Happy New Year!

DEAD MAN WALKING

Owen was stumbling and staggering behind the downtown “Y” on Dec. 16. He was in a drunken stupor and could barely stand. We were immediately concerned about his safety and helped him sit down. He openly shared his desire to break free from alcohol. Later, he wept as we prayed for him.


TRACY’S TURNAROUND

Tracy is not only larger than life – he found eternal life through our street ministry. On Dec. 21, he asked us for a size 4X shirt. That’s right – 3 notches beyond XL. We actually found five shirts for him in our storage. But that’s not all. Tracy also received a greater gift – Jesus. He accepted Him as his Savior after reading the devotional that we routinely place in each of our lunch bags.


THE BOLD AND THE COLD

Winter has been rather balmy around here so far, with the exception of a few days like Dec. 7. A band of approaching snow and a blustery high of 26 degrees kept most folks away from “the clock” at 3rd and Boston. However, 11 brave souls did show up for their free Arby’s sandwich. We didn’t disappoint. For December, we distributed 185 sack lunches to the homeless and the needy.


HAM IT UP

We did it once, and we’ve promised ourselves we probably won’t do it again (because there’s nothing wrong with getting some sleep). On Dec. 20, we went shopping before 6 a.m. to get Christmas groceries for five families. We delivered – among other things – seven Kentucky Legend pre-cooked pre-sliced double-smoked hams straight to their doors. Talk about easy kitchen prep!


NUESTROS CINCO NUEVOS AMIGOS

For our English-only readers, the title means: “Our Five New Friends.” These friends are actually five Hispanic pre-teens. Their moms needed a little help with Christmas, and we were glad to oblige. All they asked for were clothes. One of our volunteers, Rafael, accompanied the families on their shopping trip. Each child received a pair of pants and two new shirts.


THAT’S A WRAP

The sticky tape and stubborn boxes didn’t stand a chance. Nineteen of our volunteers wrapped 116 Christmas presents in just over 30 minutes on Dec. 19. Each gift contained a new winter shirt, a pair of socks or a stocking hat, and a pamphlet by Franklin Graham. We delivered the gifts to homeless men who are staying at the John 3:16 Mission and YMCA shelter downtown.


THE ENVELOPE PLEASE

Okay, okay. We peeked. We know the final answer. It was fairly easy to count. It’s roughly 2,360. That’s how many people you helped us touch in Jesus’ name through this ministry in 2005. We’ve said it before, but we must say it again: thank you!