There Is Still Hope For The Streets...

Jason and Tommy hit the streets of Anderson yesterday morning at about 9:30 on Thursday morning.  We thought that interviewing some people in the community could leverage us in meeting their needs.  Jason and Tommy went out with some breakfast biscuits to help them show some love to the people that they met along the way.  As they passed the employment office, on Whitner St. in Anderson, SC, they saw a group of 15 men hanging out on the sidewalk.  Jason whipped his jeep in the parking lot and they got out to talk to the men.  They offered the biscuits to the men and they all hastily accepted.  As Jason and Tommy sat down to eat with them, they realize that all of these men were homeless.  They sit at the employment office, in hopes that someone will pick them up looking for a day laborer.  Usually they turn to the bottle, or worse, to help numb the pain that comes with being homeless.  These men were surprised that Jason and Tommy stopped to talk to them.  Jason states the reason that they are there, "We have come in the name of Jesus!  Have you ever heard of him?"  As Jason continued quoting some scriptures to the men, a few of them are moved to tears.  Apparently, these men are dealing with problems deeper than just shelter, food, or work.  Jason continues to explain that Christ died for them because He loves them.  Jason then quotes John 3:17, “For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”  To make a long story short, 7 these men accepted Christ on that sidewalk, and later on that day 2 more men and 2 women accepted Christ.  Several of these men ended up staying the night at the Haven of Rest, which is a homeless mission with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program within it.  Sadly, upon contacting the mission this morning, they informed us that they had left after breakfast.  One of the biggest problems with ministering to these people is the follow up.  How can you follow up with these with these people when they have no phone number, address, or workplace?  If you have an answer to that, please let us know!  The closest thing that we have come up with is to be persistent in pursuing these people.  We are learning their names, hearing their needs, and feeling their pain.  We can’t help but feel this way because being weekly involved in this community truly breaks your heart.  When your heart truly breaks for something, action has to follow.  We wish we knew what we were doing, but the truth is that we just trust the Holy Spirit to prompt us and we try to be obedient.  The people were informed about the bus that we bring to the neighborhood on Sunday mornings, so hopefully they will all file on.  Please continue to pray for these people that are in our community, and for us as we slowly try to submerge ourselves into their world.  Thank your for your supporting us, there is still hope for the streets...