Sandwich Day 14 - December 11, 2007

Have you ever been caught in the rain? Wait a minute...not just rain...more like a down pour! It starts with a few drops...you notice that they are pretty big but few. Without warning...the sky breaks open and it is pouring rain and you are soaked. Welcome to Sandwich Day. God has opened wide the hearts of His Saints (that's right-I said saints-you don't have to be perfect or dead to be a saint!) and the down pour of giving is soaking Sandwich Crew!!

Gaye sends her famous Oatmeal Cookies. Its official...She is my adopted Mom...therefore; the special bag of cookies that I get should have more than the bag Michael gets!! Seriously, thank you Gaye - these folks love your cookies!!

Sam (Colette’s dad or Gaye’s husband … or both) shows up with ham sandwiches…bringing total sandwiches to over 30!!

Colette is heading up the Dell Team! Angela stepped up this week sending 3 HUGE boxes of clothing...it took a dolly to unload them!!

Jeep-O-Bread provided by Pete!! That’s right…his jeep is literally FULL of all kinds of bread that he has purchased from the day old bakery…the funny part is that most of the bread has not expired!! Sounds like a God thing to me.

Today it’s me, Rick and Pete…we are two barbarians short. Jerry could not get away from work and Cameo had to take care of a sick baby barbarian.

The Cove

Special Barbarians meet us …Colette and Angela!!

Rabbit – Teresa – Vinny – Susie - Mike – Wilson - Jack

“Pastor Mike” – works with the folks like we do – he is there with a lady named Rose.

I spent most of my visit trying to find the right size of jeans for everyone! Teresa found several pairs of jeans and sweaters. Susie was blessed with some sweat pants and several nice warm sweaters which made me smile at how grateful she is. They are always so happy that there are more of Gaye’s cookies in the lunch sack. It’s good to see Rabbit staying pretty sober. He renamed me “North Star” which is several steps above “Brat”! His prayer was simply beautiful. I look forward to “Church at the Cove” – it’s going to be a huge blessing.

The Exchange

Sherry – George – Mustafa – Isaiah

The relationship with this group is not like the others. They receive the sandwiches and clothes always with a “thank you”…maybe we just have not had enough time with them to feel very close.

Braker

Whitey – Lefty – Pop – Mike – Sheldon

Pete and I crossed the street to Whitey - he is a new guy who was grateful for a lunch – he didn’t want to stop and visit as he was seriously trying to work the corner. Lefty was laying on the corner. He was very grateful for lunch. He didn’t look very well. Rick took the suburban to the gas station to park. As Pete and I walked up, I saw Pop!! It’s been several weeks since we have visited. He was looking good…had a new hat. Sheldon shared his faith in Jesus and Mike just likes to talk allot! I asked Pop if he has given Jesus anymore thought and he said no. I continue to pray for his breakthrough.

The Gap

Tex – Joe - Tom

Tex and Joe were glad to see us. They take only what they need and refuse any extra. Nothing greedy about these guys. I really like Tom. He is going home for Christmas and I could tell that this is special for him. He was really looking forward to church starting at the Cove. I really have high expectations of what’s to come.

Blessings to all

Vicki
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We serve the most awesome God.. On one hand I would like to know the plan and on the other what would life be without the wonderful surprises and gifts he gives us daily?

First thing this morning I get the Produce call and Mike and I run and pick up 30 boxes of fresh green beans. All pretty and sealed in bags. Great food!

We load up piles of clothes with lots of blue jeans, sandwiches (30 or so this week), bread and green beans and head to the Cove. Angela, one of the wonderful ladies that donated the clothes and my wife Colette are meeting us there. We get there and there is a SUV (Just like Angela's) parked in our spot but a man is handing out stuff. I figured she brought a friend only now I see her SUV parked in the parking lot next to Colette. This is "Preacher Mike" we have heard so much about! He tells us he really isn't a preacher and isn't affiliated with anyone it is just him. he told us they had come at that time just to meet us! I think he is affiliated with Jesus! Great guy that does wonderful things for these people and holds Sunday bible study for them. He is a true friend. He is taking Donny to the hospital later to detox.. Since we have been through that ordeal I prayed for him. He had a woman named Rose with him. Rose was sad. She lost her Marine son in Iraq. She told me she hadn't been to Church because she was mad at God. I totally understand that. I was mad at God for 24 years. It isn't the way and it won't get you much. She smiled big and said she might just come to our Church and she took our information. I hope she comes. I would like to introduce her to the Leathernecks MC (Motorcycle club of Marines) She led the circle of prayer and the Holy Spirit was sure present. Tears all around as she prayed for Donny and the challenges that lay ahead. I pray we get to spend more time with these 2 folks as their hearts are on a very close journey with ours.

Rabbit agreed to help put on a Church for these folks and needs some pen and paper to prepare. We will get him some! Jack told us next week to bring a camera because they want to take a picture by their Christmas tree. This group really gets Christmas.. Their spirit of giving is second to none and they don't have much but themselves to give so they do it freely. Oh what our selfish world could learn from these folks..

Patrick, who we hadn't seen in a while needed some jeans. We only had 33s and 34s and he needed 38s. Since I wear 38s I told him I could bring some next time but God had different ideas! When we went to Ruben's house to see him since he just had his Gall Bladder removed he said he had some jeans he would never wear again. He went in the closet and pulled out about 10 pairs, all great on hangers. Guess what? They are all 38s! God provided before I got home.

The Exchange was fairly uneventful. This crowd has such a different feel than the Cove. We have only known them for a few weeks so hopefully it can grow to the same type of love. They were grateful for the food, found quite a few clothes and told us Linda was sick so they took stuff for her.

Braker was good. Sheldon and Mike were at the store and Pops was just leaving with a couple of beers. I caught Pops cause we hadn't seen him in a while. He was happy to see us and took food and hung around to talk. He is a really nice man. Vicki asked if he had thought about Jesus any more and he said "Truthfully, I haven't thought about it." Nice they are honest any way. We talked about Preacher Mike a little and they all respect him. Sheldon was very moved as we talked about God and he said he was very blessed. He had tears streaming down his face as he told of the great things God does for him. He has nothing but a back pack full of stuff and he is praising God! He will be rewarded! He said he was happy because Pops and James have accepted him and let him stay in their camp. He and Pops had a squabble the first day we met him. Nice to see them get along. Proof you have to work at any relationship, even if it is sleeping under a bridge. Sheldon said he took good care of nature because he lives with it so I gave him bread for his birds. He seemed so happy. He got some new jeans and very thankful.

The Gap Joe, Tex and Navy Tom from down the The Exchange way. They were all happy but drying all of their stuff out. The weird warming trend during the night had caused the overpass to create it's own rain and soak all of their stuff. Tom said his brother had sent him a bus ticket and he was going home for the holidays on the 18th. We were all happy for him. He said if we had a bag or backpack he could haul it would be good. The coolest part of the day was these wonderful people giving us stuff to pass out next week at other stops. They had some new underwear and stuff someone had given them that they didn't need. They are never stingy and ready to share where needed. They are interested in the Church too and we have set up the 23rd to do a Communion service with them. I am excited, it will be a blast. we left lots of sandwiches, all we had left with these guys. Not bad since they were eating dry Ramen noodles out of a cup.

Angela said this was very sobering and she would did and see what else she had. You can't do this and not be touched.

We met new friends, set up a Church service and had a great day after all!

Rick
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Today was the 2nd time that i went along with Rick and Vicki to help pass out sandwiches and clothes and many other things to the folks that make their livings pan handling under the bridges here around town.

1st stop, pulled up and saw another group of folks standing around talking to the guys. They were giving out clothing. At 1st i thought they were with us, just left ahead, or were meeting us there or something like that. I saw a man passing out new socks.

Apparently, they went today intentionally at the time the sandwich crew usually drives through to meet us. I met Mike and Rose. There was also another car with two women, but i didn't meet them or speak with them.

I asked Rabbit if they could use any loaves of bread. He said sure, that they could use a loaf or two. I went into the back of the suburban and brought out 4 loaves. As i handed them to him, he said to me that he has a street name for me. The other guys last week had mentioned to me that Rabbit had given them all street names and that they were going to ask him about mine. My street name is now Deliverance. I guess i can live with that. Definately sounds better than barbed wire or scar or something like that ey, which is kinda what i was expecting.

All of the guys were happy to see us. They were all full of smiles and laughter. It is such a blessing to be able to help out and put a smile on someone else's face.

I heard Rose talk about how sad she was to of lost her son in Iraq. I think i understood that she volunteers out there to reach out to other military vets, because there are so many of them living on the streets. I'm going to pray for her, that father will ease her suffering and show her that he is ok.

We did a prayer circle with our new friends Mike and Rose before they took off. Rick and him did a bit of information exchange, i guess they may visit each others congregations?

We had about 150 pounds of clothes this time. Actually, i think it was more than that. It took a little bit of time for them to look through the boxes and find what may or may not fit them. I saw some very nice sweaters.

We did another prayer circle with Rabbit once again leading the prayer before we went to the next stop.

2nd stop, We pulled up and the folks sitting down on the curb were both new guys. We got out and asked if they would like a sandwich and some clothes. We asked if they would go and get the others from the camp and ask them if they would like to come over for a sandwich.

Once again we waited while they went through the boxes of clothes. They did appear hungry and made short work of the sandwiches. I'm thinking we should put something together to try and get them some soda's or drinking water.

At the next stop, Vicki and I got out at the Harley Shop and walked across the street to the corner at the intersection where a man was pan handling. When we crossed the street and stepped over the guard rail onto the other side, the man was walking in the other direction away from us with his sign. When he turned around and saw us, which had to be about 50 feet, he started to run towards us. I think he must of recognized Vicki. She had a big bag full of sandwiches. He sure did look happy to see her.

I pointed out a guy that was sleeping in a corner on the other side of a concrete guard. He must be sleeping only about 3 feet from the tires of vehicles that pass by. If you didn't stand on the other side of the guard, where i was, no one would ever know the man was sleeping right there so close to the road. His street name is Lefty because he doesn't have another hand. I was surprised to see the huge smile on his face when he saw Vicki. He glady took a sandwich. I figured he would of been cranky because she woke him up.

We left from there and walked to the other side of the bridge. Well, we stopped for a moment in the center of the bridge and watched the traffic pass by below us.

When we got back to where Rick was, he was speaking to 3 other men. I introduced myself to them. I offered them some bread but they said that they don't eat bread because they don't have any teeth. Sheldon said he likes to go to the park and feed the birds. Rick gave him a loaf and said the birds gotta eat too. Sheldon went on to tell us about his pet rat. I don't know where he sleeps, but where ever this place is, that he sleeps at, this is where his pet rat lives.

He says that he has a bowl that he puts food in every night for the rat. Nights when he doesn't put food in his bowl, he says the rat keeps him up all night. I was a bit curious to know how the rat keeps him up and was about to hear just that next. He went on to tell us about how the rat will walk all over his chest and i guess just walks all over him whenever he doesn't feed the pet.

At the next stop, the guys said they have plenty of clothes already. They did end up taking some sweaters.

I'm a bit amazed by what happened with Tex. He brought over shoe box and asked if we knew anyone else that could use these items. When he opened the box inside were brand new underwear, tootpaste, a small battery radio, some candy and other bare necessities. He said that he has plenty of these items already and wanted for us to find someone else that needed these things and give them to someone else that really needs them. I was absolutely amazed that he wouldn't want to keep them for himself. I told him that i do know someone that can use them.

I'll be giving it to a 15 year old teenager that i know of that lives in a mobile home that has no electricity, no running water and no food. He and his two sisters have been sleeping at a neighbors house.

Tex said that a woman pulled up to him and gave him the box and said that it comes from New Hope. I don't know who they are, but the kid will appreciate it i'm sure.

When i got back to work i still had about 100 to maybe 200 loaves of every kind of bread there is. Even some with a Kosher stamp. I pulled around to shipping and receiving, opened up the back of my SUV and in about 20 minutes it was all gone, except for a few bags of burger buns. I threw those in a box for Rick's chickens.

Peter
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May the Peace, Love and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.