Mobile Loaves & Fishes Blog

Video Chronicles of a Street Retreat with the #Homeless

Be The Changer or Be The Changed: One Man Takes To The Streets of Boston

Nate, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who invented a "street pack" designed for (and with) individuals experiencing homelessness, wanted to test out his product.  So, he took to the streets and has shared his amazing experiences online with all of us. 

Although he knows he isn't "experiencing homelessness," he is getting a lot closer to the people, places, and problems faced by the thousands of people that are homeless in the United States.

Do yourself a favor and check out Nate's story here , and be sure to click around the blog's latest posts, too!

There are people underneath the crushing facade of poverty and homelessness; we're always grateful and appreciative when somebody does something to bring their stories and faces into the light. 

Keep it up, Nate!  We can't wait to hear more about your adventures.

Monday Video Blog Musings on this Past Weekends Powerful Street Retreat #homeless

Excerpts from an email I received from my good friend Mike one of the Street Retreat participants. Also enjoy the video blogs from below as we close out this powerful Street Retreat.  If you want to learn more about street retreats in general go to www.mlfnow.org/streetretreat.

 

-Alan

 

"I want to thank you for a magical experience.  I have such a different healthy perspective for our brothers and sisters on the street than before.  They are such a beautiful, loving, caring and sharing family. I was so moved by Jeff's talent on the piano that Ginger and I are going to try to keep up with him and help him out when and where it seems appropriate.  He's getting a new bridge Monday so that he can begin performing again.  It is such a small thing but it made him happy and we are blessed to be able to help. I feel such a connection to those people at the park and will do my best to remain a friend to them. Again, thank you for this God-blessed opportunity!"

 

 

Dumpster Diving & Things on Street Retreat...Cardboard is King #homeless

A few short videos of our first night on the streets.  Dumpster diving for cardboard...our encounter with the PoPo and waking up in the AM on our asphalt pillowtop.

-Alan

Meet Those Going on the Street Retreat Video Blog #homeless

Alan Graham Video Blogs on Today's Start of the Street Retreat #homeless

Today at 5:00 PM several of us will begin a first ever summer Street Retreat here in Austin, Texas.  A Street Retreat (www.mlfnow.org/streetretreat) is a one on one retreat between the retreatant and God and our retreat center are the wallless streets of downtown Austin.  We have been doing Street Retreats now for over six years.  Very powerful and transforming.  Only agenda is that we will start in Wooldridge Park at 5:00.  From there it is up to God to direct us where He wants us to go.  We hope to introduce you to some of the beautiful brothers and sisters we encounter on the streets of Austin.

Follow us on Twitter (mlfnow) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/mlfnow).  We will be live streaming video peridoically as well as pushing updates throughout the retreat through Twitter and Facebook.  Hope to see you on the streets!

-Alan

Larry Daniel (r) and Friend on First Street Retreat Apring 2003

Larry Daniel (r) and Friend on First Street Retreat Apring 2003, originally uploaded by Mobile Loaves & Fishes.

This photo takes me back 6 years to our first Street Retreat in the Spring of 2003. We have now done about 14 retreats. Powerful experiences. Check out http://www.mlfnow.org/streetretreat.

-Alan

Jerry Marlowe dies...But Not On the Streets!

Our first Street Retreat of 2009 began on March 20th for 48 hours.  Pretty quickly God had a few members of the team encounter Jerry Marlowe.  Jerry was recently released from Brackenridge diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and given 90 days to live.  Our guys on the streets coldn't stand the injustice that this brother would have  to live out his final days and die on the streets.  Unconsciencable really.  So under the leadership of Bob Woods they made arrangements to get him into Austin Hospice Christopher House.  This was on Sunday March 29th.  Jerry passed away surrounded by friends from the streets with dignity on Wednesday April 8th.  May he rest in the arms of our Lord.  Here is the email from Bob Woods.

-Alan

Jerry Marlowe died tonight just after Deb and I left praying with him at Hospice of Austin's Christopher House and surrounded by his friends from the street, Tim and Mark. 

 

 

Jerry was homeless and no next of kin but a great guy with a bunch of good friends. I met Jerry 3 weeks ago on the South side of the library just after my weekend on MLF Street Retreat. Chris (whom most of you will remember) introduced me to his friend who was "dying". Jerry walked to Brackenridge Hospital on March 13. The ER doc woke him up  and said, "You have cirrhosis of the liver, get you ducks in a row and get right with God. You have have 90 days to live...and oh by the way we are discharging you.". He only made it 23 days.

 

I can say that MLF Street Retreat changed my life. I am still trying to figure out what it all means and what "help" to these folks truly is. One thing I did figure out over the last few days with my new friend Jerry is how important and uncomplicated it is to just slow down and take the time to be a friend. There are many more Jerry's in Austin.

 

I was blessed to have known Jerry and while I will miss him, I pray that he is in a better place. A memorial at the Homeless Memorial Tree on Town Lake is being planned.

 

His,

Bob Woods

Street Retreat Thoughts, Musings & Video Blogs

WOW!!  I wish I could articulate well enough to give you a feel for exactly how powerful the Street Retreats are.  But I can't so I will do the best that I can.

For me it has been 7 days on the streets over the past 2.5 weeks.  Over 50 people total participated; about half of them members of the Diocese of Austin Diaconate Class of 2012.  Two retreats were 48 hours and this one of Holy Week was 72 hours.

Simply, the retreats are transforming.  You go in one way but come out another in thoughts and understanding of who you are spiritually and how you view all of our brothers and sisters.

In addition to this blog you can go to http://www.mlfnow.org/streetretreat and there you will find several archived videos that we live streamed from the streets while on the retreats.  You can also go to http://www.youtube.com/mlfnow to see other archived videos filmed from our Flip Camera while on the retreats.  And you can see some of the pictures we took by visiting http://www.flickr.com/mlfnow.  Or if you really want the Street Retreat taste on steroids you need to join us on one.  The first video below are snippet thoughts from those who participated.

Gina Chavez Sings Embrujo on the Street Retreat

Noted Austin musician Gina Chavez borrows a guitar in Wooldridge Park at the beginning of our Street Retreat and belts out an original titled Embrujo.