URBAN FOOD SHARING MINISTRY
In a world with so much poverty and so many needs we wonder
if we are capable of making a difference. Worst
still, we become numb to the images we see on television or insensitive in our
attitude. We can choose not to see
what is in front of our eyes. It was once asked, “Who is my neighbour?” by a man who
wanted to know who he should show love towards.
Which one of us would refuse to help a friend in need? The challenge is to go further than that, and look for the
needs of everyone around us.
How should we respond when we see someone in need?
Should we remain cold, dispassionate and uncaring?
Of course not but it requires more than sympathy to make a difference.
We need to develop a heart and a compassion for the lost, a gut wrenching
emotional desire that compels us to take action.
Is that asking too much?
Are we really capable of that kind of emotion? Well let me introduce you to some people who have caught the
passion. Decide for yourself if
this is really worth it.
During the whole of August 1999 FGA church focused on
learning about the importance of Serventhood within the Community, out of this
came the Inner-city Ministry. October
1999 saw the start of a new ministry in Pudu K.L. A sizable group of people, mostly from FGA church and Youth
With A Mission K.L. stepped out into Pudu.
This is an old and densely populated area of K.L. a short walk from the
fine hotels and expensive restaurants of Bukit Bintang.
You could have been mistaken for thinking that the group had come to do
their Christmas shopping at Pudu Plaza, but the truth is they had come out of
obedience to meet the needs of the people on the streets.
The vision was to see people turn to God through showing
them kindness. Jesus didn’t spend
His time in palaces, wearing the finest clothes and jewellery, rubbing shoulders
with the rich and famous. Instead
he chose to spend time with the poor and needy.
The people he met were hungry, sick and thirsty both in body, mind and
spirit. If his ministry had been in
Malaysia instead of Israel what do you think he would have done?
Jesus commanded us to “Love our neighbours” he also said that when we
serve people who are in need we are serving Him.
So what sort of people do we help on the street?
Many are elderly and in need of friendship, many are jobless and
homeless, some are drug users, some street workers but all are desperately in
need of our love.
One of the greatest strengths of the ministry is that we
welcome anyone who wants to come and help, including members of different
churches and denominations. Through
this unity of people from different backgrounds, with different strengths,
working together, we are able to meet the many different needs.
There are always a good number of volunteers each Saturday, which makes
it possible for others to come when they can.
We do not take note of who hasn’t come; rather we welcome visitors and
additional helpers.
One of the helpers is Jennifer, when she first came she had
been touring South East Asia and had heard about the food sharing.
I asked her why she started coming, and what she has come to understand
about the ministry. Since joining the UFS ministry Jennifer has given her
life to the Lord and completed her CDTS. She has now returned to Canada to
spend time with her family.
So how does it all work…. who cooks the food, when do
they give it out? Lets take a look
at a typical Saturday.
The raw ingredients are bought as fresh as possible from a
local market. It’s important to
provide good food to give the people a balanced meal.
We normally get chicken or fish, rice and vegetables.
We start preparing the food at 9am on Saturday morning at
the YWAM house in Puchong. Four or
five kitchen volunteers come to help us. We
cook for about 120 people, that’s a lot of cabbage to chop, garlic to peel and
plenty of washing up to do. There
is always an experienced chef on hand.
It’s important that the volunteers come with the right
attitude and heart. Preparing and
cooking the food is not about giving up your time, it is to do with having an
attitude of servanthood to God. There
can be no room for pride or selfishness. People
have to come out of a desire to serve not an attitude of “I’m doing this for
you”.
Cooking is a lot of fun; there is excitement and a joy that
comes out of freely giving. It is
important to get the cooking right – too little salt and the honest eater will
let you know. We want them to taste
the blessing as well as the food. It’s
lovely to see that some of the people on the street are turning up early to give
us a hand.
We drive into K.L. with the food and meet up with other
volunteers at 2pm. There are four
teams who are aptly called; Patience, Joy, Peace and Faithfulness.
Each team has a core of committed people who come at least once a month
in rotation. It is the team leaders
responsibility to see that all the chairs and tables are set up correctly, and
the tarpaulins erected to provide shelter in case it rains.
These volunteers do it faithfully and willingly and this is where
teamwork can be seen at it’s best.
Once everything is set up we start to give out the drinks
and food. The people who come are
not expected to queue up for their food. Instead
the team gives the food to them as they sit.
We want them to feel as comfortable and welcome as possible but also to
show them that we are there to serve them.
Answering the physical need for food is just a basic
response, as each person will soon feel hungry again. However, over the course of the last year we have begun to
gain the trust of those that come. This
gives us the opportunity to sit and chat with them. Many just like to talk about their situations and we can
offer a sympathetic ear. Some come
with questions, seeking answers or help, others just for food.
At special times of the year we have given out parcels,
which included clothes, toothpaste, soap and many other things.
We have also had visits from youth groups and drama teams that came to
entertain the people as they ate.
Each week we also offer basic wound care to those who have
sores or open wounds. A few
volunteers who have first aid experience and understand the risks associated
with this kind of work do this.
I asked two of the men receiving wound care why they come
to the street.
They talked about how God had invited them.
They have someone to share with and people who will listen to what they
have to say. They loved the doctor
because the care is free. They
complained that when they go to a ‘normal’ doctor they get ripped off and
the medicine is no good. They said
that the doctor on the street gives them medicine that works really well,
‘super healing’. They also said
that they had been prayed for and the next day the pain had gone!
We will also respond by praying for anyone who seeks
council. We have found that this
often brings the most effective healing both physically and spiritually.
One of the ladies we were able to give help to was Ah Kam
she is now lives in a home called “My fathers house”. Lets hear how her life has been changed.
Ah Kam is 63 years old.
About one year ago a friend brought her to the street.
She was unemployed, living on the street and begging for money to feed
herself. Sometime before she had
lost her job working as a domestic in a nursing home.
Her only family is a younger sister who lives in Singapore.
She did not want to burden her with her problems.
The volunteers at the street greeted her warmly and
listened as she explained her difficulties.
Another volunteer from the local Chinese church offered to help her and
contacted My Father’s House. She
had a lot of pain in her knees and asked for prayer.
Afterwards she said that she had been healed! She had been to a Chinese church once before but she came to
know Christ’s love for her over a period of time.
Ah Kam has lived at My Fathers House for a year now
along with nine other elderly ladies. She
enjoys their company and has learnt a lot about how to pray.
She now attends a Chinese church every Saturday.
When asked about her future she said that she enjoyed being able to stay
at My Father’s House but most of all looks forward to the day when she will
see Jesus face to face!
A month after this interview with Ah Kam her desire to meet
the Lord was rewarded
At times we receive pleas for help from people in difficult
circumstances. It might be a simple
request for some clothes, or a lift to a hospital, but often it’s a desire to
change their way of life. If a drug
user shows a real desire to enter rehab we will do all we can to assist that
person to gain an interview and direct them towards a suitable centre.
We have recently opened a Ministry centre in Pudu open from
10am – 4pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, where people can come to wash and
change, and seek help during the week.
Finally the challenge;
