It's hard saying goodbye

It's never easy saying goodbye, especially to a person whose life has transformed right in front of your eyes.

When we first met Mark in early November 2011, he was a bitter drunk homeless man. He wasn't a happy person. He would often show up drunk and at times pass out on the front steps of the Love In Action Ministry Center.

Fast forward three months and Mark shows up every time the doors are open. He's smiling, inviting people inside, helping serve people, and telling them Jesus is the way.

Now Mark is leaving. He found a job in south Florida and is leaving in the morning. He will be greatly missed by many people. He's a brother. He's part of the Love In Action family.

How did he go from a hopeless drunkard to a man with hope and joy? One word, one person ... Jesus.

We kept telling Mark that we love him and that he is always welcome at Love In Action, and he kept coming back. He would apologize for passing out on the front porch, but we would tell him we would rather he pass out there where he would be safe than in a ditch or a place where people would hurt him.

Mark found the love of Jesus and a purpose in his life at Love In Action. He became one of our best volunteers. Every day and night we opened the doors he was there to serve and work. He kept the floors throughout the ministry center swept and mopped. He worked on whatever project we had going. He helped us with Adopt-A-Block, and was a fixture at our Friday night Lighthouse Cafe coffee shop.Nobody worked harder.

A couple of weeks ago he helped lead a man to Jesus in a small group at our Celebrate Recovery Inside. He knows Jesus changed his life, so he started telling others about Jesus. It was an amazing transformation, and we praise God for all of it.

Before we left the ministry center tonight, we all gathered in the sanctuary and prayed for Mark. We wanted to bless him in the name of Jesus and send him off the right way.  Then as we dropped him off at his tent in the woods, we once again told him how much we love him and will miss him.

As Mark said, this isn't goodbye or the last time we will see him. His work will bring him back to Dothan in November, and we are looking forward to seeing him again.

Please keep Mark in your prayers. He's a precious man. Pray that he will continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ.