The life of an unpaid intern...

I left stranded (see last post) a little bit early to drive the 6 hours back here to Denver for the beginning of my internship with Open Door Ministries. The first thing we did when we got here was to learn a dance number for a person's going away party... cool. The next morning as interns we had to set up for the 5K fundraiser. I just spend a week in the wilderness and then I have to get up at 5AM to set up tents and ring cow bells? ...cool. Let me explain to you what I do on a day to day basis. Two other intern and I are the Urban Missions Interns. So basically we have groups come in and stay with us as we teach them about the city. We teach them about homelessness and encourage them to go and love on them in the downtown streets of Denver. We teach about gentrification and the affects it has. We lead them on a prayer walk and help to open their eyes to the darkness that happens on Colfax. That at night street corners become territory and motels and always rent by the hour. They even get a few lessons on humility. That's what we do now let me tell you about my life. I live with 7 others girls in a house with 2 bathrooms. I love it buts its not always easy. As an unpaid intern we do anything and everything with a humble heart. All for the glory of the Lord. Last weeks we weeded along side our group we had in for 3 days in a row. Now this is not typical for a missions trip, and at first I was appalled that what we were doing. Then I learned it had a purpose to further the Kingdom. Now let me tell you a few stories.

The first two Sundays I was here I spend the night in our church watching over sleeping homeless women so they could sleep well in order to go and face life the next day. It is really cool, its called "women's homeless initiative" google it! To hear the stories of some of these women would change your life and the way you think. Let me also tell you a story that literally just happened to me right before I walked into the house. I was walking back from church eating my PB&J sandwich for dinner when a lady pulls up next to me and tells me she needs help. At first I thought she just wanted directions but as I got closer to the car she had a panicked look on her face. She proceeded to tell me a long story about how her mother just died and how her sister had downs and would only get into a purple cab but she didn't have enough money for a cab because she was locked out of her house. She told me that she owned a house in the area and had a job and I could call the hospital, her job, anything, she just needed $20. I gave it to her and she said that she had to pay it back. While her whole story didn't add up, most of it did, and I'm impressed if she made the whole thing up. Now, I don't usually just give money to people, in fact this might have been the first time. But I did because when the Lord tells you to do something, you better do it! I will never see that lady again in my life and the money I gave her is now in the hands of the Lord. One last story for you. As part of our program we send out groups into the streets to talk with people. As interns we figured we better go to one of the worst possible places they could find when we sent them out. We went to civic center park. This park is right across the stress from the capital. One thing you will find when you interact with these people in the park is they start the conversation. It was me, another girl, and a guy. The first people to speak to us was a black guy and a Mexican guy who claimed to be brothers. They asked what we wanted to buy. We told them nothing and we just wanted to get to know our city. Then we were accused of being undercover cops because we had nice teeth. Then they asked if we were from the church... they knew that people like us did not just hang out in places like that. That day we didn't share Jesus with anyone, we just loved our neighbors. The things I saw in that park shocked me, every kind of drug was being bought and sold there, it was crazy, and there were people that I would not want to see in a dark ally alone late at night. But hey, I live downtown. When I says that I live downtown I mean, I live in the hood. I can't count the number of homeless people I pass by and interact with everyday. I can't tell you how many times I want to gag from the things I smell. I hear sirens by the hour. I don't walk any place alone. I carry a backpack instead of a purse because danger is a real thing. I carry with me granola bars so I can give food instead of money. I now even carry a lighter because people love their smokes but don't always have a lighter. I am in the heat of the battle, and my heart will remain heavy for the entire summer. I will live day by day relying on the Lord to get me thought the heart break and darkness I see and experience. But all the awhile I love where God has placed me for the summer!