Jesus Lover of Souls
If my memory serves me correct, I must have known Pat and Vicki Conroy for more than nine years, since the Agape Street Ministry has now entered its ninth year of reaching out to the working women here in the Downtown Eastside. I remembered how inspired and encouraged I was when I first heard them spoke so passionately about how real and personal God’s Agape Love was for each one of us. Pat and Vicki’s message of being God’s holy ones also helped me to understand that I was set apart for God to fulfill His plans in my life. So when they asked me to pack candies to give to the working women, I gladly responded to the invitation.
I praise and thank God for the faithful and devoted candy packaging team who gathers every week for about four hours. Some have stayed in this Ministry since it first started; one volunteer who began with us have gone home with the Lord; others have come and gone. All came because the Lord has put in their hearts a love and compassion for the women on the streets.
We always start our packaging with prayers asking God to bless this ministry and all its needs. We remember by name the women who were having their birthdays that day. We pray for deep healing, protection, and the opening of the hearts of the women to Jesus’ love for them. We pray for the conversion and healing of the men who use and abuse these women. We intercede for the inmates at the Pacific Institution and Regional Treatment Centre in Abbotsford as they too lift our Ministry up to the Lord.
While packaging the candies, we are ever mindful of the plight of
these dear sisters on the streets. At three o’clock in the afternoon,
we pause briefl y to pray the Divine
Mercy Chaplet for the working women and other concerns we may have.
We endeavour to work in harmony and in the joy of the Lord - listening
or singing spiritual songs as
instructed by St. Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Colossians.
It has been very rewarding for me as a candy packager with Agape
and I would encourage anyone out there to pray and discern if God
is calling you to help in this
way. We are always in need of more candy wrappers. As Our Lord says:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. So ask
the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest.”
Th e work is relatively simple and easy but the spiritual significance
is of paramount importance. Without the candies, there would be no
Agape Street Ministry.
Once again, I thank Pat and Vicki for giving me this opportunity and privilege to serve Jesus Christ and the Agape Street Ministry in the candy packaging team.
Come Holy Spirit, send revival to your people and to the Downtown Eastside!
Mary, our Lady of the Streets, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.
Blessed Kateri Tekwawitha, pray for us.
~ Maria, a volunteer
