Today is our last day of mission opportunities. We again have breakfast and devotions before we leave. Today we will be heading to the Beacon Day Center. The center provides hot meals, private showers and lavatory facilities, laundry services and case management to Houston’s underserved and homeless population. Upon our arrival, Andy and I are assigned to Taurus, to work the front doors. Currently we are letting in those that have ticket numbers up to 50. There are upwards over 300 that are waiting for entry to the building. The trick is, we can allow some to enter for the bathroom, but we need to prevent them from standing in line to get checked in until their number is called. Most people are pretty cooperative about waiting their turn. We keep having to stop those that went to the restroom from getting in the line. A few get a little upset when they believe that someone may have cut in line. We are able to calm everyone down and move on to the next block of numbers and so on. Taurus is off spreading the gospel to those that are in the building. While this is going on, we have some of our students doing the check in, via computers, others serving food and yet others doing laundry. We all have our places to serve and time is flying by.
I am told by one of the homeless persons trying to enter, to take care of this guy, as he points to someone, saying that he is new and scared. I speak to the young man. He does in fact seem very frightened and a little confused. This is his first time coming to the Beacon and does not know what to do. I instruct him to have a seat and he would be called next to be registered. I start a conversation with him and he says that he was released from prison on Monday with only the clothes on his back. When he went back to Arkansas, which is where he is from, he is sent back to Texas because of his parole. We continue the conversation until he is registered. Although he is nervous, he is also very understanding of the process and thanks me for helping him.
Time has really flown by and now it is 11:30 and time for us to head out for some lunch at Helen’s park, near Sheltering Arms, which is our next stop. The lunch stop is very nice, with some water flowing through the park, some nice grass to sit upon and a warm sun shining down upon us. 
We are told when we enter Sheltering Arms, that many of the adults that we will encounter, have a variety of cognitive issues. The idea for us is to be with people, interact with them in conversation, games or whatever is needed. As we enter the main room, we each spread out, looking for someone to sit by and converse with.
I notice a group of men playing dominos, so I ask if I can sit down and watch. As I watch, I have conversation with each and they teach me how to play. This group of guys really are having fun poking and prodding at each other, while keeping track of the scores and what is going on around the room. We all notice that the other students now are partaking in a fashion show. The guys all say that all that activity is too much, and they prefer the conversation and quiet of dominos.
One by one each of the players are picked up and the game has begun to break up. Upon the last player leaving, I move on to speak with a woman who is partaking in Bingo. She and I share conversation and laughs over a variety of subjects. As our day comes to an end, we all say our goodbyes and head out for our final dinner at a good ole` BBQ, Texas style.
Dinner, debrief and wrap-up, finalizes our day, and our week of mission in Houston. So many things to reflect upon and so much to process over the coming weeks.
Please talk to each of us about our experiences and look for an announcement of when we will do a presentation of our time in Houston.