Sandwich Day 24 - February 26, 2008

Special Thanks:

Gaye and Sam – Homemade Oatmeal Cookies!

Mystery Angel – juice boxes

Katheen – Homemade Banana Muffins – HMMMMM!!

Menu: Sandwiches – juice – cookies – muffins

CREW: Me and Pete – Rick is out of town on business and Jerry had a work thing.

The Cove:

Today will be a quick trip due to afternoon meetings at work. We arrive to see Vinny walking to the car to greet us. He is all smiles and joking. I've seen him before in this upbeat mood and he is a truly likeable guy. We join the rest at the wall. There is Susie, Teresa, Donny, and Manson is working the corner. As everyone is munching lunch, Patrick the photographer walked up. He had promised to bring some pictures that he had taken of everyone a few months ago. He couldn't stay but it was a blessing to see him. Then a cab pulls up and drops Rabbit off! He has been in the hospital for several weeks. It was good to see him sober. He was quite as he heard the news that everyone was having to move. Life in this community is truly one day at a time. Vinny told me that he needed to get back to God. This is what I long to hear! He believes in Jesus as his Lord and savior but says that he keeps getting off the path. Man, I can relate to that! I told him that if we could just understand the love of God, staying on the path would be a snap. If we could truly receive this love, there would be nothing that would pull us from the path. God is love. My heart longs to truly get this. He promised to be at church this Sunday. I look forward to seeing him then. Donny told me that earlier he was handing a twenty dollar bill to Manson and the wind caught it and blew away. Donny told Manson that he had to work the corner until he made the money back...so Manson was in "time out". He did promise to give Manson some lunch. Vinny said that Mary and Hopper were down the road. He was going to be seeing them later and he promised to take them lunch. It was time to go so we said a prayer and our goodbye. Taz and Jack were walking up as we were driving away so we all waved at each other. I hope to be able to visit with them soon. We waived at Donny on the corner as we went by. I hope he made the twenty back so he could go have lunch!

The Bible says to not grow weary of doing good...to be honest, I'm getting a little weary. So my prayer is for fresh fire - in Jesus name.

I just read a quote from James Dean..."Dream like you will live forever...live as if you will die today"...from a kid who died at age 25.

----------Vicki

There’s been times when I’ve been confronted with this question. I however have options and time to make decisions and to co-ordinate a move. Today was the 1st day that I went out to do one of the commandments my God has commanded me to do, this year. That is to feed the homeless and the poor.

I haven’t been completely out of the loop on what’s been going on with the congregations of homeless folks I’ve been volunteering to help out since I was last out there a week before 12 – 25. I’ve heard that there’s been some internal conflict. I imagine that being homeless and unemployed can introduce levels of stress that can only be known by those that are actually out there sleeping on concrete and dirt.

Let’s add to the stress a factor that involves the local police men having to go out and run off the homeless from their camps. I looked back there where their original camp was located and I don’t see any bulldozers. The last stop that I went out on, before 12-25, it’s completely bull dozed down.

Today it was only Vicky and myself that went to deliver sandwiches, snacks and beverages. When we pulled up I only saw 4 people sitting on the rock wall and one on the street side flying a sign.

They waved at us when we pulled up and parked. As I walked over to where they were sitting another man that hadn’t been out there since I was last out there also showed up at the same time. This guy, whose name and church affiliation I’ll leave anonymous, was out there the last time I was out there taking several photos. I happen to be in several of those photo’s and I don’t like my photo to be taken, but I’ll make exceptions for Christian churches. I’ll admit the photo’s were of excellent quality and they were good work for sure.

I asked them a lot of questions about their camp and about what was going on and about how they are approached by the police. They were a bit hesitant, but they also seem to be able to trust me. I had asked 1st about the camp that was only a few feet away and about what happened. A woman spoke to me and said that the police went into their camp and gave them 2 days to move. I asked, what would they do if you don’t move? She said that it has happened to her in the past that the police will slash their tents and kick their electronics damaging them, tv’s, radios, stuff like that.

Apparently they moved a little further away but were confronted by the police again. They were told to move. The woman speaking to me made a point to mention to me that the policemen had also mentioned to her that they didn’t want to have to tell them to move. I guess they had orders. I’m also guessing that the local businesses are running them off.

She wanted me to understand that there are both good and bad cops. She said that when she was living homeless in Tennessee, that the police were killing the homeless people so they would all leave town. Maybe that’s why she moved to Texas? I find it difficult to believe that an Austin policeman would go to the extreme of slashing the tents of homeless people, but you never know ey.

As I was squatting on the ground, talking to a couple of the folks, Rabbit came walking up. His face was shaved! He said he had just spent two weeks in the hospital for depression. I heard that he wanted to commit suicide and a church down the street had him committed for his safety. I was happy to see that he is in good health.

They were all happy to get their sandwiches and snacks. Someone had donated some homemade banana nut muffins. I have one on my desk, but not for long. Those seemed to be their favorite.

We couldn’t stay very long. Rick was not here today and Vicky has a meeting coming up. It was a short visit.

It wasn’t too long ago that I too would be repulsed by homeless people. I always said to them to go get a job. I remember times that when I took my kids to a restaurant like McDonalds or something like that and I saw a homeless person I would try and distance myself from them. I remember thinking that they stank and that they should just go jump in a river or something. Perhaps this is the same mentality that everyone else has and the reason why the homeless are treated so harshly.

Jesus said that we will always have the homeless with us and that we should feed them. Even in the torah God gave a commandment for the ranchers to leave the corners of their crops unharvested for the poor to pick from for food. It should be more than obvious that god doesn’t want the poor and homeless to be rebuked but to be cared for. Jesus also said that when we care for those that are injured and for those that are homeless and hungry that we are caring for him. So, does that mean when we rebuke the injured, the homeless and hungry that we are rebuking Christ?

----------Peter