Our Last Great Adventure

I have no idea how many children there are in this neighborhood, but they are everywhere - sometimes 5 or 6 in one house. One thing I know for certain and can count on without a doubt, when they see me walking Ivan children will suddenly appear and gather around him. They want to touch him, hug him, and some even want to ride him (we don’t do that one). 

Pray for the children and for South Side Baptist Church, a community church that reaches out to the people in my “hood.”

In the suburbs, even though we had a postage stamp size front yard, our back yard was large and fenced in, perfect for Ivan to run in and play Frisbee. However in the hood, we have no front yard and, although fenced in, our back yard is VERY small. In the suburbs, I took Ivan for walks because we both enjoy walking.  Here in the city it’s the only way Ivan can get the exercise he needs and it also gives us the opportunity to meet people in the hood.

We’ve adapted our early morning route to first “take care of business” by going a block down the ally away from the house (1) into an industrial area by the railroad tracks. We usually circle the abandoned tour bus (2), walk across the parking lot to Heidelberg Distribution, pass their dumpster, head down the tracks beside their building (5, 6), and then we’re ready to walk the streets in our hood. We try to remember to take a plastic bag with us (for scooping up Ivan’s “stuff”) but if we forget, we can always find several discarded bags among the trash and broken glass littering the way.

Yesterday, when I approached the dumpster (4), I suddenly noticed a man standing half way back by its side. He was barefooted and looked like he had just woken up. I spoke to him. He was very talkative and seemed somewhat nervous. I asked him if he had slept there. “Oh, no! I work here.” This was early Sunday morning. There were no cars, no open loading dock doors, no sign that the company was open at all. I described the man to Manly. Later in the day Manly saw him walking on our street and recognized him as one of the homeless men who occasionally eats at the mission.

This morning, as every morning, I took Ivan out for our first walk of the day. As we approached the bus Ivan suddenly stopped in his tracks and uttered a low protective guttural growl. There right in front of me was a man sleeping on the ground next to the bus (3). Ivan’s short series of warning “woofs” got his attention. The startled man jerked his head, then shoulders off the ground to lock eyes with this huge growling canine. I quickly calmed Ivan and assured the man it was OK and we walked on. A few minutes later when we circled back, from across the parking lot I could see him laying in the same spot.

Much of my time in October and November was spent at doctor appointments and testing. But we did participate in Christmas in November, three days of meetings sponsored by several churches and hosted by a downtown Covington church. We served as greeters and then as prayer partners at the end of the services.

At events like Christmas in November—which are great—I can’t help but question, What’s the follow up plan? Most people who are caught up in addiction and other devastating life controlling issues need discipleship and a strong support system to work through their issues. These problems are severe and may even need professional help.

At Christmas in November I had the opportunity to pray for a lady who told me she was an alcoholic. She didn’t want to drink any more. She wanted her children back. She wanted to stop making the same type of bad choices over and over.  And I wondered Where will she get the help needed to break this addiction? Yes, prayer is needed. Prayer is wonderful and comforting. This lady will need a lot of prayer to make it back to sobriety. In fact, I would ask that you add her to your prayer list as well as the others like her. Yes, there’s hope, but that hope is only through Jesus Christ, prayer, help, and support.

Because of Manly’s involvement with Fairhaven Rescue Mission where he works, we were already somewhat familiar with a number of local churches and pastors. The types of church ministries vary.

One church, on the south side of Covington, has served that community for over 100 years. For the past 40 years they have also offered a complete child care and learning program for children birth through age 10 for very reasonable rates. In 2000, the church purchased “The Salty Dog Saloon” which was attached to the end of their church (many of the buildings and houses in the city are connected) and turned it into a community activity center. The center provides one-on-one tutoring for kindergarten through the 5^th grade; an adult bimonthly Bible club that includes, in addition to a Bible study time, dinner, games and fellowship; a children’s Bible program every Wednesday; a food pantry; the monthly youth nights (middle school and high school) include games, food, and fellowship; computer classes for adults; AA meetings every weekday morning; monthly family activity nights include movies, popcorn, and drinks or game and crafts nights which includes dinner.

Another church downtown provides a strong outreach to the very poor and homeless on Sunday evenings. With the help of congregations from the suburbs, they provide a meal, a message of hope, and prayer. They also have clothing and food available for those attending to take with them. The church gym is used for a weekly youth activity. This church has a very strong desire to do much more within the area but is limited by the lack of church members and volunteers to carry out additional programs and ministries.

Several of the beautiful large churches of the city have very small congregations—maybe 20 to 40 people at best and most of them elderly. Others ministering to the poorer population have had to close their doors due to lack of funds to pay the mortgage and utilities.

We have started looking around at houses in the Northern Kentucky cities of Covington and Newport. There seem to be a lot of them available but they don’t stay on the market long. We suspect that investors are buying up some of these shabby homes to refurbish and turn a profit. We won’t be able to buy until around June but we are getting a feel for the neighborhoods.

Diversity is interesting. But in the city it’s just plain out strange to us how one street can have nicer older homes (lower middle class), the next street over the houses can be trashed, and the street after that part of the historical district with its very expensive houses.

We feel called to this area and believe that we are to use our combined experiences in the areas of recovery and discipleship to walk along side the hurting no matter which of those streets they live on.

From the very beginning of our ministry in 1981, Isaiah 61:1-3 has been our foundational Scripture. Below is the devotional for Step 12 from The Life Recovery Bible.

Our Mission

BIBLE READING: Isaiah 61:1-3

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

A life set free from all addictions by the Lord is a beautiful sight to behold. When we practice these principles and share our experiences, people will see the glory of God in our life and gain hope. We know from experience the depths of suffering, affliction, and brokenness. We know the pain of being enslaved to our passions and blinded by our denial. We have endured our seasons of grieving. We can relate to those who struggle to be free. We also know that there is more to life than bondage. In Christ are healing and freedom, clarity and mercy, beauty and joy.

When Jesus came to earth he had a mission, which was expressed in these words: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, Because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come…. To all who mourn…. He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3).

This mission has been passed on to us. Some people talk about “preaching the gospel” but may alienate those who need the Good News the most. We are in a unique position to share our experiences, our strengths, and our hope in a way that broken people can understand and receive it.