We had a full day of work and fun! We began our day at 7:30 am with breakfast...and everyone was out of bed after the first wake-up call!!
Our whole group went to the same worksite. We were working for SAMM - San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries. This organization offers hope to the homeless in the name of Jesus Christ. SAMM has a store called Furniture For A Cause (FFAC) - this is where we worked for 5 hours. The store is set up like any other furniture store, with both new and used furniture for sale. All of the proceeds go directly to SAMM - these funds help with their Transitional Living/Learning Center, their Emergency Shelter, and their Transitional Housing program.
Many of the employees at FFAC were recently homeless and are participating in SAMM's Transitional Living program. This program teaches them basic job skills, how to live on a budget, etc. We had the privilege of working with two men - Richard and Dallas - who are a part of this program. We learned a great deal from them. Richard shared with us that while he does have a place to live now, he is unable to pay his rent AND purchase food for himself. So he continues to eat his meals at a homeless shelter in downtown San Antonio.
We had many tasks to accomplish during our time at FFAC. We began by picking up trash around their property. Our next job was to put together furniture - tables and chairs. Yes, this meant starting from the very beginning...with the pieces, screws, allen wrenches, and confusing instructions! We were impressed with how well the kids did with this - they completed 16 pieces of furniture in record time! The furniture was then moved to the display floor inside the furniture store.
One-third of the store was filled with dining tables and chairs. Most of them had decorative items on them - placemats, fake fruit, etc. The kids were asked to dust the tops of all of the tables, and were allowed to use their creativity to rearrange the decorations however they chose. I think we might have some future interior designers in our group!
Our last task of the day was to watch Richard demolish damaged furniture with a sledgehammer (this was riveting for the boys!), and then pick up the pieces and throw them away. After about 20 minutes outside in the 100-degree heat, we were ready to call it a day. We were extremely proud of the kids - they were polite, enthusiastic, and truly shared the love and hope of Christ with all we met. Their work will truly make a difference in the lives of children and families in need of help.
After a few hours of rest at our guest house, we had a great devotional time together. We shared the highlights of our experience, and what our responsibilities are as Christians with regard to the poor and homeless. We talked about how those who are less fortunate truly represent Jesus among us, just as we represent Jesus when we help them. And we should treat them with the love and respect they deserve as children of God. Rachel closed our devotional time in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to serve.
We had a fun dinner at Rosario's, a great Mexican food place! The kids had a taste of authentic Mexican food after 2 dinners! After dinner, we were off to the Alamo and Riverwalk. We walked the entire length of the Riverwalk, stopping at the Rivercenter Mall and at an ice cream shop. It was good exercise, and allowed the kids to experience the culture of San Antonio.
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