UNDER THE BRIDGE: The Greatest Need!

The homeless needs are many

Sunday, August 24, 2014

    

     The temperature today is 100 degrees and humid – which means I am not cooking.  Pizza Day!

     Today we have a church service and a meal in the shade of a pavilion at the Bay Side Camp.  It’s   usually held on the last Sunday of the month.  However, since I will be travelling the last Sunday (the 31^st), today is the day.  They were all warned as much as possible the week before, and we have a good crowd here today.

     “Hey, Kojak, how are you doing?” 

     Sitting quietly on the edge of the picnic table, he answered, “I’m OK.”

     “Wow!  That sounded convincing.  What’s the matter, Kojak?”  He’s usually upbeat and friendly.

     “I’m sober!”

     “Well, brother, we still love you!”

     I was headed back to the truck to offload the gear and food when Kojak came after me.

     “Hey, Jean-Luc, can we go get a lady named Camille at the bridge camp and bring her here?”

     “Sure, Kojak”

     “Can we do it now?”

The dog, Brianna, and Compassionate Kojak!

     He was concerned and showing a level of compassion I had not seen in Kojak before.  Though I had some boxes in the cab of my truck, I said, “Let’s go. But you’ll have to hop in the back ‘cause I have some stuff in the front seat.”

     He hopped in the back and we went the short distance to the other side of the bridge.  He pointed to me where she was and told me to drive up closer to her.  As we both got out of the truck, he came up to me and whispered, “She’s go M.S.”

     As her muscles refused to co-operate fully, she walked over to the truck with some difficulty and awkwardness of movement.  However, she was still energetically mobile.  Her mind was surely not hindered in any way as she immediately engaged me in cheerful conversation.

     I could see that getting her in the back of the truck might be a little difficult.

     Kojak quickly said, “Why don’t we move the boxes from the front to the back so that she can sit inside the cab.”

     This was a great idea, of course, and I was proud of Kojak showing so much care and attention to one of the “least of these.”

     I helped her up to the seat and closed the door.  When I sat in the driver’s seat, she put her hands over the air conditioning vents and said, “Ahhhhhh, this is great.  Boy that feels good.”

     “Camille, are you homeless?”  I asked, unbelieving that this lady with M.S. would find herself in this situation.

     Yes. She was living in her full-size van.  She and her husband were living in a house, but he suddenly got arrested for some reason.  She does not know why.  Not being financially able to stay in the house, it did not take long for her to be living in the van, in the street.  She had not spoken to her husband since he was arrested.  She can’t visit him in jail, as she does not have a valid I.D. card!  We’ll have to help her with that.

     No more home, no more husband, no more medicine for her M.S.!

     There are many people in our country who are barely 24 hours from being homeless.

     This lady, with a degree in Environmental Design and Solar Technology, had worked for the Sacramento Public Utility Department (Ca.) and was doing well…until M.S. struck her a raw deal twelve years ago.  Getting the daily shot she needs at a cost of $1,200 a month is no longer feasible.  She had been taking them for twelve years.

     If you believe the Lord can heal her, please take the time to pray for Camille.  Thank you.

     It is surprising to find her perky, positive, talkative and upbeat.  She loves the Lord Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior…and I was praying, as her Healer, also.  I understand Cojac, now, as she is very pleasant company to be with.

     We arrive back at the Bay Side Park and Kojak walks her to the shady pavilion.

Camille has M.S. but has the joy of the Lord!

     Others walk up, take charge and pick up the boxes and table which they carry and set up without my saying a word.

Stosh is always the first to help

All are eager to help carry 12 large, hot, pepperoni pizzas.
Left to right; Boudreau, JJ, John the Young

     On the way to the park, I stopped at another camp and picked up a couple of other homeless men, Chris and Darrel, and their dogs.  Chris is a homeless nerd who mines Bit Coins so he can buy Subway sandwiches!  He was featured in Wired Magazine, and our local WEAR Channel 3 news!  He used to hang out at the Palafox Camp with two or three other guys with their laptops connected to a router.  Most of our city has Wi-Fi.

     The computer camp does not drink, as their money goes to another addiction - computers, Bit Coins and gaming!

Homeless computer nerds! Chris is on the left, laying down.
Brother Bill (left) is ministering to "Mouse."  God loves the animals, also.

     “Hey, Darrel, did you get your dog for protection?”

     “No, I got it to take care of it.”

     I looked at him quizzically.

     He continued, “There were 7 to 8 dogs in this lazy, red-necky home with big people.  The dogs were all in bad shape ‘cause they weren’t takin care of them – especially this dog.  So I took her cause she was gonna be killed.  They let me.  I took her to the vet, got all her shots and medicine, and fed her well, and took care of her.”

     “Did the vet do it for free?”

     “Nope”

     “That’s kind of expensive, isn’t it?”

     “Yea.  I made money in the street (panhandled) every day and then took her to the vet.”

     The dog looked very healthy and glad to have him as her keeper.  In all my years, I have never seen a homeless person mistreat their pets.  In fact, the dogs will often get to eat before their owner does.  The homeless' dogs are the most social and loving dogs I have ever seen.

Darrel; "I got it to take care of it!"

Chris has the most social and loving Pit Bull, named Mouse, I have ever seen!

    

     After the table was set up, Michael came up to me, “Where’s the stuff to clean the table?”

     I have never seen Michael before.  This is our first meeting.  I handed him the paper towels and spray cleaner and he went right to work!  After the service he prayed a wonderful blessing over the meal and for everyone.

Michael didn't hesitate once to minister to us!

     It was also the first time to meet his friend Jack – who was a mobile art gallery!  He had some wonderful tattoo works of art all over his body.  The theme of all this artwork was…Jesus!  He willingly let me take pictures of it all and even assumed a tough guy attitude.  If I had met him on a dark street somewhere, I would have been concerned.  But, he loves Jesus enough to have Him tattooed all over him!  He not only loves his artwork, but he loves his Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Jack is a walking art gallery!  He has "Jesus" across his belly...

and Calvary on his neck!

     John the Young, about 20 years old, sat quietly at a picnic table and did not want his picture taken.  Later in the day, I saw him working at a corner with a sign – Help Needed - Broke and Ugly!  He is not ugly, but a handsome young man.  Anyhow, the sign must have amused people because many stopped to hand him some money.

     Our other Chris was in agony, as his foot was hurting terribly.  He had his car stolen along with all his worldly belongings which were in the car.  To add insult to injury, he had to walk the ten miles back to camp – in flip flops.  His foot, which was healing from a fracture, is now swollen and hurting.  I guess his plan to work on an oil rig in Oklahoma is cancelled for now.

Please pray for Chris's foot to be healed!

     Leslie, Mari’s sister, is not homeless but comes to our service and meal to be with people she loves.  Her 36-year old son suddenly died of unknown heart problem a couple of weeks ago.  Mari and I prayed for her and I wrote down some comforting Scriptures which Mari gave her.  She had that sheet of paper inserted in her Bible on the picnic table.  She shared with us, “He is in heaven and better off.  I thank the Lord that I was able to have him for 36 years.  I miss him, but I know he is with the Lord, now.  He always talked about the Lord and witnessed to others every day.  The Lord really loved him to want him to be in heaven with Him."

     On the way home, I stopped to feed Henry some of the left over pizza.  Henry reads a lot, but he was glad to put his book down and eat some pizza.  There is a well-organized ministry in town called Loaves and Fishes which feeds and ministers to the homeless and the poor.  I served there for about a year, but Henry volunteered there for SIXTEEN years feeding the poor.  He also kept up their computers and refurbished and updated many of them over the years.

     Henry also discussed with me the chapters in my book The Spark in the Street which he really enjoys reading!  He did go to college and would have made a great college professor!

Henry; homeless, yet sixteen years ministering to the "least of these!"
He's holding The Spark in the Street!

     I gave Jack a ride back to his camp.  I did not want him to be walking in this unrelenting heat.  As we were driving, he explained that an Environmental Police officer who enforces the city codes, showed up at their camp and told them they had to clean it up!  Jack says he was very nice about it and did not kick them off the state property, but told them they had to keep it clean and trash free.

Jack (left) and Stosh (right) help carry ice-cold drinks and fruit pies.

     That morning, “Paul” came to Jack/Mari’s camp and fed everybody Wendy’s.  When he asked if there was anything else they needed, Mari answered, “Three bags of ice and lots of trash bags!”

     Not long afterwards, Paul brought the ice and 60 trash bags for them! Now they can keep their drinks cool and clean up the camp.

     Paul, know that you are very appreciated by the homeless for the love you show them and for your generosity.  Know that whatever you give them at this camp, they generously do share with other homeless people in need.  I pray to meet you one day.  Until then, may God protect you and bless you abundantly. 

     Mary said she informed him about “the” book.  I said, “Thank you, Mari, you are a good promoter.”

     She responded, “I am the Camp Liaison Officer.  It’s my job!”

Bill loves to minister to these precious children of God.

     Good night and God bless y’all.

p.s. Today’s sermon was; The Good News of the Kingdom of God!

Hey, Guys, any pizza left...pepperoni...a piece of crust...anything?

     Good night, folks, and God bless y'all

FOR THE NEXT UNBELIEVABLE BLOG!