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ABANDO'S, ABANDOMINIUMS, & ABANDONED PEOPLE... MOSES
MOSES LAST YEAR: I mentioned Sunday that we were told by Nikki on Saturday night that a gentle giant of a guy we knew "Moses" died in a house fire in an "Abando" in the Uptown Transylvania District.
"RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE JUST AS THEY ARE"- Has been our battle cry we do all we can with what we have and usually we get more supplies than we have time, energy & the people to get it out.
& THE CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN WHITMORE LAKE Mi. - Last winter Pastor LeFave contacted me that his Church had gathered both new and used boots for our outreach. The big thing I remember about that night is it was FREEZING!!!
After picking up the boots I ran back to Prayer Baptist Church in Westland picked up the food and got to the Uptown Transylvania District late. I sat up the food tables let people feed themselves & opened the side doors of the van... An avalanche of boots, socks, gloves, coats and other great winter gear fell at my feet on the sidewalk!
We had a feeding frenzy on that sidewalk & Moses helped keep people in order as I passed out the gear... Moses was thrilled with his new BOOTS and my heart got pulverized when he showed me the guard shack he was sleeping in.
Within a few days Donna Yost flew back to Detroit from Western Canada and Team Life Chest loaded down our van "Snowball" & they're "Black Beauty" trailer they had purchased for us with both new and used boots, socks, canned goods etc.
Donna, Lisa Lee & Randy accompanied me to Uptown's "Transylvania" it was an amazing evening & Randy who is a photographer actually interviewed Moses that night.
We had an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Saturday working at Prayer Baptist organizing so much stuff with the Kelly Cline Gozalka & one of the classes from the Northline Baptist Church in Taylor Michigan and Regina Ackerman & family, Sherrill Adkins, Amanda Jean, plus Dale Dotson & Mike Dotson, we were able to do in a few hours what would have taken me an entire Winter to accomplish.
Dale, Mikey & I went down and delivered items to the 2nd Squat House, that Pretty Connie & Nikki (Miss Alpena) had shown us. Then Nikki & a young man took us to yet another 8 unit house and we began to unload more items to the folks there... Squat #3 I guess???
I asked Nikki if Moses lived there and that is when she informed us the Moses had died in a house fire and affirmed my fears that he was indeed burned alive in an "Abando" or "Abandominium" which is Street talk for an abandoned house.
Saturday night I tossed and turned all night I kept thinking about that sweet gentleman dying in that fire and swirling thoughts the way my Birdbrain works connecting painful words "Abandos", "Abandominiums", "Abandoned houses", for abandoned people... Ugh.
I also thought that in the whirlwind of last years #LOVEWINS BOOT DRIVE followed by COVID-19 followed by trying to play catch up after Michigans lockdowns... I had never seen the pictures or interview of Moses & I'm praying that video exists!
As a Baptist Missionary Street Preacher/Pastor my life is a whirlwind of hard heavy work & a flurry of disjointed activities & somehow I actually get somethings done... (kinda).
I HATE TO ADMIT... That the last time I can really remember talking to Moses was last winter with Miss Lisa & Susan Ingermann & son, down that street near that 8 unit house where we dropped stuff off at Saturday. He was sitting with that grocery basket he always had. I gave him some items in route to the Squat House #1, and no doubt that was where he died, UGH!
Keep me in prayer please as I have to help close down my Father in Laws house, finish our AMAZING upcoming #LOVEWINS Newsletter with Eddie Jones & project vehicles, Street ministry etc.
Plus I am looking for a place, garage, barn farm, pole barn to get my "10-gallon bucket ministry out of Prayer Baptist's 5 Gallon bucket" building... much to do.
Miss Lisa cannot work with me right now as she once did with ageing our parents and different responsibilities... but I'm going to semi quote something she has often said about our helping Street people.
"If we made them feel warm or made them happy or safer for just a little while, then it’s worth it all." (semi-quote)
THANK GOD that we were even able to meet Moses! To along with other folks met a few of his needs... and YES to those who know me best "As his Pastor"... I feel guilty as home-made sin and mad as a wet hornet that he died... especially in a fire in an "Abando"! GOD I HATE THAT!!!
"Moses" if that was his real name in the Bible means "Drawn out of the water"... and the idea that he died in a firebugs me much more than I can explain.
THANK GOD that we were able to help him just a little... Lord what is next? Just broken-hearted!
I'm HOPING its all just a big mistake but I doubt it. Just so sad!
Love Y'all For the Streets Brother Joe Acts16:31... belief on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved...
www.brotherjoesyouthandstreetministry.com
313-414-8190