"Late Night Motels" Inner City Flint Street Ministry

The mission last night started out simple. We climbed into a vehicle with a couple of friends, and a purpose. We had a tote of snacks, notes, and hygiene products. We had a bag of waters and a few bags packed with a dozen sack lunches.

We first set out to check on the homeless hot spots, at least 4 different locations. Because of the recent weather, the normal congregation areas were vacant, so we moved on.

We skipped over a few towns and found ourselves "not in Kansas" anymore. We hit the streets of inner city Flint. We cruised through parking lots of run down motels, looking for open doors, and neon lights, a sure sign of solicitation.

We came to feed and tend to some basic needs (hand out personal hygiene bags) of a vulnerable population. What we saw, heard and felt, broke our hearts.

Women, and even children, can be found in motel rooms, alley ways, vehicles, behind dumpsters, in tents, scrapped trailers and burnt out buildings. We even found a semi trailer with steps leading to the back door, at a motel where you can't rent rooms, and a sign taped to the window saying, "Registered Guests Only DON'T ASK."

We prayed outloud with pimps, who approached our vehicle in the lot. We prayed that God would stir their hearts and they would make good decisions. Then we fed them a meal, because Jesus loves them too.

We visited a restaurant to pray with a mother. We had been out looking for her daughter, but didn't see her. The team won't stop looking for her.

After the mission, we climbed into warm comfy beds, tears streaking our cheeks. Every time we woke up in the night, those women were on our minds and the voices of those children we couldn't shake. All we could do was ask Father to keep them safe.

Our friends have faithfully been serving this community of forgotten people for several years. They have been directly impacted by the streets, so they have a passion to minister to the lost there. One care contact, one prayer, one meal, one hygene kit at a time, they are making a real difference.

Compelled to make a difference too? Contact Blind Faith Ministries or Millstone Ministries to find out how. You can even donate directly to Matison's Love Bags.

www.millstoneministrymi.com