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`Wild Ride
Through God's Word' theme of upcoming VBS
Inspiration Point: Wondering how you will fare
on your day of reckoning?
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Tending to the poor as Jesus would do |
North Valley Friends Church participates in
Nightstrike, designed for youth to minister to Portland's homeless
population |
By Laurent
Bonczijk, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Laurent at bonczijk@eaglenewspapers.com
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A North Valley Friends Church
youth group went to Portland one Friday night this spring, but it
wasn’t for dinner, a movie or a concert. They drove through
afternoon rush hour for some hands-on volunteering.
The group, led by youth minister Leslie Murray, loaned their help
to a program run by Bridgetown Ministries called “Nightstrike.”
For the past four years every Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. the
volunteers have met underneath the Burnside Bridge. There they
provide the poorest and weakest among Portlanders with such services
as hair cutting, foot washing, a place to shave, some clothes and
little bit of food.
Because hair cutting requires some skills, Murray and her group
worked the food and foot stations. Washing the feet of the homeless
was actually the easier part of the night, she said.
The group had been advised by Bridgetown Ministries that some of
the homeless might want to talk and share their stories. Her high
school students quickly found out that “some” is a relative term.
Many people, it turned out, wished to share their stories, making it
awkward for the kids.
So when the foot washing finally began, “it was easier because they
had something to do,” Murray said. “They felt more active and
productive at one of the stations.”
Murray brought her 7-year-old daughter with the group and was a
little leery of the child being too honest with the homeless coming
to have their feet washed. In the end it turned out fine with her
daughter calling out “Come on over; we’ll wash your feet” as soon as
a spot would open at their station.
“My heart was very warmed by watching her,” Murray said. “It was
very encouraging as a mom,” she said, “it is a different experience
to serve alongside my daughter.”
The idea to volunteer came from a deep desire among the children
“to be active and serving people,” Murray said.
The group plans to return June 29 and several times this fall. |
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From
June 2, 2007, Newberg Graphic
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