A Homeless Man’s View of Mission Southside
Last night, during Sports Night, I met a man named Robert. Robert Showed up on his bike and was watching us shoot some hoops from afar. We invited him to play. He was obviously athletic, even in his flip flops and he started rebounding the balls for the kids. Robert “appeared” homeless.
After about 30 minutes of hoops, we began chatting a lot more. He told me he has been watching what we do and he thinks it is really important. I asked him why? He said he used to be homeless and lived behind the Ministry Center. He saw several of these kids on a regular basis. He said the most important thing we could do is pour into these kids so they don’t end up like him. He grew up in KCK on Troost, got into drugs, and lost everything.
He told me he had been trying to help the homeless who live there. He knew Danielle’s new friend Amber. He knew Colin, the guy I saw shoplift at Price Chopper and we would see several times a day heading down the tracks, but hadn’t seen for a while. He knew everything about them. He was very concerned about Amber’s whereabouts. He said that Colin is in Jail until at least August, and he is really on drugs. He is hoping he can get clean during his stay in Jail.
He told me that he has been working with a husband and wife who owned Olathe Ford(?) He said there is not an answer for homelessness in Olathe. The City isn’t doing anything. The Church isn’t doing anything. If you are a woman with kids you may be able to find someplace and some help, but if you are a man there is nothing. That is why he is really trying to work with these people and figure out an answer. He said that there is no one living back in the woods right now. They all moved over behind the Wal-Mart on K-7.
He went on to tell how he lost everything because of drugs. He said he hasn’t talked to his kids in a really long time. He was reminiscing about when he coached his son’s baseball team and they won the championship. He loves sports.
He told me he lives at Harrison Square Apartments, where we have a site team. He said he is just getting back on his feet. I asked if he needed anything and he said his apartment is all furnished. He kept bringing it back around to the kids and that we need to pour resources and time and relationship into the kids. He said that sometimes he struggles with having food, but he has a job at the granite company, he has his bike, and a roof over his head.
At the end of our convo, he told me that he is really not a church person. When I asked why, he said that he grew up Catholic. He tried a couple of churches, including one in Spring Hill, and he just didn’t feel welcome. He said he sees us doing our “church thing” at Harrison Square, but he really doesn’t come out because he isn’t a church person. He said it took him two months to even come talk to us, because he wanted to see what it was all about. I told him he would be welcome to come out for sure.
This guy has a testimony in the works. He referred to faith, and hope, and used a lot of words that definitely have a spiritual flavor. He just doesn’t know who God is, and honestly I am sure no one has ever offered to help him figure it out. I invited him back on Tuesdays. Told him he could get a hot meal, hang out and just talk.
We never know who is watching. And more than ever, I believe our actions and love for others is the greatest testimony of Jesus, especially in the lives of someone who is far away from Him or has never heard of him. “Dear Children…let us not love with words and speech, but with actions and truth” 1 John 3:18 Who knows what could happen in this guy’s life especially when he is already fulfilling the second part of the Great Commandment…..Loving his Neighbor.
