Rich Kao

This is Craig Parsons. The dumpster he's leaning on...that's where he lives - inside of it.  Every night he climbs the ladder on the outside of the dumpster and sleeps under the cardboard and rubbish in the dumpster.  He's been on the streets for several years, but has been free from addiction for 2.5 years, dry from being an alcoholic. Three of his buddies have died in the last year on the streets. He's on dialysis for his kidneys. He doesn't sleep in shelters because his things get stolen; the mattress are filled with bed bugs, and the smell of alcohol on the breath of others triggers a desire for alcohol which he is trying to avoid at all costs. He rides the bus to a city hospital two times a weeks to get his dialysis. He told me he wished he had a bike, so he could ride to the hospital and get there quicker when his body starts cramping before his next session. For Christmas, he wanted a cup of hot chocolate and bagel with cream cheese at Tim Horton's (my 14 yr daughter works at a Tim Horton's).

I couldn't believe my ears as I heard him tell his story. I was getting a crash course in street life and hearing it from one of the "village chiefs." I met Craig today because our familiy was assisting in a Christmas day outreach to the homeless on Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. Craig was different from the rest. Instead of being one of the needy waiting or grabbing for what we were distributing, he jumped in instead to be a helper, calling the other homeless people by name, getting them in line, telling them to behave, and helping us keep things moving along smoothly. He had a focus on helping others, not himself.

While he clearly looked like a street person, he didn't have the hardened lines in his face of an addict. There was a different sense about him. There were no track marks on his hands or open sores from years of drug abuse. He was gaunt, but it seemed more medically based and not drug rooted.

I felt drawn to him, and he seemed to intuitively reciprocate. As I asked him about his life, he told me he had been an alcoholic since 14. He had been married, and presently had a step daughter finishing college. Craig is 44. He was kicked out of his house by his wife after being an uncontrollable drunk. Relieving himself inside the four corners of the house was the last straw for his wife. He migrated from Nova Scotia to Vancouver several years back. Then he got dry over two years ago. Began making bits of money here and there, but never enough to leave the streets.

I asked him to name two things I could pray for him right then and there. He asked that I pray he might live until next Christmas. The reality that this guy might be gone in a few months hit me hard. And here I was talking to him. I noticed he had lit up a cigarette, so I told him God wanted to free him from cigarettes, and as soon as I finished my prayer, he threw down his unfinished, still lit cigarette.  He was believing what I said.

During my prayer, he started to cry, and he said, "I can't let other guys see I'm crying. They'll see it as a sign of weakness and call me a cry baby. Then I'll be marked as a weak guy, and they'll try to exploit me, rob me and take advantage of me." Lesson number... what was it by now that I was getting about life on the streets?

I asked him if he was a Christian. He told me he was born-again in his early 20's but hadn't been to church in nearly 20 years, but he wanted to come to our church next Sunday. I told him we needed to take things a step at a time, but in all honesty my mind was elsewhere. I was trying to figure out how to get some money to him without others seeing and creating a scene where they thought money was being handed out. I was thinking about breaking a key rule when interacting with street people: don't give them money.

Craig told me he could get a bike for $37 from a pawn shop down the street. In fact, he started walking me down towards the store, but I declined, not wanting to get separated from my group, and not fully sure yet if I was being set up to be robbed or something of the like. But on my inside, I felt his story was true; it had an authentic ring to it. Having ministered to vagrants and street people in my early 20's some of my instincts were still with me. I didn't want to be taken and let them manipulate my compassion for them. I was testing him and probing him to see where he was really at. In my mind, it was adding up.

Before I left the house, I had pocketed $45, my drivers license and a credit card. Left the rest of my wallet behind. I thought if I get robbed, at least have some money on you. You need your license to drive, and if you get in trouble, and you're cashless, at least a credit card might help.

Now my mind was churning. $37 for a bike, and $5 at Tim Horton's for hot chocolate and a bagel with cream cheese. $42. Just the amount I had brought. Did God have a bigger plan for my $45 than just risk management? I sure felt like it. During my conversation, my mind had drifted to James 2:15-16 about not closing your heart to someone in need. I had already given my gloves to him (the green ones you see on me in the picture above ended up on his hands; temperature was around 35 deg. Fahrenheit). Now i was praying about giving him my $45 dollars.

My opportunity came. Amidst all this dialogue, one of the teens in our group passed out and was unconscious for about 30 seconds. Thankfully, his parents was there, but I was the one that called 911 for an ambulance. Craig, again showing himself helpful, flagged the approaching ambulance from over a block away. He knew exactly what direction the ambulances came from and the time frame in which they usually responded. He even told me what to say to the dispatch to get them here quicker.

As the focus was on getting the boy into the ambulance, I slipped $45 into Craig's hand. I told him to not let me down and use the money wrongly. I told him to get his bike and his hot chocolate and bagel. He was clearly touched. After the ambulance was off, Craig began rummaging in his backpack and showed me some wrenches he had found. He wanted to give them to me for payment. Of course I declined.

By this time, all our goods were handed out, and all the homeless were dispersed. I told him I wanted to visit him again and check up on him. I told him I'd bring some bungie cords so he could attach his wordly belongings to the bike, and I wanted to see his bike. I asked when he would be around, and he said the corner we were at was his corner. But if he wasn't there --- he walked me over to a wall, and pointed to a white space on it ---he would write where he was at on the wall so I could find him.

I left part of my heart on that corner. I can't wait to see him again.

But here's the thing. We've been praying for Downtown Eastside at our church. In fact, a week earlier the Lord spoke to us to start fasting according to Is. 58: 6-8. This was a divine appointment. I'm hoping Craig is an answer to prayer, and a way we can tangible reach into the Downtown Eastside to ignite a revolution.

I don't know T. Boone  Pickens, but I know he is doing what billionaires should do.  Use their incredible wealth and influence to help others benefit greatly.  Here in Vancouver, my kids are benefitting from billionaire Jim Pattison who has set up a K-12 school that is capitalized like a college campus, educating thousands of kids (ranks top 10% in quality in BC) and incalculating missions and service to God in a charismatic environment to boot!  Bill Gates is tackling malaria, AIDS and more.  One of the wealthiest billionaire families in Taiwan is building hundreds of elementary schools in China for the underprivileged.  This is what billionaires should do.  And now T. Boone Pickens has the audacity to propose, plan and promote an entire energy plan for the United States of America so she can be unshackled from her dependance on foreign oil.  Brilliant.  And here's what cool...he wants to use WIND to generate a new energy source for America.  Say Pickens:  "US is the Saudi Arabia of wind power." That's a grabber.  Jon Stewart got so exited whilte interviewing Mr. Pickens he volunteered to walk off the set with the audience to help the cause.  Watch this four minute clip that explains the big picture of his plan, and then go to PickensPlan.com to do your part!

My oldest daughter, Kimmie, is heading up a group of high school students here in Vancouver to help the situation in Darfur, Sudan.  They are looking to help build a boys school that will teach and equip young men with skills and practical tools that will help them become self-sufficient as they grow up.  Additionally, the school will provide a safe haven from being recruited into warring bands that are so prevalent. 

You're never too young to help touch a life.

To check out their work and website, click here.

While you were taking your 60-minute lunch break, here's what took place around the world:

2,738 people died of starvation

342 people died of malaria

76 mothers died from childbirth issues

9,582 babies died from induced abortion

8,898 infants and children were abandoned

$2,088,751,996 personal income was earned by church members

$2,737,851 was given to global foreign missions
(about 0.01% of church members' income)

20 Christians were martyred.

Me:  Maybe this is why God is raising up Christians social advocates around the world!

Source: YWAM Santo Domingo

Here's a great primer on water as we know it, and the looming needs we may be facing. As it relates to humanitarian work, field proven techniques (see what we're doing at Catalysts, Inc) for providing clean water to people is so simple yet so powerful. Mt 24:37-40 says this: "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Serve a cup of water, touch a soul.

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