It is the last Friday night, the last Fisherman’s Club, of 2005 that is.  Before I get into the details of the evening I feel I owe you a brief rundown of the goings on since my emails have been unfortunately infrequent.  As you probably are well aware, we have been going out on Friday nights without our traditional fare of cup of noodle soup and cocoa, and lo and behold, one evening we ran into another group, Teen Hope, with a van, with cup of noodle soup, and yes, even cocoa passing them out on Broadway.  It has been good to meet them and to experience the confirmation that our focus can be in areas different from passing out supplies as there are and will be many groups who come out to do that. 

This Friday was rainy and cold and Broadway was quite empty, so after getting thoroughly soaked Jenny and Daniel (two great volunteers) and I ducked into Starbucks to wait for the rain to stop before heading in for the night.  I wasn’t in a particularly prayerful mood this night and was kind of relieved to be heading in a little early.  The rain finally let up a bit and we decided to brave the cold.  Still Broadway seemed empty of the homeless who were much smarter than us in that it seemed they found shelter from the wet rather than be victim to wet jeans, socks and shoes as we were. I was perfectly satisfied leaving Broadway without having spoken with many people, without having my heart moved, without having to utter prayers of praise and desperation to God, without having to be humbled by the awesome privilege He has given to me, to us to serve and be blessed by Him by serving and sharing the message of Hope with those whom He loves.  I almost made it off Broadway, but in God’s kindness and mercy He interrupted my self-centered apathy at Hollywood Video.

There was a small mob of people.  Rita, Jacklyn, and Andrew were some to name a few, people for whom you and I have been praying and have maybe even wept.  We joked and laughed and they shared the latest news in their lives, news that broke my heart for them. Later walked Bill. He was coming back from a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting.  He’s been clean and sober for several months.  I remember him when his face and body was covered with picked scabs, a result of meth use, but now he looked healthy and was smiling.  During those conversations, those moments, my heart was stirred to want to shout prayers of thanks to God, as well as to shout prayers of ‘God have mercy on us.’

It is in seeing the faces of others that I am drawn to God, and I realized that as much as Rita and Jacklyn and the many others need our prayers, this encounter at Hollywood Video revealed how as great is their need for prayers my heart and soul desperately need to pray.  It is how the soothing balm of God’s kindness softens the calluses, which harden me to others and to God.  It is how I am drawn to love though I am so incapable and unwilling.  It is what reveals the face of God in the face of a pregnant drug addict on Broadway.

Prayer is something to which we are deeply committed and foundational to this ministry.  This prayer request list and update, I hope has been a guide for you in knowing ways in which you can pray for the homeless community in Capitol Hill. I am so grateful that you are out there praying for those on these prayer lists and for us who labor in Capitol Hill.