Downtown 7/25/2011

Well, it's been a month since I've written about these trips. I've only missed going once (my car was in the shop), but with a teenage daughter home on summer vacation you end up doing a lot of driving (and you don't get much computer time either). A couple of weeks ago I had an encounter with Frank. I had never met him before and this trip was on a Sunday evening (July 3rd). He was on North Main St standing about 30 yards back from the street. This is the same place where the two Cuban men live and where Isavel and Javier were. Anyway, I drove back to where he was standing by his blanket and stuff. He had a beer in his hand and looked like a hippie from the 60's except he was about 30 years old. I asked him if he could use some food. His response took me by surprise. He asked me, "You're not from the church are you?" He said it in a very derrogatory way. He later told me that the food he gets from 'church people' is usually not very good! I think he prefers fast food burgers and fries. He also said he can get food down at the missions. I reminded him that to get food at the missions he has to stand in line for a long time. He told me he 'hated that part about the missions.' He ended up taking the food, but it was somewhat shocking to hear his opinion of the church and it's people. I wish that I had an opportunity to do that encounter over, perhaps I'll see Frank again. I think if we have a chance to get to know each other, maybe that will help his image of 'church people'.
This week's trip had a couple of encounters of note. One was with John Stokes and David who live under the I-10 freeway near Olympic and Alameda. I asked how things were going there during the summer. They told me the flies are bad during the day and then the mosquitos come out at night and make life miserable. Apparently, there is about a two hour period at dawn and at dusk where there is a break from both. I told them about a bad experience I had when I was 15 years old with mosquitos in Arkansas. As it turns out, David is from Minnesota and he told me that the mosquito is the 'unofficial' state bird there!
During my trip this last Monday I took a break at the Jack in the Box. I had seen Alphonzo sitting outside on some grass. Well, when I ordered lunch I got an extra burger and gave it to him before I ate. Then as I was leaving I saw a man pushing his shopping cart on the sidewalk. I was walking to my car at this point and so I waited to see if he was going to come into the parking lot. In just a little bit he came up to where I was and I said, "Hey, I have something for you." He had a few recyclables in he cart and thought I had some more for him. He asked if I had cans or plastic. He 'might' have had a dollars worth of cans and plastic bottles in his cart. You can imagine his surprise when I gave him a bag of food and showed him what was in it. He was so thankful. I can only imagine how it must feel to be hungry and homeless with no money and pass by a fast food place where you know there is plenty of food and not be able to eat there. This man's name was Tony (probably Antonio). Tony spoke English with a heavy accent, so I don't know if he can read English very well or not. I hope he can, because in the bags of food I put a short two-sentence hand-written note. I changed one of the lines recently so it now reads, "To you-My loved one. I never stopped loving you! --Jesus" The food and the clothes will all pass away quickly. My hope is the words will with stay with them forever! (Yes, Frank got the same note in his bag too). Until next week. John

PS. I ran across this quote from a book titled "Dare to Dream" by Mattheus van der Steen. For those with a hope or a dream to someday find a way to serve God, perhaps this will encourage you. Speaking about the Holy Spirit he writes..."Jesus Christ is the One who will give you whatever you need and will anoint you to do the things He has asked and expects you to do to achieve your God-given purpose.".... Here's to finding your God-given purpose.