Mom's Tree House

I just finished reading Under the Overpass written by Mike Yankoski and have been left feeling angry as well as hopeful. This story tells of two young men that decide to become homeless. That’s right, HOMELESS!   Two Christians, Mike Yankoski and Sam Purvis, spend five months on the streets of six different American cities as homeless men. They  go from a safe, upper- middle class home to degenerates of the streets overnight.

 

This story is both captivating and compelling.  Yankoski and Purvis learn how to live and survive the streets by panhandling for meals, living in shelters, eating out of garbage dumpsters, sleeping on concrete floors with roaches and rats, all while keeping their faith and by watching  how others kept and practice theirs.

 

What is disturbing about this read, is that those expected to help often displayed acts of hate and discrimination. For instance,Yankoski and Purvis decide one day to  sleep in the  front steps of a church on a Saturday night hoping to get woken up the next morning in time for morning service. Instead, they woke up to find that every person had avoided them by using the side entrance door instead of the front door.

 

  Another example was when they got kicked out of a church picnic…by the Director of Homeless Outreach for the area. What does that say? If we can’t go to sit on church grounds, hoping to get help, then where do we go? It says that all Christians do not act like Christians but only do so when it fits their own notion of when they should help. This notion basically comes from the belief that homeless people are all lazy, drunks, drug addicts and criminals.

This book will definitely challenge you, making you re-think homelessness in America. It also makes you think about faith and the hypocrisy of the church. In the end, you come out with a good message and that is to simply help, to put your love for God into action by helping others. To see how Yankoski describes ways of helping others, go here.

 

I love  true stories, especially one that wakes you up to what may be happening around you. The vignettes shared in this book are eye openers and will not disappoint you! Yankoski is now updating Under the Overpass with his five year anniversary edition. To get a sneak peek to his updated version, go here. Under the Overpass, is a read I will always remember, and you will too. 

You can purchase Under the Overpass at Amazon, or you can win it.

One (1) lucky Mom’s Tree House reader will win a the new updated copy Under the Overpass.   The winner will be selected via Random.org.  and will have 48 hours to respond to my email as to claim their book.  After 48 hours and the winner has not responded back, another winner will be selected.

Mandatory Entry

Visit  undertheoverpass.com and tell me in a comment what you learned or found interesting on this site.  

Additional Entries (Post in a separate comment for each additional entry)

1. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs and on the Picket Fence. (2 entries) 
3. Follow me on Twitter, @johannaloporto (1 entry)
4. Like my Facebook @ Mom’s Tree House, Follow me on Facebook. (2 entries)
5. Tweet about this giveaway by tweeting the following: “Enter to win Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski at at  http://www.momstreehouse.com/.” (2 entries)

 Contest is open to US residents only. Contest closes on December 30, 2010 at 12 midnight (EST)

 Disclosure: A free copy of this book was provided to me by Blogging for Books, a part of WaterBrook Multnomah book publishers. No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others. 

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Submit Comment