Lighthouse Cafe opens

Friday nights can be rough out on the streets, so we decided to give people a safe alternative, create a safe haven for the homeless and people who live in the hotel and neighborhood around the Love In Action Ministry Center.

Friday nights are mine and Martha's date night, and one of the things we usually do is go to Barnes & Noble to enjoy some Starbucks coffee and a good book. It's our place to unwind and relax at the end of a busy week. We wanted to create the same kind of place at Love In Action, so we opened the Lighthouse Cafe.

The grand opening was last night (Oct. 7) and it was a great night. Cynthia is the leader of this ministry. When we first mentioned the idea of this ministry her eyes lit up. She excitedly told us how she managed a coffee house and would love to be involved. Cynthia has been a faithful LIA volunteer for more than two years, so Martha and I had no problem letting her take charge and lead.

The goal is to create a safe, Christian environment where people can come and relax, play board games, listen to Christian music, talk, and of course, drink coffee. We also have delicious homemade desserts and Chill Yogurt donates "Yo Cakes." Oh man, those things are delicious. I have to do quality control on food items, so that means tasting them. Our desserts at the Lighthouse Cafe passed with flying colors. One of our new volunteers, Lauren, baked homemade blueberry muffins. I told her to make one extra, because I was going to eat one before we opened. :-) They were great, and our guests agreed. I gave an older gentleman a ride home from the Lighthouse Cafe and the first thing he said as he climbed in my truck was, "Those blueberry muffins were good."

The young and old came last night. A couple who lives in a hotel has a three-month old baby named Destiny. We have been helping this family, and Destiny has quickly stolen all of our hearts. She is such a beautiful child and is such a good baby. She always has a smile. The mother, Tiffany, brought her to the Lighthouse Cafe last night. Destiny instantly became the center of attention.

We also had the opportunity to ministry to another homeless man last night. His name is CW. He is in his mid 80s. His back is bent over to the point where he is about halfway bent down toward the ground. He cannot straighten his back, but that doesn't slow him down. He rides and pushes his bicycle everywhere.

One of our volunteers paid for him to sleep at a hotel last night, and others fixed him up with hamburgers and other items. That was a first big step to building trust with CW so we can reach him for Jesus and provide the help he needs.

So another outreach begins at Love In Action. We are excited about everything God is doing and we give Him all of the praise, honor and glory. We thank all of the volunteers, people who donate financially, and those who pray for us and those we serve. It takes all of us working together to make it happen. It's called the Body of Christ uniting to reach the lost and hurting. Thank you.