After a month living as a homeless man on the streets of downtown Dallas, Southlake pastor Leon Reyes says the experience has left him physically, emotionally and financially wrung out and in need of counseling.

“I’m uncomfortable right now,” said Reyes, who reunited with his family last Friday at Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. “I just want to go home, I want to sleep, I want to get away from all of this. It wasn’t what I expected.”

“After 30 days, I had no job. I’m worse off emotionally than I started. But I did learn how to pray all over again, and I love my family more than anything,” said Reyes. “The distance from them has really tied us together.”

Burned-out from day-to-day ministry, Reyes left the comfort of his home in Southlake to live on the streets of downtown Dallas with the goal of achieving an identification card, gaining employment and finding a permanent residence.

While he gained valuable information and insight during his monthlong journey, the experience has left him scarred, he said.

“I’m emotionally not right. I’ve got to get some counseling after this,” said Reyes. “I think I just developed some emotional traits that I don’t need.”

The Southlake pastor said he was always on watch for people stealing his backpack and his possessions. And, he has to overcome anger issues that developed from seeing people at homeless shelters being beaten.

“If your life is in a bag for 30 days, you’re going to pick up a small amount of schizophrenia, always looking for people and looking for exits,” said Reyes. “All of that is not what I need when I go back home and with my marriage.”

But if there is a silver lining in his life as a homeless person, Reyes said, it was learning the ins and outs of a forgotten segment of society. He hopes to share his information and insights with local non-profits who serve the homeless. 

Reyes said one of the most important discoveries he made on his journey was the varying degrees and methods in which people need help. He also learned just how few people understand these differences.

“Everybody gives help the way they see fit, but not the way the other person sees it,” said Reyes. “I’m going to give help the way I would like someone to help me, but not everybody needs help the way I receive it. Everybody is very different with different lifestyles. Until we can get to the point where we actually take the time to understand people and help them where they are, we won’t be effective.”

The Southlake pastor also discovered how to make himself look presentable during his 30 days of homelessness.

“My theory on the 10% that are chronic homeless – that look a certain way – that’s an outfit,” said Reyes. “There are a lot of resources. Churches have a lot of resources for clothes, shavers and showers three times a week. There are ways to keep clean and even wash your clothes.”

Reyes said there is a gift everyone can give to the homeless community that is more important than money.

“Time is more valuable than your money to homeless people,” said Reyes. “A relationship is way more important than that turkey sandwich you’re going to provide or that money.”

Tending to his mental health won’t be the only challenge he will have to face as he recovers at home back with his family, Reyes said. He said some unidentified individuals in his church were not supportive of how he spent his unpaid sabbatical.

“I needed [this experience], though,” said Reyes. “I was burned-out ministry-wise. I needed it for myself to regain that faith and to better understand how to do ministry. That was it. Create hope from nothing. That was my process coming in, and that’s my process coming out. One thing is: You can’t create hope for yourself – someone else creates the hope.”