Downtown 6/2/2013

"but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another."  --John 15:16

Well this is the first video I've posted in these blogs.  It's a short but powerful video about love, a lesson on forgiveness from an unlikely 10 year-old girl and God's vast resources.  Yet it starts with the love received from God and played out in the life of Heidi Baker.  It's a lesson we all need to learn and demonstrate in our own lives.  I know not everyone is cut out to serve in Africa or even the streets of downtown Los Angeles, but we can all serve Him someplace and it starts with wherever we are now.  (sorry if there's a promo at the beginning of the video)

My last barbecue was September 30 of last year.  Shortly after that time, those people were pushed out of their 'homes' and run off.  They all scattered in different directions.  It took some 'accepting' of the situation on my part and then finding a new group of friends to bond with who are living close enough to each other and far enough away from the beaten path to do another barbecue.  I'm sure having an open flame on a sidewalk in LA county is violating some law!  So it has to be a 'safe' place in more than just the normal ways one might think (like secluded too).  Last week I happened to stop under a freeway on a small street off Olympic Blvd and in a matter of a few minutes five people came over to the car that I hadn't even seen when I first stopped.  They were people who lived in their vehicles under the freeway.  I thought perhaps this was 'the place', but after this Sunday's trip, I think around the corner from there might work out best. I have been praying about it and God knows it is a desire of my heart to have this happen.  But wouldn't you know that obstacles are appearing on the horizon.  One is my work schedule will change from days to nights for the next four months, so I'll have to be sleeping during the day on Sundays now.  With daylight savings time going until November (I think), I'll need to make this happen in the next two or three months at the outside to ensure enough daylight.  On the street that I have in mind there are at least 4-5 people living on the sidewalk that I know of plus the people in the cars around the corner and under the freeway.  Please pray for this opportunity to happen (that the people stay in place and that the police stay away for about 2 1/2 hours).  I'm thinking sometime the weekend before or after July 4th.

Sunday when I was with these people and brought up the idea the response was very positive.  The couple that I had seen there last week (Maurice and Elicia) was still there.  Maurice kind of mentioned we could do the barbecue and have some music and I could 'preach' to them.  I said, "I don't preach, but I do tell people about the Jesus I know.'  They introduced me to a man living on that street a few tents down.  His name is Gabriel.  He came on down to the car and looked through the clothes in the back, like they all did and we had a good time talking.  Maurice said Gabriel was a Christian and he and I talked for quite a while about spiritual things.  I was very impressed with not only his biblical knowledge, but his understanding of it also.  While I was there a couple of men from around the corner came by (one of them was Kenny from last week).  He had told me last week where Gary was living on a street called Paloma, but I had looked there Sunday and didn't see him.  Kenny said to look on the other side of Washington Blvd.  I'll look again next week.  While I was looking on Paloma St I found a man named Nassau.  He's about my age and has been homeless for almost 40 years!  When I asked him if he needed some socks he showed me the ones he had on.  They were black and were stuck to the skin on his feet.  He feet were in a lot of pain and it made walking around difficult.  That's why he was still on that street and hadn't moved on.

I finished up by going by where John Stokes lives.  The first time I stopped he wasn't there, but the second time he was.  He is the one who turned 65 last week.  He was hoping to have his Social Security check kick in this last week, but it didn't (what a surprise, huh?).  He said he was "so disappointed".  If he has to wait another month, he probably won't make it to Atlanta for his extended family's 4th of July celebration.  So we prayed about the government check coming through.  Perhaps they can help correct the situation this coming week.

Earlier on this trip I met J.J, Alvin and David from Rancho Cucamonga as well as Nassua who I mentioned already.  In the words of the video, I stopped for each one and got to pray with them too. It's really isn't complicated.  Until next time. --John