Nothing will change your perspective on homeless people more than personal interactions and building relationships with them. Our Light of Love ministry is passionate about loving the unloved and seeing the unseen. Regularly, we hit the streets with fresh fruit, warm socks, and the life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a privilege to partner with REACH Ministries and other local non-profits to engage the lostness in our city together. I believe that we are stronger together than we are alone.
On our Saturday serve days, lines of people eagerly greet us to receive supplies and food when we arrive downtown. We set up tables with supplies of food, clothing, bibles and have teams of people eager to pray with those in need. During these mornings, we also send groups of people out to engage people where they are and publicly declare the good news of Jesus.
We consistently see God's activity around us, and lives are being changed! Assumptions are frequently made that only the experienced, trained, and experts can engage people with the gospel, and that's not true. As we read about the New Testament church, we see the gospel moving out with ordinary Jesus followers who have taken the great commission and commandment seriously. In other words, they are truly following Jesus.
Since I've known Casey, I've seen God working remarkably through her life. Her boldness and availability reflect her gratitude for her redemption with God through the blood of Jesus. This past weekend, Casey was serving on the street group. The street groups go out to engage the homeless community with bags of supplies and the love of Jesus.
During her time out with the team, she encountered a homeless man named George on the side of the road by himself. As she and the group asked if he had any specific needs, they quickly realized that George was a Spanish speaker and spoke no English. Casey promptly grabbed her phone and pulled up her translation app. Through the app, she shared that they were there to bring supplies, food, and the living hope of Jesus. Through the language gap, translating through an app, George was grateful to receive the supplies. After he took them, he began to walk away, but Casey stopped him to ask if she could pray for him. Her care for him caught him by surprise. Typically, people see our homeless population as a problem that makes our city dirty and unsafe. As a result, these marginalized people usually become hardened as they are ignored, forgotten, and overlooked. Casey recalls her time living on the street feeling hopeless and trapped by life's circumstances. She wasn't looking for a handout, but God sent her a hand-up to rescue and save her life.
Before they prayed together, Casey shared how Jesus had changed her life and how He wanted to change his as well. George opened his heart and surrendered his life to Jesus in these moments! Praise God for divine appointments, bold witnesses, and transforming hearts on the streets of Seattle. Please join us as we pray for George. He has a hard road ahead as he begins this new life in Christ. Pray that we can help get him the resources to grow as a Jesus follower.
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