One More For God

This past week, Geoff ran into Kevin at Wal-Mart.Kevin looked different and definately acted different, according to Geoff. Then he blurted out, "I got saved six weeks ago!" OK, so now we know the difference.

Back at Lightfoot, Kevin was a guest living with us on and off. He had a problem with lying and a secret life none of us could figure out. One night we even had to do a confrotational, direct intervention because his lying had become so bad and the whole property was in an uproar over it. Although we know everything is in God's time, we use to minster to Kevin often about how much his life would change, if he gave it to God. One day he came back from church furious because the Pastor refused him communion since he wasn't saved. He use to get upset because it was a regulation of ours to attend church once a week. Unfortunately, after we moved to the motel, with all the lies and his arguing attitude, we had to ask him to leave.

He told Geoff, "One day I just found myself overwhelmed to give my life to God. Now I have a good job, a different outlook on life and a new attitude. Thank you so much for what you and Patti did for me and you were one on my list to contact about my changes." Kevin is just another great testimony of what God can do for you!

A Special Lunch Date

Miracles happen daily throughout the world, but sometimes we are too busy to see it as a blessing from God. Miracles come in different ‘packages’ and just depend on how you define them. I think a miracle can be anything, if God has His hands upon it, such as a birth of a baby, the death of a terminally ill person, a family who has struggled out on the streets getting a house from Habitat or even a special lunch date. The latter, is an upcoming event that I just received news about.

April 10th I had blogged about Tom Hanks and getting a package to him about the ministry and proposal to buy a motel. Yesterday I received information from my friend who delivered the package that Tom Hanks had contacted her through her employment and he read my package. When he gets into town, he wants to meet with me and the lady (who is on our board for public relations) to discuss the motel and the ministry. Now I don't know what his interest may be, but possibly he is interested in helping the homeless. I do know he is a supporter of efforts to help those who are less fortunate (he is also a member of the ONE Campaign, the banner I have at the top of the webpage.) But, I won't know anything until after he arrives in town. I will keep you posted!

Shortly after I blogged last, God gave us (to those of you, which you know who you are, when I say ‘us’ or ‘we’ I mean the ministry and people I assist,) many other miracles. St. Bedes sent us several rooms of clients. We now have 2 families who have joined us, a mother and daughter and a young gentleman. Now you may not see this as a miracle, but I do because I was praying about the ministry and how small we had scaled down to. I was wondering if this was the end or was God changing the ministry. But, God answered my questions and now we are back up to 18 people. Along with the growth in clients, also came the growth in mouths to feed. Yesterday, when one of the ladies asked me if I had any breakfast food because the babies were hungry (she has a 1 yr. old and a 2 yr. old,) I looked at our shelves and realized we didn’t. I’m not use to anyone being here at breakfast as most of our clients work. So I called around to the churches and explained how low we were. Some churches were able to get food together yesterday and others I will pick up from today.

But one lady I called because I knew she was moving soon, showed such great heart to us. She was in the process of the movers packing her up as we talked. She said she would check her pantry. She called me back 20 minutes later saying, “I didn’t really have anything, especially for children that young because she has 3 in the same age range. So she was at Wal-Mart buying items for us and wanted me to meet her to pick the groceries up in an hour.” It will be sad for her to go because she has been such a blessing to many of the families that have passed through. She has arranged baby items for women that were pregnant, food, and clothing.

Brian and Jenna are receiving a great blessing from one of their friends. The car we got for them last year has a computer problem. It would cost anywhere from $100 – 300.00 to get it fixed. Their friends had just bought a new car and didn’t trade in their mini-van (which is paid for.) Lisa feels God is putting it on her heart to give the van to Brian and Jenna. So we are all praying for this great blessing. We should know by next week. Then we could sell the car “as-is” and have a small amount toward the ministry for some meat.

Empty Nest Syndrome

Most parents have 3 major celebrations in their life when it comes to their children: 1) when their bundle of joy is born 2) when they graduate and go to college 3) when they get married and leave the home to become somebody else’s responsibility. With me, since technically the people we assist are not my children per se, I don't get to experience the first 2, yet the 3rd has always been hard for me. Even though the goal is to eventually get a person or family into a home, I typically end up crying (both for joy and separation.) Many Directors or other people who work with the homeless I know don't get personally or emotionally attached with the clients. But, with me, it is totally hands on work...their problems become my problems and vice versa. At Lightfoot we lived as a family, with all the family dynamics (including sibling rivalry) so everyone became an extension of the other. If somebody found out some bad news, we all felt their pain or we rejoiced when a great event happened in one's life, even if it was a new person in the household. I think this is a big reason why I say you have to start with hope because so many homeless people have very little and it is hard to provide hope when you only see a person for a few minutes a week, month or year.

But recently, God has provided great joy and some pain. We came here to the motel the end of Dec. with 7 rooms (an estimated 21 people) and now are down to 3. In-between all this time, we have had people come in for just a night or sometimes a couple of weeks, but for the most part, many of the 'family members' were still together.

Updates On People From Lightfoot
3 weeks ago, Ricky and Rob had finally saved enough money to get an apartment together, so they moved.
Michael got married, yet he and his family were still in search of a home so they could all be together. His roomie from Lightfoot and him weren't working out at another motel (mostly with a conflict of ethics and God) so Michael came here to share a room with Smitty last week.
Smitty was denied disability, but because of his Parkinson's, we have decided, he will remain with us (unless he gets married.)
Steve found out he had cancer and moved back to his home state. He had the melanoma removed and started his own business. Not only did his business take off, he found out he has a trust. He now has a place to live, a successful business and a new walk with God.
Brian, Jenna, Zack and Katherine have had a lot happen since moving to the motel. Jenna had her baby, Nathaniel, 2 weeks ago. The kids are enjoying their new baby brother and Jenna is elated to see the ground once again. She had been so uncomfortable the past month of the pregnancy. Brian has slowly been working again, yet still making sure not to overdo it health wise. Then last week, especially with the rooms scaling down, I told them, "We need to really start looking for a place for yall. Now with the baby, you need more space and the kids need a place to play." Yet, I knew their case had been the hardest for many reasons so it would be hard to get them into a home. Also the issue of where to come up with the money to get them into whatever home they found! Brian found a trailer that is $450 a month and Jenna went to look at it. It was bigger than the motel room and had a kitchen so they were thrilled. Now the money issue, so we prayed. Sat. out of the blue, they received notice that they had been approved for TANF for 6 months, along with a check for $349.00 which was enough to cover the prorated amount for May. And were told they would receive $550 for 6 months. So now the deposit so they could move in. I reminded them their pastor had said, "If they find something affordable, the church would help." So they called the church and a check was cut for the $450 deposit. Jenna's parents over time had come around and over the weekend offered to have their car fixed and move their furniture to their new home. Yesterday we moved them into their new home. But, this was a hard move for me. Yes, I am thrilled they found a place, yet sad they are so far away. We actually knew the family before they had become homeless and since then, Jenna and I became close friends. I finally had somebody close to my age I could truly talk with and call my friend, but I know our friendship will not end, just because of the move.

Updates On People Passing Through Or New Clients
We have had several people com through the ministry for a short time, so I won't go into details. Some have been able to get a room to rent within a week and others it hasn't been as positive of a situation. But 3 people specifically I will share about.
Jamey and Wanda called back in Feb. needing a place. Wanda we have assisted several times and she has been homeless on and off throughout her life. Her situation is so complicated it can drive you insane! Jamey, on the other hand, was not use to having no place to live. The 2 of them had been roomies for a short period of time when they lost their place. Wow, talk about the blame game. I constantly felt pulled between the 2 of them and by the way the argued, you would have thought they were an old married couple. Jamey is still in search for her faith and resists any aspect of forgiveness. Not just forgiveness to Wanda, but also to herself. She has so much resentment built up inside, she is a walking time-bomb of anger. Yet, she has so much potential in life under all that anger. She can be so sweet and caring, when she isn't thinking about her resentment. Then in April, Brenda joined the room. I have known Brenda for some time. Her albatross was her adult daughter who kept getting them kicked out of places. Brenda, Wanda and Jamey got along great, but not together. Brenda is very quiet and kind, yet not assertive in life, especially when Jamey and Wanda was arguing. Wanda finally had to leave for her own sanity. She moved to another motel. We still see her often and she is much happier now. Even after the move, Jamey and Wanda stayed so much in each other's lives it was like dealing with a separation of marriage. Jamey finally received an insurance check from a house fire and moved out to Seattle. I talked to her the other day and she is in the process of getting her life back together, except for the resentment. Still, thousands of miles apart, Wanda and she continue to argue! Brenda is still with us, in a room of her own, but will probably be getting an apartment with Wanda in June.
Then there is the 'other Rick' but that is a whole different story in itself.

Updates On Us
We are still in the motel. Geoff had started back to work a month ago, but continues to be ill on and off, which makes working hard. I am still praying on buying the motel and fundraising for the effort. Very few rooms here are rented, even though it is tourist season time. The motel prices are starting to go up. Houses are becoming available and I am praying for God's guidance in the whole situation. We could have moved many times over, but I also know it would change the whole aspect and mission of the ministry. So until I know what to do, we remain in the motel assisting churches, social services and the homeless with getting lives stable.