A testimony from my own life and ministry!
Last week I finished my 6 week street chaplains course and my 2nd observation (going out with the trained chaplains and learning from what they do). I will be starting regular shifts this month (one weekend per month) going out from 9 PM to 3 AM (or later) to care for people in the city of Perth.
Last weekend I got to minister to a number of girls. One in particular, Alli, I met at around 2 a.m. She had gotten separated from her friends and was very drunk. I saw her walking along on her own so I tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she was alright. She looked confused and distressed. She began to cry and explain what had happened - she had no phone and no money for a taxi. I assured her we would get her to a taxi and pay for it (street chaplains have a budget to help girls get home safely, so they don't become vulnerable to attack). She didn't understand why we would want to do that, why we would want to help. Her exact words were "Why should you have to pay for that?" And the truth is, we shouldn't, in the sense that it's not our problem to pay for. But that is what God does for all of us all the time. The ministry of street chaplains is a very practical way of demonstrating this to people who are actually most aware of their debts. We started to walk Alli to a taxi stand and on the way found one of her friends who assured us she would get home safely. She hugged me goodbye and thanked us for our kindness. I love this ministry. God's mercy and grace are extravagant, and this is just a tiny chance to demonstrate it in a practical way.
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