Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Our Peaceful Place

Determination & Love

"We are in the basement of the Calvary Christian Center Ministries building.
It’s the brick Church that sits right on the corner of Alberta and Mallory.
Mallory is two blocks west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Our entrance is the white door just west of the Church’s main doors.
We are located downstairs"
..........................


Sounds comfy just reading the location
Or maybe the name of the establishment was what soothed me?
When I went there to volunteer my services a few weeks ago it felt just as comfortable.

In its new home in the church basement that has massive amounts of space
That’s because it once was an old YMCA
Now three days out of the week
Tue Wed Thurs
9am to 2pm
Our Peaceful Place has its doors and heart open
To the homeless or anybody in need of a place to just get in off the street or 'away for a while'
A place to rest, feel safe, loved and maybe just relax a little without a worry to move it along
It was there I met Barb who is running the show
An inspiring motivated lady with Love and Determination

Determination......ahhhhhhh what a powerful word
I felt it when I read about her in Street Roots (A portland ore homeless/news newpaper) months before officially meeting her
When I met her I could feel that there is a determination to help this world and the reins are fully in Barbs hands!
Reminds me as I write this of the steady sea captain hand on the wheel or how you felt confident as the wagon train reins were in the strong older well traveled cowboy’s hands.
In those hands were determination….. and success and power, to win and survive
ahhhhhh that was the feeling I had when I left after talking with Barb

How serious is your Homelessness Issues around you I ask?
Somebody I know wakes up everyday and makes it her number one priority.
ya know .....I think it comes natural for her
Barb didn't tell me ......but I know her secret........ Its one word.....
Love
*********************************
here is a letter from
Our Peaceful Place
spring 2006 newsletter:
*********************************
From the Director, Barb Lescher
It was February 14, 2005 when we first learned we had to move from the place of ministry we loved on NW 6th Avenue. I had no idea we would search for a full year before finding a new home for Our Peaceful Place.

During our year of homelessness we battled discouragement and disappointment as our hopes were dashed time after time even when we were certain, “this is it,” but were told, “Sorry, not here.” Yet, with God’s grace we were able to stick with it, encouraged by the example of perseverance modeled by our homeless friends over the years. We were admonished by Scripture to “lean not on our own understanding,” and to believe God’s promise of faithfulness.
We are in our new home at 126 NE Alberta and are busy settling in. We are nestled in the basement of a Church building that is one hundred years old. The huge space that we are able to use was once a YWCA. We expect to provide safety and comfort to our visitors.
We are looking forward to building a reputation of warmth and welcome in this new neighborhood.
We hope for the opportunity to minister to old friends and look forward to being a blessing to those we have yet to meet.

We invite you, our friends, partners, and supporters to continue to minister with us by equipping us with the day to day materials we need to do the work. Please pray for us and for those to whom we minister.

We also invite you to come visit us. Come see where we are, meet our staff and see what your support is allowing us to do. Come see if this is the place where you would like to spend time serving the poor.

May God bless you and your efforts on behalf of Our Peaceful Place.

Barb Lescher
Director
Our Peaceful Place
(503) 295-7744
ourpeacefulplace@qwest.net

No comments: