I was the new kid on the block, sitting snug in the back of the Raven ministry van on the way to the women’s shelter last Monday night. And as I listened to the battle of prayers and the laughter and the soulful worship of the team members, lightning bolted through me.

I was struck with clarity of their purpose, the clarity of their prayers, the clarity of their faces.

Here’s a quick snapshot of Raven faces that I’ve seen and hands I’ve shaken, both past and present:  a recovered drug addict, a former high level drug trafficker, a clothing designer/theology student, a secretary, a social worker, a police officer, a man who used to be a homeless New Yorker, a woman waiting patiently “in-between” jobs, and more, more, more.

Clearly there is no “perfect” history needed to be a Raven.  So what unites these Ravens from east, west, north, south?  The name of Jesus tattooed on their hearts.

Bodly they go to the streets.  And for whom?  The mentally ill, abused, abandoned, afflicted, broken.  But sometimes the lives of the Ravens are just as raw and real as the people they serve.  And still, they serve.  Sometimes, like the homeless, they might not know when their next paycheck is coming in or where their next meal is coming from-and even still-they serve.

In the following posts, among other things, I’d like to introduce the Ravens to you, face to face.  I want to share with you personal stories about real people, real struggles, and real victories.

This is only the beginning.

Are you ready?