June 2012 Newsletter

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Couch & Internet Surfing

Surfing has taken on new meaning. Kenneth was couch surfing, that is, going from couch to couch or the homes of family and friends as it worked out for a place to live. He was also internet surfing, going from website to website looking at job postings. He found his job through a private site that lists jobs and items for sale. He surfed couches and the net, but had no means of surfing a ride to potential employers for an interview or to go to work. He had landed in the good home of a relative, but it was too remote. He needed to be able to walk, ride a bike or take the bus from a central location. So he came into town to live at the Mission. Kenneth said, “Three weeks later, I got a job cooking in a restaurant while living at the Mission.”

Kenneth is pictured here cooking hamburgers for dinner at the Mission. He is used to restaurant style cooking, not being homeless. When the paycheck is not enough or not there at all to cover the rent, most Americans, like Kenneth, have a safety net of family and friends to catch them from falling into homelessness. Sometimes the safety net breaks or only holds together for so long. Sometimes the rent is paid by a mutual rent fund of roommates sharing the expense. When even one fails to pay his or her part, the rest suffer, or they are all put out of their home. Kenneth was paying more than his fair share of the rent, not able to save much. He wanted out. He invested the last of his money to repair a trusted friend’s car. They were going to share the car and an apartment, until that friend chose another roommate. His investment went bust, putting him on the street a couple nights. Then he went to a new job and home with relatives that did not pan out either. He surfed to other relatives unemployed, ending up at the Mission.

Kenneth is a Christian. He said, “The Mission has some good chapel preachers. The messages have been addressing exactly what I have been asking God to the point of wondering if they have a microphone on me. It’s not a coincidence that God is using the preachers through His Spirit.” Kenneth is truly perceiving the conviction of the Holy Spirit, convinced of the Lord’s presence, aware of his conscience telling him what is right, admitting the Gospel Truth, understanding the Lord’s commands, reflecting on the path his own life has gone.

Hopefully, this whole experience has put on end to his couch surfing days!