HELPLESS, HOPELESS, HOMELESS AND HURTING...WHO NEEDS A SAVIOR MORE?

     I have recently preached in several new churches that HMA has never been in before.  Several people have asked me about the things that we do and who our target audience is.  What type of people we are reaching and who uses our programs. 

     We here at HMA have a target audience of “Everyone that no one else wants”.  If there are people that you don’t want to reach….those are the ones that we are reaching for!

     Let me give you one example of the types of situations that we are dealing with every day and you will know two things right away.  #1 Why we feel the need to desperately help these people as fast as we can and #2 Why they are the ones that no body else wants to work with.

     I receive letters and electronic communications like this almost every day.     If you ever want to see the original letter in the original envelope, it is on the wall in my office.

     To Rev. Todd Sloggett

Hello.  You came and visited me one time in the ----- county jail.  Sister ----- and Sister ----- asked you to because they thought that your experiences with yourself and others were similar enough to mine that you might help me.  I’m a third time convicted felon.  I’m on my own as my family has never been in my life or helped me.  I have a drug addiction problem and committing crimes.  I have done drugs since I was a very young kid.  At the age of 5 years old the state government took me from my parents due to the torture of beatings, rape and molestation from the time I was born until I was 5.  Four of us children were taken away from my parents.  I was tied up by my hands and feet and hung in refrigerators and closets, left hanging sometimes for hours, my head was stuffed in the toilet, I was continually molested by my step dad, beat with broom sticks, cords, belt buckles, chains and horse whips that I can remember.  We were boarded up in an abandoned house for I think a few weeks.  I was cut on the bottom of my feet with an oil can lid once and too much abuse to name.  I have been in juvenile homes and mental wards, detention centers and 3 foster homes.  I was raised in the streets mostly when I wasn’t in jail and now I am in jail again.  I ran away many times and prostituted myself a lot.  A pimp gave me my first shot of dope when I started selling myself at 13 and I have been addicted pretty much ever since.   I have basically prostituted and stole things to support my self and my habit ever since.  I have lived in motel rooms, abandoned houses, old cars.  When I was 17 I was gang raped and I had a baby from it.  The state government took the baby from me because of my past and present lifestyles.  He is 28 now and I have been searching for him his entire life.  My second time in prison I did 21 years.  My first time in I was introduced to homosexuality.  This time I am only doing a small sentence.  I will return to the streets again with no job skills and no education.  Once again I will be homeless.  I’m tired of the life that I have lived.  All 46 years of it!  For once I want a normal life and to have new positive friends.  I have written to many friends and churches while I am in this time and no one has responded to me.  I only feel rejected.  I am not a mean person.  People have beat me all my life, stabbed me and raped me.  I have been hurt so much.  I want to learn to love and help people.  My family growing up was always the gangs, pimps, prostitutes and homeless people.  I need help and I want a better life.  I don’t want to get out just to end up back in prison.  I don’t want to go back to being homeless and go back to being a drug addict.  I want a family and real friends.  I want positive influence friends.  I want new better friends.  Friends that care about me.  I have never even had a mother or a father in my life since I was 5 years old.  I have never even experienced the love of a parent.  Most of my real family are gang members.  I want to help them and others.  I want to get out and live good and tell people.  I am an artist, I can do hair, cook, I can do crafts.  I have talents.  I have been trying to get a sponsor to get my high school diploma.  I can do an in home, (in jail), course.  I am willing to try but no one is helping me!  I have nowhere to go when I am released from prison. 

I need someone, anyone to write me.  I don’t have basic things outside of what we are allowed in prison.  I need pen pals.  I need positive friends.  Good people.  I am struggling seriously.  Please help me. 

Respectfully, ----------  -------------

     Enclosed in this letter was some official state prison documents showing that her food purchases were denied for insufficient funds and her high school diploma classes were also denied for lack of an official sponsor and inability to make the initial $10 payment. 

     After reading this you probably fit into one of two categories at least.  #1 You can see why we want to reach these people so bad or #2 You can at least see why nobody else wants to get involved.  You may not be the one that is sent to “get involved” in these peoples every day lives but you very well may be one of the ones that were sent to help us get involved.  Pray for us, support us, make a difference today.