The Exchange

Books we are reading:

   Evrest – Up and Down (Oliver Jeffers)

   Jovi – Pete’s a Pizza (William Steig)

   Britt – Divergent (Veronica Roth)

   Jeremy – New Bible Dictionary 3^rd Edition

Today we took full advantage of Baba and blessed her with our two young ones as we went on an afternoon date.  The setting for this date was downtown Winnipeg, specifically the Exchange District and Forks area.  We were excited to browse some of the unique shops in the area and snack on a poutine from Smoke’s Poutinerie.  We bundled up and started out.  Not to sound too mushy, but it was fun to walk the streets hand in hand, checking out old buildings, shops, dashing through traffic, and drinking coffee by the river.  We will spare you the details, but mention an encounter we had with a man named Brad. 

Brad is homeless and approached us asking for money.  While we chatted he told us that he was a Christian and showed us a cross around his neck and a Bible in his pocket to prove it.  After discovering that we were also believers we did the customary greeting and pounded fists (brotherly kisses are so 1^st century).  He also shared about his wife who wasn’t well.  They were struggling to make ends meet.  We gave him the couple bucks we had on us and asked if we could take him for lunch.  He declined saying that he was more worried about his wife.  We offered to take him grocery shopping, but he declined again mentioning that he could take us to an ATM.  Our hearts went out to Brad.  We could not get him and his wife off the street.  His need seemed to be less for money and more for relationship, for community.  So we told him.  We shared about some churches in the area, and encouraged him that the relationships he forms in those communities provide the best opportunity for them.  We parted hoping that he and his wife would get connected with the living Body of Christ.  We pray that God would continue to open our eyes to the poverty around us, whether material, spiritual, relational, etc.