Kim Perkins has a home!
I met Kim on a street retreat for Mobile Loaves and Fishes where I became homeless for one weekend. MFL founder Alan Graham told me I needed to go of which I am so grateful. In this life changing weekend where I experienced being homeless (no money, no ID, no phone, no place to eat or stay), Kim looked after us. She guided us and was our Shepard making sure we stayed from danger (and found something to eat). You see Kim has been homeless for years and an expert on living on the streets in Austin.
After this street living weekend, Kim and I stayed in touch. I had a front row seat to see just how hard Kim was working to improve her life. She constantly was taking little steps to improve. I now am so proud to call her my friend. She is an outstanding person and I am so thankful I got to know her this year. I have learned so much from Kim.
Kim also has made some unbelievable advances in her life. She has shown all of us that when we keep moving forward, just small steps, along with faith, amazing things will happen. Let me brag about Kim and consider her accomplishments this year:
- Kim has a home! After years (7-10 years)of being homeless, Kim now has her own place! A home. A safe place where Kim can get a proper nights rest. A full 7 hours of sleep is something most of us take for granted. Not the homeless. Most homeless are so tired and it takes everything they got to make it through a basic day. Kim now can get out of the wind, rain, cold, sun, extreme heat, etc and have a safe place to call her home. Say it out loud, Kim has a home!
- Kim's home has everything she needs: Chair, Bed, Kitchen, Bathroom! It's amazing!
- Kim has food so she doesn't need to worry about eating each day.
- Kim has been baptised where she publicly professed her faith in Jesus Christ!
- Kim regularly now attends Lake Hills Church downtown.
- Kim has a telephone.
- Kim has clothes and a new coat. (and doesn't have to carry everything she owns like she did before)
- Kim has a new life!
The true joy for me has come from knowing Kim and her friendship. It showed me, first hand, the power of serving and helping people out. When all of us just help out a little, huge things will happen! There are a million reasons why we can't serve more and help more (busy schedules, work, running here and there, emails to send, parties to attend)....but we all need learn from Kim and just take little steps to help out.
Mobile Loaves and Fishes is an outstanding place to start. I learned that it's the little things that make all the difference and end up being big things! One down and many more to go! What are we going to do about it?
