Meet Rocheanne, he may look nice but you should try working with him, just kidding.
Rocheanne (Ro-shawn) is our ministry contact for the few
weeks we are in Dublin. He works days and nights running a homeless drop in
center, and his passion for the homeless in this city is overwhelming. Not only
is his passion to serve the homeless, but also anyone in need. In order to
receive a meal at The Light House you do not have to be homeless, only in need,
no matter what your social status. “The president could walk through those
doors and I would still feed him,” he told our team.
Over the past few days, we have worked tirelessly alongside
Rocheanne to clean and organize The Lighthouse. Sorting through clothes for the
people who come in, filling a portable trash bin, or skip, with pallets and
other garbage, and scrubbing the walls and cabinets (also known as presses)
have consumed my days here. Rocheanne has a vision, and he is sharing it with
me and my team. Working with 7 loud American girls all day must be
overwhelming, but at the end of the day we know he enjoyed the company.
However, at the end of the month, my team and I will leave
and Rocheanne will be left to work his hardest alone again. Eventually it is
his and Dublin Christian Mission’s vision to completely renovate the center, be
open more than 3 nights a week, and to also be open during the day to offer counseling
and rehab services to the broken souls that walk through the doors. All of this
work is going to cost around 1.8 million Euro, or 2.4 million American dollars
of which they only have about 50,000. In order to start they need 600,000.
I know each month I am going to leave a little piece of my
heart with each ministry, but after all the sweat and scrubbing, I really feel
connected to The Lighthouse. Rocheanne’s vision is inspiring and after only a
few days of working I feel at home. The people that come in for supper range
from the not-so homeless to men who have been hardened by years on the streets,
and Rocheanne loves each one equally, just as Jesus would.
