Why got to Texas? Part 1

I was in Texas recently for a short term missional trip. My co-leader and I went with 6 youth and joined a church also called Sunrise (they spell it with a ‘u’) in their work among the people in South Austin. There were a variety of work sites, but one theme recurred: homelessness.

One site was at a different church and their effort to make space available for homeless people to find their way again. The contact person had been there for about 18 months. He was overwhelmed that 10 people had come to help clean up the workrooms and storage area. As I got to know Bill and Len, his buddy, I found out that he was a recovering alcoholic and once homeless too. Now he was in charge of keeping the place tidy and while the evidence suggested he wasn’t quite up to it, he was eager wanting to help people who probably still had more than he had. He told us about the retail network they had established and showed us the paintings, jewellery, lamps and birdhouses that had been made in whole or part out of recycled materials. The artisans received the income from sales and yet another organization rented them used RV’s at $25 a month so that they had a chance to life full lives again.

Later the director joined us and explained that it was their mission to treat discarded wood and other materials just as Jesus treats discarded people and people who don’t know right from wrong. By reclaiming and redeeming them/us.

We left about 3 hours later. The retail shop was set up. New display shelves on the wall, floors mopped and clean. The wood bin still held used 2x6 lumber, but now there were no nails in them. Somehow through us God made things new again. Overwhelming.