Tonight was a wonderful and joyous evening. Things started off a little rough, but the end of the journey was pretty much as perfect as it could be. Isn’t that the goal for most of us?
Our first stop was a pretty popular one. We unloaded more than half our wares on the one curbside.
I got to see my Great-Grandma! She was in good spirits, but since her health crisis a little while ago, she hasn’t had quite the same spunk she used to. We exchanged, “I love you”’s. She is so independent. We helped a couple of random people on the side of the road. Lots of love, lots of hope and blessings.
We met a charming young man. He was a lot of fun to help and serve. We laughed a lot, too. He gave Traci the nickname, “Little T”. He said my name was “Kaykay” from now on. A pair of ladies succeeded at sneaking off with a bag of women’s clothing. I’m sure they needed it.
We saw a couple who we hadn’t seen in quite some time. It was my Betty Boop and her husband! They are so adorable. The reason I hadn’t seen them in a few months was because they are no longer homeless. They moved into housing! They have a little apartment together. They are working on getting it put together a little at a time. Mr. Boop is starting a new job for a cleaning company. He is very proud of their progress. When I saw Betty from across the parking lot, Traci yelled out her name, and she came running and squealing with joy.
At the last stop of the night, we followed the Street Outreach Team into a gas station parking lot. A couple came from across the intersection, slowly at first. Then Traci said, “It’s Our Girl Who Reads!”
I jumped out of the van. She picked up pace and sprinted straight towards me with her arms wide open. We hugged for the longest time. We just kept repeating how much we loved and missed one another. I worry about her. She’s so tiny.
It just so happens that she is also into her own apartment!I have an old bookcase. I want to fill it up with books and deliver it to her. Come to find out, Nora Roberts is her favorite author.
There is another housing resource specialist coming out with the Street Outreach Team now. She is amazing and quick, too. I noticed that she spent a long time talking to every person we met. We went to quite a few stops of one person here, another person there, sometimes a crowd, and she was available to everyone.
I am enthralled with the bounty of success I get to hear about each week. I am proud to tell you that our system is working. We’ve prayed for this. It was a crazy prayer. It was ludacris to believe that so many people would get off the street, into rehab, into affordable housing, and be a part of a vital community.
It would be preposterous for me to move forward with a business plan where the financial budget be:
“Whatever people give us will be perfect, because God will always be sure of it.”. If that model actually worked, that would be an example of functional insanity.
But it does work.
It only took 2 chicks crazy enough to follow Jesus’ example literally.
But we did do it.
And you believed it, too.
Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.
Amen.
#magdalenesmission #peaceloveandhygiene
