On a Saturday morning recently, a young girl came to Church Without Walls with her boyfriend. She was 3-4 months pregnant and she received a sleeping bag and prayer from the team, specifically for somewhere to live. She was a regular visitor for several weeks, until one week she arrived alone, limping and using a crutch. As the team spoke to her, they discovered that she was shaken and traumatised following an attack by her boyfriend.
It has been really encouraging to hear of the number of homeless attending Church Without Walls who come to faith in God. Four from Ilford and six from Westminster have been baptised this year. The baptism of the Westminster homeless men (and our very own founder, Steve) took place on the beach at Broadstairs in July. Steve had hoped for a quiet baptism, with no fuss and was reminded of God’s humour when it turned out to be the hottest day of the year, with several thousand people watching from the beach!
We still hear stories each week from grateful recipients of our sleeping bags, some of whom have owned an original AUOS sleeping bag for over two years! Recently at Ilford, one of our trustees was told: ‘It’s great! I get in my sleeping bag and I’m in another world….’ This is the message we are receiving on a regular basis from those who benefit from one of our sleeping bags.
We have recently received an update from CWW Ilford, who told us: “Just a short email to encourage you all. On Sunday morning, we were at church without walls as usual and Tony, who is a severe diabetic, came to sit on the seat and he was shaking he couldn't even hold a cup of coffee. He was sleeping behind Sainsbury’s in his sleeping bag but was suffering from the cold and his sugar levels were very low. We believe if he had not had an AUOS sleeping bag, he wouldn't be alive now. We brought a silver foil blanket from the car and together with our body heat he soon came back to correct body temperature and managed to eat a sandwich.”
We have been continuing with our support for starter packs for the newly housed. Ron is doing an amazing job, supplying essential items for new homes. AUOS continue to supply toasters and kettles for each starter pack and Church Without Walls Ilford supply a set of saucepans, along with other second hand items that have been donated. In all, ten starter packs have been given out since Christmas. Some of the recipients are regularly attending church in Ilford and one has asked to be baptised.
The trustees of AUOS are part of a team that is leading a Biblical Recovery Course for addicts at St Luke’s Church each week. This course is an opportunity for those seeking freedom from addiction to study the Biblical perspective on God’s love and grace. Participants meet in small groups to discuss their progress in the 12-steps and everyone involved has agreed that it has been a real encouragement and blessing to be part of this project. Please pray for all those involved, that they would find their identity and freedom in Christ.
‘Hi my name is Mark. This is a letter to let you know what having an ‘Above Us Only Sky’ sleeping bag means. It helped me massively when I was homeless, living on the streets. I was living over Wanstead Marshes and different places for nearly two years. Homeless, with a drug addiction problem. I went to the Salvation Army in Romford to have a shower. It was then I was given an army sleeping bag and printed on the holdall was the phrase ‘Above Us Only Sky’.
There seems to be no end to the need for our arctic-grade sleeping bags – they are still in great demand. Since the charity was set up in November 2010, we have distributed 809 sleeping bags and 361 fleeces. One recipient, a 46 year old man in Ilford who has been homeless for about 30 years said, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever had! I carry it all the time and don’t let it out of my sight.”
Three of our trustees have found an enterprising way to raise some funds for Above Us Only Sky? Ken ‘Jelly Belly’ Perkins, Alan ‘Belly Buster’ Burnet and Steve ‘Fat Boy’ Fletcher have been conducting a sponsored slim since early February. Operation Pound Cruncher runs on the principle that for every pound (lb) that a participant loses, the other contenders pay a pound (£) to the charity.
On arrival at CWW, Westminster, we came across a man who had been discharged from hospital the night before. During the night, temperatures had plummeted to well below zero and he was wearing just a lightweight jacket and was shaking so much with cold that he couldn’t even grip a cup of tea. Immediately, he was zipped into an AUOS sleeping bag and a warm hat was pulled over his head. It took an hour to warm him up, but by the end of the service he was able to enjoy a cup of tea and some hot porridge. Until this man can find shelter, at least he will be warm and dry at night in his new sleeping bag.
Our sleeping bags were described as ‘Absolutely amazing!’ by one recipient at Church Without Walls, Westminster this weekend. When asked what difference it had made to have one of our arctic-grade sleeping bags over the cold winter months, the grateful owner told us: ‘It saved my life!’ He went on to explain that it was large enough to keep his boots in so that they didn’t get stolen at night. His smaller friend is able to keep all his belongings in his sleeping bag with him, so not only does it provide essential warmth and comfort, it also brings peace of mind to these two grateful recipients. A heartfelt thank you from the guys if you have purchased one of our sleeping bags over the past year. They really are life-saving.
Once again, the cold weather is beginning to move in and we are seeing more demand for our arctic-grade sleeping bags and ex-army fleeces. With this in mind, the ‘bag team’ has been preparing stock ready to send out as the need increases. These are stored at the ‘depot’ at Moor Lane Church. As we approach our first anniversary as a charity, the number of sleeping bags distributed has now reached nearly 400! A big thanks to everyone involved in this vital part of the ministry. Your work is much appreciated.
We have managed to negotiate an amazing deal on gospels and tracts to be given out free with each sleeping bag. This will help to explain clearly to the recipients of our services why we are doing this work. Our thanks to the donors who made this possible.
Early on Easter morning, team members and rough sleepers gathered for a Praise Party on the streets of Ilford. Val and Judy led celebration songs, accompanied by Lucky (one of the regular rough sleepers) on the tambourine. Seventeen men attended the service where they heard the Easter message and all had the opportunity to share and receive prayer
At the recent trustees meeting, it was announced that we have now distributed 191 sleeping bags to rough sleepers in and around London. Ann of Church-without-walls, Ilford added that this has saved so many lives this winter. The Above us only sky? sleeping bags are becoming a common sight in some areas of London and one even made a guest appearance on the ITN news!
Everyone who has received a sleeping bag knows that this is a gift from God and many are seeking to know more of the Christian faith as a result. Please continue to pray that these men and women will come to saving faith in Jesus Christ as a result of the love that has been shown to them.
Work has recommenced on starter packs, with four newly-housed members of Church-without-walls being provided with bedding, crockery, cutlery, kettles, toasters, pots, pans and other essential items. Grants are available for larger household items, but these smaller essentials can be very costly and this is a great way to settle people in to their new homes. We are planning to develop this aspect of the work and are looking into possibilities for storage of donated items.