Homelessness in Prague

I have been saddened in recent days as I become more and more aware of the presence of homeless people here in our community in Prague. It is sad when, in the evenings, I hear the dumpster outside of our flat open. Instead of some neighbor going to the dumpster to put in their garbage it is often a person who is homeless opening up the dumpster to rummage through the trash in search of some food or some other "treasure." :( This is so sad!

What are we to do??! I have felt that a good solution would be to purchase bread for these homeless people. On a few occasions I have been able to do this. It was received with the question "proc?" ("why?") Unfortunately, I didn't have tracts in Czech to give them to let these people know that the reason is because Jesus loves them... I prayed for them. I pray that they will know the love of the Lord someday, somehow...

What do these homeless people look like? Well, often they are wearing dirty, soiled clothing which is not substantial enough to keep them warm in this chilly winter weather that we have been having. Usually they are carrying just a duffel bag with them...can you imagine fitting everything you own, all of your worldly posessions into one little bag?? I can't... :(

Where do they congregate? Well, I often see the homeless people near bus shelters or in the metro. Sometimes they ride the metros and busses all day for a place to stay warm. ...The other day, I was on the metro when the metro police came and asked a man (with a particularly powerful odor) to exit the metro at the next station. I felt bad because it was extremely cold outside that day.

I also noticed that in the summer the homeless people (and their dogs) spend time on the benches in the park near our church. We are the church! We are the ones who are supposed to be reaching out to help them! Oh, I pray for more grace, strength and humility to be able to do this.

The other day while shopping in our neighborhood market I had a very unpleasant experience...I was in line at the check out counter and I started to notice a very bad smell. I looked through my food to try to determine if something that I had chosen to purchase was rotten. I could not detect anything, but the awful smell was still there lingering in the air! I looked up and noticed that there was a homeless person behind me...and I realized that the stench was coming from him! How sad, how repulsively disgusting...oh how sad I felt for that man. Can you imagine not having a place to shower? To not have a place to wash yourself and get clean?? :( That is miserable. What a contrast to the "fragrance of Christ" that we Christians are supposed to be (2 Cor. 2:15)

Well, I just paid for my items and was putting them in the bag to get ready to leave. The homeless man was ready to pay for his few things too and he only had a handful of change. Was it right for me to pay for his items even though as I was doing so I noticed that there was a container of wine among them? ...I pray that the Lord will bring mercy and hope to this man and to others like him-that they will find their identity in Christ and that they will look forward to their eternal home in heaven with a new hope.

I was very very pleased and excited to learn that a church youth group called "Youth Praha" will be having an outreach event tomorrow evening in the city center to connect with the homeless people! Yay! I'm excited to join them. We have been asked to bring food, warm beverages, clothes, blankets and the good news about the love of Jesus Christ with us to share with them!! :)

Will you please pray with us?! Let's pray that the Lord will be pleased to come and meet physical needs...but more than that-that He will send His Holy Spirit to open peoples' hearts tomorrow-that they will see their need to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

God is our provider and He meets all of our needs. (Matthew 6:31-33) This is good news! :) Let us trust the Lord that he will come and provide for these people the things that we are all looking for...things like a hope and a future...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Let us trust God-that His promises are true, that He does love us, that He is sovereign and that He will provide for us all of our days by His loving grace and mercy.