Celebrating Life{Canada:Day Three}

Tuesday, March 15th

We left at 7 this morning for New Westminster, BC to work at Union Gospel Mission Drop-In Centre, where homeless people can come and get food for the day.

The doors open at 8 a.m. and they are served a hot breakfast. They each get to pick out two loaves of bread from the bread shelves, and then there is a devotional. At noon, lunch is served. They also get a bag of fruits or vegetables and Starbucks pastries.

It really is an incredible mission! Everything is donated by stores/companies in the area. Starbucks donates their leftover pastries, stores donate fruits/vegetables, and various places donate bread!

Our job was to serve them food and then to sit with them and get to know them.

Brette and I decided to talk to a very intimidating guy. He had on a spiky leather jacket and pants, a mohawk, and a lip ring. We ended up talking with him for 3+ hours. His name was Neck.

Nice ring to it, huh?

He was only 20 and had been on the streets for years. He talked of nothing but drugs, drinking, and rape. We talked of nothing but school, God, and that we don’t drink.

At one point he said, “I didn’t know people like you existed!”

I don’t think we really got through to him, though. Somewhere in our conversation he said something about what he would do to us if he met us in an alley somewhere. The next time I talked to Neck, I took a boy with me! (Thanks Tim.)

After we left UGM, we traveled into Vancouver to do some cleanup at The Lions Den, a community centre. The floors were black when we got there, and after being on our hands and knees for a few hours, they were white!

The people at the community centre were such a blessing to be around! They were just so grateful that we were there and excited that we were helping them.

When we left The Lions Den, it was time to eat dinner. We walked a few blocks to an Italian restaurant. It was probably the best pizza I have ever eaten! Mmm, pesto pizza. I want some now.

In honor of Chelsey’s birthday, we went down to the International Ice Cream Factory where there was over 200 flavors of ice cream/gelato!

I was adventurous and tried flavors like curry gelato. Dairy curry? Gag.  

   

And then we went home and passed out. It was a wonderfully busy day!