San Fran 07

(written 04/07) As soon as I laid eyes on his weathered, wrinkly skin, small stature, and sad eyes, I was instantly drawn to him. This was a man who was longing for something more, but didn't know where to find it. After engaging in a simple and somewhat shallow conversation, I dove a little deeper and was given the opportunity to minister to this sweet man, sharing with him the hope that I have found in my life. Everywhere we went to do ministry, we were met with a sea of faces: the curious, the broken, the indifferent, and the desperate. Many people we approached, such as the sweet man I spoke with, were open to conversing and pleased that someone would even bother to talk with someone such as them. It was humbling to see that even something as simple as learning their name and shaking their hand was enough to brighten someone's day. Having somewhat of a shy personality proved to be quite a challenge as I was encouraged to go up and initiate conversations with complete strangers, but it proved to be a tremendous personal growing experience. Even though we were blessed by many of these people and their willingness to engage, not every spectator had a pleasant response to our ministry. Our team faced various forms of discrimination and mockery, but we took it in stride, knowing that it confirmed the fact that people were taking notice of what we were doing. But whether the people were receptive or not, they all shared one thing in common. Every individual shared the universal desire for something more, something to fill the void in their life. This unquenchable thirst is precisely the reason our ministry team exists. We have found what these people are so desperately searching for, and long for everyone to grasp the hope that we rest in. Not only do we get the chance to share the joy that we have grabbed a hold of in our own life, we get the pleasure of establishing personal relationships with many of the people we speak with.