Last weekend, Nate and I took the youth on a little service project to THE REFUGE in downtown OKC. It was one of the most eye opening service days we have ever had. It is always nice to pull a few weeds and work up a sweat for a good cause, but this place was just awesome. And by awesome, I mean… I left there knowing how little faith I have.
The Refuge is an old apartment building in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City. This building used to be THE place for drug deals and prostitution. In the ally behind the building something like 3,000 drug deals an hour went down. In the rooms prostitutes were turning tricks with the pimp and drug lord a few doors away. Basically, the worst things you could imagine were going on there every minute of every day.
With nothing but a strong feeling of urgency from the Lord, a man named Tim and his wife and two small children left California to come to good ol Oklahoma. They had a vision and a heart to see the metro area come back to Jesus. They sold everything they owned and some how bought this apartment building. Tim went day after day and prayed over the people. He had some “gnarly” stories about things that happened. He says that in that one week, he experienced more Jesus than in his whole life at church. The only answer he could give for why he wasn’t killed, or why giant drug dealers would come to him crying, was that “Jesus is taking this place back.”
After Tim fully acquired the building police went in and cleared everyone out…. Tim’s family moved in. They literally live where a satan-worshipping prostitute used to do her thing every day. Since then, about 50 more Christians have moved into The Refuge. They live together in genuine community and work together like the New Testament church. Their mission is to clean up the streets one inch at a time and just love God and love people.
Tim said that God has showed him how to love people and that is all he is doing. Selflessly loving people everyday in the midst of inner city warfare.
The Refuge has amazing stories about praying for things and the next day receiving those things… like windows, or a fridge, or a house. They recently prayed about a property they wanted to buy two doors down from the drug lord, and got a call from a gentleman in Florida that handed them the keys. Since moving into The Refuge and cleaning up the streets surrounding, all the drugs and prostitution have moved several blocks south…. so The Refuge will be moving that way too. Tim and his family (now three little children) and one other family will soon be moving into the newly acquired house. Did I mention that was two doors away from the drug lord…. the guy that kills people without blinking an eye.
I left there in awe of the wives of these men. They are raising their kids in the worst part of OKC possible, and letting their husbands risk their lives to “love people.” Were they not scared to sell everything they owned? Were they not scared to let their husband talk to drug dealers? Are they not scared someone is going to get murdered?
How much faith does it take to live like this? How do they let their fears fly out the window? They are there, in the trenches… every day. Since my visit there, I have been praying for God to increase my faith and decrease my fears. I am naturally a scared person… like I jump across the room when I see a fly. I can’t imagine being so fearless. I can’t imagine having sooo much faith.
The Bible says, “faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountains.” I would say that the community at The Refuge is a lot closer to that mustard seed than anyone else I know.
Lord, increase my faith and decrease my fears.
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