The encounter came about through Jacqui Robb’s work with Hope Ministries.  The Monkstown woman, along with a small group of friends, are regular visitors to the night-time streets of Belfast.  They befriend the prostitutes, spend time with them and along the way come across young people struggling deeply with their sexuality.

On the night of her birthday Jacqui says she knew that God wanted her to spend it with these two young transvestite men.  Knowing that they were struggling financially she bought them a mircrowave and when they opened the door and saw the gift, the tears started to fall…

“They’d been rejected by the church,” explains Jacqui, “but that microwave spoke volumes to them.”

And that night was to be a special one.

“We had dinner together,” says Jacqui, “and then they danced for us, we sang for them and to top it off they gave me a ‘tranny’ make-over!”

Then came the questions, the prayer requests, the hurts, the fears, the heart conversations.  ”How could anyone ever love us?” these young guys wondered. “We’ve always been told God hates gay people, yet you’re saying that He loves us?”

Jacqui looked into their faces and saw their longing for validation and Love.  She stared into their eyes and saw their Creator gaze back at her.

‘He’ tells me he has never loved a woman…only men. I ask him if he loves Jacqui the worker from Hope Ministries who spends time with those make their living on Belfast’s streets.  He thinks carefully for a moment and says “yes”. “In what way?” I ask. Here is his moving answer…

“‘M’ is for the million things she gave me - ‘O’ means only that she’s growing old ‘T’ is for the tears she shed to save me - ‘H’ is for her heart of purest gold -’E’ is for her eyes with love-light shining -’R’ means right and right she’ll always be. Put them all together they spell MOTHER, a word that means the world to me.”

As we were leaving, a car pulled up on the opposite side of the road and I was beckoned over by a young woman.  She asked me what I had seen that night – darkness and Light was my response.  Darkness gathered some people up like a dark whirlwind sending them into the depths of despair, but Light can win out.

“What is your relationship on a scale of one to ten with Jesus ” I asked, she paused biting her lip, while the driver looked at me and said “yours is 10 out of 10 isn’t it?”…

”Yes it is” I said to him, my mind pondering over the things of the night. The girl said she started to feel a wonderful feeling coming over her. Right there and then she got out of the car in her pyjamas and got prayed for by the Hope volunteers.  Her sister got out of the car and asked her what was happening, to which she replied: “I never felt like this before.”  Her sister also said she wanted to be in relationship with Jesus. It was 2am on a cold Belfast street!

Jacqui Robb knew this lady - they both went to the same church - but she could never have known that this was how she was living.  It was Jacqui’s first experience as a volunteer for Christians Against Poverty (CAP) in Northern Ireland.

CAP have seven centres which all operate out of churches in Northern Ireland and have a waiting list of clients backed up to September.  They have gained at least one new client every week since they began their work here in November 2009.

“Debt is a major and growing problem in our society,” explains Jacqui.  “There is so much despair out there.  We try to give people hope when they’re hopeless.

“One client I had was 22 years old and had so much debt that on paper it would take her 145 years to clear it.  We have to educate our young people about credit card debt or else CAP will be helping a lot more people.”

The process begins with a simple phone call to a CAP office, then support workers visit the person who’s struggling with debt, make phone calls for them, ward off circling credit card companies and arrange a personal budget for them.  They’re also able to buy groceries for the client and take them out for coffee.

“Many people who are in debt can get depressed and to expect them to fill in forms is like expecting them to climb Everest,” explains Jacqui.

“The most common thing I hear is people saying that they just don’t leave the house anymore.  They’re being robbed of every last shred of hope and we get the chance to help them and pray with them.”

For Jacqui it’s that opportunity to share in people’s lives which is the most rewarding: “To see peoples’ lives changed in such a short time - even after 8 weeks often a new person can emerge.”  And that was how it was for her very first client in that freezing cold carpet-less house.  Her life’s been transformed, along with her circumstances.  She now wants to become a CAP volunteer and pass hope on…

Andrew’s story was one of literally crossing the divide.  He’s 16 and lives just a few hundred yards from Ardoyne, but up to a year ago had never ventured across the roundabout to ‘the other side’.  But then came last summer’s riots and a desire within his local youth group in Woodvale to express love to the people of that area.

“So we all put our heads together and came up with an idea of giving out giftbags.  From what I’d heard of Ardoyne from friends and family I was very hesitant about going up,” Andrew shared.

“I imagined we were going to get beaten up if we ventured up there.  To be honest from the   moment I heard about the idea I didn’t want to do it but about a week before it I felt God speak to me and tell me that it was what he wanted me to do.”

On the day Andrew conceded he felt so uncomfortable because he only lived around the corner but yet had never stood on that side of the road.  The group spent the morning giving out giftbags and chocolates and generally making people smile.  Andrew’s story gives hope that it doesn’t need to be the way it’s always been.

That was the theme of a number of the other stories at the Tell It In Colour event in Urban Soul Cafe in Belfast.  Angie shared how her battle with a teenage illness had sown seeds of a dream in her heart to help other troubled young people.  She’s now heading up the Big House charity and investing in the lives of teenagers who are struggling to do life.

Jason’s story focussed in on three young people who forged a friendship across divides through a creative arts project run by CFC church in east Belfast.  The trio - a Catholic, Protestant and Muslim - signed up to the Crosslinks programme and were pretty suspicious of each other at the start.  But since then have become firm friends.

While Rick told the gathering of around 60 people about a light-bulb moment for a young person in a school in north Belfast.  This teenager was reading a Bible passage which revealed to him that God wanted to hear his voice and was dying to listen to him.  At that moment this young guy realised that his voice was so often lost in the crowd and for him to have someone listen to him was potentially life-changing.

The stories were woven together by some amazing music from Ballymena singer songwriter Steven McB ride.  And the feedback at the end of the night seemed to be that people wanted the event to be repeated more often.  I guess we can all do with a bit more hope in our lives, more stories which inspire us to higher things, which convince us that it doesn’t need to be the way it’s always been….

These little rules included the fact that cars on the left can park mounted on the pavement but cars on the right park on the road.  We were never told this rule but it seemed like this was how it was done, so we just followed suit. Another unspoken rule seemed to be that mostly no-one spoke to you, you kept your head down and didn’t make eye contact and that suited everyone just fine.  Again, we were never told this but it seemed like this was how it was done, so we just followed suit… for a while.

I imagine that 40 or 50 years ago this certainly would not have been how Shaw Street looked.  It would have been a hive of activity with people out chatting to each other, neighbours helping each other out, in and out of each others houses and children playing games with each other.

So, I decided to try and make Shaw Street a friendlier place to live… I started by just trying to say ‘hi’ as people passed, or have things outside such as my recycling box or plants so there is a reason to be out there.

The first time I put myself out there I felt sick but now it’s just second nature.  I first made friends with Shanti, which was easy because she’s lovely.  I also have an elderly neighbour who has lived here since the 1940s and is in his 90s.  I had spoken to him once when he was ill and his daughter was visiting and I gave her my number in case she needed me to do something for him or her.  When the weather was bad I called over a couple of times to see if he needed anything from the shops - he returned the favour by getting me lovely blue socks!  You know, I really liked the thought that if my Granda was the Jack on his street that someone would check on him now and again.  I’m just being that person to someone else’s Granda.

We have also had some new people moving into the street and somehow it seems easier to talk to them.  Just knocking the door, introducing yourself and letting them know who you are and where you live makes all the difference.

So, Shaw Street is going to have a street party on Sunday 18^th July (whoop!).  I now have three really good friends that live here, Barbara, Gillian and Shanti (added your names girls so I hope you read this!) or three and a half if you count my husband.  The Shaw Street girls try to meet for coffee every couple of weeks and are going to co-ordinate our party.  We’re talking bunting, lots of sandwiches, juice and lots of neighbours who will hopefully become friends.  I don’t want to be a nosy neighbour but I do want to be able to lift my hand to say ‘hi; or if I need to borrow a dish or just have a chat that I can call to someone’s house.

Last Sunday, Shaw Street had seven people from five different houses outside having a chat and a giggle and I felt like I was starting to live in a community, rather than just a street.

I love living here.  Let the Shaw Street Redemption continue!

‘We are Belfast’ is an online wall made up of people’s favourite images of the city, which will then become a feature at an art exhibition in June.  Around 150 pictures have already been uploaded to the mosaic and those behind the initiative are keen that lots more people contribute.

“We thought it would be cool to create a gallery space to celebrate Belfast - and what we like is that everyone’s image is equal, ” explains David Capener.  He’s the man behind the vision and the pastor of Redeemer Central Church in Belfast.

“I love Belfast,” says David, originally from London.  “It’s home for me and it’s such a unique and creative place to be.  It’s a real word of mouth city and I love that.”

From iconic Belfast landmarks, to children at play, to a group of fire artists, to an image of someone’s toes - it seems this ‘wall’ is taking on an eclectic life of its own.  So what images stand out for David?  “People talk about Belfast as home and so for me it is about people - and the images of people stand out for me - especially the picture of my own kids!

And so these images will be collated by artist Hannah Wilson who will create a feature at an art exhibition at the Red Barn gallery on 7th-9th June.  It’s the hope of those from Redeemer Central Church that through this initiative people will figure out or be reminded why there’s much to love about Belfast.

“I think there’s a real potency with these images - they’re quite evocative,” David enthuses.  I mean this really is one of the best cities in the world…so let’s celebrate that.”

Check out the project so far on http://www.wearebelfast.com/

The paths of Dario Leal from Chile and Pablo Mandresa from Argentina only crossed in Belfast, yet their stories share some remarkable parallels.

As Dario explains: “We grew up without voicing our voices, we didn’t express our stories, because in the 80s over there you couldn’t say you were against the regime.

“But stories are the right of every individual.”

And now through the Living Room project, based in the Cliftonville Road area, these two men and their families are seeking to release people to tell their stories. “I guess we feel,” Dario explains, “that humanity has lost its dignity, there seems little hope, people are demoralized and discontented.  It was never meant to be this way.”

North Belfast is one of the areas most scarred by the Troubles, experiencing some of the worst inter-communal violence and the shadow from that still holds sway.  So, through a ministry of presence and serving, the Living Room aims to foster hope in this community.

“In the gospel we find the most amazing story of all,” says Dario. “There’s regeneration, restoring dignity - and that’s what we like to do.  We want people to find wholeness in God and to give them back their dignity.”

It’s a model of church that many in Belfast are perhaps unfamiliar with - as these church planters seek to create a space where people can share stories and explore faith issues.  As Dario says: “In a city full of history we want to start a small worshipping community that unites our stories with the story of Jesus…”

**For more information check out http://www.livingroombelfast.org/the-living-room.html

Young people from churches in north Belfast and Granshaw have spent months collecting cream eggs en masse, in preparation for handing them out as free gifts over the Easter weekend.  Fellow youth group leaders and best friends Steve Caldwell and Mark Houston are behind this sweet-toothed enterprise, and they’re excited to see it in action…

“The cream egg project started one day in a busy coffee shop,” Steve explains. “I had my ipod in listening to worship music and to song after song about God’s gift at Easter.  It hit me that no-one in that coffee shop was hearing this message, they weren’t hearing the hope of it.”

From that light-bulb moment Steve had the idea of sharing some love at Easter by mobilising people in his church to go out into the local communities of Comber, Dundonald and Carryduff, armed with cream eggs.  This is the second year teams from the church will take part in the Good Friday project and Steve is feeling hopeful about it.

“It’s our prayer that people would know that grace has a face; that as each creme egg falls into the hands of businessmen, teachers, doctors, shop owners they might capture grace.”

Similarly 50 young people from Immanuel Presbyterian will take time out of their Easter weekend to hand out over 2000 cream eggs in Castlewellan Forest Park.  They took part in a similar venture last year, but this time round it’s on a much bigger scale.

Youth leader Mark Houston says he loves seeing people’s reaction when they’re handed the free gift: “Last year we saw a whole spectrum of reactions from total surprise, appreciation, confusion through to ‘happy days’ and ‘can I take one for my mate…’

“It’s our hope that people will get over the skepticism of receiving a free gift and see Jesus behind it.”

And for Mark the response of the church to the initiative has been special: “We’ve been blown away by the response. From our faithful granny supporters giving a 12 pack per week to a 4 year old kid running up to the growing pile with a 3 pack in hand.

“Our young people are excited by the thought that each Creme Egg may create the potential for God to change someone’s life forever - now that’s EGGCITING!!

Fifteen year old Scott Osprey has cerebral palsy and has been confined to a wheel chair all of his life.  But on Valentine’s Day this year the teenager from New Mossley was given a present which has changed his life.

His mum Debbie takes up the story: “He was given the loan of a stand-up wheelchair for a weekend, which gave him a choice to stand or sit.  He went to church that Sunday and the Church said that they wanted to help…”

But after that weekend the family had to hand the chair back - it cost over £12,000 and Debbie concedes they weren’t that hopeful of reaching anywhere near their target.  But within 12 weeks, thanks to generous fund-raising efforts from the church and local community, the money had been raised.

“Scott didn’t know that the chair had been ordered,” says Debbie. “It was Valentine’s Day and we went to church.  Ian, the minister, called Scott up and handed him a card which had been signed by the entire church.  Then when Scott turned back round the chair was there.  He was gobsmacked, everyone was crying…”

Since then Scott has loved embracing the new dimension to life that the chair has gifted him with.  “All he wanted to do on his birthday was to make tea for me and his dad and his grandparents,” says Debbie. “He’s joined the youth club, he’s able to play football, and to go to Tescos on his own.”

The minister of New Mossley Rev Ian McDonald says he was blown away by the response of the community: “It was incredible, I never dreamt we would raise the money.  The generosity of everyone has been overwhelming.

“New Mossley gets so much bad press and yet here is such a really good story…”

It started out as an idea among a group of friends seven years ago - but now dozens of young people are on board, getting out there on the streets of Belfast each week to hang out with those living rough.

It’s Monday night, darkness has set in and the city is starting to wind down; the streets are clearing of shoppers and people heading home from work.  And that’s when the Beautiful Feet guys start to gather.  They meet at a church just off Royal Avenue to prepare their bags of food and flasks, and to pray before heading out…

As they begin their journey around Belfast’s network of streets, group co-ordinator Graham Robinson explains the purpose behind what they do: “If there are people who are homeless we help them out, maybe try to get them into a hostel, or get them food and a hot drink or just have a simple conversation with them.  We’re just trying to show a bit of love to Belfast.”

On the night I joined them one of the first people they meet is a homeless man who’s taking refuge in a city centre cafe and staff there are clearly keen to move him on.  The group get him a hot drink, encourage him to leave the restaurant and spend some time with him.

One of the volunteers Natalie Robinson explains why they were so keen to help this man: “He’s just lost his fiance and has got tangled up in the craziness and doesn’t know what to do, so he’s drinking alot.  But he’s a big amazing guy.  It’s just crazy to see someone who’s a big Belfast man, a big daddy out there… cos who knows, he could be someone’s daddy and he’s certainly someone’s son.”

The latest Housing Executive figures reveal around 800 people in Belfast were found to be homeless between April last year and January this year.  But it’s the stories behind these figures that inspires the Beautiful Feet group to do what they do, as Graham explains:  “What you realise when you get out here is how much every person you meet is an individual and they have such incredible stories.  They’re really not that different to you and me.

“When you talk to them you realise they had a job or their family broke down or a complex series of things that if that had happened to you or me might end up with you or me being on the streets.”

Beautiful Feet are just one of a number of informal groups working to help those who find themselves homeless and it’s their vision that the streets need not be anyone’s home.  And so the group are passionate about continuing to be people, whose feet stop, as Natalie explains:

“When you see homeless people it’s pretty shocking so I just sat down beside them one day.  It was crazy how low you felt just sitting there, watching everyone’s feet pass you by.”