Urgency of The Mission
A few weeks ago while visiting my local grocery store I saw an older woman sitting by herself at the coffee cafe just inside the front doors. She was visibly in need and also likely homeless. I deliberately set my gait to move quickly to get my bananas and try to catch her before she left. I spoke with her after checking out and found enough information to begin to pray for her that she would be able to get off the streets. As I told her that I'd be praying for her miracle as I prayed for my own, she glanced up at my "Jesus hat" enough to know that she made the proper connection as to why I had come over to talk with her.
I immediately called my church to find out what we could do for her. I was given the names of two other ministries which my church utilizes to vet and provide for people in need. Unfortunately, both ministries were unable to assist this woman due most likely in part to her unwillingness to trust people and her inability to get to the locations. I looked for her several times again over the next week or so even though I didn't have much of anything to offer her. I kept at praying for The Lord to move in her situation as especially bring a Christian woman to her to assist her. Lo and behold last week, I had an opportunity to help paint a childcare room at my church and a slight dizzy spell from low blood sugar provided an opportunity for my friend and maintenance coordinator at the church to take me out for some lunch. He picked the shopping center up the street where I got my groceries and as we parked, I saw the woman again standing with all her belongings under a tree; waiting. The Lord is good and her cart and the curb had several bottles of water that someone had given her. I excused myself from my friend and came over to her. As I greeted her by name she looked startled. I began to converse with her about the two ministries and she'd already been turned down by the one and she didn't believe the other could help her either. I offered to call them for her when they re-opened (today) and see what they could do. After hearing their voicemail instructional greeting, I believe she is correct since she is essentially off-grid and they function through on-grid methods. An hour later, I stopped by that same grocery store to return something. As I left, two women called out to me and as I turned around a woman was running toward me and asked if I had a ministry around here because she saw my Gospel-centric Tshirt and logo. I replied, "Not yet, I'm literally trying to start one right now!" She began to explain that she was trying to help this homeless woman who hangs out in this parking lot. When I said the woman's name she stepped back in surprise. I told her that I'd been trying to find help for her too. Well, that started a whole conversation!
In the end, I was praying for this woman without knowing it. We both met her about the same time. She had put the homeless woman up in the local "inn" a few times but was running short on resources to keep her off the street. Between the two of us speaking as fellow ministers in Christ, we ascertained that The Lord had orchestrated us to do something to help her. This woman, "B" for first initial has had trauma and abuse and likely escaped and is in hiding in a parking lot and whenever possible a local inn. B has a daughter in another state but is afraid to contact her because that might lead to those people she is hiding from being able to track her down. I do not know how much of B's situation is a real and active threat or how much might be from the effects of being controlled or abused for a time. All I know is that The LORD God Almighty wants to work in B's life and is looking for His children to be the hands and feet for Him in her life.
My new friend "T" left the conversation to go find B and minister and try to talk her into going to a shelter. I returned home and made many calls to get B some type of help that I can pass along to T for implementation. Only one church or ministry has returned my calls so far and they provided me with another ministry's name that might help.
As I shared this story with my wife, I felt this overpowering sense of dismay... I don't actually know a more accurate word at the moment. It should not be that in the times we are living in, the interconnectedness of society, internet recources, and in an area of the USA where there are more churches that grocery stores and gas stations; that this woman could be still living in a parking lot after this long and the Church has not rallied to provide for her and get women to counsel her for the things she is dealing with. T mentioned that B did profess her belief in "God" so we'll be hoping that she knows who the Real God is through Christ Jesus. Yet, not enough is being done.
To underscore the need for the Isayah61 Mission to open its doors I wanted to write this entry and share this story. The MAIN function of the IS61 Mission is to unite churches to carry out the works of Jesus here. The building I have my eye on is about 1.5 miles from the shopping center at the center of this story. B is not the only one living out there. My friend who took me out to lunch was able to help a well known homeless man he met there and subsequently shared with his church the need, to the point that they raised enough money to pay for 4 months of lodging at that same inn 4 years ago when the world was shutting down. Amen and HalleluYah! I'm new in town and B is the person whom The Lord has put on my heart to help. I'm very limited in my own personal resources and my knowledge of local helps for such people in need outside of the Co-Ops and ministries I've volunteered for (general labor/stocking/cleaning during closed hours not the up-front public facing stuff). There is no central hub for THE CHURCH in the area. So, I'll just share what would be different if this Mission was open and operational with the staff I have planned.
Day 1 of the Mission: I begin networking to find a Ministry Director who can work full time to develop the ministry and be devoted to 1 to 2 hours of prayer with the rest of the staff for the needs of the local churches and ministries and any specific prayer needs we know of. We then hire the Ministry Assistant to implement the plans and handle much of the public facing side of the ministry such as contacting every church body in the area starting in close radius and expanding outward, to find out each one's needs, strengths, ministries, openness to gather with other believers and pray or do outreaches or help the other churches etc. We will be building out a database where we can quickly cross-reference data for meeting the needs of individuals or families and even other churches who have a need. Additionally, our staff will be calling those churches who've shared needs to check up on answered prayers or need for more prayer. We'll actively pray for each church while on the phone and in some cases may meet with church staff to pray with or to give or receive counsel on various matters. One of our core verses is James 1:27- "visit orphans and widows in their trouble." One of the ministries a future full time staff member will oversee is the implementation of a network of churches who already have or can develop an Elder Care ministry focusing on all those of a certain age who are in need of "family" to look out for them. If meeting someone like B after this network is established, we would be able to go through a list of ministries who would be likely to assist a woman in need to the fullest capacity. What would Jesus do if He met B in that shopping center? Yes, well knowing we all can't just take a stranger home like Jesus would be able to do with His awesome full knowledge of everything... But, we can start out paying week by week for lodging at the inn while the ladies of the assigned group visit and start a process to help the person to become self sufficient.
Okay, now some of you have already thought of all the red flags and dangers of working with those we come across living in the streets. Well, yeah, there are some inherent dangers. Last week, the house across the street from mine was set on fire by a mentally challenged young adult son who woke up in a bad mood, while everyone else was asleep. Everyone got out and they are safe and living elsewhere (son went to jail). And I would not put any type of guilt trip on anyone for not rounding up homeless people and putting them in your living room while you sleep. But, as a community of believers, we can do SOMETHING. It starts with talking with the person in need. If there is a need that the Lord allows us to know about, where it is right in your view, (not say a need for baby formula in a small village in Central America) that is His invitation to do His work in the matter. I can find as many excuses as I want every day to not help a person in need. I can tune my ears away from anything that looks like I may have to rise up and do God's work if I choose to. I have personally chosen a different way to look at things and I hope to share that with those around me.
Jesus shared a story; when we have a party we should invite those who cannot invite us back to their house for a party thus returning the favor. We should invite those who are in need. He taught this to illustrate that it is of little value to give to those who already have. We are truly to give it all away. In giving we find the greatest joy of all. In giving, The Lord meets the other individual through our actions. Knowing that Jesus provided through us is the happiest feeling I can think of right now. I am often in admiration of my father in law. When he comes to visit, there is now way I can get my wallet out and pay for anything we do. I have for years tried to find ways to sneakily return the favor; he makes it hard. The reality is that he is modeling the Lord's joy of giving. He is so proud to share with us since we do not get to go out to eat unless someone else is paying. This is the heart I hope we all can adopt. I was in tears the other night praying for B and the story of the Starfish came to my mind. Go find it online if you don't know it; the main line is "It matters to this one, and this one, and this one" as said by a little boy who was told that "he can't save them all so why try..." I actually have been told that by a few people in my time. Whoever God puts in my path to help is going to get all my help until they are either helped or they are no longer in my ability to help (like they move away/ get fed up at the mean christian who keeps trying to help them when they don't want it...)
So, my goals for the first three Mission Houses (Walton County, Savannah, Macon) is to unite churches in local areas to do the work of the ministry across denominational lines, know each other ministry well enough to know who can help for any specific need or situation, and allow the Spirit of God to have a body of believers in a broad area to go do that Rescue work through which He is so famous for doing in the Bible. When the Body of believers is ONE in Christ, the community will be changed. It's so simple. Why are we not joining hands to do The Work?!?
I will likely come back to edit this for length but in case I don't, this is just my thoughts on the matter. B should not be sleeping outdoors when hundreds of thousands of Bible Belt Christians are cozy in their homes. I will add that there is a plan for the property shown in the main photo on the home page to include some type of private or group housing situation for people like B on a temporary basis while we seek to get them spiritually, mentally, and physically ready for a new life on their own or permanently provisioned for by a local body of believers who can adopt them as family. Jesus places the lonely in families! The families just need to be willing and obedient... just sayin... jus sayin....