Riverfront Fountain

Tonight, I had one of the greatest and most unique opportunities that I have experienced in quite some time. My mom and a couple of people from our church have been going to this location in downtown Toledo for the past year. It all started with a couple of relationships that were all because of God.

It's tough to describe what it is in a couple of sentences but I will do my best to try. For those of you who don't know, Toledo is not one of the nicest nor safest cities around. If you have driven through downtown Toledo I am sure that you were able to make that observation.

Last week my mom texted me and asked me when I would be home from school. I told her Thursday and she ran the idea through my head that I should make a trip downtown with her. At first, I didn't know if I was going to be back in time but then God got a hold of me, and I felt like I needed to be back in time so that we could go.

Right outside this apartment complex, there is a big fountain that is surrounded by seating and people who are constantly coming and going. This is the perfect place to interact and have encounters with people.

Our plan going into tonight was to have some food and a grill, and we were going to grill out, right outside the apartment complex. This was the perfect spot. There were buildings all over, and people coming and going. Some of the group stayed to run the grill right outside the apartment and others walked around the block in circles over and over again to see if we could find anyone to invite to have some free food and have a conversation with.

Basically, if we saw someone walking around outside we were going to ask them if they had plans for dinner and whether they did not didn't we invited them over to grab a burger, chips, a cookie, and some corn, along with an ice cold water.

Obviously there were going to be people that would say no and some people who would say yes. The really didn't have any other options.

Usually during the conversations, the people asked how much the food was or why we were doing it. Our answer was always that we are Christians and we were out here serving and loving people.

Once we got the grill set up, my mom asked if I was ready to go, and I was like sure! So we approached two guys and asked them if they wanted some food and they kindly told us no because they already had plans, which was totally fine. Then my mom and I saw another lady sitting by herself close to the fountain and we asked her if she wanted some food and she kindly declined as well. We started 0-2 but that was fine! I was having a great time and so was my mom.

My mom and I decided to take a walk around the block, and as soon as we were finishing a lap, a member of our group had approached a lady and asked if she wanted something to eat and she accepted. We got one! I was thrilled and so was my mom. This lady' name was Tiffany and she had been living in the complex for 10 years and was so happy to see us out there. My mom and I talked to her for quite some time. My mom asked her if she had any prayer requests and the lady had a lot. Tiffany was so concerned for so many of her friends and family. As the conversation concluded, my mom asked her if we could pray for her and we put our hands on her and prayed and it was so powerful.

My mom pointed out the one of the coolest things about doing something like this is to be able to hear what people are going through and what types of prayer requests they have.

While we were making laps for quite some time now, there were these two ladies who were parked right by where we were cooking. They eventually made their way over to where we were at and gladly joined us for some food. This lady's name was June and she was such a sweet heart. My mom and June talked for the longest time, and I wasn't around for the majority of the conversation. I got to talk to June about my upcoming trip to China so it was super cool to talk to her about that. I also was able to tell her how I go about reading my bible on a daily basis and I hope that was helpful for her because she said she struggled with that. June had such a big heart. During my time listening to her talk to my mom, I was instantly able to tell that she had a big heart. She talked about all of the people that she loved and cared for and made me wish that I loved and cared for people like she did. She was one of those people who you talk to and their smile and mood just fills you with so much joy. June also had many prayer requests and my mom and I were able to pray over her as well. It was so sweet, as we finished praying with her, she had began to cry.

Next up, was Ralph. He was working for the street department and was sweeping the streets. He was approached by a member of the group and he came over and got something to eat as well. I got to meet him but wasn't a part of the conversation that him and my mom had. She told me that her and Ralph were talking and he was actually in nursing school until he dropped out because he would've had to take another loan out and he didn't want to do that.

The craziest God moment of the entire night was when Derek and Cynthia came into the picture. They were out on the street asking for money when someone from our group saw them and told them that we were serving food. This couple was married and they were in a very desperate situation. Derek is unemployed and Cynthia had just gotten a job. They had been living at a hotel for the past month and hotel management was threatening to kick them out tonight if they didn't pay some money. Members of our group decided to chip in some money so that they had a place to stay tonight. It broke my heart. As soon as Cynthia came to grab some food, you could tell that something was wrong. She had a sense of panic about her. She wanted to take as much food as possible so that is what we gave her. Scott, a man with a heart that I want someday, prayed with her and talked with her for a while. The couple did not have a way to get to the hotel unless they took the bus or if one of us drove them. Before they had to leave, someone from our group and I drove Derek to this building so that he could grab some pans. It was one of the saddest couple of minutes I had ever experienced. As we were driving to this building, Derek was telling us about how he has lung cancer and that his mother and sister both died from it. He said that they both passed away on the same date exactly a year apart. It broke my heart. He also pointed out places where he and Cynthia used to sleep. He pointed out a book store that had an awning and said that is where they used to sleep when it would rain. He pointed out this building that had some drains in front of it and he told me they used to sleep there when they were freezing because the drains produced heat. My heart was broke. I really don't even know if we stopped to get pans. I feel like we might have been stopping to get their belongings and they just said that we had to get their pans because that was all that they had. Derek also told us that he had given his cancer to God which was so amazing to hear. We got back to the fountain area, and they decided that they were going to take the bus. Cynthia told him that she wanted to take the bus. Before we left, we gave them all of the food that we had left over. My mom and I also went to our vehicle and got some more bags, because the bag that they were carrying around was a trash bag and had holes in it. My mom also stores some stuff up in her car if she ever sees homeless people. She has towels, some goody bags, laundry detergent, etc. So we put one together really quick and ran it over to them as well. As we were saying good bye to the two, Derek told us that Cynthia wanted to stop by some other people that they new who were way worse off and she was going to give them some food. So let me point out. This couple was about to get kicked out of a hotel tonight, because they didn't have the money for it, and they were serving and helping people who were worse off then them.

Once we packed up our stuff to leave, we decided that we were going to go to the hotel where they were staying. We drove there so that we could pray with the hotel workers. We pulled up to the hotel, and standing right in front of the parking lot, Scott asked me to pray. So I prayed for the workers at the hotel and for Derek and Cynthia and that God would bless them and that the hotel workers would show them grace and patience.

Sitting in the car about to leave, my mom said something about how maybe this is where we should serve next. So maybe that's next? God might have put Derek and Cynthia in all of our lives so that we would for some reason be brought to that Knights Inn someday again.

Gives me chills just thinking about.

One of the best parts of the night was the feeling of knowing that is exactly where God wanted me tonight and was exactly what God wanted me to do.

God opened up my heart so wide tonight, and I encourage you to serve and to love, just as we as Christians are called to do.