saying thank you. It has been quite a journey, but so many people have stepped up and given their support of Russell and his family. Only a people who realize God's kindness in their own life could give on this level. Many times people fail to remember their own state of depravity. When we forget what God has done for us, we fall into a pit of judgement. This is a picture of the kids you are supporting.

In the parable of " The Good Samaritan " a lawyer stood up and tested Jesus by asking a question. "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the Law?" The lawyer quoted scripture from Deuteronomy & Leviticus, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10: 25). In the parable of the good Samaritan Jesus told a story of a man that had fallen pray to robbers. The Scriptures stated that the man came down from Jerusalem. He didn't give any other details other than the basics. Jesus didn't speak of the man's past, his state of mind, whether the man was a good man or bad man, or whether the man brought this upon himself. In the parable He gave three scenarios, a priest, a Levite (both community leaders), and a Samaritan. In His parable Jesus said this certain Samaritan had compassion. Then He asked the Lawyer, "So which of these do you think was a neighbor?" The lawyer replied, "The one who showed mercy." Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."

So many people have a deep issue with showing mercy on others. Mercy should be shown according to whether mercy is deserved or not. Jesus said, "Go and do likewise." What a joy it is to be free from judging others and their situations. God has treated us with such kindness. Food for Life desires to be a good neighbor. We want to show mercy. We believe mercy has been given to us.

This week one of our faithful volunteers was talking with a man. The man told him he had been trapped in Greenville for days. His home is in Tennessee, yet he had been walking the streets for about three days without clothing or food. He told a story about coming here for work, and then through a series of circumstances, became homeless on Tuesday. When I told the man we were sending him home, his face dropped and the only thing he could say was, "Tonight!" What a joy. We do this in the name of Jesus, who is one day sending us home.

This week Food for life had the pleasure of feeding 72 people with the help of 14 volunteers. Thank you to all who give their time and money to help us show mercy.

Chef Paul

Helping Each Other

Last Tuesday night Lee Headley, Charity’s cousin, did a great job breaking down Luke 9:23-26 describing what Jesus meant when He said “to take up your cross and follow Me”. It is amazing how God always provides what we need each Tuesday night. Paul was sick that night and there was no one prepared to bring the Word to our group. Lee walked in and asked “how can I help” and Bonnie said “you can preach”. He spent about 30 minutes in preparation and brought a convicting message to everyone. Praise God.

Our ministry is not only to the homeless, but also to the less fortunate in Greenville. Probably about 50% of the individuals we serve have jobs but are poor. Most work at minimum wage and have a difficult time financially. They come each Tuesday night and share a meal with the homeless. They can identify with them because many are one pay check away from being in the same situation. In the past we have helped some financially when they were on the verge of losing their utilities or facing eviction. One such couple was so appreciative that they started assisting us by providing transportation for others in need. This week we had a battered lady who needed a ride to a Spartanburg hospital. She had already made the necessary arrangements for admission but just needed the transportation. This couple that we had helped in the past volunteered to drive to her to Spartanburg. It is such a blessing when we see individuals, we serve, start to help each other.

Please continue to pray for the family that Charity described in the previous post. Since they have now moved from a motel room into an apartment, they are not living in one room for the first time in many months. This is especially important for the little girl. The father is working and we are thankful for the assistance we have received from our ministry supporters and North Hills Community Church. This family will continue to have financial needs as the children prepare to start school. If anyone would like to donate to our ministry for this family, please use the donate button on the blog or contact Paul or Charity.

We continue to be pleased to serve a hot meal each week to our friends in downtown Greenville. This week we served 60 meals with the assistance of 14 volunteers.

~Marc

A Special Situation

Recently Marc mentioned a special situation in which Food for Life has gotten involved. A few months ago, a man started coming to Food for Life for the Bible study. He started getting to know Paul and made a profession of faith. About a month ago he called Paul and confessed that he was in a desperate situation. Because of a series of circumstances that appeared to be beyond his control, he was being kicked out of the place in which he lived along with his three children.

Food for Life jumped on the opportunity to help him and his children, knowing that it was certainly going to be a situation bigger than us, but one that we would trust God to work out. Within a matter of days, Paul was able to help the guy find part time work, and Food for Life was able to financially support him for the following three weeks. Just days before this took place, one of my single, female friends had mentioned that she would like to do some babysitting for the summer. She has been providentially available to take care of the children on most of the days that their father has had to work, which has been a huge blessing. She really has a heart for the Lord and ministry and is using the opportunity to minister to the children, which have been completely unchurched and are learning for the first time about the Lord Jesus and what it means to be a Christian.

It appears that things are coming together for us to be able to assist the father and his children this coming week in getting into their own apartment. We have had various friends and church members offer to give pieces of furniture, and we are praying that the rest of their material needs will be met over the course of the next few days. There are so many needs that Paul and I see that we would like to be able to meet. We are simply praying for God's provision, as the needs are great, and it will take many helpers in order to provide to all of them.

Two things that we ask our friends to pray about are as follows:

1) We need women or families who would be willing to help with babysitting, especially after the summer is over and our current babysitter is unavailable. One of the children really struggles with reading, and we are hoping to get him some help with tutoring, or at least get volunteers who are willing to work with the children after school for a couple of hours that could help them with their homework. Babysitting is really our greatest current need. Paul and I are currently helping with the babysitting, but our baby is due in 7 weeks, so our availability is soon to be quite limited.
2) We are also in need of material donations for his apartment. The current needs are as follows: a couch, living room chairs, end tables, a bedroom dresser, curtains, plastic containers for food, pots and pans, wall hangings, small bath and kitchen towels and rags, shower curtain and rod, shower mat, and trash cans for the kitchen and bathrooms. Also, basic items are needed, such as trash bags, dish detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, clothes washing detergent, vacuum cleaner, and broom.

We of course covet the prayers of believers for wisdom on our behalf and continued spiritual growth on behalf of this special family.

We were pleased to serve 55 meals this week with the help of about 15 volunteers.

~Charity

Weekly Needs

Last Thursday Lincoln shared the Word with our down town friends. He and many of his friends from the Evangelical Institute have been coming each week to volunteer their time. We are grateful for their support in the kitchen, and for ministry on a personal level. The above picture shows that his message provoked further discussion with an older gentleman that has been coming each week.

A woman came into the kitchen as we arrived and asked for something to eat. We advised her of the meal time and then she wanted to talk to someone concerning her problem. She had apparently been abused and battered and was looking for some assistance. Her boyfriend had been arrested and was in jail and she was concerned for her safety. After some discussion, she decided that she wanted to return to another city and see her young children who were staying with a brother. Bonnie took her to a trailer in a bad part of town to get some of her clothes and then to the bus station to purchase a ticket. The bus did not arrive for a couple of hours so everyone retuned so she could get something to eat. After the meal, Bonnie returned the lady to the bus station at the appointed time.

This week our friend, Eric, informed us that he found a place to stay. For weeks we have been concerned about him living on the street. It seems that he has some temporary shelter by helping an older gentleman in town in exchange for some free rent. I always am amazed at how resourceful Eric can be to meet his needs.

Next week, we will be Homeless on Tuesday again. Paul and Charity have finished their classes and we will return to our traditional night of Tuesday. Thanks to everyone who have been flexible during this time. We have the best volunteers (Christian friends) in the world. May God bless them all.

~Marc

Life Downtown

Last Thursday night when we arrived, I noticed that someone was feeding some of the homeless across the road from our location at an abandoned gas station. I was told by some that a local church had set up there to feed and share the gospel. Since it is the same night we are feeding and ministering, it has resulted in a slight decline in our numbers. This week we served 49 meals with the assistance of 12 volunteers. Although, we have considered continuing Thursday nights indefinitely, this may require us to return to Tuesday after Paul finishes his classes. I would appreciate any feed back from our volunteers either as a comment on the blog or directly to Paul concerning the best night to meet the needs of the community.

One of the most difficult situations we see on the street is homeless adults with children. It is very difficult for us to provide any long term solution to this problem. Currently, we are ministering to a young father with three children. We are providing short-term housing and even baby sitting services so he can work. He had been coming by himself for a couple weeks before asking Paul for help after his wife left him and their children. Please pray for this family and for us as we minister to this family. There are very few ministries available for this type of situation.

It seems that every week individuals show up late wanting food even after we have finished cleaning up. This week, one individual who is a regular did show up late but he had a good excuse. It seems he was downtown and had a few words with another homeless person and the authorities arrested him on a charge of “nuisance behavior”. I have heard from others that this is generally the charge the authorities use to make a sweep to remove some of the homeless off the street. He showed me the ticket he had gotten to verify his story. Fortunately, he was released after about twenty minutes but he needed something to eat. Since he does come every week and listen to Paul’s message, I decided to break one of our rules and give him some money for a meal.

One of the major reasons for homelessness is mental illness. I have seen so much evidence of that in many people that come through our ministry. You can have an intelligent discussion with a person and all of a sudden, they will say something that definitely is out of the ordinary. Early in Paul’s ministry, we had an individual that would come each week and sit by himself. You could see him talking to some imaginary person by his actions during the meal. He told us of elaborate plans for different businesses that he was considering. He even prepared written plans and budgets which he had accurately calculated his success. One week he showed up after missing the last two weeks and I asked him where he had been. He responded that he had just gotten out of jail. It seems that he was arrested for trying to change the locks on a church that he had previously purchased.

I saw further evidence of this last Thursday night. We gave a couple a ride home. Since our catering van has only two front seats, this person and I were sitting on the floor in the back of the van. He began to tell me of the difficult time he has with hearing voices. He indicated that once he did take medication in jail that seemed to help but now he does not take any medication. He has the belief that it is the result of a stomach problem that causes him to get mixed up in his head. Fortunately, he is not homeless because he receives a disability check each month. Many are not so fortunate. Most are on the street dealing with mental and/or physical problems associated with homelessness. Our desire is to meet all of their needs but most importantly it is the need of their heart to be changed. We know that God through Jesus can change a person regardless of their condition.

~Marc

In the Beginning

Last Thursday night Paul decided to give his testimony because he felt that there may be some who had not heard it before. In the same way, I decided this week to give a short description of what prompted my son, and ultimately our whole family, to get involved in this type of ministry. It is my desire to give credit to the power of God to change lives and to encourage others to utilize their skills to help others.

My son, Paul, had abused drugs and alcohol during much of his life. We tried everything to help him but nothing worked. Programs did not work. Short stay in rehab facility did not help. Even a short stay in jail for a DUI did not work. But what did work was that Paul was changed by God's Spirit on Oct. 1, 2000. He definitely was a new creation. Paul had spent some time on the street, so he felt the need to help the homeless receive the same transformation. He convinced the owner of a Christian Coffee shop in Greenville to let him use it for a bible study on Tuesday nights in downtown Greenville. It was just my son (at that time he was not married), Mom and Dad (that's me). A couple of weeks no one showed up. It was just us having a bible study. Then a young homeless boy showed up one Tuesday night. We fed him pizza and ministered to him. At that time he was living under a bridge in the downtown area. The next Tuesday he brought in 14 more homeless and we were off and running. Since I am a CPA, I applied for 501(C) 3 Non-Profit status and now receive some financial support off and on from relatives, friends and volunteers. Mainly, the food is provided by my son’s catering business, StreetSide Catering Inc. Later, we out grew that location and moved to an old church that was turned into a ministry for the downtown folks. They let us use the facility each Thursday night.

We don't see as much change as we would like, but then again we don't know what God has done for some folks. People seem to come and go. Recently, I wrote a post on “Giving a Voice and a Lending an Ear” that highlights some of our activity. Honestly, it probably would not have been something that I wanted to do, but after close to 5 years, I can say that some of my best friends live on the street. That young boy that helped us start out still comes and he has been our “go between” for our world and his world. He is what I call a guest homeless. He bounces around between people who let him sleep on their couch or in a spare room. Usually that does not last long and he is off again but he always shows up each Thursday night.

We continue each week because we have a passion to help others. Many feel that they do not deserve our help because they do not appreciate our efforts, but this is not the reason. It is based upon God’s grace. The best way for anyone to start a ministry or any other community activity is to find out what your passion is and then fill it with your time.

~Marc

Testimony of a volunteer

There is a man who has been volunteering at Food for Life that agreed to share a brief testimony and share what God has been doing in his life as a result of his time at Food for Life. The following includes his response to some questions I asked him. I asked him to share because I felt that his testimony could be an ecouragement to our readers.

What is a brief description of your testimony? "After being raised as a church goer, but not having a real relationship with Jesus Christ, I was graced by a vacation Bible school with some local missionaries who were used by God to lead me to receiving salvation by grace, through faith and I began my relationship with Jesus at about age 12. Then in high school I drifted away and fell into serious pride and sinful habits including multiple addictions. Only after landing in prison did I "come to myself" and return to God and humbly cry out for His forgiveness. He granted that and much more. To His glory, God has restored my life and joy and I now am highly motivated to go out and serve others who may be ready to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and become truly set free as I have become."

How did you hear about Food for Life and what made you interested in helping? "My Dad, who knows me well, clipped an article from The Greenville News about Chef Paul and Food For Life Ministries. Dad gave me this article because he knew I would find it interesting. As soon as I read it, I knew that I would want to help, but also did not know how I could find enough time to help."

How has your heart been touched by being a part of the ministry at Food for Life? "By God's grace and to His glory, I just stepped out in faith and took the time that I did not think I could afford. I showed up at one of the Tuesday Nights and was RICHLY blessed by the message that was taught from The Bible and even more blessed by seeing people live out that message. Now the most joyful time of my week is after helping to serve people in need through this ministry. Some of the people I meet think that they do not have hope, but when they find out that I was in prison and am now doing great, by God's grace, sometimes they realize that maybe there IS hope for them too. It blesses me to no end to think that God can use me in His soul saving and heart healing work."

~Charity

Now is the time - Line Up !

It is hard to believe that less than 3 weeks ago, it was cool and damp with many on the street asking for blankets or a change of clothes. However, last Thursday night it was sweltering heat with the temperature approaching the 100 degree mark. Naturally, the requests were more in line with the change in weather. Everyone wanted a cool place to rest including lots of cold ice water and tea. We are very fortunate and thankful that Triune Mercy Center allowed our 14 volunteers to serve 60 meals in their air conditioned facility. This is a real blessing not only for our street friends, but also for our faithful volunteers.

I am always amazed how much time Paul spends with the each homeless individual. He always gives each one his undivided attention. As soon as we arrive each night, I see individuals "lining up" in order to talk with Paul. Some are requesting clothes, a room for the night, a bus ticket out of town, a job, help with their bills, a ride across town, or many just want some money. Everyone can use a little money; sometimes for the wrong reason. Others just want to give Paul suggestions what to preach. This night, one individual said he was writing a book on how to interpret the Bible and wanted to give Paul a few of his suggestions. Another, more importantly, needed individual ministry. Paul was privileged to talk and pray with him after the meal. Our desire is to present the true Gospel straight from the Word of God and minister to the hopeless on an individual basis. We are very fortunate that many of our volunteers are equipped and willing to assist Paul in this endeavor.

This Thursday Paul continued with Romans 13:13-14. The overall theme is the understanding of the urgency of the time and that our salvation is nearer than we may believe. If that was true at the time Romans was written, how much more urgent is it today. It is important that we all realize that time is short and as 2 Corinthians 6:2 states now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation. We can not just focus on our earthly needs at expense of our eternal destiny. It is the difference between eternal misery or eternal bliss. This understanding fuels our ministry each week.

Please pray for Paul and his volunteers that we may advance the Kingdom of God each week and we would never be ashamed of the Gospel, because as the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 1:16, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes. That includes all of us, including our friends on the street.

~Marc