Oasis and “Daily Bread” ministries

Wednesday, March 21, 2012
This morning I volunteered to go with AIM members to the Oasis Café, a converted coffee shop that serves local ‘neighbors’ who are primarily the homeless and the destitute. It gives them a place to set, rest and have coffee and a snack.  The angel that runs this place is Nadine.  She has a generous, open heart and welcomes all of God’s children.  She spreads the Word of God through daily prayer and a Saturday night worship service.   She brings the Light of Christ in all she does, whether it’s feeding the hungry, giving clothes to the needy, healing the sick (she was actually preparing medicine for someone there), etc.  In fact, many call Nadine “Mom”.   As God is our Father, Nadine is one of many earthly mothers who not only preach the Word of Christ, but live it.
While at the Oasis I met Dennis, or ‘Dennis the Menace’, as he jokingly called himself.  Dennis was an army vet and once a successful store manager, but had succumbed to the detrimental effects of alcohol.  He is now homeless and recovering from an accident where he was hit by a car.  He is slowly getting better because several months ago he was in a wheelchair, then a 4 wheeled walker, but now gets around with a cane.
Dennis is responsible for introducing me to a remarkable ministry in Morristown called “the Daily Bread”. The Daily Bread is the cleanest and neatest soup kitchen that I have ever seen.  It is run by an army veteran, former supply sergeant Hobe Williams and his wife Sue.
Hobe turned his furniture store into a soup kitchen for the needy. He has lived long enough to see Morristown go from Boom to Bust.  He felt mercy for the homeless, hungry, and addicted neighbors he had, so he began to feed them.  He feeds the local ‘neighbors’ lunch every day and often breakfast and dinner.  He has many local churches supporting his ministry with food, volunteers and monetary support.  Hobe has been so successful that he extends his ministry to the aged, to widows and widowers who need a purpose in life.  He offers jobs and life skills to local prisoners who work in his restaurant.  In fact, this ministry is so well run, it should be called a restaurant, not a soup kitchen.  The food is good.  There are people to serve you. The only difference from a restaurant is you don’t get to order from a menu and you don’t have to pay.  There is a menu.  It is posted on the wall.  There is an endless supply of Hope, Faith and Love. 
I would not have guessed that Hobe Williams was 87 years old.   He is full of energy and very well organized.  He recently purchased the building adjacent to his restaurant and has big plans to expand his restaurant but also have a theater or somewhere to preach, to show movies to the ‘neighbors’ to pull them away from their false idols of drugs and alcohol and introduce them to the kingdom of heaven through Jesus Christ.  He also wants to lease a space for clergy and counselors to minister to the ‘neighbors’.  Hobe needs help to continue his ministry. Please first pray for his ministry.  If you are so moved, do not be afraid to help in any way you can!  You can volunteer, give food, or monetary donations.  Or contact Hobe for his needs.  He will need money and construction work in the near future to expand his ministry.  I strongly urge and support Hobe’s Daily Bread ministry if you are able. Remember we are always invited to lunch there. 
Daily Bread Community Kitchen
222 W. Main
PO Box 1458
Morristown, TN 37816
423-581-7733