Passing it On

This is Patience.  We built her and her sisters  some beds.  She sensed the rightness in it all; now she is helping us build beds for others (Heather and Kirby).

Kiby’s New Bed

An Open Letter to Kirby

Hello Kirby:

I am looking forward to delivering your bed.  I will watch you help us set it up; I anticipate your smile as you lay on it for the first time.  My hope is that we will leave you with more than just a comfortable bed.  My prayer is that each night, as you lay in your warm bed, you will remember that God and his goodness have come to you. 

You see, Kirby, although there is evil, hate, and violence in this world, there is a network of goodness out there, too.  You can see this goodness around you if you look carefully.  Many people helped to build and pay for your bed because it was a good thing to do.  God’s love moved in the hearts of these strangers to show you that he loves you.  I hope that you will remember this at times when you are afraid, lonely, or sad.   

Thank you for letting us come into your home and visit with you.  You are helping us learn to be part of this love and goodness.  God’s love motivated us to do this little thing for you.  Meeting you helps us experience and understand God better.  My desire is that this simple act of kindness will help you, too, experience and understand God better, and that God will move in your heart to show kindness to others.

Sleep well and godspeed, Kirby.

Kirby’s Bed Done

Let’s deliver Kirby’s bed Sunday.

Update on Rachael and her boys

Hey Mark,

Talked to Rachael tonight. She said she’s in need of beds for herself and her three boys, and that she’d prefer a full-size bed if we happen to come by one. I think they’d be happy to receive any other furniture/housewares we could give them as well, and she mentioned kitchenware specifically, pots, pans, etc. From what I gathered, she works evenings until 11pm, but she said she’s off during the morning on Thursday and Friday, so I said we could meet at 11:30am on Friday. Do you think that you or anyone else would be able to take lunch and go with me?

Peace,
Nathan

Fundraising opportunity

The Bed Project continues to come across bloody bodies (as Mark likes to put it) along the side of the road.  We’ve mentioned before that we don’t have enough resources to meet all the needs we see.  So, will you join us and help us bandage some of the bloody bodies we want to help? TBP has begun a fundraising opportunity using the Kroger Fundraising Gift Cards.  If you shop at Kroger, this should be really easy!  Here’s how you can help TBP meet some needs in our community:

 

1.      Acquire a gift card from Linda Edwards or Becky Lloyd.

2.      Load (recharge) your gift card – either at guest services or at the register inside the store. NOTE: If you recharge your card at the register and use your card to pay for your purchases, please ask the cashier to recharge the card BEFORE your purchases are rung. The gift card recharge must be done as a SEPARATE TRANSACTION.  The maximum recharge amount is $500.

3.      You can purchase all merchandise from Kroger including fuel and prescriptions! (Exceptions are services – money orders, Western Union, postage stamps, lottery tickets, or another Kroger gift card.)

4.      If you let your card reach a zero balance, and it remains there for 90 days, the card will expire.  Once it expires, it will then need to be replaced with a new card from Linda. An expired card cannot be re-activated. So, don’t let your card reach a zero balance.  Please keep money loaded on your card.  But, be careful.  Once you load your card with money, don’t lose it.  It’s like walking around with cash.

 

Once TBP account reaches $5000 in charges, we’ll receive a 5% rebate in the form of a check.  It’s a win-win situation.  Supporters of TBP can pick up groceries, prescriptions and buy gas and TBP receives funds to help those in need with beds and others necessities.  (And, Kroger doesn’t do too badly, either.)

Thank you in advance for helping us help others!

The Bed Project Team

 

 

Hello Network of Compassion People:

We (The Bed Project) have come across some bloody bodies along the side of the road.  We are bandaging up as many as we can.  As we do this, we have noticed a few more.  We don’t have enough resources right now to meet all the needs we see.  We will continue to do our best, but we know how the wind of the Spirit blows in the kingdom, so we throw these needs into that wind and watch.

 

• William is a homeless man we met last night under the bridge.  His son was one of two recently killed in Pine Bluff.  He is in need of some dress clothes to wear to his son’s funeral this weekend.  I told him I would put the word out and bring him what I can Thursday night.  He could use some dress slacks (38 waist, 30 length), socks and underwear, dress shirt (2-3X), and size 12 dress shoe.  A jacket would also be nice.
• Heather and her 11-year-old son Kirby just moved out of a battered women’s shelter into her own apartment.  All they have is a couch and a chair, which they have been sleeping in.   We were able to get them two new twin mattresses with linen to sleep in while we make them some beds.  We could use two twin box springs.  They also could use any type of kitchenware.
• We got a call from the Women and Children First agency (battered women’s shelter) the other day.  A mother, Rachel, and her three children, Dasmine, Kyron, and Treshawn (10, 9, 8 years old), just moved from the shelter to transitional housing and are in need of beds (mother and kids).  We could use some donated mattresses or beds that are in good shape, particularly a full or queen size for the mother.  We could use some help with financing the materials and building the beds.

 

If you want to help in any way through a donation or helping us build the beds, give us a shout.   

Grace and Peace,

Mark and The Bed Project people

TBP in Action (and Contemplation)

Last Thursday night, we delivered a newly built bunk bed to Faith and Patience (see their picture below).  Their family of seven lost all their belongings in a house fire.  The Bed Project had delivered a bunk bed to their younger sisters (see them in their beds below)  about a month before.  Their names reflected how they had waited.    

It took us about 90 minutes to put the bed together.  Our friend, Chris, had helped us build the beds and this was his first time delivering a bed to a family.  There was a moment that busy evening when both halves of what the Bed Project is all about came together.

We had just finished building and stacking the beds.  Faith and Patience were excitingly making up the beds.  I was standing next to Chris and we were looking at the beds and watching the girls.  Chris had this reflective look on his face and said, as if to himself, “This is good.”  I looked at Chris and smiled.  I thought I knew what he was experiencing, but I wanted to check.  So, I whispered to him, “What is good, Chris?”  Absorbed in the moment, Chris did not answer the question, confirming what I thought.  I shared in that moment with Chris.

We desire and seek after moments like this, moments when we are able to drop down into our hearts and sense the rightness and goodness that comes from the God of compassion.  God’s grace and intentional, well-directed effort came together in a mystical balance at that moment.  Chris stopped to help apply some bandages on the bloody guy he came across on the side of the road and, in doing so, he caught a glimpse of God acting, of His kingdom.

A small injustice was corrected.  The kingdom was experienced.  Let’s talk about that.  Let’s do it again.

Bed number…what number is this?…is done

The bed for Faith and Patience is done.

Let’s not lose sight of what this means for the kids.  Last Friday night, Lora and Adam had a cook out and invited Omega’s family.  All 10 of the kids came over and we roasted marshmallows over the fire and made smores.  I told Faith that we should have her bed done this week.  She said with a broad smile, “I can’t wait.” 

Thanks to all who helped make this happen.  We can’t do this without all of us.

Let’s build a bed for these two next

A house fire took all they had.  They are sleeping on the floor.