Week Three: Serving the Homeless - An Officer and a Gentleman

When you are out on the road, traveling from city to city, one of the things you find yourself looking for is a smiling face; someone whose face alone beams a welcome to you.  We had the opportunity this week to meet two such people who were serving the homeless of San Antonio.

We had planned on working with a man named "Pastor Dennis" at an organization called Church Under the Bridge, which didn't actually happen to be under a bridge, but was, in fact, in a building.  Go figure.  It was on our hunt for Pastor Dennis that we met Pastor Brian Wicks with Resurrection Ministries. 

Brian started his ministry in San Antonio, Texas, in 1998.  Prior to starting his homeless ministry, he led a pretty rowdy life, dabbling in drugs and alcohol for years.  One night, Brian was at home alone, having just experienced a devastating break-up.  His heart was so broken, he didn't know where to turn.  And then he remembered all those Christian men who had witnessed to him for so many years, years that he was simply unwilling to listen to their message.  So there in his apartment, desperate and alone, he met God, and his life has been forever changed.

He stayed in his apartment for three days, fasting and praying, asking God what to do next. God’s direction to him was to go out and spread the gospel.  He’s been dedicated to serving the needs of the homeless ever since.

It was very humbling to see a Pastor with such a loving heart for the homeless and needy.   One of the homeless guys told me Brian was their hero.  He also said Brian didn’t see himself that way, but they did. 

Resurrection Ministries has partnered with several local companies to help the homeless.  One is Mike’s Bikes who helps supply bikes and parts to the homeless.  Please check out Brian's web site and Facebook as he is such a blessing for the lost and homeless of San Antonio.  

Thank you, Pastor Brian, for being so awesome to me and Kathy while in your city. What a gentleman.  We are grateful for your kindness to us.

So you've met the "gentleman" of this post, now I'd like to introduce you to the "officer."

We were meeting Pastor Dennis (yes, again!) at the Church Under the Bridge building.

As we pulled up, this very fit, large, man dressed in military fatigues stopped us.  We told him we were volunteers, and he directed us where to park.  His name tag said CUB and his name was Joe.  I have to say his disposition and mannerisms were so precise and military that I had an instant love for him.  His serious, very polite, attitude let me know he was military.  We parked and got out.  

I asked him laughingly, “So, are you in charge of security here?” as I’d not seen him there that morning.  He said “Yes ma'am, I am."  As I spoke to him, he softened and when I saw his name was Joe, I said "I’m calling you GI Joe!"  I laughed, he laughed and said “I was a Marine for 12 years.”  He stood at attention all the time, was a nice looking man, still in very good shape, so much so that  I was surprised he wasn’t still on active duty.

GI Joe is really remarkable.  He was a Marine for 12 years, completed three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan beginning with Desert Storm and ending just a few years ago.   He showed us his burns and scars from his active duty.  Both of his ankles, one knee and one arm were blown up during the conflict.   He was proud to show those scars he earned protecting our freedom.  And he was proud to be a Marine.

Joe came home from the war and lives with his mom, still trying to get his life back on track.  He’s recently engaged and broke into a smile while talking about her.  He’s a war hero, and he is still giving to others as a volunteer, helping the church on security and helping to direct and give aid to the homeless.  GI Joe, you’re my hero. 

It is so incredibly encouraging to see how many people the Lord has stationed all over this country, serving the homeless, being Jesus to them.

Week Two: Serving the Homeless - Gandalf's Cafe

There are so many great people out on the streets working with the homeless, and just like me, they each have a different reason as to why they are out there.  

For our week in Austin, we got connected to an incredible organization called Mission Possible Austin   www.mpaustin.org   They have so many incredible ways they work with the homeless, from very large venues like Church Under the Bridge, to a free medical clinic and even a coffee shop.

The people that work with Mission Possible all have to raise their own support to work there, true missionaries, all with their own unique stories.

One of the coolest things they do is run a coffee shop called Gandalf's Prayer Cafe'.  This is a place where the homeless and needy can go for free coffee and donuts in the mornings and three nights a week, a hot dinner is served by area churches and volunteers.  What's so beautiful about Gandalf's is that it's small and intimate.  Not that those very large venues like Church Under the Bridge aren't important, but for the time that a guest at Gandalf's Prayer Cafe' is there, they are just that, guests.  They can sit down, relax, and enjoy the simple pleasure of a hot cup of coffee, a donut, and some friendly conversation.

Gandalf's Cafe was started by a man named Tim Pinson, Sr. as an outpouring and overflow of an incredible ministry to the homeless run by he and his wife, Cindy.  They are still very active in this ministry as they oversee the bigger scope of Mission Possible, Austin.  They leave the direct operations of Gandalf's Cafe up to a couple of their staff members, Beau Hamner and Alissa Lewis.

Beau is the Director of Street Ministry and Community Outreach for Mission Possible Austin.

He lives by this motto:  “If you aren’t giving God everything, you’re not really giving him anything.”

Beau’s been a Christian since he was 18, and served for many years on the staff of various churches, as well as a volunteer in his home state of North Carolina.  He got his degree in Christian Ministry and was working with homeless and inner city young people in North Carolina when the Lord told him to “go” away from being a youth pastor and make the homeless his life’s work.  He left North Carolina for his position with Mission Possible Austin.  He actually found the job on the Internet and packed up his beautiful family and moved to Austin.  He lives in the under-franchised community he serves.

He’s a soft spoken young man with strong Christian faith and values.  He’s passionate about the homeless.  He prays “for warmth for (his) friends on the street.”

Alissa is the Event Coordinator at MPAustin, and also oversees Community Relations.  Alissa's story is a bit different than most of the staff at MPAustin.  She grew up in a non-Christian, alcoholic and drug using family.  She lost her brother and father to drugs and alcohol.  She also had a drug and alcohol problem.  Now 37, and clean for over 5 years, her life is the best yet.  Alissa, by most's standards, had it all.  She worked for a law firm over 11 years, was married and were stock market millionaires, but she was lost and not happy.  Because of her drug addiction, her husband left her, leaving her alone and devastated.  With God’s grace and mercy, her life has never been better.  She now lives “simplified” in an RV by the river and owns her car.   “Less is more” she said.  She’s now in charge of the volunteers at the Gandalf’s Prayer Café, and says she’s rich in love with God and the community.  When she spoke of simplifying her life it spoke to me because I had everything, like her, and lost it all and was forced to simplify my life as well.  But the best for both of us is that we are the best yet in our lives; serving others and serving God.

In addition to these great staff members, is a core of regular volunteers.  I'd love to share all their stories with you, but instead I'll leave you with the words of one of them.  "People, no matter who they are, no matter the condition of their home life, need two things in their lives that they can verbalize. They need some sense of normalcy, and they need community.  Here at Gandalf's Cafe' we offer those two things, but we also offer them something they may not know they need; the love of Jesus.  We are their community.  We are their sense of normal.  And we are Jesus to them, a beautiful reflection of Jesus."

If you'd like to donate to Mission Possible, Austin, or serve in any of their many ministries, click on over to here and check them out.

Week One: Serving the Homeless - Unity Park

The city of Fort Worth, Texas, estimates a homeless population of more than 2,000.  Supporting a homeless population of that size, the city of Fort Worth requires support from as many organizations and agencies as possible. 

Unity Park is one such group. Founded in 2004, by Neale Mansfield, himself a former homeless person, Unity Park was originally designed to grow a vegetable garden for the homeless to cultivate and use.  Unity Park has since expanded its ministry to meet a variety of needs, which currently includes breakfast and lunch, recreation, Bible studies, locally grown, organic vegetable gardens, barbers for cutting hair, as well as host of job fairs and placement services. 

The great thing about Unity Park is that it was created with serving the homeless in mind. There is ample space for lines to form and for people to mingle with one another.  There are picnic tables, trash receptacles and even a port-a-potty.

It is designed to allow those doing outreach to share a meal with others rather than to simply feed people.  It is a safe environment and is conducive to true fellowship between neighbors.  And that's the point of Unity Park.  Neighbors.

The homeless of East Side Fort Worth have ample access to food and clothes and blankets, with 3 residential  centers and 4 established meal centers within a 7 mile radius of each other.  (Though we did learn that toiletries and clean socks are the hardest things for most homeless to come by.)  What the homeless need is community.

And that's where Unity Park comes in. Serving the homeless with food and clothing and much needed community.