Victor O’Creene, 73: Volunteer, Good Samaritan Center Homeless Shelter Length of Time associated with Jericho: 8 years; serves an overnight shift (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) at least once a week, leading devotions each time.
About serving at Good Samaritan Center: “Before Jericho started, I served at another city shelter through my church (Assembly of God in Brookfield, a Jericho Partnership Congregation), but I shifted over to the Good Samaritan when we were told we could preach the gospel. That was the motivation, to give hope and encouragement and God’s Holy Word to those in need.”
About sharing God’s love with homeless people: “The Good Lord put the Spirit of God in me to be there for those who were seeking but really didn’t understand. I am there to help them along on the avenue. Like it says in Matthew, did you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty? And like Luke says in the story of the Good Samaritan, we are there to give hope and encouragement and God’s Word to all those who need it. I am there to pray with them, to listen to them. And, if you listen to the people who come in here, they will trust you. You will gain their trust. Their trusting you is the only way you can be a part of their lives.”
About getting pushback from those who don’t want to hear God’s Word: “That doesn’t deter me. You have to accept the fact that all people aren’t willing to receive. But most of them will at least be a hearer. There’s a difference between being a hearer and being a doer. But, at least, if they’re willing to hear, that’s an echo in their heart.”
About serving the Lord by volunteering: “For most people, if they’re not sure about volunteering, they’ll say, ‘I’ll pray about it.” That’s good, because if a person wants to volunteer, they first have to know God’s will for them. You know when the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart… you just have to say ‘I’m not sure this is what you want for me, Lord, but I’m willing to walk through the door and try it.’ When it’s right, you have a peace. To do something like this (serving the homeless), it’s not a comfort zone thing. The Good Lord has kept the door open for me here all these years; I’ve just been obedient to it.”
About being an evangelist: “I’m not an evangelist. I’m just a servant that is willing to be there, for the glory of God.”
About Jericho Partnership: “They are the best lighthouse in the community of Danbury; all those in need look for hope and support there when they couldn’t get it anywhere else. I believe with all my heart that, because of Jericho and the churches who are part of it, God blesses Danbury. And that’s because Jericho is doing what the Lord asks of us – to seek out those who are lost and bring them back to Him. Jericho’s mission is centered on the perfect message of the Cross: perfect love, perfect forgiveness, and perfect grace.”