"Thursday, January 13th, at 5:30pm getting on 205 Southbound by the Taco Bell opposite Mall 205. A man is holding a sign but he's on the opposite side of the on-ramp stop area...but at his feet is an H2O bag. What a blessing to see this ministry is broad enough to have two people with H2O bags in their car at the same time and place." -Tanya

Today was World Homeless Day. This morning started off in front of our church congregation as I and a friend presented to our church our progress with our recent H2O bag packing, encouraged them to pick up some bags, and explained to them what we'd be doing this afternoon. We started "panhandling for panhandlers" by taking up an offering after our presentation, and then we went into our city with four groups of about three teens each panhandling on medians at intersections. We carried large cardboard signs that said, "Help Us Help the Homeless," buckets for donations, and H2O fliers to give to donors. We started this afternoon not knowing what kind of a reaction we'd get, but we were willing to put ourselves in the shoes of real panhandlers to raise money for them.

A lot of people looked the other way and completely ignored us, others pulled out their phones and iPods. Even people I knew from other churches ignored us. One woman stopped and yelled at us, "Aren't you just ashamed of yourselves?"--she thought we were claiming to be homeless, but even when we explained what we were doing, she still didn't want to help us or even take a flier. Another woman donated a dollar, took a flier, and a few minutes later came back and demanded her dollar given back to her because she saw that we were a Christian organization. One man gave us a few dollars and went on to say that he wasn't sure that he himself wouldn't be homeless in the near future.

But there were also people who gave a couple dollars without thinking. One man and his son took a flier, and about an hour later came back and donated $20. They said they were also interested in starting an H2O chapter at their church. There were other (relatively) generous people as well. We raised about $500 in total, and we can't wait to put that to use buying supplies for our H2O bags and to purchase other items for homeless people we've met.

Today really was just a huge reminder to us that when we see people in need, what do we do? Do we ignore them? Do we pretend not to see them? Any of us could be in that same position at any time; our financial status is not secure. The only thing we can hold on to is Christ... and being "homeless" for a couple hours raising money really woke us up. One man stopped and (rather rudely) told us to get a job, then drove away. On his bumper? A fish symbol.

Are we as Christians really being "little Christs," or are we doing more harm to the image of Christ than good?

"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'" - Matthew 25:40-43