Emily! I am so glad to see you went to Las Vegas and had a great time:) Where are you stashing all that money you won???
Hmm, lets see, well, I'm hanging out with the organization "food not bombs" this winter. This Sunday will be my 3 week. I am very casually collecting warm clothing, socks,gloves, blankets etc from people mainly at church. They use to meet right in front of Public Square but now we meet somewhat near the Fountain of Life. A lot of the people, mainly men, that come to eat what FNB's has brought just want a bite to eat, something warm, and I have found an ear to listen. My first night there (in 4 years) I spoke with a man that lives in a group home and now has a job there as well. He got out of prison in June (he was in for 17 yrs) He told me the whole story of how he became homeless turned to crime and quickly found himself in prison. He also told me that while he was in prison, Joyce Myers (a Christian Author and Motivational speaker-who has been thru much!) came to his prison. He read her book "Battlefield of the Mind" He said it changed his life. He began writing her and he received more of her books, free of course. She began writing him and vice versa....long story short. He says his heart has changed. He has come a long way, from what he tells me. We talked about everything. Anything from faith to doubt to hard and desperate times and just everyday normal stuff. Now don't get me wrong. I am not wearing rose colored glasses. I go there, I help, but I won't be naive. I hope that what they are telling me is the truth for their sake, but I won't put myself in a compromising situation based on what they have told me.....
okay so blah blah blah....I wrote that 2weeks ago. But last Sunday...oh last Sunday was a very rainy day. Dark and wet. It rained ALL day. The week prior to that I had to go back home 15 minutes after I arrived because it rained. We have no shelter where we give out food/clothes to the poor. One of the communists made a joke that I must not have said my prayers, so THIS WEEK...I thought, he has a point there. I didnt want to bow out just because of the rain, again. On the way there, though it had rained ALL day. Drizzling,raining, you name it. I began talking to God. I said I know that Cleveland is just a dot in the universe but please stop the rain here for just long enough so we can help these people.I continued pleading with Him. As I pulled up the sky cleared and the rain disappeared for the first time that day. I pulled up to the usual spot and thought I was losing it! I saw AT LEAST 2o clowns getting out of cars. They set up tables, and got out lots of food and began feeding whomever came along. I thought the communists (food not bombs) either lost their minds or I was dillusional. Turns out as I have heard, the city has been cracking down on the homeless and those that try to help them. (funny huh?) Now people need a permit to serve the homeless downtown. So these Christians dressed up like clowns got one!!!!! Then comes along Fox8, which by the way, we were on the news, but I was wearing all black and drowned out by the clowns. One of the clowns said. " It stopped raining THE SECOND we got here." I said "I know!!!" She said "It's because Santa came" (they brought a Santa;) I said, " I don't know I said some prayers on the way over here" I put out my hands as to simulate a scale..."Jesus......Santa......I don't knowwww" Us both knowing who wins that one. Meanwhile, I was passing out warm socks from my backpack and tissue packets for runny noses...Then food not bombs comes too. We all have some pizza,soup and cake so graciously brought by the clowns and then the communists and I follow the caravan of clowns to a shelter on East 21st. The same shelter that the man I met the week before lives in. A man came up to me and showed me how soaked his coat was. He asked if I had anything. Perfect. I had just found my huge insulated furry,leather coat that I use to wear in my basement and had it in my car to give out. He was so appreciative and gave me a big hug...which is different from some, when I ask, "would you like some warm socks?" and they say," what color?" lmao
So I loaded all my clothes into a van so the clowns could unload it at the back of the shelter. I got a clowns contact info and entered the name Bo Jangles in my cell phone...waved goodbye to all the clowns and the communists...and swiftly walked to my car counting the seconds till I was safe in my locked car...The smile on my face on the way home must have been priceless....
p.s by the way, I'm not makin this stuff up...I spent Sunday nite with REAL CLOWNS http://www.bojangleshome.biz/
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