By Sandra Ferrell, Executive Director, The Lisieux Community

I have always preferred the winter to the summer. We can add on clothes, coats, and blankets to help warm us in winter. In summer, we can take off a certain amount of clothes but even if we stripped, we would not be cool if the temperature outside was hot. I have always had a hard time when it is extremely hot. I begin to sweat, get dizzy and my legs get weak.

My mind today keeps going back to our visit on the streets Thursday night with the women we serve. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a line of people next to the building that had an overhang of about 18 inches. Some were sitting on milk crates, a couple with a lawn chair and some were standing. The women had on shorts and t-shirts pulled up from the waist to right under their breasts. I believe the heat index was slightly over 100 degrees.

We parked and got out, and immediately the women came to the car. We stood and talked after we gave out sandwiches and water. Within just a few minutes, I began to feel uncomfortable, so I sat on the back bumper of the car. I eliminated the danger of falling over but did not feel any better. Trisha Henderson, our Survivor Advocate, had gone to the store and picked up washcloths so the women could wipe their faces. They stood around us and talked.

One woman who I will call Susan said some hard things about her circumstances. She got loud and used words that are not easy to hear. Some years ago I would have been frightened. But I know this woman and I know she is full of love for everyone and just had to vent. One of the other women came to her and began to sing and dance and there was laughter, even though no one had planned it. Susan’s posture raised and she seemed much lighter after leaving the painful words behind her. I looked at the faces of the other women who came with us; they also honored Susan by letting her get the pain out of her heart.

Another woman I will call Betty always comes up offering a hug and I always accept it and thank her. She laughs when I thank her. Last night, when I thanked her, she said, “You’re awesome!” Then she asked for prayer. She said people don’t want her to be like she is but she has to be who she is and needs to be accepted. I do not know what about her is not accepted and I don’t need to know. Some of us, including the women she is with on the streets, held hands and I prayed. When I finished, I left room for others to pray and when no one did, Betty said, “in Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.”

When we are uncomfortable, we get real! Also, when we are with those we love, it is safe to be real.

Today I am so sad that these wonderful women must stay out in the heat all day. After about 40 minutes I got in the car and turned the air on. There was not room for all the women, and I felt guilty but I did not want to faint. We have dreamed of the drop-in center for many months. NOW is the time to recognize the necessity for the center.

In the area where we meet the women, there are many homes listed on the “blighted property” list, but when I inquired of the nonprofit that holds title to them, the response I got was that the neighbors did not want to do that. Yet the women walk the streets there! I do not understand! There must be someone in the area with a suitable building who will be willing to say, “Welcome, Lisieux” instead of “Not in my back yard.”

Please pray for a house for us to open the drop-in center. Donate if you are able. Any amount helps, whether you have $1 or $50,000 to give. What can you do to offer hope to the women we serve?