Excitement, mingled with fear played toss in my mind as I walked down the hill from my room to parking lot just behind the McDonalds in Melville. This was where we were meeting the homeless people around the area every Saturday. We, referring to Urban Vision. Its a ministry with a vision of impacting the city by reaching the poor.
The game plan is, we talk to the guys, get to know them, love them, give them food, tell them about Jesus although its a lot more than giving them food. What the ministry seeks to do is to help the guys sustain themselves which involves; teaching them skills, helping them get back to school, find jobs, accommodation, get ids, bank accounts, all the nitty gritty that gets them off the streets and makes them self sustainable with the ultimate goal of letting them know about Jesus.
So anyway, this particular Saturday was first my Saturday to meet any of the guys. As luck would have it, I was the first there. There were a couple of homeless guys seating on the pavements around the place. Doubt began to kick in there and then; "I don't the language, supposing they don't like me, what if I mess it up, wish someone else on the team would show up".
Another voice kicked in though, "you can do it, how hard can it be?, just smile, talk, be interested and listen". So I walked up to one of them. He wore a red shirt, cap and had ear phones, the only thing that let on about his state were the tattered sneakers. I said hi and sat down next to him. I didn't have much to say but I did listen. He's name was Raul Eschel but everyone called him China. It surprised me just how many of the homeless guys have a family with a home.
It was their differences with them that brought them on the street. China for instance had issues with his sister's boyfriend, a criminal lord of sorts. Another guy was ostracised by his family after he went to jail for stealing to provided for them after their parents died. As sad as some of their stories are, lots of them do not have to be on the streets. It has become for them a place of belonging, they call it home. They can deal with the cold nights, stealing, fights they get into, the prejudice we shower on them because they have found something their families haven't given them, a belonging. The only way we can get them to leave the streets is to show them that there is another way.
The others in the team; Alfred, Winston, Julius, Mdu... begin to arrive and more of the guys come around us and we talk for a while. Then its time for food. A lot more guys come. It was pap and vegetable stew. Most of the homeless are guys although two ladies both with babies comes as well. It wasn't a bad day, I think I'm going to enjoy this.
