The Benefit of the Doubt

People are almost always the problem. People don’t do what they said they would. People complain. People disappoint. People hurt us. The list goes on and on.

So, why do we keep hanging around people? Wouldn’t life be simpler if we just shut the doors and keep everyone out?

I’m afraid not. Do you know why? Because WE are people. It’s not just “them;” it’s us. We don’t do what we said we would. We disappoint. We hurt others.

If we close the doors and shut everyone else out, we still have the problem. It’s true that people are almost always the problem. But WE are people. WE are the problem.

This is compounded in any organization, especially in the church. After all, the church is made up of people. Broken people. Redeemed, yes, but still very broken. People just like us. We are all a mess!

I’m seen this play out recently at ECF. Our tiny church is experiencing growing pains. Growth is good but it also means we bump elbows more frequently. In the past few weeks, we’ve had people misunderstand each other. We’ve had people jump to conclusions. We’ve had tempers flare. It’s not been pretty. And I have often been the worst offender.

For the past three decades, I’ve made it a point to tell the churches I’ve served that if we don’t love well, then we’ve missed it. Jesus made this crystal clear. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Love is the ultimate litmus test for Jesus followers. Not doctrine (although doctrine is important). Not strategy (although strategy is important). Not staffing and budget (although both of those are also important). Love is what matters most.

So, the question is this: how do we love one another well when we are redeemed but still fumbling broken people? How do we love each other well when we are such a hopping mess? I’ve thought about this often down through the years.

This is one key I’ve discovered that’s vital: Give people the benefit of the doubt.

In the Apostle Paul’s eloquent description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, he slips in this tiny but very poignant phrase: Love “always trusts.” In the older translation it says love “believes all things.”  

These phrases capture one of the keys to loving well when we’re such a messed-up bunch of redeemed Jesus-followers.

When people don’t do what they said they would, give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t immediately think the worst. Maybe they forgot. Maybe something more pressing came up. “Always trust.” “Believe all things.”

When people complain, give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t immediately think the worst. Maybe they had a fight with their spouse. “Always trust.” “Believe all things.”

When people disappoint and hurt us, give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t immediately think the worst. There is always more to the story. “Always trust.” “Believe all things.”

When I do this, I have less stomach acid. I give more grace. And I love better.

When I don’t do this, I get frustrated. I think the worst. And I don’t love well.

I chose to follow Jesus 49 years ago. But I have to make the choice every day to continue to follow him. This shows up in many ways. Especially in the way I love people. I’m guessing it’s the same for you. Let’s give the benefit of the doubt. At home. At work. At church. Always.

Leadership Matters

A church rises and falls with its leadership. One of the great joys that Pam and I have experienced while serving with English Christian Fellowship in Costa Rica has been the growth of our leadership team. We recently held an all-day offsite to celebrate what God has done over the previous 12-months and chart direction for the upcoming 6-months. 

Commitment—The first thing that stood out was the level of commitment from our core ministry leaders. As I listened to their reports about what has been accomplished, I was amazed at our leaders’ self-sacrificing commitment to advance the cause of Christ through ECF’s ministry. The majority voluntarily invest 10+ hours per week in their areas of ministry. It was inspiring to be in their midst.

Creativity—ECF is still very much a church plant. As a result, all of our ministry leaders must find creative ways to meet the needs of our emerging congregation. For example, one of the fastest growing demographics at ECF is Kids Ministry. These kids come from English-speaking families who live in Costa Rica. A strong common desire is to make friends with other families with young kids. With that in mind, our Kids Ministry organizes a Kids Monthly Meet Up for families the first Sunday every month after church.

Change—An axion in church growth is “what got you here may not get you there.” Change is a constant in a developing and growing church. The needs change. The leaders change. The ministries change. The processes change. As a result, the people who thrive in a church planting environment must be flexible and give lots of grace. In a rapidly shifting organization, it’s not uncommon for people to inadvertently bump into each other. I’ve seen this time and time again at ECF. And time and time again, I’ve seen grace extended and flexibility demonstrated among ECF’s leaders.

Communication—One of the most important results of the recent offsite was communication between ministries. Every leader was able to hear from the rest of ECF’s ministries what they’ve accomplished, what they’re planning and what challenges and opportunities are on the horizon. Communication is vital for team cohesion, especially because we regularly add new leaders and others cycle off.

Candor—Candor is invaluable in creating a healthy team culture. We have tried some things at ECF that have not worked. There’s no shame in this unless we fail to admit when we’ve blown it, or when we’ve tried something that did not work out and we sweep it under the rug. For example, we’re still trying to figure out a workable small group strategy for our mobile congregation that lives in a world of insane traffic gridlock in the evenings. We’ve tried some things but still haven’t figured it out.

Courage—A church-planting friend once said, “Church planting is like building a house with cards. One strong breeze can knock it all down.” Established churches often have the “three B’s”—budgets, bodies and buildings. These can bring a sense of stability and permanence that church plants may not have. Because of this, I give a standing ovation to ECF’s ministry leaders who have had the courage to “hitch their wagon” to our dreams of growing a thriving new English-speaking congregation in the Central Valley.  They are one courageous bunch!

As I said at the beginning, it continues to be an honor for us to serve at ECF alongside an incredibly gifted team of leaders!

Warmly,

Steve and Pam

25 Years

This past weekend, Pam and I participated in the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Summit Christian Church. We were flooded with warm memories and deeply meaningful connections with people we loved and served alongside for over two decades. Summit continues to be a healthy, life-giving church which now runs over 3,000 in attendance.

When we first arrived in Reno in 1998, we stayed in the Peppermill Hotel. Early one morning, Pam was awakened by a still-small voice that whispered, “Valley of Baka, Valley of Baca.” Pam wondered what that meant and opened her Bible to Psalm 84:6. “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

Pam looked out the window of our hotel and saw the dry high-desert stretching to the horizon. At that point, she realized God was calling us to help transform the valley’s spiritual landscape. That whisper-from-God helped to cement our call to plant a church in the Reno/Sparks area.

By faith, we could see a long-term future where springs of living water bubbled up throughout the region. In our first vision document, we tried to capture this by boldly stating: We want to help transform the spiritual landscape of the Truckee Meadows.

Much has changed in the past 25 years. When we arrived, the area was known as a graveyard for pastors. In general, churches were small and too-often-visited by splits and moral failure.

When we launched Summit, one local pastor asked, “What church did you split from?” I told him we were a brand-new church plant. We were not a split from any church. The pastor told me he had never heard of that taking place in the area.

Scroll ahead 25 years. Now, there are several thriving churches in the Truckee Meadows. God has not only moved miraculously at Summit. He has also moved throughout the valley. Summit is not the only robust church in the area. A few previously existing churches have grown much stronger. Other church plants have also popped up in the past two decades. Along with Pam and I, scores of men and women of God have poured their lives out to advance the cause of Christ in Reno/Sparks.

Together, we have made a difference.

This morning, as I flew out of Reno heading back to Costa Rica, I looked over the valley and I could say with certainty: By God’s grace, in the past 25 years, the spiritual landscape of the Truckee Meadows has been transformed.

Not completely, of course. There is still much to be done. But a rising tide raises all boats. As God blessed and grew Summit, he also blessed and grew other churches in the valley. Today, the big “C” church in the Truckee Meadows is thriving, healthy and making an increasingly powerful impact.

To God be the glory! Great things he hath done!

Adventures in Banking

When we first arrived in Costa Rica, I noticed that every bank has a special teller window for “older folks.” I knew I was old enough to qualify but my pride wouldn’t let me take the short cut. As a result, for several months I waited in the “normal line” (sometimes for a very long time) before I could see a teller.

Eventually, I got over my pride and started using the “older folks’ line.” Sometimes it’s faster and sometimes it’s not. Like last week, for example.

I went to the bank to take out cash. However, the cash machine gave me all large bills, so I was forced to see a teller. Swallowing my pride, I sat in the “older folks” line. There were three people in front of me. I thought it might take 10 minutes tops. I was wrong.

As I sat waiting, I noticed the older gentleman at the window having a leisurely talk with the teller about his kids, his grandkids and any number of other topics. I kept trying to make eye contact with the teller to visually nudge him along. After all, I was waiting in line. Impatiently.

As I sat there, another older gentleman sauntered up to the teller to ask a question. As he walked past me cutting to the front of the line, he mentioned under his breath that he just had a “small question.” But it turned out that he, also, engaged the teller in jovial banter about local soccer teams and grandkids.

By this time, the gentleman sitting next to me assured me that he had very quick business. He would only be with the teller for a moment.  

I’m not sure how, but people here seem to have radar that I’m a gringo. I think I dress and look like everyone else around me. But something about me appears to scream that I’m not from Costa Rica. The guy next to me apparently sized up the situation: an impatient gringo was frustrated that the line was not moving more rapidly. He was right.

He looks at me and says, “Don’t worry. My business will only take a moment. I just have to pay my insurance bill.”

So, imagine my shock when he begins to chit-chat with the teller about his kids and grandkids and politics and sports. My eyes were drilling a hole through his head from the back side. His business may have been short, but his conversation was way too long for my taste.

Finally, it was my turn. I spent less than two minutes with the teller getting my change and I was gone. No small talk. No idle chatter. Just business.

I thought about it later and wondered if I had missed an important cultural nuance. People matter. The bank teller knew his clients and they mattered to him. The small talk I witnessed was important to everyone. It was a social hour. I was the only one bothered by it. No one else seemed to care about the wait. It was life. And a pretty nice life at that.

My mom used to walk quickly. She was always on a mission to get somewhere fast. I picked that up early on. For most of my life, I have wanted to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

But quicker is not always better.

Connection matters. People matter.

Costa Rica has a lot to teach me. I hope I learn.

Merry Christmas!

I will always treasure the memory of my first Christmas Candlelight Service. It was our first Christmas serving in Wisconsin. The church had windows along both sides of the worship center. As we held up the candles to sing Silent Night, it began snowing outside. Through the windows, I watched the glistening flakes fall as the candles flickered inside. In that iconic moment I felt like I was inside a snow globe. It was magical.

Since then, I have presided over hundreds of Christmas Candlelight Services. They never grow old. Every time we lift the candles to sing Silent Night it takes my breath away.

This year at English Christian Fellowship was no exception. A record-crowd of 235 people gathered. We kept bringing in more and more seats. We even had to “borrow” stools from the hotel bar but we still had people standing in the back.

The message at Christmas is essentially the same every year. But I never grow tired of proclaiming it: God loves us. God reached out to us in Jesus. God offers us grace and forgiveness.

This year, Pam and I are especially grateful to those of you who follow us and pray for us. Our lives are rich and fulfilling. We are incredibly blessed! Thank you!

I’m writing this blog on Christmas Day on the plane from Costa Rica to Santa Rosa, California. The Bond family will gather over the next several days to reconnect, laugh and create new memories. Pam and I look forward to some precious time with our clan.

On another note, some of you will recall the saga I began several blogs ago recounting my travails to get a Costa Rican Driver’s License. The saga continues.

Last week, I had another appointment at the Costa Rican DMV.  (To get the appointment, I paid $70 to my clandestine “DMV appointment maker.”) I had completed all the requirements the DMV-lady laid out for me three months earlier. But I’ve been around the block a few times. So, I didn’t really expect to walk out with my new license. I was not disappointed.

When I sat down with the one-and-only person who is the queen of granting foreigners Costa Rican Driver’s Licenses, she looked across her desk and said, “Well, Mr. Bond, I think I might be able to take care of you today.” At that point, she combed through my thick pile of paperwork. She carefully read each page and then even more carefully re-read each page. Finally, she took her official stamp and stamped each page...really hard.

At this point, I was thinking, “Wow, Steve, you might actually get a license today!” (I was wrong.)

When she finished, she told me to stand up and follow her. I thought, “Well, this seems strange. I guess there’s another door to walk through.” It felt a bit ominous. For some reason, I felt like I was being led toward a firing squad.

She led me downstairs and I was asked to sit across the desk from another lady. This new lady also read and re-read my thick pile of paperwork. Then, she typed, very slowly, some information into a computer. I sat quietly…waiting for men with rifles to appear.

After about 15 minutes, this new lady said, “Well, Mr. Bond, you’re all set.” I’m thinking, “But where is my Driver’s License?”

I know better, so I sat quietly until she added, “You can now make your appointment with Banco de Costa Rica to get your Driver’s License.”

I looked at her and smiled and began to chuckle out loud…a lot. How silly of me to think that I might actually get my Costa Rican Driver’s License in the Costa Rican DMV! No, that’s not the way it’s done here. “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!”

So, I made my appointment at Banco de Costa Rica. The first available date was February 12, 2024. It now looks like I may get my Costa Rican Driver’s License next year.

Pura Vida (Pure Life) is a common saying in Costa Rica that is used in a variety of situations. I’m not sure if there is an exact English equivalent. But the closest thing might be “Chill out…it’s all good.” However, my guess is the person who coined that saying never had to get their Costa Rican Driver’s License.

But it’s still good counsel. As we enter 2024, Pam and I send you this Costa Rican New Year’s greeting: Pura Vida!   

I Felt Like a "Real Missionary"

Last Saturday I felt like a “real missionary.” ECF’s Missions Team organized a week-long ministry effort on an island in the Nicoya Pennisula called Isla Caballo (Horse Island). Over thirty people from our church participated. Some went for the entire week and others went for a few days. Still others, like me, went for one very long Saturday.

We met at 3:30 AM at the Hilton Garden Inn (where our church meets on Sunday). 17 of us boarded a mini-bus for the nearly three-hour drive to a beach where a boat would pick us up. (It may bring to mind for some of you an old TV show that began as “a three-hour tour.”)

The beach was called Playa Blanca (White Beach), a hidden sliver of sand along the Nicoya Peninsula. To no one’s surprise the sand at the beach was...white.

We waited for a short while until a smallish boat arrived to ferry all 17 of us across the inlet to Isla Caballo. As most of you know, I swim decently. However, many in our boat did not know how to swim. As a result, as we jetted across the pristine calm water in the early hours of the morning, I was plotting in my mind what I would do to rescue the multiple non-swimmers if the boat hit a log and flipped.  

Isla Caballo is covered with dense foliage, like much of Costa Rica. As we approached the island it seemed to me to be shrouded in mystery. I was reminded of the scene in the film King Kong when the boat first arrives at the island where they eventually encountered the oversized gorilla. (I told you at the beginning of the blog that I felt like a “real missionary.”)

But once we arrived, the mystery immediately dissipated and we were engulfed by the love of the islanders. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

It was also stunning for me to see the grace and commitment of ECF’s team. The island does not have a water source and the only electricity comes from a small generator. (Water is ferried over daily from the mainland.) The scarcity of water and limited electricity produced spit showers and multiple layers of inconveniences. But our team ROCKED with servants’ hearts and genuine smiles.

Our team served in a variety of ways throughout the week…

• We built a new kitchen for one of the churches. The two churches on either side of the island are the heart of the community. As a result, the new kitchen will serve the islanders for both faith events and community activities.

• In the evenings, we showed episodes in Spanish from The Chosen to encourage the islanders.  

• We ministered to the children with creative activities and Bible stories.

• We held a soap-making workshop for the women with the hopes that some may use the skill as an income producing activity.

• We were “present.” Many of the islanders commented that our presence made them feel noticed, that they matter, they are not forgotten.

Our team boarded the boats to return to the mainland about 4:00 PM. We had a beautiful journey across the Nicoya inlet just as the sun was lowering in the horizon.

After a long bus ride home, we arrived at the hotel where our church meets about 8:00 PM…very tired but very grateful to have been able to serve in such practical life-giving ways.

ECF is still a small church by most metrics. But we have a HUGE heart for missions. I could not have been prouder of ECF’s missions leaders and the team they pulled together to do missions in our own backyard!  

Warmly,
Steve

All Creatures Great and Small

Psalm 104:24 says, “O LORD, what a variety of things you have made!  In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of Your creatures.” 

I suppose anywhere one lives, there are “creatures” of different sizes and shapes. But here in Costa Rica I have had the opportunity to get to know some of the “most unusual” of God’s creatures.  (At least unusual for me!)

Last week, Stephen and I spent three days exploring the east coast of Costa Rica.  On the way there, we decided to take a more adventurous route to explore the countryside and we came back home using the more direct route. 

The Caribbean side of this country is not developed as much as the Pacific side.  The towns are quaint (other than the port city of Limon).  The roadside towns are made up of tiny shops and hole-in-the-wall eateries.  There are no large hotels along the eastern coast and not much beach either. 

Nestled in a small burg called Chauita is a sloth sanctuary.  This has been on my bucket list since we arrived in Costa Rica over two years ago.  I have seen a few sloths in the wild, but at a distance, hidden amidst tall rainforest trees.  Generally, I had to observe these sloths through a guide’s telescope.  That was thrilling enough but I was not prepared for the experience we had at this sloth sanctuary. 

The sloth sanctuary was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip.  We stayed the first night at the sanctuary to be ready for our early morning three-hour tour.  We were awakened around 4:00 AM by a loud roar that got louder and louder, then faded and went on for about an hour. 

I kept thinking that sloths weren’t that loud and then remembered that howler monkeys lived in the jungle surrounding us.  Google confirmed what we were hearing, and I also learned that howler monkeys are the loudest creatures on earth. Their howling can carry up to 3 kilometers! 

It sounded to me like the abominable snowman’s roar on the Matterhorn bobsleds at Disneyland. I expected to see a 40-foot King Kong emerge from the jungle into the clearing by our room!

After breakfast we were escorted into two different rooms where we were within inches of these precious creatures!  There are two toed and three toed sloths.  They are quite different animals, but live similarly in the trees. 

The sanctuary is a refuge for approximately 150 sloths.  Some have been rescued from being injured by dogs or other animals.  Others have been abandoned by their mothers.  The goal is to get the sloths back into the wild. But some, like baby sloths, will never be able to return to the wild. Apparently, if a mother sloth does not teach a baby sloth how to live in the wild in the first year of its life, they can never learn.  

We spent another hour in the Intensive Care Unit where we got even closer to the babies, but we were not allowed to touch them.  We watched them eat, learned why sloths don’t last as personal pets, and all the ways God has made these strange and beautiful creatures to be able to survive the rainforest. 

The proceeds from the small “hotel” where we stayed, donations, and the cost of the tour keep the sanctuary funded.  Some research has been done on these amazing animals, but there is still a lot that is unknown. 

For instance, they haven’t been able to find out what is in the mama sloth’s milk because she only produces what the baby needs at feeding time.  The baby’s sucking makes the mama produce milk.  As a result, at the sanctuary, they give the babies goat’s milk because it seems to be digested better than other kinds of milk. 

We have been taught that the word “slothful” means lazy, idle, unwilling to work.  However, we learned at the sloth sanctuary that the sloth is not lazy.  They are just conserving energy.  They can actually move quickly if the need arises.

I was amazed at God’s design of these beautiful creatures. For example, sloths have hair that grows from the middle front around to the back, unlike other animals that have hair that grows from the spine around to the front.  The sloth hangs upside-down so the rain follows the way the hair grows and runs right off the sloth’s fur. 

In addition, sloths know what leaves to eat and what season to eat those leaves. Some leaves are toxic for sloths at different times of the year and are edible at other times in the year. Somehow, sloths know the right season to eat each leaf.  

 All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

The Late Great Planet Earth

The Bible declares emphatically that Jesus will return to Earth to rule and reign physically from Jerusalem.

Hundreds of years before his birth over 300 prophecies predicted with extraordinary detail Jesus’ first coming. These included where and when Jesus would be born, his birth lineage, the scope of his ministry and the brutal death he would die.

However, this pales in comparison to the prophecies which predict the Second Coming of Jesus. There are over twice as many biblical prophecies regarding the Second Coming.

One of my favorites is Zechariah 14:4. “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west…” This is crystal clear. When Jesus returns, he will physically stand on the Mount of Olives to begin his reign on earth.

Jesus came the first time as a Humble Servant. When he comes the second time he will come as a Ruling King.

Zechariah continues his prophecy: “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:9)

The recent events in Israel inspired Pam and me to re-read a book written 53 years ago. The book indelibly marked our generation of Jesus-followers. It’s called The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey. It’s still in print. We highly recommend it.

In general terms, the Bible is clear that Israel plays a pivotal role in the events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. The restoration of Israel as a nation is the fulfillment of many biblical prophecies, including Ezekiel 36:24. “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you back into your own land.”

The area we now call Israel was promised by God to Abraham some 3,800 years ago. The Jewish people inhabited the land, on and off, from that time until AD 70 when God used the Romans to thrust them out due to their persistent sin.

But God promised that one day he would bring them back home. That promise was fulfilled on May 14, 1948 when modern-day Israel was founded. The land that God gave the Jews through his promise to Abraham was, once again, their home.

These facts are important to keep in mind given the current situation in Israel. The Bible predicts that many nations rise up against Israel during the last days. Pam and I have stood overlooking the Valley of Megiddo, otherwise known as the Valley of Armageddon. This is where the Bible says a final climatic battle will take place. (Revelation 16:12-16) 

The Bible also foretells clearly that armies will attack Israel from the north from the land of Magog (which Bible scholars identify as Russia) and from Persia (modern day Iran). Read Ezekiel 38 for more detail.

With that said, I cannot say with certainty when Jesus will return. But the fact that he WILL return is biblically irrefutable.

The fact that the events surrounding his Second Coming take place in Israel is also biblically irrefutable.

The fact that a final climatic battle will take place when many nations will unite to try to destroy Israel is also clear from Scripture.

Jesus warned us that world events would become horrific immediately prior to his return. “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Matthew 24:21)

Jesus also urges: “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” (Mark 13:33)

Don’t let the media be your only source for news about what’s happening in Israel. Dig into your Bible. God wants us to be alert. Jesus is coming back. You can count on it. Are you ready?

Our First Baptisms!

Sunday morning at 8:00 AM we gathered at the pool of the Hilton Garden Inn to baptize six people. These were our first baptisms since we arrived in Costa Rica over two years ago. Hallelujah!

The hotel gave us permission to use the pool early before their guests would normally use it. But since Costa Rica is warm all-day-long all-year-long, the setting was perfect. The pool is on the third floor with a panoramic view overlooking lush green jungle. It was a breath-taking scene.

Those being baptized reflect the fascinating diversity of our international church. We had people baptized from Ukraine, Honduras, Costa Rica, and the USA. Each one has opened their lives to Jesus to allow him to write a new story.

Fernando’s testimony brought a smile to my face. He had questions about baptism, so we met recently at a local café. He explained that he wanted to pursue God more seriously this year. One of his New Year’s resolutions was to put more action into his faith.

At ECF we provide every attender with an adhesive name badge at the doorway into our service.  (We want people to feel warmly welcomed.)  Fernando mentioned that, after church, he takes his name badge home and sticks it onto a wall. The wall is now filled with name badges! He said, “Steve, I think I’ve been to church more this year than in my entire life!”  That’s one way to put action into your faith!

Vita is another fascinating story. She was born in Ukraine, but left her homeland to study in the USA more than ten years ago. In time, Vita met Jesus and then married Rafa, who’s from Costa Rica. Vita has not been back to Ukraine in more than a decade. None of her family was able to attend her wedding. Before I baptized her, with tears streaming down her cheeks, Vita shared her commitment to love and follow Jesus.

Not all “church work” is fun. Not everything about ministry brings smiles and cheers. But baptisms are near the top of my list as one of my always-favorite moments. Today was a good day….no, it was a great day! God is at work and we get to go along for the ride!

Warmly,
Steve and Pam

The Smell of Poverty

Wednesday evening it was raining cats and dogs. This is the rainy season in Costa Rica. It rains almost every afternoon. Normally, this is a convenient excuse to hunker down and enjoy a quiet evening inside. But on Wednesday evening I had planned to help feed the homeless in downtown San Jose.

The tug of the flesh was palpable: “It’s too wet.” “I might catch cold.” “Maybe the homeless won’t be there because of the rain.” Even “the presidential debate is on TV and I don’t want to miss it.”

I have found that my flesh often battles against me whenever I want to do the right thing. Have you experienced that, too?

In spite of the tug to stay warm and dry, I went out in the rain and served. There were 14 of us from ECF, along with others who are part of a ministry called Esperanza Urbana.

We all carry sandwiches and bottled water. We distribute these to the street dwellers as we walk through downtown San Jose. During the day, the city streets are filled with bustling small businesses and crowds of shoppers.

During the night, the hubbub is replaced with an aching loneliness. What we see are mostly deserted streets dirty with litter and refuse. Here and there are small hovels of precious, but very desperate, human beings.

I had purchased a bright yellow rain suit over a year ago that I had never used. So, I walked the streets looking like the Morton Salt Man. As I walked along, I wondered what the homeless people thought about this odd-looking yellow-suited gringo who was completely dry while many of them were wet and cold.

The most impactful moment for me happened when I came across someone sleeping hunkered underneath an old ratty beach towel. I roused the shrouded figure with a kind word and the weary face of an elderly woman emerged. I offered her a sandwich and a water. She smiled and thanked me as she accepted my humble gifts.

I continued wandering down the street looking for more people under cardboard or flimsy blankets. I glanced back and saw the woman drinking the water I had given her. Her face haunted me as I slipped into my warm, dry and comfortable bed later that night.

I believe that woman was the reason God wanted me to walk the streets in the rain. God wanted me to see and smell poverty, again. I can so easily get caught up in my small little world filled with creature-comforts and pettiness.

As I think back about my experience, I realize that I need to be on those dark and dirty streets for what it does for me…even more than for what the food and water may do for the homeless.

Think about that. When was the last time you were close enough to smell poverty?

 We appreciate you, Steve and Pam