We have continued to make our every other week visits to two different downtown Augusta locations. This last visit marked our 18 month anniversary. To say we have learned a lot, seen a lot, heard a lot, experienced a lot would be an understatement. Sadly, it seems almost every visit now, when we ask for updates from “regulars,” that we are told of deaths of folks we have witnessed to in the past. Personally, this gives me even more motivation to develop relationships and continue to share the Good News. The phrase, “we aren’t promised tomorrow,” certainly resonates with us.
Enough melancholy news…we are making a difference! Along with the reality of death and illness, we are also meeting new “friends,” hearing new stories, and almost every week we are blessed through prayer, appreciation, and the kind words “God bless you.”
This past visit, we were excited to see a few friends we hadn’t seen in quite a while. Wayne, aka “Goose,” had been in Burke County the last few months, and “Pops” had been helping a disabled friend moving into a new location. Pops usually will pray before we distribute food, and he is a powerful prayer warrior. He always prays for “the men who take their time to minister to us, to bring us food, and encourage us to walk a path of righteousness.” He will also usually pray for our families, which means so much.
Now for some perspective…3 visits ago, we met a young lady and her son at Mercy Ministries. I wasn’t able to talk to them, but most of our contact is with men, so when we see a lady, someone in our group will make an extra effort to bring them anything we can to help. The fact that her 2 year old son was wearing a Thomas the Train t-shirt, the exact shirt my son has, prompted me to ask about her situation. Turns out her boyfriend had kicked them out, burned all of their clothes, and they were on their own. We were able to put together a bag of clothes for each of them, but we haven’t seen them since. Keep that family in your prayers.
Now for a cool story….2 visits ago, we pulled into Mercy and saw a gentleman painting a picture—he had sketched the figures with a pencil and was painting them in when we arrived. His name is Arthur, and his talent was undeniable. The most remarkable thing was his palette…he didn’t have anything more than what even a child would use to paint—he had several colors basically blobbed together in what appeared to be the top of a carry out plastic lid. Amazing. Awesome. Very cool.
As always, we are grateful for you who pray for us and have partnered with us in this journey. We are making a difference…hands and feet,
Graham
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