The Lord Works Through His People

by Bob Kuhlman, Executive Director

We always anticipated that this summer would be a little busier than normal at Emmaus, if for no other reason than the extra planning required for our 25th anniversary banquet. Normally, activity on the streets heats up in the summer, but things in the ministry slow down. Between the final phase of construction on our new Ministry Center and planning our fall banquet, the summer was certainly going to be busy, but not crazy.

Then, on June 15, our summer officially moved into “crazy” territory. That was the day Chicago experienced its worst rainstorm in years. The Ministry Center at 921 West Wilson flooded and the sewer backed up into it. The building owners’ insurance company told them the damage was so extensive that they had to completely gut the Ministry Center area—and they had to start before the end of the month or the insurer wouldn’t pay for it.

We had to completely move out of 921 West Wilson by June 27, over a month sooner than we had planned. We hurried to get the news out to as many men as we could. We had one week to organize, pack, and coordinate the move. We put out a call for extra volunteers. And we prayed. A lot.

And the Lord was faithful. He always is. The Lord truly works through his people. On the day of the move, over 20 volunteers from churches and other ministries came out to help us move refrigerators, freezers, boxes, and furniture. It was a hard work day but a great one, filled with conversations with new friends and shared stories about how God has worked in our lives.

We are now officially moved into our new building. Naturally the place is still in chaos, since the actual Ministry Center, along with the bathrooms and kitchen, are still under construction, but we’ve carved out a place among the boxes for table fellowship and for our men to relax. It’s a temporary fix until the new Ministry Center is completed, but we know the Lord will see us through, and we continue to experience his grace and provision in amazing ways. The men have been showing up at the new building, and their attitudes have been positive and encouraging. We have been so blessed by the many people who have stepped up to support us with special financial gifts or by volunteering to help us finish building out the new Ministry Center.