Changed by Jesus #77: Supporting a Continued Walk of Faith
By Steven, Lake City campus
"Recently, I found myself growing comfortable and perhaps a bit too complacent in my subsidized apartment in Bitter Lake. In February of 2008 I was evicted by the Seattle Housing Authority, and became homeless for the next couple of seasons until I was provisioned with my current home in a subsidized house in Wedgwood. Between these times, I received the privilege of working at the Bread of Life Mission for a few months as one of their residential volunteers. It was a fairly difficult experience for me. If you are not familiar with their program, it is structured for people with substance abuse issues. I did not suffer from the issues that often land men in the circumstance I was in and therefore was not initially welcomed into their community. But, an opportunity opened up to become a kitchen helper. From there I continued proving myself to be a faithful worker and was accepted into their community after once being seen as an outsider. I made a friend a few weeks prior to losing my apartment, and offered him floor space, which was all I had to offer at the time. Later, we became near bunk-mates at the mission, and he became unfairly critical of Mars Hill. He felt that they were not doing enough for the homeless community, a criticism I did not share. I cautioned him against being so vocal lest he be asked not to return. But sadly he would not hear my counsel, and did indeed get himself barred from the downtown campus. We remain friends and I have hope that he may turn away from his evil attitude toward our fellowship. For my part, I have been thoroughly blessed to be a small part of the fellowship at the Ballard, Shoreline, Downtown, and now the Wedgwood/Lake City campuses. I even went to West Seattle a time or two with said friend, on a service project. To those who have been my friends, with special emphasis toward a specific Green Lake community group, thank you for extending the Lord's grace toward me through some very hard times. Through all of my struggles in the last few years, the larger and wider community structure of the Mars Hill Church was there with me - supporting me in my continuing walk of faith."
"Recently, I found myself growing comfortable and perhaps a bit too complacent in my subsidized apartment in Bitter Lake. In February of 2008 I was evicted by the Seattle Housing Authority, and became homeless for the next couple of seasons until I was provisioned with my current home in a subsidized house in Wedgwood. Between these times, I received the privilege of working at the Bread of Life Mission for a few months as one of their residential volunteers. It was a fairly difficult experience for me. If you are not familiar with their program, it is structured for people with substance abuse issues. I did not suffer from the issues that often land men in the circumstance I was in and therefore was not initially welcomed into their community. But, an opportunity opened up to become a kitchen helper. From there I continued proving myself to be a faithful worker and was accepted into their community after once being seen as an outsider. I made a friend a few weeks prior to losing my apartment, and offered him floor space, which was all I had to offer at the time. Later, we became near bunk-mates at the mission, and he became unfairly critical of Mars Hill. He felt that they were not doing enough for the homeless community, a criticism I did not share. I cautioned him against being so vocal lest he be asked not to return. But sadly he would not hear my counsel, and did indeed get himself barred from the downtown campus. We remain friends and I have hope that he may turn away from his evil attitude toward our fellowship. For my part, I have been thoroughly blessed to be a small part of the fellowship at the Ballard, Shoreline, Downtown, and now the Wedgwood/Lake City campuses. I even went to West Seattle a time or two with said friend, on a service project. To those who have been my friends, with special emphasis toward a specific Green Lake community group, thank you for extending the Lord's grace toward me through some very hard times. Through all of my struggles in the last few years, the larger and wider community structure of the Mars Hill Church was there with me - supporting me in my continuing walk of faith."