UNDER THE BRIDGE: Now, Wasn't That Fun?

Since this blog is being read in over 30 countries, we are greeting one different country every time a post is written.  This week we say, “Hello!” to our brothers and sisters in Haiti and the French-speaking world in honor of Paule-Anne who is a dear sister from Haiti ministering with us to the homeless.

Devenez donc les imitateurs de Dieu, comme des enfants bien-aimés; et marchez dans la charité, à l’exemple de Christ, qui nous a aimés, et qui s’est livré lui-même à Dieu pour nous comme une offrande et un sacrifice de bonne odeur.

Ephesiens 5:1-2 

Paule-Anne came from Haiti.  She lives here, now, and helps
minister to the "least of these."

Sunday, January 25, 2015

     As I pulled up in my truck to the pavilion at the Bay Side Camp, I felt a little odd.  Today, being the last Sunday of the month, is our service/meal day and I did not have all the gear and food that I normally would bring with me.  The homeless came to help me offload, as they so kindly normally do, and found the back of the truck empty, to their bewilderment.

     “Where’s all the stuff?” they asked.  By “stuff” they meant all the equipment and food to cook my usual spaghetti feast.

     “Heather is bringing it.  I just have a few things to offload in my tool box (plates, forks, paper towels, drinks, etc.”

     They looked at me kind of strange.

     “What are we having to eat today?” they asked hesitantly.

     “Macaroni and meat balls with spaghetti sauce.”

     This was different than the tried and true spaghetti and meat balls I serve.  Change is lightly accepted and somewhat a little resisted by the homeless as it is in the rest of the world.

     I added, “She’s also bringing salad and dressing, French bread and desert.”

     “Wow!  That sounds great!” was the expected answer to my encouraging statement.

Heather is preaching today!  Here, she is ministering the
love of  Jesus Christ to one of the children of  God.

      On the way over, I had picked up a few of the homeless who I thought might want to attend.  I picked up Mari who usually bikes the three miles to the park from her camp.  When she came in the front seat of the truck, she pulled up on the seat with a little difficulty and a couple of grunts, and she seemed a little stiff.

     I looked ahead, as I started the truck.

     “Been in a fight, uh, Mari?”  I asked, having heard about it already through the grapevine.

     “Yep, I have been,” she answered without looking at me, “and I want you to know the other person is much sorer than I am!”

     Though she’s barely five foot tall and ninety pounds, I believed her.  When she is angry, the adrenaline surge causes her to immediately gain an extra one hundred pounds of muscle!

   

 I usually pick up a few of the invited guests in the roads and country lanes.
Last Sunday, I had seven men, two women and two dogs!  Let's go hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

     They offloaded the folding table and the few other things I had brought.  It took them about thirty seconds to set it up.  Heather had not arrived, yet, and the unfolded table remained white and empty of any food for a while.  I felt quite useless, as there was nothing else to do but fellowship, when I would otherwise normally be buzzing with activity cooking and setting up everything.

     After a while, they asked, “Are you sure she’s coming and bringing food?”

     “Yes, guys, she’s bringing lots of food and clothing to give away.  She’s also going to preach the word this morning.” 

     The ladies present were quite pleased with that. 

     I still felt kind of useless, this Sunday morning.  But, the Lord had impressed upon me to have Heather preach.  The Lord told me that preaching is one of her gifts and she needs to stir up the gift which is within her.  The church establishment will hardly let anyone who has not gone to Bible College or is not “certified” by the “church” to preach in the church organization.  But in the street, you can exercise your Holy Spirit gifts according to God’s will without such hindrance.  Listen to me, saints of God, the Lord is the one who sends you out, certifies you and anoints you – thus manifesting your gifts and the power of the Lord through you. 

     There are tens of thousands (if not millions) of people in the street (outside the church walls) who are begging for people to come and preach or teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s why the Lord said, “Go!”  If you don’t go outside the church walls and into the streets, somebody will go without the Word of God.  Many of the homeless have told me, “Even if you didn’t have a meal for us, we would still come for your preaching – for the Word of God.”

          We had been holding one service a month, but are now moving to have two.  We do minister to them every Sunday, and sometimes during the week.  But I want them to have more consistent teaching for them to be strengthened and discipled.  I will also increase my personal visits during the week, ministering more one on one.

     We had a service/meal last Sunday also where we served about thirty of the homeless that came.  I was so fortunate to have had Debbie with me on that day last week to help me and to minister to the homeless as lovingly as she does.  Debbie has a “brown bag ministry,” when she brings a brown bag full of food for the homeless. She goes from camp to camp, street to street and homeless to homeless, ministering to their needs.  Today, she came to fellowship, minister and otherwise help, along with her daughter, Mazy – as in “Amazing!”

(Last  week) Debbie is tasting the spaghetti to make sure it is done "al dente"
just the way the homeless like it!

    

Debbie is also concerned for the many pets of the homeless -
God loves them, also.

     

     Finally, Heather pulls up, along with her best friend Paule-Anne, who is a French speaking sister from Haiti.  Everyone quickly helped to get all the boxes out of the car.  Heather and Paule-Anne also brought with them a big helping of Holy Spirit Joy!  They glowed more all over than anywhere else!  And everyone felt it.

     The table quickly overflowed with pan after pan of great smelling, spicy macaroni, plenty of meat balls in rich spaghetti sauce, fresh French bread and numerous sizable cakes.  I had brought them their beloved sodas – Pepsi and Mountain Dew, along with bottled water.

     I had expected to fix the meal myself, as I usually do, but Heather had insisted on doing that also.  Awesome!  I was free to roam around, shake some hands, hug some necks, and otherwise love on God’s children of the Cross.

Jonathan, our up-and-coming street worship leader!

     Before Heather’s preaching started, Jonathan blessed us with an old hymn, “Nothing But The Blood,” playing his guitar, with some of the homeless singing along.  Jonathan, who also has a heart for the homeless, is an up-and-coming street worship leader, stirring up the gift which is within him.

     Though Heather had been here before, I still introduced her as the one who was going to preach this morning, as this was her first time doing so with us.  They felt as comfortable having her as she felt preaching in front of them.  They all related well to her awesome testimony of a rough road which lead her to Jesus.  Many of the homeless kept their attention on her Gospel message as she shared her life, the love of Jesus Christ, and the personal relationship he desires with each of them.  Jesus dying on the cross for all of us was the ultimate message, as it should be.  Amen!

Heather's wonderful and powerful testimony had a captive audience.  The food is all set up and ready to go behind her!

    

Heather has Bernadette's (front) and Mari's full attention!  Junior is in the back.

    

     

Standing in the sunshine keeps you warmer while Heather (background, against the blue) preaches the Word!

      

The pavilion, the worshipers and the preacher!

     

Paule-Anne praying at the service!

     

Bryan and dog also praying!

     Then the food was ready to go.  Paule-Anne was cutting the French bread; Heather was dishing out the macaroni; and I ladled out the meat balls and sauce.  But Amy, Jonathan’s fiancée, came and took my job away from me!  I was now free to minister amongst the twenty-five (or so) homeless brothers and sisters and also take pictures - which you know I love to do.
     Here are a few of them:

Stosh is ALWAYS first in line.  Heather (right) serving, along with
Paule-Anne beside her.

  

Paule-Anne cutting up...the bread, that is!

Bernadette (L) being served by Amy (front), Jonathan's fiancé
and Heather beside her.

Jason and his wife Ashley totally enjoying the food.

Warm food in the sunshine on a cool day...awesome!

Jack the Intellectual and the prefered drink of the day
 (other than beer, which we do not serve!)

Ahhhhhh!  Mountain Dew, Palm trees and blue waters.  All we need is 30 more degrees!

Ashley with new puppy!

Let's go shopping at Heather's Bazaar!  Heather brought some clothing for
the cold children of God.

That's a strange way to shop!

Both are named  Ashley, both are married, both are about three months pregnant, both are
 the same age!  Last week, I drove them both together to the same doctor visit at the same time!

     Good night y’all, and God bless you.

We served the Lord today and had a GREAT time blessing His Holy Name!
 Now, wasn't that fun?

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