The other Saturday we had a wonderful concert and bbq organised by the church family to say thank you to all. Three hours later I was in the centre of the rubbish of Plymouth, kneeling beside a lady with the most horrendous feet. They really stank and I have a strong constitution!! She had what used to be called “trench foot”.

Trying to bathe and dry them with only a bottle of water and some tissues, I was so reminded of the Biblical stories of Mary washing Jesus’s feet, and Jesus doing the same for His disciples. But I was there doing it for real, to a lady crying, I can still hear her saying “They hurt me Barbara”. Home and church family, with all the comforts, happiness and laughter seemed another world, a million miles away. We don’t usually discuss in detail much of what happens in the streets on a Saturday night, but this one had a profound and deep effect on me