"Do you notice me?"

Our missionary year began in September with three weeks of training. Among the many different lessons from teachers, one moment that stands out is when we were learning about hospitality. I thought it would be the same thing I have heard over and over.  Instead, our instructor told us about a theme she was hearing from Jesus: “Do you notice me?”

That simple question has stayed with me through these months of street ministry. I would walk over the Hawthorne Bridge, praying the rosary with my street partner Alex and wondering where Jesus was going to be hidden. 

For the first couple of weeks, it was difficult to find Him. The people we meet close themselves off to protect themselves, and would not believe that we just wanted to listen to them. But after coming back week after week, asking them how they were and if we could pray for them, things changed. Alex and I built our friendships gradually with people. And we began to see the light of Christ in them.

The first person we had a real conversation with was Moses. He knew of the previous missionaries from last year and welcomed us as his friends. Alex and I both have a particular fondness for Moses. Alex always calls him a “homie”. Even when we don’t have a conversation with Moses, we will always wave hello, and he waves back with a big smile.

 Moses has a way of encouraging his friends on the streets. He will complain about helping someone, but he still takes the time to set up the tarps at his friend’s campsite. He is well-known for his temper and his frustration with the local government, but he loves deeply. 

Becoming friends with homeless people has parts that can be hard to accept, from limits on how long we can stay and talk, to being unable to help them with basic needs. As missionaries, it is our responsibility more to create relationships than to give handouts. It is also our duty to pray for them—the best gift we can give them, even when it does not provide them with their immediate needs.

For instance, it is painful to hear about my friend Jesse Ray, whose tent burned down. He lost the majority of his belongings.  And while trying to rescue his dog from the flames, his back and hands were badly burned. I saw Jesse the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and he told me that he was going to the hospital that night. The next week, I saw him talking with our other friend Timothy and found out he never went. It pained me that he was so afraid of the hospital system that he did not go.  

The tough reality—that most of society does not care for these people—aches my heart. We know Christ loves these outcasts so much.  He notices each and every one of them.  So we do our best to be Christ’s hands, feet, and most of all, His eyes and ears for His beloved children. I found Jesse Ray during a soup night on the West Side. I was so full of happiness to see him that I ran up to him and gave him a big hug. He had been clean from drugs for over three weeks and was looking for a job and housing. It is amazing how quickly he turned his life around. It fills me with hope and joy to see him happy and healthy.

Laura Parker