Monday, December 13, 2010

Downtown 12/12/2010

Well yesterday, I was finally able to fulfull my desire to have a barbeque for some of my friends downtown. I have had this idea for over a year now, but could never figure out how to reach some of my closest friends by having it in one location. So I came up with the idea of using a small portable Weber barbeque and driving around to where the people lived. I could only do this on a Sunday, a weekday simply wouldn't work. Since I've been only able to go on a weekday for the last couple of months, I haven't seen some of the target people in awhile. As I got closer to this Sunday I started getting a little concerned about whether this was going to work out or not. However, the main goal in doing this was to not only provide a warm meal but to have an opportunity to talk with some of these folks at length and develop a deeper relationship. I had targeted four groups of people. If you have followed these blogs for a while, you will be familiar with these people. First, I was hoping to spend time with Willie and Tara Lee and whoever might be with them, the next group would be Phillip, Nancy and Luis over by Lincoln Park, then Billy, James and Will and finally Gary over by Cloud Nine Alley and Church. I was hoping that by spending some extended time with Gary he would invite some of the men who live in that alley to join us. So far, my attempts to talk with those men living in that alley haven't gotten very far. For the last few weeks I have been accumulating all the supplies needed for this trip and after church with a carload of stuff I took off for downtown. I should mention that at the end of our church service yesterday they offered to anoint people with oil before we left for the specific purpose of bringing joy to our "world". We had never done that at church before and probably a hundred or so people stayed after to receive it. I decided it was definitely something I wanted since I was leaving directly from church. I arrived downtown around 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon (next time I do this I'm leaving earlier). I knew that at this time of year I would only have about four hours of daylight so I had to find my friends quickly.
My last trip downtown I had met Doug (one of my longtime friends) near where Willie and Tara Lee lived. I told him of my plans for the following Sunday and invited him to join us in the alley where they lived. He said he really didn't want to be with the others, but that he would watch for me. Yesterday, as I drove down that alley from the west end I saw Doug had found a place to stay directly across the street at the end of the alley. There was a set of fire doors and an indentation on the building across the street. He had set up his "house" (shopping cart, etc) right there and it gave him a perfect vantage point to watch for me. Willie and Tara Lee weren't in the alley and as I drove out the other end I said hello to Doug. I told him I wanted to check the next alley over because Willie and Tara Lee might have relocated there. As it turned out that proved to be right. I drove back to Doug to tell him and invite him to join us but, again, he declined. I told him I'd bring him some food when I left them. So I went back to the alley where Willie and Tara Lee live and got set up. Willie wasn't there at first, but Tara said he was due back very soon. While getting the barbeque set up and putting the food on, Tara and I had an opportunity to talk at length. He is originally from Fort Worth, Texas and has been homeless (at least this time) since November of 2007. We talked about many things and at one point after telling him about my daughter and her music lessons he confided to me that when he was her age he loved to sing and dance and that everyone in his neighborhood thought he would make something of himself, but that things just never worked out. I had at one point told him that when we first met he was one of only three or four people who declined my offer to pray with them before leaving. He then told me something I'll never forget. He said, "The last time you were with us, before you left you said God sent you that day to tell us that He loves us. After you left, I just cried and cried." It suddenly struck me that something we have heard so often, and probably take for granted, can mean so much to someone who never hears it and feels lonely and frustrated with life. It was a reminder of how precious these people are to our Lord and how in the gospel of Matthew (12:20) it says about Jesus, "He will not break a bruised reed..." Well, Willie did show up and they loved the food, although I had forgotten to bring a can opener and so I wasn't able to fix everything the way I wanted to. They both were thrilled to have a warm meal prepared for them and thanked me many times. Tara asked that I never stop coming to see them. I had cooked a few extra burgers and stopped by Doug's place on the way out and gave him those. While talking with Doug a couple of other people came by and I gave them some bags of food like I do on a regular trip. Doug has an aversion to being with other homeless folks. So many of the homeless are trapped in a lifestyle of drug abuse and he just doesn't want to be around it. It's probably a good policy to have in his situation. However, it does make for a lonely life.
I drove by where Willie, James and Will live, but they weren't there so I headed on over to Lincoln Park. Unfortunately, my friends who live there weren't there either. However, Carlos and his dog were there, sleeping on the grass just across from where Luis used to stay. I woke him up and gave him a bag of food. I asked him if he had seen Luis and Phillip and Nancy. He told me that the police had made them move on. He indicated that they moved on down towards East L.A. Before leaving Carlos I offered to pray for him. When I finished he told me he wanted to pray too. What followed was probably the most simple and humble prayer I've ever heard. He simply said, "Thank you Lord, I have some food, a place to sleep and clothes, thank you." and with a shrug of his shoulders he was done. I told Carlos I would continue to look in on him.
After seeing Carlos I headed over towards Cloud Nine Alley. On the way, I found Jose sitting on the sidewalk on Central Ave near Washington Blvd. He had a cup of soda from some fast food place but no bag of food to go with it. When I offered him a bag of food he quickly got up and came over to the car for it. I think the soda was the only thing he was going to have that night if I hadn't stopped. When I got to the church, Gary was outside by the parking lot sweeping up. Part of his arrangement with the owner to stay there requires him to clean a couple of the parking lots and surrounding areas that the owner has. Since he was busy working, he couldn't stop to have a barbeque. However, I did give him some food that he could cook for later. I prayer-walked the alley and since the church was open and about to have a service soon I ducked in and stood in one of the back pews and prayed. They had a praise band (yes, in Spanish) going on up in the front, it was about 5:30 p.m when I walked in there. I stayed until a little after 6 p.m. Several people came up to greet me. I was told that Pastor Rodriguez was in Mexico for a wake. Before leaving a man walked up to me; he was a pastor from Dallas who was going to be preaching that night. He asked if I was staying, but I told him I had one more group of homeless people I was hoping to meet with before leaving for home. He said, "I was starting to wonder when I saw you if this church was becoming bilingual!" I asked them to let Pastor Rafael know I had stopped in. Amazingly, despite the language barrier, I always feel welcomed there by everyone.
Well, I wanted to give Billy, James and Will one more shot before I left for home. I got there at about 6:30 p.m. and Will was sitting on a crate in their alley off 14th St and Stanford. I called out to him by name and he told me that Billy and James were due back soon, but they had gone to a church in Long Beach and would be riding the Metro coming back. He had gone to a local church nearby. When I asked if he was up for a barbeque he said yes and we hoped Billy and James would show up soon. Unfortunately, when I left at 8 p.m. they still hadn't gotten back. However, Will and I had a good time eating and visiting. I hadn't eaten anything with Willie and Tara because I knew I couldn't eat every time (well I probably could if you know my appetite) so Will and I ate together. His birthday is this coming week and he will be 53 years old. He is from the Compton area and has lived in this area all his life. He has 3 sisters and had one brother who was killed in the Viet Nam war. Now you may remember that Billy, James and Will were the guys I met a couple of months ago who all had bibles with them (it was a Sunday evening that night too) and they asked about a verse in Romans that I told them about. Last night, Will was telling me about some of the churches in the area that he had been to and how some of them were quite judgmental towards homeless people. I told him about the first two verses in Luke 15 and how people who were looked down upon by the 'regular' people in society always gathered around Jesus to hear him talk. In fact, he had me underline it in his bible (it was nighttime by now and he had difficulty seeing anything in print). We had a very enjoyable time. Towards the end I told him that Billy and James weren't going to believe that I had come by and cooked for him so I cooked the last of the hamburgers and left them with him. While I was there, a man who goes by the name E.J. came by and said he had just been with Willie and Tara. Will knows them too.
Well it was time to go and as I drove towards the freeway I couldn't help but notice all the homeless people all around the area. I think in this section of town, since it is somewhat close to the missions, they end up coming here just to get away from the crowded conditions on the skid row streets. All in all, it was a good day and a good trip. I'll have to do this again in the spring. Until next week. John

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Downtown 12/7/2010

A month or so ago I saw an elderly woman at the 60 freeway off-ramp at Azusa Ave in the City of Industry. She was holding a homeless sign and stood next to the curb with a walker. My guess is she was between 65 and 70 years old. The light was green as I approached and I had to drive on through the intersection. Recently, in the last week or so my wife has seen this same woman standing there and has had the opportunity to give her some assistance a couple of times. The other night as I was going to bed my wife expressed to me her concern (with tears) over how this woman was going to get through yet another cold night. I gently comforted her and said, "You're now catching the spirit of 'Right Now Counts'. It's hard to just forget about them when you come home, isn't it?" It's now been over a year and a half that I've been making these trips downtown and many nights I've wondered how my friends are doing. Are they hungry? Are they warm? Dry? What are their chances of ever getting off the streets? The older ones who have lived the lifestyle for many years have the survival techniques down, but the young ones, what are their prospects? Mark Twain was once asked if the verses in the bible that he didn't understand bothered him. His response was, "It's not the verses that I don't understand that bother me, it's the ones that I do understand that bother me." Jesus summed up our obligations to others when he simply stated, "Love your neighbor as yourself." A religious leader questioned him further and asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus' response was the story of the Good Samaritan, with the point being, whoever is in need is your neighbor. Sometimes the need is not always physical. Yesterday, one of my encounters was with a man named Doug. I've helped this man several times in the past, but it has been several months since I last saw Doug. As it turns out, he had been in the hospital battling diabetes (Type 1). He is about my age, maybe even a couple of years younger and is facing a very difficult road ahead being homeless and having to deal with this disease. He may eventually have to go to an assisted living facility. He knows his prospects are not good. I'm not sure exactly what I said when I prayed with him, but I know I prayed something about being in His (God's) presence eternally, and asked God to give Doug a taste of that presence here and now. When I finished Doug said, "Wow, you really helped me to zero in on where I need to focus my mind." All I could think of was praise God that the Holy Spirit guides us to pray when we don't know what to pray for. Our "neighbors" are everywhere and I know we can't help everyone we see. But the help needed may be just a kind word or encouragement at the right time. Yesterday, I was able to talk to Gary who lives in the parking lot next to the church on Cloud Nine Alley. I asked him if he had talked to him Mom recently. He had expressed a desire to see her a couple of months back. Her name is Marilyn and she lives in Atlanta. I offered him my cell phone to call her if he knew her number. He told me he would sure like to see her at Christmas, but she was at work during the day and he didn't have her work number. When we prayed together I expressed to God Gary's desire to see his mother and if not at Christmas, perhaps New Year's. I think just the idea that he shared this deep heartfelt desire to someone was of benefit to him because he thanked me afterwards. It would make sense that many of these homeless people are "homesick" for not only home and family, but just for the idea and memory of things being the way they used to be and this memory is something they treasure in their hearts and minds.
One final word. Last week after one of my encounters I was asked by a policeman to not help the homeless in that area. He said to go to the missions area (5th,6th and 7th streets) because the homeless will return to whatever area they found help and the businesses in this area don't want the homeless on their sidewalks. I didn't argue but simply said OK and left that area. Wouldn't you know that yesterday there was a homeless man on a sidewalk at the exact spot where the policeman told me this last week. Now where this man was, was not in front of a business but next to a parking lot on Olive St. I tell you this not to appear proud or anything, not but because I disobeyed the police, but only because that was where the "neighbor" who needed the help was. I tried to take his picture, but he was under the shade of a tree and it didn't come out. We are carriers of God's light and God's presence. Bringing this light and presence to this world full of our 'neighbors' can take us to some of the darkest places of despair and hopelessness that we can imagine. As James says in the opening chapter of his letter, "Count it all joy." and may I add, "Count it all joy", 'when we have the privilege of bringing this light and His presence to those neighbors in need.' --Until next week. John

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Downtown 11/30/2010

I arrived downtown this morning at about 10:30. It was sunny and fairly warm if you were in direct sunlight. I was traveling north on Santa Fe Ave around 2nd and 3rd streets when I saw a man pushing a cart on the other side of the street. I turned around and drove back to him and asked through the window if he needed some food. He said "Yes" to the food and water and when I asked if he needed some socks he somewhat sheepishly said, "I could always use some socks." With that I pulled over and parked to open the trunk up. When I got out he was already drinking out of the water jug I had given him and commented to me, that the water was, "A lifesaver." I noticed he had a cap on with a "B" on the front. It was a red cap and I figured it was a Boston Red Sox cap, but I wanted to ask just in case it was Boston College or something else. It turns out his name was Kennedy and he was from Massachusetts. Kennedy was his first name and knowing that Ted Kennedy was the long-time senator from that state one would guess that's how he got his name. He is a year younger than I am. Knowing also that the Boston area has a large Irish population I told him my last name was O'Connor and he told me his last name was "Call" but at one time his family used to be called "McCall" and yes they were from Ireland too. We talked about our roots for awhile. At my prompting I asked if he needed any other clothing items out of the trunk and we were able to come up with the socks and a pair of jeans. He was quite touched by the help he received. I told him, "I just like to help people." and he looked at me quite intently and said, "I can see that." If I hadn't seen another person today, this encounter would have made the trip worth it. I was able to give this homeless man a hug and pray with him before leaving.
I drove over to the Lincoln Park area but couldn't find my friends there today. In fact, it appeared that Phillip and Nancy hadn't been there for a couple of days (two of their shopping carts were there) and Luis' stuff hadn't been touched for several days either. I pray they have all found warm shelter for awhile. While leaving the area and driving down North Broadway street I found another man pushing a cart. He was very happy to receive the bag of food and when I asked him his name he said "Juan". Well, he didn't look Hispanic and when I asked where he was from he told me he was from Viet Nam. Perhaps the spelling of his name is "Wan". He was the first Asian man I've helped! He was just north of Chinatown. I'll have to watch for homeless folks in this area some more.
I continued on Broadway into downtown and over on Los Angeles St and 4th on a very crowded sidewalk I saw a man named Anthony standing near a corner with what just so happened to be an open parking spot right there. I called out to him asking if he needed some help and he told me yes. After giving him a bag of food he said something I'll never forget. He said, "From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Just like with Kennedy, you never forget the heartfelt thanks from someone who is desperate for help. What a privilege to be there at that time.
I stayed pretty much in the heart of the downtown area today and at the corner of Pico and Olive I saw a man laying face down on the sidewalk. I waited awhile and he hadn't moved so I got out and walked over with a bag of food in my hand and leaned over and asked him if he was OK. He had a jacket on and it was pulled up over his head. He moved a little but made no attempt to look up or speak at all (not even a 'Leave me alone.') I left the bag of food next to him and left. Not too far from this man was another homeless man resting by his cart. I didn't recognize him at first but it was Dalton whom I've seen a couple of times in the last few weeks. It was good to be able to help him again.
With one bag of food left I went over to the church by Cloud Nine Alley to prayer-walk in that area. Again, it was a busy weekday and the church was not open nor was anyone in the alley at the time. As I walked down the alley I continued to pray that God's love would penetrate the darkness of this area and reach the souls that live there. I ended up driving on down into the South Central area and gave the last bag of food to Walter at 30th and Main St. He told me he had been staying at a shelter at night and was waiting for his Social Security benefits to start coming. He appeared to be old enough to start receiving them. I guess during the day he has no place to go. He declined my offer to pray with him. That was disappointing.
Before leaving today I drove back to Pico and Olive streets to see if that man was still there, but he had moved. It had been close to an hour since I had seen him, so I'm guessing he's OK.
One final thing. Last week as I was getting ready to leave for downtown I realized I was out of blankets. This is the time of year when they are such a lifesaver to the homeless. I was more than a little concerned about what to do. I didn't say anything to anyone about it. Out of the blue, a longtime friend of mine called with a gift for this ministry. Yes, it was a gift of blankets and there were more than I could fit in my car! There's only one thing you can say after that. "PRAISE THE LORD." Until next week. John

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Downtown 11/22/2010

Sometimes your best intentions and plans just don't go right. Last weekend was one of those times. I had planned on making Sunday a special trip to barbeque some food for 3 or 4 special groups of people downtown. Then the rains came and when I woke up Sunday morning it was still raining. I didn't want to take a chance on the rain continuing throughout the day so I decided to postpone the barbeque part and just make a regular trip in the early afternoon. I had just gotten downtown when I received a phone call that required me to leave right away and pick-up some stranded people. So I ended up finally making the trip on Monday. I have quickly learned that some of the people that I regularly see on the weekends are not at the same location during the week. Particularly, the folks living in some of the alleys. This is due primarily if they are located behind businesses that use the alley frequently to ship or receive freight. For example, Willie and Tara Lee weren't in the alley where I normally see them. In fact, I just happened to see Willie a few blocks away at the Jack in the Box off Alameda. He was pushing a shopping cart and told me he had all his stuff stolen a few days before and was lucky he found his cart the next day. Believe it or not, there are actually certified "homeless" shopping carts, certified by the city for them to use. If they don't have the placard on them, they can be cited and if there are any warrants out on them they can be arrested. Willie was quite thankful to have found his cart. I asked if he knew if the articles I had gotten for Tara Lee a couple of weeks ago were helpful for his skin condition and he told me they were. That was good to know. I told him of my plans to visit them the weekend of December 12 in their alley and to try and be there that day. We'll see what happens.
I had gone by Lincoln Park and didn't see Luis. It also didn't look like he'd been there for a couple of days. Phillip and Nancy's stuff was still there but I didn't see them either. I did see a homeless man by the name of Carlos. He had a dog with him that he called "Poop"! I was finally able to give out some of the dog food donated a couple of months ago. Carlos asked if it was going to rain again Monday night. I told him it wasn't supposed to and he seemed pretty relieved.
I drove up Alameda and looked to see if Alameda Man was anywhere near where I saw him last week, but I couldn't find him either. On Central a few blocks over near 4th St I did find Andrew Jackson laying on the sidewalk. He was from Las Vegas. When I parked he sat up and when I asked if he needed some food he answered, "Yes." in a way that indicated he was hungry right then. He was located about a block away from a large and busy noontime outdoor cafe. My guess is he had little or no money for a meal. I came at just the right time for him.
I drove over to the heart of the downtown area near Broadway and 2nd St and found George Rogers Segal Jr. going through trash cans on the corner. He was pretty happy to receive the help. He was quite talkative but I couldn't stay at the curb longer than to just pass some food through the window of the car.
The last man I encountered was Charlie. He was from Oakland. I found him sleeping on the sidewalk near 14th and Central. He didn't have many belongings and when I asked if he needed some socks in addition to the food he said yes. As I got the socks out of the trunk I noticed he only had on a T-shirt and I didn't see a jacket among his stuff. I had one sitting on top of the clothes in the trunk of my car so I gave that to him also. It's been cold the last week or so and he looked like he needed one and he didn't turn it down.
With just one bag of food left I drove over to Cloud Nine Alley. It was pretty much deserted but I prayer-walked there before leaving for home. The last bag ended up with Jackie who was standing by the freeway at 18th St. I had seen her there the day before when I came down. You realize even standing by the freeway takes a lot of time and dedication to make ends meet. As I handed the bag to her she said, "Thanks John." She remembered my name.
Well, this trip wasn't one of the most memorable and I even debated about whether or not to write about it. It took two trips downtown to make it happen. The encounters were all very brief and it took far longer than it normally does to find the right people needing help. However, all of them needed the help and even though this trip wasn't what I had hoped for I've learned to stay the course, God is faithful and we're gaining momentum for the next breakthrough. --Until next week. John

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Downtown 11/16/2010

I couldn't make the trip downtown until Tuesday this week. I had some appointments to keep on Monday and I even considered not going because I'm making a special trip downtown on Sunday. I have this coming Saturday night off from work and I am planning to spend most of the day down there on Sunday. I have purchased a small portable barbeque and will be making some special meals for some of the people as sort of a pre-Thanksgiving Day event for them. I'm really looking forward to it.
On the trip today I found someone I hadn't seen in a very long time. His name is Louis Parks and he was near where I saw him the last time on Alameda St. I'm guessing it's been close to a year since I saw him last and I have wondered about him and prayed for him ever since. I almost didn't see him, but I happened to be waiting at a signal at Alameda and 4th St and he was sitting up on some steps in the shade of a tree just opposite from where I was waiting in my car. I drove around the block to get back to him but I couldn't park there because it was a no stopping zone. Louis always has a very quiet demeanor about him and something that distinguishes him from most other homeless men. He has no shopping cart and usually two small cardboard boxes with his personal stuff in them. I don't know how he gets around with them, but I'd like to talk to him about it sometime (if I could find a place to park).
The next enounter I had just a little ways down Alameda was one of the most disturbing sights I've seen since I've been going downtown. On my right side as I was driving down the street I saw what initially looked like a small pile of clothes and some metal piled up next to a building. It's an area with few pedestrians, but a lot of cars and big trucks travel this area. The buildings are set back from the sidewalk about 20 or 25 feet and at one time railroad cars were pushed into what's called a spur to be unloaded next to these buildings (warehouses). They long ago stopped using these tracks to unload rail cars. So as I passed by this pile of "stuff" I noticed a shoe and what appeared to be one leg. That caused me to do a double-take and that's when I noticed a man was laying down there. I drove around the block to get back to him and parked the car on the sidewalk. The sidewalk is so covered up with dirt and with there being basically no foot traffic I figured I could get away with parking there for a short time. I was now able to fully see the man laying down there. He had a walker laying on top of him and his left leg was amputated at the knee. I got a bag of food and walked over to where he was sleeping and asked if he was hungry. He immediately sat up and started yelling and put his fingers in his ears so he couldn't hear me. I don't know what he was saying, but it was clear that he wanted to be left alone. When he first sat up I was startled about the condition of his eyes. The skin under his eyes sagged at least 3/4 of an inch below each eye which amplified the redness and made his bloodshot eyes look even worse. I would have loved to talk to this man and let him know I cared about him and let him tell me his story, but it was clear I was not welcome. I walked back to the car and prayed for him in my car. He had begun to look through what was in the bag and then he laid back down again. It was heartbreaking to leave him like that. Please pray for the "Alameda Man".
Not too far away from there and just off Alameda at 5th St I had a woman by the name of Karen walk up to the car as I was stopped at a stop sign. She asked, "I know I look like a disgrace, but could you help me?" I asked her if she could use a bag of food and she replied, "Oh yes, thank you." I ended up parking and giving her some clothes from the trunk and praying with her. I couldn't help but think how unfortunate to be not only desparate for help, but to have to introduce yourself in the manner she did. Perhaps if I had stayed to talk to the Alameda Man I would have missed her.
I ended up driving for several miles down Alameda St until I got to Gage St (that's around 62nd St.) and eventually found a homeless man limping badly and pushing a shopping cart. His name was Joe and he was sure thankful for the help. Back near the downtown area I found Sergio near 18th and Grand. Nearby where he was is a small street where probably 30-40 homeless people live. A large church is nearby called the "Glory of Jesus Christ Church". On this small street this church has apparently, set up an outreach. One of the storefront buildings said, "Glory of Jesus Mercy House". This is just off of Washington Blvd and a long ways away from the skid row missions on the other end of town. I usually don't drive down this street because there are so many people milling around there and I'm not set up to handle crowds of people. I'm more of a one on one kind of person, but I'm sure glad there is a mission outreach on this end of town. Before leaving this area I stopped to help Amir who lives under the I-10 freeway at about Hill St. He doesn't speak English, so I was a little surprised when I saw what looked like a New Testament on the sidewalk next to him. I'll have to try and talk to him about it the next time I see him. Where he stays under the freeway is a no stopping area. When I have helped him before I've had to park on 18th and walk back to him, but on a weekday even 18th St doesn't have any parking spaces. After leaving Amir I drove over to Cloud 9 Alley and prayer-walked there. Once again, the church wasn't open and there were no homeless folks in the alley during the day, only delivery people for the businesses there.
With that I left and went home. Please pray for the upcoming trip on Sunday. I'm looking forward to it being a special day to bond with some of the people I've come to know living in some of the alleys downtown. Logistically, it will be difficult to start and restart a small barbeque several times during the day. But I'm sure I'll learn some valuable lessions on how to get that done while showing these homeless people that God cares for them. --Until next week. John

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Downtown 11/8/2010

Well, my work schedule has changed again for the next few months and I won't be able to make these trips until Mondays. No matter which day of the week it is, these people need help and encouragement. Everyone down there needs to encounter a friendly face and a helping hand. This was demonstrated quite clearly with one of the encounters yesterday, a man named Lester that I met on 18th St. He was sitting down on the sidewalk minding his own business when I pulled up. I called out to him asking if he needed any food. He came over to the car somewhat warily and accepted the help. He then told me a car passing by had just thrown a can of soda at him. It's easy to see how these folks can acquire an unfriendly attitude towards the world. I've had others tell me similar stories of objects thrown at them from cars in the middle of the night while they were sleeping. Some even have had burning objects thrown at them. I was glad to have been the next one coming by to help change Lester's outlook on the world yesterday.
Not too far from Lester were a couple of other men who needed help. One was David from Oklahoma and the other was Dalton from Tampa. Both men were in their 60's. David was sitting down on the sidewalk with his back up against a wall. He was all bundled up. It had rained the night before and temperatures were still cool in the shade, but David had found a place in the sun to warm up and rest. His shopping cart had a few personal belongings and what he had come up with recycling for the day so far. David spoke very softly and thanked me repeatedly for the help. He seemed very tired. Around the block from David I found Dalton going through trash cans looking for recyclables. When I first saw him he was actually reading a newpaper that he had just pulled out of one. It was right next to a bus stop and by the time I could get around the block to him he had crossed the street. I actually had met him a couple of weeks ago at the end of the day. That day he was again pushing his cart along and I had given away all of the bags of food but had a can of beef ravioli left. This time he received a full bag and when I asked if he needed some socks he told me if I had some he could use them.. So he ended up with some shirts and socks too. I asked him how well the recycling was going Monday and he said it starts out slowly but picks up by the end of the day. I told him I'd look for him again and he told me where he stays under the freeway at night. I was privileged to pray with these men and let them know God cares about them even when it seems no one else around does.
I had gotten some special supplies a few weeks ago for Tara Lee who lives in an alley off Hooper St. Willie lives in that alley too and both of them were there when I arrived. Tara Lee has complained of having a skin rash, so I had gotten some items I hoped would help. I also looked for Billy, James and Will who live in another alley not too far from there, but they weren't home. They were the three men who all had bibles last week when I met them.
When I first arrived downtown Monday I went to Lincoln Park. Anita was sitting at one of the park tables reading her bible. I had met her a few months back during the summer. Originally I thought her name was Edith, but I must not have heard right. We talked for over a half an hour there at the park. She told me she had lived at one of the missions downtown but, "it gets crazy there" and she needed to leave. She didn't exactly tell me where she was staying now but she seemed to be doing OK. I never would have guessed her to be 60 years old but that's what she told me. She was reading out of the book of Galatians and told me that she wanted to be living more "in the Spirit" and was told Galatians was the book to read. We talked about what she had read so far and I told her our minds are like fertile soil and what we plant and continue to feed there is the kind of fruit we can expect to get. We talked about some of the people that lived in the surrounding area that we both knew. She seemed surprised that I knew so many people there. When I first met her during the summer I had left some food for Phillip and Nancy and told Anita to let them know I had been by. She told me when they returned that day that they were sorry to have missed me. I didn't see them yesterday either, nor was Luis around. I told her this was Luis' first winter as a homeless man and I was committed to checking in on him frequently. I was hoping that he had found a better place of refuge from the rain the night before. Before leaving Anita we held hands and prayed together. I left a bag of food with her which she initially declined saying she was OK on food. I told her to find someone living in the area that needed it and give it to them, that she was in charge of this bag! She smiled and said she would take care of it. It was really a wonderful visit and I look forward to seeing her again.
On my way over to Cloud Nine Alley I saw a man totally covered up sleeping on a bus bench. It turned out to be Tyronne. He had on a large jacket and a blanket around his head and upper body. He was sitting in a shaded area and it was breezy and pretty cold there. I can only imagine how cold it will be at nighttime. When I got to the alley it was about 1:30 in the afternoon. No one was around the alley or the church. However, all the businesses were busy and it was hard to find a place to park. It's going to take some getting used to coming on a weekday, but when I first started going down there it was during the week. The Spirit will lead during the week too! --Until next week John

Monday, November 1, 2010

Downtown 10/31/2010

It was with great anticipation that I left for Sunday's trip to L.A. I had been invited to the new church on Los Angeles St to be introduced to their congregation by Pastor Rafael Rodriguez. He said to come at around 6 p.m. so I moved the trip back a couple of hours and arrived shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday. It was the latest in the day for any trip I've made down there. I wanted to check in on Luis (with an "O") Ibarra and see how he was doing since it has rained some since I saw him last. This is his first winter as a homeless man and I wanted to see if he found a family to live with or if he was still on the street. When I drove up his stuff was still there but he wasn't around. I could tell he was still living there and, in fact, there were two bibles by his make-shift bed. He had gotten some cardboard to use as a shelter from the rain. I decided to go ahead and leave a bag of food for him with a note letting him know that John "O" had been by and that I continue to pray for him. Across the street at the park I saw another homeless man sitting on a park bench so I went over and talked with him. His name was Bruce and he was originally from Santa Monica. I asked him how old he was and he told me he didn't remember. I asked what year he graduated from high school and he told me 1980. I knew then that he was probably 48 years old. He said, "People tell me I'm a victim of substance abuse." He was so thin and looked like he was in some kind of pain. I had given him a bag of food and asked if he needed any water. He told me he didn't but after asking if he needed some clothing items he said, "You know I could use some water too, if you have some." I went and got him some heavier shirts and socks and some water. I had to help him get the pull-over long sleeve shirt on. It was starting to get cool and he was so thin that I'm sure he needed the warm clothing. Bruce seemed like he was at the end of his rope and had no idea what to do. He was tired, cold and hurting both physically and emotionally. He told me, "I can't just sit here, I have to try at life." When he looked in the bag of food I think he saw at least a glimmer of hope. He told me the day was ending a lot better that he thought it would. My guess is that he would have gone hungry that night if I hadn't stopped by to help him. Who knows what he would have to go through the next day, but probably the same thing. Please pray for Bruce today.
Ever since the day I made the trip to Pershing Square Park, over a month ago, I've tried to find Darrel Roberts again but to no avail. While driving in that area Sunday I managed to help a couple of people. One was a woman who was holding a homeless sign on a street corner. She said her name was "Porsche". After leaving the bag of food with her I thought it wise to made a fast get-away! (Sorry, I just couldn't resist the joke). The other was a man standing alone on the corner of 18th and Hill St. I asked him what his name was but he apparently didn't understand my English or Spanish.
It was getting close to 5:30 p.m. and I had two bags of food left. While heading towards Alameda St on 14th I was about to pass by a man on the other side of the street who had a bed-roll type bag and little else. He was bending over looking at it when I called out to him. I said, "Do you need any food?" He quickly replied, "Oh Lord, do I need food!" His name was Gregory and he was from Ohio. I asked what else he needed, water, clothes, etc and he smiled and said he could sure use just about everything. He had shoes on but no socks. I told him, "That gets you two pair." Gregory was a joy to help and pray with. He was so appreciative. When he started to walk away he saw three men walking towards us and told me they could use some help too. He called out to them and said, "Hey, this guy can help you." With that I met Billy, James and Will. It turned out to be a most amazing 20 minutes or so. I still can hardly believe what happened next. I asked if they needed some food and they all in unison said yes. Billy said, "You're a Christian aren't you?" I told him yes I was and he answered, "I could tell." I don't know how he could tell other than they probably don't see too many people offering to help them. It was the last bag of food I had but I always bring some extra cans of soup and beef ravioli with me so I gave them several cans with spoons. They were ecstatic over it. I'm not sure how we started talking about it but I happened to mention that I've learned a lot about the character of God in working with the homeless. One area that I specifically mentioned was the area of being thankful and how some people are happy to get stuff and others are thankful to receive help and to receive it from me. I told them that the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter one specifically points to this as one of two major areas where God is disappointed with mankind. Well, Billy pulls out a bible and asks me to show him where it says that. While I'm looking for it the other two guys pull out their bibles and when I found it we all read the passage (Romans 1:21)!!! I couldn't believe it, here I was
having a mini-bible class on a street in downtown L.A. with three homeless men. What a thrill. I opened the trunk up (we were all standing there behind my car and they were able to get what clothing items they needed. We all put our arms around each other and I prayed for them. It was truly amazing. They told me where they lived, which was in an alley just down the street and so I drove over there with Billy so I could see exactly where it was. It isn't too far from the alley where Willie and Tera Lee live. I am blessed to be a friend of all these folks.
Now it was time to head over to the church on Los Angeles St. (the church on Cloud 9 Alley). Their service started at 6 p.m. and I was just a couple of minutes late. When I walked in they were already started (singing a praise song in Spanish). If it isn't a Spanish Pentecostal church it sure is a praise and worship church! After singing a few songs and a little banter between the worship leader and the congregation Pastor Rafael came up to the podium and shortly after called me up. He spoke to them for a little bit and then turned to me and asked if I understood any of what was going on. I kind of laughed and said, "Not a word." He asked if I would like to say a few words to the congregation. Before starting he called up a young woman sitting in the front row to interpret for me. I told them I had been coming downtown for a year and a half to serve the homeless and that early in the summer I discovered the alley behind them and that there were up to a half dozen or so men living there. When I started going down that alley it was early on Sunday mornings and too early to get to know the men living there because they were all still sleeping. I then told them that about six weeks ago I started coming in the afternoons and decided to start prayer-walking down this alley and prayed for the souls of the men living there and the people living in the neighborhood. That first Sunday some people were looking at this building to rent. I then told them, "At the time I didn't know it, but it turns out I was praying for your church!" All of the sudden the congregation started applauding and cheering! I then told them about the graffiti in the alley and that at the other end someone spray painted, "cloud 9" on one of the buildings. I asked the young woman if 'cloud 9' meant anything in Spanish and she indicated that it did not. So I explained that in English the phrase means 'heaven' or something 'really good'. With that I told them that I refer to this church as, "The Church on Cloud 9 Alley." Once again, there was applause and cheering. I ended by telling them the story of Billy, James and Will and the short bible study in the street (I was still glowing over it.). When we finished I asked Pastor Rafael if I could pray for the church before leaving, so arm in arm with their pastor I prayed for them. As I walked out several people, men and women, wanted to shake my hand. It was such a heart-warming experience. To make sure that I didn't miss an opportunity to pray in the alley, I walked around the block and down the alley. It was 7 p.m. and nightime by now. Once again it was the latest I've been down there. When I got to the alley there was one man sitting in a chair by the side of the alley. I knew from Gary that two men by the names of Charlie and Willie live in the alley, so I asked him if he was Charlie or Willie. Some of you may know that whenever you have a mountain top experience, our Enemy is right there ready and willing to steal your joy. Whichever man this was (Charlie or Willie) he was not interested in talking to me and told me in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to get out of there. I simply replied, "OK, I'll pray for you anyway." With that he replied, "Whatever." in a most uncomplimentary way. Despite the ending, I refused to let my joy be stolen.
During this trip, I experienced the highest of highs, with Billy, James and Will and the most humbling despair in finding Bruce. Through it all I found God working in incredible ways. I started this ministry just wanting to be near where God was working. Sunday afternoon and evening, I was very, very near. --Until next week. John

Monday, October 25, 2010

Downtown 10/24/2010

I began yesterday's trip in hopes of seeing Richard Brown, one of the first people I met when I began these trips a year and a half ago. He lives under the I-10 freeway at Hooper St. On my way to seeing him I turned down 16th St. and saw two men and what looked like several "home sites" of homeless people under the freeway there. When I first started going downtown there usually was one or two people living right there, but not too many have been there recently. Sunday, I met Ron and Don there. Both men were probably at least in their mid-60's and from Southern California. Don said he was from Whittier actually. I talked with them for twenty minutes or so and mentioned that there used to be a man living right there in the same spot where they were by the name of Frankie, but I hadn't seen him in over a year now. They both said they knew Frankie too but hadn't seen him in a long time either. I'll always remember Frankie because he was one of the first people I ever talked to who really lived in a cardboard box under a freeway. On one visit I actually sat with him partially inside his box (it had a roof) and we talked for awhile. It was such a humbling experience for me. It made me realize that 95 percent of the stuff we have in our homes we can easily live without. Well Ron and Don both had a Christian upbringing. Don told me his parents used to attend a Lutheran church in Whittier. Ron was from L..A. and actually wanted to encourage me to continue to follow God's leading in helping the homeless. When I prayed with them he seemed most eager to receive it.
Just around the corner from Ron and Don is where Richard Brown lives. I hadn't met with Richard in several months although I have driven past his place and knew he was still there. We hadn't been talking for very long when he said, "Let's pray". Richard likes to pray his favorite prayer every time, "The one Jesus taught his disciples." and I always let him go for it. Richard then fills me in on the recent news of the homeless living in that area and the run-ins with the police. I get the rules that the homeless are supposed to abide by in living on the sidewalks if the police want to enforce the laws. They can sleep on the sidewalk if they aren't blocking the sidewalk from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. If they are still sleeping after 6 a.m. then they can be forced to leave. The problem with many of the homeless is they stay up too late (usually doing illegal activities) and then have to sleep until late in the morning or early afternoon. Richard says he's always packed up and moving by 6 a.m. and ready to start 'working' (recycling). Today he asked me to look in on a woman living under the freeway a quarter mile down 16th St. by the name of "Ogie". When I got to her I realized I had helped her before and she went by the name of "Faulstine". I gave her some food and water and remembered the last time I had given her a daily devotional booklet. I told her, "I have something else for you." and gave her a Guidepost magazine. She took one look at it and said, "My Mama used to read this all the time." I've heard people respond that way many, many times before. Before leaving her, there was another man sleeping under the freeway a few yards away from her. He went by the name of Solo. I wasn't sure I heard him right so I said, "Like Hans 'Solo' from Star Wars?" He said yes. It turns out that he uses that name because he's alone alot. He told me he was from Florida and he'd been out here for about 10 years. When I left Solo and Faulstine, she was reading from the Guidepost magazine and thanked me again for stopping.
While I was still in the area I decided to stop by and see Tera Lee and Willie. I had seen them two or three weeks back and Tera Lee was still complaining about having a skin problem. I have been concerned about him and wanted to find out if there was something specific he needed that might alleviate the problem. When I went down the alley where they lived Willie and Tera Lee were there and another man by the name of Dave Walker. I asked about Chris who was with them the last time I stopped, but he hasn't been there in awhile. I ended up staying and talking with them, particularly Dave, for about forty minutes. It turns out Dave remembered me from several months ago. He had been shot in the leg and was recuperating at the time. I do remember someone being shot in the leg, but I wouldn't have remembered it as being him. I think at the time I saw him he was closer to the skid row area, which is probably where he would have gotten better medical care than where they were yesterday. He seemed to be fully recovered. I did get a chance to ask Tera Lee about his skin condition. He seems to think it is due to not being able to take a shower regularly. I'll take him some antibacterial soap next time along with some hydrogen peroxide and see if that helps at all.
Before leaving the area I was able to help a couple more men. One man's name was Dalton on Broadway St. and the other man was on 16th St. and turned out to be unable to speak. I asked him repeatedly what his name was and I could tell he heard me but finally he just waved he hands indicating he couldn't answer. I've encountered one other man who is deaf and mute, but this man appeared to be able to hear but not able to speak. The needs of these people downtown are very great. Please pray that I will be able to help them better in the future.
At this point I was out of bags of food and headed over to Cloud 9 Alley. It was about 4 p.m. and no one was in the alley at that point. Even Gary wasn't home today, however, Pastor Rafael was in the church. I went inside hoping to see him. When he heard I was there he came to the front to meet me. During our conversation he asked if I could come by sometime at around 6 p.m. on a Sunday so he could introduce me to his congregation. Apparently, he has told them about me! Before I prayed with him about his church he asked if I could pray about a specific prayer need that they have. They had engaged the services of a 'lawyer' to get a needed permit for their church. I think it is a permit to allow up to a hundred or more people in the building at one time, but I'm not positive. Rafael did indicate it was something like that. He told me that whoever it was that took the money for this came back asking for more money and eventually they realized they were being taken advantage of. So we prayed for that specifically as well as revival in the area they are in. He told me that one of the people living in the alley heard the praise and worship music and came to them in tears because he "used to be a Christian" and wanted to come in but didn't have clean enough clothes to come in. The church gave him some clothes and now he comes inside to the church. It's really amazing what God's doing in this area. Please pray for this church and Cloud 9 Alley. Until next week. -- John

Monday, October 18, 2010

Downtown 10/17/2010

I was able to get downtown a little earlier this Sunday, around 10:30 a.m. It drizzled the whole way down there and then off and on when I got there. I have been trying to meet up with Luis across from Lincoln Park the last few weeks. I had gotten a new pair of jeans for him and hadn't been able to give them to him yet. Sunday he was there and we had quite a conversation together. He was laying down all covered up when I arrived (remember it was drizzling) but got up immediately when he saw me. He told me he was glad I came because he didn't have any bread or food or anything. I asked him if his friend that he did the work for a few weeks back ever came by to pay him and he said he did but only gave him $5.00. I told him that the last time I saw him the pants he had on didn't seem to fit very well. He said, "Oh, you noticed that, huh?" I asked if a pair of jeans 34 x 32 would fit and he looked at me kind of funny and said, "Yeah, that's my size." It was kind of cool to give him a pair with all the tags and everything still on them. We looked through the car trunk and came up with some socks and shirts and stuff along with the food and water. He was quite happy. Then the conversation got really interesting. Apparently, somebody had told him that the weather was going to start getting cold and he probably would be better off going back to his family. I confirmed that the weather was going to get really cold by the end of December and that the rainy season here in California is October through April. October and November can be cold at night (around 50 degrees) but during the day the temperatures can get up into the 90's without a cloud in the sky. I then asked about his family and what were the chances of him going back to them. He told me that it would be kind of embarrassing for him to go back because of what had happened. He briefly told me that the Mom (I gathered this was not his biological family) and he had gotten into an arguement. He said it was hard for him to not say what was on his mind when someone was giving him a hard time. He said, "I have a mouth, but sometimes I don't use the right words." I acknowledged the difficulties with keeping one's temper and tongue in check (see James chapter 3). I also told him that he must release the bitterness and anger that he has towards his Mom. I briefly told him about one of the trips downtown that I had a few months back when someone in another car started yelling at me because I didn't take off right away when the light turned green. Although I didn't respond to the other driver I was pretty angry inside. I told Luis that I decided to read a section in the bible where Jesus talks about the people who make up His kingdom. In Jesus' message He tells us to pray for our enemies and although I didn't want to do it I decided to pray for that guy anyway and as soon as I did the anger was released from me. I realized that guy was just caught up in the moment of being in a hurry and I've been there before too. As soon as I realized this the anger went away. I then told Luis that although I don't know the particulars about his situation, if he starts praying for his Mom and his own heart he will be amazed at what God can do. At this point I asked Luis if I had given him a gospel of John booklet before and he said no, so I gave him one and we prayed together. You know I don't really remember exactly what I prayed with him about, I sure it was connected to his relationship with his Mom and family and I probably ended with asking for God's presence in his life and heart. When I finished he said, "I'd like to thank him (God) for sending someone to me." I was stunned and humbled. I told him it was a privilege to be the one sent. During our conversation Luis told me his last name was Ibarra. I told him I was Irish and my last name was O'Connor and a little bit about what the "O" means and that on St Patrick's Day everyone has an "O" in front of their last name, so "Your name would be O'Ibarra". When we parted I said, "Alright Luis, I'll see you later." He said, "That's Luis with an "O"! It was an encounter I'll never forget.
I took Mission Blvd back into town and near 4th St I found Ronald from New Orleans. It was still drizzling some and he was all covered up, but he got up pretty quickly too when he realized I was there to help (see photo). Many of the people I saw Sunday needed jeans but the only pair I had I gave to Luis. Ronald told me he had been traveling around across the country for the last couple of
years. He was down here from Portland trying to get a job through some government program. I was give Ronald all the help I had to give with the clothes and food but I didn't sense any real connection with him. However, I prayed with him before leaving and as I asked for God's blessing in Jesus' name he repeated, "In Jesus' name" with me. I guess you never really know what may be in someone's heart.
Just a couple of blocks away from Ronald was Carlos. I may have met Carlos before, I'm not real sure. He was walking by himself with a couple of small bags with recyclables in them. He was happy and thankful for the help. We had quite a discussion about work and the economy on his level. He said that he goes to an office downtown during the weekdays at 6:00 a.m. to sign up for work. Sometimes there is work for a day or two days maybe even a week at a time, but lately there has been nothing. I told him that may change as we approach the Christmas season. He told me he lives with 7 or 8 other homeless people near Hope St under the freeway. He is 63 and expects to have to work to get by, What he doesn't understand are the people (particularly the ones who live on skid row) who don't work and have no ambition to work. He said, "Some are so young and they don't work". Carlos obviously has the same mentality about working that our grandparents and their grandparents had when they came to this country. We need more people here like him. When I prayed with him, he took his cap off and then thanked me for stopping to help him.
On the other side of the 4th St bridge from Carlos was Michael Wayne, I've helped Michael a few times recently. He is leaving at the end of the month for Portland to live in a Veterans Housing project. It's designed to serve as a rehab and training center for veterans. Michael desparately needs this help at this stage in his life. It was somewhat ironic that Ronald just left Portland for a government program down here and Michael is leaving for a government program up there. I talked with Michael for probably thirty minutes and towards the end a car pulled up. Probably an older model Toyota Corolla I'm guessing. There was a family in it, the man and woman probably in their mid-thirties and a daughter of about 10 years or so. They stopped and got out and they gave Michael a bottle of water and a bag with, I think, some toiletries of some kind. It may have had some food in it, I'm not really sure. It was the first time I saw anyone else offer to help a homeless person and what made it so surprising was that it was a family and not just one person by themself. I was impressed.
After leaving Michael I drove around a little more in that area. I've included some pictures of where some people live under the freeway there at First St. There wasn't anyone home at either of the places where people had set up camp. (See the
photos). After getting out and walking around there and down by the railroad
tracks I was struck by how the homeless can find any out-of-the-way place and make it their home. Then I looked up at the bridge and saw that tree growing in the
crevice, probably 30 feet or more above the ground. It's amazing the places that can make-up a home, for plants and people.

I started over towards Cloud 9 Alley and along the way was able to help Dorothy and Lance. The last time I saw Dorothy she was on Olive St on the sidewalk. Sunday she was on Wall St just off Washington Blvd. I noticed she had on a heavy full length coat with sandals and a very dirty pair of socks. In addition to the food and water I gave her a pair of tennis shoes and several pairs of new socks. While I sat with her she put the shoes and socks on. She never looked up at me but she did thank me several times. She was from the midwest. I had to refrain from saying, "Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore." She's probably heard it a million times. Lance, was walking down Broadway St near 11th pushing a shopping cart. He had just stopped at a small trash can and was about to go through it when I called out to him from my car. Lance was from Santa Monica, I'm guessing him to be in his early sixties. He was surprised to meet another native Californian in me.
With that I crossed over Washington Blvd and parked by Cloud 9 Alley. There were a lot of cars parked around there and Rafael's church was just letting out. I

saw Rafael coming out and he told me he was headed to Lynwood to preach in a church there and would be back at 5 p.m. to preach here again. I've included photos of the front of his church here on Los Angeles St. Just to the right of the building in that parking lot is where Gary lives. Gary and I talked for awhile Sunday too. He had noticed that I didn't seem as "up" as I usually am and I confided to him some of the struggles of the week. So then he prayed for me! Wow, that was great to have him do that for me. When I left he called out after me and said, "Hey, it's good to see you have shoes on today." We laughed about that one and then he said, "I love you man" Can you believe it? I think this area is changing already. God is awesome. --Until next week. John

Monday, October 11, 2010

Downtown 10/10/10

Sunday's trip downtown seemed pretty normal until I got to the alley between Main and Los Angeles streets where I've been prayer walking. At that point the day's trip changed from an average trip to a memorable one. I had come into L.A. by way of Long Beach and came up the Harbor Freeway. I had gotten off at Florence Ave and drove north into the downtown area. I found one guy sleeping on a street corner (with a patch over his eye) but he wasn't interested in any help, so I continued on towards the I-10 and turned onto 18th St. I parked and was able to help a man by the name of Edward and while I was helping him Jackie came over to where we were. Edward wasn't very talkative and when Jackie came over he left. I've helped Jackie a couple of times recently. She seemed somewhat bummed out and I asked her how things were going. She told me her cat of 13 years (Chloe) had died the week before. I asked if I could pray for her and she initially declined but then said, "Well, OK if you want to." I simply asked God to comfort her during this time of grief. She said her cat had been with her through a lot of changes and referred to their early years as, "When I had my life together." Somehow her life has gotten off track and now she is standing on a street corner by a freeway asking for hand-outs. She's probably around 40 years old and seems like such a lost little girl.
A couple of miles away from where Jackie was along the same freeway but near San Pedro St. I found Terry from Dallas and Robert from Atlanta. They were about twenty yards away from each other and both under the I-10 freeway alone. Terry was at least my age and had a few possessions but Robert had almost nothing. He was 41 years old. Along with the food and water they received Robert got a blanket too. The amount of trash and broken glass around them was appalling.
The next person I was able to help was John Stokes from Atlanta. John was one of the first homeless men I met when I began these trips downtown. He was the one I sat down and asked, "What do homeless people need?" I was so new at the time I didn't know very much about their needs. He was the one that told me, "Water, socks and a clean blanket." Well, John received all those yesterday again. Since it has started to get colder he struggles with arthritis in his legs during these times. The police took away his mattress so he sleeps on the sidewalk with only a couple of other blankets between him and the ground.
Last week I met Robert just off Alameda St near 4th St. for the first time. He wasn't too talkative last week but yesterday I saw him again and he actually seemed happy to see me. He was standing almost at exactly the same place as last week. He told me he had eaten everything in the bag from last week. As I drove around the block I saw a couple of blankets on the ground up against one of the buildings. I wondered if that's where he sleeps at night.
I drove over to where Luis sleeps by Lincoln Park but he wasn't there again although his stuff was. I had gotten another pair of jeans for him but will have to keep checking back to give them to him. Along the way back through town I met Costica Vrable near skid row. He said he remembered me but I didn't remember him. He is from Romania and speaks with an heavy accent. The last man I helped was Jessie and he was right there on the outskirts of skid row too. I know I've helped him a few times before because after receiving the bag of food he asked it I had some water too!
At this point all the bags of food were gone and I headed over to Cloud 9 (the alley between Main St and Los Angeles St). There were three men sleeping on the sidewalk of the small street where I park my car. I had some cans of food to give them (I've learned to bring extra stuff each week) but I thought I'd wait until I was ready to leave before giving it to them because they might be awake then. I walked up Los Angeles St and as I got to the new church there were three men standing outside by their cars. As I walked up and said hello one of the men came forward to talk. It turned out his name was Rafael and he is the pastor of this new church. I asked him if I could pray with him for his new church thinking we would stand right there on the sidewalk but instead he invited me inside. I told him how I had started prayer-walking in the back alley of his church four weeks ago when they were first looking at the building. It was pretty exciting to learn that we have both been praying for revival in this area. He told me he came to this country in 1973 (he's 61 now) and was saved in 1977. He has been through a lot and traveled extensively preaching in South America and here in North America too. He had reached the point where traveling was getting to be too much for him and he felt led by the Lord to establish a church here. He has been a pastor of a church near Florence and Broadway in the past and one other one in the downtown area years ago. He told me about the two radio programs he has here locally. I asked if they were both in Spanish and he said yes. I said, "No English, huh?" and he replied, "No English. That's your job!" He also told me his philosophy of pastoring is to preach evangelically and pray for the Spirit to fill the people and empower them to go out and reach the people in the community. What a concept! This is the way the church grew in the first century. He said his radio program has already started to reach people who live nearby and they are coming to the services. We both were getting very excited talking about revival for this area and I asked him to pray for me before I left. I've got to learn Spanish because I don't have any idea what he prayed! It was an inspiring fifteen or twenty minutes we spent together and I told him I'd check back each week when I prayer-walk in that area. What an exciting thing to see God working here. Before leaving downtown I walked around the block and down "Cloud 9 Alley". Gary was waiting for me when I got to his place. We talked for quite a while and ended up talking about his Mother, Marilyn. She lives in Atlanta too. I prayed with Gary about his family situation and specifically for his Mom. I also told him family was usually the best if not only option for getting off the streets. He told me he needed to call her. Maybe next time we'll get to do that. As I left Gary a kitten had walked up to us in the alley. Gary said the
kitten's name was Tyson. I took their picture together. It seems somewhat ironic that the trip started with Jackie losing her cat and Gary having a kitten. As I
walked back to the car the three men who had been sleeping on the sidewalk weren't there anymore. Perhaps next week I'll see them again. --Until then. John

Monday, October 4, 2010

Downtown 10/3/2010

Sometimes a need of one of the people I encounter stays with me all week and I try and meet that need and find them the next week. Such was the case this week. Last week you may recall the first encounter was with a young man named Luis who lives in a gulley across the street from Lincoln Park. He is the one who helped a friend of his for three days (helping him move) and then wasn't paid anything for his time and effort. I had noticed while we talked that his pants were too big and I decided to get him a new pair that fit. So I took off Sunday with a new pair (guessing that a pair size 34 x 32 would fit) in hopes of finding him. However, when I arrived there he was nowhere to be found and I didn't see Phillip or Nancy either. I decided I'd come back by at the end of the trip and maybe he would be there then. With that I went over to Mission Rd to see if I could find Marsela and her dog Moses but again came up empty on that search too. While driving in that deserted industrial area I did find a man digging through a dumpster. His name was Pedro Cruz and he was from Arizona. He spoke very little English but I think he wanted to make sure that I didn't think he was an illegal immigrant. After digging through his pockets he showed me a picture ID from an Arizona Mission Outreach. My feeling is if I find a man digging through a dumpster I think he has bigger issues than whether he's legal to be here or not and my Christian responsibility is to help meet his immediate needs. After giving him a bag of food and some water he was very happy and I think greatly relieved. He even wanted to know, "Are you a Padre?"
Not too far from Pedro I found Richard off Alameda Blvd. I'm not sure if I've ever seen this Richard before. He is a very typical looking homeless person. I'm guessing him to be about 65 years old with very matted hair, a fairly large frame and the smell of homelessness abounding about him. He looked tired and worn out and spoke in a very soft voice. I felt so privileged to put my hand on his shoulder and pray for him. I doubt if any "normal" people ever talk to him much anymore. As I left he had started eating out of the can of soup in the bag of food I left with him. I wondered how long it had been since he had a decent meal.
I drove around for a while after this. I've been trying to find Darrel Roberts who I met a month ago at one of the corners of Pershing Square Park, but I didn't find him today either. I did find a homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk near Central Ave and Pico. His name was Fredrick. When I parked and got out and started walking towards him he got up. I think he thought I was going to run him off. I asked if he needed any food or water but he declined both. I then asked if he needed any socks. That got his interest and he said, "You got any?" I told him I did and opened the trunk of my car. He ended up with the socks and a T-shirt. I again asked him if he needed any food or water but again he said he didn't. His clothes were pretty dirty and he didn't have much in his shopping cart (mostly just recyclables). Before leaving Fredrick I prayed with him and told him to keep an eye out for me since I come around every week. Maybe the next time he'll need more help from me.
Eventually, I ended up going down the alley off Hooper St where Willie and Tara Lee live. Today there was another man living there with them by the name of Chris. They were all sleeping when I pulled up. It had started to cool off (it was about 3-3:30 p.m.) by now and they were all covered up. I noticed Willie didn't have the yellow plastic toddler slide to sleep on anymore. He told me someone had stolen it! The encounter with these three men turned out to be quite memorable. I gave Willie a bag of food and some water and he asked if I could give Chris some too. I said, "Sure" and gave Chris a bag and a gallon of water too. I noticed Chris had on some slippers and asked if he needed some socks. His jaw dropped and he said, "Yes." I then asked if he needed a shirt or anything. He said he could use a big T-shirt (Chris was a pretty big guy). He was standing by the trunk of my car at this point and I had a couple of large T-shirts left out of about 35 or 40 that I had originally. He got the socks, a T-shirt and I had a pair of long shorts that fit too. He asked about shoes and I asked him what size he wore. He told me he wore 12's and I only had 10's in the car except for the pair of 12's that I had on. I told him I'd give him my pair. He was stunned and said, "I think I'm about to cry." He ended up with a blanket too and asked, "You don't have a cap by chance do you?" I said, "Yeah, I have a cap." I had a couple on the floor of the front seat of my car. When I looked I found three, one was a Green Bay Packer cap and I wasn't going to part with that! Besides the Roadway cap was a lot cleaner anyway. He told me that during the daytime the sun has been so hot that the cap will help
alot. He had put everything on at this point and said, "I feel like a new man now! Thank you." (see photo) I took his picture and showed it to him. He said he looked like a big kid. By now Willie wanted to make sure that Tera Lee got some food and water so I took a bag and some water to him. He lives about 10 yards down on the other side of the alley. I asked him if he needed any clothes and he said he could use a long sleeve shirt because he was going to the post office on Monday. I told him I had one just right for him (a bright blue one) and I think I gave him a T-shirt too. By now both Willie and Chris had settled back down on their blankets and were eating and drinking from the water jugs. I heard them comment to each other how nice it was to have good tasting water. They told me that the water they had been drinking tasted so bad due to the pipes it came out of. At this point I usually say, "Let me pray for you before I go." But since they were both sitting down in their 'homes' and quite on the spur of the moment I said, "Let me tell you a story before I go." I had noticed a couple of Bibles in Willie's shopping cart and had already given Chris a Gospel of John booklet. I began to tell them about the Jewish Passover celebration and how during Passover the Jews would live in a tent usually on the roof of their house during Passover week. I explained that they would have a Passover lamb and that this lamb would have to be perfect in order to be used for the Passover celebration and they would generally bring the lamb inside to live with them almost like a pet and the children would become very attached to this lamb. When the lamb was then sacrificed for their sins this became a "real sacrifice" especially for the children and it became something personal to them. I then told them that John the Baptist called Jesus the "Lamb of God" and when we bring this Jesus into our hearts his sacrifice on the cross becomes very personal and real to us too. Chris told me, "Wow, I've never heard it said like that before!" I told them, "Remember, God loves you and so do I. I'll be back by in a few weeks and I'll see you then." I pulled on down and said goodby to Tera Lee as I drove away. It occurred to me that it was the first "sermonette" I had given in an alley downtown. It was pure joy.
I drove south on Central Ave to Washington Blvd and then drove west. When I passed Hill street I saw a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk by himself with a small blue bag. I drove around the block and pulled up next to where he was sitting. I got out and asked if he needed some food. His name was Ron and he originally was from the east coast. I don't exactly remember what clothes I gave him, I know I gave him some socks and a shirt but he kind of surprised me when he asked if I had a belt. The only belt I had was the one I had on and it was my 'best' belt. I then noticed the reason for his request. The pants he had on were, and I'm not exaggerating, at least 10 sizes too big for him. He had to constantly use one hand just to hold them up (see photo). It then occurred to me that I had a pair in the car that might fit (th ones for Luis). I said, "Would a pair of pants size 34 x 32 fit you?" He thought for about 3 seconds and
said, "That's the exact size I wear!" I told him, "Well then take these" and handed him the new pair. I then took his picture and prayed with him. I helped him carry the stuff over to his bag. He told me someone else had helped him earlier that day and pointed to a gospel tract that they had left with him. I told him, "See, God has not forgotten about you." I couldn't help but think that Sunday night when Ron is by himself he has to be amazed about the God who sent two people that day to help him.
From there I drove down to 36th and Broadway to check on the family living in an alley that I know. Sheila and Joe with her brother live in this short alley. I didn't see Sheila but Joe was home and I spoke with him. It turns out they are from Georgia. The last time I had stopped by I didn't have much food left and I wanted to do better this time. Getting by has been a real struggle for these folks and Joe was very appreciative of the help.
Well, I couldn't leave downtown without stopping by the alley where I have been prayer-walking. I drove over there and parked next to the parking lot where Gary lives. He was just coming in from the gate on the alley side of the parking lot. He told me the people with the church in the building next to him have been busy all weekend renovating it. It had been freshly painted on the front of the outside of the building and inside there were now several dozen pews being installed. There were still several workers there and I learned that the pastor's sermons are broadcast down in Mexico on a radio station. Perhaps, that is how they can afford the rent there. Eventually, I prayer-walked down the alley and back down to my car from the Main St. side Remember I was walking in my socks. The alley had been cleaned up remarkably (see photo). I took a couple of pictures in the places where all the debris had been before and then a rather interesting photo of some graffitti with the words "cloud nine". It was a fitting end to a memorable trip. Until next week. --John


P.S. Don't worry about a pair of pants for Luis...I got him another new pair on Monday. Oh, and a pair of shoes for me too.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Downtown 9/26/2010

Rarely, have I had a trip where so many of the folks I met with expressed such pain and sorrow in their lives to me. This was probably one of the most heartbreaking trips I've made, yet I count it as a privilege to have been there to offer comfort and prayer. When I arrived it was 103 degrees at about 1:30 p.m. I tried to find Marsela (and her dog) but didn't see them. I headed over to the Lincoln Park area to find Phillip and Nancy. Before I found them I found Luis. He lives in a gulley by the side of North Main St. about a hundred yards from where Phillip and Nancy live. When I approached Luis I asked him if he needed some water (since it was so hot) but he told me he had the water container that I gave him the last time and he refills it at the park across the street. He asked if I had some bread though. I told him, "Of course, I do." and got him a bag of food out of the car. I asked how he'd been doing since the last time I saw him and he told me he was doing OK but he had just worked for a friend for three days helping him move and then the guy didn't pay him. He was hoping the guy was going to come by Sunday and bring him some money. I thought he was going to ask me for money when instead he asked if I'd pray for him!! I told him that what's I'm here for and asked what the "friend's" name was. I then prayed for Luis and asked God to work on the friend's heart to prompt him to pay Luis what he owed him. With that he pointed across the street to where Phillip and Nancy were. As I started across the street Luis looked into my eyes and said, "Hey, keep doing what you're doing. You're really helping people." I was so humbled.
I crossed the street to where Phillip and Nancy were laying on a blanket in the park. I called out to them and they immediately got up. I asked if they had gotten the food I left for them a month or so ago and they told me they did. I could tell when they stood up they were both pretty high. I told them I had some more food for them and something special I had gotten just for them. Nancy took off toward their "spot/home" and Phillip and I walked back across the street to the car. I gave him a bag of food and then gave him the can opener I had gotten for them. Phillip had told me the first time we met how difficult it was to open up a can without a can opener and how you have to beat on one end of the can against a sharp corner to get it to open up. I'm sure some of the contents of the can are lost in this process. I had also gotten some cans of corn and green beans for them that will need the can opener. Nancy had rejoined us at this point so I prayed for them (it was a group hug when we prayed). When I finished Nancy asked me a question that still shocks me. She said, "Would you pray for us that we could get off drugs!!!" "Absolutely.", I told her and I again put my arms around both of them and prayed that the Lord would be merciful on them and help them to make good decisions in their lives, that this (addiction) is a daily and moment by moment issue that they need help with. When I finished praying, Nancy told me about one time praying to God that He would take away the desire and how she wanted to start the next day fresh. When she woke up she was clear headed and had no need or desire for drugs, but that in the course of the day someone offered her drugs and she relapsed without even thinking about it. I encouraged her to start each day fresh and try to make the best decisions possible each moment and whenever possible--exercise. It really does help. She then picked up the bags of food and left while Phillip and I talked some more. It turns out there is a methadone clinic right near the park. Also, when I left the food for them the last time I wrote that there was a woman by the name of Edith who was reading her Bible directly across the street from their 'home'. I had spoken with her briefly about Phillip and Nancy at the time. I didn't think that she was homeless because she didn't have any 'stuff' with her. It turns out she is homeless and lives in one of the bathrooms at night at the park. I'll look for her next time too.
After leaving Lincoln Park I drove back to the downtown area on Main Street. As I got closer to L.A. I saw a young Latino man sleeping next to his shopping cart in the shade at the far end of one of the buildings along the way. I pulled into the driveway and parked near him. It took a little doing to wake him up and he
immediately started speaking quietly in Spanish. I really couldn't understand much of what he was talking about. His name was something close to Arturo. I think, because I know a few words and would ask him if he needed "comida" or "aqua" that he thought (see photo) I understood him. I was really disappointed that we couldn't communicate better. I gave him a bag of food and showed him the can of soup and that he could pull the top off and that there was a spoon in the bag too. He pulled the top off and wanted to share the can with me. I told him, "No, no...it's todo para usted." (No it's all for you). I gave him a jug of water and a T-shirt and some socks. When I prayed for him he kissed my hand repeatedly. Before I left I'm pretty sure he said in broken English, "You are God come down from the sky for me." Once again, I was so humbled.
I continued on towards downtown crossing over to Alameda Street. Between 2nd and 3rd streets I saw a man sleeping at the edge of a dock in the shade of a tree. The building looked abandoned so I turned around and pulled in and parked next to where he was sleeping. As I got out of the car a man from the other side of the street called out to me asking for some water. I motioned for him to come on over to the car. His name was Noel and he was from Haiti. When I found out where he was from I asked if he had been back there recently. He told me he was there right after the earthquake and everything was flattened. He lost and his uncle and his neice in the earthquake. He was going back there soon because there was no work here. I prayed with him that God would comfort him in his loss and help him to find work. After he left I gently woke up the man sleeping on the edge of the dock. His name was Rick and he was 60 years old. I asked him if he needed some water and he said "Sure,anything that's wet!" It was still very hot. I gave him a bag of food too and said I had some cans of Slim Fast on ice in the car. He said he had been out recycling but it had gotten so hot that he started to feel faint and had to lay down. He had a cup with a little bit of ice left in it and I was able to refill it with ice from the ice chest I had in the car. We started talking and I learned he was from St. Louis and had been out here since 1968. He had been back there twenty five years ago and during that trip his mother, brother and sister all died within a three month period. He told me he hadn't been back there since. Then he told me he had a girl friend here (I think she was homeless too) and about three years ago she had been hit and killed by a tractor trailer truck just up the street. He said at times he could still hear her screams. It was so heartbreaking to hear what he had been dealing with. I prayed with him that God would comfort him in his sorrow and give him the "abundant life" that Jesus promises for his followers. While we talked I noticed he didn't have shoes on and that his socks didn't match. I said, "Hey, do you need some socks?" He said yes and that he really lucked out earlier in the week and found six pairs of shoes in a dumpster and that they were all his size. I had purchased 20 pairs of socks at a local K-Mart store Sunday morning so I could help out people just like Rick. We talked about some of the other folks I knew who lived around in that area. Rick knew them too. Before leaving, Rick said, "Thank you for talking with me. Thanks for the food and stuff, but really, thanks for just talking with me." Once again, I was humbled and privileged to just be there for him.
I figured it was about time (I only had one bag of food left) to head over to the alley between Los Angeles St and Main St. I got over there and parked and walked up Los Angeles St. When I got to the parking lot where Gary lives he greeted me warmly and said, "I was almost about to leave and figured you'd show up just after I left." I was glad to have gotten there just in time. He told me that the group of people who rented out the building next to him had their first church service that morning. I'm sure happy they moved in and pray that they not only have a presence there but perhaps I can partner with them in reaching the men who live in that alley. Gary told me a lot about the two men he knows who live in that alley and how they live very unproductive lives. Perhaps this new church there can be a light for the surrounding area. Gary told me to come earlier next week and he'd wash my car. He said he has a killer stereo and he'd put on some gospel music. I'm looking forward to it. Before leaving I walked around the block and down that back alley. I found one man passed out and another man (I think his name is Charlie from what Gary told me) listening to his I-pod. He acknowledged me but didn't look up as I walked (and prayed) down the alley. Maybe next week we'll get a chance to talk if he sees me with Gary. As I got in my car and started to drive away I saw a young woman and her daughter walking down the small street where I parked my car. The woman bent over and picked up an empty glass liquor bottle off the curb and continued walking. Another homeless man with a backpack had been sitting on the curb down the street. He had gotten up (perhaps to go get that same empty glass bottle) but had started to walk back to where he had been sitting. I ended up giving him (his name was Manuel) the last leftover cans of food I had in the car and drove on home. What an amazing afternoon it was. --Until next week. John

P.S. It was three Sundays ago that I started prayer-walking down that alley. In that time I met Gary and a church moved in to one of the buildings there. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next three Sundays. I only have 3 Sundays left before I switch back to working nights. I may have to start going on Monday or Tuesdays then. That would really change the dynamics of the trips alot. We'll see what happens.