Ian Riddle’s testimony begins years ago when he considered himself a bum. “Without faith,” Ian says, “there was intense loneliness. I went for months without hearing a conversation or hearing my name. I would wake up in misery, with no sense of purpose, nothing to do and no vision of life as the normal person knows it.”
After an encounter where Ian met Christ, he joined Topeka Rescue Mission’s discipleship and recovery program, Servants in Training. There, Ian found the sense of purpose he was missing as he learned that “in following Christ, we are servants to everybody. We don’t get to say we don’t have to serve some people. A single smile or wave can be an act of servanthood.”
When Topeka Rescue Mission began a SIAFU chapter, Ian was one of the first members and was their Service Project Coordinator. After he began attending Central Park Christian Church, he joined their SIAFU Chapter, and found a group that brought him closer to his church family. Ian says now, “What a wonderful thing to wake up on Sunday morning and know I would be seeing everyone in the afternoon.” So when, after several months of seeking the Lord for leadership for the group, there was talk of dropping the SIAFU model, Ian was moved by God to speak up. “I will do whatever you want me to do,” he said. “I love you guys and I love SIAFU.”
“It was a movement of the Spirit,” says Mary Flin, Topeka’s World Impact Ministry leader who began the group. “After months of human initiative and effort, the group loved one another, worked well together, and shared fellowship, but something was holding us back from commitment to leadership. Prayer had led to a sense of anticipation and total surrender of the group to God’s leading. Suddenly, when Ian spoke those willing words, the room was filled with the Spirit and an openness and enthusiasm filled us. Within minutes, all of our leadership needs were filled, including an entire group of young people who are excited about service projects. It was miraculous for us.”
Ian read through the SIAFU Guidebook and came to the next meeting excited about the possibilities for service. “I read the Guidebook and realized this is for my community. I am urban. We have beautiful people in our neighborhood who need work done.” Ian has already motivated Topeka’s Central Park SIAFU to expand the service vision into neighborhood meals and work projects. “We can accomplish things together as SIAFU,” he says. “One of things that made me go to sleep with a smile on my face was knowing that I am in a position to help make this happen.”
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