incredible

It seems like only yesterday that we walked into a place that encompassed everything wrong in this world.  It

 was a place with out hope, a place that stole dignity from everyone that entered its gates.. even those who came for a visit  felt like there sole had been violated.. A place where the sights and smells made us physically ill.  I remember leaving felling like I never wanted to go back... besides it was more then we could EVER imagine as far as work was concerned... I did the math Three wings per floor, and four floors.. every section of them as putrid as the other... I knew that it was more then we could do..  But I remembered what a friend once told me... start with what you can do and before you know it you will be doing what others said can't be done... As we were trying to figure out were to start, I had a sponsor contact us and said that they would like to plant a seed,and watch it grow... The first warming room in one section was completed... that led to the next and the next, it let to dinning rooms and barber shops.. the work continued to spread.  All the wile, the men began to come to life.. It was not the work that was being done in particular, it was that fact that work was being done... You see it showed the men that they wre worth it, that they did in deed matter. 

  Others began to come on board and help as well.. people came and spent time with the men.. people have been coming every Sunday and bringing men to fellowship with their brothers and sisters.. The men themselves, the very men that would sit and rock themselves in a  place of Nothingness, have come alive and have begun to work themselves to make this old concrete institutation a home...

  Today I gave our guest the same warning that I give every one.. the one that says " If you start to feel overwhelmed with what you see here, or if you are uncomfortable, just let me know  and we will come back out to the car with you." .. As we walked in I was blown away, the first room was the library, then the craft room, the sewing room the painting room, we were shone the room that they dream of turning into a physiotherapy room, but then the last room was the one that overwhelmed me , and I was almost the one that needed to go to the car... it was a full blown class room.. a class room.the very men that were considered worthless all their lives, and never were able to go to school, they have a class room... they have no chairs for it yet, and the men stand around the craft table, and they ems knit to pull them apart to re knit again because they are out of wool, but the fact is that  the place that we stood today was part of the most amazing transformation I have ever witnessed... not just one room .. not just one section, not just one floor, but all suctions of three floor hade all been renovated, and the fourth and final floor has been fixed and plastered and is ready for paint... The men took me aside and asked if we could help them buy paint.. they would like 10 more cans of white paint and 2 more brown, then they will be finished...   We asked about other needs so we would know where to focused next.. we are told that they are still having a difficulty with lice, and if they could have an extra set of sheets for the beds they could keep the infestation under control. They also thought that it would be great if they could have underwear and socks for the men... funny so much has happened, and yet some of the most basic needs remain the same...