My First Walk with Agape

Dear Agape,

Thank you for providing my first opportunity to serve with your Ministry on Saturday night. It was definitely one of the most moving experiences I have had in recent memory. I had the pleasure to share the walk with Dan & Sharon Dobin and Jeannie Lalonde. They are so spiritually grounded and caring people that they set the proper context for our work that night.

Armed with bags and bags of Christmas presents as well as snacks and treats in addition to the Agape candy bags, we set out on our route. If we had encountered a woman we did not know about Agape, we would explain our purpose for being out here- to support the working girls. We would give each girl a bag of candy, some treats, and a present. Initially, when we would offer the present to the girl we had met, she would say, "No, I don't need it". After talking to her for a few minutes, she would say, "Maybe I will take it. You know, I wasn't planning of having any Christmas; but now maybe I will with this present." You could see her choking back the tears, as bittersweet emotion peeked through as the tough shell of from being on the street started to crack.

I was quite surprised, as were my fellow teammates, at how readily the women responded to me, a young man, a stranger, in a motorized scooter. Often overjoyed at receiving a bag of chips or cookies, they would give me a big hug or even a kiss in appreciation for the treat they received.

I also gained an appreciation for the many challenges and dilemmas faced by women on the street. One woman was so high on drugs that she was completely oblivious to the world around her. We gave tied her present to her hand in a bag so that when she comes down, she will hopefully find her Christmas gift. Another woman was making a New Year's resolution to get into detox so she could see her 10-year-old boy. She also told us that she was planning to put her son up for adoption so that he could have a good home and be out of the government services system. We prayed with one transgendered individual who had bought her bus ticket home to Thunder Bay, Ontario, for Christmas. We prayed for a safe journey and that her family would accept her.

I'm having a really difficult time putting all my emotions down in words because they are so overwhelming. Perhaps the best way I could describe my feelings is great empathy for the women and the challenges that they face out on the streets every night. Even though I had a lot of intellectual knowledge about life on the streets, the experience of being with the women on the street was something I had never expected. The walk has definitely helped me realize how truly needed services are for people on the streets and how truly blessed we are for the dedicated volunteers of Agape who minister to these people. I look forward to walking again soon and to minister to those in our community who, although they need the most assistance, they give back so much more to me spiritually than they would know.