Monday and Tuesday

MONDAY:

incredibly busy....every computer, every seat was taken from the early morning until we left.

Homeless, helpless, hapless;, they all showed up today.   (Including one guy who told Allen he refused to sleep at the homeless shelter as they have bed bugs there; so, there you have it; even the homeless have high health standards!)

TUESDAY:

Wow, so much quieter.  We all actually got some work done...we were all able to contact some of our job candidates.

There were still a few job seekers who popped in....including a young man who wanted a backpack from the bishop.

A BACKPACK?!?!?!?

to put his belongings in.   He had them rolled into a tight bundle that at first I thought was a baby.  He wanted a backpack and one other pair of clothes....good thing the DI is just right through the door.  Then, he was on his way....to the next town, the next transient bishop, the next homeless shelter...it's a sad lot for many people.

I heard such a sad story today of a husband and wife, who took out their retirement savings to pay for their son's addiction recovery....$80,000.00!

The day he graduated from the recovery program, there were tears, promises, hugs, resolves, bright future prospects...the parents put him in a nice apartment....start over, they said.  Within a week, he had sublet the apartment to earn some money, and was back into the drugs.....

His parents have finally, after many many times of praying, paying, forgiving; they finally said....it's over.  Don't come back.  So, he's begging the transient bishop now for help.

WHY, WHY, WHY, do people start on that slippery slope?  Satan, I loathe you.

But, there was a fun, bright spot today....

I met RON....in his 50's.  He drove an armored car in California delivering bundles of money.

"Okay, " I asked him...."I want you to be totally honest.  Were you ever tempted - in the teeniest bit - to take some of the cold, hard cash?"

"Never," he said.  I enjoyed talking with him.  He made me smile....

That was a good feeling in a place where the smiles are few and far between.