The constant hum of traffic on the freeway is above us, occasionally startling us when a truck thumps over that crack and the ground shakes. Gotta find another place, try to take enough to get to sleep and leave enough to take the edge off in the morning. Hope sleep comes before the thoughts of wondering why we are here and what is wrong with us and if anything will ever change. The traffic hums, the ground shakes.
At Wild Hope Street Youth Outreach, we believe that God knows and loves and is reaching out to everyone--even the freaky people who hang out under bridges and in back alleyways, who block sidewalks and make us uncomfortable. We are an unlikely group of people who go out in twos or maybe threes, to sit, talk, and be with young people who are living on the streets, or maybe inside but still living close to street life. We hand out socks, nutrition bars, toothbrushes, and other things that make life a little easier. Some people welcome the chance to talk; some will have questions or observations about God. Others don’t, and we respect that. Sometimes we just sit and pray. We see each encounter as a sacramental moment.
“GOD BREATHE on me, i need to feel the warmth of love that does not steal. JESUS SPEAK to me, i need to hear a voice that does not crush. FATHER COMFORT me, i need to be held by someone who cares.” — By Steve M., a street ministry leader in Phoenix.
For more information, contact Tim Wagner at 503-235-6802 or