Wednesday, August 4th

Taco in a bag anyone?  This was the main course for the lunch we prepared today for one of Seattle's Tent Cities.  Yes...it's exactly what it sounds like. 

Tent Cities are portable, self-managed communities of up to 100 homeless men and women.  They operate with a strict code of conduct which requires sobriety, nonviolence, cooperation and participation. Security workers are on duty 24 hours a day. Litter patrols are done on a daily basis.

They provide their own trash removal and port-a-potties. Bus tickets are provided to each participant each day so she/he can get to work or appointments. There is a food preparation area. Volunteers bring hot meals most evenings to both Tent Cities.  Tent Cities are needed because there is not enough indoor shelter for all who need it in King County. They provide a safe area for residents to leave their belongings, flexible hours for workers, and the ability for couples to stay together.

This was a very eye-opening experience for our group.  The conditions, although better than we had expected, were very tough to witness, and we were overwhelmed by what it must be like to live here on a daily (or monthly) basis. 

We prepared our meal for them at our host church and then loaded it up and brought it to them and served them.  The Tent City has approximately 100 residents, but only about 30-40 of them were around during the day, so we had more than enough food, which they were happy to have left over for dinner later in the day.

We were also given tours of the area and were told about how they operated and were given opportunities to ask questions.  It was a very good experience for us, and we were blessed to be a blessing for them.

This evening, we went downtown to the Compass Center, part of the Compass Housing Alliance.  We worshipped with them in a bilingual worship service and it was wonderful!  Following the service, we had an opportunity to sit with their pastor and two of the residents while they shared their stories with us and we heard more about the Compass Housing Alliance.  Pastor Kristy fielded some of our questions then as we enjoyed our time together. 

Pastor Kristy was amazing....she is a true example of Christ's love...meeting people where they are, as they are, no strings attached.  We can say the same about the Compass Housing Alliance...this organization has several programs, each offering services to people to help them AS they are.  We will get to serve there on Friday...can't wait!

Our evening ended with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe...fun! 

Tomorrow is a day off of service...and a big surprise for the kids.  Lots of guesses from them, but still no correct ones.  Hmmm???  I guess we'll just have to stay tuned....