Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America

I heard Mr. Yankoski on a Christian Internet radio station talking about his street-living experiences and the subsequent book that followed and was fascinated from the first word. Not only is the book hard to put down (I read it in about a day and a half but without interruption, easily could have in less than a day), but having Mike's real-life experiences as the main story makes for a highly educational read. My opinion of the homeless was not exactly very "Christian" before I read the book but now I see their situation very differently. Mike offer's quite an eye-opener into the some-times hellish living conditions the homeless face and the fact that most of them are not content to be there but have no other options.

One day during a powerful sermon, Mike Yankoski had a paradigm shift as a believer in Christ. He decided that he needed to become the Christian that he claimed to be. That epiphany evolved into a daring plan: drop out of "normal" life and live for five months as a homeless person. After prayer and counsel, he found a kindred spirit named Sam Purvis to accompany him for safety's sake, and they did just that. Equal parts travel journal and faith chronicle, "Under the Overpass" is their fascinating story. While most Christians (myself included) dream about the radical things they would *like* to do for God, Mike and Sam actually stepped out and did them. They traveled around the US to five different cities and spent about a month in each. They lived by their wits: panhandling, sleeping under bridges, eating discarded food, and getting to know the grungy homeless most of us dismiss as being lazy, addicts, crazy, or all three. They also experienced the best and worst of "regular" people, Christian or not - those who went out of their way to help, along with ones who taunted them or threw them out of coffee shops and churches. An important aspect of this story is what it isn't: a fundie guilt-trip, ego boosting condescension, or boring theological treatise. Instead, it's a tale of simple and real faith in action. Mike and Sam had a humble desire to live out God's Word on the edge, and they fall back on Scripture verses and spiritual songs for succor or to reinforce a lesson learned. Of course, there were times of discouragement, conflict (with third parties and each other), and physical misery. But through these trials they achieved a deeper and more profound relationship with Christ, along with a genuine love for those who aren't so lovely or lovable. The most fascinating part of "Under the Overpass" was Mike and Sam's positive and negative encounters with others, homeless or otherwise. It didn't take long for them to personify the external qualities we associate with street persons: dirty, smelly, and dressed in cast-off clothing. Once that transformation took hold, every interaction changed significantly. In addition to the usual rejections and confrontations, they received unexpected grace, often when at wit's end. For example, both were rudely thrown off a large Phoenix church campus after they were discovered sleeping on the lawn. Somewhat discouraged, they prayed and visited the church's service the next day in part to escape the oppressive heat. To their surprise, the man who had previously sent them packing tearfully asked their forgiveness and revealed that he was the director of the area's homeless outreach program! As for the homeless, they weren't depicted as "noble savages" or sad sacks with hearts of gold. Many were enslaved to substance abuse or mentally ill, and would often harass or intimidate others to get money for their fix. But some managed to help their fellows with food or companionship despite their

I would like to respond to James Wallace. Perhaps you were disappointed in this book because you were looking for a point that the writer was not trying to make. This book is a snapshot of Mr. Yankoski's experiences. Everything I read or watch or do must be filtered through my experiences and spiritual life. With that in mind, this book knocked me back a few inches. When I opened the book I expected it to be "preaching to the choir." For the last 32 years I have either been living by the gracious hand outs of others or I have worked in Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens. I know what it is like to wonder how I will feed my child his next meal. I also know what it is like to cook at the Salvation Army on Sundays and load bags of food into trunks, carts, & backpacks on Mondays. But none of that knowledge is enough. Caring for the needy in the small ways; touching the people the Jesus touched the lepers; NEVER letting someone see you flare your nostrils when you pass them; caring for one another as automatically as breathing....these are the things that God applied to my heart as I read this book.

The choice made by the author, Mike Yankoski, to give up his safe and secure life really makes the reader think about life's priorities. Under the Overpass challenges the reader to examine their own daily lives and to live outside their comfort zone. The book is well written, and its first-person narratives help put the reader in the author's shoes. I really enjoyed learning about the lives of the homeless. It gives the words 'being content' a whole new meaning. I would highly recommend this book

Clean, comfortable, and well fed? Have a cup of coffee and a couple of cookies to hand and ready to receive a nice little blessing? Well, think again. You are likely to choke on those cookies. No nice little blessings here, but rather some big, thought-jerking lessons leading to deep, maybe even uncomfortable, convictions. Upper-middle class college students Mike and Sam answered God's call, purchased very used back packs and sleeping bags and, for several months, joined the ranks of the homeless. This adventure was not an easy decision. Receiving much advice from Christian mentors, making sure they had prayer backing, these two guys started in Denver and by the time they hit Washington, DC, they knew what kind of hunger makes you eat out of trash cans. With a guitar and a modicum of talent, they sang gospel music on the streets to raise a little cash. Sometimes they ate 99 cent hamburgers. How long does it take for cement to become a comfortable bed? Where do you find washing and toilet facilities when businesses chase you from theirs? Just how dirty and smelly can a human become, and how fast? How do you handle sickness, injury, rampaging feelings? Which are more predominate, Christians and churches who ignore, chase, denigrate the grungy hopeless, or those who emulate their Lord by helping them? Are there Christians in dire need out there on the streets? What does it really mean to depend on the Lord for absolutely everything? Mike Yankoski knows the answers first hand. Not a missionary, nor a theologian, although he keeps in the Word, he shares his experiences in absolute simplicity with gritty, deep truth, never shielding us from the smells, hurts, shocks, and fears. With ruthless honesty, Mike, and Sam through him, share their homeless victories, tragedies, and despair. He compares Pharisaical Christians and Christ-like followers. He presents the homeless people they met on the streets: drug addicts, drunkards, families, couples, dog-owners, Christians, pagans, old, young. We might think of them as scum. Mike and Sam learned to know them as people, fearing some, loving many, praying for them all. Under the Overpass provides many suggestions for working with these people. Maybe God is calling you to do something that comfortable Christians consider unusual; Under the Overpass will encourage you immensely and help you set parameters for your adventure. Whether read individually, or for discussion in a group, middle school age through adults will gain through reading this book. - Donna Eggett, Christian Book Previews.com