Miz Mathis lives in a whole 'nother world.
She usually comes in every day to get her coffee.
She wears 4 crosses and one medallion of the virgin Mary and one crucifix for "sinners".
Today she came in and sat down at her usual table and instead of getting coffee like she usually does, she got lemonade. Everything was completely normal until she started to put cream and sugar into her lemonade. Once she had measured the proper amount into her coffee mug, she began to furiously whip her lemonade concoction.
I walked over and asked her what she was making " Ice cream" she told me.
" This is how them Italians do it, yes. Yes sir..." And she just kept whipping away.
She is probably one of the craziest ladies I have ever met. She is hilarious.
Miz Mathis has two sons and we aren't quite sure how old they are but they are out there some where. I wonder if Miz Mathis is out at the shelter on her own accord, or if she is because of her mental incompetencies. I wonder if her sons are looking for her or care where she is.
I like talking to Miz Mathis and half the time she talks about things that don't make any sense. Some times she comes in all beat up. She says that she starts the fights and she jumps on people. Some how I doubt that's true.
I wish I could do more for her or help her some how.
But a life on the street where she is free to go where she wants almost seems better than a life in a metal institution behind bars where she would live her life in a medicated fog.
The new helpers continue to be amazing in taking on the coffee making duties!
I like it because I spend less time washing cups and more time talking to people.
One of the guys has even opened his own community house. He rents out different parts of his old house to the homeless and has bible study. He just got engaged and is buying a house. He just got a truck! He is doing amazing!
It's awesome to see two men who have gotten out of the life of homelessness and now live their lives for Jesus who saved them. Now in turn they are giving their lives back to the people they used to sleep next to on the street.
I think this is how it's supposed to go .
Monday, July 21, 2008
Gone
Well, Dino the painter has left us! Word on the street is that he went off to California!
He was such a nice old man and he really needs a family to take him in.
I wonder what would have happened if some one would have done that already. He would have a place to live and a home and a place to share his art and be a part of a family.
I hope he finds what he is looking for in California and some one there takes him in.
This week in the cafe we are studying Exodus. The book of the wandering people under oppression. Its taken us one week to get through the first 3 verses. The text is rich in stories and we have been going back through Genesis to learn who the Israelites were.
We have quite a few people coming to class now! Even a few regulars.
I do wonder if these people will ever get it. When will the Gospel click for them?
We have two more helpers this week!
One of the sweetest old men has come into the shelter and has joined in with us to help run the cafe. He is skinny, skinny old man and he wears the same hat every day!
He is good at busing the tables and refilling the coffee.
I'm starting to think that if we took these men, and a few of the women who were really committed to turning their lives around and opened a small business it could be phenomenal!
They work hard. They have skills.
This could be great.
He was such a nice old man and he really needs a family to take him in.
I wonder what would have happened if some one would have done that already. He would have a place to live and a home and a place to share his art and be a part of a family.
I hope he finds what he is looking for in California and some one there takes him in.
This week in the cafe we are studying Exodus. The book of the wandering people under oppression. Its taken us one week to get through the first 3 verses. The text is rich in stories and we have been going back through Genesis to learn who the Israelites were.
We have quite a few people coming to class now! Even a few regulars.
I do wonder if these people will ever get it. When will the Gospel click for them?
We have two more helpers this week!
One of the sweetest old men has come into the shelter and has joined in with us to help run the cafe. He is skinny, skinny old man and he wears the same hat every day!
He is good at busing the tables and refilling the coffee.
I'm starting to think that if we took these men, and a few of the women who were really committed to turning their lives around and opened a small business it could be phenomenal!
They work hard. They have skills.
This could be great.
Missing
This week many of our usual cafe patrons have gone missing!
This could be good or bad. I can only help to think, at least some one realizes they're gone.
It's a weird feeling to spend the majority of your time with homeless people. I spend more time talking and listening to these people than most of my friends.
So the concept of separating work from your personal life and your ministry is very strange to me. Especially when you are investing in lives and hoping for change. When you tell people about Jesus and do as much as you can to help get them on their feet and away from a crappy life style, its pretty huge when they go missing.
As a Christian am I really called to separate myself from these every day situations and these people or am I called to live among them and share life with them?
This could be good or bad. I can only help to think, at least some one realizes they're gone.
It's a weird feeling to spend the majority of your time with homeless people. I spend more time talking and listening to these people than most of my friends.
So the concept of separating work from your personal life and your ministry is very strange to me. Especially when you are investing in lives and hoping for change. When you tell people about Jesus and do as much as you can to help get them on their feet and away from a crappy life style, its pretty huge when they go missing.
As a Christian am I really called to separate myself from these every day situations and these people or am I called to live among them and share life with them?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Visitor from another world
Yesterday my friend ( client?) Dino from the cafe came to visit me at work.
He is a dear old man and he was with man who he has become friends with recently. I think the man has taken him under his wing and is working to get Dino housing and maybe even a meal or two here and there. This is great to see happening because it is essential of the community to get involved in helping people. What ever D's problems may be, he has a huge need for people in his life who do not live, talk, or think like a homeless person.
Later on I got to thinking, is it weird that he came to see me? I told him where I worked. He is the only person I have told because I think D is harmless. And it did not interrupt my work and I felt safe. So I think it was ok.
My supervisor Cory is very wise about who he lets into the other part of his life. The part outside the cafe. He actually has a man living with his family that used to be homeless. The man has come light years from where he was when Cory first met him. It all started with Cory asking is the man wanted to stay on his couch. One night turned into almost 2 years now. And now the man helps us run the cafe.
With the Salvation Army it is very evident that life and work are ministry and the two are not separate.
I see the value in that because our lives need to be a ministry. But it is good for me to realize as well that many times in the kind of work I will go into that will not be the case.
I am reminded that I need to be very cautious of with whom I share information.
I do not regret telling Dino where I work and I hope he comes to visit me again. It did remind me that not every one is a 70 year old man.
Lesson: When confronted with visitors from the "world of work" be kind and professional. Choose wisely to whom you will reveal personal details.
He is a dear old man and he was with man who he has become friends with recently. I think the man has taken him under his wing and is working to get Dino housing and maybe even a meal or two here and there. This is great to see happening because it is essential of the community to get involved in helping people. What ever D's problems may be, he has a huge need for people in his life who do not live, talk, or think like a homeless person.
Later on I got to thinking, is it weird that he came to see me? I told him where I worked. He is the only person I have told because I think D is harmless. And it did not interrupt my work and I felt safe. So I think it was ok.
My supervisor Cory is very wise about who he lets into the other part of his life. The part outside the cafe. He actually has a man living with his family that used to be homeless. The man has come light years from where he was when Cory first met him. It all started with Cory asking is the man wanted to stay on his couch. One night turned into almost 2 years now. And now the man helps us run the cafe.
With the Salvation Army it is very evident that life and work are ministry and the two are not separate.
I see the value in that because our lives need to be a ministry. But it is good for me to realize as well that many times in the kind of work I will go into that will not be the case.
I am reminded that I need to be very cautious of with whom I share information.
I do not regret telling Dino where I work and I hope he comes to visit me again. It did remind me that not every one is a 70 year old man.
Lesson: When confronted with visitors from the "world of work" be kind and professional. Choose wisely to whom you will reveal personal details.
Tactics of ... Avoidance?
So, what do you do when you get hit on every day?
How do you prevent it? How do you dress professionally yet not too attractively?
" How old are you?" they ask me.
I have developed various answers to that question " It's not polite to ask a lady her age!"
or my favourite " How old are YOU?" When they hesitate I usually say " excuse me, I need to refill my coffee..."
This could be a huge issue in working with adult men. I have been asked for my phone number probably fifty times in the course of 8 weeks or so.
Also one of the guys who volunteers at the shelter is always flirting with me and he has even touched my hair a few times... AWKWARD. I feel like approaching him about the matter would create huge, unnecessary drama( he is a really dramatic guy) so I have developed a tactic of avoidance. Tactic of Avoidance: Do not give more than a slight smile, do not have conversation, avoid the person , seek the company of of others and stay in conversation with others, NEVER BE ALONE WITH THEM!
It never really occurred to me that this could be an issue. The challenge: keeping Godly femininity in tact while being as professional as possible.
This could be an attitude and a way of speaking more than a way to dress...
How do you prevent it? How do you dress professionally yet not too attractively?
" How old are you?" they ask me.
I have developed various answers to that question " It's not polite to ask a lady her age!"
or my favourite " How old are YOU?" When they hesitate I usually say " excuse me, I need to refill my coffee..."
This could be a huge issue in working with adult men. I have been asked for my phone number probably fifty times in the course of 8 weeks or so.
Also one of the guys who volunteers at the shelter is always flirting with me and he has even touched my hair a few times... AWKWARD. I feel like approaching him about the matter would create huge, unnecessary drama( he is a really dramatic guy) so I have developed a tactic of avoidance. Tactic of Avoidance: Do not give more than a slight smile, do not have conversation, avoid the person , seek the company of of others and stay in conversation with others, NEVER BE ALONE WITH THEM!
It never really occurred to me that this could be an issue. The challenge: keeping Godly femininity in tact while being as professional as possible.
This could be an attitude and a way of speaking more than a way to dress...
The Miracle Question
In counseling there is this technique called "The Miracle Question".
I think it is my favourite question to ask people because it tells you where they are and where they would like to go.
Today I asked my friend Dennis the miracle question. Dennis is probably the most unlovable person I have ever met, yet still lovable at the same time.
A little while ago we had some hair stylists volunteer and give free hair cuts to all the people who live outside on the porch as well as the people who live inside the shelter. A hair cut can make a world of difference.
After Dennis got his hair cut he some how looked more human. Instead of just seeing a homeless junkie when I looked at him, I could see a young university student and a businessman. He even seemed to hold his head up higher. He stopped wearing a hat every day.
So, the miracle question. I asked him " If a miracle happened tonight while you were sleeping and you woke up tomorrow and everything was fixed what would be the first thing that would be different from now?" He didn't even hesitate and while looking down at his hand full of cards he said " I would be off drugs. That would fix my whole life probably".
Imagine that. The guy who comes in every day high, talking about what drugs he did last night or what he has in his pocket. Even Dennis wants his life back. How human is that?
I knew it was in there some where.
I think the challenge in this situation is to keep a distance and not get too emotionally involved.
Its good for me to see the heart in people. Rough people still have hearts.
I need to start assuming every one has a heart even if it's layered under 1o years of
life on heroine, disappointment and cynicism.
Yeah.
I think it is my favourite question to ask people because it tells you where they are and where they would like to go.
Today I asked my friend Dennis the miracle question. Dennis is probably the most unlovable person I have ever met, yet still lovable at the same time.
A little while ago we had some hair stylists volunteer and give free hair cuts to all the people who live outside on the porch as well as the people who live inside the shelter. A hair cut can make a world of difference.
After Dennis got his hair cut he some how looked more human. Instead of just seeing a homeless junkie when I looked at him, I could see a young university student and a businessman. He even seemed to hold his head up higher. He stopped wearing a hat every day.
So, the miracle question. I asked him " If a miracle happened tonight while you were sleeping and you woke up tomorrow and everything was fixed what would be the first thing that would be different from now?" He didn't even hesitate and while looking down at his hand full of cards he said " I would be off drugs. That would fix my whole life probably".
Imagine that. The guy who comes in every day high, talking about what drugs he did last night or what he has in his pocket. Even Dennis wants his life back. How human is that?
I knew it was in there some where.
I think the challenge in this situation is to keep a distance and not get too emotionally involved.
Its good for me to see the heart in people. Rough people still have hearts.
I need to start assuming every one has a heart even if it's layered under 1o years of
life on heroine, disappointment and cynicism.
Yeah.
Raspy Voice Ron
So Ron is this guy with one tooth. He is hilarious! His voice sounds like the raspyness has been developed over 30 years of smoking and alcohol consumption. It sounds like it hurts when he talks. Naturally being very curious about the raspyness of Ron's voice I finally got the nerve to ask him about it. It turns out that Ron has esophageal cancer!
I freaked out on him and all he would say is " Ahhh ( think raspy voice here...) I got the big man upstairs takin' care of me. I'm not worried".
The thing that gets me is that Ron still smokes. !!!! What is he THINKING! I think this is the general attitude I find myself having about most of the people: What are you thinking?!?!
I have to stop myself and ask, what are you thinking?
Today we watched some videos on youtube and the response was interesting to say the least.
We watched various salvation army commercials and then we watched a music video by Sarah McLachlan called world on fire. The video was made for 15 dollars and the rest of the 15,000 dollars was sent to places that desperately needed the money. The whole video was about ways you could spend the money. It was crazy to see people really thinking about the reality that some one could be poorer than they are. You could literally see their wheels turning and for a good minute the whole room sat in complete silence.
I am really seeing that in order for people to become well, many times it takes broadening their world view. I think the idea of introducing these very poor, yet very rich homeless to the desperate and dying people of the rest of the world is essential.
Many of the people at the cafe have attended college. They are part of that slim one percent of the world that has college education!
They are being fed, they have clothes, they have opportunity. I want them to realize how rich they are. I want to realize how rich I am .
I freaked out on him and all he would say is " Ahhh ( think raspy voice here...) I got the big man upstairs takin' care of me. I'm not worried".
The thing that gets me is that Ron still smokes. !!!! What is he THINKING! I think this is the general attitude I find myself having about most of the people: What are you thinking?!?!
I have to stop myself and ask, what are you thinking?
Today we watched some videos on youtube and the response was interesting to say the least.
We watched various salvation army commercials and then we watched a music video by Sarah McLachlan called world on fire. The video was made for 15 dollars and the rest of the 15,000 dollars was sent to places that desperately needed the money. The whole video was about ways you could spend the money. It was crazy to see people really thinking about the reality that some one could be poorer than they are. You could literally see their wheels turning and for a good minute the whole room sat in complete silence.
I am really seeing that in order for people to become well, many times it takes broadening their world view. I think the idea of introducing these very poor, yet very rich homeless to the desperate and dying people of the rest of the world is essential.
Many of the people at the cafe have attended college. They are part of that slim one percent of the world that has college education!
They are being fed, they have clothes, they have opportunity. I want them to realize how rich they are. I want to realize how rich I am .
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