Give me the next two minutes of your time and I’ll show you how a homeless brother actually gets through a day.

It’s 3:00 a.m. and you roll over and hit your alarm.  Except in this case your alarm is battery operated and sitting on a rock next to you.  You are sleeping in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves just off 7th & Peoria Avenues.  You roll up your bedroll and other belongings and make the decision to stash it under a bush.  You pray it will be there tonight when you return.

Hustling down the mountain it is still dark and you hope you don’t trip and fall.  It’s now nearly ninety minutes after you woke and you arrive at the day labor hall.  Current economic conditions have decimated the day labor market and you’ve only received a “ticket” (for work) twice in the last two weeks.  But today your prayers are answered and you are going out on a job.  The work van leaves at 5:30 a.m. so you can start work at 6:00 a.m.

On the way out your stomach begins to grumble.  It’s been twelve hours since you ate… and you have no money for lunch.  But you are grateful for the work and you’ll be able to grab some chow at Martha’s Kitchen tonight.

After a long day of work you relax on the way back to the labor hall. You have been up for twelve hours, you’ve worked in the hot sun all day, haven’t eaten anything, and you stink.  But still you are grateful for the day’s work.  As you get your check it’s 4:00 p.m., and you will have $47 in your pocket ($58 minus FICA minus $5 for the labor hall van ride minus $1.50 to cash the check)

You hustle over to Martha’s Kitchen for some chow and are greeted by folks in similar circumstances as well as others struggling with issues of mental illness, substance abuse, and other issues.

You finish your meal and begin the sixty minute trek back to your campsite.  You’re pooped. You have been up for over fifteen hours and are ready to get some sleep.  As you make your way to camp you find your bedroll and backpack where you left it.  You make camp as the sun sets and it’s still over 105 degrees outside.  While you are physically exhausted the heat is stiffing and you are not able to sleep.  By 11:00 p.m. it’s dropped below 100 degrees and you can finally rest. Just two more months of a perfect day like today and you’ll be able to move back indoors.

The life you’ve just read about isn’t typical for folks in Sunnyslope. Because the reality is, you can’t survive working in the heat of summer with only one meal a day. Your stuff will be stolen sooner or later, and you’ll have to spend some of that money on a bedroll.  You’ll need to shower sometime; otherwise the labor hall will not let you in.

So what does Christ call us to do, in response? After 4 years of learning about life in the Slope, we understand the real needs more keenly than ever – and God has given us a vision for REAL and PRACTICAL ministry to these desperately needy people.

The vision: a new Prodigal’s Home Mission Center, right in Sunnyslope.

• A place where someone can come at 3 am to get a breakfast burrito, cup of coffee, and a sack lunch.
• A place to come “home” to, for a shower and meal.
• A place to be prayed with and encouraged by those serving, 7 days a week.
• A connection to rehab, and escape from the bondage of addiction.
• A place where you can start the long, difficult process of getting proper ID after years on the streets.
• A place to get help finding and reaching out to the family you lost years ago.
• and much more.

This is our vision.

To love God and love others.

God is opening doors for us to establish a Mission Center. We need your help. Please pray, and please give.

Come join us in setting the captives free.

Thank you.

Grace & Peace,

Mike