It was a sweltering 96° afternoon with a heat index of 106°. Not much different from the temperatures we’re experiencing this week. But it was unseasonably warm because it was only June. Summer in Missouri. Not my favorite time of year.

As I drove the few miles to the address scribbled on my paper, I was looking forward to interviewing Pastor Brian Carline about the work of Team Jesus. However, during our phone conversation that morning he said that he would like to meet me first at a specific address in Independence where Team Jesus would be “having an event.” He wanted me to come and get a feel for the kinds of things they did.

As GPS guided me to turn into the parking lot, I was surprised on a hot day like this to see an outdoor setup of trailers, pop-up tents and tables. The tables each had a big heavy 5-gallon blue bottle of water on top. The kind you turn upside-down into a floor stand dispenser for drinking water. But they weren’t attached to dispensers. They were just sitting there.

Also on the tables were small copies of the Bible, new packages of men’s underwear, neatly folded bath towels of various colors and designs, and rolled-up washcloths. It looked like maybe the event was to give things away.

It wasn’t.

That afternoon Team Jesus had been asked to partner with Community Services League to provide something many of us rarely think twice about.

Showers.

For the Beloveds.

About the Beloveds

In Independence you have seen the Beloveds everywhere. You just may not have known they were the Beloveds. We see them gathered under overpasses with their belongings contained in shopping carts or collapsible wagons. Sometimes we see them resting on a highway median with cardboard signs that explain who they are and what they need.

The Beloveds don’t have homes to protect and shelter them from the heat of summer. They don’t have a comfortable place to rest. They don’t have a refrigerator from which to grab a cold drink or snack. And they don’t have the luxury of taking a refreshing shower.

Imagine going without those things.

What do most of us do after being overheated on a hot summer day? We go inside, grab a cool drink, slip off our wringing wet clothing, take a much needed shower, and feel a whole lot better.

Imagine going without those things. And going without them for days or weeks or even months on end.

“We never call the people we serve ‘homeless,’” Pastor Carline explained. “They don’t have homes, but that isn’t what defines them. People forget that Jesus was homeless. And yet, he was also beloved. The scriptures say, ‘This is my Beloved Son.’ And so as we were praying for what to call the people we serve, we decided the best thing to call them was Beloved.”

The Blueprint and Mission of Team Jesus

Pastor Carline explained to me that the scriptures opened his mind one day to the fact that when we do things to bless someone else, it is as though we are doing those things to Jesus. Specifically, the Bible talks about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and administering to the sick and afflicted. This is the blueprint and the mission of Team Jesus.

“We just took the Bible content and brought it to life. . . executed it.” He said. “We share resources with whoever needs them. And that includes partnering with other organizations and churches. It is important for us to have flexibility with no restrictions.”

He was referring to the fact that when an organization is funded by grant money, government money or even the financial donations of members of the organization, there are often strings attached. Funds must be used in particular ways and accounted for to those who contributed them. But when you have flexibility with no restrictions, if you feel inspired to use resources in a certain way, you just do it. Because you can.

For this particular event, Team Jesus was contacted by Community Services League. “They are out in the community all the time, serving the people. They know where the needs are and they know what they are. When they found out Team Jesus had a mobile shower set-up, well – there are not many who can provide showers free of charge. So, they contacted us. And now we partner with them regularly to provide showers for those who don’t have that option.”

The next thing Pastor Carline told me made absolute sense. “At our headquarters, which is located in the Unity Center, we have showers. But not everyone who needs a shower can get to that location. So, we needed to find a way to bring showers to them. And now we have.”

As rivulets of sweat were running down my back and the hot wind threatened to blow over the shade canopy, Pastor Carline said something that has stuck with me ever since.

“I suppose we could be sitting in a comfortable air-conditioned office today having this interview, but I wanted you to see what we do. That we go where the people are. Sure, we could sit in an office and make phone calls to arrange for volunteers or donations to help people, but we choose to go where the needs are.”

About that time, a young woman who was from Community Services League approached the table. She said several more people had just arrived and she wondered how long Team Jesus and the mobile shower would be staying. Did they have time to accommodate a few more?

“We’ll be happy to stay longer,” Pastor Carline said.

The needs weren’t back at his office today. They were right here in a parking lot on an excruciatingly hot day.

“The most valuable commodity we can give is our time – and to give it to a stranger.” He paused for emphasis. “What do you think Jesus thinks about this?”

Pastor Carline is a master teacher. He teaches not just with words and with actions (service), he teaches by example – and by facilitating experience. I could never have appreciated how much a shower might mean to someone on the streets had I not been here today in the extreme heat.

Meeting Some of the Beloveds

At one point, Pastor Carline asked the men who were volunteering with him to show me a few things. As they did, I took the opportunity to ask them how they had become involved with Team Jesus.

Their answers stunned me.

In all instances, these men had been recipients of the love and support that Team Jesus offers in various ways. They felt seen. They felt blessed. But most of all they felt valued. Even though they were going through difficult times in their lives, they were always treated with respect by Pastor Carline and the Team Jesus volunteers.

“One day, they said to me, ‘Hey, we’re leaving tomorrow to go to an Indian Reservation to have an event. Would you like to come along and help?’ I thought about it for a minute and I didn’t have anything else really happening in my life, so I said yes. And that was the beginning.”

To learn that some of those now serving were once being helped by Team Jesus just astounded me. Today, they were among those serving others. Being asked to serve with Team Jesus lifted them and gave them a purpose greater than seeking to have their own needs met. Team Jesus helped them turn outward and forget about their own troubles.

Another Beloved that I met that day was a young woman. After she was finished showering and dressing she came back to the table – to thank us. “I somehow got into some poison ivy,” she said, “and had a horrible reaction to it. I’m so grateful I got to come take a shower. I’m starting to feel better now.”

The kindness I had witnessed throughout the afternoon had become contagious. Pastor Carline and the Team Jesus volunteers were rubbing off on me.

“I’m so sorry about the poison ivy,” I heard myself say. “Would you like to know what the natural antidote is for that?” She said she would. We talked about plantain and how it always grows near poison ivy. I told her how to identify the leaves (veining that runs from tip to stem instead of outward to the sides from a central vein). I showed her with the leaves of some clover growing in the church lawn how to “scrub” the leaves on the affected spot to release the essential oils. I even drew a picture of a plantain leaf and gave it to her as a reminder.

And that moment of sharing something helpful felt so good!

Profound Impacts

Pastor Carline and Team Jesus are doing more than serving the Beloveds. They are also making a difference with the next generation.

Two of Pastor Carline’s grandchildren were present for the shower event. His granddaughter told me that through serving with her Grandpa and Team Jesus she has been able to see the consequences of making various choices. Then she added, “My favorite part of spending time with Grandpa is being able to help the Beloveds—because they are so sweet.”

“I have some of my grandchildren come each summer,” Pastor Carline said. “Having them serve is a way to teach them ‘hands-on’ that life’s decisions are not without consequences.”

Pastor Carline’s grandson echoed that sentiment and added, “Every year I come. Grandpa teaches me life lessons. And now I’ve decided that when I grow up I want to be a pastor like my Grandpa and bless people’s lives like he does.”

In the next edition of “Voices of Independence” I will share with you how Team Jesus is able to have the resources to do what they do—because it’s quite extraordinary. In the meantime, consider these questions, and consider writing down the answers for your children and grandchildren:

What simple gift or skill has someone shared with you that has stayed with you over the years? How might passing that gift on become part of the legacy you leave for your children and grandchildren?

Voices of Independence is a column devoted to telling the inspiring stories of Independence—then and now.

Each published story includes an introspective question for our community—your story matters. Share your answer with Cheri at: [email protected] Please include “The Beloveds” in the subject line. Cheri reads every response and does her best to reply.

About Voices of Independence

Voices of Independence is a monthly column by Cheri Battrick.

Cheri’s column is part of The Independence Standard—where local voices and in-depth reporting come together.

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