Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #261 – Serving with Heart: Stories from the Men's Shelter
The journey from living under a bridge to leading others toward hope isn’t just a story—it’s Jacob Harmon’s reality. Now the Assistant Director of Men’s Services at Topeka Rescue Mission, Jacob once arrived at TRM seeking relief from the summer heat after living in a tent. What he found was a program that rewrote his life, transforming his world from black and white to color through faith. Now, sitting at the same desk where he once received help, he serves with a singular hope: that people remember not his name, but the love of Jesus Christ.
Joined by TRM leaders Christian Stringfellow, Deputy Director of Shelter Services, and Mick Ballinger, Director of Men's Services, this episode explores the deeper mission behind their work—offering more than shelter, but true transformation. Operating much like an emergency room, their team handles crises, mental health struggles, and behavioral challenges with both skill and compassion. As CEO LaManda Cunningham puts it, “The heart can’t be taught,” and these leaders embody both heart and faith. Jacob’s journey is a powerful testament to the hope and purpose that can emerge from even the darkest places—a reminder that every person has the potential to step into a life filled with renewed color and purpose.
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Dear Holy Father, we thank you, Lord, for this day and your blessings. God, Again, thank you for this time to record this podcast. Lord, thank you for our awesome guests that we have today and, Lord, just the work that they're doing within the mission. Lord, we pray that you bless this time and Lord just bless all of our listeners that hear it today. Lord, in your holy name, we pray, Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody Listening to Our Community, Our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission on Tuesday, march 25th of 2025, episode number 261. This is your host today, barry Feeker, with the CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission, lamanda Cunningham. Good morning, good morning, that's a lot to say.
Speaker 3:I was going to say you need like one or two breaths in between all of that.
Speaker 2:I do, I do. I didn't stutter this time, which is really good. So, lamanda, what we can say is that it's beautiful outdoors.
Speaker 4:I know it's just.
Speaker 2:We're in that beautiful time of the year.
Speaker 3:Warming centers are over now I was going to say don't say WC.
Speaker 2:WC no.
Speaker 5:No more warming centers, no WC. It's like a bad word now it is.
Speaker 3:I was just talking to someone the other day and they said something about it being cold and it was like in the 40s. I'm like you don't understand cold, you don't know cold. That's right.
Speaker 2:That's right. Well, Amanda, we've got some great guys to talk to today.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:We've been highlighting some of the different work of Topeka Rescue Mission and some staff members, but, of course, for those who are avid listeners to our community, our mission, we have the special important things that we need to talk about, which are on this date. And you haven't had a chance to look at the sheet.
Speaker 3:yet I haven't. No, and I was trying to look, but Christian's hoarding it over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Christian's got it over there. He'll help you out if you really need to. So on March 25th of every year, there are mainly three things that we want to focus on, and today is Tolkien Reading Day. Tolkien Reading Day. That's not Token Reading Day, it's Tolkien for J-R-R Tolkien. You know that, don't?
Speaker 5:mistake it. We're talking like the best author of all time, the goat, the goat the goat. Why is he the goat the greatest of all time? I?
Speaker 2:know. Okay, so yes, so yes. So we have just a lot of fans around the country, around the world. You're kind of like, who is this guy?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know I probably shouldn't admit that, but I'm not a huge reader.
Speaker 5:Shame, I know.
Speaker 2:All right, this is a problem with our education system. We have a formal two-time principal double master degree educator.
Speaker 3:I know who doesn't read books. Listen, you asked me about elementary books. Who's craning down? I could probably answer all of them, but no.
Speaker 2:All right. So a lot of different, amazing things that were written to take people out of reality, but also reflecting reality.
Speaker 3:That's my daily job, barry. Yeah, so you don't need to read about that, that's right.
Speaker 2:Okay, so maybe you get this one. It is National Medal of Honor Day today on the 25th of March. Okay, national Medal of Honor. What do we know about medals of honor? Like a lot of people get them, or very few people get them, or-.
Speaker 3:Very few people get them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's prestigious In the history of them being given out. 3,468 people to date have been given them. This is for valor of the most courageous service men and women who've done things to fight for their country, save others. Call of duty there are only three branches of the armed services that give out the Medal of Honor. Do you know what they are? No, okay, I didn't either. Army, navy, air Force. So what happens to the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard? They get to join the Navy.
Speaker 5:Okay, all right, you offended somebody, don't tell them hey, you know what's right?
Speaker 3:I had three fathers okay.
Speaker 2:One was a Navy man one was an Airborne man and one was Army, so I'm pretty well yeah, um, I was just thinking right below that medal of our medal of honor honor.
Speaker 5:What is it?
Speaker 3:yeah, yes, sorry, um is our sleeves. Faith with our sleeves rolled up rewards. Now I'm stuttering. I did good the last time and now it's on you.
Speaker 2:But I was just thinking our TRM award.
Speaker 3:It's right below that right.
Speaker 2:Well, kind of yeah.
Speaker 3:Although I've given more out in the three years I've been in this position than you did in almost 40. Because it used to be special, it is special, it is still special.
Speaker 2:I just am more generous than you? Yeah, you're very generous. You haven't given out 3,468. Okay, giving out 3,468. Okay, moving on to the last one, it's International Waffle Day. International Waffle.
Speaker 3:Day. Okay, so people like waffles, right, love waffles.
Speaker 2:Do you like waffles? You know, I like French toast better Of course you do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I do.
Speaker 2:It's more sugary. Well, it's just softer, nicer, fluffier. But I'll tell you what, what most people don't know there is a religious connection to National Waffle Day. Did you know that?
Speaker 3:I think you're lying.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, no, the Research and Development Department gave this information to me and I just think it's amazing. So for all of you who are Swedish out there, so there is a National Waffle Day, is Waffledagen Day. Waffledagen Day, but it's very close to the announcement of the angel Gabriel coming to talk about Mary and being the virgin birth was coming to announce it to Mary. So it was a war, what? Warfudigen? Warfudigen, which is like waffle doggin, okay. So they kind of get it mixed up a little bit. So National Waffle Day and the announcement of the virgin birth are kind of similar.
Speaker 3:I almost feel like that's a little bit of blasphemy.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, I know.
Speaker 3:For all Catholic friends out here. It's the research and development department.
Speaker 2:We're sorry and the speaker rescue mission comes up with this kind of stuff. So we are totally disclaiming right here.
Speaker 3:But anyway, I I love waffles, yes, but it has to have peanut butter on it and syrup for the protein you know, yeah, but I love waffles and crunchy. I can't do soft.
Speaker 2:That's gross. I don't know if your OCD waffles are a problem because you've got to fill every one of those little spots I do. Okay, those are your.
Speaker 3:OCD. Okay, the more the better. Yes, yes, yes, yes. And I prefer crunchy peanut butter, which then really messes with my OCD, because I really need a nut and everything, but anyways, we won't go there. Wow, okay, some fake waffles.
Speaker 2:It's really bad. First time ever listening to our community. This is the group therapy session. Times that people can kind of let it down a little bit before we get into the series.
Speaker 3:You wouldn't know that about me, though. If you looked at my office right now, it looks like a tornado has gone through it, but I do have some OCD tendencies.
Speaker 2:Well, it's necessary to be the CEO of Speaker Rescue Mission, so you've got to be on your game, that's right. So for those who actually tuned in to be able to listen to what's going on at the Speaker. Rescue Mission. Thank you for staying with us here on March 25th of 2025. We've got some great guys here, amanda. We have Christian Stringfellow, who is Deputy Director of Shelter and Services and Outreach.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, he's okay, he's okay. The other two are great, he's okay. No, he's great too.
Speaker 2:Christian, I want to hammer on you. We had you here the other day when we were talking about the Hope Center. Today we're going to be talking about men's services here, but you're rolling up on an anniversary.
Speaker 5:Is it today, tomorrow, tomorrow?
Speaker 2:You don't remember those things? Huh, tomorrow, yep, tomorrow, you know what?
Speaker 5:tomorrow is. It's a song. It's been 10 years.
Speaker 2:Quite seriously, it's been 10 years, 10 years since you have been on staff at Topeka Rescue Mission. That's a milestone, congratulations.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah so, but does that include your internship here?
Speaker 5:No Before that. Okay, no, my internship was in August of 2014.
Speaker 2:2014. Okay.
Speaker 5:From.
Speaker 2:Washburn University social work how long did that internship last University social work. How long did that internship?
Speaker 5:last. So that internship lasted until I started here on March 26th of 2015. So I was actually able to convert my internship into a job and then carry out the rest of my internship while employed.
Speaker 2:So about 11 years of familiarity with Topeka Rescue Mission yeah, but even before that you have a legacy here at Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 5:Do you remember that? Well, you know what I remember of that mostly was my grandmother and grandfather kidnapping me on a Sunday afternoon with buckets of ice cream and then bringing us down to the dining hall and then they would serve ice cream.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, well, little do we know what God has in store. But Christian's grandmother, anna, was my first executive assistant. She was a volunteer back in the days when we were in the old old rescue mission building and didn't have anything, and Anna was very instrumental in helping us to figure out ways to raise money for a brand new rescue mission.
Speaker 5:What a lady.
Speaker 2:What a lady. Yes, she was a character, yeah, she was. And so I remember the first time I met you and you don't, and you were in a stroller. Nope, I don't remember that you don't remember that. But I said I know where he's going to be. No, you didn't, no you didn't.
Speaker 3:He prophesied over your life.
Speaker 2:I've done all these things, so you're to blame, that's right. So, christian, introduce your two guys here today. We've got into your story before. We want to hear about Mick and Jacob here a bit, but introduce them and what they do.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so we've got Mick Ballinger. He is our Director of Men's Services, so he oversees the daily operations and functions of the men's shelter as well as supervises them at the men's shelter team. In order for him to do that job well, he really needs a good, solid assistant.
Speaker 5:And so fortunately he has that in Jacob Harmon. So Jacob Harmon is the assistant director of men's shelter services. Together they kind of carry a pretty heavy load. So there's, you know, between the two of them. One of them is on call 24-7, handling all the calls and just concerns or needs of the men's shelter, and so I was actually just going through some metrics here looking at timeframes when incident reports happen, and so there are quite a few that happen during the day, but even more that happen in the evenings. And just right behind it, depending on its heels, is third shift or the night shift, when you say incident reports for our listeners.
Speaker 5:What does that mean? So incident reports are usually written whenever there is an incident that needs to be recorded, and so that can be a medical emergency where someone needs to be. We're calling and coordinating with AMR for someone to be picked up and taken to the hospital because there's something emergent there, or, or it could be, um, a mental health crisis. It could be, you know, also a violation of policies or a behavioral issue, all different kinds of things. And so, uh, whenever those things kind of take place, those are kind of emergencies that need uh, handled and managed effectively and then also as gently as possible, and they have an incredible team that does that. But then that team also needs direction and that team needs some guidance. And so these are the guys that are taking those calls at 2, 3 o'clock in the morning to give some direction and support to those teams that a lot of times it's just a guy or two guys. They're managing a building full of people.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like an emergency room in a hospital, in a way that people that come in they're in a crisis and emergency, and some people think that, um, um, if you're going to have a homeless shelter, you just need to have a place where people go in and they lay down and get a shower and leave the next morning. And it's much more than that, isn't it? Oh?
Speaker 5:yeah, yeah, it's um. You take 120, you and guys are kind of an interesting creature. They stink.
Speaker 2:Almost as much as women are yeah.
Speaker 5:Well, actually women are a whole different breed.
Speaker 3:No comment.
Speaker 2:It's something else. Well, it's because there's several of us in here and one of her will say they're a different species.
Speaker 5:But, you know, god knew what he was doing when he made us different. But, um, you get a bunch of guys in space and there's just a whole level of different things that happen. Yeah, everybody wants their way, everybody wants to be the top dog, and then, um, you have all different kinds of things that happen, and people still want to do what they want to do, and even regardless of the building that they're in. And so, um, really it can, it is quite the uh, is quite the act of keeping this place functioning?
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, no, that ever happens in the women's shelter.
Speaker 5:Hope so. No, absolutely not Peaceful there Well.
Speaker 2:Nick, uh, we've talked to you before on the podcast. Here, mick and and uh got a little bit of your story, but kind of recap us. How long have you been here now and stepping into this position, what does it mean to you to be as Christian kind of laid out? It's kind of like an emergency room. There's any kind of crisis that can happen any time. You've got 120-plus men in the shelter. So how did you get here and how long have you been?
Speaker 4:here and what is it like to be in your position? So I've been here, not quite two years, I believe. Next month is two years. Going on two years. So I came from a correctional construction background, Just wasn't fulfilling those positions I thought I was, but God had something different for me. So I learned to take my desires and hand them over to God and let God's will take place in my life.
Speaker 4:So, as far as being the director of the men's shelter, there's times you want to cry and there's times you are overjoyed. The success stories, the ones walking through the front door, not knowing the background, not knowing what's going on in their life or what they've been through, just seeing them succeed, get stable, just continuing to work with the ones that sometimes you just go, you know, is it really worth the time to keep doing it? But it is. You know, God continues to work with us every day. God continues to show us grace every day. So just being able to be in that place, to show that grace that God blesses us with and works through us to, you know, the ones that keep coming back, they're coming back for a reason. At first you might not know what it is, but just over time, over time, over time. When you start building that rapport and that trust with them and they start trusting more and they start opening up more, the conversations that don't seem like they're ever going to happen actually take place.
Speaker 2:And you're just like, wow, this is so. Those would give you joy. Yes, when somebody wasn't necessarily looking like they were going to make it, and things start happening. And of course, we're going to hear from Jacob here for a minute. There's some of the story there, but what breaks your heart, mick? You?
Speaker 4:know you said that some things give you great joy and some things make you want to cry. What breaks your heart about this kind of work? I think what breaks your heart is when you get the guys in and you start establishing that rapport with them and you really start getting them to come out of their shells. If I could say that you might have somebody that's been in the you know homeless for so many years and doesn't think they can really trust anybody. If you start building that rapport with them and you start feeling that trust and you start feeling that you start having those conversations and it starts getting a little deep and of course you're going to become emotional and you're going to have a little bit of personal. You know stuff going on there. Just because you got somebody coming into your heart, you know you're trusting somebody to to understand you and you want to understand them at the same time.
Speaker 4:And then of course they take a different road and they're no longer there anymore and you know there's times I go home and I'll get the phone calls of somebody wasn't a roll call sometimes, or somebody decided to leave, or you know just can somebody come back and you're just looking at it and you're just playing it in your mind. You know, and you're thinking, man, we got so far, or, unfortunately, the ones that are no longer with us that pass on. And you're thinking, man, they were just, they were on that road. God was in their heart, they were seeing the light that God produces for us and you just never know. You know which road they're going to take. You want to hope for the best for them and you pray for the best for them.
Speaker 2:You know and you can only do it what you can. You know, Amanda, what's it like to hear one of your key team members here share that kind of care. Okay, get the Kleenex box Gosh care Okay, Get the Kleenex Gosh. Um, you know, some people could just look at a homeless shelters, you know, place of sleep, get some food, get a shower. Do it again tomorrow. Same thing on repeat, you know, but this is going beyond that.
Speaker 3:So I want to explain one thing and then I'll answer that. So I want to explain one thing and then I'll answer that. Talking about front lines is really hard for me, regardless if it's shelters or streets, because I think I just I don't do it.
Speaker 3:So I won't say I don't do it every day, like they do so, I won't say that I know how it feels, but I know that I want to explain as a leader. There are a lot of skill sets that both of these men honestly, all three of them have to require, right? So when you look at whether it's organization, communication skills, scheduling budgets there is a business side to this there are skill sets that are required. But I've been quoted saying this. It's quite comical, but I mean it. When I'm looking at those things for key positions like shelter management or a deputy in the functions that Christian is, those skill sets I don't care what they look like on paper, because those can be taught. The heart can't, can't, and I would much rather have an individual in these three positions Christian Mix and Jacobs with lesser skill sets and the heart of Christ any day.
Speaker 3:What's incredible and this is why I think I get so emotional, because it's something that I don't take for granted is all three of them have both. They have the skill sets, the efficiencies, to run things organized. When I say organized, it's organized chaos, right, because we're dealing with people and hundreds of them and all of that. But they look at this, they're looking at the training that they have to do. I mean all of these things, they juggle. But then when I look at how those things don't supersede the love, the compassion, the empathy, the understanding, all of those things as just their sister in Christ, but also as a supervisor, it means so much to me because the people that come into our shelters, the challenges that they have, are not easy, and it's also not wrapped in this like really fancy packaging and with a bow on top, and we get to swoop in and there's somebody just that looks so feeble and we get to help them and be the heroes immediately. That is not the case. The vulnerability comes in the form sometimes of cussing, or comes in the form of defecation, or comes in the form of talking to themselves, those things that sometimes we look at as a society as either a nuisance or disgusting. My team has to look at it as a vulnerability, just like we would if somebody was feeble. So we look at somebody if their mindset is feeble or whatever. And these three men particularly not only have to have that heart for what they're doing in the men's side, but the other thing we don't talk about is there are protectors of the women's side, so everything that Mick and Jacob do for the men's side. They are also the first response when our hope center needs it.
Speaker 3:And uh, you know, I started my day off today in the men's shelter talking and looking at some renovations that we're doing. And one of the guys was walking all the parameters and I know he's doing that for safety measures and I know what he's doing. But he's also out there talking to people, telling people good morning, staff and guests and all of that. And I just thought I hope he realizes like that he's seen not just by me, right, because that's not really what's important but like every even stroll that they do to protect the buildings, like the Lord sees that, like the Lord sees that also protective of them. Because I get that their jobs are so complex, but I also get that their jobs truly are kingdom work being done on earth. And I get a little protective when other people don't view the work that these three men, what they do, the way that I do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely Well, you know, Mick, what I heard, christian, amanda, is a culture of compassion. It's not just service, it's compassion. And there's a difference. Service is when we do something for somebody and then we're done. Compassion means that we do something with them. The word of compassion is suffering with others and when, mick, when you talk about the joys and then also those sorrows, it means that you're suffering with them. You can't only suffer with them, you have to help them through that. But it's, it's a, it's a culture of compassion which is vastly different than, um, just what we call social service, vastly different here, right, christian?
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 5:Yeah Well, compassion can carry a lot of different forms, and sometimes we look at just the things that feel good on the outside. But it's kind of a mixture of all these different things.
Speaker 5:And so it's the love for the person, it's the care for the person and it's also the care for that. It's kind of a mixture of all these different things, and so it's the. The love for the person is the care for the person and it's also the care for that person's benefit and growth. And then sometimes we have to be a parent, and parenting hurts, um, and I, I think you know real love. You know, um, love is something that always comes at a cost. It comes at a price, and part of that cost is it hurts.
Speaker 5:It hurts to love, it hurts to love. Well, Sometimes we have to be in a place of discipline out of a place of love of. Sometimes someone's behaviors or actions are so unsafe that we can't allow them to continue to stay in our facility. And it hurts to put somebody out on a cold night. And if it doesn't hurt, then we're in the wrong line of work.
Speaker 2:So you can have the care and compassion and love with them but also have to set the order and boundaries and structure for that, and so, mick, thank you for sharing that. I think that really gets to the heart of what we're talking about here today. But it's also important for you to have your number two guy, and so you got that here and Jacob. Tell us a little bit about Jacob from your experience now working with him, and then we want to talk to Jacob.
Speaker 4:So I heard a little bit about Jacob from Christian. I didn't know much about him, had the interview with him, we had some decisions to make. I am very blessed to have Jacob on the team as a backup for an assistant. Jacob comes in with a huge heart.
Speaker 4:I always tell the guys on my team I've never been through what they've been through, so I can't understand everybody that comes through the front door and help them in that situation. But I have guys on the team, especially Jacob, heading that to where they have been through some of these situations, to where these guys that are coming in from the streets can you know they have somebody that can understand them. So I have a guy number one that has that understanding. But number two has a huge heart and shares just the same compassion that I share for others heart and shares just the same compassion that I share for others. So to have somebody like that as a backup, to have somebody like that to work on the front line with me, to have somebody like that to represent our team as staff members that is a front line to come through the front door these are the faces that you see when you first come through the front door To have somebody that shares the love of Jesus Christ just like the rest of us do.
Speaker 2:Darrell Bock Also has some understanding, understanding, empathy, for where people are at. Jacob, thanks for joining us here today. You and I have known each other for a number of years. 12, 13 years ago, would you have ever envisioned that you might be the assistant director to men's services at Topeka Rescue Mission?
Speaker 6:That's funny. Back in 2012, for a little stint, stayed under the bridge Topeka Boulevard Bridge in a little tent and it was so hot that summer that I was blistering and I actually came to the mission for relief from those blisters.
Speaker 6:They had air conditioning, they had air conditioning and I was just going to stay there for a little bit, get back on my feet, you know, get the ground back under my feet and move on. I was going to probably go as far away from the mission as I could. That was my plan anyways. Well, god had other plans. So that summer, after I came to the mission, I was introduced to a program there that required me to stay for 12 months, and I stayed. That whole program ended up getting hired on at the distribution center and was staffed there for five years.
Speaker 2:What was the transformation? You came in because you were hot and blistering. You were experiencing serious homelessness at that time, living under a bridge. You came in. What was it that you saw about that program, more than air conditioning, that you felt like this was for you. That would be a fairly big adjustment from where you were.
Speaker 6:To be fair, I'd come from you know, I was previously housed before that but had a failed marriage and come from addiction. So I kind of really ruined it for myself through the addiction and I knew that and understood that. But addiction just doesn't go away. You can't just wake up one day and not be addicted. It takes time and work and I was in recovery through that program. What attracted me to the program was actually this structure. I think that I would. I'd be going to Bible study every day, I would have a pattern.
Speaker 6:I'm a pattern person and that would bring me it's sort of an internship like a program.
Speaker 2:So it was a year program. You had a place to stay for a year. There was structure. Was there job training for you in that program? Was there experience? There's exposure to things that you could do occupationally.
Speaker 6:They poured into me in that program. My advocate at the time poured into me through the Bible studies and she strengthened me through Christ and led me in the direction I needed to go to build myself back up through Christ to accept his love again.
Speaker 2:You mentioned that a couple times now in regards to the Bible part of that program. Now you've kind of taken us into that mentor. Now you've kind of taken us into that mentor. Why was and is today, this relationship with Christ important to you?
Speaker 6:And what was a key factor clear back 12 years ago, when that became a big part of your life? Well, that year I was actually introduced to Christ. I'd gone through chapels and everything else, but I accepted Christ into my life that summer and everything changed pretty much. Christ is my everything and without Him I am am nothing and nothing's of value to me without Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:What do you remember changing? Then you come to Christ. You know some people talk about this getting saved, coming to Christ. We go to church, we read our Bible, but sounds like there was something pretty deep here that happened when you met Christ, not just somebody who was a religious leader, but what do you recall changed everything.
Speaker 6:I felt love like I'd never felt before. The world changed in the way I viewed it changed from that point forward. Um, it was, in a sense, black and white turned to color on that very moment and I felt loved like I'd never felt before. Um, it's indescribable and overwhelming.
Speaker 2:Christian as a pastoral perspective on this, which you are a pastor or Lamanda, I mean whoever. What are you hearing here? Somebody was in black and white and they went to color in their life because of Christ. What does that speak to you?
Speaker 5:I think it refers to rebirth. Jesus said this to I think it was Nicodemus. He said unless you're born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. But there's, and then Nicodemus came back with a quip of just so are we supposed to crawl back into our mother's wombs? How is that even possible? And then Jesus says we have to be born of the Spirit and not of the flesh. And so there's this.
Speaker 5:It's kind of hard to explain, you know, and to articulate. It's one. It's a completely different thing when someone's walked through it or someone's experienced that. It is like the world coming to life, um me understanding or knowing that that I am loved by the one who founded, you know, the universe, created the universe that you know, the one who made it all sees me and knows me, and then he is, um, it's not just my life anymore, it's then his life. And so I think you can talk about that. But then really, there's a lot of people who talk, but then don't walk it out, and I think Jacob is probably a perfect example of someone whose life just drastically changed on the outside. Life just drastically changed on the outside, you know. You look at his life now and this guy, this guy is thriving, you know he's. He and his wife are an incredible team. Um, they, they thrive. They're building a chicken coop, you know just and uh.
Speaker 3:But then, like also raising Be careful with what you're saying about chickens we have a mama hen that's right here at the table. Who loves chickens?
Speaker 5:but I mean his life. His life is thriving, but I think he would venture to say that the reason why is because it's not his life. You know. He ventured to say he, you said, he, you know, even said that you know, the things that were valuable to me aren't valuable to me anymore. I have a whole different set of values now. And then, you know, when we come to that we realize that the joy that we experience in life comes from a place that's bigger than us, then the stuff that we had before doesn't even pale in comparison, the stuff that we had before doesn't even pale in comparison.
Speaker 2:Jacob, I love your your way of explaining that. I was living black and white and it went to color, and I think that's what so many people are really looking for. Is that? And we don't mean black and white like right and wrong, necessarily? That's the law part, but what we're looking at is this kind of mundane. There's no vibrance to life, and something happened with you, with Christ, and so it lit up. You saw the world differently, so you invested in this program, went for a year. Then you were given an opportunity to work at the distribution center of the rescue mission. How long did you do that?
Speaker 6:distribution center of the rescue mission. How long did you do that? I did that for about five years. It was a lot of fun. I was able to work with other people that were going through the exact same thing as me, so it was great in coming up alongside people in just different areas of our walk somewhere ahead of me and somewhere behind me but we were all working together in it.
Speaker 2:But that wasn't going to stay very long. After that five years stint, I remember one of the as the former director here, I remember one of the most concerning pieces of news I'd heard is Jacob's going to take another job. He's leaving here and we were very, very, very discouraged about that because you were so loved here and here. But you went on to do some other work, to take care of some pretty major debts, and you and your wife worked together to wipe out what other people would see as impossible to happen. You worked hard, you guys worked as a team taking care of those debts, which was in the tens of thousands of dollars, and you paid them all off. Yes, so you got free of that. And then what happened after that? That brought you back in kind of the radar of Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 6:Man. The way God moves and works is so beautiful. I was asked to be part of the annual fundraiser because my story was so close to the mission and for about a year prior to that I've been telling God nah, I'm comfortable now I'm ready to coast into retirement. Debts are paid. I'm stacking this retirement over here. I'm doing what we're supposed to be doing, taking care of ourselves.
Speaker 2:He y'all, he's a young guy still, so this retirement thing is like way out of order.
Speaker 6:Yeah, so no, no, I'm just going to. I'm in the coast, I'm pretty comfortable where I'm at, and for about a year I'd been arguing with God over the mission there's no other way to describe it. And then there's something about watching yourself on a screen that changes things. And as soon as I was done, I went straight to LaManda and said I'm putting in my application, I'm doing it. And it went from there. God tossed me around a little bit and, uh, and just kind of pushed me right in the direction he needed me.
Speaker 2:It's funny how God will use whatever he needs to use. So you uh were asked if you'd share your testimony for the night of praise, um, this last year. And um, so you're sitting in this big auditorium of fellowship and you're seeing this giant, jacob Harmon, up on the screen right and so, but you've been wrestling with God. And then that was kind of another turning point for you to say I need to look at this, quit wrestling with God, maybe come back to the mission.
Speaker 6:It was time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so how long now in the position you are in, the assistant director? This is still fairly new. How long now?
Speaker 6:I'm finishing up on my third month now. I started a day before my start date. Christian swung by my house and picked me up and said get in.
Speaker 3:For the warming center, like cold inches of snow Are for the warming center.
Speaker 6:Are we allowed to say blizzard?
Speaker 2:yeah, now it's what it was that blizzard and everything else that goes with that. So you walked in the front door out of your need. Many years later, you're now encountering guys working walking through the front door, maybe not in the heat, but in the cold. What? What is that like for you, encountering guys walking through the front door, maybe not in the heat, but in the cold? What is that like for you to have been where they are in such desperation and see where you are today? What happens in your mind when you see these guys coming in?
Speaker 6:Honestly, every day I walk through those doors. I'm overwhelmed by the grace of God. I feel it when I walk through the threshold of the building.
Speaker 2:I sit at the same exact desk I sat at when I came in there and got my advocate, just on the other side. You're sitting on the other side of the table now.
Speaker 6:Yes, instead of being the one receiving the help, you're giving the help. Yes, and the best way to describe it is I'm overwhelmed by his grace and his love.
Speaker 2:Mick talked about the joys and the sorrows. It's just three months now. You're still in that overwhelmed, like what am I doing here? I think that most of us who have been at the rescue mission for a little bit sometimes going, wow, this is overwhelming, not just because of the task before us but because of the beauty of the opportunity. The beauty of the opportunity that we get to be doing something with our lives that is close to the heart of God, where some people, maybe many people, don't even think about that.
Speaker 2:When LaManda was describing some of the situations that come through the front door and to others may be very repulsive, but to this team that's been called to be at the rescue mission, if you look at it with being repulsed, you won't stay, you won't, and that's fine, you shouldn't, you're just not there. But to be able to walk through these doors and know that, in spite of the uncomfortable situations, the uncomfortable situations, the sad situations, the quote-unquote ugly situations that occur, the emergency room, the behavior issues and so forth, you walk through that door with an awe in your heart to say, wow, I got called to this.
Speaker 6:Yeah, it's still unbelievable that I get to do this, you know so I was talking to Christian the other day about that exact thing. It's still unbelievable that I get to do this. So I was talking to Christian the other day about that exact thing. I still have to pinch myself every once in a while. I get to do this, and knowing the other side.
Speaker 2:So what are you hoping for the men who are coming through? We can maybe anticipate what your answer is going to be, but what is your hope that you're here now? You're on the other side of the desk. You're not being advocated for. You're advocating for others. You're helping them, setting some structure and so forth, working with Mick, working with Christian, working with a team of guys that work for you and volunteers. What's your hope for the guy that walks through that door, like you did 12 plus years ago?
Speaker 6:I hope that this might sound kind of weird, but I hope that they never remember my name. I hope they remember the love of Jesus Christ, Wow.
Speaker 2:Okay, kleenex is for everybody.
Speaker 3:That's why I'm just looking down through this whole podcast.
Speaker 6:Wow, because the love of Jesus is what will change them. I'm nothing, I explain it with Mick in our meetings. I'm just carrying my brick for his kingdom, wow.
Speaker 2:Well, jacob, I don't know that anything could ever be said any better than that. Um, before we close here today, um, just ending on that note, is there anything else? I mean, you've said so much black and white to color. Your hope is that down the road people won't remember your name, but remember Jesus' name. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Speaker 6:The importance that they know that the importance of the love of Jesus we can pour in in all different areas, but if we don't pour that love in, then the ingredients will never make us a cake Well said.
Speaker 2:Amanda, don't ask me anything.
Speaker 3:You know, we didn't even get to the services that they provide. Um, I see so many different men walk in that building Men who are extremely educated, men who have had successful careers, men who have had successful careers, men who have incredible trades, men who have been in addiction since they were nine and they're in their 60s, men who are able-bodied, men who are disabled, men who are young, men who are older. I see it as I drive by, I see it when I'm in the building and I don't know all of their personal stories, all of their personal stories, but in the role that I'm in, I have peace and I have a sense of pride and gratitude for two reasons One, because I know we have a father who knows every single one of their stories and we don't, and that that father has seen every bit of hurt, whether it's self-induced or done to them, that those men have ever faced. And there is this assurance that I have because of that and I'm thankful that none of us are too far gone and it doesn't matter if our struggle is homelessness or not. It can be spending too much money, it can be pornography. It can be spending too much money, it can be pornography, it can be abuse. I mean, we could go on and on with struggles that we face and none of us are too far gone, and so when I drive by the buildings and I'm in there and I'm looking at all of the men that are in and out, we have a father who loves them and will never depart from them, and that is amazing.
Speaker 3:The other part that I love about my job that I get peace from my job and that I have gratitude is is I have men like these three that don't have the knowledge or wisdom that the Father does, because we're not the Creator, but they're a close second, followed the Lord's heart as much as we humanly can, in the midst of our imperfections and our shortcomings. And so knowing that every man that walks through that shelter is loved and known by a father who created him in his image, and there's hope in that. And then the close second is knowing that this team does what they do and how they do it. It's not just the services that they provide, it's not just the structure they provide, it's not just the conversations and the encouragement, it's the love that is behind all of those services. No-transcript, because I know that this world is not our home, and that anything that is not seen or valued here by man will be one day by our Father, and so I am thankful for all three of them.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, lamanda. I think what we didn't get to today, as you said, we didn't get really to the services the men's services, to homeless but we got to the heart of it. And so, christian, mick, jacob, thank you for being here today, thank you for what you guys do every day. Lamanda, thank you for bringing your heart that God has called you to bring here, and Jacob, thanks to you for sharing your story here with us today. It may have taken a big screen to get you to this next level and God will do whatever he's going to do to get you where he needs you to go, and so thank you all for sharing your story today. Thank you for listening to our community, our mission today.
Speaker 2:We heard a lot of really amazing things here today and you may be kind of walking through life, and something you heard is that maybe you're living in black and white right now and you're not even sure color is possible because of circumstances in your life, whatever's happened to you, just not knowing if that father that Amanda talked about is real, don't know what God's going to take you through to get you to understand that you don't have to live in black and white.
Speaker 2:You can live in vibrant color of a hope for tomorrow, and it may not be anything like you were thinking. It is going to be so much better. So if you are one of those who has maybe seen the color, come on, go out to your neighbor, go to a person that you don't even know and share with them the love of Christ. Just like Christian and Mick and Jacob do with every person that comes through the love of Christ, just like Christian and Mick and Jacob do with every person that comes through the doors of the Topeka Rescue Mission, you can do it in your own neighborhood as well. Thank you again for listening to Our Community, our Mission.