Waiting in Line

Waiting in line has a whole new meaning after this morning's experience volunteering at the Salvation Army. When we arrived at around 7:30 a.m., there was a long line of people waiting outside - who knows how long they had been there. We started serving breakfast just before 8 a.m. and only 18 people could eat a time. As 18 were eating, the next 18 sat waiting on the side of the room, smelling the rice & beans, looking at the plates of bread and a local sauce (kind of cheesy), hoping that food would not run out before it was their turn. People had to eat quickly - no time to waste.

I helped prepare the plates in the kitchen and got to know one of the workers whose name is Christopher. He's 26 and part of a rehab program offered through the Salvation Army. The entire program lasts for 9 months and he has completed 4 months already. Thank God for second chances in life - he talked about hurting a lot of people in his life, but now things are different. He hopes to become a chef once the program is finished. Before leaving, I let him know that I will be praying for him as he works to make changes, not only in his life, but also in the lives of the homeless in his community. The picture is of 6 of the 7 guys currently in the program - Christopher is the guy in the middle row, on the left.