Change of Clothes

What do you do when your clothes are dirty? He is a black man who looks like he just stepped out of a time machine from the sixties. He has a large afro with an equally large and long beard. I saw him many times in college either debating politics or demonstrating against the establishment. It was not actually him but maybe a clone that could have ended up on the street and never changed or probably more likely would have ended up in suburbia with a wife and nice clean children. But that was not him.

I would like to take his picture but he does’t want me to. So I don’t. I know his pant and shirt size by heart because every week he wants a change of clothes. Washing is out of the question on the street but changing into clean clothes works. Usually he asks for a hygiene kit which is not always available. Last week we looked around and did find some deodorant, hand lotion which had good smell, toothbrush and toothpaste. He was set for another week. He is not the only one who comes in each week asking for clothes, but he is the most consistent. He does not come for the preaching or the food. He stays by himself and only appears when you got the goods. I wonder what kind of stories he could tell. I know he appreciates the help but he wants to be left along.

Last Tuesday we served 85 meals with the assistance of 18 volunteers. Dan preached the message which was well received by everyone. Most come for the meal but there is a core group that wants to hear the Word. That is why we are downtown. To provide not only physical but more importantly spiritual help in the lives of those who are poor in spirit.
~Marc

Moving

Moving can create a lot of stress. There are so many problems to deal with such as giving up a place that you have become used to, as well, as the people that you have bonded with over the years. Then there is the problem of finding a new place. Of course, you look for location, location, and location. Other things matter, but that is primary what you would look for. Then there is the stress trying to find out where things are located and how to get around. I have experienced this more times than I would have liked in my life. But there is some satisfaction and relief when you find the right place. You usually want to show it to someone. It is no different for the homeless. They experience all the same emotions changing locations.

We had an opportunity to talk to a homeless who had not been in Greenville for years. This person had moved on to better things only to return. Things don’t always work out like you expect them. Finding a safe place to sleep in Greenville had been the first priority, but it had taken longer than expected. The stress was evident each week as this person looked around for a safe place to sleep and finding out how to get around in Greenville again. Things had changed. Then last week we were informed that the perfect place had been found. In fact, we just had to go with this person that night to look it over. It was downtown next to a highway but it did seem secluded. There were very thick trees with an opening in the middle. From the outside, you would not even notice there was an open space in the middle and it was downtown which met the location requirement. This person explained that in the morning there were birds in the trees to sing and it just seems so peaceful. Never mind that there is a lot of noise from the traffic. It was the perfect place. I felt like I was attending a house warming party. So naturally we presented a small gift for the new home.
~Marc

Big Crowd

None of us are sure of the numbers that will turn out on each Tuesday night. That means we come downtown not knowing how many homeless or volunteers will show up. Sometimes we get more than we can handle and other times we wonder where everyone has gone. Is there something happening on the street that is more appealing or is there something on the tube tonight? But this Tuesday everyone showed up. We had a capacity crowd from the street and local volunteers. There were so many volunteers that Paul had to conduct the volunteer prayer, before the service, in the hallway instead of the kitchen which is a much smaller area. But we consider this a blessing because many had the opportunity to minister to folks who are in need.

The total count for the night was close to 150 individuals. There were over a 100 plates served and many more prepared for take out. Many of the volunteers came from North Greenville University, Evangelical Institute, and East North Street Baptist along with our regular volunteers that show up every week. These numbers give everyone many opportunities to share the Gospel.
~Marc