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StoriesA story from a woman named Debbie who lives in the Trenton Rescue Mission ShelterThe other night in the shelter I was watching the program cops. And there were some other woman there. One of them was trying to read the word Chatanooga on the side of one of the police cars. They were cops in Chatanooga Tennessee. She was having a difficult time pronouncing it, so I turned to her and said "Chatanooga" and helped her pronounce it properly, and she said thank you. Alot of people who are homeless sometimes never got a stroke from a friend or never got a stroke from a parent growing up, sometimes they need that. And it might be the one thing that they need to turn them to God and to turn their lives around. I hear a lot of thank you's but I could tell that this girl really meant if from her heart. By Dan who is currently living in the Trenton Rescue Mission Shelter Before I became homeless while I while still married, we had a car that was falling apart. It was the only vehicle we had. We were in such bad shape, we needed to get a car somehow, some way. That week my youngest son and I went to church and while we were there we both prayed for a car, any car. After we prayed, I got the sense and it was clear as a bell that God was saying to me, "It is done", but also a very strong feeling not to ask for material things. We went to the dealer and it was just like grease lightning, we were practically handed a car for next to nothing. It was amazing. This happened in the early 90's. Ever since then I have never prayed like that again. I have always remembered when I felt like God told me "It is done", after I prayed, and I have never forget him telling me not to pray for material things again. And I havn't since then, even though I live in a shelter now. By Tony P., Street Minister At 8:00 in the morning we were driving down a street in Trenton where I normally go to visit a man named Tony. Tony sells papers on Sunday mornings on a street in downtown Trenton. After spending about 15 minutes sharing scriptures and praying for Tony, he asked us if we could all hold hands and if he could say the Our Father. As he recited the Our Father, I thought to myself if nothing else happens on the streets this morning that was enough. It really blessed me. Six hours later I was at my mother house eating dinner with my brother's family. My 5 year old nephew David was sitting with us at the dinner table and asked if he could say grace before dinner. In the next 20 seconds I heard coming out of the mouth of a 5 year old boy, the same prayer I heard six hours ago coming out of the mouth of a 45 year old crack addict. The Our Father. Both prayers were said from the heart. Both prayers were said from children of the same Father. By Robert who lives in and out of Philadelphia subways The main difference between what you guy's do when you come out and what other people do is sit down and talk. Every Sunday morning we would look foward to you guys coming down into the subway. You guy's would actually sit down with us on our blankets or whatever we were sleeping on and spend time with us. Sometimes we would be talking together on our blankets for an hour or two. And you would listen to us also which is just as important as talking. We know you guys are like clock work. We could set our watches to you, and count on you! By Tony P., Street Minister It seemed like just another Sunday morning down in the subway station in center city Philadelphia. But it turned out to be anything but. After ministering to several people sleeping on the floor of the subways, we decided to venture down a dark hallway where I knew that there were several people huddled together. There I met a friend named Ra-Ra that I have been building a friendship with over the last couple years. Almost a year ago he asked the Lord into his life down in the very same platform. After ten minutes of our team talking to and sharing Christ with the people there Ra-Ra turned to me and said, "you have to leave NOW". I knew what this meant and called to the others and we immediately left the scene. After we all got out my friend Ra-Ra told me that one of the guys had a gun in his pocket and had just put his hand on the gun and he was signaling to his buddy. No doubt at the very least they were planning on robbing us, if not worse. How many people can say that they have witnessed God change and touch somebody's heart in such a way that he was willing to risk his own welfare and well being to protect the life of somebody else? Well that somebody else was me and the ministry team that serves along side me. He later told me that he loved me and after all we had done for him he would never let anyone hurt us. My friend might still be homeless and very well might be involved in things he shouldn’t, but he did something I never did, potentially saving the life of four people, or at the very least protecting us from being robbed and or seriously injured. All at the risk of his own well being. God is moving and changing hearts. If you blink you'll miss him! By Tony P., Street Minister A man who has been sleeping behind the same building in Trenton for years honored me greatly the other day. This man is a veteran of the streets and must be in his early to mid-sixties. The team usually sees him every Sunday behind the same building where we spend some time talking and laughing with him as well as praying and sharing the Word together. It is this man's custom whenever we get there to playfully ask us to knock before we approach him. It is his home, his space, his little corner of the world where he lays his head at night, even if it is an old loading dock behind a building. Last week as we were leaving him he told us (as he usually does) to knock next week before we enter. And then he looked at me and told me I didn't need to knock because I had a key. Wow, that touched me. Partly because I know all my short comings and failures and how unworthy I am of someone saying this to me. And partly because I have seen God soften and touch this man's heart through the last several months and I am reminded that the Lord has unlocked this man's heart. And the key is the love and friendship of Jesus. By Tony P., Street Minister Ice cream is one of many indulgences I have in the family of food. The other evening I thought I would do my wife a favor and go pick up a few things for her at the store. So I asked my 8 year old son stephen if he wanted to go with me and off we went. Without fail I found myself in the frozen food section skimming the isle for the same Ice cream I had been thinking of all day long. Once again I lost track of my son as one often does while brousing for snacks in the food store. Looking down at the end of the isle I saw him writing in the fog filled door of the ice cream/popsicle section. As I walked over my first instinct was to tell him to stop writing on the door. Well I'm glad I did not listen to my first instinct. In the center of that fog filled Ice cream door were the words I LOVE GOD. I thought to myself, "man this is what it's all about". This simple act by an 8 year old boy was worshiping, pleasing and glorifying God just as much if not more than anything I or anyone else could ever do. It reminded me how God is most worshiped and praised by the intent of our hearts, not measuring what we do, but rather the love that we do it with. This is Street Church Ministries and the heart behind it. And I pray that it will also remain this way. That the reason why we exist as a ministry is and always will be a very simple one. Because we love God ,and to love God. Black cherry ice cream is pretty good, but nothing tastes quite as good as the love of God. - Tony & Stephen Palumbo |
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