Downtown 4/26/2010

I started this week's trip by going to the park where I found the man from Cuba last week. It is called Lincoln Park and it's on North Main St. On the way there and on North Main St. I found Benjamin pushing a couple of shopping carts, one with recyclables and one with his personal belongings in them. I know the bag of food he received took a lot of the pressure of having to find stuff to cash in today off of him. I didn't see any homeless folks at the park so I headed into the downtown area and turned onto Ceasar Chavez Blvd which turns into Sunset Blvd. In an area called Angeleno Hts I saw a man lying face down on the sidewalk at Douglas St. I parked and walked over to him with a bag of food. He, like Benjamin, had two shopping carts. I asked him if he was OK. He responded like he was coming out of a deep sleep. I guess he may have slept there last night. He accepted the food and indicated he could use some water when I asked. I walked back to the car to get some and returned to him. His name was Santiago. I said, "Like the capitol city of Chile?" He grinned and said, "Yes". We talked for a moment or two and prayed together. He had looked into the bag of food and said, "You're a good friend." I was just glad to have helped.
I headed back into downtown and cruised around. I saw some people needing help but was unable to stop near where they were. A few minutes after noon I decided to turn on the radio to a program I like listening to. The man who normally speaks wasn't on and in his place was someone who was talking about how Muslims reject the Bible, Jesus' death on the cross as payment for our sins and the notion of God being our Father. He was beginnig a series of lectures on these subjects and how to respond to people who have these objections. I was getting a little annoyed about this presentation (because he wasn't giving any answers at this time) when I came to a signal at an intersection at Central Ave and 14th St. The light had changed to green and the guy behind me was all upset that I hadn't moved so he started honking at me. It must have been all of two seconds of waiting. I pulled on through the intersection and both sides of the street were lined with cars. The guy was still behind me (rather closely too) and I noticed an area about a half of a block down where I could pull over and let him by. As I let him pass by he shouted "a few things" at me. I had all my windows down so I could hear plainly what he was saying. After he went by, I pulled back out on the street and was following him. He ended up pulling into a place of business (it's an industrial area) towards the end of the block and as he pulled in there on the right side he had another opportunity to shout out to me some more. Well, needless to say I was a little angry although I said nothing in response. I quickly realized I was now not in the frame of mind to help anyone. I thought for a moment about just going home but decided not to. My main objective in going downtown is to bring the presence of God to people who are forgotten, lonely and disenfranchised for one reason or another. I knew I couldn't bring the presence of God to anyone without getting this anger out of me and I had to do it right away. I found a small street off of Olympic Blvd east of Alameda St called Lemon St. and parked the car. I parked just short of a freeway overpass. I pulled out a copy of the New Testament that I had with me and started reading Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. This section describes the hearts, minds and actions of people in God's kingdom. Of course, the Beatitudes hit you right off the bat, "Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers", etc. The copy of the New Testament that I had with me had titles for the various sections. So here comes the section, "Teaching about Anger" (Chpt 5:starting in verse 21). Yeah, that was a little convicting and then came the section about "Teaching about Revenge" (starting in verse 38) and then finally I was nailed with "Teaching about praying for your Enemies". Now I'm thinking, "Oh Lord, now you want me to pray for this guy?" Well, it said plain as day that He did. So I started praying for that guy. I knew that he was just caught up in this world's system. The system where it's "Me first" and we're always impatient with anything in our way. And it's not like I haven't been guilty of these feelings before myself. I asked God to forgive me for my anger and to please take it away and get it out of me, and the sooner the better. Actually, when I acknowledged my own sin of reacting to this guy and asked forgiveness I was able to forgive the other guy pretty easily. Having accomplished what I pulled over to do I was now able to continue the trip. Remember I told you I was parked almost under a freeway overpass? I pulled out and there right in front of me on the other side of this small street was a homeless man living under that freeway! I pulled a couple of cars ahead and parked again on the right side. I grabbed a bag of food and walked over to him (I took a picture as I walked up).
His name was Charles. He was pretty young, probably under thirty years old. He had been in the Navy. I had two brothers in the Navy so we talked for a few minutes about that, he told me he was from Buffalo, New York. I had walked back to the car and gotten him some water and returned. We talked for a few minutes more and I said, "Well, let me pray for you before I leave." Then out of the blue he said, "Even if I'm Muslim?!!!!!" I said, "Even though." So I prayed for Charles and when I got to the end of the prayer I asked for His blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Charles didn't complain or say a word in protest. We smiled at each other and parted. I couldn't believe how God used that radio program and orchestrated the last twenty minutes or so. It was quite unbelieveable when it was all over.
The rest of the morning went pretty fast after that. I was able to help Ruben at Hooper and Newton St. and Marcus on Washington Blvd. (yeah, someone honked at me there when I stopped to help this guy) and Henry off Washington and Central Ave. All in all, it was a pretty good trip. I'll end with this. A lot of people can quote you scripture, chapter and verse. But I've heard it said, "You don't know scripture, until you're willing to be changed by it." My prayer is that our hearts are always open and receptive to changing according to God's word. Until next week. --John

Downtown 4/19/2010

I had been alerted during the week that a homeless veteran named James was usually seen at an off-ramp to the 605 in Baldwin Park. I drove there on my way downtown but didn't encounter him although, I may have seen him. When I got off that off-ramp I ended up helping a young woman named Michelle right near there. I had seen three homeless people walking towards what appeared to be a path leading under the freeway and Michelle confirmed that there were people living there and that was the way to get down there. She told me she was out by the freeway earlier than normal because she was totally out of money. After giving her some food and water she looked through the clothing items in the trunk of my car and found several things she could use, in particular a heavy coat that she said, "looks warm". She told me, "It gets cold at night." She also told me the bread in the bag of food was really a good thing. I was so glad to have been able to help her. I'll start checking in this area more often on these trips.
After leaving Michelle I ended up going on downtown by way of Valley Blvd (the I-10 was packed). Just before getting downtown I passed by a park and saw a homeless man sitting at a park table. Luckily there was a parking place nearby so I parked and took a bag of food over to him. After giving him the bag of food I asked if he needed some water and he said he did. I got the water and some socks and shirts out of the car and walked back to him. When I got back there he had opened the can of soup and was dipping a piece of bread from the bag in the can of soup. Apparently, he was really, really hungry. A couple of people have asked me how homeless people heat up the cans of soup I give out. I tell them, "You've got to be kidding. They're not only homeless with no way to heat it up but they're hungry too and won't care whether it's hot or not." This man's name was Quintado (I think) and he was from Cuba. He didn't speak much English so we couldn't converse much. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and one blanket. He probably hadn't eaten in a couple of days judging from how fast he started eating what I gave him. As I continued on towards downtown I ended up on North Main St. and found Pedro sitting right near a recycling place. It's possible he had just taken in some stuff because he had very few possessions with him, not even a shopping cart. He too, started eating the food out of the bag right away and was quite happy that I stopped to help him.
Just on down the street, North Main crosses Alameda and I turned down Alameda St. Right near a Metro Link depot is a small area with several park benches. The area is too small to be called a park, it's more of an outside waiting area for the train. There was a homeless man sitting and sleeping on one of the park benches. His name was Dickie and he was one of the dirtier homeless men I've encountered. He had one plastic bag of possessions and that was it. He probably was in his sixties but looked older. Living on the streets can make people look a lot older. He seemed very weak and tired. I don't know how he gets by day to day. He wasn't exactly near the missions on Sixth St. but was close enough to walk with some effort. Maybe, that's why he appeared tired. He thanked me for the help.
Going on down to 4th St. I found Fernando near the bridge. You may remember him from a couple of months ago. He was the one who wanted to know what God I was praying to. He only wanted to pray to the "Almighty God". He also, had just been rousted by the police when I saw him that time. This time he had quite a set-up by the bridge and had made a canopy with a blanket and was laying in it's shade. I thought he was Ron and had called out to him. He told me Ron is still around although I haven't seen him in a couple of months now. He accepted the bag of food and was quite thankful for it. I noticed, since he had his shirt off, that he is extremely skinny. I asked him if he was keeping out of trouble and he told me, "I always try to keep out of trouble but trouble seems to find me!" Next time I'll ask him about his relationship with the "Almighty God". I'll be interested to hear his comments. The Gospel of John booklet that I gave him the last time tells about the Almighty God who gave Jesus Christ all power and authority and inspired men to start the missions in that area that he, no doubt, frequents.
The last man I encountered was Sal. I had driven down 7th St hoping to find Marie. I haven't seen her in a couple of months now either. Sal was on the other side of the street and as he walked towards me he was limping very badly. He told me he had broken his leg a year or two ago and it hadn't healed correctly and the toes on his foot didn't extend out anymore. He readily accepted the bag of food and water and a few clothing items. After praying with Sal I looked into his eyes and saw a look of quiet desparation. Sal is fairly young, perhaps 30 or so and it's difficult to see a bright future for him at this time. I wish I had the capacity to do more for him and the others that I saw today. A few of the people today were as desparate for help as any I've seen in a while. It occurred to me that because of their plight there probably isn't anything that I could have done today that was more important than helping them. What a reminder how every moment counts for these people. --Until next week. --John

Downtown 4/12/2010

I was hoping the rain Sunday night into Monday morning was done by the time I left my house at 9:30 a.m. It looked a little like it would rain some more but it never did. I started by trying to find Ron again on the 4th St. bridge but didn't see him. His "spot" on the bridge looks as though he hasn't been there in a while. Perhaps he's moved on. I did see Antonio again at the other end of the bridge. He was sitting exactly as he was last week with a blanket over his head. I asked him if he got wet last night, but he said he got under the bridge and stayed dry. He stills seems very coherent and I wish I had more of an opportunity to talk with him but you have to keep your car moving when you're on that bridge. I continued on 4th St to Boyle Ave and then up to Cesar Chavez Ave. As I followed this street (it becomes Sunset Blvd) past Dodger Stadium, Echo Park and Silver Lake I noticed several homeless people living on the sidewalks in this area. Some of these people had a lot of stuff while others had very little. I wondered what they did last night when it was raining. I finally saw a guy with a shopping cart who was looking for recyclables in trash cans and dumpsters along the way. He was on Sunset Blvd just before Silver Lake Blvd. His name was William and he was from Wichita, Kansas. I asked which recycler he used and he said he used one on Temple St. There was another one nearby but he told me they didn't let him in there. I know the one on Temple St. is located just outside of the downtown area and is pretty much surrounded by homeless people. I would guess William to be around 50 years old and he was very thin. I was glad to be of help and to pray with him.
I drove back to the downtown area and found "Amir". I really don't know what his name is because he doesn't speak English. He is of Middle Eastern descent and lives under the I-10 freeway off of 18th St. Encounters with Amir are difficult because I don't know a single word in his language and he doesn't seem to know any English either. I can only point and see what his reaction is. He accepted the food but declined the water (I think?). He kept rambling on in his language and shook my hand. I'm pretty sure he was thankful for the help. I had to keep the encounter brief because I had parked in a no stopping zone on 18th St. I was pretty sure I could get away with it for a couple of minutes so I took the risk. I had noticed a couple of weeks ago Amir had his shoes off and his pant legs rolled up. His feet were very discolored. Being up this close I noticed his shoes were more like sandals than real shoes and he had no socks on. Next time I think I'll just take some shoes and socks to him and see what happens.
I continued along 18th St. and eventually found James pushing a shopping cart near Central St. He was bundled up in an overcoat and had his 'working' clothes on (he was recycling). He seemed in good spirits and was happy to receive a bag of food.
At this point I decided to take a break at the Jack in the Box on Alameda St. By now you know when I go there it doesn't take too long before I see someone outside who needs some help. I was sitting at a table inside waiting for my order when I saw a man slowly pushing his shopping cart north on Alameda. I figured he was probably going to the recycler there on the corner. Well, I had finished eating when I saw this same man pushing his shopping cart back the other way. I quickly got up and walked out to him and asked if he needed some food. He said yes and I told him to wait while I walked back to my car. Well, he followed me to my car with his shopping cart and I gave him some water and food and a hygiene bag. When I looked in his shopping cart on that little compartment that they all have, by the handle I saw an empty bread roll. It looked like the kind of bread you would get at Subway but without anything in it. I can only guess where he got it. I was glad that inside the bag of food I gave him was a fresh loaf of whole grain bread. I ended up opening up the trunk and giving him a whole bunch of clothing items and a blanket. Each time I asked if he needed something he said "yes". I don't think he spoke much English but he did know that word and it worked well for him this time. I finally asked him his name, "Como te llama?" It was as though he came alive. He proudly and loudly said, "Julio Luis Ortega". It was a great moment and worth the trip just for this one moment alone. By now you're probably wondering why I don't just stay there at the Jack in the Box all morning waiting for people to come by. Some of my most memorable encounters have been in and around that square mile area.
I had one bag of food left and was heading back towards the Mateo and 4th St area when I happened to pass by where John Stokes lives. He lives on the east side of Alameda St on a little side street off Olympic Blvd. I haven't talked with John in quite a while. He was the one I gave batteries to one Sunday last fall. He has had quite a set up there under the freeway with a tent and an old couch. As I went by today the couch was gone and the tent was not up. However, he was sitting by all his stuff. He came over to the car and told me the police had taken his couch and mattress and told him he can't put his tent up until after 9:00 p.m. at night. They told him they don't want it to look like he 'lives' there. Well, I think he's been 'living' there under the freewary for over ten years. I have learned a lot from John Stokes about the homeless. He was one of the first I talked to at length about their needs. I've also tried to locate a sister of his in the Atlanta, Georgia area on the internet. Apparently, there is some inheritance money he's been trying to get for many years but has been unable to get in contact with this sister. It's not a lot of money but enough to get him off the street. It's also his only hope of getting off the street. It's a reminder that everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, have hopes and dreams of a better life. One day perhaps, John will give me the piece of information needed to help me locate his sister. Until next week. --John

Downtown 4/6/2010

Due to Easter Sunday and rain on Monday I didn't get downtown until this morning. I first started looking for Ron who lives on the 4th St. bridge. I didn't see him or his stuff where he usually stays but as I continued driving over the bridge I saw a man sitting on one of the concrete benches that are periodically placed along the bridge. He was sitting upright but had a blanket over his head. When I finally got back to where he was and stopped (there's no stopping on the bridge) it turned out he was a lot younger than I would have suspected. He was probably in his early 20's and was quite coherent and awake. His name was Antonio. Due to the no stopping zone we couldn't talk much more than the basics. I've never seen Antonio before; I'll look for him again next week.
As I drove around the east side of the LA River I found a man with his shopping cart on Ceasar Chavez Blvd. He was waiting at the curb with no intent to cross the street. After circling around to get back to him I noticed he was drinking something out of a bottle. I knew it wasn't Gatorade. My first inclination was to just drive on, but I've encountered this situation before. Each time I'm reminded of my own flaws and how I pray God doesn't judge me based on my behavior but on Christ's work on my behalf. Every time I have to think about God's mercy on me and God's mercy on this man in front of me. Do I really believe God forgives me for repeated wrong behavior (if I ask for forgiveness)? If I do, then I know He will be merciful to this man also. And if that's the case, who am I to deny this man the physical comfort that I bring down here to help the homeless. I'm not the judge here, I'm the vessel sent to bring care and hope into this hopeless part of the world. I asked this man what his name was a couple of times because I had a hard time understanding what he said. I think he said his name was Efrian.
I drove through the skid row area of downtown on my way over to Washington and Figueroa St. There is a very large church building over there called the Glory Church of Jesus Christ. There are also a lot of homeless people living on the surrounding streets. One of the areas is a small parking lot off one of the adjacent streets and right by a freeway on-ramp to the I-10. Sometimes there are a half a dozen or so homeless people there. Recently, these people have been run out of there so I was a little surprised to see one man with his shopping cart sitting in there. I drove in (he was reading an old newspaper) and he looked up at me somewhat warily. When I asked if he needed some food that kind of broke the ice. He said it's been OK to stay there at night lately but during the day he never knows what's going to happen. The surrounding areas where most of the people have been congregating aren't too safe. His name was Walter and he thanked me for the help. It has to be very difficult to not have a safe quiet place to stay each day and night.
I drove along the I-10 surface streets and looked for Matthew from last week. He was the guy with the toothache. I found his stuff but he wasn't "home". While driving down Washington Blvd I saw a man sitting on the sidewalk near San Pedro St. When I pulled over and asked if he needed some food he said yes and struggled to get to his feet. He used an umbrella as a cane to help push himself up and made it over to the car. His name was Miguel Ortega. After giving him some food and water he lifted up his right pant leg and showed me a badly swollen knee. He said he didn't know why it was so swollen. I pulled around to the nearest alley and parked and walked back to him. This man needed prayer right then. I put my hands on his knee and prayed for his protection and needs as well as healing for his swollen knee. Unfortunately, I don't have the gift of healing but this man did have a big thankful smile on his face. I also noticed he didn't have any socks on. I asked him if he needed some socks and he said yes. I looked through the stuff I had with me and found some but they were ankle socks. They will be fine during the summer but right now this man needed something a little higher up than that. I gave him some shirts that I had and since I was close to the garment district I drove down there and bought some for Miguel. He was quite thankful when I returned with some "nuevo" socks. I noticed a man sleeping on a pallet in the alley where I had parked earlier so after finishing with Miguel I met Huey from Washington State. He is 40 years old. About all he had were the clothes on his back and one blanket. He said he was OK on clothes but he said he sure could use the food and water. I was happy to give him some to get through the next couple of days.
The last man today was on Santa Fe and 6th St. I never did get his name because he shuffled off with his shopping cart after getting the food and water. His shopping cart was about half full of bottles that he was collecting for recycling. Last week at the church I attended the pastor talked a little about how when he was a kid the liquor stores would pay you for returning empty soda pop bottles. His point was that the empty glass bottles were worthless to anyone else, but not to the manufacturer who was willing to pay to redeem them. Remember it was Easter Sunday and the point was well taken that God is our manufacturer and He was willing to pay for our redemption. Today's trip downtown was not a particularly memorable one. Everyone seemed busy in their own daily struggle to survive. Yet God is still very much concerned about not only our redemption but also our daily struggles. I had never met any of these folks before today and may not ever see them again. Yet, He sent me to let them know He cares. --Until next week. John