by Felicia Uhm

In July 2019, 35 adults and children of all ages had the privilege of serving those experiencing homelessness in the Tenderloin district. It was just a little taste of Jesus’ incarnational ministry here on earth.

Jesus had the ultimate experience of homelessness — he left his home in the Kingdom of God, left his position and title as the Son of God and the King of Kings to live on earth. He experienced no shelter, no community, no comforts, completely vulnerable as a baby and needing others to take care of Him. He relied on His earthly parents for His daily bread and His Heavenly Father to sustain Him of His mission on earth with spiritual truths in His living Word.

Perhaps you and I are all “homeless” as well. We are all experiencing homelessness no matter what physical surroundings and comforts we’re in. We all have the same poverties of life –

Not feeling like we belong to a loving community
Not being heard
Not being known
Not having our story told

Being hungry for belonging
Being thirsty for safety
Being “addicted” to luxuries in life
Pining for connection
Wanting to be heard
Needing to share

We are all the same. Regardless of backgrounds, education, experiences…we are all sinners — all in need of the only Savior who can truly save.

All the small acts we did in the Tenderloin district — serving hot chocolate, serving a sack lunch or a sit down meal, cleaning the stores for the owners, interceding for the neighborhood, for the massage parlors, listening to stories of people’s lives —these small acts are seeds that will bring fruit. Small acts done with great love will bring lasting Kingdom results. We’re honored to have participated in a small way and partnered with YWAM SF this year. Our lives are touched and changed; may everyone’s lives that we met be changed forever too!