Monday work and routes

Today was a day that I had never experienced before. Like Saturday, we went on a route in the morning, but unlike Saturday we got to experience a night route. Just like every route, it makes me more and more confident in my prayers and my willingness to approach people. But I think the night route really stretched my understanding of how these people live and how grateful they are for us. The first place we went tonight was a little  run down strip mall that had a lot of homeless who hung all around it. There was this man named Maurice who really stuck in my memory. This man was clearly homeless; he had a dirty jacket with a small bag with no gloves. After we gave him a lunch and prayed with him, he was so thankful. It also caught my attention that despite his conditions he was so thankful and happy, before and after we gave him a lunch and prayed. I noticed that in a lot of homeless men. Even though they worried about where they were going to stay that night or how they were gonna get food for that week, they praised God and trusted in him. It kinda hit me because I have so much and I sometimes don’t even think like that. So I think today really encouraged me to be thankful and thank God for everything. Another place we went on the night route was a place under a bridge. One of our leaders took 3 of us; Andrew, Justin, and I. He led us to this secret place under the bridge where it was super dirty where there was garbage from it seemed like ages it was left. As soon as we got up there the homeless guy that lived there ran off. Our leader told us that that was normal for him to to that and that he had never met him during the 2 years he has been dropping lunches off there. He quoted 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 that talks about us planting the seed, in this case the lunch, and God waters it. Even though our leader hadn’t ever met this man, he stayed persistent in planting the seed and to keep praying knowing that God would change his heart. 

Today really convicted me that I don’t have to only do this kinda work here. Since I now have the confidence to approach people and pray with them, I can do this anywhere. It also showed me that I should not give up on people who need my help, like our leader I need to keep speaking to people who are confused and lost about the Gospel.

~ Bobby Moeller

Today was a very eventful day, we started off by eating breakfast then after a little downtime that I spent journaling, we made and packed lunches. Once we were done packing the lunches went out and handed them out to people that needed them, along with offering them prayer. Today was our second time going on route and I was definitely a lot less nervous than the first time. First we stopped at some apartments and knocked on the doors and gave people food, clothes(jackets, socks, hats, gloves, blankets), and prayed with them. Not everyone answered, but the people that did were very grateful and open to our prayers. Next we walked around the bluff and handed out stuff to people in the streets. Lastly we went to the plaza and gave out a lot of clothes along with the food and prayers. All of the people at all of the places we stopped at were so happy and grateful for everything, it really made me feel like I was actually making a difference in their lives. After we got done we had a debriefing session in the park while we ate lunch, we took turns sharing about our day and things that God shows us and what we took away from it. One thing I took away from going out in the cold was how at the end of the day we can go inside and turn on the heat and get all warm in bed, but the people who live on the streets can’t escape the cold and are out in it all the time. That, along with this whole trip has made me realize how blessed I am and how much I have and that I should be thankful for everything I have and not take advantage of anything. We went on night route as well tonight, so after we made the meals and helped the men at seven bridges with a project, we went to a couple different places to pass out meals, prayers, and Bibles. One place we went to at night the really stood out to me was our last stop which was outside a shelter that was full and there were so many people waiting for the bus to try and get to another shelter. It was very crowded and the amount of people and stuff/garbage on the floor was crazy to me. At every stop we went to there was so much trash on the floor and it really made me sad to know that these are the conditions that people live in. Knowing that because there was so many people, a lot of them would not be able to get into a shelter, and have to be out in the cold all night, just broke my heart. But the joy that people had when receiving what we had to offer showed me how even in these bad conditions people can still make the best out of what they have, and again made me so aware of how blessed I am to have everything I have. One interaction I experienced that really made an impact on me was when this man kept telling me and soon all the girls how beautiful we were. At first I didn’t know how to respond and just thanked him and as I gave him his meal. But then he started to explain how he was in these bad conditions and even though we have good lives we are using our time and energy to  help him and all the other people and that God was showing his love and blessings through us. I quickly realized that he was talking about inner beauty and it made me really understand that God is working through me and everyone else here. After we got done with the night route we had dinner that one of the ladies at 7 bridges made then had a debriefing session and shared our experiences from our day. today was very busy but it was so good and I can’t wait for tomorrow, but I am sad that it will be our last day and our last time going on route.

~Leah Gutoski

Today was different than Saturday.  I could tell from the moment everyone woke up, that there was new confidence. After eating a quickly breakfast and doing Jesus Yoga (doing yoga while yelling “I love you Lord!!”) we layered up due to the colder weather and did a large group prayer to start off the day. Throughout this adventure, I have noticed that the men who lead us are some of the strongest, boldest people I have ever met in my entire life. I have especially enjoyed a man named Moses; his prayers are some of the most awe inspiring, poetic, passionate organization of words I have ever heard. On our morning route today I was blessed with the opportunity to meet a man named Alphonso who was very cold and in need of clothing. I prayed with him, along with multiple other people. A moment of todays morning route that profoundly stuck out to me was at an abandoned gas station where there was a woman named Mitchell. Mitchell was clearly suffering from some severe mental conditions, and most likely high on drugs. As she was mumbling nonsense multiple people in the group attempted to give her food, clothing, and prayer, yet she denied with a delirious look in her eyes. She was extremely flinchy and appeared afraid/psychotic. As our group leader Eric ushered us to move on, I got down on one knee, removed my mask and told her my name. I looked her in the eye, at eye level and smiled. I proceeded to tell her that she was a child of the Lord, and Jesus loves her. As a repeatedly said “Jesus loves you” she began to break down. As she would begin to break down, she would then hold back her tears and laugh. I persisted, but she wouldn’t break. We finally surrounded her with a group hug and prayed with her. As I walked away discouraged, I was reminded that only the Holy Spirit can change hearts, and some people will not be reached. The rest of the day I made my mission to pray with as many people as I can, with passion. When we finished our morning route, we came back to the Garden(where we stay) and we helped out making more lunches, and clearing some garbage. The night route was very different… people were hurting a lot more. I could sense the broken spirits as we walked along the streets in the freezing weather. As I had 5 layers of clothing on and was still shivering, I thought of the people who might only have one layer on their bodies. My heart was literally breaking as we visited homeless people under bridges, under highways, and on the street corners. Under a highway I followed my friend Justin to a tent where a woman was crying out for help, asking us to call her daughter and tell her she was okay. Justin immediately took out his phone to take the woman’s number. In no attempt to knock on Justin, but I have NEVER heard him pray the way he did with this woman. As she pulled him halfway into her stinky tent, with her dog absolutely making out with his face, Justin prayed such a beautiful prayer that I actually cried. The night route was an experience that I will never forget, and I am forever thankful for the 7 bridges ministry and my friends for accompanying me on this life changing journey.

~ Charlie Willsey

First of all I want to highlight the difference in my confidence and eagerness to pray for and talk to people so far on this trip. Before our first route we talked as a group about what we were nervous for and what we were excited for. I remember sharing how excited I was to help people and to brighten their day by giving them food and praying for them but also how nervous I was to do those same things. I’ve always had a gift of compassion for people and The Holy Spirit always seems to put the right words in my mouth to encourage people. However I was still nervous to talk to random strangers like that. After the first route on Saturday almost all that nervousness was alleviated. I felt way more comfortable praying for people than I had before. I met and prayed for one man named Eddie in a trailer park and it was really eye opening to see how grateful he was and how easy it was to pray for him. As we kept doing more routes today on Monday it kept getting easier and easier. I gained way more confidence and was eager to pray for anyone I saw. Today I met a man named Clifford and his wife Teresa. After me and a friend prayed for both of them they were so happy. It was so rewarding to see how big of an impact a small prayer had on their  moods and how they acted. Overall since a Friday my confidence and eagerness both improved a lot and I hope they will continue to do so as we continue to serve here.

~ Luke Hildebrandt

Moving donations

Main course for lunches....pizza

A little down time before we start

Kenneth has his eye on one thing:)

Prayer (Kim and Amelia) with Dorothy. We were able to give her a warm jacket that she was proud of:)

Charlie offering prayer

Door to door offering food and Jesus

Many opportunities for prayer

Not a great picture (important to stay discreet - people are not zoo animals), but I want to show parents and viewers what our students are doing!  Charlie is praying with someone (calls herself Mitch). She was smoking and drinking and suffering from mental illness.  It is heartbreaking when you want to reach someone and introduce her to the Lord and then not get through to her.  I loved Charlie's persistence in sharing the truth of the gospel even in the midst of laughing, joking and rejection.

This umbrella/tent set-up was ordered removed by police shortly after we stopped.  The police are doing their job, but it doesn't heal the brokenness.

Debriefing time with our leaders.  We ate lunches we prepared and spent time sharing what we saw,  how we were impacted and what we will take back to Wisconsin.

More meals!  We were blessed today to do a morning route AND a night route.  We made 130 lunches in the morning and 150 for the night route.

Work and clean-up time outside the church

First stop on our night route - The Bridge to Nowhere.  There is literally a bridge that ends with a 30 ft drop off.  Though there aren't as many tents here as there used to be, this is still a main stop on the night route people can count on.

Under the bridge by the railroad tracks

Dropping off some lunches

Most places we visited had garbage everywhere

This man's name is Al. He is talking to one of the 7 Bridges men about getting off the street and committing to one year at 7 Bridges.  Praying he'll follow through.

Some of our guys chased a rat back into its hole.

Near the Capital

This is outside Gateway - a homeless shelter.  People who couldn't fit inside are waiting for bus that can bring them elsewhere.  There were a couple hundred people here.  It was kind of intimidating to stop and see the crowds of people.  I was blown away to walk through and see our students in groups praying with people throughout the crowds.  Wow.