DUO

One of the new major ministries we are doing now is called, "DUO" which stands for "Do Unto Others." We've partnered with the Salvation Army to put on something for those in need every Saturday that is unlike anything else currently operating in the city.

Homeless shelters are almost non-existent in Australia. The closest thing to a warm bed these people have access to is at the detox center which requires them to be intoxicated in order for them to be admitted for the night. We start at 5pm with a sit down, home-cooked, meal. This is a time where they get to catch up with old friends, friends that we are working to become as well. At 8pm everything shifts; the xbox and playstations are brought out, the free clothes shop is set up, the rest area made available, the coffee shop opened, and the live music starts and we remain with them until 5 am.

Being with them through the night says far more than we could ever verbalize. It says that we care about them enough to stay awake so that they can have a place to sleep; that we love

My main roles are to 1st be with them and 2nd to communicate. I'm always trying to communicate love, value and belonging in which ever way presents itself. I really enjoy getting to use music in this way; whether it be singing worship songs that are clearly communicating God's love for them or whether it be playing a song they've requested...it's all saying something and every week I can see more and more that they are getting the message.

I met one lady and had a long and deep conversation with her way back in December before DUO even started and we were still going to the park to just pass out food. About a month ago at around 4 am she came around again and she's been coming back at random times. Last week she came when we opened for the first time because she said she wanted to be able to spend some time with me. I gave her a hug when I saw her and she said, "You have such nice hugs. When you hug me it's like you really mean it." If she only knew how much I do.

There's another lady who has been coming pretty consistently for the past month. She travels over an hour to get there every Saturday. From the beginning she's made us go deep; talking about forgiveness, why God let's bad things happen and really just opening up. Last week I went for it and shared the gospel with her. And let me just tell you that we serve a God that would send someone across the world to be with someone who needed to hear that they are worth the trip. If God told me that He brought me to Australia to communicate His love to her, I'd say that makes more sense than all the other reasons I try to conjure up.

 

They say that openness begets openness and DUO is teaching me that sacrifice begets change. Please keep these two ladies, who will remain nameless, in your prayers and all of DUO. I look forward to the future stories that I'll get to share with you. Thanks for sending me here to be apart of this.