RMCNews with Russell Palmer – Littleton, Colorado … Littleton Adventist Church is hitting the streets to provide a little bit of happiness and joy along with much-needed nourishment for the homeless population of Denver.
The middle and high school groups earlier this year formed an outreach program called S.O.S (Service on Sabbath). The students take one Sabbath afternoon a month to serve the most vulnerable population in Denver by providing not only food, but warm clothes, and a chance to hear their story.
Littleton’s youth director, Russell Palmer, reflected on the most recent outreach on December 4, where the group passed out 200 burritos.
“I noticed that everyone we spoke with was very receptive, open, and thankful for prayer. After praying with one young man, he looked up at me with tears streaming down his cheeks and said, ‘This food and drink is my miracle today, something to show that God is still watching out for me.’ He went on to share that he and many others in the area had been struggling with drug addiction and, as a result, many people were dealing with kidney failure.”
Palmer added, “Sometimes something as simple as a burrito and a bottle of water is more important to the health of these individuals than we could ever know. Just as important as the physical food we provide is the spiritual food that we offer through prayer that brings hope and encouragement to a seemingly hopeless situation.”
The program is making the youth of Littleton reflect and is instilling a mission-minded focus in their lives.
“Helping the homeless in downtown Denver has been a great experience. Helping those in need feels really good, and I will never forget it. I even made a friend; his name is Patrick. My dad and I prayed over him and talked to him about Jesus. Praying over others has been the best part of the experience. Just comforting others by sharing Jesus has been very special and meaningful,” Eliud, a high school student, remarked.
Another high school student, Noah, commented, “S.O.S has taught me how simply giving burritos to the homeless can make people so happy, and make me just as happy too! It’s taught me to act more like Christ, even to the least of these.”
Palmer could relate to a story a homeless woman shared with him. He explains, “Another woman I prayed with told me that she actually died earlier this year and was brought back to life. I shared with her that just a few months ago, I should’ve died too, but God wasn’t finished with me yet, and I told her with confidence and assurance, ‘if you’re still alive today, then He’s not finished with you yet either!’ She replied, ‘You’re right; he’s not finished with me yet!’ I told her about a man named Jesus who also died and was brought back to life to save us from our sins and to one day take us home to heaven with him.”
What also made this service special was that Littleton handed out winter jackets to the homeless after collecting them in a church-wide donation drive in November. They handed these jackets out a day before temperatures plummeted to the teens.
“You could just feel the excitement and energy in the air as people perused through the coats with our young people right there to help them pick out the one that fit just right. It was almost like we had a winter clothing shop set up right outside the mission especially for them. They seemed even more excited about the coats than they were about the food! It was truly a blessing to witness,” Palmer said.
Connor, a middle schooler, summed up the outreach by stating, “It has been great seeing the happiness on the faces of those we have helped.”
–RMCNews with Russell Palmer youth director at Littleton Adventist Church; photos supplied
