Clothe the Naked: Jazzy July Jubilee

It is finished and I am sad to see it go. July Jubilee was one of the best experiences of my life. It combined all of my passions, and I felt so comfortable, like I was right where I was supposed to be! I started the day of at 4:45 A.M. driving over to my co-leaders house to pick up one last car full of clothing. We met at the Flood offices and carpooled over to downtown. When we arrived at the location the streets were already blocked off for us and we immediately started unloading, and setting up. Our space was comprised of 4 pop-up tents, 2 tables, 8 clothing racks, and countless clothing items. It took us the whole four hours to set up, but once it was done we were all so excited to get started! The four pop-ups were transformed into an outdoor boutique. We hung fabrics all along the outsides of the tents to create walls, and made aisles with the clothing racks. We even had shopping bags and cookies to pass out to our customers.

When it all started at 10am there had already been a line of people waiting for hours to come in. Some of the people in that line came over and asked if they could help us set up. This instantly warmed my heart. Each volunteer got assigned to the next person in line and took them into the store to find the five pieces of clothing that they would like to take with them. I really loved this one on one aspect of the day. I got to ask people what they were in need of, and some shared their stories with me. We got to shop together and I got to compliment them and make them feel beautiful, and valued. After they had found their five pieces I would walk them out and ask to pray for them, this was my favorite part. I was so moved my the belief that these people had, they already knew that God really can do anything. I wanted some of their trust in Him to rub off on me. I got to hear their desires, dreams, and fears during this time. I also got to hear praises to the Lord. They are such grateful and friendly people. One woman asked me to pray for her humbleness and that just blew me away. If she is living on the streets and is still looking to be more humble then I have much farther to go than I thought! Sometimes the inside of the store would get crowded so we would have to take a break until more people finished their shopping. At times like these I didn't want to just stand around so I started to mingle around in the line of people waiting. This may have been the best part of the day. This was the time that I really got to listen to the people attending our event. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ who have seen a lot more life than I probably ever will. All they want is someone to listen to their stories and the explanations of how they got to where they are now. I was surprised to experience so much positivity while standing in this line. Many told me of their faith and the plans that they have to get themselves off the streets. This was so encouraging to hear, these people are trying to follow Gods call on their lives more than most people I meet on a daily basis.

After working into the afternoon I found myself beat. I had poured so much of my heart and soul into this project, and the people that I had encountered that day. I found myself completely filled with joy, so I didn't feel the pain or exhaustion, or maybe it just didn't matter. As I walked though the event to get to the shuttle line I saw people with bags of their new clothes, some getting their nails painted at the mani/pedi station, many were dancing in front of the stage where the band was praising Jesus, and still others just relaxing on the couches, in a safe place, getting coached on their lives and dreams. This was a truly amazing event that I am so honored to be a part of. I look forward to next years July Jubilee and hopefully getting to see my new friends again soon :)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that helped make this possible. I was overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I felt from my friends and family.