Sandwich Day 7 : October 23, 2007

Rick can't go today so it's me and Jerry.
The menu: sacked lunches (sandwich, chips, cookie and apple)
An angel left a box of blankets and socks at my desk while I was away. I love this new life I'm in!! There is never a dull moment with God!!

The Cove

We show up and there is no one there. The store clerk did not have details but said that the cove folks were asked to move. Hmmmm.

Howard - Vacant. Jerry went into the store and spoke with Linda. She said that she has not seen Mary or Joe in a couple of days. To be honest, I am wondering what is happening. I am missing my friends.

The Edge

There's Harry! He's working the corner. We take him a lunch and say hello. He says that his brother Larry and Pops are still at the camp. We make sure that he has lunches to take back to them.

Across the street we see new friends - Danny and Maggie and Precious (their dog). Maggie is in the wheel chair and Precious leash is tied to the wheel chair. We introduce ourselves and give each a lunch and one for Precious. We also gave them a couple of blankets. I am once again kicking myself for forgetting the dog treats. I asked them if there was anything they wanted to pray for. Maggie's father, Tom, has lost his wife to cancer. So we prayed for Tom to be comforted from his lost. We prayed special protection over Danny and Maggie. I love standing in the middle of a world of traffic, noise and exhaust fumes...and right in the middle of it all ... is God.

Down the street at the bus stop sits Rory, another new friend. He refused a sack lunch...said he was full. I said that I did not mean to offend him. He smiled and said that he could not be offended. I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said that he was agnostic. He was raised Pentecostal and knew the Bible. There is a special gentle kindness about him. I asked him if I could pray to the God I knew and to the God he questioned. He laughed and agreed. So I prayed that God would open his eyes to the relationship with Jesus. Rory really touched Jerry's heart so I will let Jerry take it from here.

Howard again...

As we were going back - we see Vinny at the corner store filling containers with water from the outside faucet. I really like Vinny. He said that he will be adding to his key chain collections - soon he will have earrings and necklaces also. I asked him where everyone was from the Cove and Howard overpass. He said that some trouble makers came through and the police had to be called. Seems like the Cove is off limits for now but he seems to think that folks will be back after the dust settles. He says that Mary and Joe are fine, they will be coming along soon. I asked him if he knew Rabbit and he said that he was in the Temple VA hospital. I was glad to find someone who we could tell what had happened. He said that Rabbit was probably on his way back here. It was important to me that Vinny knew that Rabbit does not have VA benefits. I really don't know if Rabbit understands that. There are no coincidences in God's army. Before we got to this stop, we gave some money to the folks collecting for ARM (Austin Restoration Ministries). I asked him if they would take anyone and he said yes. I told him to keep Rabbit in prayer and to be looking out for him. I gave Vinny the flyer from the ARM folks and told him that they would help Rabbit. Maybe this is where Rabbit is suppose to go. Vinny said that Ernie and ? (can't remember who) was off helping to remodel a house and will be gone for a couple of weeks. I'm glad that they found some work. We sent plenty of lunches with Vinny to take back to Mary and Joe. I miss them.

We had one lunch left and as Jerry called it...the "pitch and throw"...there was a guy under the Grand Ave overpass and Jerry had to pitch it from the window as we went by. We didn't get his name but we heard him yell "God Bless You" as we drove away.

As I finish - I lift them all up to you Lord and say thank you for the privilege of knowing them.

--Vicki

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No Vacancy

First let me say that Vicki does a GREAT job at covering the details and if all that was posted was her blog then it would be more than enough.

When it came time for Sandwich Day this week, we found we would be short one Barbarian, but God had work for us today.

The Cove

First stop, Vacant, according to Vinny who we met up with at Howard Lane later in the morning, he shared with us the Cove had some folks causing trouble move through so they had to clear it out for a short time.

Howard

Second Stop, Vacant, I spoke with Linda who works at the convience store on the corner and she said that Mary and Joe hae not been seen in a few days, but hears they are fine, just holding at camp.

The Edge

We almost packed it up for the morning until we saw Harry on the other side of the access road working. We dropped off a few lunches for him, Pops, and his brother and wished him well. We moved across the street to catch up with Danny, Maggie, and Precious. We prayed for them as well as Maggie's father Tom, who had lost two loved ones recently. A reminder once again, one thing is for sure in this short life we have on earth. Death. We all WILL die and a physical death is our punishment for sin believer or not. The Good news is that through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God offers a New life to each one of us.

Rory.

Rory who sat on a bench, legs crossed, enjoying the morning seemed a bit out of place. His shirt tucked in, beard trimmed and very articulate in his speech just seemed out of place. His eyes, much like my own father's eyes were a blue-green ice color. He came across, at peace with his surroundings and needed nothing more. As we spoke with Rory we found his need was not food or clothing but needing relationship with Christ. He was now agnostic, raised Pentecostal, and it seemed as if he had been burned by religion somewhere in his past. I can relate, not only myself to such a scenario but my father as well. We were both part of a "religion" at one time and both knew we did not fit into such a mold. I went seeking and found Jesus Christ, my father is still seeking much like Rory.

My father and Rory are both noble men, who would more than likely help anyone out who needed it. I can see that God is working through them each and every day and as I write this it becomes hard to distinguish between Rory and my own father. They both seem very alike. Before Vicki and I leave Rory for the day we pray that God revels himself to Rory in a way God sees fit. I can only pray that the scales fall from both, my father's and Rory's, eyes and they turn their focus from pride and focus on the self to focusing on the God I personally know.

God willing.....I cannot wait until next week to meet up with Rory again.

--Jerry