March 25, 2025 • 48 mins
The journey from living under a bridge to leading others toward hope isn’t just a story—it’s Jacob Harmon’s reality. Now the Assistant Director of Men’s Services at Topeka Rescue Mission, Jacob once arrived at TRM seeking relief from the summer heat after living in a tent. What he found was a program that rewrote his life, transforming his world from black and white to color through faith. Now, sitting at the same desk where he once received help, he serves with a singular hope: that people remember not his name, but the love of Jesus Christ.
Joined by TRM leaders Christian Stringfellow, Deputy Director of Shelter Services, and Mick Ballinger, Director of Men's Services, this episode explores the deeper mission behind their work—offering more than shelter, but true transformation. Operating much like an emergency room, their team handles crises, mental health struggles, and behavioral challenges with both skill and compassion. As CEO LaManda Cunningham puts it, “The heart can’t be taught,” and these leaders embody both heart and faith. Jacob’s journey is a powerful testament to the hope and purpose that can emerge from even the darkest places—a reminder that every person has the potential to step into a life filled with renewed color and purpose.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dear Holy Father, we thank you, Lord, for this day
and your blessings.
God, Again, thank you for thistime to record this podcast.
Lord, thank you for our awesomeguests that we have today and,
Lord, just the work that they'redoing within the mission.
Lord, we pray that you blessthis time and Lord just bless
all of our listeners that hearit today.
Lord, in your holy name, wepray, Amen.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everybody Listening to Our Community, Our
Mission, a podcast of the TopekaRescue Mission on Tuesday,
march 25th of 2025, episodenumber 261.
This is your host today, barryFeeker, with the CEO of Topeka
Rescue Mission, lamandaCunningham.
Good morning, good morning,that's a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I was going to say you need like one or two breaths
in between all of that.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I do, I do.
I didn't stutter this time,which is really good.
So, lamanda, what we can say isthat it's beautiful outdoors.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
I know it's just.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We're in that beautiful time of the year.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Warming centers are over now I was going to say
don't say WC.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
WC no.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
No more warming centers, no WC.
It's like a bad word now it is.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I was just talking to someone the other day and they
said something about it beingcold and it was like in the 40s.
I'm like you don't understandcold, you don't know cold.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
That's right.
Well, Amanda, we've got somegreat guys to talk to today.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
We've been highlighting some of the
different work of Topeka RescueMission and some staff members,
but, of course, for those whoare avid listeners to our
community, our mission, we havethe special important things
that we need to talk about,which are on this date.
And you haven't had a chance tolook at the sheet.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
yet I haven't.
No, and I was trying to look,but Christian's hoarding it over
there.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, so Christian's got it over there.
He'll help you out if youreally need to.
So on March 25th of every year,there are mainly three things
that we want to focus on, andtoday is Tolkien Reading Day.
Tolkien Reading Day.
That's not Token Reading Day,it's Tolkien for J-R-R Tolkien.
You know that, don't?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
mistake it.
We're talking like the bestauthor of all time, the goat,
the goat the goat.
Why is he the goat the greatestof all time?
I?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
know.
Okay, so yes, so yes.
So we have just a lot of fansaround the country, around the
world.
You're kind of like, who isthis guy?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, you know I probably shouldn't admit that,
but I'm not a huge reader.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Shame, I know.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
All right, this is a problem with our education
system.
We have a formal two-timeprincipal double master degree
educator.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I know who doesn't read books.
Listen, you asked me aboutelementary books.
Who's craning down?
I could probably answer all ofthem, but no.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
All right.
So a lot of different, amazingthings that were written to take
people out of reality, but alsoreflecting reality.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's my daily job, barry.
Yeah, so you don't need to readabout that, that's right.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Okay, so maybe you get this one.
It is National Medal of HonorDay today on the 25th of March.
Okay, national Medal of Honor.
What do we know about medals ofhonor?
Like a lot of people get them,or very few people get them, or-
.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Very few people get them.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, it's prestigious In the history of
them being given out.
3,468 people to date have beengiven them.
This is for valor of the mostcourageous service men and women
who've done things to fight fortheir country, save others.
Call of duty there are onlythree branches of the armed
services that give out the Medalof Honor.
Do you know what they are?
(03:19):
No, okay, I didn't either.
Army, navy, air Force.
So what happens to the MarineCorps and the Coast Guard?
They get to join the Navy.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Okay, all right, you offended somebody, don't tell
them hey, you know what's right?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I had three fathers okay.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
One was a Navy man one was an Airborne man and one
was Army, so I'm pretty wellyeah, um, I was just thinking
right below that medal of ourmedal of honor honor.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
yeah, yes, sorry, um is our sleeves.
Faith with our sleeves rolledup rewards.
Now I'm stuttering.
I did good the last time andnow it's on you.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But I was just thinking our TRM award.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
It's right below that right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Well, kind of yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Although I've given more out in the three years I've
been in this position than youdid in almost 40.
Because it used to be special,it is special, it is still
special.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I just am more generous than you?
Yeah, you're very generous.
You haven't given out 3,468.
Okay, giving out 3,468.
Okay, moving on to the last one, it's International Waffle Day.
International Waffle.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Day.
Okay, so people like waffles,right, love waffles.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Do you like waffles?
You know, I like French toastbetter Of course you do.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It's more sugary.
Well, it's just softer, nicer,fluffier.
But I'll tell you what, whatmost people don't know there is
a religious connection toNational Waffle Day.
Did you know that?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I think you're lying.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Okay, well, no, the Research and Development
Department gave this informationto me and I just think it's
amazing.
So for all of you who areSwedish out there, so there is a
National Waffle Day, isWaffledagen Day.
Waffledagen Day, but it's veryclose to the announcement of the
angel Gabriel coming to talkabout Mary and being the virgin
(05:10):
birth was coming to announce itto Mary.
So it was a war, what?
Warfudigen?
Warfudigen, which is likewaffle doggin, okay.
So they kind of get it mixed upa little bit.
So National Waffle Day and theannouncement of the virgin birth
are kind of similar.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I almost feel like that's a little bit of blasphemy
.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I know, I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
For all Catholic friends out here.
It's the research anddevelopment department.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
We're sorry and the speaker rescue mission comes up
with this kind of stuff.
So we are totally disclaimingright here.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But anyway, I I love waffles, yes, but it has to have
peanut butter on it and syrupfor the protein you know, yeah,
but I love waffles and crunchy.
I can't do soft.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's gross.
I don't know if your OCDwaffles are a problem because
you've got to fill every one ofthose little spots I do.
Okay, those are your.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
OCD.
Okay, the more the better.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
And I prefer crunchy peanutbutter, which then really messes
with my OCD, because I reallyneed a nut and everything, but
anyways, we won't go there.
Wow, okay, some fake waffles.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
It's really bad.
First time ever listening toour community.
This is the group therapysession.
Times that people can kind oflet it down a little bit before
we get into the series.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
You wouldn't know that about me, though.
If you looked at my officeright now, it looks like a
tornado has gone through it, butI do have some OCD tendencies.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, it's necessary to be the CEO of Speaker Rescue
Mission, so you've got to be onyour game, that's right.
So for those who actually tunedin to be able to listen to
what's going on at the Speaker.
Rescue Mission.
Thank you for staying with ushere on March 25th of 2025.
We've got some great guys here,amanda.
We have Christian Stringfellow,who is Deputy Director of
(06:49):
Shelter and Services andOutreach.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, I mean, he's okay, he's okay.
The other two are great, he'sokay.
No, he's great too.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Christian, I want to hammer on you.
We had you here the other daywhen we were talking about the
Hope Center.
Today we're going to be talkingabout men's services here, but
you're rolling up on ananniversary.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Is it today, tomorrow , tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
You don't remember those things?
Huh, tomorrow, yep, tomorrow,you know what?
Speaker 5 (07:17):
tomorrow is.
It's a song.
It's been 10 years.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Quite seriously, it's been 10 years, 10 years since
you have been on staff at TopekaRescue Mission.
That's a milestone,congratulations.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah so, but does that include your internship
here?
Speaker 5 (07:33):
No Before that.
Okay, no, my internship was inAugust of 2014.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
2014.
Okay.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
From.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Washburn University social work how long did that
internship last Universitysocial work.
How long did that internship?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
last.
So that internship lasted untilI started here on March 26th of
2015.
So I was actually able toconvert my internship into a job
and then carry out the rest ofmy internship while employed.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
So about 11 years of familiarity with Topeka Rescue
Mission yeah, but even beforethat you have a legacy here at
Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Do you remember that?
Well, you know what I rememberof that mostly was my
grandmother and grandfatherkidnapping me on a Sunday
afternoon with buckets of icecream and then bringing us down
to the dining hall and then theywould serve ice cream.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, yeah, well, little do we know what God has
in store.
But Christian's grandmother,anna, was my first executive
assistant.
She was a volunteer back in thedays when we were in the old
old rescue mission building anddidn't have anything, and Anna
was very instrumental in helpingus to figure out ways to raise
money for a brand new rescuemission.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
What a lady.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
What a lady.
Yes, she was a character, yeah,she was.
And so I remember the firsttime I met you and you don't,
and you were in a stroller.
Nope, I don't remember that youdon't remember that.
But I said I know where he'sgoing to be.
No, you didn't, no you didn't.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
He prophesied over your life.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I've done all these things, so you're to blame,
that's right.
So, christian, introduce yourtwo guys here today.
We've got into your storybefore.
We want to hear about Mick andJacob here a bit, but introduce
them and what they do.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
Yeah, so we've got Mick Ballinger.
He is our Director of Men'sServices, so he oversees the
daily operations and functionsof the men's shelter as well as
supervises them at the men'sshelter team.
In order for him to do that jobwell, he really needs a good,
solid assistant.
And so fortunately he has thatin Jacob Harmon.
(09:40):
So Jacob Harmon is theassistant director of men's
shelter services.
Together they kind of carry apretty heavy load.
So there's, you know, betweenthe two of them.
One of them is on call 24-7,handling all the calls and just
concerns or needs of the men'sshelter, and so I was actually
(10:01):
just going through some metricshere looking at timeframes when
incident reports happen, and sothere are quite a few that
happen during the day, but evenmore that happen in the evenings
.
And just right behind it,depending on its heels, is third
shift or the night shift, whenyou say incident reports for our
listeners.
(10:21):
What does that mean?
So incident reports are usuallywritten whenever there is an
incident that needs to berecorded, and so that can be a
medical emergency where someoneneeds to be.
We're calling and coordinatingwith AMR for someone to be
picked up and taken to thehospital because there's
something emergent there, or, orit could be, um, a mental
(10:43):
health crisis.
It could be, you know, also aviolation of policies or a
behavioral issue, all differentkinds of things.
And so, uh, whenever thosethings kind of take place, those
are kind of emergencies thatneed uh, handled and managed
effectively and then also asgently as possible, and they
have an incredible team thatdoes that.
But then that team also needsdirection and that team needs
(11:08):
some guidance.
And so these are the guys thatare taking those calls at 2, 3
o'clock in the morning to givesome direction and support to
those teams that a lot of timesit's just a guy or two guys.
They're managing a buildingfull of people.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It's kind of like an emergency room in a hospital, in
a way that people that come inthey're in a crisis and
emergency, and some people thinkthat, um, um, if you're going
to have a homeless shelter, youjust need to have a place where
people go in and they lay downand get a shower and leave the
next morning.
And it's much more than that,isn't it?
Oh?
Speaker 5 (11:38):
yeah, yeah, it's um.
You take 120, you and guys arekind of an interesting creature.
They stink.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Almost as much as women are yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Well, actually women are a whole different breed.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
No comment.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It's something else.
Well, it's because there'sseveral of us in here and one of
her will say they're adifferent species.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
But, you know, god knew what he was doing when he
made us different.
But, um, you get a bunch ofguys in space and there's just a
whole level of different thingsthat happen.
Yeah, everybody wants their way, everybody wants to be the top
dog, and then, um, you have alldifferent kinds of things that
happen, and people still want todo what they want to do, and
even regardless of the buildingthat they're in.
(12:25):
And so, um, really it can, itis quite the uh, is quite the
act of keeping this placefunctioning?
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Unfortunately, no, that ever happens in the women's
shelter.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Hope so.
No, absolutely not Peacefulthere Well.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Nick, uh, we've talked to you before on the
podcast.
Here, mick and and uh got alittle bit of your story, but
kind of recap us.
How long have you been here nowand stepping into this position
, what does it mean to you to beas Christian kind of laid out?
It's kind of like an emergencyroom.
There's any kind of crisis thatcan happen any time.
You've got 120-plus men in theshelter.
(13:00):
So how did you get here and howlong have you been?
Speaker 4 (13:07):
here and what is it like to be in your position?
So I've been here, not quitetwo years, I believe.
Next month is two years.
Going on two years.
So I came from a correctionalconstruction background, Just
wasn't fulfilling thosepositions I thought I was, but
God had something different forme.
So I learned to take my desiresand hand them over to God and
let God's will take place in mylife.
(13:29):
So, as far as being the directorof the men's shelter, there's
times you want to cry andthere's times you are overjoyed.
The success stories, the oneswalking through the front door,
not knowing the background, notknowing what's going on in their
life or what they've beenthrough, just seeing them
(13:52):
succeed, get stable, justcontinuing to work with the ones
that sometimes you just go, youknow, is it really worth the
time to keep doing it?
But it is.
You know, God continues to workwith us every day.
God continues to show us graceevery day.
So just being able to be inthat place, to show that grace
that God blesses us with andworks through us to, you know,
the ones that keep coming back,they're coming back for a reason
.
At first you might not knowwhat it is, but just over time,
(14:15):
over time, over time.
When you start building thatrapport and that trust with them
and they start trusting moreand they start opening up more,
the conversations that don'tseem like they're ever going to
happen actually take place.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And you're just like, wow, this is so.
Those would give you joy.
Yes, when somebody wasn'tnecessarily looking like they
were going to make it, andthings start happening.
And of course, we're going tohear from Jacob here for a
minute.
There's some of the story there, but what breaks your heart,
mick?
You?
Speaker 4 (14:46):
know you said that some things give you great joy
and some things make you want tocry.
What breaks your heart aboutthis kind of work?
I think what breaks your heartis when you get the guys in and
you start establishing thatrapport with them and you really
start getting them to come outof their shells.
If I could say that you mighthave somebody that's been in the
you know homeless for so manyyears and doesn't think they can
really trust anybody.
If you start building thatrapport with them and you start
(15:06):
feeling that trust and you startfeeling that you start having
those conversations and itstarts getting a little deep and
of course you're going tobecome emotional and you're
going to have a little bit ofpersonal.
You know stuff going on there.
Just because you got somebodycoming into your heart, you know
you're trusting somebody to tounderstand you and you want to
understand them at the same time.
(15:28):
And then of course they take adifferent road and they're no
longer there anymore and youknow there's times I go home and
I'll get the phone calls ofsomebody wasn't a roll call
sometimes, or somebody decidedto leave, or you know just can
somebody come back and you'rejust looking at it and you're
just playing it in your mind.
You know, and you're thinking,man, we got so far, or,
(15:50):
unfortunately, the ones that areno longer with us that pass on.
And you're thinking, man, theywere just, they were on that
road.
God was in their heart, theywere seeing the light that God
produces for us and you justnever know.
You know which road they'regoing to take.
You want to hope for the bestfor them and you pray for the
(16:12):
best for them.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You know and you can only do it what you can.
You know, Amanda, what's itlike to hear one of your key
team members here share thatkind of care.
Okay, get the Kleenex box Goshcare Okay, Get the Kleenex Gosh.
Um, you know, some people couldjust look at a homeless
shelters, you know, place ofsleep, get some food, get a
(16:32):
shower.
Do it again tomorrow.
Same thing on repeat, you know,but this is going beyond that.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So I want to explain one thing and then I'll answer
that.
So I want to explain one thingand then I'll answer that.
Talking about front lines isreally hard for me, regardless
if it's shelters or streets,because I think I just I don't
do it.
(17:11):
So I won't say I don't do itevery day, like they do so, I
won't say that I know how itfeels, but I know that I want to
explain as a leader.
There are a lot of skill setsthat both of these men honestly,
(17:34):
all three of them have torequire, right?
So when you look at whetherit's organization, communication
skills, scheduling budgetsthere is a business side to this
there are skill sets that arerequired.
But I've been quoted sayingthis.
(17:55):
It's quite comical, but I meanit.
When I'm looking at thosethings for key positions like
shelter management or a deputyin the functions that Christian
is, those skill sets I don'tcare what they look like on
(18:15):
paper, because those can betaught.
The heart can't, can't, and Iwould much rather have an
individual in these threepositions Christian Mix and
(18:36):
Jacobs with lesser skill setsand the heart of Christ any day.
What's incredible and this iswhy I think I get so emotional,
because it's something that Idon't take for granted is all
three of them have both.
They have the skill sets, theefficiencies, to run things
(19:00):
organized.
When I say organized, it'sorganized chaos, right, because
we're dealing with people andhundreds of them and all of that
.
But they look at this, they'relooking at the training that
they have to do.
I mean all of these things,they juggle.
But then when I look at howthose things don't supersede the
(19:23):
love, the compassion, theempathy, the understanding, all
of those things as just theirsister in Christ, but also as a
supervisor, it means so much tome because the people that come
(19:48):
into our shelters, thechallenges that they have, are
not easy, and it's also notwrapped in this like really
fancy packaging and with a bowon top, and we get to swoop in
and there's somebody just thatlooks so feeble and we get to
help them and be the heroesimmediately.
(20:08):
That is not the case.
The vulnerability comes in theform sometimes of cussing, or
comes in the form of defecation,or comes in the form of talking
to themselves, those thingsthat sometimes we look at as a
society as either a nuisance ordisgusting.
(20:30):
My team has to look at it as avulnerability, just like we
would if somebody was feeble.
So we look at somebody if theirmindset is feeble or whatever.
And these three menparticularly not only have to
have that heart for what they'redoing in the men's side, but
(20:52):
the other thing we don't talkabout is there are protectors of
the women's side, so everythingthat Mick and Jacob do for the
men's side.
They are also the firstresponse when our hope center
needs it.
And uh, you know, I started myday off today in the men's
shelter talking and looking atsome renovations that we're
(21:13):
doing.
And one of the guys was walkingall the parameters and I know
he's doing that for safetymeasures and I know what he's
doing.
But he's also out there talkingto people, telling people good
morning, staff and guests andall of that.
And I just thought I hope herealizes like that he's seen not
(21:36):
just by me, right, becausethat's not really what's
important but like every evenstroll that they do to protect
the buildings, like the Lordsees that, like the Lord sees
(22:12):
that also protective of them.
Because I get that their jobsare so complex, but I also get
that their jobs truly arekingdom work being done on earth
.
And I get a little protectivewhen other people don't view the
work that these three men, whatthey do, the way that I do.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, absolutely Well , you know, Mick, what I heard,
christian, amanda, is a cultureof compassion.
It's not just service, it'scompassion.
And there's a difference.
Service is when we do somethingfor somebody and then we're
done.
Compassion means that we dosomething with them.
The word of compassion issuffering with others and when,
(22:51):
mick, when you talk about thejoys and then also those sorrows
, it means that you're sufferingwith them.
You can't only suffer with them, you have to help them through
that.
But it's, it's a, it's aculture of compassion which is
vastly different than, um, justwhat we call social service,
vastly different here, right,christian?
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Yeah Well, compassion can carry a lot of different
forms, and sometimes we look atjust the things that feel good
on the outside.
But it's kind of a mixture ofall these different things.
And so it's the love for theperson, it's the care for the
person and it's also the carefor that.
It's kind of a mixture of allthese different things, and so
it's the.
The love for the person is thecare for the person and it's
also the care for that person'sbenefit and growth.
(23:33):
And then sometimes we have tobe a parent, and parenting hurts
, um, and I, I think you knowreal love.
You know, um, love is somethingthat always comes at a cost.
It comes at a price, and partof that cost is it hurts.
It hurts to love, it hurts tolove.
Well, Sometimes we have to bein a place of discipline out of
(23:56):
a place of love of.
Sometimes someone's behaviorsor actions are so unsafe that we
can't allow them to continue tostay in our facility.
And it hurts to put somebodyout on a cold night.
And if it doesn't hurt, thenwe're in the wrong line of work.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So you can have the care and compassion and love
with them but also have to setthe order and boundaries and
structure for that, and so, mick, thank you for sharing that.
I think that really gets to theheart of what we're talking
about here today.
But it's also important for youto have your number two guy,
(24:34):
and so you got that here andJacob.
Tell us a little bit aboutJacob from your experience now
working with him, and then wewant to talk to Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So I heard a little bit about Jacob from Christian.
I didn't know much about him,had the interview with him, we
had some decisions to make.
I am very blessed to have Jacobon the team as a backup for an
assistant.
Jacob comes in with a hugeheart.
I always tell the guys on myteam I've never been through
what they've been through, so Ican't understand everybody that
(25:02):
comes through the front door andhelp them in that situation.
But I have guys on the team,especially Jacob, heading that
to where they have been throughsome of these situations, to
where these guys that are comingin from the streets can you
know they have somebody that canunderstand them.
So I have a guy number one thathas that understanding.
But number two has a huge heartand shares just the same
(25:24):
compassion that I share forothers heart and shares just the
same compassion that I sharefor others.
So to have somebody like thatas a backup, to have somebody
like that to work on the frontline with me, to have somebody
like that to represent our teamas staff members that is a front
line to come through the frontdoor these are the faces that
you see when you first comethrough the front door To have
somebody that shares the love ofJesus Christ just like the rest
(25:47):
of us do.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Darrell Bock Also has some understanding,
understanding, empathy, forwhere people are at.
Jacob, thanks for joining ushere today.
You and I have known each otherfor a number of years.
12, 13 years ago, would youhave ever envisioned that you
might be the assistant directorto men's services at Topeka
Rescue Mission?
Speaker 6 (26:03):
That's funny.
Back in 2012, for a littlestint, stayed under the bridge
Topeka Boulevard Bridge in alittle tent and it was so hot
that summer that I wasblistering and I actually came
to the mission for relief fromthose blisters.
They had air conditioning, theyhad air conditioning and I was
(26:25):
just going to stay there for alittle bit, get back on my feet,
you know, get the ground backunder my feet and move on.
I was going to probably go asfar away from the mission as I
could.
That was my plan anyways.
Well, god had other plans.
(26:47):
So that summer, after I came tothe mission, I was introduced
to a program there that requiredme to stay for 12 months, and I
stayed.
That whole program ended upgetting hired on at the
distribution center and wasstaffed there for five years.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
What was the transformation?
You came in because you werehot and blistering.
You were experiencing serioushomelessness at that time,
living under a bridge.
You came in.
What was it that you saw aboutthat program, more than air
conditioning, that you felt likethis was for you.
(27:27):
That would be a fairly bigadjustment from where you were.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
To be fair, I'd come from you know, I was previously
housed before that but had afailed marriage and come from
addiction.
So I kind of really ruined itfor myself through the addiction
and I knew that and understoodthat.
But addiction just doesn't goaway.
You can't just wake up one dayand not be addicted.
(27:53):
It takes time and work and Iwas in recovery through that
program.
What attracted me to theprogram was actually this
structure.
I think that I would.
I'd be going to Bible studyevery day, I would have a
pattern.
I'm a pattern person and thatwould bring me it's sort of an
(28:18):
internship like a program.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
So it was a year program.
You had a place to stay for ayear.
There was structure.
Was there job training for youin that program?
Was there experience?
There's exposure to things thatyou could do occupationally.
Speaker 6 (28:34):
They poured into me in that program.
My advocate at the time pouredinto me through the Bible
studies and she strengthened methrough Christ and led me in the
direction I needed to go tobuild myself back up through
Christ to accept his love again.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
You mentioned that a couple times now in regards to
the Bible part of that program.
Now you've kind of taken usinto that mentor.
Now you've kind of taken usinto that mentor.
Why was and is today, thisrelationship with Christ
important to you?
Speaker 6 (29:23):
And what was a key factor clear back 12 years ago,
when that became a big part ofyour life?
Well, that year I was actuallyintroduced to Christ.
I'd gone through chapels andeverything else, but I accepted
Christ into my life that summerand everything changed pretty
much.
Christ is my everything andwithout Him I am am nothing and
(29:47):
nothing's of value to me withoutJesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
What do you remember changing?
Then you come to Christ.
You know some people talk aboutthis getting saved, coming to
Christ.
We go to church, we read ourBible, but sounds like there was
something pretty deep here thathappened when you met Christ,
not just somebody who was areligious leader, but what do
you recall changed everything.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
I felt love like I'd never felt before.
The world changed in the way Iviewed it changed from that
point forward.
Um, it was, in a sense, blackand white turned to color on
that very moment and I feltloved like I'd never felt before
.
Um, it's indescribable andoverwhelming.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Christian as a pastoral perspective on this,
which you are a pastor orLamanda, I mean whoever.
What are you hearing here?
Somebody was in black and whiteand they went to color in their
life because of Christ.
What does that speak to you?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
I think it refers to rebirth.
Jesus said this to I think itwas Nicodemus.
He said unless you're bornagain, you cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven.
But there's, and then Nicodemuscame back with a quip of just
so are we supposed to crawl backinto our mother's wombs?
(31:14):
How is that even possible?
And then Jesus says we have tobe born of the Spirit and not of
the flesh.
And so there's this.
It's kind of hard to explain,you know, and to articulate.
It's one.
It's a completely differentthing when someone's walked
through it or someone'sexperienced that.
(31:35):
It is like the world coming tolife, um me understanding or
knowing that that I am loved bythe one who founded, you know,
the universe, created theuniverse that you know, the one
who made it all sees me andknows me, and then he is, um,
(31:55):
it's not just my life anymore,it's then his life.
And so I think you can talkabout that.
But then really, there's a lotof people who talk, but then
don't walk it out, and I thinkJacob is probably a perfect
example of someone whose lifejust drastically changed on the
outside.
Life just drastically changedon the outside, you know.
(32:17):
You look at his life now andthis guy, this guy is thriving,
you know he's.
He and his wife are anincredible team.
Um, they, they thrive.
They're building a chicken coop, you know just and uh.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
But then, like also raising Be careful with what
you're saying about chickens wehave a mama hen that's right
here at the table.
Who loves chickens?
Speaker 5 (32:46):
but I mean his life.
His life is thriving, but Ithink he would venture to say
that the reason why is becauseit's not his life.
You know.
He ventured to say he, you said, he, you know, even said that
you know, the things that werevaluable to me aren't valuable
to me anymore.
I have a whole different set ofvalues now.
And then, you know, when wecome to that we realize that the
(33:08):
joy that we experience in lifecomes from a place that's bigger
than us, then the stuff that wehad before doesn't even pale in
comparison, the stuff that wehad before doesn't even pale in
comparison.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Jacob, I love your your way of explaining that.
I was living black and whiteand it went to color, and I
think that's what so many peopleare really looking for.
Is that?
And we don't mean black andwhite like right and wrong,
necessarily?
That's the law part, but whatwe're looking at is this kind of
mundane.
There's no vibrance to life,and something happened with you,
(33:42):
with Christ, and so it lit up.
You saw the world differently,so you invested in this program,
went for a year.
Then you were given anopportunity to work at the
distribution center of therescue mission.
How long did you do that?
Speaker 6 (33:57):
distribution center of the rescue mission.
How long did you do that?
I did that for about five years.
It was a lot of fun.
I was able to work with otherpeople that were going through
the exact same thing as me, soit was great in coming up
alongside people in justdifferent areas of our walk
somewhere ahead of me andsomewhere behind me but we were
all working together in it.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
But that wasn't going to stay very long.
After that five years stint, Iremember one of the as the
former director here, I rememberone of the most concerning
pieces of news I'd heard isJacob's going to take another
job.
He's leaving here and we werevery, very, very discouraged
about that because you were soloved here and here.
But you went on to do someother work, to take care of some
(34:40):
pretty major debts, and you andyour wife worked together to
wipe out what other people wouldsee as impossible to happen.
You worked hard, you guysworked as a team taking care of
those debts, which was in thetens of thousands of dollars,
and you paid them all off.
Yes, so you got free of that.
And then what happened afterthat?
(35:02):
That brought you back in kindof the radar of Topeka Rescue
Mission.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
Man.
The way God moves and works isso beautiful.
I was asked to be part of theannual fundraiser because my
story was so close to themission and for about a year
prior to that I've been tellingGod nah, I'm comfortable now I'm
ready to coast into retirement.
(35:31):
Debts are paid.
I'm stacking this retirementover here.
I'm doing what we're supposedto be doing, taking care of
ourselves.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
He y'all, he's a young guy still, so this
retirement thing is like way outof order.
Speaker 6 (35:44):
Yeah, so no, no, I'm just going to.
I'm in the coast, I'm prettycomfortable where I'm at, and
for about a year I'd beenarguing with God over the
mission there's no other way todescribe it.
And then there's somethingabout watching yourself on a
(36:06):
screen that changes things.
And as soon as I was done, Iwent straight to LaManda and
said I'm putting in myapplication, I'm doing it.
And it went from there.
God tossed me around a littlebit and, uh, and just kind of
pushed me right in the directionhe needed me.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
It's funny how God will use whatever he needs to
use.
So you uh were asked if you'dshare your testimony for the
night of praise, um, this lastyear.
And um, so you're sitting inthis big auditorium of
fellowship and you're seeingthis giant, jacob Harmon, up on
the screen right and so, butyou've been wrestling with God.
And then that was kind ofanother turning point for you to
(36:50):
say I need to look at this,quit wrestling with God, maybe
come back to the mission.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
It was time.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, so how long now in the position you are in, the
assistant director?
This is still fairly new.
How long now?
Speaker 6 (37:03):
I'm finishing up on my third month now.
I started a day before my startdate.
Christian swung by my house andpicked me up and said get in.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
For the warming center, like cold inches of snow
Are for the warming center.
Speaker 6 (37:17):
Are we allowed to say blizzard?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
yeah, now it's what it was that blizzard and
everything else that goes withthat.
So you walked in the front doorout of your need.
Many years later, you're nowencountering guys working
walking through the front door,maybe not in the heat, but in
the cold.
What?
What is that like for you,encountering guys walking
(37:40):
through the front door, maybenot in the heat, but in the cold
?
What is that like for you tohave been where they are in such
desperation and see where youare today?
What happens in your mind whenyou see these guys coming in?
Speaker 6 (38:02):
Honestly, every day I walk through those doors.
I'm overwhelmed by the grace ofGod.
I feel it when I walk throughthe threshold of the building.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I sit at the same exact desk I sat at when I came
in there and got my advocate,just on the other side.
You're sitting on the otherside of the table now.
Speaker 6 (38:22):
Yes, instead of being the one receiving the help,
you're giving the help.
Yes, and the best way todescribe it is I'm overwhelmed
by his grace and his love.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Mick talked about the joys and the sorrows.
It's just three months now.
You're still in thatoverwhelmed, like what am I
doing here?
I think that most of us whohave been at the rescue mission
for a little bit sometimes going, wow, this is overwhelming, not
(38:59):
just because of the task beforeus but because of the beauty of
the opportunity.
The beauty of the opportunitythat we get to be doing
something with our lives that isclose to the heart of God,
where some people, maybe manypeople, don't even think about
that.
When LaManda was describing someof the situations that come
through the front door and toothers may be very repulsive,
(39:20):
but to this team that's beencalled to be at the rescue
mission, if you look at it withbeing repulsed, you won't stay,
you won't, and that's fine, youshouldn't, you're just not there
.
But to be able to walk throughthese doors and know that, in
spite of the uncomfortablesituations, the uncomfortable
situations, the sad situations,the quote-unquote ugly
(39:41):
situations that occur, theemergency room, the behavior
issues and so forth, you walkthrough that door with an awe in
your heart to say, wow, I gotcalled to this.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
Yeah, it's still unbelievable that I get to do
this, you know so I was talkingto Christian the other day about
that exact thing.
It's still unbelievable that Iget to do this.
So I was talking to Christianthe other day about that exact
thing.
I still have to pinch myselfevery once in a while.
I get to do this, and knowingthe other side.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
So what are you hoping for the men who are
coming through?
We can maybe anticipate whatyour answer is going to be, but
what is your hope that you'rehere now?
You're on the other side of thedesk.
You're not being advocated for.
You're advocating for others.
You're helping them, settingsome structure and so forth,
working with Mick, working withChristian, working with a team
of guys that work for you andvolunteers.
(40:35):
What's your hope for the guythat walks through that door,
like you did 12 plus years ago?
Speaker 6 (40:42):
I hope that this might sound kind of weird, but I
hope that they never remembermy name.
I hope they remember the loveof Jesus Christ, Wow.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Okay, kleenex is for everybody.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
That's why I'm just looking down through this whole
podcast.
Speaker 6 (40:59):
Wow, because the love of Jesus is what will change
them.
I'm nothing, I explain it withMick in our meetings.
I'm just carrying my brick forhis kingdom, wow.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Well, jacob, I don't know that anything could ever be
said any better than that.
Um, before we close here today,um, just ending on that note,
is there anything else?
I mean, you've said so muchblack and white to color.
Your hope is that down the roadpeople won't remember your name
, but remember Jesus' name.
(41:38):
Is there anything else you'dlike to share with us?
Speaker 6 (41:43):
The importance that they know that the importance of
the love of Jesus we can pourin in all different areas, but
if we don't pour that love in,then the ingredients will never
make us a cake Well said.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Amanda, don't ask me anything.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
You know, we didn't even get to the services that
they provide.
Um, I see so many different menwalk in that building Men who
are extremely educated, men whohave had successful careers, men
(42:37):
who have had successful careers, men who have incredible trades
, men who have been in addictionsince they were nine and
they're in their 60s, men whoare able-bodied, men who are
(42:58):
disabled, men who are young, menwho are older.
I see it as I drive by, I seeit when I'm in the building and
I don't know all of theirpersonal stories, all of their
personal stories, but in therole that I'm in, I have peace
(43:28):
and I have a sense of pride andgratitude for two reasons One,
because I know we have a fatherwho knows every single one of
their stories and we don't, andthat that father has seen every
(43:53):
bit of hurt, whether it'sself-induced or done to them,
that those men have ever faced.
And there is this assurancethat I have because of that and
I'm thankful that none of us aretoo far gone and it doesn't
matter if our struggle ishomelessness or not.
(44:16):
It can be spending too muchmoney, it can be pornography.
It can be spending too muchmoney, it can be pornography, it
can be abuse.
I mean, we could go on and onwith struggles that we face and
none of us are too far gone, andso when I drive by the
buildings and I'm in there andI'm looking at all of the men
that are in and out, we have afather who loves them and will
never depart from them, and thatis amazing.
(44:41):
The other part that I love aboutmy job that I get peace from my
job and that I have gratitudeis is I have men like these
three that don't have theknowledge or wisdom that the
(45:03):
Father does, because we're notthe Creator, but they're a close
second, followed the Lord'sheart as much as we humanly can,
in the midst of ourimperfections and our
(45:23):
shortcomings.
And so knowing that every manthat walks through that shelter
is loved and known by a fatherwho created him in his image,
and there's hope in that.
And then the close second isknowing that this team does what
they do and how they do it.
It's not just the services thatthey provide, it's not just the
(45:44):
structure they provide, it'snot just the conversations and
the encouragement, it's the lovethat is behind all of those
services.
No-transcript, because I knowthat this world is not our home,
(46:36):
and that anything that is notseen or valued here by man will
be one day by our Father, and soI am thankful for all three of
them.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Well, thank you, lamanda.
I think what we didn't get totoday, as you said, we didn't
get really to the services themen's services, to homeless but
we got to the heart of it.
And so, christian, mick, jacob,thank you for being here today,
thank you for what you guys doevery day.
Lamanda, thank you for bringingyour heart that God has called
you to bring here, and Jacob,thanks to you for sharing your
(47:16):
story here with us today.
It may have taken a big screento get you to this next level
and God will do whatever he'sgoing to do to get you where he
needs you to go, and so thankyou all for sharing your story
today.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission today.
We heard a lot of really amazingthings here today and you may
be kind of walking through life,and something you heard is that
(47:39):
maybe you're living in blackand white right now and you're
not even sure color is possiblebecause of circumstances in your
life, whatever's happened toyou, just not knowing if that
father that Amanda talked aboutis real, don't know what God's
going to take you through to getyou to understand that you
don't have to live in black andwhite.
You can live in vibrant color ofa hope for tomorrow, and it may
(47:59):
not be anything like you werethinking.
It is going to be so muchbetter.
So if you are one of those whohas maybe seen the color, come
on, go out to your neighbor, goto a person that you don't even
know and share with them thelove of Christ.
Just like Christian and Mickand Jacob do with every person
that comes through the love ofChrist, just like Christian and
Mick and Jacob do with everyperson that comes through the
doors of the Topeka RescueMission, you can do it in your
(48:22):
own neighborhood as well.
Thank you again for listeningto Our Community, our Mission.
Dear Holy Father, we thank you, Lord, for this day
and your blessings.
God, Again, thank you for thistime to record this podcast.
Lord, thank you for our awesomeguests that we have today and,
Lord, just the work that they'redoing within the mission.
Lord, we pray that you blessthis time and Lord just bless
all of our listeners that hearit today.
Lord, in your holy name, wepray, Amen.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everybody Listening to Our Community, Our
Mission, a podcast of the TopekaRescue Mission on Tuesday,
march 25th of 2025, episodenumber 261.
This is your host today, barryFeeker, with the CEO of Topeka
Rescue Mission, lamandaCunningham.
Good morning, good morning,that's a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I was going to say you need like one or two breaths
in between all of that.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I do, I do.
I didn't stutter this time,which is really good.
So, lamanda, what we can say isthat it's beautiful outdoors.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
I know it's just.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We're in that beautiful time of the year.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Warming centers are over now I was going to say
don't say WC.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
WC no.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
No more warming centers, no WC.
It's like a bad word now it is.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I was just talking to someone the other day and they
said something about it beingcold and it was like in the 40s.
I'm like you don't understandcold, you don't know cold.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
That's right.
Well, Amanda, we've got somegreat guys to talk to today.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
We've been highlighting some of the
different work of Topeka RescueMission and some staff members,
but, of course, for those whoare avid listeners to our
community, our mission, we havethe special important things
that we need to talk about,which are on this date.
And you haven't had a chance tolook at the sheet.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
yet I haven't.
No, and I was trying to look,but Christian's hoarding it over
there.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, so Christian's got it over there.
He'll help you out if youreally need to.
So on March 25th of every year,there are mainly three things
that we want to focus on, andtoday is Tolkien Reading Day.
Tolkien Reading Day.
That's not Token Reading Day,it's Tolkien for J-R-R Tolkien.
You know that, don't?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
mistake it.
We're talking like the bestauthor of all time, the goat,
the goat the goat.
Why is he the goat the greatestof all time?
I?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
know.
Okay, so yes, so yes.
So we have just a lot of fansaround the country, around the
world.
You're kind of like, who isthis guy?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, you know I probably shouldn't admit that,
but I'm not a huge reader.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
Shame, I know.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
All right, this is a problem with our education
system.
We have a formal two-timeprincipal double master degree
educator.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I know who doesn't read books.
Listen, you asked me aboutelementary books.
Who's craning down?
I could probably answer all ofthem, but no.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
All right.
So a lot of different, amazingthings that were written to take
people out of reality, but alsoreflecting reality.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's my daily job, barry.
Yeah, so you don't need to readabout that, that's right.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Okay, so maybe you get this one.
It is National Medal of HonorDay today on the 25th of March.
Okay, national Medal of Honor.
What do we know about medals ofhonor?
Like a lot of people get them,or very few people get them, or-
.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Very few people get them.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, it's prestigious In the history of
them being given out.
3,468 people to date have beengiven them.
This is for valor of the mostcourageous service men and women
who've done things to fight fortheir country, save others.
Call of duty there are onlythree branches of the armed
services that give out the Medalof Honor.
Do you know what they are?
(03:19):
No, okay, I didn't either.
Army, navy, air Force.
So what happens to the MarineCorps and the Coast Guard?
They get to join the Navy.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Okay, all right, you offended somebody, don't tell
them hey, you know what's right?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I had three fathers okay.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
One was a Navy man one was an Airborne man and one
was Army, so I'm pretty wellyeah, um, I was just thinking
right below that medal of ourmedal of honor honor.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
What is it?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
yeah, yes, sorry, um is our sleeves.
Faith with our sleeves rolledup rewards.
Now I'm stuttering.
I did good the last time andnow it's on you.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But I was just thinking our TRM award.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
It's right below that right.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Well, kind of yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Although I've given more out in the three years I've
been in this position than youdid in almost 40.
Because it used to be special,it is special, it is still
special.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I just am more generous than you?
Yeah, you're very generous.
You haven't given out 3,468.
Okay, giving out 3,468.
Okay, moving on to the last one, it's International Waffle Day.
International Waffle.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Day.
Okay, so people like waffles,right, love waffles.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Do you like waffles?
You know, I like French toastbetter Of course you do.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It's more sugary.
Well, it's just softer, nicer,fluffier.
But I'll tell you what, whatmost people don't know there is
a religious connection toNational Waffle Day.
Did you know that?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I think you're lying.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Okay, well, no, the Research and Development
Department gave this informationto me and I just think it's
amazing.
So for all of you who areSwedish out there, so there is a
National Waffle Day, isWaffledagen Day.
Waffledagen Day, but it's veryclose to the announcement of the
angel Gabriel coming to talkabout Mary and being the virgin
(05:10):
birth was coming to announce itto Mary.
So it was a war, what?
Warfudigen?
Warfudigen, which is likewaffle doggin, okay.
So they kind of get it mixed upa little bit.
So National Waffle Day and theannouncement of the virgin birth
are kind of similar.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I almost feel like that's a little bit of blasphemy
.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I know, I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
For all Catholic friends out here.
It's the research anddevelopment department.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
We're sorry and the speaker rescue mission comes up
with this kind of stuff.
So we are totally disclaimingright here.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
But anyway, I I love waffles, yes, but it has to have
peanut butter on it and syrupfor the protein you know, yeah,
but I love waffles and crunchy.
I can't do soft.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's gross.
I don't know if your OCDwaffles are a problem because
you've got to fill every one ofthose little spots I do.
Okay, those are your.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
OCD.
Okay, the more the better.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
And I prefer crunchy peanutbutter, which then really messes
with my OCD, because I reallyneed a nut and everything, but
anyways, we won't go there.
Wow, okay, some fake waffles.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
It's really bad.
First time ever listening toour community.
This is the group therapysession.
Times that people can kind oflet it down a little bit before
we get into the series.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
You wouldn't know that about me, though.
If you looked at my officeright now, it looks like a
tornado has gone through it, butI do have some OCD tendencies.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Well, it's necessary to be the CEO of Speaker Rescue
Mission, so you've got to be onyour game, that's right.
So for those who actually tunedin to be able to listen to
what's going on at the Speaker.
Rescue Mission.
Thank you for staying with ushere on March 25th of 2025.
We've got some great guys here,amanda.
We have Christian Stringfellow,who is Deputy Director of
(06:49):
Shelter and Services andOutreach.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well, I mean, he's okay, he's okay.
The other two are great, he'sokay.
No, he's great too.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Christian, I want to hammer on you.
We had you here the other daywhen we were talking about the
Hope Center.
Today we're going to be talkingabout men's services here, but
you're rolling up on ananniversary.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Is it today, tomorrow , tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
You don't remember those things?
Huh, tomorrow, yep, tomorrow,you know what?
Speaker 5 (07:17):
tomorrow is.
It's a song.
It's been 10 years.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Quite seriously, it's been 10 years, 10 years since
you have been on staff at TopekaRescue Mission.
That's a milestone,congratulations.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah so, but does that include your internship
here?
Speaker 5 (07:33):
No Before that.
Okay, no, my internship was inAugust of 2014.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
2014.
Okay.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
From.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Washburn University social work how long did that
internship last Universitysocial work.
How long did that internship?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
last.
So that internship lasted untilI started here on March 26th of
2015.
So I was actually able toconvert my internship into a job
and then carry out the rest ofmy internship while employed.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
So about 11 years of familiarity with Topeka Rescue
Mission yeah, but even beforethat you have a legacy here at
Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Do you remember that?
Well, you know what I rememberof that mostly was my
grandmother and grandfatherkidnapping me on a Sunday
afternoon with buckets of icecream and then bringing us down
to the dining hall and then theywould serve ice cream.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, yeah, well, little do we know what God has
in store.
But Christian's grandmother,anna, was my first executive
assistant.
She was a volunteer back in thedays when we were in the old
old rescue mission building anddidn't have anything, and Anna
was very instrumental in helpingus to figure out ways to raise
money for a brand new rescuemission.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
What a lady.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
What a lady.
Yes, she was a character, yeah,she was.
And so I remember the firsttime I met you and you don't,
and you were in a stroller.
Nope, I don't remember that youdon't remember that.
But I said I know where he'sgoing to be.
No, you didn't, no you didn't.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
He prophesied over your life.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I've done all these things, so you're to blame,
that's right.
So, christian, introduce yourtwo guys here today.
We've got into your storybefore.
We want to hear about Mick andJacob here a bit, but introduce
them and what they do.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
Yeah, so we've got Mick Ballinger.
He is our Director of Men'sServices, so he oversees the
daily operations and functionsof the men's shelter as well as
supervises them at the men'sshelter team.
In order for him to do that jobwell, he really needs a good,
solid assistant.
And so fortunately he has thatin Jacob Harmon.
(09:40):
So Jacob Harmon is theassistant director of men's
shelter services.
Together they kind of carry apretty heavy load.
So there's, you know, betweenthe two of them.
One of them is on call 24-7,handling all the calls and just
concerns or needs of the men'sshelter, and so I was actually
(10:01):
just going through some metricshere looking at timeframes when
incident reports happen, and sothere are quite a few that
happen during the day, but evenmore that happen in the evenings
.
And just right behind it,depending on its heels, is third
shift or the night shift, whenyou say incident reports for our
listeners.
(10:21):
What does that mean?
So incident reports are usuallywritten whenever there is an
incident that needs to berecorded, and so that can be a
medical emergency where someoneneeds to be.
We're calling and coordinatingwith AMR for someone to be
picked up and taken to thehospital because there's
something emergent there, or, orit could be, um, a mental
(10:43):
health crisis.
It could be, you know, also aviolation of policies or a
behavioral issue, all differentkinds of things.
And so, uh, whenever thosethings kind of take place, those
are kind of emergencies thatneed uh, handled and managed
effectively and then also asgently as possible, and they
have an incredible team thatdoes that.
But then that team also needsdirection and that team needs
(11:08):
some guidance.
And so these are the guys thatare taking those calls at 2, 3
o'clock in the morning to givesome direction and support to
those teams that a lot of timesit's just a guy or two guys.
They're managing a buildingfull of people.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It's kind of like an emergency room in a hospital, in
a way that people that come inthey're in a crisis and
emergency, and some people thinkthat, um, um, if you're going
to have a homeless shelter, youjust need to have a place where
people go in and they lay downand get a shower and leave the
next morning.
And it's much more than that,isn't it?
Oh?
Speaker 5 (11:38):
yeah, yeah, it's um.
You take 120, you and guys arekind of an interesting creature.
They stink.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Almost as much as women are yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
Well, actually women are a whole different breed.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
No comment.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
It's something else.
Well, it's because there'sseveral of us in here and one of
her will say they're adifferent species.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
But, you know, god knew what he was doing when he
made us different.
But, um, you get a bunch ofguys in space and there's just a
whole level of different thingsthat happen.
Yeah, everybody wants their way, everybody wants to be the top
dog, and then, um, you have alldifferent kinds of things that
happen, and people still want todo what they want to do, and
even regardless of the buildingthat they're in.
(12:25):
And so, um, really it can, itis quite the uh, is quite the
act of keeping this placefunctioning?
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Unfortunately, no, that ever happens in the women's
shelter.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Hope so.
No, absolutely not Peacefulthere Well.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Nick, uh, we've talked to you before on the
podcast.
Here, mick and and uh got alittle bit of your story, but
kind of recap us.
How long have you been here nowand stepping into this position
, what does it mean to you to beas Christian kind of laid out?
It's kind of like an emergencyroom.
There's any kind of crisis thatcan happen any time.
You've got 120-plus men in theshelter.
(13:00):
So how did you get here and howlong have you been?
Speaker 4 (13:07):
here and what is it like to be in your position?
So I've been here, not quitetwo years, I believe.
Next month is two years.
Going on two years.
So I came from a correctionalconstruction background, Just
wasn't fulfilling thosepositions I thought I was, but
God had something different forme.
So I learned to take my desiresand hand them over to God and
let God's will take place in mylife.
(13:29):
So, as far as being the directorof the men's shelter, there's
times you want to cry andthere's times you are overjoyed.
The success stories, the oneswalking through the front door,
not knowing the background, notknowing what's going on in their
life or what they've beenthrough, just seeing them
(13:52):
succeed, get stable, justcontinuing to work with the ones
that sometimes you just go, youknow, is it really worth the
time to keep doing it?
But it is.
You know, God continues to workwith us every day.
God continues to show us graceevery day.
So just being able to be inthat place, to show that grace
that God blesses us with andworks through us to, you know,
the ones that keep coming back,they're coming back for a reason
.
At first you might not knowwhat it is, but just over time,
(14:15):
over time, over time.
When you start building thatrapport and that trust with them
and they start trusting moreand they start opening up more,
the conversations that don'tseem like they're ever going to
happen actually take place.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And you're just like, wow, this is so.
Those would give you joy.
Yes, when somebody wasn'tnecessarily looking like they
were going to make it, andthings start happening.
And of course, we're going tohear from Jacob here for a
minute.
There's some of the story there, but what breaks your heart,
mick?
You?
Speaker 4 (14:46):
know you said that some things give you great joy
and some things make you want tocry.
What breaks your heart aboutthis kind of work?
I think what breaks your heartis when you get the guys in and
you start establishing thatrapport with them and you really
start getting them to come outof their shells.
If I could say that you mighthave somebody that's been in the
you know homeless for so manyyears and doesn't think they can
really trust anybody.
If you start building thatrapport with them and you start
(15:06):
feeling that trust and you startfeeling that you start having
those conversations and itstarts getting a little deep and
of course you're going tobecome emotional and you're
going to have a little bit ofpersonal.
You know stuff going on there.
Just because you got somebodycoming into your heart, you know
you're trusting somebody to tounderstand you and you want to
understand them at the same time.
(15:28):
And then of course they take adifferent road and they're no
longer there anymore and youknow there's times I go home and
I'll get the phone calls ofsomebody wasn't a roll call
sometimes, or somebody decidedto leave, or you know just can
somebody come back and you'rejust looking at it and you're
just playing it in your mind.
You know, and you're thinking,man, we got so far, or,
(15:50):
unfortunately, the ones that areno longer with us that pass on.
And you're thinking, man, theywere just, they were on that
road.
God was in their heart, theywere seeing the light that God
produces for us and you justnever know.
You know which road they'regoing to take.
You want to hope for the bestfor them and you pray for the
(16:12):
best for them.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
You know and you can only do it what you can.
You know, Amanda, what's itlike to hear one of your key
team members here share thatkind of care.
Okay, get the Kleenex box Goshcare Okay, Get the Kleenex Gosh.
Um, you know, some people couldjust look at a homeless
shelters, you know, place ofsleep, get some food, get a
(16:32):
shower.
Do it again tomorrow.
Same thing on repeat, you know,but this is going beyond that.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So I want to explain one thing and then I'll answer
that.
So I want to explain one thingand then I'll answer that.
Talking about front lines isreally hard for me, regardless
if it's shelters or streets,because I think I just I don't
do it.
(17:11):
So I won't say I don't do itevery day, like they do so, I
won't say that I know how itfeels, but I know that I want to
explain as a leader.
There are a lot of skill setsthat both of these men honestly,
(17:34):
all three of them have torequire, right?
So when you look at whetherit's organization, communication
skills, scheduling budgetsthere is a business side to this
there are skill sets that arerequired.
But I've been quoted sayingthis.
(17:55):
It's quite comical, but I meanit.
When I'm looking at thosethings for key positions like
shelter management or a deputyin the functions that Christian
is, those skill sets I don'tcare what they look like on
(18:15):
paper, because those can betaught.
The heart can't, can't, and Iwould much rather have an
individual in these threepositions Christian Mix and
(18:36):
Jacobs with lesser skill setsand the heart of Christ any day.
What's incredible and this iswhy I think I get so emotional,
because it's something that Idon't take for granted is all
three of them have both.
They have the skill sets, theefficiencies, to run things
(19:00):
organized.
When I say organized, it'sorganized chaos, right, because
we're dealing with people andhundreds of them and all of that
.
But they look at this, they'relooking at the training that
they have to do.
I mean all of these things,they juggle.
But then when I look at howthose things don't supersede the
(19:23):
love, the compassion, theempathy, the understanding, all
of those things as just theirsister in Christ, but also as a
supervisor, it means so much tome because the people that come
(19:48):
into our shelters, thechallenges that they have, are
not easy, and it's also notwrapped in this like really
fancy packaging and with a bowon top, and we get to swoop in
and there's somebody just thatlooks so feeble and we get to
help them and be the heroesimmediately.
(20:08):
That is not the case.
The vulnerability comes in theform sometimes of cussing, or
comes in the form of defecation,or comes in the form of talking
to themselves, those thingsthat sometimes we look at as a
society as either a nuisance ordisgusting.
(20:30):
My team has to look at it as avulnerability, just like we
would if somebody was feeble.
So we look at somebody if theirmindset is feeble or whatever.
And these three menparticularly not only have to
have that heart for what they'redoing in the men's side, but
(20:52):
the other thing we don't talkabout is there are protectors of
the women's side, so everythingthat Mick and Jacob do for the
men's side.
They are also the firstresponse when our hope center
needs it.
And uh, you know, I started myday off today in the men's
shelter talking and looking atsome renovations that we're
(21:13):
doing.
And one of the guys was walkingall the parameters and I know
he's doing that for safetymeasures and I know what he's
doing.
But he's also out there talkingto people, telling people good
morning, staff and guests andall of that.
And I just thought I hope herealizes like that he's seen not
(21:36):
just by me, right, becausethat's not really what's
important but like every evenstroll that they do to protect
the buildings, like the Lordsees that, like the Lord sees
(22:12):
that also protective of them.
Because I get that their jobsare so complex, but I also get
that their jobs truly arekingdom work being done on earth
.
And I get a little protectivewhen other people don't view the
work that these three men, whatthey do, the way that I do.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, absolutely Well , you know, Mick, what I heard,
christian, amanda, is a cultureof compassion.
It's not just service, it'scompassion.
And there's a difference.
Service is when we do somethingfor somebody and then we're
done.
Compassion means that we dosomething with them.
The word of compassion issuffering with others and when,
(22:51):
mick, when you talk about thejoys and then also those sorrows
, it means that you're sufferingwith them.
You can't only suffer with them, you have to help them through
that.
But it's, it's a, it's aculture of compassion which is
vastly different than, um, justwhat we call social service,
vastly different here, right,christian?
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Yeah Well, compassion can carry a lot of different
forms, and sometimes we look atjust the things that feel good
on the outside.
But it's kind of a mixture ofall these different things.
And so it's the love for theperson, it's the care for the
person and it's also the carefor that.
It's kind of a mixture of allthese different things, and so
it's the.
The love for the person is thecare for the person and it's
also the care for that person'sbenefit and growth.
(23:33):
And then sometimes we have tobe a parent, and parenting hurts
, um, and I, I think you knowreal love.
You know, um, love is somethingthat always comes at a cost.
It comes at a price, and partof that cost is it hurts.
It hurts to love, it hurts tolove.
Well, Sometimes we have to bein a place of discipline out of
(23:56):
a place of love of.
Sometimes someone's behaviorsor actions are so unsafe that we
can't allow them to continue tostay in our facility.
And it hurts to put somebodyout on a cold night.
And if it doesn't hurt, thenwe're in the wrong line of work.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So you can have the care and compassion and love
with them but also have to setthe order and boundaries and
structure for that, and so, mick, thank you for sharing that.
I think that really gets to theheart of what we're talking
about here today.
But it's also important for youto have your number two guy,
(24:34):
and so you got that here andJacob.
Tell us a little bit aboutJacob from your experience now
working with him, and then wewant to talk to Jacob.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So I heard a little bit about Jacob from Christian.
I didn't know much about him,had the interview with him, we
had some decisions to make.
I am very blessed to have Jacobon the team as a backup for an
assistant.
Jacob comes in with a hugeheart.
I always tell the guys on myteam I've never been through
what they've been through, so Ican't understand everybody that
(25:02):
comes through the front door andhelp them in that situation.
But I have guys on the team,especially Jacob, heading that
to where they have been throughsome of these situations, to
where these guys that are comingin from the streets can you
know they have somebody that canunderstand them.
So I have a guy number one thathas that understanding.
But number two has a huge heartand shares just the same
(25:24):
compassion that I share forothers heart and shares just the
same compassion that I sharefor others.
So to have somebody like thatas a backup, to have somebody
like that to work on the frontline with me, to have somebody
like that to represent our teamas staff members that is a front
line to come through the frontdoor these are the faces that
you see when you first comethrough the front door To have
somebody that shares the love ofJesus Christ just like the rest
(25:47):
of us do.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Darrell Bock Also has some understanding,
understanding, empathy, forwhere people are at.
Jacob, thanks for joining ushere today.
You and I have known each otherfor a number of years.
12, 13 years ago, would youhave ever envisioned that you
might be the assistant directorto men's services at Topeka
Rescue Mission?
Speaker 6 (26:03):
That's funny.
Back in 2012, for a littlestint, stayed under the bridge
Topeka Boulevard Bridge in alittle tent and it was so hot
that summer that I wasblistering and I actually came
to the mission for relief fromthose blisters.
They had air conditioning, theyhad air conditioning and I was
(26:25):
just going to stay there for alittle bit, get back on my feet,
you know, get the ground backunder my feet and move on.
I was going to probably go asfar away from the mission as I
could.
That was my plan anyways.
Well, god had other plans.
(26:47):
So that summer, after I came tothe mission, I was introduced
to a program there that requiredme to stay for 12 months, and I
stayed.
That whole program ended upgetting hired on at the
distribution center and wasstaffed there for five years.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
What was the transformation?
You came in because you werehot and blistering.
You were experiencing serioushomelessness at that time,
living under a bridge.
You came in.
What was it that you saw aboutthat program, more than air
conditioning, that you felt likethis was for you.
(27:27):
That would be a fairly bigadjustment from where you were.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
To be fair, I'd come from you know, I was previously
housed before that but had afailed marriage and come from
addiction.
So I kind of really ruined itfor myself through the addiction
and I knew that and understoodthat.
But addiction just doesn't goaway.
You can't just wake up one dayand not be addicted.
(27:53):
It takes time and work and Iwas in recovery through that
program.
What attracted me to theprogram was actually this
structure.
I think that I would.
I'd be going to Bible studyevery day, I would have a
pattern.
I'm a pattern person and thatwould bring me it's sort of an
(28:18):
internship like a program.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
So it was a year program.
You had a place to stay for ayear.
There was structure.
Was there job training for youin that program?
Was there experience?
There's exposure to things thatyou could do occupationally.
Speaker 6 (28:34):
They poured into me in that program.
My advocate at the time pouredinto me through the Bible
studies and she strengthened methrough Christ and led me in the
direction I needed to go tobuild myself back up through
Christ to accept his love again.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
You mentioned that a couple times now in regards to
the Bible part of that program.
Now you've kind of taken usinto that mentor.
Now you've kind of taken usinto that mentor.
Why was and is today, thisrelationship with Christ
important to you?
Speaker 6 (29:23):
And what was a key factor clear back 12 years ago,
when that became a big part ofyour life?
Well, that year I was actuallyintroduced to Christ.
I'd gone through chapels andeverything else, but I accepted
Christ into my life that summerand everything changed pretty
much.
Christ is my everything andwithout Him I am am nothing and
(29:47):
nothing's of value to me withoutJesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
What do you remember changing?
Then you come to Christ.
You know some people talk aboutthis getting saved, coming to
Christ.
We go to church, we read ourBible, but sounds like there was
something pretty deep here thathappened when you met Christ,
not just somebody who was areligious leader, but what do
you recall changed everything.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
I felt love like I'd never felt before.
The world changed in the way Iviewed it changed from that
point forward.
Um, it was, in a sense, blackand white turned to color on
that very moment and I feltloved like I'd never felt before
.
Um, it's indescribable andoverwhelming.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Christian as a pastoral perspective on this,
which you are a pastor orLamanda, I mean whoever.
What are you hearing here?
Somebody was in black and whiteand they went to color in their
life because of Christ.
What does that speak to you?
Speaker 5 (30:54):
I think it refers to rebirth.
Jesus said this to I think itwas Nicodemus.
He said unless you're bornagain, you cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven.
But there's, and then Nicodemuscame back with a quip of just
so are we supposed to crawl backinto our mother's wombs?
(31:14):
How is that even possible?
And then Jesus says we have tobe born of the Spirit and not of
the flesh.
And so there's this.
It's kind of hard to explain,you know, and to articulate.
It's one.
It's a completely differentthing when someone's walked
through it or someone'sexperienced that.
(31:35):
It is like the world coming tolife, um me understanding or
knowing that that I am loved bythe one who founded, you know,
the universe, created theuniverse that you know, the one
who made it all sees me andknows me, and then he is, um,
(31:55):
it's not just my life anymore,it's then his life.
And so I think you can talkabout that.
But then really, there's a lotof people who talk, but then
don't walk it out, and I thinkJacob is probably a perfect
example of someone whose lifejust drastically changed on the
outside.
Life just drastically changedon the outside, you know.
(32:17):
You look at his life now andthis guy, this guy is thriving,
you know he's.
He and his wife are anincredible team.
Um, they, they thrive.
They're building a chicken coop, you know just and uh.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
But then, like also raising Be careful with what
you're saying about chickens wehave a mama hen that's right
here at the table.
Who loves chickens?
Speaker 5 (32:46):
but I mean his life.
His life is thriving, but Ithink he would venture to say
that the reason why is becauseit's not his life.
You know.
He ventured to say he, you said, he, you know, even said that
you know, the things that werevaluable to me aren't valuable
to me anymore.
I have a whole different set ofvalues now.
And then, you know, when wecome to that we realize that the
(33:08):
joy that we experience in lifecomes from a place that's bigger
than us, then the stuff that wehad before doesn't even pale in
comparison, the stuff that wehad before doesn't even pale in
comparison.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Jacob, I love your your way of explaining that.
I was living black and whiteand it went to color, and I
think that's what so many peopleare really looking for.
Is that?
And we don't mean black andwhite like right and wrong,
necessarily?
That's the law part, but whatwe're looking at is this kind of
mundane.
There's no vibrance to life,and something happened with you,
(33:42):
with Christ, and so it lit up.
You saw the world differently,so you invested in this program,
went for a year.
Then you were given anopportunity to work at the
distribution center of therescue mission.
How long did you do that?
Speaker 6 (33:57):
distribution center of the rescue mission.
How long did you do that?
I did that for about five years.
It was a lot of fun.
I was able to work with otherpeople that were going through
the exact same thing as me, soit was great in coming up
alongside people in justdifferent areas of our walk
somewhere ahead of me andsomewhere behind me but we were
all working together in it.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
But that wasn't going to stay very long.
After that five years stint, Iremember one of the as the
former director here, I rememberone of the most concerning
pieces of news I'd heard isJacob's going to take another
job.
He's leaving here and we werevery, very, very discouraged
about that because you were soloved here and here.
But you went on to do someother work, to take care of some
(34:40):
pretty major debts, and you andyour wife worked together to
wipe out what other people wouldsee as impossible to happen.
You worked hard, you guysworked as a team taking care of
those debts, which was in thetens of thousands of dollars,
and you paid them all off.
Yes, so you got free of that.
And then what happened afterthat?
(35:02):
That brought you back in kindof the radar of Topeka Rescue
Mission.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
Man.
The way God moves and works isso beautiful.
I was asked to be part of theannual fundraiser because my
story was so close to themission and for about a year
prior to that I've been tellingGod nah, I'm comfortable now I'm
ready to coast into retirement.
(35:31):
Debts are paid.
I'm stacking this retirementover here.
I'm doing what we're supposedto be doing, taking care of
ourselves.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
He y'all, he's a young guy still, so this
retirement thing is like way outof order.
Speaker 6 (35:44):
Yeah, so no, no, I'm just going to.
I'm in the coast, I'm prettycomfortable where I'm at, and
for about a year I'd beenarguing with God over the
mission there's no other way todescribe it.
And then there's somethingabout watching yourself on a
(36:06):
screen that changes things.
And as soon as I was done, Iwent straight to LaManda and
said I'm putting in myapplication, I'm doing it.
And it went from there.
God tossed me around a littlebit and, uh, and just kind of
pushed me right in the directionhe needed me.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
It's funny how God will use whatever he needs to
use.
So you uh were asked if you'dshare your testimony for the
night of praise, um, this lastyear.
And um, so you're sitting inthis big auditorium of
fellowship and you're seeingthis giant, jacob Harmon, up on
the screen right and so, butyou've been wrestling with God.
And then that was kind ofanother turning point for you to
(36:50):
say I need to look at this,quit wrestling with God, maybe
come back to the mission.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
It was time.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, so how long now in the position you are in, the
assistant director?
This is still fairly new.
How long now?
Speaker 6 (37:03):
I'm finishing up on my third month now.
I started a day before my startdate.
Christian swung by my house andpicked me up and said get in.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
For the warming center, like cold inches of snow
Are for the warming center.
Speaker 6 (37:17):
Are we allowed to say blizzard?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
yeah, now it's what it was that blizzard and
everything else that goes withthat.
So you walked in the front doorout of your need.
Many years later, you're nowencountering guys working
walking through the front door,maybe not in the heat, but in
the cold.
What?
What is that like for you,encountering guys walking
(37:40):
through the front door, maybenot in the heat, but in the cold
?
What is that like for you tohave been where they are in such
desperation and see where youare today?
What happens in your mind whenyou see these guys coming in?
Speaker 6 (38:02):
Honestly, every day I walk through those doors.
I'm overwhelmed by the grace ofGod.
I feel it when I walk throughthe threshold of the building.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I sit at the same exact desk I sat at when I came
in there and got my advocate,just on the other side.
You're sitting on the otherside of the table now.
Speaker 6 (38:22):
Yes, instead of being the one receiving the help,
you're giving the help.
Yes, and the best way todescribe it is I'm overwhelmed
by his grace and his love.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Mick talked about the joys and the sorrows.
It's just three months now.
You're still in thatoverwhelmed, like what am I
doing here?
I think that most of us whohave been at the rescue mission
for a little bit sometimes going, wow, this is overwhelming, not
(38:59):
just because of the task beforeus but because of the beauty of
the opportunity.
The beauty of the opportunitythat we get to be doing
something with our lives that isclose to the heart of God,
where some people, maybe manypeople, don't even think about
that.
When LaManda was describing someof the situations that come
through the front door and toothers may be very repulsive,
(39:20):
but to this team that's beencalled to be at the rescue
mission, if you look at it withbeing repulsed, you won't stay,
you won't, and that's fine, youshouldn't, you're just not there
.
But to be able to walk throughthese doors and know that, in
spite of the uncomfortablesituations, the uncomfortable
situations, the sad situations,the quote-unquote ugly
(39:41):
situations that occur, theemergency room, the behavior
issues and so forth, you walkthrough that door with an awe in
your heart to say, wow, I gotcalled to this.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
Yeah, it's still unbelievable that I get to do
this, you know so I was talkingto Christian the other day about
that exact thing.
It's still unbelievable that Iget to do this.
So I was talking to Christianthe other day about that exact
thing.
I still have to pinch myselfevery once in a while.
I get to do this, and knowingthe other side.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
So what are you hoping for the men who are
coming through?
We can maybe anticipate whatyour answer is going to be, but
what is your hope that you'rehere now?
You're on the other side of thedesk.
You're not being advocated for.
You're advocating for others.
You're helping them, settingsome structure and so forth,
working with Mick, working withChristian, working with a team
of guys that work for you andvolunteers.
(40:35):
What's your hope for the guythat walks through that door,
like you did 12 plus years ago?
Speaker 6 (40:42):
I hope that this might sound kind of weird, but I
hope that they never remembermy name.
I hope they remember the loveof Jesus Christ, Wow.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Okay, kleenex is for everybody.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
That's why I'm just looking down through this whole
podcast.
Speaker 6 (40:59):
Wow, because the love of Jesus is what will change
them.
I'm nothing, I explain it withMick in our meetings.
I'm just carrying my brick forhis kingdom, wow.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Well, jacob, I don't know that anything could ever be
said any better than that.
Um, before we close here today,um, just ending on that note,
is there anything else?
I mean, you've said so muchblack and white to color.
Your hope is that down the roadpeople won't remember your name
, but remember Jesus' name.
(41:38):
Is there anything else you'dlike to share with us?
Speaker 6 (41:43):
The importance that they know that the importance of
the love of Jesus we can pourin in all different areas, but
if we don't pour that love in,then the ingredients will never
make us a cake Well said.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Amanda, don't ask me anything.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
You know, we didn't even get to the services that
they provide.
Um, I see so many different menwalk in that building Men who
are extremely educated, men whohave had successful careers, men
(42:37):
who have had successful careers, men who have incredible trades
, men who have been in addictionsince they were nine and
they're in their 60s, men whoare able-bodied, men who are
(42:58):
disabled, men who are young, menwho are older.
I see it as I drive by, I seeit when I'm in the building and
I don't know all of theirpersonal stories, all of their
personal stories, but in therole that I'm in, I have peace
(43:28):
and I have a sense of pride andgratitude for two reasons One,
because I know we have a fatherwho knows every single one of
their stories and we don't, andthat that father has seen every
(43:53):
bit of hurt, whether it'sself-induced or done to them,
that those men have ever faced.
And there is this assurancethat I have because of that and
I'm thankful that none of us aretoo far gone and it doesn't
matter if our struggle ishomelessness or not.
(44:16):
It can be spending too muchmoney, it can be pornography.
It can be spending too muchmoney, it can be pornography, it
can be abuse.
I mean, we could go on and onwith struggles that we face and
none of us are too far gone, andso when I drive by the
buildings and I'm in there andI'm looking at all of the men
that are in and out, we have afather who loves them and will
never depart from them, and thatis amazing.
(44:41):
The other part that I love aboutmy job that I get peace from my
job and that I have gratitudeis is I have men like these
three that don't have theknowledge or wisdom that the
(45:03):
Father does, because we're notthe Creator, but they're a close
second, followed the Lord'sheart as much as we humanly can,
in the midst of ourimperfections and our
(45:23):
shortcomings.
And so knowing that every manthat walks through that shelter
is loved and known by a fatherwho created him in his image,
and there's hope in that.
And then the close second isknowing that this team does what
they do and how they do it.
It's not just the services thatthey provide, it's not just the
(45:44):
structure they provide, it'snot just the conversations and
the encouragement, it's the lovethat is behind all of those
services.
No-transcript, because I knowthat this world is not our home,
(46:36):
and that anything that is notseen or valued here by man will
be one day by our Father, and soI am thankful for all three of
them.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Well, thank you, lamanda.
I think what we didn't get totoday, as you said, we didn't
get really to the services themen's services, to homeless but
we got to the heart of it.
And so, christian, mick, jacob,thank you for being here today,
thank you for what you guys doevery day.
Lamanda, thank you for bringingyour heart that God has called
you to bring here, and Jacob,thanks to you for sharing your
(47:16):
story here with us today.
It may have taken a big screento get you to this next level
and God will do whatever he'sgoing to do to get you where he
needs you to go, and so thankyou all for sharing your story
today.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission today.
We heard a lot of really amazingthings here today and you may
be kind of walking through life,and something you heard is that
(47:39):
maybe you're living in blackand white right now and you're
not even sure color is possiblebecause of circumstances in your
life, whatever's happened toyou, just not knowing if that
father that Amanda talked aboutis real, don't know what God's
going to take you through to getyou to understand that you
don't have to live in black andwhite.
You can live in vibrant color ofa hope for tomorrow, and it may
(47:59):
not be anything like you werethinking.
It is going to be so muchbetter.
So if you are one of those whohas maybe seen the color, come
on, go out to your neighbor, goto a person that you don't even
know and share with them thelove of Christ.
Just like Christian and Mickand Jacob do with every person
that comes through the love ofChrist, just like Christian and
Mick and Jacob do with everyperson that comes through the
doors of the Topeka RescueMission, you can do it in your
(48:22):
own neighborhood as well.
Thank you again for listeningto Our Community, our Mission.
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