There is a lot to be
thankful for. God has really been moving in and around this Ministry. Just for
starters, I will be meeting with a brother this Thursday in regards to getting
our tax id number. Once we get this number, it will open up doors that have
been closed to us thus far. Large corporations will now donate food and items
to us, and all donations will be tax deductible.
Just to kind of bring
you up to date. Michael Jackson is now off the streets. I met Michael for the
first time back in September/October, and then again a few months later, only
to run into him again at Marvin and Paula's camp. He shared with me at that
time, some of his struggles. If you remember, he pulled me to the side and told
me that he was addicted to alcohol and really wanted to change his life. Since
then, we have had him with Marvin and Paula, for Christmas and a few other
times, so watching Michael's life changing has been a blessing in my life.
Michael shared with me through our little get together that he owed the IRS
several thousands of dollars and every time he would work, they would take his
full paycheck. So Steph sent a few e-mails to a few of her friends and the next
thing you know, we get an e-mail from a lawyer named Tina, and she got the IRS
to stop garnishments on him, plus she is now working on getting his debt wiped
out. After I got the e-mail from Tina, that Michael will no longer be garnished
I went down to his camp and told him. He was shocked that it was actually going
to happen. His expressions were worth a million bucks, lots of tears that day.
After much prayer and
discussion, Scott felt that God wanted him to open his home to Michael and
allow Michael to live there on a temporary basis, until Michael gets a job and
can earn enough money for getting his own place. I picked Michael up around 3pm
last Thursday, dropped his couple of items off at Scott's and headed towards
the barber shop. Oops, I almost forgot. Dan and I had went over to Scotts
earlier that day and set up the HOPE room for Michael. We cleared some room,
made the bed and made it look inviting for him. Bear with me, I'm getting older
and my memory just ain't what it used to be, so if I miss a detail or a
person's name, please don't be upset, just pray for me! ;o) Michael and I got
to the barber shop, an old time barber shop, a four chair shop. Michael sat in
the second chair and the barber introduced himself to both of us. One of the
barbers used to cut my hair when I was a kid, so we were talking and I was
telling him about HOPE and what we are doing. The barber that was cutting
Michael's hair began to tell Michael that the following week he will be
celebrating his eleventh year of sobriety! The barber went on to tell Michael
that he was hooked on cocaine also and if he could do it for eleven years, so
could Michael. I couldn't believe it then, and I am still in awe of how God works.
This guy not only gave Michael his testimony based on his sobriety, but then he
starts telling Michael how Jesus has transformed his life, and with God all
things are possible. I could go on and on about that moment, but I'm not going
to, because I know you are doing enough right now as you just read this.
"Our God is an awesome God!"
Michael and I grabbed a
soda from QT and waited for Steph to get off work, and then the three of us
headed to Wal-Mart to do a little shopping. Then after that we headed to the
grocery store to get some food for Scott's house. Steph put a pork loin in the
crock pot before we left that night for the next day. Yum, Yum!!!! :o)
Friday, Michael and I
headed to the streets and started putting applications in everywhere we could find.
We started in Gladstone and went to a bunch of places and then headed back to
Scott's to fill those out and then we did five or six electronically over the
Internet. Everyday, Michael is clean shaven, his room is picked up and his bed
is made. He is respectful and eager to serve others. He has a beautiful heart!
A matter of fact, today, Tuesday, I came over to Scott's to pick Michael up to
go put more applications in, and he has already scrubbed Scott's kitchen floor
and vacuumed the whole house. WOW!! The house smelled great!! Like I said, he
has such a beautiful serving heart. I know God will be using this brother for
his glory. I hope I get to observe what it is God will use him for. This is a
very exciting time.:o)
Friday night we all met
at Scott's to prepare the food for Saturday morning. Michael was eager to get
in the kitchen and do whatever he could to help. We made sloppy Joe's! Home
made at that! :o) Shoal Creek Community Church's thrift store had donated two
van loads of clothes, so we went through most of that and sorted and folded
until we were pretty sweaty.
Saturday morning, it
turned out to be just me and Michael that was going to the streets. Michael and
I loaded the van, prayed and headed down the road. As we headed towards his old
camp, I explained to him that he is a living testimony for the people that we
are getting ready to feed. He knows exactly what they feel and exactly where
they are coming form. I told him that he has a perfect opportunity to share
Christ with these people.
Michael and I stopped
first at his old camp where Marvin and Paula still live. Michael hooked them up
with plenty of sloppy Joe stuff, we even put some in a container so they could
eat it later, and gave them some extra hamburger buns. Priscilla made some banana
bread and zucchini bread; a bunch of loaves. So Michael handed a few to Marvin
and Paula and Marvin got really excited, so did Paula. It didn't take them long
to dig into those!LOL What an awesome treat!
Michael and I tell them
and Speedy goodbye and down the road we go. Michael said that seeing his
friends still on the street really made him sad and he is really struggling
knowing they are out there. Marvin, Paula and Michael became a lot like family
while living in the same camp, and now, it would be like a type of mourning for
everyone, as Michael starts his new life. We headed towards the notorious
railroad tracks ( I didn't almost kill us this week! LOL) We made it down to
camp HOBO, but didn't see anyone, and then Michael spotted someone standing behind
a sign at the gas station. I flipped the van around and we headed towards the
sign and found a man standing behind the gas station sign, in clear view,
taking a leak. He had to go bad, because his stream was going and going and
going as he staggered towards the building across the parking lot. He stopped
staggering as he came to be sure footed right in front of the employee door and
finished his release of his bladder. He kept looking back at Michael and myself
as we sat in the van in the parking spot right behind him, he kept saying
something to us, and it looked like he could be angry that we were there. I
told Michael to be careful as we feed this guy, so Michael stayed on the
opposite side of the van and I went to give the guy some sloppy Joe's. He
zipped up his britches and headed towards me as I told him who I was and what
my intentions were. He said something and then reached his hand towards me to
shake my hand. Inside my head I said to myself that I hope he didn't touch me,
he was filthy. It almost looked like he was covered in feces and urine with
some mud mixed in there and the front of his coveralls had vomit on it) I asked
myself, " Does Jesus love me in my grotesque sinful state?" "YES
HE DOES!!!!!" So I shook his hand and that happened over and over and over
and over! :o) He kept telling me how much he loved the taste of the sloppy
Joe's and I felt like he didn't want us to leave. I told him that we come by
here every Saturday and if he would be here in the same spot, we would supply
his needs. I began to get in the van and he approached me and got down real
close to me. I got a little concerned. He looked at me and said, " Thank
you", I said, " Your Welcome", then he said with a different
voice, " No, really, Thank you" and looked deep into my eyes and
touched my soul. I almost felt myself get light headed and I felt like I was
going to cry. This brother really touched me. Then he like went back into his
drunken stuper and staggered away. Stuff like that makes me scratch my head in
complete awe of God. :o)
Michael and I headed
down the street towards downtown K.C. We stopped a couple of times and fed some
people that were just walking down the sidewalk and then we made it over by
Restart and of all people that was outside? NICKI!!!!!!! She was hanging around
the corner and so I rolled down the window, honked the horn and then in a
distance, I could hear her high pitched voice say, "Ahhhhhhhhh, Howya
doin?" She walked across the street and Michael hooked her up with a big
ole bowl of sloppy Joe and she was very excited to receive it. Then Michael
pulled out one of those loaves of bread, and her eyes lit up. She got very
excited and off she goes, she started telling me and Michael about all kinds of
stuff and talking ninety miles an hour. She is so awesome! While we are
standing there talking to Nicki a few more people come over and Michael hooked
them up with some food also.
We headed from Restart
into the different parts of Kansas City and found several people to feed, but
one brother stands out in my mind above the others. His name is John. John was
walking down by Crown Center and we stopped and asked him if he would like
something hot to eat. He said yes, so I pulled the van into a parking lot
around the corner. John was very thankful and polite. He told us a little of
his story, and how he lost his job and how he is addicted to crack and lost all
of his belongings and house to this addiction. He hated this addiction and
wants to be set free, but has no idea how to even start. He told us his feet
were very wet and asked if we had some socks, so we hooked him up with some
socks. I wish I had a building to take this brother to and offer him some help.
I know God will provide this if that is his will and in his time. I trust him
in that!
Michael and I get ready
to head back home, when we see a brother flying a sign down by the Broadway
bridge, so we pull into a parking lot across the street and Michael yells at
the brother and asked if he wanted something to eat. The brother came over and
he was just a kid. He looked maybe in his late teens. He was hungry and dirty.
I wish I had a place for him too. Michael hooked him up with some of that
awesome bread and then begin ministering to him. Michael told him about his own
life and how God is changing him!! Praise God!!!
Michael and I head home
to Scott's and unload the van, prayed with Scott, Scott just got home, and off
I went to my apartment to get ready for Saturday night small group at 7pm.
Michael attended my
Saturday night small group and participated in the discussion and connection
with the group. John and Kathleen lead the group and came up with some great
questions that were not only impactful, but fun. Everyone really seemed to
connect. I love it when the Holy Spirit makes his presence known. Earlier,
Steph and I had got a cake and had the store put " Celebrating Michaels
new life" on the cake, plus everyone brought some chips and dips and some
other goodies to celebrate Michael. We got him The Message/Remix Bible and
everyone wrote something inside the cover. Michael begin to thank everyone and
then began to cry. Thank you Jesus for all you do and all your doing! I love
you! We took some pictures and those will be attached to this e-mail along with
a few others I took during Michaels journey to his new life.
Sunday morning I picked
Michael up at 8am and we headed towards Marvin and Paula's camp for church
service. They were eagerly waiting for us under the railroad bridge. Speedy
love to go for a ride, she is such a hoot! Marvin told me that he had already
worn out his new bow saw blade and really needed a new one, so I told him that
after service we would run to Home-Depot and hook him up. Oh, I forgot again,
remember what I said about that earlier..:o) Sunday was the Super Bowl and so
Scott offered his home for Marvin and Paula to come and watch that with
Michael, more about that in a minute. After church service we loaded in the van
and headed towards Home-Depot. As I pull into a parking spot I get a phone call
from a Shoal Creek friend, her name is Debbie. She tells me that there is a
guy, sitting on a bag at the entrance of Wal-Mart in Liberty, so I backed out
of my spot and headed across the street to Wal-Mart. Debbie said she was going
to get the brother something to eat. I pulled into the lot and the brother was
slumped over and I couldn't tell if he was passed out or what. So Marvin,
Paula, Michael and myself go over to the brother and I start talking to him. He
has a thin jacket on, no gloves, no stocking hat, a thin pair of jeans and some
tennis shoes. He is shivering like a leaf. I asked him if he needed some gloves
and he said he had some, but after talking to him for awhile I could see he was
ashamed or embarrassed. He told us that he was from Des Moines Iowa, and had
been traveling a week to get to Liberty. He had walked most of the way. He said
he had lost his job and he used to work in Denton Texas and was heading back
that way to see if he could get his old job back. About that time, Debbie
showed up with a Chipolte burrito and a bottle of water. I called Steph and had
her start looking for prices on transportation to Denton, and then I called
Scott to see if he could bring some supplies up to us from the HOPE room. Scott
brought the brother up a winter coat, stocking cap, gloves and Steph brought me
up some money for a bus ticket. So we got the brother, by the way his name is
Allan, in the van and headed towards the bus station. Michael and I went in
with Allan and bought him a ticket to Denton Texas, the bus would leave in
about four hours. I gave Allan five dollars cash, Michael and I lead Allan over
to a corner, we wrapped our arms around each other and began to pray. I gave
Allan my contact information and asked him to call me when he got to where he
is going, I hope I get the opportunity to talk to that brother again someday.
What a blessing to be able to serve him. Thank you Jesus!
We went to Home-Depot
after all and found Marvin's bow-saw blades. We headed towards Scott's for
everyone to get ready for the game. Steph and I headed to Pizza Shoppe and
picked up a couple of pizza's and took it over to Scott's. There was left over
chips and dip from the night before, plus Sloppy Joe's from the weekend. Dan
and Julie brought brownies and nachos, so there was a heck of a party! :o) Everyone
enjoyed the game and food and after the game Michael and I took Marvin and
Paula back to their camp.
As I sit here typing
this letter, I am sitting next to Michael at Scott's. He has been working hard
getting all of the applications filled out and watching Animal Planet. He loves
Animal Planet. He told me the last few nights he has finally gotten to get some
sleep. Michael is a real joy to be around. He is really eager not only to begin
a new life, but to connect with God and his community.
I want everyone to
understand that all of this stuff I just wrote is all about what God has done
through you. If you have been praying for this ministry, if you have been
donating to this ministry or if you have been supporting this ministry in some
way, you by the power of God have made these differences in many peoples lives.
The church is an amazing thing when she is focused on what her groom is doing
and loves. So please, as I have requested in the past, please pray for everyone
on this e-mail. Each person that you see has made a difference in our city and
in many lives. God has and is using each and everyone of them. Thank you for
all of your encouraging words and letters. I love hearing from everyone and how
these letters touch you either positively or negatively. Either way, I know God
is touching you and he is touching me. I am so excited to see what Jesus has
planned for tomorrow. Every day is a blessing, but I will continue to pray that
Jesus will come and take me home soon. I love you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Brian Duncan
HOPE Ministries