When someone reminds me of the homeless people in DC, I tend to not react. Not because I am heartless, but because, unfortunately, it is something that I am used to. Something I walk by everyday without so much as a glance. On the other hand when someone told me we were going to do mission work on Friday nights I was all for it. The Howard mission opened my eyes to something I have been avoiding my whole life.

There are real people on the streets everyday. They are hungry, they are cold, and they are hopeless. The few times I have been down to Howard have changed my feelings and actions, not only to the homeless, but to those struggling with things in their life that I rarely ever hear about outside of TV. The boldness of my brothers and sisters in approaching people who can be very intimidating has brought me courage. We have met some of the most amazing people who have been praying their whole lives for someone to notice them in their sorrow and pain, or even in their joy. Many people have welcomed us with open arms and hearts, thanking us for our attempts to show Christ’s love in some of the darkest parts of our city. Many people have hesitated to open up to us, but after seeing our non judging attitudes have poured out their worries in hopes of finding hope in the God we tell them so much about. Others are non responsive, some don’t even understand English, but they know we are there, and they know that even if we walk away, we walk away leaving the promise of prayer.

It’s amazing the encouragement you get from telling someone else about Christ. Every time some one gives a testimony, I feel like I discover a whole new facet of the God I’ve worshipped my entire life. This is not something that should be a one time thing, and I hope to use what I’ve learned to preach no matter where I am.

Filed under: DC Mission Work