love from a HALO volunteer...

written by Lisa Leo

Dear Nelsons Family,

I recently started working at HALO and found God calling me to do H.O.T.S. which is Halo On The Streets where we go out and serve meals to the homeless who won't or can't make it into the cafe.  These street homeless truly bless me - they always have a smile despite their circumstances and the love they share is incredible.

This past Monday night I was with another HALO volunteer as we went out to pass out meals.  The first stop we made there were about 6 guys - more than usual - and one of them had his 10 month old baby with him.  Luckily we brought some formula and baby food with us as we had seen him before.  He and his wife are not homeless - they live in a motel - but they are very poor and can't afford much.  So we handed out the meals to which there was much thanks and for some reason delight when they found out they were getting peas and carrots.  Can you imagine being excited about getting peas and carrots?  Anyway, we then pulled out the survivor kits and told them a local church, Nelsons, had made these up for them.  They were more excited about those kits than they even were about the peas and carrots!  One of them yelled, "Goodie bags!"  And then another one looked closer and shouted, "SOCKS!"  They were so appreciative and happy to get those bags and I wanted you to know since many of you don't get the chance to give these out yourselves.

Thank you for making up those bags - they are truly blessing the homeless.  You are making a difference in God's Kingdom.

Love,

Lisa

Who owns who, really?

by Pastor Keith Myer, Harvest Baptist Church

When I drive by the guy with the "hungry, pleaze help" sign, I usually think something like, "Any money i give that guy will probably be used for alcohol or drugs," and that keeps my three dollars in my pocket. When the light turns green and i drive over the train tracks, passing the hospital on the left, leaving the city on the route home... My inner voice starts saying things like, "Your kids need that money. That's your coffee money. You earned it. You're a good person. You worked hard to get where you are, with your zippy car, and your decent job, and your fine education. That guy? He doesn't work hard. That cardboard sign isn't heavy... He stands there all day and gullible people give him money."

            I need my job and my money. I have to change my oil, pay my taxes and the mortgage. The kids need shoes and the baby needs formula. The cars need gas. The air conditioner broke and that cost a bundle. I need my job, and I need the money that my job brings me. I have bills to pay, which means there are people who really own my stuff. If I don't pay them, they come and take my life away. I find my money and my things are the things which I am working for. I depend on me to meet my needs.

            Cardboard sign guy has no car, no mortgage, no bills to pay... In fact, he has nothing anyone can really take away from him. He lives his whole life aware of the fact that he is dependent on the kindness of others to sustain himself. He is fully dependent on God to give him his daily bread, and he probably isn't particular about whether he wants the asiago cheese roll or a french baguette to go with his dinner.

            Which brings me to the most convicting thought of them all: my stuff diminishes my capacity to appreciate and honor God, because my stuff needs to be maintained and paid for. We don't really own our stuff... It owns us. Even if the bank doesn't own it, our stuff creates the illusion that we are in control of our lives, and that we are safe because we possess it. But have the good things forced out the best things in life?

            The man known as Agur has his words recorded in Proverbs 30. In verses 7-9 he writes "Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."

            We may have passed the test of avoiding poverty... but have we passed the test of prosperity? God knows the heart... unfortunately... I think I know my heart too.

             

Who Receives the Blessing?

--a reflection, written by Annie Nichols, a HALO Cafe volunteer


I just wanted to share with you all what an amazing week I have had at the Cafe.  Volunteering at the Cafe has become like church for me!  I can hardly wait for my days to work there!  I usually CM (café manager) on Monday nights with the Monday Night Maniacs crew.  I will however fill in when they need someone at the last minute, and this was one of those weeks.

Tuesday night I had the pleasure of working with Jeffrey for the first time and we concocted the most amazing dinner! During the clean up, one of my volunteers called me to the back saying there was a man there who needed to discuss the Bible with someone.  Who me???? I looked around. Yep, she was talking to me!  So I had the privilege of this homeless man witnessing to me the most amazing spiritual experience he had had where he heard a voice telling him to "seek Ecclesiastes."  He wanted to know what that meant. I had just been reading in Ecclesiastes, so I shared with him some badly paraphrased passages and we talked about the book and what it meant. He was crying and scared because it had moved him so deeply. I told him there was NO question in my mind whatsoever that God had really spoken to him. He said to me that it was a mighty scary thing because it was such a huge responsibility. I told him indeed it was and he needed to hold on to that and pass it on. He came back in the cafe Friday night and told me he had read Ecclesiastes this week!!

Then last night I had the honor of working with a youth group from Delaware…about 20 young people all wanting to help out.... all at the same time!!!!! It was an incredible evening. Those young people just jumped right in. Several of them had brought guitars and bongo drums and during their singing, one of our guests joined them and started playing his harmonica. I have never heard sweeter music!!  I had several guests come up to me and say it was one of the best nights at the Cafe ever!!  I doubt many of them get to interact with young teens much and these kids were so open and friendly. It was an absolute pleasure.
There is no way to describe the joy I feel every time I walk in the Cafe to serve. I have made wonderful friends, been humbled and inspired, exhausted and energized! What I put into my service there is minuscule to what I receive.

There is no better way to feel God's power at work than by serving Him and that is not just lip service. That is a true statement made by His very humble servant. He patiently waited for 58 years for me to receive Him and now He is blessing me in ways I would never in my wildest dreams have expected. The day I turned my life over to Christ was the beginning of an amazing journey. I hope each of you brings someone on board with us; I hope each of you gets renewed as I do by being there; this gift is far too precious not to share with others.  It's the best drug there is.

Convicting Truth from John Piper

Check out Desiring God for more great resources.

just get a job.

written by Becky Vlaming

How many times have you passed by the man on the corner holding a cardboard sign and thought that thought? Sometimes it's not that easy. Especially if you are a 9 year old little girl. 

My church, Harvest Baptist Church, has found itself right next door to HALO. A ministry for the homeless. As the weather got colder this winter we noticed more and more new faces around the coffee pot. This created quite a buzz. We found ourselves smack in the middle of a pretty cool opportunity to reach some pretty needy souls. And I am not talking about coffee and donuts... I am talking about sharing real love with real people. I am being honest here when I say that it wasn't comfortable at first. Some of them needed a shower and they were hogging all the coffee creamers and making a mess at the coffee station. I found myself realizing that I needed an attitude adjustment... STAT.  The homeless problem in our community wasn't just on the street corner anymore, it was at my church, MY home away from home. Then one day, I realized that homeless people aren't just old men. They are also 2, 4, 8 and 9 year olds. That realization slapped me across the face.... hard and fast.  I  tucked my kids into bed that night, snuggled them in and said prayers with them all the while knowing that 4 other little kids were sleeping on cots in a dark shelter while their daddy slept in a van in 20 degree weather (HALO is a shelter for only women and children). How could I go about my life and not DO something. After all... we are commanded to."...go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me."(Matthew 19:21) I was done being a hearer and not a doer. Done.

God has placed these people in our lives for a reason. For His Glory to be shown. In the way we treat them, in the way we respond to the homeless situation in our community, in the way we love them and in the way we strive to form REAL relationships with people that we would otherwise never get to know or even look at. My prayer and desire is that my family (the Vlamings and my Harvest family) and I will take this task seriously, stop making much of ourselves and serve Jesus by serving the homeless in Salisbury, MD.

We want to support HALO because they not only offer practical help to those in need, they offer the life changing and soul redeeming love of Jesus Christ! The Concert of Hope is just one small way we are striving to do that. Please consider coming on June 11th to give generously to HALO!  If you can't do that.... next time you see a homeless person, take a step in faith and reach out. They have a name, a story and most likely a broken soul. Especially if that person is a 9 year old little girl.