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Who is your neighbor?

By July 26, 2016Day 05

It’s late July in Savannah, Georgia when I’m writing this. That’s a brief way of saying it’s hot outside – Africa hot. We actually asked one of our students from Sudan and we found that it was actually cooler there than it was here. I am native to the north east of the US and, even though I have lived in Savannah for well over a decade, I have a hard time with the heat. So when the challenge asked me to walk outside I was not overly enthusiastic. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy meeting people and getting to know them, however, walking in 115-degree heat with 90% relative humidity is a sacrifice for me. I set out from our office for a quick walk around our block and not the best attitude. Prayer was not my problem, my heart was. “God, please don’t let me die of the heat.” A funny thing happened; God didn’t wait for me to get my stuff straight. Half way to the coffee shop (What? You want me to walk the whole time?), I ran into Joe and Randy. Joe and Randy are friends and they are homeless. I greeted them and we talked for a bit about how hot it was. I asked them if they had anything to drink and when they said no, I asked them to wait a few minutes and I would bring them some water. We wound up talking for an hour. They told me about their lives and I got to tell them about myself and what I was doing. We wound up praying for each other. It was perfect, and hot.

Brian Flood

Author Brian Flood

Brian and Heather Flood said ‘yes’ in the Fall of 2014 when members from the community approached them to offer an education program to help adults in the downtown Savannah community overcome barriers to rising above poverty. With the Flood's background in education and professional arenas they bring an individualized approach to assessing the needs of Hope Academy's students. The program has since expanded to include a relational approach to teaching English as a second language (ESL) classes to refugees placed in the Savannah area.

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  • Nicole says:

    So cool to hear how God used you! It’s amazing what can happen when we step out of our comfort zones…which I’m sure you’re well aware of! Keep up the good work!