In the UK, when you sleep in a sleeping bag, or outside, or I guess
away from a bed, they call it "sleeping rough." It's a term they often
apply to homeless people, as well as campers. That's what we did last weekend. And it was a very interesting experience.
Our local church is part of a network of churches that assist an organization with providing shelter and meals to asylum seekers in the UK. Many of them are homeless until their paperwork is approved and they are given legal status to be in the UK, to work and to set up a home.
A group of men from different countries are transported around to a different church each night where they sleep in sleeping bags in a room and are given a meal provided by members of the church, as well as the opportunity to shower in the building. At least three members of the church are required to stay with them each time. They asked Andrew and I to volunteer one time, so we agreed.
Another guy named Mark, who has done this numerous times, was the third person in our team, since he could show us how everything worked.
We busied ourselves with pulling all the sleeping bags and pillows out of a closet, arranging two tables and 15 chairs, and setting out a huge pot of chicken curry, a big bowl of rice, and packages of flat bread, and a coffee station. We also put out special pitchers so that the men would be able to wash their feet before doing their prayers.
At 8:45 the men arrived. They all spoke English very well. They each went around to us and shook our hands and introduced themselves. Then they sat down and began serving themselves from the curry and rice. They also made sure that we volunteers had plates of food, too.
After dinner, we cleared all their dishes and washed for them, while some of the guys took showers. Most went in the sanctuary to set up their sleeping bags and just play on their smart phones or read newspapers and relax. A few stayed in the eating room and talked to Mark while we sat and listened.
One young man seemed to relish telling funny stories of his experiences with the culture in Britain, as well as talk about the political and national situation of his people in the Middle East. He reminded us a lot of the young guys we became friends with in our German class. The other man was a very big, but seemingly very gentle, middle aged black man from Cameroon. He also enjoyed just sitting with a cup of tea and talking.
About 10 p.m. Andrew and I crashed on a couch in the foyer while the men settled into their sleeping bags in the sanctuary and turned out the lights.
Then at 5 a.m. either one of them started singing or they had an call to prayer as a cell phone alarm because there was very loud Arabic singing for a few seconds. And 5 a.m. is typically when many people from the Middle East do their first prayers of the day.
At 7:30 we joined the men for a breakfast of toast with jam and Nutella and cereal.
The Cameroonian man had asked the night before and then at breakfast if these foods were traditional British foods. We explained that the curry from the night before was probably Indian or Pakistani, so it was not traditional British food, but it was commonly eaten in Britain. I asked him if he had heard of fish and chips. He had not. So I explained about deep fried fish. Then I asked him if he knew what French fries were. He didn't. So I explained about sliced, fried potatoes. I told him about Shepherd's Pie, which he thought he would like, and also about meat pies. He said that at all the night shelters they keep serving them ethnic foods from the Middle East or India and he really wants to try British food to see what it is like.
"Some day, I'm going to go home to my children and tell them about my time in England and I want to tell them stories about the food and this and that," he said. I hope he gets to try some British food soon.
Then their ride came and it was time for us to go.
We both enjoyed spending time with these men and getting a tiny peek into their lives. I think Andrew plans to continue with this ministry maybe once a month.
Our local church is part of a network of churches that assist an organization with providing shelter and meals to asylum seekers in the UK. Many of them are homeless until their paperwork is approved and they are given legal status to be in the UK, to work and to set up a home.
A group of men from different countries are transported around to a different church each night where they sleep in sleeping bags in a room and are given a meal provided by members of the church, as well as the opportunity to shower in the building. At least three members of the church are required to stay with them each time. They asked Andrew and I to volunteer one time, so we agreed.
Another guy named Mark, who has done this numerous times, was the third person in our team, since he could show us how everything worked.
We busied ourselves with pulling all the sleeping bags and pillows out of a closet, arranging two tables and 15 chairs, and setting out a huge pot of chicken curry, a big bowl of rice, and packages of flat bread, and a coffee station. We also put out special pitchers so that the men would be able to wash their feet before doing their prayers.
At 8:45 the men arrived. They all spoke English very well. They each went around to us and shook our hands and introduced themselves. Then they sat down and began serving themselves from the curry and rice. They also made sure that we volunteers had plates of food, too.
After dinner, we cleared all their dishes and washed for them, while some of the guys took showers. Most went in the sanctuary to set up their sleeping bags and just play on their smart phones or read newspapers and relax. A few stayed in the eating room and talked to Mark while we sat and listened.
One young man seemed to relish telling funny stories of his experiences with the culture in Britain, as well as talk about the political and national situation of his people in the Middle East. He reminded us a lot of the young guys we became friends with in our German class. The other man was a very big, but seemingly very gentle, middle aged black man from Cameroon. He also enjoyed just sitting with a cup of tea and talking.
About 10 p.m. Andrew and I crashed on a couch in the foyer while the men settled into their sleeping bags in the sanctuary and turned out the lights.
Then at 5 a.m. either one of them started singing or they had an call to prayer as a cell phone alarm because there was very loud Arabic singing for a few seconds. And 5 a.m. is typically when many people from the Middle East do their first prayers of the day.
At 7:30 we joined the men for a breakfast of toast with jam and Nutella and cereal.
The Cameroonian man had asked the night before and then at breakfast if these foods were traditional British foods. We explained that the curry from the night before was probably Indian or Pakistani, so it was not traditional British food, but it was commonly eaten in Britain. I asked him if he had heard of fish and chips. He had not. So I explained about deep fried fish. Then I asked him if he knew what French fries were. He didn't. So I explained about sliced, fried potatoes. I told him about Shepherd's Pie, which he thought he would like, and also about meat pies. He said that at all the night shelters they keep serving them ethnic foods from the Middle East or India and he really wants to try British food to see what it is like.
"Some day, I'm going to go home to my children and tell them about my time in England and I want to tell them stories about the food and this and that," he said. I hope he gets to try some British food soon.
Then their ride came and it was time for us to go.
We both enjoyed spending time with these men and getting a tiny peek into their lives. I think Andrew plans to continue with this ministry maybe once a month.
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