Or look at it this way: if a mining company were to explore over and over again and come up snake-eyes over and over again, would you support it? Do you invest in a company that repeatedly reports failure?
So with Gospel Mission and The Lord's Rain, I prefer to tell about success; the blessings that have come raining down on the place: the indisputable signs that God's hand is on both the Mission and the Downtown East Side and encourage people that their money, efforts, supplies and pr
ayers are well-used.So to that end, let's look at some of the blessings I've seen lately around the Mission. It's a symbiosis, to use a really poncy intellectual term: the ministry blesses people and the people bless us.
One of the most palpable is the sense of community at The Lord's Rain. Creating the showers facility has raised ministry to a new level, so that whether people come in for a shower or not, that spirit of permanence and caring brings a new hope and optimism. Conversations range through the Bible, personal issues, current affairs, and really important stuff like the Canucks and the Lions.
Barry
He arrived from the Regina area about six months ago, and it's been easy to remember his name: with the remnants of a mullet, he bears a striking resemblance to Barrie Melrose, the sometime coach of the Los Angeles Kings. Unfailingly polite, a sharp dresser, especially considering he's been moving from shelter to shelter; he brings a measure of class to the Mission. Rather like Chet, who came at the same time as Barry, from the Six Nations Reservation near Ottawa (his is a story that's still unfolding).
Recently, Barry set out to find an agent to kick-start his acting career. Turns out, he did some TV and films in Saskatchewan and decided to try to get similar work in these parts. "It was a choice between getting an apartment and finding an agent, and I went for the agent," he told me.
This past week, he signed on with an agent and went for photo shoots. He certainly has a "look" and the kind of intelligence to work well on a set, so this is, definitely, a sign of hope for him.
Richard
"Have some coffee, Drew: it'll wake ya up!" That's Richard's catch-phrase, and he'll say it whether I've just arrived and haven't tucked into one of Danilo's signature brews (provided as a major blessing from Waves Coffee) or I'm working on my third.
To look at Richard, you could easily label him. He's native, tall and gangly, always wearing a toque (even in the summer), and his herky-jerky motion, whatever he happens to be doing, is a sign of current or former drug over-use. He has a capacity for our pre-mixed coffee (Danilo mixes the sugar and whitener in ahead of time) that is amazing, which almost doubles when he picks up "another cup to take to my ol' lady".
I'm beginning to think that Richard's "ol' lady" is a bit like Duffy on "Duffy's Tavern" or Maris on "Frasier": a character talked-about but never actually seen. Be that as it may, Richard's appearance continually reminds me how wrong you can be if you judge a book by its cover. This past Saturday, I brought in some Christmas cards for the people at the Mission to sign, and I did a double-take at Richard's penmanship.
"You have great handwriting," I said.
"I'm an artist," he replied. Ink and paper is his specialty -- he also carves, but doesn't have any tools at present. I'll take him some paper and pens on Saturday and turn him loose. Maybe -- if he does requests -- I'll get him to do a hummingbird for Amelia. Another native artist on the DTES -- name of Angelo -- did an ink drawing for me of a wolverine. I like wolverines. Amelia said, "why didn't you get a hummingbird?" So now I'm on the lookout for a native artist to do a hummingbird.
Anyway ... Richard's blessing: he'll be getting a room of his own in the "social housing" component of the new Woodward's development. He's really looking forward to it, and rightly so. A lot of the rental housing in the DTES is not noted for the cleanliness or attention to maintenance. What's intriguing is that this is the same Woodward's development that was the target of protests by the rent-a-mobs a few years ago -- indeed, the same ones who formerly occupied the space that is now The Lord's Rain. Go figure.
Kim
I've known Kim for years -- back to the days at Rainbow Mission, in fact -- and seen him grow in the Lord. By that I mean, he's gone from being the guy who showed up just as the message was ending, in time to get the food, to someone who fills in for me giving the message on nights when I'm not there (last time, he and Lincoln took turns). He trained as a cook and started training a few months ago for a service on the Downtown East Side called "Free Geek", which repairs and rebuilds computers and trains people in the area. Recently, he was promoted to a "trainer" position.
Walter
A native from Manitoba, he's heading back to a town near his reserve to work over the winter building cabins. The job takes him closer to his 17-year-old daughter, which means they'll be together for Christmas.
Pete
"Who here has never screwed up?"
I was on a preachin' roll that night. The message was about "belonging" and how we all belong with Jesus and I was heading for Paul's oft-quoted reminder that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
"Who here has never screwed up?" Pause for dramatic effect. One hand comes up. It's Pete.
70-something, alcoholic (on and off the wagon), in and out of prison most of his life, Pete was the most miserable sod you'd ever want to meet when I first met him; but in the past year and a half, it seems he's realized there has to be more to life than what he's been going through, and has changed considerably. Lately, he was diagnosed with cancer. He actually laughed when I asked him how he was. "I got cancer!" he said. And now, with exquisite timing that would have made Jack Benny proud, he sticks up his hand at my rhetorical question. We've been praying over him, and I believe his coming closer to God came just at the right time for this new challenge.
Lincoln
From what I know of him, Lincoln has always believed in and always sought God, and lately, he's been finding who he is in the Lord -- and who the Lord is in him. Breakthroughs like that are huge: he now fills in for me when I'm away, either going solo or partnering with Kim.
Shannon & Brannen
I mentioned Shannon in a previous post, in deep conversation with Howard when I arrived at The Lord's Rain one morning: an indication of how people who come to Gospel Mission and The Lord's Rain often counsel one another. This couple are on the methadone treatment program and have a variety of chronic ailments from drug abuse. Recently, Brannen got a job at the hotel where they live; the living accommodations are, by their account, atrocious - mold, leaky roof, underheated - but they're a great example of the blessing of having each other to help face those trials.
Barry
He arrived from the Regina area about six months ago, and it's been easy to remember his name: with the remnants of a mullet, he bears a striking resemblance to Barrie Melrose, the sometime coach of the Los Angeles Kings. Unfailingly polite, a sharp dresser, especially considering he's been moving from shelter to shelter; he brings a measure of class to the Mission. Rather like Chet, who came at the same time as Barry, from the Six Nations Reservation near Ottawa (his is a story that's still unfolding).
Recently, Barry set out to find an agent to kick-start his acting career. Turns out, he did some TV and films in Saskatchewan and decided to try to get similar work in these parts. "It was a choice between getting an apartment and finding an agent, and I went for the agent," he told me.
This past week, he signed on with an agent and went for photo shoots. He certainly has a "look" and the kind of intelligence to work well on a set, so this is, definitely, a sign of hope for him.
Richard
"Have some coffee, Drew: it'll wake ya up!" That's Richard's catch-phrase, and he'll say it whether I've just arrived and haven't tucked into one of Danilo's signature brews (provided as a major blessing from Waves Coffee) or I'm working on my third.
To look at Richard, you could easily label him. He's native, tall and gangly, always wearing a toque (even in the summer), and his herky-jerky motion, whatever he happens to be doing, is a sign of current or former drug over-use. He has a capacity for our pre-mixed coffee (Danilo mixes the sugar and whitener in ahead of time) that is amazing, which almost doubles when he picks up "another cup to take to my ol' lady".
I'm beginning to think that Richard's "ol' lady" is a bit like Duffy on "Duffy's Tavern" or Maris on "Frasier": a character talked-about but never actually seen. Be that as it may, Richard's appearance continually reminds me how wrong you can be if you judge a book by its cover. This past Saturday, I brought in some Christmas cards for the people at the Mission to sign, and I did a double-take at Richard's penmanship.
"You have great handwriting," I said.
"I'm an artist," he replied. Ink and paper is his specialty -- he also carves, but doesn't have any tools at present. I'll take him some paper and pens on Saturday and turn him loose. Maybe -- if he does requests -- I'll get him to do a hummingbird for Amelia. Another native artist on the DTES -- name of Angelo -- did an ink drawing for me of a wolverine. I like wolverines. Amelia said, "why didn't you get a hummingbird?" So now I'm on the lookout for a native artist to do a hummingbird.
Anyway ... Richard's blessing: he'll be getting a room of his own in the "social housing" component of the new Woodward's development. He's really looking forward to it, and rightly so. A lot of the rental housing in the DTES is not noted for the cleanliness or attention to maintenance. What's intriguing is that this is the same Woodward's development that was the target of protests by the rent-a-mobs a few years ago -- indeed, the same ones who formerly occupied the space that is now The Lord's Rain. Go figure.
Kim
I've known Kim for years -- back to the days at Rainbow Mission, in fact -- and seen him grow in the Lord. By that I mean, he's gone from being the guy who showed up just as the message was ending, in time to get the food, to someone who fills in for me giving the message on nights when I'm not there (last time, he and Lincoln took turns). He trained as a cook and started training a few months ago for a service on the Downtown East Side called "Free Geek", which repairs and rebuilds computers and trains people in the area. Recently, he was promoted to a "trainer" position.
Walter
A native from Manitoba, he's heading back to a town near his reserve to work over the winter building cabins. The job takes him closer to his 17-year-old daughter, which means they'll be together for Christmas.
Pete
"Who here has never screwed up?"
I was on a preachin' roll that night. The message was about "belonging" and how we all belong with Jesus and I was heading for Paul's oft-quoted reminder that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
"Who here has never screwed up?" Pause for dramatic effect. One hand comes up. It's Pete.
70-something, alcoholic (on and off the wagon), in and out of prison most of his life, Pete was the most miserable sod you'd ever want to meet when I first met him; but in the past year and a half, it seems he's realized there has to be more to life than what he's been going through, and has changed considerably. Lately, he was diagnosed with cancer. He actually laughed when I asked him how he was. "I got cancer!" he said. And now, with exquisite timing that would have made Jack Benny proud, he sticks up his hand at my rhetorical question. We've been praying over him, and I believe his coming closer to God came just at the right time for this new challenge.
Lincoln
From what I know of him, Lincoln has always believed in and always sought God, and lately, he's been finding who he is in the Lord -- and who the Lord is in him. Breakthroughs like that are huge: he now fills in for me when I'm away, either going solo or partnering with Kim.
Shannon & Brannen
I mentioned Shannon in a previous post, in deep conversation with Howard when I arrived at The Lord's Rain one morning: an indication of how people who come to Gospel Mission and The Lord's Rain often counsel one another. This couple are on the methadone treatment program and have a variety of chronic ailments from drug abuse. Recently, Brannen got a job at the hotel where they live; the living accommodations are, by their account, atrocious - mold, leaky roof, underheated - but they're a great example of the blessing of having each other to help face those trials.
The Cobs Kids
Here's one outta left field for you. As we've mentioned before, we receive bread products from the new Cobs Bread location in Caulfeild (West Vancouver). It brings me closer to full circle, because it's just a chip shot from Caulfeild Elementary School, where I went in 6th and 8th grades more years ago than I'd care to remember.
There's a high school in the area, and some of the people working at this new Cobs are students at that high school, and picking up the bread on Monday nights has brought me in touch with a couple of them. They are both very interested in the work going on -- particularly at The Lord's Rain. West Van is an exceptionally affluent area -- much moreso than when I lived there, 30 years ago -- and anything that gets these kids thinking about what they can do -- and more importantly what is possible to be done -- is the seeds of a major blessing for the future.
It would be prideful to say that these blessings come because of Gospel Mission and The Lord's Rain, but there's no denying that we are part of a distinct move of God over the Downtown East Side. If you unpack Ezekiel 40, which describes the building of the Temple in intricate detail, you'll see that each of us has a job to do, but the entire plan, in the final analysis, is in God's hands.
It would be prideful to say that these blessings come because of Gospel Mission and The Lord's Rain, but there's no denying that we are part of a distinct move of God over the Downtown East Side. If you unpack Ezekiel 40, which describes the building of the Temple in intricate detail, you'll see that each of us has a job to do, but the entire plan, in the final analysis, is in God's hands.
What's more, we get to be witnesses to that move -- and to tell others about it.
It's easy to portray the people on the Downtown East Side as pathetic victims, but on the principle that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21), if we keep on hammering that message, then the situation remains the same. We can bear witness to the fact that there are VICTORIES going on as we speak, and these people are just a few examples. These are just the ones I've seen, and as soon as I hit "publish post", I'll probably think of many more examples of people being blessed. Watch out for sequels.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57).
It's easy to portray the people on the Downtown East Side as pathetic victims, but on the principle that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21), if we keep on hammering that message, then the situation remains the same. We can bear witness to the fact that there are VICTORIES going on as we speak, and these people are just a few examples. These are just the ones I've seen, and as soon as I hit "publish post", I'll probably think of many more examples of people being blessed. Watch out for sequels.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57).
No comments:
Post a Comment