Day One: clean feet head for the dumpster

I was already exhausted when I began my time on the streets. I had only been home for one day after a trip to South Dakota to lead a training at a church in Vermillion. My street retreat began differently this year, I found myself with a small group of homeless in front of the Welcome Ministry and I just listened as they told me what I should do in the streets. Then I saw Dominics feet, with dirt so hardly enmeshed between his toes. So I began by washing his feet. I scrub with warm water collected on the top of a take out tray, some soap found in a dumpster and an old t-shirt as a towel. As I rubbed his feet and covered them with lotion he told me about his dreams for communitee. His desire that everyone play music and experience joy. He ministered to me as I tenderly admitted the dirt could come of with just one washing. And after I dried each foot I kissed them as a symbol of peace to guide his walking.

Then dominic took me to his favorite dumpsters, should me where the good cardboard is waiting like money. Behind the guitar center he thought we might find the parts we would need to make a guitar. Later Morgan and I went with him as he brought discarded items he found along the road to friends who lived in single room occupancy (Sro) hotel rooms. And we waited in line at Glide for lunch. Allergic to dairy, all I could eat were French fries (that tasted like bacon) and oranges. We also got sack lunches, because no one feeds on Friday nights.

I'm trying to figure out how to sign up for a shelter. The city changed everything as budgets got slashed. I think I can't even try to get in until Tuesday. So I gathered some cardboard from the spit dominic showed us and we're getting ready to bunk down for the night. I'm preaching in the morning (palm Sunday) at the swedenborgian church. So I hope to get a goo nights sleep and that my peanutbutter sandwich sustains me through the night!