As the World Should Be.

I was nervous about serving with City Relief. Ten years ago, I spent my first week with this organization and fell in love with the neighborhoods of New York City and New Jersey, the ministry, and with the friends we had made on the streets. Every year I would countdown the weeks before I could return... but this year was different. 

COVID-19 changed our world. Every business, ministry and church had to restructure and rethink how they could operate, and City Relief was no exception. Reading all the updates from Texas, I saw amazing people had consistently stepped up to make sure this population was not forgotten, and it was beautiful to read!! But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn't know what to expect this time. Changes had been made, and I honestly didn’t know if I would even be needed. 

No amount of training could have prepared me for what I was about to experience.

As we arrived, the line of people waiting was the same as years prior, but the setup had changed. The community partners gathered in a ‘little community’ underneath the trees and away from the sidewalk, and the entire feel was one of relaxation and acceptance. There was shade, a breeze and a feel of hanging out in the park with friends and family. 

As I watched, tears filled my eyes. Our friends who live in a world where people avoid and ignore them, were now encompassed by a community of acceptance. They were surrounded by community partners, the City Relief team, and volunteers. You could feel the hope in the air as it covered every person, both those who were serving and those being served. 

That’s when I realized; I was getting a little glimpse of heaven in this place. Everyone is equal and loved, if only for just a couple of hours. I was right in my thinking that things had changed. It was better, it was as the world should be. 

And now I’m once again counting down the weeks before I can return.

Launa Vaughn, Missions Pastor
Hope Fellowship Church, Frisco, Texas