San Jose - A Warm Bed, a Shower, and a Good Night's Sleep

We arrived in San Jose early one morning and went to the City Team Office to meet with our contact, Ryan Derfler, Director of Experience at the Men’s Center, for lunch and introductions.   After lunch, he showed us around the City Team Operation at the Men’s Center. 

We went to the cafeteria that evening to serve the homeless.  Kathy worked on the serving line, and I prayed with some folks in the dining room. I prayed with a family of 5, Mom, Dad and their three kids. Turns out they were from El Paso, TX, homeless up until just a few days ago when they got an old RV to move into.  They were so happy.  It at least afforded them and their children shelter from the elements. I sat there and watched them pile up the free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the shelter was giving so the kids would have food.  It was so sad to see a family so hungry.

We all prayed together, holding hands (including the kids).  It was beautiful to see a family pray together and know they had such love for each other and for the Lord.  

We finished our time there that evening and headed back to the family center in hopes of good night sleep.  We knew we’d likely be sleeping on makeshift beds in the Center’s office, but we were grateful to have a bed. As the Lord would have it, though, there was a couple there who heard us talking about sleeping on air mattresses in the office.

He put it on their heart to pay for a hotel room for us for the night because they wanted us to have a good bed and a hot shower.  They said we looked tired and like we really needed it.  We were thankful to just have the air mattress and a bathroom, so we were blown away to get a hotel room and a hot shower! (You get kinda used to not being able to shower sometime when you are on the road and homeless.)

We also met a woman named Carmen at the center.  She showed us the church planting she had been doing in the last year.  OVER 800 CHURCHES! God put it on her heart to just go door to door in neighborhoods and plant home churches.  From those churches people were going to their friends and starting more home churches and now they are 8 layers down.  Just ONE person spreading the word.  Just goes to show you that one person really can make a difference.

Like I said, we weren’t in San Jose very long, but it was an encouraging stop along the road. We even met a man who was in ministry with people at my church back in Texas!  2800 miles from home and I meet people doing ministry with my people back home.  I love how the Lord does that.

Well, we’re off to Santa Cruz and then San Francisco!

Fresno, CA - If We Could Look With the Eyes of Jesus

I imagine that if you pictured "homelessness" in your mind's eye,  Fresno would likely live up to that picture. Complete with grocery carts and cardboard signs stating "will work for food," Fresno's homeless is a picture of America's homeless.  So many stories of poor childhoods, abuse, neglect, and inevitable drug and alcohol abuse.  But if we could look with the eyes of Jesus, past the shell that we see, into the hearts of the people living on the street, I believe we would treat homeless people so differently.

We arrived in Fresno very late at night.  The next morning we went out on the street to find someone to talk to and ran across a guy named Marcos. We still had oranges left over so we asked if he wanted oranges and a bottle of water.  He just looked scared and so lost.  He’d been living on the street, had no money and was trying to get to his mom’s.  I asked if he was a Christian and he said no, he was really trying, but he knew who Christ was.  

He’d been out of jail for about 3 months and couldn’t find work. I asked why he’d been in jail and he responded he’d tried to choke  his girlfriend in a rage, (said he had anger issues).  I asked why he was so angry, and he said he’d been on Meth for 6 years and was having a hard time getting off of it. When I asked if I could pray for him, his prayers were for his family; his dad had cancer, his mom was a bad diabetic, and his brother has a very fragile bone disease.  He said “I’m the healthy one, and I’m a screw up.”  

He asked me to pray for guidance for him to find the right path and get off drugs.  And then he started crying.  I continued to talk to him about his walk with the Lord and gave him a Bible.  I asked him to please try to find a program to get into and stay at to find that guidance and right path we’d prayed for.  We hugged each other goodbye, and he hugged me so hard. I felt like a lifeline for him.  It was hard to leave him there. But the Lord had work for us to do at the Mission. 

Fresno is a city that tries to keep all their homeless in a concentrated area, so all the streets around the mission were lined up like Skid Row. Tent camps everywhere, like the one pictured here. When we approached the mission for the first time, we stopped by the Poverello House which was next door to the mission. I was so excited because I saw two fenced in lots with little sheds like I used to live in.  Each was housing for two people to share for as long as they wanted to be there.  

Funny that I would find comfort in that memory and a sense of community with the people who lived there.

I have so many stories I could share with you about our time in Fresno; about the mission, the house next to the mission, the homeless we met, but I'll save those stories for the book when it comes out. Right now, I want to share the story of Michael Hamilton with you.

Michael is in his final stages of his 18 month program at the Rescue Mission for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and is on staff as the Community Care Provider at the mission.  As for how he got there, well, that's a long story.  Michael had had a good career, played hockey, had a family, he'd had a good life. But in 2000, in New Orleans, his daughter developed pneumonia, had an asthma attack, and died.  A chaplain there told him that his daughter was in a better place and that it was 'just her time.'  Michael said, "That might have been true, but not what you should say to a grieving father. I was angry at that Chaplain, and even more angry with God.  My daughter was 8 years old.  It angered me so I said a few choice words to the Chaplain and a few choice words to God.  I left God out of my life from that point forward from 2000 until now. “

But Michael's tragic story doesn't end there.  In fact, it doesn't even begin there.  In 1981, Michael's father murdered his mother, who was 7.5 months pregnant at the time. He was sentenced to death, and served 30 years of his sentence, when his sentence was overturned.  Michael returned to Fresno to take part in the legal battle there.

I asked him, "Once you got to Fresno, what happened?"  The short answer is he was down on his luck, no job, no food, no place to live, and he turned to crime and got caught.  Michael said, "Being in jail for me was a new low.  I had literally lost everything. Once I was released, I had nowhere to go, nowhere to live, so the state considered me homeless and sent me here, to the mission, to go through a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program."

Here was a man, desperately alone in the world.  His daughter had died, his father had killed his mother, he'd lost his job, his freedom, everything.  I couldn't help but ask, "What was the turning point for you, Michael?"

Michael said, “When I came here to the mission, no one was on my side, no one to turn to, no family, the grandparents that raised me turned their back on me, my sister tuned her back on me, and I had nowhere else to turn. Then I realized that God never turned His back on me, I had turned my back on Him.  Even after all these years He had accepted me back and that was refreshing to me.”

Almost 18 months later, and near the end of his state ordered program, Michael was offered a job by the mission.  “I work with the homeless that come in off the street to transition back into society.  It’s a 30 day transitional program.  We offer them the help they need.  Help them find a job, a place to sleep, food, clothing, anything they need to get back into society.  We also help people with their medical needs that have nowhere else to go.  Again food, shelter, providing anything else they need.  I also do overnights, working security to be sure everybody at the mission is OK and that the people on the streets around us are OK,“  Michael responded.

I've said this so many times, but it bears repeating.  We cannot lump or categorize the homeless into one group.  These are people, most of whom have incredibly tragic stories and difficult lives. Granted, some of their stories are of their own doing, but regardless, they are people, human beings, and God loves them just as passionately as He loves you and I.  And He calls us to love them too, in a real and tangible way.

The people that we encounter who work in these missions, many of them are former homeless people whose lives have been changed because someone took the time to care for them, love them, and tell them about Jesus.  That's why I'm out here on the road.  I've been homeless.  I understand their loneliness, their despair, their need to be loved by a Savior and by others.  I cannot picture doing anything else with my life.

Sammie

Bakersfield, CA - Wouldn't It Be Nice to Help a Stranger Just Because?

We got to Bakersfield and we met Jamie, the volunteer coordinator at the Mission of Kern County.  The guy, Tim, we’d been calling was on vacation so we were thankful we got in touch with Jamie.  This, too, was a short visit, but I think we found out the reason why we were here.  The Mission at Kern County was formerly known as Bakersfield Rescue Mission.  This is the largest Mission in Kern County.  

They serve 3 meals a day to the homeless and needy.  In 2012, they served over 200,000 meals and provided over 94,500 nights of shelter for men and women.  They also have a Disciple program for men and women.  They provide life management classes, spiritual encouragement and have clinics they partner with that donate their time and expertise to the guests needing medical and mental health care and dentistry.  It’s the largest mission in Bakersfield, and they provide individual counseling by trained professionals.  It was so nice to see all the care and love given to all the people that come in there.

Joe, Case Coordinator for Men 

Jamie introduced us to Joe who is the H.I.S. Case Coordinator for the men.  They put us in the gymnasium and rolled us out some new cots for us to sleep on.  They signed us up for volunteering in the kitchen that evening so we got settled in and reported to duty.  We were introduced to the man in charge of the kitchen and to the head chef, a really nice lady who spoke to us every time she saw us and promised to pray for us on our journey.

 That evening, we worked in the serving line and got to talk with the girls in the kitchen.  We got a cute picture of all of us afterward. They were all in the Women’s Program there.  It was so nice to hear all their stories. They all have a story and are so grateful for the program. It was sweet seeing them have their hearts set on pleasing God.  

Kathy and "the Kitchen Girls"

We served two different meal times that evening, one for the men in the program and then the people from the streets, mostly men.   The ladies invited us to join them at chapel the next morning where the men and women go together but sit on separate sides of the auditorium.

Kathy and I can rock a plastic apron!

The Chaplain, Steve, had come to Bakersfield with the Billy Graham advance team, and had stayed on at the Mission when offered a job.  His sermon that day was about “defining moments in our lives” and how we need to stay in God’s will.  He used 1 Peter 1:15-16  “But just as He who called you is Holy, so be Holy in all you do; for it is written; Be Holy because I am Holy.”  These verses are saying we have to be that Holy person.  God does not make junk.  God only makes great workmanship.  Masterpieces, a cut above, prime cut, Holy.

He also related that all things are spiritually originated and when we get into alignment with that, God will give us defining moments.  It was really inspirational to me and something I really needed to hear that day.  The devil’s always on my heels so this just reconfirmed I needed to pray and stay in God’s will.

After chapel, we went on the streets to find the homeless that aren’t in the program. We had bought peanut butter crackers and water in Ventura, and had stopped at an orchard on the side of the road on the way to Bakersfield and bought a case of oranges to give out. We hit the streets.

The first group of guys I stopped to talk to, I approached them and asked “Hey would you like a snack?” They always say “yes” and it gives me an open door to talk to them.  I ask some casual questions, things I likely already know the answers to, because it lets me warm up to them.  After I speak to them for a few minutes and tell them what I’m doing, most of them want to listen.  Then, of course, I ask them if they need a Bible and if they have any prayer requests.  Most do want prayers.

I know that even a minute encounter with someone can change their life so I’m looking for all the minutes I can spend with someone because those few minutes may help them get to Heaven for eternity. 

Most of them are thankful for anything you do for them.  Again, this is another important  thing I hope America gets out of our trip this year, be gracious to a stranger in need.  It takes so little to show the love of Jesus to someone. 

As we were walking  back to the mission for the three o’clock men’s meeting, we passed a bench.  There was a pair of tennis shoes there.  Sitting there so nice and perfect, I wondered why they were there.  Did somebody leave in a hurry and leave them?  Or did they leave them for somebody else that didn’t have shoes? 

Wouldn’t it be nice to give a pair of shoes to a stranger just because….?

I had a chance to go to the men’s class and speak before dinner. I shared my testimony to the 50+ men who were at the meeting and talked about the reason I wanted to share hope with everyone there. At the end, I told them that if they wanted to have prayer and talk to me afterward, they were welcome.  Several came by and talked and said “Thank You,” but, this one guy named Terry came over and talked awhile with me.  Homeless for ten years, Terry was hopeful to find a job and hopeful to stay sober. Ten years ago, when he got sober, he became a Christian and gave his heart to the Lord. Since that time, he’s fallen off a couple of times but has been clean this time for about a year.  He was thankful that God forgives.  He said “It’s been a hard road, “ but he is thankful to be at the mission and be in their program. We prayed with him for his health, his continued sobriety, his loss of hearing and for a job. 

All I care about is if just one person, just one, can hear the message of hope and that God loves them no matter where they are or what they’ve done, I have fulfilled God’s mission for that day.  All glory to God for this mission and what He’s done in my life and the lives of those we’ve met.

I wonder, have you ever done anything like leave a pair of shoes on a bench?  I'd love to hear from you.

Sammie

Click HERE to help support us on the road. Your funds go to help us eat, have a place to sleep, and supply snacks, Bibles and blankets to the homeless.

Twelve Weeks Down, Forty More to Go!

We have been on the road for 12 full weeks now.  It's been a beautiful and difficult journey, my friends.

Beautiful because we have had so many wonderful experiences.  We have had gracious hosts, met some incredible missionaries who serve the homeless, and had the opportunity to touch the lives of some beautiful people with tragic stories.

Difficult because we have been rejected, ignored, and ridiculed.  And difficult sometimes because of funding (if I can be completely transparent.) We operate solely on donations, and some months those donations don't come.

But God is good, and He is faithful to provide.  We have had money handed to us by complete strangers in the strangest of places and circumstances. And we haven't had to go hungry yet.  So we are more fortunate than many of our brothers and sisters who live on the street.


Here is a snapshot of our journey so far:

• 4 States
• 20 cities we stopped and served one way or another
• 62 different missions or outreaches
• 7980 miles traveled
• Hundreds (yes hundreds) of lives surrendered to the Lord

How we have served:

• 14 times as Chaplin in different missions
• Serving in food kitchens
• Praying
• Leading worship
• Passing out blankets
• Giving away Bibles
• Listening to people's stories (sometimes that's what they need)

As we move into the second quarter of our journey, we have these requests:

• Please continue to pray for those that God would have us serve
• Please pray for our health on the road
• Please pray for open doors and open hearts
• Please pray for our finances and
• Please consider giving to fund the rest of our journey.

We are so blessed to know that so many people around the nation are praying for us.  We count on your prayers more than you know.  We also need financial support.  Would you please consider partnering with us to bring hope to the homeless of our nation?  The money you donate goes to purchase food, Bibles, gas for the journey, and for a place for us to sleep when we do not have a host home.  Just as we need your prayers, we need people to partner with us on this journey. 

Click Here to Support Our Journey

Well, that's an update of our first quarter.  We love you so much!  Thank you again for helping us take the gospel to those who need hope.

Sammie and Kathy

Ventura, CA: Before You Judge Too Quickly, What Do You Think About the Homeless?

At the end of our Los Angeles journey, I ended up in the hospital with a terrible migraine.  (You know a migraine is bad when you have to go to the hospital for it!) But after finally leaving the hospital in Los Angeles, we headed to Ventura.  We got there around 8:00 p.m. and checked into The Country Suites.  God provided another wonderful hotel for a really cheap price. It's the little things in life, you know?

Our first day there, we just crashed.  I was still sick from my migraine, and we’d had such a long week in Los Angeles.  In truth, I was still overwhelmed by the thousands and thousands and thousands of homeless people there.  I didn't want to leave.  A friend reminded me that God had given me a mission to go to 52 cities in 52 weeks, so I couldn't just stay in Los Angeles forever.  But Los Angeles definitely took its toll.

We knew when we got to Ventura that it wasn't going to be like any of the cities we’d been to so far.  We’d been calling the mission there for over a week and never got a response.  But, we are obedient so we knew we’d find someone to share the gospel with while we were there.  

We got up on day two, and went downstairs to enjoy our hot, full breakfast (remember I said "it's the little things!")  I asked Chef Maurice, “What are you going to do with all the left overs?”  and he said that he just threw them away.  Of course, all I could think was that food needed to be on the streets for the homeless, so I started to plead my case for the homeless, and he agreed to let me have the food.  He also helped me put them in plates with plastic wrap to keep them clean and together.  We put newspaper around them to keep them warm and off we went. (Yes, I said newspaper! You learn a lot about keeping food hot and/or cold when you are homeless!)

Finding homeless in any city is usually really easy.  Look for the parks or the downtown area of any city and you will find them.  There was a beautiful little park about half a mile from the hotel and guess what?  Some homeless were there.  We stopped, got our bag of food and Bibles and set out to meet the homeless, share His Word and give out Bibles and food.

Dick and Jane at the park.

The very first people we talked to were Dick and Jane (true story!)  We offered them the food and they started eating it right away.  They were so appreciative. And to think, that food was going to be thrown away! I asked if they wanted a Bible. I prayed for Jane and gave her a Bible, but Dick said he’d just left the mission and had already been prayed over.  (Guess he didn't want too much prayer! HA!)

We moved on to several other people and gave them food, but they didn’t want prayer or Bibles.  We went on to two other guys who were very receiving. One of the guys we met had been homeless for 10 years.  He was a Christian, and I prayed with him.  He just wanted a better life. His friend with him had some mental issues, and we didn’t pray with him out loud, but you can bet we prayed for him!  

Of course, we were disappointed not to be received at the mission, but I knew there was a reason we were in Ventura. I feel the following is the reason.

After leaving the park, we didn’t see any other homeless around but we did see a sign for the Ventura Visitors Center. I went inside, hoping to find out where the homeless were, find out a little about the city and get a map.  We went inside and were greeted by a lady named, Michelle; a very classy LOOKING lady.  She proceeded to tell us all about Ventura, the great places to shop and eat and the sites to see.  She was extremely nice, and I listened until she finished.  I was thinking as she was talking that it’d be great to go to these places (but we have no money and that’s not what we’re here for).
After she finished speaking, I asked if she could tell me where the homeless were, what area they hung out during the day.  I will never forget her face as long as I live because her face changed from the sweet classy lady look to the YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME look.  

She said, “Why do you want to know where THEY are?” I said, “Because that’s what I do.  I’m going around the U.S. talking to them about hope and telling them that God loves them.”  I got my card out and handed it to her while I was saying this.  I told her a little bit more about 5252 Ministries and why I was doing this.  She did get a map out and showed me where the homeless stayed but again she said, “You don’t want to go there.”  I said “Don’t you have some homeless around downtown? I just saw some.”  She said “Yes, sometimes they come down here, but I stay away from them because I am a mother and have a daughter, and I have to stay around to raise my daughter.”  

She really just blindsided me because she categorized ALL the homeless as murderers.  I said “Not all the homeless are going to hurt you. They are just like me and you.  They’ve just had some hardships in their life.”  Well let me just tell you that Miss Michelle did not agree with me at all!  She was dressed in a $300.00 suit, had diamonds on her fingers, hair perfect and you could tell she was very educated.  Her demeanor began to look down on me and she said “Why would you do that?  Don’t you know that they do drugs and drink.” To which I responded, “Michelle, people in these million dollar homes do drugs and alcohol.” I am so glad there were no flies in the room cause they would have flown in her mouth.  She did not know what to say to me at that point but she proceeded to give me my 5252 Ministries card back and said “Good luck with that.”

It is so interesting to see how people in America categorize other people, not just homeless but bikers, single parents, divorcees, lower income people, different cultures, different races and/or the less fortunate.  I hope, if nothing else, this mission will open up the eyes of America, one person at a time, to see that we are all equal in God’s eyes.

God didn’t say we had to stay long, but I think we were successful at what He wanted us to do in Ventura.