inside #01/2009 - January 2009

Christmas On The Street

On December 25th we had our anual Christmas Party for our homeless friends. Held on the Renaissance Market in Austin, this is always the highlight of the holiday season for them.
This is also a very special day for us. Instead of unwrapping Christmas Presents, we get together to prepare goulash soup (a hearty and spicy beef and vegetable soup) for about 80 people.
It is a special and even odd feeling to drive into town on Dec. 25th because there is no traffic at all. All the usual crowds are home. No people are walking around. You wait for what seams like ages at a stop light and there isn't another vehicle in sight. Austin is like a ghost town.
However when we roll up to the square there is always a huge crowd of homeless friends waiting for us. One Lady told us many years ago:

"If you really want to find out who is homeless and who not, just come here on Christmas day and see for yourself."

Everyone sat all over the square in small groups and were very open to conversation. Normally, the homeless are crowded into the back corner of the square because of foot traffic and vendors, but on Christmas day they could sit where they liked and spread out all over the area. It was a diverse crowd of beautiful people very much at ease. The young travellers in their Carheart overalls with their huge backpacks and dogs, older homeless people and some folks who just seem to have nothing else to do, no place to go. Besides our Cream And Sugar Trailer (which only served as a base station that day because we also could spread out all over the square) we brought a couple of tables to serve, soup, donuts softs drinks, cookies and hot chocolate to the people as well as a Christmas tree. Unfortunately we had not received many donations of clothes so we were just able to give away a couple of blankets and socks.
Every year we give away a Christmas present to everyone who is there. We always look for something that is useful, that can make being on the street a little easier for our young friends. This year we gave each of them a small LED flashlight and a P38 can opener. These famous and popular can openers fit on a key chain and are referred to as "The Army's best invention." No need to mention that the people were very excited about these special gifts.
While the people were eating, one of our staff members shared a encouraging message about how the Lord want's to surprise us with his goodness and love even when we don't expect it. The guests listened very quietly and attentive. It has always been like this. Every time when we shared God's word during this event, the people have been very respectful and opened their hearts and listened to what we have to say.
During the afternoon there were always people coming and going and it was good that we had enough food for everyone. People were sitting all over the square in little groups and talking. Some received prayer, and everybody was in a pleasant and festive mood.
As we left the square in the early evening, many people expressed their gratefulness and gratitute. We did bless them indeed by bringing God's love to the streets on Christmas day.
Lastly, we would like to thank the many volunteers who joined us for this event. About 15 people from all sorts of Austin churches and groups joined us. These volunteers were of great help and made everything go smoothly. We are sure their Christmas was made a little more special by taking the afternoon to serve the homeless in Austin.

If you are looking for an opportunity to get involved in a ministry like ours please let us know. You will find more information at www.hfan.org/volunteer/.