Outside

Last night was a different night at The Mustard Seed; it was their annual "work-bee" time and so the building was closed as they painted, repaired, and refreshed the building for the upcoming year. Of course, even when the building is closed there are still hungry people walking around, and so we served simple sandwiches and juice to the neighbourhood people.

It was a new experience in the fresh air, but nice to see the people sitting in chairs, talking, eating their sandwiches, and smiling. We also experienced the reality of the inner city - because we were not confined to the walls of the building, in which no person can enter if they are under the influence, we had a few inebriated people walk through. However, they were pleasent, happily took a sandwich (one apparently stumbled into the staircase at the back of the building), and reminded me that there is more to inner city work than serving the safe people.

The usuals came around - Stewart and Georgie, Michael, and lots of other who I have yet to know their names, but those who were missing were notably those who love the karaoke night and come around for a meal and to sing a song. I wonder what they were up to last night. We saw a few new people as well - lots of guys on bicycles, including a hilarious young guy who kept rolling through on his bike, taking as many sandwiches as we could give him. Some people probably left with around 10 sandwiches as we had plenty, but those will probably only last for a few snacks, perhaps a breakfast and a lunch, and then we will see them again.