That's still a bit iffy, so we've asked The Oasis Church to set April 5 as the date for their next invasion -- pardon me: work blitz. That's where they'll push the showers into place and wall in the area. In the mean time, next Saturday -- March 29 -- will be our cleaning and paint-priming day. After the showers are set in place (Apr. 5), there'll be one more day to finish off the decorating (chairs, tables, coffee station, etc.) and then we should be ready to open -- looks like Opening Day will be April 15: two months later than I thought we'd open when I so gushingly announced the project on Wilf Ray's show back in December, but the key here is, it's been all in God's timing, which is never behind schedule.
I had a chance to make a presentation on the project to the Annual General Meeting of the Gospel Mission Society, which runs Carrall Street Church. Only two of the people at the meeting -- secretary Stan Powers and treasurer Erwin Paetkau -- were not "regulars" at the church to begin with, but it was a good chance to review and celebrate how the project has come to pass. Kind of like Moses, singing his song on the banks of the Red Sea after the Israelites had crossed over from Egypt.
Something Amelia pointed out, though, which I'd neglected to mention, bears repeating here. That this project has long since shown itself to be about more than just building showers for street people. In truth, that's become a sidebar in many ways to the other things this project has meant to various individuals taking part. Without naming names, we've seen:
- a woman, going through a tough time with loneliness and -- with her children grown up -- questioning her "usefulness", plunging into the project in ways she can
- another woman, also going through some tough times, getting connected with others with the project as a sort-of catalyst
- a man finally connecting with a church and finding some meaning
- a young man finding his "place" in a project God handed to him, bringing a positive spirit and can-do attitude right at a time when we really needed it -- even though he turned out not to do what we thought he was supposed to do, he still fulfilled his role in this
others, too numerous to mention, finding a sense of purpose in this - at least half a dozen reporters and broadcasters, getting a chance to report on the manifestation of God's glory
- the businessman who stepped forward after the theft, sowing seed into a Ministry at a time when his own business had an unexpected problem (we said at the time, that he could well have told God that the money he handed us would be better spent fixing the problem in his own business -- once again, quoting Leroy Thompson, "if you have a need, sow a seed")
- The Oasis has been looking at a new home for its church: Brandon Wall says the deal started coming through the Monday following their first work party in late January
and the people who come to Carrall Street Church -- and those out on the streets, who still don't set foot inside any church -- are aware of the project and see that it's a tangible, caring act: seeing the love of Christ at work - So much more ... so little time, space, or memory ...
When we started fundraising for the project, we contacted one wealthy businessman -- known as a Christian -- for support. We were turned down. Looking back now, that was exactly what God intended -- and I believe that businessman knew it. If he'd underwritten the whole thing, no one else would have had the opportunity to be blessed; if he'd underwritten even part of it, it would have seemed like lukewarm support, and that might have had a negative effect, too.
Truly, if the Lord of hosts hath purposed it, who shall disannul it?
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