Cheryl, just hearing your perspective as an outside observer gets me even more excited about the confluence of recent events surrounding this homeless community and members of my church community. I love that you call it an "Esther story," and the river analogy is wonderful—especially this part: "...that place I get swept away to is someplace inaccessible by roads or walking paths; I never could have gotten there myself."

Daisy, burnout is always an important thing to keep an eye out for. It can hit when you're feeling overwhelmed, or when you're driven by so much energy and excitement for *what* you're doing that you lose track of *how* you're doing.

Jeb, you pointed out that "my faith is not your faith...we're seeking different things." I think that's true for everyone—even those who go to the same church and ascribe to the same basic set of beliefs. We all approach faith at different points of readiness, with different motivations, hopes and needs. And I completely agree with this: "action must be preceded by mental discipline." The key is not to be a perfectionist about it all. At some point, we just have to get out there and DO something.

Lance, I'm so glad to be a part of a church/ community (and even geographic location) where lots of people go to church because it "looks good" or is "expected." I'm sure there's some of that, but I bet it's more prevalent in other churches and other parts of the country. Also, I completely agree that "Faith is so deeply tied to compassion," but I worry that the two are drifting farther and farther apart in the minds of much of the country.