On Monday, 13th June, we had our table out on Ashton Lane, hoping to engage with the local homeless through the bags of food, and the general public through tea and coffee, whilst also trying to promote the following day’s lunch. We did, actually, make some really interesting contacts, hopefully be able to publish more of them later on, but these are the highlights for me-
I was totally flabbergasted by 2 young homeless boys, who, while pouring out their tea, espied our bag of Miraculous Medals and finger Rosaries- and couldn’t wait to get them round their necks! They said they used to know the nuns at Merrilee well, and this brought back memories. I was totally astonished at their enthusiasm- faith in God shows in the strangest ways!
Whilst this was going on, Gus got into a very deep spiritual discussion with a cyclist, about how Jesus is our vine, and we have to be the branches in order for anything to grow. The cyclist stopped for physical refreshment through a cup of tea- and ended up with spiritual refreshment as well!
Earlier, two people said we had made their day- a girl in Ashton Lane, when we gave her a leaflet, noticed it said “Marian Action” and said, “Oh, my name’s Marian as well” and said she’d lost her father and her brother within the last year, and was grateful for the cheer we had given her. Then, John Bain was talking to a couple who were coming from the funeral of their minister- they were talking about the work that the churches do in the area, and the man said we’d made his day when we handed him one of our Bible quotes, and the first word was “Beloved”- “which is what I hope I am!”