Sandwich Day 10 : November 13, 2007

Another Haul!!

Menu: Sack Lunches to include sandwich, chips, cookie, pair of socks, gloves, poncho
Also taking: "Sack O Hats" - beautiful knitted hats made by Colette, her Mom and Aunt - shoes/boots - sweat shirts - long/short sleeve shirts.

It's me Rick and Jerry. We have so much stuff to give out that we are traveling in Jerry's new "daddy wagon". A beautiful new car with a God story behind it...but that goes into another diary.

The Cove - Back in Action

It's so good to see folks back. The group today is Rabbit, Teresa, Susie, Mary and Freedom.
As we walk up the ladies approach me and ask if we could talk. As we walk aside to visit, Rick and Jerry go over to Rabbit. It was so good to see Mary again. It's been several weeks. She is such a joy to me. She says that Freedom is 6 months pregnant, has not seen a doctor and needs to adopt the baby out. I am being asked if I can help. I told them that at the moment, I did not have any answers but I promised to find out how to get her some help. I asked them if they wanted to pray and spontaneously, they all took hands with me and bowed their heads. We prayed for Freedom and the unborn baby. Susie asked for prayer regarding her anger with another person in the camp. Man, I can relate to that one! I asked God to give me the wisdom to find help for Freedom.

I will jump forward for just a minute: I went back to the office and 5 phone calls later found a social worker who would help Freedom. Rick and I went back to the cove the next day and arranged for the social worker to meet Freedom and her husband within the hour. My prayer as I type this is - Dear God, please let this be the perfect help that you wanted Freedom to have. Thank you for social workers and the endless job that they have. In Jesus Name.

After we prayed we went to the car and started going through all the stuff. Everyone got a sack lunch and it was like Christmas as they picked out hats, coats, sweat shirts etc.

The Edge

For a moment it looks that there is no one around. Rick spots Pops and someone else under the bridge so we turn around to go to the other side of the highway. As we are sitting at the light, we see Sheldon sitting behind the guard rail. The light turns green just as Jerry got Sheldon's attention - Jerry had to do the "pitch n throw" of a sack lunch as we had to move on. Maybe we will see him next week and be able to visit.

You know how the side of the road slopes down to the highway? I find myself working my way down that slope - following Rick and Jerry who seem to have no problem with this...must be a guy thing. I heard Rick saying something about being a barbarian and taking risk. (Need I mention the prayer for protection that I didn't end up rolling into the middle of the highway?) I made it and wasn't too far behind the guys. I have never been under the bridge of a highway. It is VERY NOISEY. Pops and James are there. When Pops sees me he says..."Hi Baby Girl!" That was all I was able to hear the whole conversation...but it was enough! They received the sack lunches and the pair of boots that Rick had brought to Pops. Pops and I threw each other a kiss goodbye and it was time to climb back up to the frontage road...which was much easier than going down...hmmm...I wonder if there is a sermon there.

One sack lunch left. I am starting to enjoy this time of our trip. I like to see where God wants the last lunch to go. Today, it didn't take long to find out. As we got back to the car, Rick sees a guy leaning up against the building where we are parked. His name is Robert and he is in pretty bad shape. He is hard to understand. He says that he is missing all toes on one foot and has only three toes on the other foot. Rick went back to the car to get him some boots and a jacket. I asked Robert if he knew Jesus and his head came up and with all sincerity answered "yes I do, He saved me". Robert said that he had just been praying before we came up. I asked him what he was praying for and he said he was telling God that he was hungry and needing help. I wanted to cry. I told him that we had some food for him and Rick was bringing some clothes. I asked him if he wanted to pray and he took off his cap and said yes. We prayed in Jesus name to our creator for protection and provision until we could all be together in eternity.

Have I mentioned how much I love these people?
Blessings until next Tuesday.

--Vicki

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It was an awesome day!

We went past The Gap and didn't see anyone.. made us wonder who all we might see.

We get to the cove and it is SO AWESOME! They are all there waiting on us. After all this time they are now gathering up to meet with us. It sure makes it easier when you have more than lunches. It was a prayer answered. We had just talked about trying to distribute fair and ensure stuff got to it's intended spot. It is so much easier when they are all together.

It was women's day at the cove. They were all there and so excited to see Vicki. They went off and did the Woman thing while Jerry and I went over to see the guys. As usual Taz ran.. Not sure yet what he is running from but he always leaves when we show up. Rabbit had been drinking. He told me he needed to talk to me alone.. Not a problem considering where we were. He was embarrassed and ashamed he had started drinking again. He really did feel bad. Jerry and I both encouraged him and told him we knew how tough it was. We also ensured him we believed Jesus could help him if he let him. I reminded him that "No weapon formed against you can prosper unless you make it". He wanted to pray for us so we let him. Powerful heartfelt prayer that touched me deeply. You can feel his love through the words. He said he would start trying again. I continue my prayers for him. He gave Jerry and I street names. I got "Spike" and Jerry got "Wheeler" Not exactly sure where those came from other than Rabbit's heart. Vicki and Rabbit had some words. He knows she wants what is best and she is tough on him. He prayed for her and I may be wrong but I think in the prayer she got named the "Brat" :-)

We gave out the stuff and they were very excited about the hats! It was very warm and they didn't need them but this morning it is 55 again with a 25 MPH wind and I am sure they are displaying them proudly. Vicki got with Vinny and ordered 20 of his special key chains. Probably the biggest order in the history of his business. He is very pleasant and trying very hard.

When Vicki asked the women to pray, Theresa bowed out. It was strange. The next day when we told Freedom about the help that was coming, Theresa came and told Vicki she was sorry. She said she didn't feel good the day before. These people have such sweet thoughtful souls. As soon as we got there for Freedom, a new guy, Rob I think, came straight to me and started digging for a card from a Church. He said he thought they could help Freedom. When I told him that we were there to make the social worker connection he just grabbed me and hugged me. He told me of bikes he had in the past and we had a good chat. He apologized at the end because "We had to meet in these circumstances" I asked him "What circumstances?" He smiled and said thanks for not judging us. He is just a part of their community and he was so concerned about Freedom. She has a husband and this "Family" that truly does show the love. (I will add that Rabbit was sober and Grumpy! More prayers for the
Rabbit.)

We still haven't had anyone ask us for money. They are grateful and thoughtful and even when we have a car load of stuff they don't take without asking. In fact most times you really have to encourage them. They could have easily started getting it all and we probably would have let them have it all.

Down the hill at The Edge, Pop's eyes got big when he saw the Army boots I had promised him. Big genuine smiles from Pop's and James both. We couldn't hear at all it was so loud from the traffic. Pop's said they didn't talk much down there. I guess the noise drowns out the world. They took, sandwich bags, boots and hats and some long sleeve shirts. We waved by and climbed back up the hill..

Robert was at the top waiting on that last bag. God put him in the path because he told us he never sits there and showed us where he usually is. We would have missed him if he had been anywhere else. He said his pack had just been taken so he didn't have any way to carry a lot of stuff so we got one of the tougher bags we had and packed a windbreaker (One of my old favorites) some boots and a long sleeve shirt. He accepeted the prayers with wet eyes. We all felt the presence of God.. His Grace and Mercy are beyond measure or comprehension.

--Rick

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Accountability

Romans 14:12 says, "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

Rick and Vicki do a GREAT job at recapping the events of the day so I won't get too into what took place. First let me state that, Rick, Vicki and I know our responsiblity is to feed, clothe and support those in need and if we get the chance to pray with them it just makes it that much more exciting for God and us.

However one thing that keeps coming back to me is Taz. I have never met him and have only seen him twice. He moves out of the area as soon as we show up as Rick mentioned. It makes me wonder what could possibly be going on, or what we may be doing to move him out...Is it pride, which is understandable...Is it fear of God?...understandable as well...Accountability is something we all struggle with. I can relate as to only a few months ago the fact that I was going to be held accountable for my very existance and what I had done with my short time here hit me like a semi truck.

I then think of so many other people in my life that move out of the "situation" when the topic of salvation, God, Jesus, or Faith pops up. It is not just Taz, its my coworkers, my friends, my own family. People I have know for many years to just a few days, just dont want to talk about God.

I find it amazing that the creator of the universe takes a daily interest in what I do and how our relationship grows. He knows I fall down, we all do, I know He will pick me up again.

I pray that each window of opportunity God gives me to reach others is used for His greater purpose and not my own.

Psalm 143:8
"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

--Jerry