Monday, July 26, 2010

Downtown 7/25/2010

"Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."- -1 John 3:18


My car was in the shop all last weekend (Sat-Tues) keeping me from going downtown. It was only the second time I've been unable to go since I started doing this well over a year ago now. So yesterday I was pretty eager to go and went down there early in the morning. I also had an extra incentive this week that would make this trip special. The 5th and 6th grade VBS class that my sister-in-law, Debbie, was teaching and my niece Corinne was a part of, donated 10 loaves of bread and plenty of water for this trip. Now I usually only take 6 loaves with me and once in a while one or two extra loaves, but never 10 loaves. So I was a little concerned about having so much more that usual. After all, bread does have a 'shelf life'. I thought if I didn't give it all out downtown on Sunday, then perhaps I'd find some people around here where I live in the next few days that I could help out. So here's what happened...
I arrived early, around 8:10, and started looking for folks on the North side of town. I drove up San Fernando Rd where I met Robert a couple of weeks ago. However, I didn't see any homeless along that road so I drove back to North Main St. and headed towards downtown. Around Sotello and W. Ann St on North Main I found Charles pushing his cart with his dog, Smith. When I asked where he was from he said he was born in Mexico but raised here in the States. He thought I looked familiar and asked if my name was Curtis. I said, "No, I'm John. So where are you staying around here?" He told me he was living behind the Skyline Warehouse, behind the dumpsters on Naud St. I told him I'd look for him again next week there. He was very cheerful, happy and thankful for the food and water. I was thinking later about his description of where he lived. My parents lived in a rural area in a midwestern state for many years. For a long time their address in that town was simply Route 1, Box 26. Charles's address was no less descriptive and I'm sure I will have no trouble finding him. But imagine having as your address "behind the warehouse and behind the dumpters on Naud St". Well that's where my new friend Charles lives and I look forward to seeing him there. I'll probably be able to talk there with him longer and perhaps be able to give him some clothes or other items to help him out.
I continued toward downtown but turned off N. Main at Vignes Steet. Vignes isn't a very long street and the most notable address on it is the Los Angeles County Jail. As I turned onto that street I saw two Latino men walking down the street. Both had backpacks on and one was pushing a shopping cart and the other was pushing a bicycle. I pulled up alongside them and asked if they needed some food. They both said, "Yes, we need food." quite definitively so I pulled over to the side of the street. Their names were Garde (I think) and Miguel and I was able to give them each a bag of food and some water. They looked like they hadn't eaten in a while and were pretty happy for the help.
When I got to the end of Vignes I turned east on Cesar Chavez Ave and then north on Mission Rd. There is a man who lives on a concrete bench as Mission goes over some railroad tracks just before Lincoln Park. I stopped once before several months ago to help him. The lane closest to the curb is a right turn only lane so it's hard to get away with stopping there for very long but I figured I could this early on a Sunday morning. Anyway, as I approached where he lives I noticed that he wasn't there nor was his shopping cart there. So I continued on toward Lincoln Park and turned onto Valley Blvd. On the right hand side of the road I saw a man and a woman with all of their stuff sitting on the ground up against a chain link fence. Where they were was set down from the street a little. Remember I had just come over a bridge over some railroad tracks (that was what was on the other side of the chain link fence). I almost didn't see them but I quickly stopped and pulled over and got out to meet them. I grabbed a bag of food and started walking toward them. The man had gotten up and was walking toward me. His name was Phillip and the woman's name turned out to be Nancy. He was 52 years old and was from Whittier. Before Nancy joined us I had given Phillip the bag of food and some water and prayed with him. When I finished, he prayed too, thanking God that I had stopped to help them. They had been staying across the street in the park Saturday night but were kicked out by the police at 1:30 in the morning and had relocated to where they were when I found them. They had a lot of stuff in their carts and didn't need any blankets. I was able to give Nancy a couple of pairs of womens socks and I had one pair left of regular size socks that I gave Phillip. Nancy said she had been living in this area (presumably homeless) for eight years. Phillip was a veteran and said they were both waiting until their "benefits" kick in. They didn't say how long that would be. However, they both looked like any other couple that might be living on your street. I was sorry to see them having to struggle like they were. I was also glad to be able to show them that God cares about them after they were rousted in the middle of the night in the park. Yes, I gave them another bag of food too. Nancy asked if I just drove around all day giving out food. I told them I come down here once a week and try to find people who need some help. It's hard to describe the look on people's faces after you've helped them out and they are so thankful. It's a look that says, "I can't believe you came here and helped me!" I get it often, it makes the trips well worth it and as always, it remains a privilege to do so.
In the next 15 minutes or so I was able to help Victor who lives under the overpass at the I-5 and North Main (he was a couple of blocks away from there but I recognized him anyway), Ron who lives on the 4th St. bridge (turns out he's from Idaho and is going to go back home soon) and Ignacio (the man who looks like Moses--see the picture from two weeks ago). Now Ignacio was pushing his cart about a half a block from the east side of the 4th St bridge and as I left him I drove north on Mission Rd toward 1st Street. As I got to the signal there, a man had crossed the street carrying only a small plastic bag. He looked like he was 'working' (recycling). His name was Patrick and he was happy to get some food. He passed on the water though, saying he had some in his pocket. Carrying a gallon of water while you're walking around can be difficult after a short time (unless you're really thirsty).
The last guy I helped was Michael from Texas. He was sitting on a bench on Boyle Ave. His shopping cart was next to him and he had on earphones and was reading a newspaper. He had what looked like a couple of plastic bags of stuff at his feet. As I pulled up next to him and tried to get his attention (he was listening to a radio) I noticed one of his legs was badly swollen. The other leg was in one of those plastic bags all the way up to his knee. He didn't talk much but said he was getting therapy for his legs. He was well enough and able to get up and come over to the car to get the food and water. If I had realized his condition sooner, I would have just gotten out and gone over to him. It was now 9:25 a.m., I had been down here barely an hour and fifteen minutes and had given out all the loaves of bread and bags of food and seven gallons of water. Usually, it takes at least a couple of hours or so to find the folks needing the most help. I had been praying a lot since Saturday night about God leading me to the right people this morning with the extra supplies to meet their needs. It was really unbelievable how quickly it all went. Praise God for His faithfulness in directing our steps. Another amazing thing was that I really never ended up downtown but instead all of these people were North and just East of the actual downtown area. Later in the morning I was reading those short letters of the Apostle John when I ran across that verse up above. I always love the way he tenderly refers to his readers as his "little children". You can tell he cared so much for them and this was the guy who, with his brother, wanted to call down fire from heaven when a town rejected Jesus' message one day. Well, Jesus sure did a number on that John's heart. Likewise, Jesus sure did a number on this John's heart too. If you had told me thirty years ago when I use to drive these streets everyday that I'd be coming down here on my day off to help homeless people, I would have told you "No way." But here I am. These are my "little children" and God has given me a love for these "least of these".--Until next week. John

PS. There was one other man I tried to help. Just after I saw Ignacio and before Patrick, I saw the most helpless and hopeless looking man of the morning. He was standing and kind of shuffling around next to a building on a deserted street under the 4th St. bridge. I asked him if he needed any food or water or clothing items and he declined them all. I asked him three times what his name was but I could never quite make out what he said. I felt later that I should have just gotten out of the car and prayed with him. I'm guessing that he was probably 65 years old or so. It's been kind of haunting me ever since I drove away. He was on Mission Rd. and I'll call him Mr. Mission. Please pray for him.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Downtown 7/11/2010

With some reservations I went downtown early again Sunday morning. After last week I felt the best time to go is Sunday afternoon because I seem to be able to have longer encounters with the homeless than early on Sunday mornings. So I prayed a lot about this trip and asked specifically for God to help me love these people more and give me a heart like his for them. When you read this recap, it may seem like just another trip downtown, however, God answered this request more than I could possibly have expected. Three of the men who I saw Sunday I met for the first time and I talked to them for at least 20 minutes each. All three were asleep when I first approached them! I'm not sure when I will be able to go next week (I know it won't be Sunday morning) but early Sunday morning trips can't be ruled out in the future.
I started in North L.A. at Main St. I got off the freeway and immediately found Victor living under the I-5 right there as I got off. Victor was just getting up and getting ready for his day. He was sure surprised and happy to have food delivered to his 'house'. We didn't talk very long because you can't stop there but at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning I knew I could stop there for a minute or two. There was another homeless man on the other side of the street under that overpass. However, he wasn't awake yet so I didn't go over to him. He had an apartment complex set up (about four shopping carts) and seemed to be doing OK.
You may remember Ignacio from last week. He was the guy that looked like Moses (see the picture). I found him looking for cans and bottles to recycle not too far from where he was last week. It turns out he understands and speaks a little more English than I thought he did. It is very broken but we were able to converse much better that last week. The street where I found him digging in trash cans was an industrial area and a wide (for trucks) but dead-end street. I gave him some food and water and got out and showed him what I had in the trunk. He ended up getting a pair of pants (the ones he had on were absolutely filthy), socks, shoes and a couple of T-shirts. When I said, "Let me pray for you before I go" he took off his cap and bowed his head. It is always humbling to me to see simple people with simple reverence and respect for God. I count it a blessing to me and a privileged to have helped Ignacio. Just around the block from Ignacio I found Marsela again sleeping in her make-shift home of pallets and cardboard. I had gotten a bag of dog food for her dog. The dog's name she told me is "Moses". So I went from a guy who looked like Moses to a dog named Moses. Marsela didn't need anything else I had although she did need some shoes. I just didn't have her size (7 1/2) with me. I'll have to check into that for next week. I found Antonio on the 4th St. bridge right near these folks. I had given him a new pair of pants last week. Well he had them on but they looked like he'd had them on for a month already. I guess when you wear something 24/7 outdoors it's going to show dirt and wear and tear a lot quicker. He told me he was doing OK though.
When I left this area I ended up going North on San Fernando Rd for a while. I hadn't been in this area in years. On the left is a Metro Link rail and on the right side are industrial type buildings with a residential community behind them. Eventually, I found a guy sleeping on the corner of one of the business buildings with his shopping cart full of stuff. He had a rake and broom and told me he uses them to earn money cleaning up places in addition to recycling. His name was Robert and he was from Columbus, Ohio. He is 56 years old. When I first saw him I had to drive around the block to get back to him and found him sleeping under a blanket next to his cart (see picture).
We talked quite awhile about some of the jobs he had out here over the years. He told me I looked familiar to him but it didn't appear our paths had crossed before this. He told me he had learned some judo at some location in the L.A area and most of the people in there were blonde people (is my hair still blonde?). When I prayed for him I noticed his hands were pretty rugged and beaten up from a life of doing a lot of manual labor. One of his little fingers was really crooked from being broken by an L.A. policeman years ago. I prayed for his protection and for God to bless his life. It was a simple but earnest prayer. Life on the streets is dangerous and unforgiving.
After seeing Robert I drove back to the 4th St. bridge and under the bridge I found Michael from Mobile, Alabama. He is 57 years old. He was sleeping with most of his body in a cardboard box when I approached him (see picture). He quickly woke up and was happy to receive a bag of food. I asked him if he could use some water and a pair of socks and he said he could. We ended up looking through the trunk and found a pair of shoes and pants and a few shirts. He admired my car (98 Grand Prix)! He told me he had a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix in 1973 when he was 19 years old and in the Army. He told me it was his favorite car that he ever had. It was probably the best time of his life too. I had given him a gospel of John booklet after praying with him and when I took his picture he was holding up the shoes and the booklet. I didn't ask him to hold them up but he was pretty happy and in a good mood by the time I took the picture and he was "showing them off". I was glad to have helped make his day better.
At this point I drove over to Washington Blvd and went down an alley on the South side by Los Angeles St. This is the second or third time I've been down this alley. There are probably five or six guys who live in this alley. I took a few pictures of this alley. It is also on the residential side of Washington Blvd. The first time I drove through a couple of weeks back it was too early in the morning
and only one guy was awake and didn't want to be bothered yet. I wonder if his attitude had something to do with conduct of other people who drive through there throughout the night. Sunday, Willie was awake enough and willing to take a chance on receiving something from me. I was glad to break the ice here. Maybe next time I'll ask him if he can use any clothing items. That will enable me to talk with him more and develop some trust. Who knows, maybe he and the others will start looking forward to me coming through there. Each time I've gone through this alley there is one guy who is barricaded with a pallet in a small hole in the wall (see photo). I haven't actually seen him yet.
When I drove out of that alley and got back on to Washington Blvd I saw a guy sleeping on the other side of Washington Blvd on the corner and porch of some business just passed Los Angeles St. I really wish I had taken a picture of this guy whose name turned out to be Joe. He was 53 years old and was from Illinois. He told me he travels back and forth between here and there and comes out here because of the weather. He told me where his family lives is a bad drug infested area and that it's hard to keep away from drugs when everyone back there is involved with them. I was able to help Joe with food and clothing items and gave him a gospel of John too. We prayed together and I do hope I see him again. I'd like to talk to him some more about what it takes to beat the cycle of drug behavior. It starts with staying away from those people who do them and developing relationships with people who don't do them. One of the ironic things about seeing Joe sleeping on the corner was that about two hundred yards away on the other corner of that same block on Washington Blvd was a church. I'm sure people were there at the church because it was Sunday morning and it was 10:30 a.m. by now. I know it's impossible to help everyone down there, but some of these men are so easy to help and close by that you wonder what the church is doing about it. In fact, there are actually a lot of churches in that area. I guess I tend to look at the church as more of a verb, something we do, rather than a building we go to. Until next week. --John

Monday, July 5, 2010

Downtown 7/4/2010

Well I made it down to L.A. again early Sunday morning. It was overcast and eerily quiet. I had gotten a new pair of jeans and underwear to give to Antonio so I drove to his place first. However, when I got there he was still asleep so I drove on by and decided to come back to him later. On the other end of the bridge I found an elderly looking man (he had a long beard and looked like Moses) named Ignacio. If I didn't know someone at work with that name I probably would never have understood him because he spoke no English. I did understand the happy look on his face when he received the help though. I drove around some of the streets there and found someone who had built a barricade around them for the night. This is a very deserted industrial section on the weekends. It turned out to be Marsella who I first met a couple of weeks ago in this same area. She was on a very small street named Boyd just off of Mission Rd. Her dog was in the barricade too. Marsella told me she was born in Mexico but was raised here in the United States. I don't think she's thirty years old yet and she speaks perfect English. I gave her some food and water and asked if there was anything else she needed. But just like last time she declined anything else. I even asked if she could think of anything that I could bring to her next time and she said there was nothing. I noticed her arms were pretty dirty so I told her I did have something special for her and gave her a hygiene bag. When I showed her what was in it she was quite excited. Next time I'll ask her what her dog's name is and I'll bring some dog food. I just can't imagine the risk she's taking by being in such a deserted place. Please pray for her safety.
After driving by Lincoln Park and not seeing any homeless people there I figured it was time to go back to check on Antonio. He was still in the same position as when I first drove by but he awakened quickly when I stopped. I told him I had something special for him and he got up and took the bag I handed him through the window. He was pretty happy when he saw what was in the bag. He had on a different pair of jeans than last week and they were way too big for him, but if you're wearing what you find in dumpsters or in the street you take what you can get. Anyway, I'll check back with him next week to see how the pair I gave him fit. I couldn't stay there on the bridge any longer and I didn't want to take his picture while he was changing!
The next three people I was able to help were all on the 'other' side of Washington Blvd from downtown. One was a woman named Sharon who I found in a very, very narrow alley that runs parallel to Washington Blvd. She was busy rearranging the stuff in her carts. If she had a house you'd day she was house-cleaning. I'm not sure what you call it in this case. Perhaps, nesting is the best term.
The final two encounters were with men I found asleep on the sidewalk. One was George on Central just off Washington and the other was Mick who I found on Maple St just off Washington. I asked George (I think his name was probably Jorge) if he was hungry and showed him what was in the bag. He was happy to have it but was still sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep (it was about 10:00 a.m by now). It was kind of weird how both of these men were in almost the exact same position. Mick is the one in the picture and he woke up quickly when I started talking to him. He was also very hungry and started eating from the can of soup immediately. I sat down on the curb next to him and we talked for awhile. He had on a dirty pair of socks and some sandals. I gave him a new pair of socks but he wore size 13 shoes and I didn't have any that big. I did gave him another shirt to wear though. He said he needed "everything". He knew it was the 4th of July and asked me if I voted. It turned out that he was a Vietnam Veteran and he was very angry with our government and life in general. He asked me what I was going to be doing this morning and I told him in a hour or so I was going to be in church. He said, "I don't believe in God." He told me this a couple of times at least. I also noticed when he held the can of soup in his left hand that his fingers didn't grip the can. He held the bottom of the can with his little finger (actually a knuckle) and the top of the can with his thumb. It turned out that he had been wounded in the war and this was a permanent injury. I listened to him talk for a while and finally said, "Let me pray for you before I go." He reminded me that he didn't believe in God and I gently said to him, "I know, but I do." Wouldn't you know, he bowed his head when I prayed with him. God is Sovereign no matter who believes or who doesn't believe. Later, when I was in church, the service was very 4th of July oriented. There was a big push to remember God's presence and guiding hand in our country's history and the people in our congregation who were either serving or had served in our armed forces. I'm sure the ones who were in our church and saw action were quite aware of how fortunate they are. It is good to remember our veterans and the role they have played and continue to play in our freedom. But this Sunday morning, I couldn't help but remember this one homeless veteran who I served on a curb downtown on Maple St. Please pray for all of our veterans. --Until next week. John