KYTX (TYLER) - It's often said that you can find a church on almost every corner, in East Texas, but not under every bridge.
Traditional church is easy to find in East Texas. It happens on Sunday's usually inside a big beautiful building. But get a few teenagers who decided to follow their faith and church can take on a whole new look. The sound under a bridge is unmistakable. Some might call it mesmerizing--even soothing. But on Saturday mornings the sounds under this bridge are often called inspiring. Some call it "Breakfast Under the Bridge or "Hunger for Love."
Every Saturday for more than a year, the homeless, people looking for help or folks just in need of an attentive ear have found their way under the Gentry Parkway Bridge in Tyler.
Todd and Bobby are homeless and haven't missed a Saturday since showing up under the bridge five months ago.
"It's not that I want to be here. It's just that I'm here. And I hang out with people that can relate. I'm trying to do better and hope that I can."
Hope is a commodity shared as freely as bagels and coffee. A 17 year old, answering what he says is God's call.
"God began to tell me this more about more than just you," says Jason Eslicker with Hunger for Love.
Jason is quick to point out his motives weren't always what they are today. But last Christmas at a gathering much like this one, that changed.
"At that moment, of seeing so many broken parts, so many broken hearts working together to make something so beautiful, and so true and organic and real. It was unbelievable and it changed my life forever."
And it's changing a lot of other lives too. Without any real organization chart or schedules Jason and other teens have held a breakfast like this every Saturday for more than a year. Not knowing who will show up -- walking in faith that no matter who comes, needs will be met.
"We are here to build long term relationships.
And we are not going to do that coming here once a month giving out handouts or working in the Salvation Army kitchen.
"That's great. They do amazing great things through what they do and the purpose God has given them. "
"But our purpose here is to be the church in the streets and to love people and to be with people and to give our presence. Cause it reminds me I'm not out here by myself."
"It's not just me it's other people too. Plus I feel like you can worship God anywhere so there is no judgment here. We all come just the way we are, get coffee, worship God and have a meal and start our day on Saturday and Sunday."
"This morning we literally threw love out into the streets and people came. And they came and experienced community. They experienced community with one another and they experienced communion and community with God and that's a beautiful thing. And all it took was people willing to meet with others and people who didn't care too much about themselves and cared more about others. It's a beautiful thing."
Volunteers and donations for Hunger for Love have come almost exclusively through social media. If you would like to learn more we've set up a link at our website CBS19.tv. Just click on the hot button. And by the way more than breakfast is served under the bridge this weekend. Saturday afternoon there will be a fall festival under the gentry bridge. There's more information on that at Hunger for Love's Facebook page.
