Stepping out in Faith!

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

Writer and author Betty Eadie once said “Faith is not complacent; faith is action. You don’t have faith and wait. When you have faith you move.”

It’s not always easy to step out in faith but we know that God is faithful. In truth the entire history of the SoupMobile has been one of stepping out in faith and then trusting God to show us the way. Our faith walk started back when we were founded in 2003. We had no money, no donors, no deep pocket supporters, no sources of food, no mobile van, no umbrella church or organization to support us, and a mailing list that consisted of 5 people. Nonetheless we stepped out in faith to ‘Feed HIS Sheep.’ In that first year we served 5,000 meals and at the time we thought that was a lot. Now we serve more than 200,000 meals per year. We moved and stepped out in faith and God rewarded that faith.

In 2005 we expanded our mission to start our Annual Christmas event called Celebrate Jesus. Each year at Christmas the SoupMobile takes 500 men, women, and children right off the streets, puts them up at a fancy hotel, gives them fabulous gifts and holds a huge banquet in their honor. Most important is that when they wake up on Christmas morning it’s in a warm safe bed at the Hotel, not in a cardboard box under some bridge. When we started the Christmas event in 2005 we did not have the money for it or a hotel to take our 500 homeless, and we certainly did not have the expertise to pull off such a huge endeavor. The first year of the event (2005) we took 100 people to the hotel for Christmas. Now we take 500 every year. We moved and stepped out in faith and God rewarded that faith.

In 2009 we again expanded our mission to include sheltering the homeless with a venture called SoupMobile Village. The Village is a series of group homes specifically designed to take a homeless man, woman, or family right off the streets, put a roof over their heads, help get them a job, and return them as working productive members of the community. When we started the Village we did not have the upfront financial funding or the experience and knowledge to do it. In less than 3 years we now have 7 fully operational homes in SoupMobile Village. We moved and stepped out in faith and God rewarded that faith.

Well folks, it's 2012 and here we go again. Once again the SoupMobile is getting ready to step out and move in faith. Once again we are going to do it without all the normal things that conventional wisdom says you need to start a new venture. We don’t have the financial resources, the infrastructure, the backing, or the experience for this new venture. What is this new venture you ask? We are opening up the SoupMobile Thrift Store. The Grand Opening is set for September 1, 2012. How will this story come out in the end? Well if history is any indicator the punch line will one day be that ‘We moved and stepped out in faith and God rewarded that faith.’

It’s important that you understand that we aren’t loose cannons here at the SoupMobile. We do vet our new projects, we do all the needed research, and we do give our new ventures the utmost serious and careful consideration. Nonetheless we always end up stepping out in faith. I love the quote by Samuel Johnson who said “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” And remember everything we do, every project we start, and every move we make is all with one goal in mind---‘Serving Christ by serving the ones HE called the ‘least of these.’

Once again the SoupMobile is stepping out in faith. As usual we will be looking to the Lord to part the Red Seas for us and lead us to the Promised Land. Once again we will be crawling out on a limb knowing without any doubt that Jesus is already out there waiting for us. We invite you to come out on that limb with us. More details can be found at www.soupmobile.org.

May the Lord Bless and Keep You and Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Prayers for Miss D

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

The SoupMobile was founded in 2003 with a primary mission of 'Feeding the Homeless' in the Dallas area. In 2009 we expanded our mission to include sheltering the homeless in our program called SoupMobile Village . We now have seven group homes in Dallas which are specifically designed to take a homeless man, woman, or family right off the streets, put a roof over their heads, help them get a job, and eventually return them as working, productive members of the community. It's a 'Hand UP', not a 'hand out.'

Yesterday we admitted Miss D into one of the Women's Homes in SoupMobile Village. Normally that would not be a big deal. We regularly have women entering and graduating from our program. However, Miss D is different. Yes, she is homeless, but she also has Stage 3 Cancer.

Cancer of any kind is serious. Stage 3 is very serious. In addition to needing a lot of physical care, Miss D will need a lot of love. Most important she will need a lot of prayers. The Bible says that "With God all things are possible." I believe deeply in the power of prayer. The SoupMobile itself was founded in 2003 with prayers from a multitude of people.

The SoupMobile is not a medical facility. Nonetheless we are going to pull out all the stops to care for Miss D. We are partnering with Parkland Hospital to meet all of her medical needs. One thing the SoupMobile can and will provide in large quantities is Love. Misrak, our House Mother, is already hovering over Miss D like a Mother Hen. We've already had inquires from a lot of people offering to help. Right now what we need most are your prayers for Miss D.

Finally I want to thank YOU -- our donors, supporters, volunteers, friends, and prayer warriors for making SoupMobile Village a reality. It's because of YOU that the Village was founded in 2009 and it's because of YOU that we now have #7 homes up and fully operational. It's because of YOU that we can take in someone like Miss D, put a roof over her head, and provide her a safe and secure living environment and lots of love. From the bottom of my heart I thank you and I know Miss D does too.

May the Lord Bless & Keep You & Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Kids, Kids Kids!

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

When most people think of the homeless they think of adult men and women. When I think of the homeless I think of adult men, women, AND children. Oh yes, there are many homeless children out there! In the Dallas area alone we have more than 1,200 homeless children. How do we know that? We know because these are children that are living in local homeless shelters and we can physically count them.

However we also know there are hundreds more out there that are NOT being counted. Children that have fallen through the cracks and have no place to call home. Children that have no hope and a future that looks very bleak. There are many fine charities in Dallas that are trying to address this issue. The SoupMobile feels blessed to be one of those charities.

The SoupMobile was founded in 2003 as a ‘mobile’ soupkitchen that now serves more than 200,000 meals per year to the homeless in the Dallas area. In 2009 we decided to expand our mission to also include sheltering homeless men, women and YES -- Children! When we made this decision we actually ran into some opposition. Some people told us that sheltering the homeless was risky business. They went on to say that the SoupMobile should stick to what it knows best -- Feeding the homeless.

Nonetheless we stuck to our decision and in October of 2009 opened our first group home for the homeless. Last week on May 18th we celebrated the Grand Opening of our 6th group home. In just over 2 & ½ years we have opened 6 homes for homeless men, women, and children. An amazing feat to be sure, but only amazing because we serve an amazing God who paved the way for it all to happen.

At the May 18th Grand Opening two of the children from our housing program cut the Red Ribbon.
Both children came to us about a year ago. They had no adequate housing and had literally been out of school for one full year. They had fallen thru the cracks and their future did not look bright. After a year in our program it’s a whole new ball game. They have a safe, warm place to lay their head down every night. They are doing great in school and they have something we all need -- Hope!

I’ve spent the last 9 years as Executive Director of the SoupMobile serving the homeless. I count it as a deep privilege that God lets me do what I do. And as long as the Lord lets me put one foot in front of another, we will continue this mission of reaching out to the ones Jesus calls the ‘least of these.’ I will candidly admit that while my job is highly rewarding and a true labor of love, it’s not always sugar and spice. As in any job, issues, problems, and hurdles do occur. However, success stories like these two children make it all worthwhile.

We’ve had a lot of wonderful success with the adult men and women in our housing program and for that I’m most grateful. Having success with the children is the icing on the cake. And make no mistake, the success of our housing program is not because of me. I am only one small piece of the puzzle. It takes an army of supporters, donors, volunteers, and prayer warriors to make something like this happen. More important it takes a loving God who is alive and well and parts the Red Seas for the SoupMobile time and again. My grateful thanks to you all for your part in the SoupMobile housing program. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know the kids do, too!

May the Lord Bless & Keep You & Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Puppy set on fire!

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

Today's blog is not about the homeless. It's about a puppy. If you've been following the news in Dallas recently you've heard how a group of young men set a little puppy on fire and then laughed hilariously as the terrified puppy ran for safety.

For the last week animal rescue people and veterinarians have worked feverishly to save the life of the puppy they named Justice. Unfortunately the puppy died. The vet said that at the end, as she was with the puppy, he was still trying to wag his tail as he drew his last breath. I don't know about you but this just rips my heart out. And to be truthful my blood boils just a bit as I think of the cruelty of the young men who set the dog on fire.

What kind of people would set a dog on fire and then laugh hysterically as the puppy ran for his life? What kind of people could stoop to this level of depravity? Hard questions, to be sure. I think an appropriate question is how important is one puppy's life in the grand scheme of life? After all, human beings are dying every day.

Am I saying a puppy’s life is more important than a human being’s? Not exactly. What I am saying is that how we treat animals is a sign of the human condition. The Bible says that God created us in his image and likeness. I know beyond any doubt that God is not smiling about young men setting a puppy on fire. By any measure, what they did was savage and heartless.

So now the question is, where do we go from here? Can any good come out of this unspeakable act? Perhaps it can. A $25,000 reward has already been put up by the SPCA through Crime Stoppers to bring the men involved to justice. Basically they are seeking justice for a puppy name Justice. And while an element of vengeance may be a motivating factor, that's really not what this is all about. It's really about accountability. As a society we need to send a message out loud and clear that this kind of behavior is not okay.

Mistreatment of animals is not right, it’s not something to be laughed about, and most important, it’s not to be tolerated. Bringing these young men to justice will not bring the puppy back but perhaps it will save the lives of puppies down the road. On a deeper level perhaps bringing them to justice for killing a puppy may prevent them from doing something worse down the line.

At the SoupMobile we are not new to this issue of caring for animals. My wife Shana is a longtime animal activist and leads a team at the SoupMobile that feeds the dogs that belong to the homeless people we serve. Yes, the homeless have dogs as pets just like you and I do. And for a homeless person who has nothing, a faithful dog can be everything!

We are not seeking vengeance but we are seeking accountability. More important, we are praying that the message will go out loud and clear that cruelty to animals is not a laughing matter.

p.s. Breaking News! 18 year old Dallas man accused of setting Justice the puppy on fire has turned himself in to police and is being held on bail of $100,000 at Dallas County Jail.

May the Lord Bless & Keep You & Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Tornadoes Hit Dallas Area Hard!!!

Dear SoupFriends,

Greetings from the SoupMan!

The late comic George Carlin once said "Weather report for tonight -- Dark." He meant it as a joke but what happened with the weather in Dallas recently was no laughing matter.

On Tuesday April 3rd, the Dallas area was hit hard by 12 tornadoes. In a heartbeat cars were tossed in the air, homes were destroyed, and thousands of people were left homeless. The tornadoes did not discriminate. Rich, poor, and middle class alike were all touched by the path of the storms. There were a large number of injuries and many people had to be taken to the hospital. Only by God's grace were their no deaths.

When the storms hit, the SoupMobile's Emergency Response Team (ERT) leaped into action. If you haven't heard about our ERT, let me get you up to speed. Recently generous donors of the SoupMobile donated the funds we needed to purchase a used ambulance. Much like Red Cross vehicles, we have converted the ambulance into a emergency response vehicle.
It's loaded with food, blankets, toiletries, drinks, and even Teddy Bears for children displaced in emergencies. More important, it's loaded with lots of love -- specifically the Love that Jesus asked us all to spread throughout the world.

Virtually on a moment's notice, the SoupMobile Emergency Response Team can spring into action to help the victims of natural disasters in the Dallas area. However, we understand that we are just a piece of the puzzle when it comes to disaster relief. Organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, World Vision and many more like them bring years of experience to the table. What it all comes down to are the words that Hillary Clinton once said - "It takes a Village." Indeed it takes a Village of relief organizations, donors and volunteers to help those in need. At the SoupMobile we feel privileged that God allows us to be part of this relief mission in addition to our regular missions of 'Feeding & Sheltering' the homeless.

Please join us as we continue to help and pray for the victims of these most recent tornadoes. They are precious children of the Lord most high and we will all continue to reach out to them with help, caring, compassion and love.

To learn more about the SoupMobile and be part of our fabulous SoupTeam, go to www.soupmobile.org.

May the Lord Bless & Keep You & Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

The 'J' Man!!!

Dear SoupFriends,

Nine years ago 'I' got an idea! In truth, it was God's idea and he was kind enough to pass it on to me. The idea was to start a mobile soup kitchen called the SoupMobile.

By any measure, what's happened at the SoupMobile the last 9 years has been nothing short of phenomenal. From our humble beginnings in 2003 we have come light years. That first year we served 5,000 meals and at the time we thought it was a lot. Now we serve more than 200,000 hot, hearty, and healthy meals each year.

Guess what? Food service is now just the tip of the iceberg. In 2005 we started our CELEBRATE JESUS CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA in which we take 500 homeless men, women, and children off the streets of Dallas and put them up at a fancy hotel for Christmas.

Guess what again? In late 2009 we added another new venture called SOUPMOBILE VILLAGE. A homeless group housing program designed to take a homeless man or woman right off the streets, clean them up, get them a job, and eventually return them as working productive members of the community. It's a 'Hand Up', not a 'Hand Out'. In less than 2 & 1/2 years we now have 6 fully operational group homes in the Village.

Could there be more? You betcha! In 2010 we started our FEED the NEIGHBORHOOD program. Every week we pass out tons of food and dry goods to non-homeless families that live in South Dallas. They may have a roof over their heads, but we know their cupboards are bare.

Wow! For a charity that receives NO Federal, State, or City funding, and has NO deep pocket donor, and is NOT under the umbrellas of any church or other organization we have come a long way. Who gets the credit for this absolutely astounding growth? Drum roll, please!!! Yes, it's....................

Oh yeah, it's that unconventional guy from 2,000 years ago. I call him the 'J' Man. He's totally cool and know's how to get things done. Most of you know him as Jesus, but I fondly call him the 'J' Man.

Yes, the 'J' Man that turned water into wine, walked on the water,preached forgiveness, spoke of a loving God, healed the sick, raised people from the dead, and then himself rose from the dead after 3 days.

Nine years ago 'I' got an idea to start the SoupMobile. But make no mistake about it, this idea was from the 'J' Man. I am deeply humbled that he passed it on to me. Even more humbling, it's been HIM that's made it all happen at the SoupMobile these last 9 years. HE is the driving force behind what we do. Some people think that 'I' as Executive Director lead the SoupMobile. Not by a longshot! The 'J' Man leads and we follow.

Its been 9 fabulous, astounding and amazing years at the SoupMobile with the 'J' Man leading the way. What does the 'J' Man have in store the next 9 years? Hard to say, but maybe stuff like SoupMobile DINER and the SoupMobile THRIFT STORE and so much more! This much I know for sure. The best way 'I' can lead the SoupMobile is by letting the 'J' Man lead me.

May the Lord Bless & Keep You & Yours,

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Dear SoupFriends,

Do you remember Gomer Pyle from the old Andy Griffith Show? He was the mechanic at Wally’s Filling Station and famous for saying, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise when something amazing happened.

I can now truly say I know how Gomer felt. On January 24, 2012 I got surprised by something I never saw coming. Lon Ricker, the Chairman of our Christmas event and I were meeting with top Hyatt officials to sign the contract for our 8th Annual Celebrate Jesus Christmas Event on December 24—25th, 2012. Much to our surprise the Hyatt informed us that we would not be coming back. They explained that they are doing some remodeling and rooms could not be guaranteed. After 7 straight consecutive years of going to the Hyatt at Christmas, it was over in little more than the blink of an eye.

Was I surprised? Oh yeah, I was. But once the surprise wore off a heavy sadness overtook me. 2,000 years ago there was ‘No Room at the Inn’ for baby Jesus. And now in 2012 because of a little remodeling 500 homeless men, women and children would have ‘No Room at the Inn.’

A few of you may be thinking ‘no big deal’, just pick up the phone and call another hotel and make reservations for Christmas 2012. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as picking up the phone and calling another hotel and making a reservation. After all we are talking about the logistics of housing and dealing with 500 homeless people and more than 2,000 volunteers. Further complicating matters is that it’s not so easy getting a hotel that will allow 500 homeless people inside its doors---at any price!

Will you help? Can you help the SoupMobile find another World Class Hotel in Dallas that will take in 500 homeless this coming Christmas! Christ was turned away 2,000 years ago. Let’s work together to make sure 500 of his precious children are not turned away December 24—25th, 2012. To help, contact the SoupMan in person, by email david@soupmobile.org or by phone 1-800-375-5022.

With Christ leading the way, let’s find a way to get beyond Surprise, Surprise, Surprise and work out a solution for 500 precious homeless men, women and children---the ones Jesus called the ‘least of these’

May the Lord Bless & Keep You All.

Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan