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Author’s Acknowledgements: Bent Hope

To my wonderful wife Diane, and fantastic children—Sarah Jane and Jake: Words do no justice to the love, appreciation and admiration I have for you. Our home has always been a place of peace, comfort, joy, and healing because of your astounding sacrifice, love and laughter. Thank you for filling me up every single day. I cherish you beyond measure.

Thank you to my dear parents (Arlene and Liv), my brothers (Liv Jr. and Dan) and their steadfast families, and the Johnson family—for their continuous love and support.

As I set out to write this book, I invited a small group of thinkers, readers, writers and artists to serve as a sounding-board/focus-group over a two year period—reflecting on each chapter and providing feedback along the way; friends that I admire in countless ways. My great thanks to: Miller Alloway—for remarkable vision and generosity. Julia Beazley—for sharing your incredible heart, soul and giftedness. Steve Bell—for inspiring me with astounding talent and friendship. Laura Jane Brew—for endless trust, laughter and encouragement. Alan Davey—for speaking great truth with great humility. Michael Frost—for the support of kinship and challenging me to newness. Sharon Gernon—for loving unconditionally. John McAuley—for exemplifying excellence in all things. Greg Paul—for brotherhood. Rick Tobias—for great faithfulness and conviction. John Wilkinson—for modeling leadership and friendship with a true servant’s heart.

An additional small group of friends and loved ones were entrusted with the original manuscript before it reached editing. Thank you for your feedback, encouragement and care: Tina and Mike Barlow, Randy Barnetson, Cheryl Bear, Annie Brandner, MacKenzie Brock, Karen Clausen, Lydia Clinton, Jocelyn Durston, Teres Edmonds, Adrienne Grant, Kristy Grisdale, Alan Hirsch, Annette Jones, Steve Kennedy, Sue and Mark Kocaurek, Sarah Lester, Jennine Loewen, Barry Pettit, Heather Ploeg, and Angela Porter.

Many thanks to my friends at Ark Outreach, Bridgeway, Crossroads, The Dam, Daily Bread Food Bank, EFC, Frontlines, The Gateway, Harvest House, Hockey For The Homeless, Inner-city Youth Alive, The Ladybug Foundation, Lightworks, Living Rock, Mastermind Educational, Mission Services of London, Matthew House, Muskoka Woods, The Mustard Seed, One Way Inn, Ontario Camp of the Deaf, Ottawa Inner-City Ministries, On Rock, Salvation Army, Sanctuary, Scott Mission, Second Harvest, Siloam Mission, Sketch, StreetLevel: The National Roundtable on Poverty and Homelessness, Streetlight, Toronto City Mission, Urban Promise, World Vision, YFC chapters across Canada, USA and worldwide, Yonge Street Mission, YSM’s Evergreen, and YWAM.

It is an honour to serve among people who faithfully give so much of themselves. Thank you to the incredibly devoted Light Patrol team, the entire Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC) staff and board, as well as the many supporters—individuals, families, churches and businesses—who have stood with me in countless ways, for many years.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. As it turns out, it takes several villages to raise a street outreach worker. One of these vital villages for me has been Weston Park Baptist Church. I am so thankful for my many dear friends (far too many to list)—past and present, from my youth through adulthood—from Weston Park.

In addition to those already mentioned, I am indebted to these faithful friends for helping in one way or another to keep my head above water: David Adcock, Cynthia Barlow, Carol Brown, Karen Chambers, Dale Cheslock, David Collison, Marianne Deeks, Cathy Dienesch, Sandra Groves, Mel Hems, Denise Holland, Mike Leney, Gail and Bill Masson, Lori McAuley, Dawn Curnew-Millar, John Mohan, Carl Nash, Pat Nixon, Dion Oxford, Linda Revie, Paul Robertson, the entire and extended Rumball family, Fay and Don Simmonds, Lori Holtam-Weedon, Haidee and David White, Linda Wisz, and my band buddies in both Outrider and Double Edge.

My heartfelt thanks to Larry Willard at Castle Quay Books Canada—for his steadfast commitment and enthusiasm.

A very special thanks to Julia Beazley—once again, for her tireless dedication and faithfulness to the entire Bent Hope project, in so many capacities, from start to finish. Priceless! (Even providing the author’s photo.)

My sincere thanks to: Marla Konrad—for her warm and professional approach to the material through the editing stage, and for her great encouragement to me. Marina Hofman at Castle Quay Books Canada—for her keen work and energy. Gord Brew and the Thinkhouse Design staff—for capturing the essence of the book, and for great commitment to the whole project.

My humble thanks to Miller and Terri Alloway and family, and the Maranatha Foundation for sponsoring priceless time away to complete this book, and for supporting its launch and release.

It is such a privilege to have the thoughtful voices of musicians, authors, speakers, spiritual leaders and visionaries sharing in the Bent Hope chapter-by-chapter prayers of reflection found at www.signpostvillage.com/timhuff : Judy and Pierre Allard, Miller Alloway, Cheryl Bear, Julia Beazley, Steve Bell, Bruxy Cavey, Alan Davey, Michael Frost, Adrienne Grant, Mike Janzen, Marla Konrad, Drew Marshall, Colin McCartney, John McAuley, Jacob Moon, Sister Sue Mosteller, Dion Oxford, Greg Paul, Glen Soderholm, Rick Tobias, Dave Toycen, John Wilkinson, and Larry Willard.

This book is dedicated to my dear friends from the street. The ones I said goodbye to, the ones I didn’t get to, the ones long ago, the ones still there, the young, the old, the terrified, the courageous, those who made me laugh, those who made me cry, and all those who did both. Thank you for teaching me, sharing with me, challenging me, stirring me, and making every moment feel urgent and priceless. God bless all those surviving the streets this very moment. I pray that home finds you, even when you can’t find home.