Feeding the Homeless
Post written by Tanya Eason -
The evening started at 8pm. We packed 240 plastic bags filled with a sandwich, chips, fruit, and a juice box. We loaded up Kurt's pick up truck (the diesel truck that can be heard in the quiet of the night) and headed off to parts of San Salvador that you would not want to find yourself during the day. On the average there are no less than 15 homicides DAILY. Once the sun goes down, the vendors close shop, the gangs leave the streets, and all that's left are the homeless and the prostitutes.
This particular evening was extremely cold, wet and rainy. We got to experience first hand NO relief from the elements just as the people on the street. It gave us even more compassion to serve. As we made our way down the streets, the people would run up to the truck for their bag. We would say "Dios Te Bendiga" which translates to "God Bless You" as we handed it over. We received huge smiles from the men, women and children with a loud "Gracias". We felt like angels coming with relief. The crazy thing was that not one of us felt the least bit of fear. Some may say "ignorance is bliss" but we know that our "rose colored glasses" came straight from the Lord.
Taken from our team book "Radical," David Platt tells us that Jesus reminded his disciples that their safety was not found in the comforts of this world but in the control of The Sovereign God over this world. We can rest confident in the fact that nothing will happen to us in this world apart from the gracious will of the sovereign God. NOTHING!
This was by far the most amazing thing that my family has ever experienced. From riding in the back of the jam-packed pick up truck in the rain, to driving in areas that looked like a movie set with people you only see on a commercial for a 3rd world country, we were definitely impacted. You can only imagine how wide the doors opened for discussion between the mothers with children:-D
Because this is an ongoing ministry for the Ackermann family, we were asked not to take any pictures while on the streets. Their compassion and heart for the homeless is that all would be feed in a dignified manner and not exploited.