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
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
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
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
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
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
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
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