It was a beautiful late summer afternoon on July 5th, 2024. We were on our Friday night outreach at the Burien Transit Center when Renaldo walked up to the table, beaming with a joyous smile and excitement. He had recognized some of the volunteers. He asked for something to drink and eat and was served; then, as he was enjoying this break from the hot day, he began conversing with these volunteers.
Encounters like these have become quite frequent during most of the outreaches we have in the City of Burien. For over three years, volunteers from Samaritan Worldview, a 501c3 non-profit, and Hope Christian Church have been ministering to the homeless, the poor, and the destitute in our special City of Burien.
We started with prayer walks and offering help to individuals sleeping on the sidewalks and alleyways; then the tents by the Burien Library, the encampment at the Dog Park next to Town Square Dentistry, and the Ambaum Encampment, all the way to the current encampment near the Burien Courthouse and Police Station.
Through various outreach activities, we offer and connect those who want help with services, which include detox facilities, long-term shelter beds, long-term live-in discipleship programs, etc.
From meeting people where they’re at and providing for their immediate needs through food, water, etc., we’ve built relationships and have seen and heard some remarkable, life-changing testimonies and stories that are nothing short of miraculous.
Renaldo’s Story
Such is the story of Renaldo, who, with much contentment and a very relaxed demeanor, shared with joy the miracle he had experienced a few weeks ago at the just-ended Strawberry Festival, where Hope Christian Church had set up a booth. He came by and engaged with some of those serving and shared the burden he’d had with alcoholism and his desire to quit. He was tired of it and was ready to let it all go. He agreed to receive prayer and welcomed it. As Renaldo left, he expressed much gratitude and thanks.
At the outreach in July, he shared that since he was prayed for, he has not had one single drink. He “stopped drinking,” he shared. He looked like a different person, and he felt different. He was content and full of renewed hope.
In Burien, the volunteers at the outreach had been given some homemade tamales by a friend. As they spoke with him, he shared that he sure would like some tamales. They could not believe their ears. “Renaldo, we were just given some tamales by friends,” one of them shared with him. He could not believe it! He opened his mouth wide in excitement and, with outstretched arms, received it and dove right into it, enjoying one of his favorite meals. In that moment, he encountered love in a way he had not expected. He had received deliverance from addiction and now received some warm, homemade tamales, which he loved.
Burien, consistent LOVE, consistent prayer being poured out, and caring for the needs of the less fortunate go a long way. I personally believe prayer works, so I invite you to join us in praying for our wonderful city and for each person who finds themselves wandering.
Lord, we pray for each and every homeless person who are among those you love so dearly according to your word in John 3:16.
We pray that you keep them safe, that you deliver each one of them from the bondages of addiction, perversion and overdoses. We pray for those that have been lost and estranged from family, those that have given up hope and are suicidal, those that are so hopeless that they don’t care anymore. Lord each one of them is precious in your sight, so we intercede for them and ask that you intervene in their lives, in Jesus’ Name.
-Joseph Riverson
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Joseph is the Executive Director for Samaritan Worldview, which focuses on helping the homeless, the poor, and the destitute of society through the love of Christ. Learn more at www.samaritanworldview.org.
You are invited to join them in outreach, and you can reach him at 253-237-4211 or josephr@samaritanworldview.org.
Joseph is also one of the leaders at Hope Christian Church. You are invited to visit Hope Christian Church any Sunday at the 10 am or 6 pm services, located at 632 SW 143rd St., Burien, WA. Learn more at www.hope-christian.com.
