Doing good makes the heart feel good.

Image taken from Catering Azeri Jana webpage

 Tonight was our weekly "sandwich route." Every Friday night a group of us from church get together to make sandwich bags and go around to talk to our homeless friends and give them a little food. We go on the same path each week and have gotten to know some of the people pretty well. I have only been going for the last 5 weeks, and I really enjoy it. Sometimes it's hard. Of the people we talk to, some of them don't speak Spanish or English very well, so our communication is very limited. Other's are drunk and mumble, and it's hard for me to understand their Spanish.

Tonight was a good night. There were 5 of us. The weather was nice and not as cold as it has been. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, (which was a nice change from the week before when a few of the people were drunk/on substances and were acting a little rowdy so we couldn't really speak with them.)

The first group of guys we always visit are 3 Spaniards in their 30's and early 40's. They are usually good fun to talk to. They enjoy talking to us and tonight Alberto even played some guitar for us. The next guys we found in their usual tunnel walkway were both busy doing different things. The one man that is always laying in his sleeping bag was actually asleep, so we left a bag next to his belongings; our other friend was making a home out of cardboard boxes and thanked us while he went on working.

The next group we encouter in Plaza Mayor are 5 or 6 people that are all from the Czech Republic. Some of them don't speak Spanish very well, but find ways to tell us stories using the little they know and hand signals with noises. I usually end up talking to the most outgoing, talkative one of the group, but this time I had a chance to talk to a gentleman probably in his 50's called Paul. Paul was a bit more reserved than my other friend, sitting in a chair and smoking a cigarrette. He told me he goes back and forth between Spain and Italy. He told me of walking up and down the coast of Spain, stopping for dips in the Meditteranean Sea and sleeping on the beach. He told me how Venice is beautiful and the food there is delicious. He kissed my hand as we said a hurried goodbye because another group came at the same time with food and there were too many of us crowded around!

Tonight was a good night. Sometimes it's difficult to find the words to say. These are people who have been through difficult times and have lost loved ones. They sleep out on the streets when the temperatures are freezing.  I hate not knowing what to say to comfort them, but I am so thankful for the opportunity to show them love. I am thankful to be able to serve them in this small way. I hope that we make a difference and they know that we truly enjoy speaking to them. It's not about giving them a little food so that we can feel better about ourselves. We want these people to know the love of Christ. We want them to know that there are people who care about their lives and that they are worthy of being loved. And it really does feel right when you are out talking to people who are lonely and ignored by much of society. Jesus came to serve others, and to hang out with the people who society rejected or looked down upon, and so I'm really thankful for this outreach of my church that gives me an opportunity to spend a few hours each week not just focusing my self.