the journey continues

This is maybe the coolest old lady I have ever met.

The Downtown Eastside

just to give a little context for the neighborhood.

The downtown eastside is known as the poorest postal code in Canada. It is estimated that there are 5,000 injection drug users in this neighbourhood. Some studies purport that 38% of these users have the AIDS virus, 67% have HIV, and that 92% have Hepatitis C. In addition to the intense social problems that follow serious addiction there is also an extremely high number of persons suffering from mental illness in the DTES. 18% of all those diagnosed with mental illness in the province of British Columbia live in the downtown eastside. Many of them also use street drugs. The predominant drugs of choice are heroin and crack-cocaine. Jacob’s Well is located right in the heart of this neighbourhood.

History

In 1976, at the age of 60, a woman by the name of Pauline Fell began walking the streets in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. Although she was a new Christian she asked God what He wanted her to do with her life, and felt His prompting to befriend people in the neighbourhood. For the next 25 years, almost every day, she faithfully walked the streets and alleys, visited the bars, prisons, local hospitals and hotels where her many friends could be found. She is known to many as “sister” or “mom” and virtually everyone in the downtown eastside respects this elderly woman. She has shown deep and profound love for the people who live here.

In November 2000, while in prayer, Pauline felt God urging her to give her inheritance away before she died. She pondered this and believing that God wasn’t speaking to her about money, she asked what her inheritance was. Immediately she saw in her mind’s eye faces flashing before her, hundreds of faces of the people that she had become friends with over the past 25 years. She realized that the many friendships she had built were a rich inheritance, and that it would be squandered if she didn’t pass them on before the end of her life. Her love for God and for the people of the downtown eastside compelled her to seek out other Christ followers who would simply be willing to be friends with her friends, in the hopes of imparting the love of Christ. Jacob’s Well was directly birthed out her diligence to obey what the Lord had spoken to her heart.

In June 2001 Pauline and a few friends opened the doors of the storefront at 239 Main Street. No one had any clear idea as to what would happen at Jacob’s Well but they had a lot of faith that God would help them sort it out. On opening day Joyce Heron came to see what was happening as she’d heard a bit about Pauline. Having met Pauline, Joyce asked her if she could hang out and walk the streets with her sometime. Pauline agreed and over the next few weeks the two women did Pauline’s usual walk and Joyce was able to meet many of Pauline’s friends. It wasn’t long until Pauline sat Joyce down over a cup of tea in the Carnegie Community Centre and told Joyce that she thought God had sent her to run Jacob’s Well. Joyce agreed and although there wasn’t much to run in those early days she had a lot of vision and passion for what it could grow into. Friendships were formed, a community began to take place, and our life together has evolved into a family of friends learning to know one another and God. Pauline has since turned 91! She continues to live and walk the streets of vancouver throughout the week to love, encourage, challenge and pray for those she meets. She is delighted to see that so many people are honestly building friendships with the ones she so deeply loves.

This is truly someone with some prophetic imagination. Some of my favorite memories while in Vancouver have been listening to Pauline talk about her loved ones in the neighborhood and what great people they are. She often communicates her vision of a revival that will happen right there and how glorious it will be. We need more people like Pauline thinking big and envisioning what will happen in the future to give those around her hope and excitement about working toward something better.