As mentioned in the previous post, Jonny and Arielle took charge of a group of students and their leaders who had come to YWAM Tyler for their Spring Break. Their desire was to serve our campus and the city of Tyler, and we had a busy week laid out for them. This group consisted of 17 students and four youth leaders from the Oklahoma church, Servant's Heart Fellowship.

 On Monday, March 15, we drove the students to an old Post Office now housing the East Texas Rescue Mission for men. Several tasks lay ahead of us that day: cleaning the center, organizing a clothing room, sanitizing mattresses, and preparing lunch for over 100 people. Wasting no time, the students spread out through the building, sorting men's clothing, cooking meat and soup in the kitchen, or picking up bottles of sanitizer. A couple hours later, a delicious lunch was served consisting of soup, turkey, carrots, and bread. It was quickly consumed by the hungry students and members of the Mission. After lunch we went to work organizing a storage attic full to overflowing with bags of men's, women's, and children's clothing, toys, and miscellaneous items.

 The director of the Mission shared that 500+ meals are served every day to men and women of the Tyler area. Some men are permanent residents while others only come for a shower, a hot meal, and a place to sleep for the night. The permanent residents are part of a year-long discipleship program that the Mission offers. One program attendee, Tony, explained that while he had been in the program for nine months, some men leave the Mission soon after starting the discipleship classes, either preferring the life they had on the streets or because they are too addicted to some substance to stay committed. 

Once they have had a chance to clean up, a chapel service is given each night at the Mission, ministering to the men who live on the streets of Tyler. The services each night are given by a different preacher from the Tyler church community. Upon hearing this, we were greatly encouraged, realizing that the church is aiding these men in their places of need, both spiritually and physically.

To learn more about the East Texas Rescue Mission, follow this link: http://www.etrescuemission.org/