The Transition:

It was Halloween afternoon and we were experiencing our typical pattern of sunshine, rain, warmth and freezing weather. Unlike our confused Illinois weather, we were more than certain about the journey we were about to embark on. Mosaic Initiative had granted us the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, CA to shadow the Union Rescue Mission and gather ideas on how to fight homelessness. As we sat at the airport waiting to depart to LA, all I could think about was how blessed I was to have this opportunity. What many don’t know is a just few months prior I had gone through some obstacles and trials that were meant to break my faith, but I knew GOD had a plan for me.

During the flight it dawned on me that God wasn’t just sending me to LA to conjure up ideas, he was sending me to transition me to the next level. As we headed to the hotel, I was so amazed by the scenery. One thing that I pondered on was how this affluent city could be facing a homelessness epidemic. I didn’t know that answer, but I figured by Saturday I would have the answer. Saturday morning, we arrived at the Union Rescue and I didn’t know what to expect but I knew I was doing GOD’s work. During our time at the Union Rescue Mission we met with Pastor Dan who gave us a breakdown of what the mission’s purpose was and any services offered. We took a tour of the building, helped with their coat drive and fellowshipped with some of the residents. The time had come for us to wrap our session at the mission and we decided that we walk a few blocks through “Skid Row”.

At first sight the atmosphere was not only shocking but heartbreaking. I thought I was in a third world country. Most of the sidewalks were covered with tents and garbage. The neighborhood was packed with people in their tents, sitting on the sidewalk and some laying in the street. Tears instantly rolled down my cheeks and a feeling of gratefulness overwhelmed me. As we walked around, we saw a lady who was handing out meals to the homeless. We approached her and asked what compelled her to do such a nice gesture. She advised that she was once lived on “Skid Row” and it took people helping her, encouraging her and loving her for her to get back on track.

The Transformation:

On the flight home I kept hearing the word humility. I prayed to GOD to increase my faith and my humility for others. Pastor Dan explained that the epidemic isn’t just homelessness, it was hopelessness. There is stigma that the residents of “Skid Row” are on drugs or have a mental illness, and that is not factual. The majority of them are hopeless and don’t have love or relationship to help change the trajectory of their lives. A few weeks after the trip I started to brainstorm ideas on how we could impact and empower or community. We collectively agreed that people weren’t just going to come into the church, we were going to have to go where they were. God put in my heart that he was going to transform my life and allow me to be a blessing to others.

On December 14th a few of my friends and some of the women from church helped me throw a holiday event at the women’s treatment center in Vernon Hills. WRS houses 16 women who are battling with addictions, loss, hopelessness, depression and the hardships of life. My goal was to come where the were and spreads GOD love. We didn’t want to preach to them, our goal was to be blessing, be supportive and fellowship. We catered lunch, handed out gifts, played games, and set up a nail spa for them. The event was a success. The ladies were overwhelmed with joy and you could feel the presence of GOD in the room. We ended the night with prayer and some women who never considered religion were encouraged enough to want to visit the church and build a relationship with GOD. Who knew that simple act of kindness could turn into a moment of pure fulfillment? I can’t imagine what God has in store for us next, but I do know our life will reflect the faith that we have in GOD and purpose for Christian Faith Fellowship Church Waukegan.

Thank You Mosaic Initiative for this opportunity, lets continue to do #GODSWORK.

By Emily Poole