Every life tells a story. We can change where that story goes and how it will end. We can, but will we? Each one of us knows that we should do more; that there are too many people with no hope, to just walk away. Do you feel convicted of idleness when you see another human being hungry and cold? Or maybe you do reach out to the hurting and lost and intend to keep on trying. Wherever you are, you can make a difference. You can change how the story ends. Each of us has a story.
Leroy and Diana have been on the street for years. They are in a constant battle with their drug and alcohol addictions. They don't know where to turn. They feel that no one cares where they end up. Their children have long since been taken away. Yet each generation seems to be caught in the same cycle.
Frank hasn't eaten in four days. He rummages through the dumpster at the back of a fast food chain, hoping that he will find something to satisfy the emptiness rumbling inside of him. The real emptiness is the hopelessness he feels each time he examines his circumstances. There seems to be no way out and nowhere to turn.
Kelly has only been on the street for a few months, but is already beginning to resort to any kind of work that will ensure her physical survival, even though she dies on the inside with each trick. She thinks of herself as used and nothing more than an object of scorn, but feels this is the only way to protection and a few meals when you're on the streets.
Twenty-two year old Jorge runs his fingers back and forth across a gun, debating whether or not he should end his life. He entered into a gang at the age of thirteen, thinking that he would finally be recognized and counted. He's now so far into the lifestyle of drugs and violence that he feels his only escape is to end his life.
Of all these people mentioned, not one will even try to make their way into the doors of a church. If we don't go out to the trenches of the city and pull them out of the mire and mud, who will? We are the light and salt of the world. To find out more about how First Fruit Ministries goes out to the trenches and alleyways of Wilmington, please feel free to explore and navigate our webpage by using the navigational bar at the top and left side of the page.