Revelations!

So I haven't had a chance to post here yet, so I've decided to take the time to make a post.

Over the past month I've really been challenged by God to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people that I normally wouldn't talk to. I was first challenged by Alisson, a crack addict who just needed someone to listen to her. She has a crazy background and has really overcome some challenges but still wakes up everyday wondering why she should be alive and counting her reasons. She says that some day she'll run out of reasons and so run out of days. She doesn't believe any man who calls her beautiful because of what usually follows that comment, but she hasn't heard a girl use any nice words to describe her. I told her I think she's beautiful and she seemed pretty happy, got kid of a child-like smile and thanked me. She was a good start to talking to homeless people and I am happy the Lord blessed me with a conversation with her and I continually pray that we will cross paths again.

The next challenge the Lord faced me with was the interaction between Louis and Adam. Louis mentioned that his toe was infected because his shoes were too narrow. Adam took off his wide skater shoes and gave them to him without even a second thought. Now Louis' toe can get better and God reminded me that everything I have is His not just my talents, my time and my willingness to serve, but also the material things. The clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet belong to the Lord and I have to be willing to give those things to Him without a second thought, without holding back and without complaint. The Lord has blessed me with things and I should be very quick to bless others with them if they are needed too.

The Lord is good and He is alive and well here in Fort McMurray, moving always and ready to change this place.

Strangers Still?

Mike & I went to the Esso Lot this evening and just spent the time walking around the Kaos station and mostly sitting on the tree stump there. We prayed together, and greeted those who passed by. We were really just trying to get our faces noticed and to recognize some of the inhabitants. No one really offered us conversation until almost an hour into our ‘visit’ – and this was by a lady in her 30’s who approached us and asked us what we were doing there. She asked if we wanted dope. No. She asked if we wanted girls. No. So then she asked us to leave. I was flabbergasted at the request, not really thinking that we would need to leave an area I had been to several times, which was right next door to the Kaos station. When we didn’t respond, she asked us if we were calling her bluff. Recalling our conversation with the Centre of Hope earlier in the week – that most users pack a weapon and that women are far more violent than men are – Mike and I stood up and this lady ‘accompanied’ us to the sidewalk. We introduced ourselves by name and explained we were from the Radio station, just trying to befriend our neighbours. She told us her name was Tracy, and I doubt she bought our claim about the radio station and wanting to befriend them. However, as we parted, she warned us to never come back.I can understand her suspicions and perhaps paranoia – she was probably sent by the other street people in the area – this is ‘their’ place or home – and not used to middle class people visiting them and ‘camping’ out on ‘their’ turf. I think we did, indeed, get our faces noticed!