Yesterday was quite a busy day at the park.  There were easily over 100 people that came through the line for food.  We know we went through at least 130 bowls if not more.

I get busy serving and talking to everyone, and I will glance up and look at the line, and I think it is sooo long, I hope that we have enough.  I am usually looking for faces that get back in line for “seconds” and then I know that pretty much we have served everyone at least once.  On a whole, the group is good about making sure “first timers” will get their share, before they get a second serving.

Yesterday we had lasagna, vegetable beef soup, bean and ham soup, banana cream pudding and cookies.  I was wondering about our food supply, when Joy a volunteer with another group that we’ve met came and joined us with a big supply  of egg salad, and tuna with egg salad.  They had received a donation of hard boiled eggs and so she made the salads and brought it to the park.  (We have been telling the other group which day we are going to the park so that this group can serve some homeless at a different location, and that way together we are able to help more people.) Well, Joy’s salads certainly added to what we had, and we literally had nothing left when we were finished.

God certainly does provide.

As for an update on our friends:

Dawn and Ernie elected not for Dawn to have the surgery on her throat.  I talked with them on Thursday, as we were planning on visiting her in the hospital.  I had seen all Dawn’s necessary hospital paperwork so that I could get in to see her, so I knew where to go and what they were expecting to do.  Ernie said Dawn had been able to eat some soft foods earlier in the week, and that they were planning on going to Ohio for some work and they didn’t want the surgery to set them back.   He told me he knew a lot of people were praying for them and “maybe them prayers are working”.  The hospital still wants to proceed with the surgery to correct the situation, however, they are not doing it at this time.  They are planning on leaving the first week in April, and will be gone for around 6 months and then return.  Dawn’s children and mother are here, so they will return.   This is one of those times that I remind myself that God is in control, knows what is going on, and no matter how much compassion or empathy you have for people, you help the way you can help, and trust in Him for the rest.

Chuck received his special shoes to help with his diabetes.  He said it was like “walking on air”.  I asked about his toes, as he has two that aren’t doing too well.  He said the doctor told him the insulin medicine may take a week or so to make a difference.  Please continue to pray for Chuck’s health.

I can tell you about two newer friends that we talked with, Levi and Jason who readily shared their names.    Levi was sharing with Jason out of one of the Bibles that we have available if someone would like one.   He was talking about Psalm 69 to Jason.  I said, “Oh, the Psalms, you know what my favorite one is?  It’s Psalm 139”.  So Levi, turned to it and started reading it, and we talked about how God has know us since the beginning, is always there for us, even when we try to hide from Him, knows the words on our lips before we speak them, how fearfully and wonderfully made we are.

Jason asked me about church.  I told him about where I go, but then I told him “Jason, we come here because we want to be Jesus’ hands and feet, we want to show people His love through us.”  “It isn’t about going to a church, or going to a building.

I had remembered a conversation that Keith (one of the volunteers) repeated to me he had one day with someone at the park.  That particular individual started asking  “okay, where do you go to church”, etc.  Keith told him, and said he was welcome to come if he could get there, however, it wasn’t about that, it was about love.  Keith told me the guy told him that really struck him. (Keith, it was such a great way to express it, I’m thankful you shared it with me!)

Levi, Jason and I talked further and I said, “What I read in the scriptures, Jesus didn’t have a place to lay his head half the time, he was always on the move.  Going place to place.  He was on the streets.”  Levi said, “That is so true”.

We probably spent at least another 30 minutes or so talking along with some others that would wander in and out of our discussion.  It was a discussion that was cheerful, encouraging and uplifting.

Levi said when we left, “okay, you guys will be back Wednesday?  You know, I wasn’t going to come here today, but I’m really glad I did.”

I’m glad you did too Levi, it was great talking with you.

They left I believe energized and encouraged.  I know I did.

We visited Finley Park again last Friday for Operation Soup and Smokes.

My brain felt like it was going into overload, trying to remember all the details when I left.

I had a few things going into the afternoon there that I wanted to remember:  touch bases with two different couples, “C”, a particular quiet individual, and look to learn some new names.

There is a couple that dresses in Harley gear, which we see quite often, and I wanted to make sure I got their names and could remember them.  They usually get their food and then go off by themselves.  So, I wanted to make sure I spoke with them.  (“S” and “T” for future use as of now.)

Then there was one of the guys who helps and is usually pretty quiet, and I wanted to catch his name.   He reminds me in build of Bryan, and sometimes has the same sad look on his face.

There is another couple, which has been a fixture from the beginning, however, had been missing for a while.  We had went looking for them when Bryan died, because she had been quite upset when we gave Bryan a ride, and wanted to make sure he was going somewhere safe.  After we read about Bryan’s passing in the paper, Craig went to the park, but couldn’t find them.  We found out later that she was in the hospital, and had to have surgery.

For the last two weeks, she was telling me about her surgery (partial hysterectomy), and how the breathing tube they used had damaged her throat and then the medications they gave her had given her an allergic reaction and burned her throat.  She has been unable to eat any solid foods for weeks.   She has been just sipping the broth from any soups that we take.  Friday, I took a big coffee mug filled with chicken broth, as I wasn’t sure what she would be able to have out of what was available.  She said she has been drinking bouillon, some baby food, and that her mother visited her and gave her some Ensure’s.  She has lost over 40 lbs in a month.   Even with the multiple layers of clothing, it has been evident to us that she is losing weight rapidly.

She came back to talk to me two or three times on Friday.  I told her that we were praying for her, and that more would pray for her.  I told her about this page, and I asked if I could use her name, so you could pray for her by name if you’d like.  Her name is Dawn.

When she was finished with her broth, she brought back the coffee mug to me, and talked to me a little more about her mother visiting her.  She hadn’t wanted to worry her mother.  She also wants to be able to see her children.  We talked about other things that she might be able to eat like baby food and what might have the right vitamins.  She mentioned that she has been unable to take her seizure medicine as the pill is too large and she cannot get the liquid form.  (It is these little side comments that tell us more and more).

Seizure medicine.  Sigh.

I just felt such a burden for her inside, recovering from surgery, living with seizures, not being able to eat, living on the streets.  The list seemed endless.  Dawn is a petite woman, and I just felt compelled to keep hugging her, and just said out loud “Jesus, please look after my friend, Dawn”.  (I confess I had a knot in my throat when I said that, and my voice was more than a little quivery.) She was hugging me back, but quickly looked up at me, with a surprised sweet smile.  That is when I told her that I was praying for her, and about this blog, and that others would pray for her too.  She said she could use all the prayers she could get.  She wandered off again.

That is one thing that I notice.  Conversations happen in pieces.  They are constantly in motion.  Like they can’t relax and stay in one place too long.

In another conversation, I learn about being “warned” for “camping” at the park.  You only get two warnings.  The third time, you are arrested.  Then if you can’t pay the $250 fine, you have to stay in jail.  When you are in jail, then you can’t check into the shelter.  When you don’t check in the shelter, they put all your stuff in the dumpsters.

Now I understand the constant motion, and why I see hats pulled low sometimes, or hoods pulled up, and then lowered.  Conversations starting, stopping, and starting again.  Everyone seems to wear dark sunglasses.  I guess the better to watch, without being watched.

I learn that sometimes they will call the police on each other.   I learned that now that the weather is warming up they have been getting more warnings.  In fact when we had arrived, there was a police car there.  We had jumped out of our cars just like normal, and started setting up, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to come and talk to us or not.  But, our friends came over, helped unload the cars, tables were set up, food put on the table, line started, and off we went.  I didn’t see the car leave, we were too busy serving.

On one of the occasions Dawn and I were talking “C” brought over a sweater out of the clothing that we had available.  He said “Dawn, here is something that you could probably use”.  She replied, “Thanks, Too-Tall”.  So that tells you a little more about “C”, he really is tall.  🙂  We are starting to learn their nicknames for each other.  So far, “Too Tall”, “Green Hornet” and “Big Bird” are some that we have heard.

I also spent some time with “C”.  (I’m going to see if he will let me mention his name.  I believe he will, but I want to make sure.) “C” aka “Too-Tall” seems to know everyone’s name, even though the others seem to use the nicknames.  I asked about his rheumatoid arthritis and his diabetes.   He said at the last doctor’s visit when the doctor probed his feet, he really didn’t feel it.  That isn’t a good sign when you have diabetes.  He said he also has been having some cramping in his legs.   He said his knee brace has been working fine, his cane he might not need as much anymore.  He kidded that he was using it to pull “F” up the hills.

“F” is the guy that I mentioned in beginning that is quiet.  He is always quick to help us unload the car.  “F” may or may not be there this coming Friday.  “C” said he is trying to get him to go home to NC.  He has a home to go to.  “C” said “F, you have a home to go to, you need to get back there, I don’t have a home to go to”.  “F” was melancholy.  He was missing his baby sister who died from diabetes.  “C” talking about his doctor’s visit, got him to thinking about it.  He told me how much he loved his sister, and missed her.  He told me that she was a Christian, and he knew she was in Heaven.  He said he had been working here in Columbia, but had gone home for her funeral, and when he came back here, didn’t work very long before he was layed off.  Since he hadn’t been working 60 days, he wasn’t able to get unemployment.  He took out a battered wallet and showed me a picture of his sister that looked like it had gotten wet, and was really faded.  He said, “This is the only picture I have of her, and it isn’t very good”.  I told him, “you have a picture of her, here”, and pointed to his heart.  He said “yes, I loved her.”  Then he showed me pictures of his children.  It was a beautiful family picture of 5 children.  He pointed to the oldest girl, and said that is my daughter, that I’m going to see.   The three of us talked a bit about God being in control, even when we don’t feel like that is the case, or understand what is going on.  We talked about faith.  We had several listening to the discussion.  When we left Friday, we gave “F” a big hug and said to have a safe journey home, in case he was gone before we would see him again.

I know this has been a lot of stuff, but like I said I felt like my mind was going into overload just so I could remember everything.  I know that I’ve forgotten something.  So, just lift them up in your prayers please by what you know, and I’ll try to keep you updated as we go along together in this journey.

Another thing we learned…at the end of the month the shelters close.  There will be at least another 300 sleeping on the streets at night according to “C”.

Sigh.

Matthew 10:28,29 (NIV)²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

I’m reminded of the conversation with “C” aka Too-Tall, and “F”.  We were talking about God being in control.  “C” said “When you don’t understand what’s going on, that’s when you just have to have faith.”

Amen,  brother.