Throughout
the summer we noticed an increase in those visiting the trashcans near where we
sit on the Square.
Usually men and women dig into the trashcans looking for cans or bottles,
which they can turn in at various stores for the refunds.
The people who do this are usually poorly dressed men and women, some of
whom are mentally ill.
Some carry on conversations with unseen entities or with themselves.
One
day a twenty-something pregnant woman came up to the trashcan near us and went
searching for something different than bottles and cans.
She brought out the leftovers of someone’s lunch and began to eat it
using the can as her table.
Her mouth was covered with sores and she was shaking.
We were taking pictures that day and just happened to get this fuzzy
photo. She
did not want to talk with us when Karen approached her.
A couple of days later she came back and Karen offered to buy her a
lunch, which she refused.
We continued to pray for a way to develop a relationship with her.
In
late September the rains began and we stopped to talk with her as she was
sitting on the wet sidewalk, begging outside the door to Meier & Frank
department store.
We had bought a bag of burgers that day and had a couple left over when
we decided to leave because of the rain.
We offered her the burgers, which she accepted and quickly consumed.
She told us her name and then gave us the name of her unborn baby girl.
She thanked us and said that her baby was due in a month.
She told us that she believed in Jesus and knows that He loves her and
cares about her.
She thanked us and stopped talking as she consumed her meal sitting on
the wet bricks with her sign asking for money.
We
had sent out some of this story on our E-mail newsletter and a brother named
Jeff read it. He
E-mailed us and asked for more information so that the men in his prayer group
could pray for her and her baby.
One of the men in the prayer group gave Jeff some money to be passed
along. The
brother bought a card and wrote her a note and included the money, all of which
he dropped off at our house so we could give it to this young expectant mother.
That day we met up with her begging outside the same store and Karen took
the card over to her.
Karen could not give her the card right away because another woman was
chewing out the young woman.
She was being accused of stealing the other’s “spanging”
(spare-changing) spot on the sidewalk.
When the argument was over, and things were a little more peaceful, Karen
gave her the card, which she opened and read.
After reading the card she told Karen “Thank You” and said that the
card and money “was sweet” and then thanked her again.
Steve & Lisa, of Friends of the Bridegroom Worship Ministries, gave us some Healing and Prayer blankets to give away to those in need. So we gave her the very first prayer/healing blanket for her baby the next week as she begged outside the same store. Again she was thankful. She has told us that she has a husband and that they are keeping the baby. She is someone’s daughter carrying someone’s granddaughter. And our Father is calling out to her and sending His love through many brethren to come home to His family. It is a great joy to be a part of His plans for her.
We
saw her after her baby was born. She was begging for money only this time
her sign said she had AIDS. I asked about her baby. She said that
her husband's mother, who is living in Hawaii was taking care of her and that
she was fine. I saw her leave the streets with her "husband?".