Today was one of the most significant days ever at the Emmaus House of Hospitality. There were three guests present for lunch. All three of these men had been released from jail within the past 4 days.

As I wrote about below, prison can be one of the worst places in the world, but for male prostitutes, it can be a life-changing time. For these three men, this was such a time. I’ve spent a couple years now with guys who are almost always under the influence of some chemical, who have slept in back alleys, who are jumping in and out of their clients’ cars all night, and I can tell when something is different - and today, something was different.

One guy, who goes by the appropriate nickname “Shadow”, was able to carry on the most coherent and linear conversation I’ve ever heard from him. He has been off drugs and alcohol for the two weeks he was in jail, and was suddenly able to think logically and maturely about his life circumstances. He spent a long time telling me how horrible his life has been living from hit to hit, how he knows that his friends in this neighborhood are pulling him down, and how he wants to start a new life. (This last comment is especially poignant, considering that Shadow is only 20 years old.) In previous interactions with Shadow, sometimes he could hardly speak at all, and when he did speak it was often random and non sequitur. Today, it was like sitting next to a totally different person.

Besides feeling so proud of the steps these three men are taking right now, today was also a shining moment for our ministry. The other two men present had been in prison for several months, so we’d had no communication with them in quite a while. One of the men, Timothy, told me had been waiting to come to visit us from the moment he got out of prison. He said, “This place is different from any other place. It’s like being with family, and people actually like each other here.” We spent the time today talking about what it actually means to be a Christian (he brought it up, not me!), and the trap that greed can be to people in our world. He said something Joanna (a volunteer) disagreed with, and it led him over the course of the discussion to ask the question, “Well, what do you think it means to be a Christian?” Joanna was able to share the good news of Jesus to Timothy, and the spirit of listening and dialogue permeated the lunch table.

After some fairly stressful (and even violent) months at the House of Hospitality, today was a chance to see that this ministry does make a difference. God is moving in the hearts of men on the streets of Houston (something we pray for every day), and we have the opportunity to see it happen.

When Shadow walked into the house this morning, he said to me, “I am so happy to be out of jail. It is nice to come home.” Truly, Shadow is coming home.

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** Please pray for Shadow, Timothy, and Darnell! All three of these men are at the critical point of taking the hard steps away from the streets. They need our prayers so much!**