I received a message from a staff member this week that read:
“I have come to the bank in the plaza near my house multiple times and have met new faces of those who are from the San Pedro community who have received some government help and are needing to withdrawal their support from the ATM but have no idea how. They have waited, some for hours, until someone shows up that they know they can trust. This is my second occasion as of late when I arrived in my MARKED t-shirt where I have been approached, asking for help. The part worth mentioning is that these people only know us by our (MARKED) name. We have never met prior. But simply because they saw my shirt, they felt safe. Being present day by day in San Pedro has created a reputation that even if our paths never crossed prior, we are safe and they can trust us knowing that we are for them and we desire to help.”
There is something so special and so important about the safety of presence. There is something so significant and powerful when you are reminded that even if they are not apart, they are watching. That how we choose to love daily, echos throughout all eternity. Our prayer as a staff is that with every person that we meet, they would feel known, safe, loved and protected. That they would encounter the ONE who holds peace, love, and authority. That their lives would be transformed simply by encountering Love.