Downtown 6/18/2012

I promise to take care of them and keep them safe, to look for those that are lost and bring back the ones that wander off, to bandage those that are hurt and protect the ones that are weak. --Ezekiel 34:15-16a

Once again this week I was hoping to reconnect with at least some of my friends who have been living in the alley off Hooper St where I hope to do the barbecue in a couple of weeks. But Monday evening, no one was there! Although it's still a little early, I guess I have to be prepared to adapt. After all, the barbecue may be what I want, but it may be God has something else in mind. I drove on down 16th and saw James pushing his cart towards me just past San Pedro Blvd. He was happy to see me and said the others (our mutual friends) were still around in the area. We talked about the barbecue coming up and he was looking forward to it (he was at the last one). I can't remember if he knew about it already or not, but he said he'd be there at the next one.

I drove on down to another regular stop under the freeway by Central Ave. I found a young man named David and not too far from him another man named Pablo--both needing a meal. I didn't have much conversation with either one and drove on around the block. I was about to turn left off Central Ave and on to 17th St and go east when a man caught me eye walking up Central. He was carrying a couple of bags and walking slowly south. I decided to get back across the street and see if he needed help. It turned out his name was Jose. While helping Jose another homeless man and woman were walking towards us and they needed help too. Jose ended up kind of hanging around after the others left. He asked for another burger for his brother Carlos. I ended up giving him a ride about 25 blocks away to 36th and Broadway. While giving him the ride I found out he had been in the US for about 8 years and arrived originally in New York from Mexico (go figure). He repeatedly said he couldn't believe someone was really helping him. He said he had been in the Mexican army and still had a bullet in his right leg and showed me his thumb where the end had been shot off. I can see why he wanted the ride. When I dropped him off I asked if he needed any clothes, so we ended up looking through the back of the car for shirts and a pillow and even a sleeping bag. He was very thankful and when I prayed for him he kissed my hand repeatedly and looked up in the sky and thanked God for sending me. It's always such a privilege to help people who are in such great need and who are truly thankful for the person who stopped to help them.

Well it was getting close to the end of daylight and I headed back over to another alley off Hooper St. At first no one was there, but then John Mellon showed up and then another man named Daryl. Daryl was by someone's stuff that I thought might be Chris' stuff because I recognized a sleeping bag I had given Chris a couple of weeks ago. He confirmed that it was Chris' stuff and that Chris would be back later. Before I left, a woman named Cindy showed up. John had gone on down the alley to his spot and he directed her to me for help if she was hungry. She hurried over to me looking for help. She looked the part of a street person, dirty, tired and worn-out with open sores on her face. She had on a shirt, shorts and shoes with no socks. She said her shoes hurt because they were so worn-out. I think I still had the back of the car open so I have her a sweater and a new shirt and some new shoes and socks. I found something she could sit on to change her shoes and a piece of cardboard she could put her feet on while she put the new socks and shoes on. During this time I had an opportunity to talk with her and pray with her. She told me she not only had a drug problem, but had hepatitis too (not really surprising considering her condition). She complained of a lot of aches and pains which she thought might be arthritis. I told her that sleeping outside sure would make the aches and pains worse. We talked for awhile about overcoming some of her addictions and I encouraged her to come to the barbecue in a couple of weeks. She said she would. I forgot to mention that John had asked me about it too. I hadn't told him, but somehow he knew about it. He told me he would be there so maybe word is getting around, we'll soon see about that. If it (the barbecue) doesn't go as planned and I have a day like I had Monday evening--that would be fine too.--Until next time-John