And in the little bits of time left after the over-time shift, they look for some kind of happiness in this foreign place. Frequently they are lured by friends into settings that involve them with alcohol and drug problems, short-term romances, unwanted pregnancies, gambling addictions and debts and all the misery that comes with them. Some are just plain lonely, floundering amidst the apathy of a city too big to care. Asia s current economic woes only add to their troubles with increasingly scarce work, lower wage levels, and a rising cost of living. The ALC House, which began as a pilot project, has now become an integral part of our outreach to urban Issaan.
People come to stay when they first arrive in the city.
Some stay for only a few days, but others stay on to discover the richness of life in a community of people committed to each other and growing in their understanding of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Living together cooking and cleaning, eating, hanging out offers so much opportunity for growing relationship and addressing these core, sometimes unfelt, yet very real needs. The gospel lived out beyond words among people you've grown to know and trust especially amidst the blunders and hard realities of daily life and struggles opens doors for God's Holy Spirit to enter in. This is where we meet people. This is where we are seeing community enter as a context that offers solutions.