Blessings, dear ones.  My name is James Lyman and I am the Pastor of the Evangelical Bible Church, situated on the corner of 22d Street and San Juan Avenue, here in Port Townsend.

I was approached by Peter Bonyun and Judith Alexander in early September, just two months ago.  They were inquiring about a project they were engaged with to create temporary emergency shelters for homeless individuals this winter. They were curious about whether the church was willing to be somehow involved in supporting that effort – called the Community Build Project.  The church is situated on a large parcel of land, and in particular, they wondered if we could host the building effort there.  In sharing this question with my congregants, there was collective support for the idea, and so we offered to be both a build and storage site for up to 12 12X8’ shelters. The building started very soon after that, mostly on weekends, and in very short order, there have been 5 shelters that are now already painted and close to completion. It has been a heart warming experience for our congregation and we feel thankful to be a part of the effort to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens as we head into the winter inclement weather. 

This has been a real opportunity for our entire congregation to practice what our Lord Jesus has commanded us, and that is “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  We would all feel the same as those who will occupy these tiny shelters: a home is where your heart is. The sound of the rain and the severe wind driving against the windows will indeed cause those who are warm and dry inside to once again…thank Jesus and His Servants.