Downtown 12/8/2013

"I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." ---John 10:10b

"Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." --2 Timothy 4:2

Yesterday's trip taught me a deeper understanding of each of these scriptures.  When I first arrived I drove around to a few different locations, not seeing anyone, before finding Dave behind the auto parts store.  He was the only one there during the time I stayed with him, although I left food and water for Derek too.  We talked for probably thirty minutes about a variety of things and people we both knew.  Dave is from the Pine Bluff, Arkansas area and I have family from that area too, so we have a special connection.  Dave is 67 years old and has somewhat of  a business opportunity through his family, but cannot raise the initial money needed to get started.  He told me in past years he helped a couple of his brothers get going and now that he needs the help it's not there.  He told me he has prayed about this and wanted to know why nothing's happened.  It took quite awhile of talking to him to finally identify his brothers lack of assistance, but when he did I told him that should be the target of his prayers (for God to work on their hearts) and also, that if they were in this business, he may have to start at an entry level position until he 'earned' their belief in his ability to repay them.  I told him that prayer was his most valuable tool at this point, but that it isn't a magic potent and it usually takes time to see results.  He wasn't real excited about his prospects when I left, most people aren't when they realize that part of prayer is persevering through the times when it seems as though God is silent.This job issue is part of a greater issue of the homelessness and all it's ramifications that prey on the minds of these men daily.  The hopelessness that they feel and then uselessness that comes with it, makes it easy to see how this mental cycle leads so many to find temporary relief through substance abuse.

I helped several other men before finding a couple of men on a side street off 14th Pl.  I didn't get their names and the encounter went far less than the way I wanted it to go.  I'd say when I left them I was troubled on a couple of fronts.  So what happened?  I pulled up to these guys on my way to McArthur Park.  I had a couple of sandwiches left to give out which I offered to them.  What they really wanted was money.  In fact, one of them suggested the amount of $10.00.  Now I've had people ask me for money many times.  I usually don't give out any because I don't come equipped to give out money.  The two sandwiches cost a little over $2.50 apiece and I told them they would last them through the night, but they were insistent on the money.  I had to tell them two or three times that I had none to give them.  Finally, I drove away.  I'm sure they had some choice words for me after I left.  Oh, by the way, they took the sandwiches in the end (what a surprise huh?)  So one of the reasons I was troubled was that I did have ten bucks on me and I have given money out before, though not that much.  I usually tell people who object to giving money to homeless people that $5.00 isn't going to make or break you, so what difference does it make if you 'lose' it by giving it away.  I accept the fact that I will get used by people in this ministry. It goes with the turf.  I guess what irritated me the most was their rejection of what I was offering.  So a scripture came to mind that showed me God's perspective on this.  Now I've had people reject me and what I bring them before and it's always troubling.  So I looked up the verse that came to mind when I got home and found it in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  I can tell you that if it's in the Sermon on the Mount it's pretty important stuff to learn and understand.  So here it is in Matthew 5:43-47:

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy', but I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you what reward have you.  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect.

So my initial thought was God sends the sun and rain (good things) on the just as well as the unjust.  So everyone benefits from Gods general and basic blessings.  So these two men benefited from the basic 'blessing' of giving food away to the needy.  But, instead of being thankful they were unthankful for what they were offered and demanded even more.  How often do I have this same attitude with God?  And over what issues?  I've think I've understood more of the bible by serving the poor than I ever actually learned in a bible study!  However, studying the bible certainly lays the groundwork for the understanding of the situations I'm encountering.   The above verses also point out that there will be people who will use me, but this is just what the Father experiences on a daily basis.  Makes you wonder how many people 'used' Jesus to get healed.  Anyway, after this encounter I prayed my way over to McArthur Park.

By the time I got there it was near dark and very cold.  The verse at the top about preaching in season and out of season applied here.  Because of the temperatures, not too many people were around still.  Of the small group of Christians preaching the man, Rene' showed up after I got there.  He told me he had just come from work.  The two older women preached first.  Rene' and I were last.  After I finished I talked with Rene' and the two younger girls, who I found out are 17 and 15 yrs old.  The older one spoke fluent English and told me that plenty of people around there, particularly the homeless people, definitely understand English.  We had a group prayer while the two older women were intently talking to some man who had walked up earlier and were giving us some trouble.  They were talking in Spanish so I couldn't follow what was going on, but the two young girls said he seemed to be 'disturbed' about something.  Well, we said our goodbyes and I look forward to seeing them next week. --Until then.  John    

Downtown 12/1/2013

"Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort.  He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble."  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Not last week's trip, but on the two previous trips I met a man named Derek who was living in the alley behind the auto parts store on Washington Blvd.  Last week I ran out of food before I got to him, so this week I went there first.  When I pulled up I saw Dave, who was previously staying with Willie on Wall St.  I hadn't seen Dave since the last BBQ in October (nor Willie either).  Yesterday, Derek was there and he was very happy to see me and I found out through Dave that Derek's dad is a man who goes by the name of Peacock whom I've met and helped before too.  I don't remember what he looks like without seeing him, but I do remember helping a man in the past with that name.  In talking with Derek and asking about his 'prospects' for getting off the street he said he was working to get a job in the oil refinery business.  I guess he's worked in that field before (Derek is older that I thought he was, he's 43).  I prayed with Derek specifically that he could find the right contacts and help to getting some work.  There was another man there named Larry who I've seen before too.  I prayed with them all and let them look through the clothes in the back of the car.  I helped some others, Antonio & Leticia and Lee & Thomas, a man named Robert who was near where Antonio and Leticia were, but the most memorable man of the day was Kevin on 14th Pl.

Kevin was pushing a cart with just a very few things in it. Now I may have helped Kevin before, he looked vaguely familiar.  When he told me his name was Kevin I told him my full name, because Kevin is my middle name, he then told me his full name, Kevin James Rogers, and he said it proudly I might add.  Kevin is 51 years old and comes from the South Central Los Angeles area.  We talked for quite a while about stuff we used to do as kids growing up in that area.  After I told him where I grew up, he said as kids they used to ride their bikes down El Segundo Blvd to the beaches.  That was something I used to do too in junior high when I was in the junior lifeguard program at Manhattan Beach during the summers.  I told him those two summers of junior high were 67' and 68'.  During the summer of 1967 I vividly remembered stopping on my bike on one of the small streets of Manhattan Beach and hearing the Doors song 'Light my fire', blaring on someone's radio (that's the year the song came out).  I knew at the time it was a moment to remember.  Kevin totally identified with it.  When we were looking through the back of the car he saw some shoes and asked if I had any 11 1/2's.  I said the only thing I had close to that size were the 12's that I was wearing.  So I gave them to him.  He had been wearing some 10 1/2' size tennis shoes that obviously didn't fit and must have been painful to walk in.  The side part of the heels were stretched way out of shape.  He couldn't believe I was offering him my shoes.  I think he was about to tear-up when he had them on and his feet felt so much better and then he looked down and saw me in my socks with a big smile on my face.  Luckily, his socks appeared to be in good shape, because I was all out of them.  I took his picture, but I'm still having problems moving the pictures from my phone to my computer.  One of these days I'll have to just post a bunch of pictures of all the cool people and stuff I've seen this year.  I prayed with Kevin and we must have hugged  two or three times.  It was a very special encounter.

So after this I went on down to McArthur Park via 7th and Columbia St and the "I am Legion" sign.  (Yes, I had to go get another pair of shoes on the way down there).  When I got to the park there was no place to park on the west side, so I parked on the north side close to the east end and then walked towards 7th and Alvarado.  The little Spanish speaking evangelistic group from last week was there again and as I listened to them I began praying for the hearts of the people milling around.  There were four people, three women and one man who were in this speaking group.  The man was preaching at the time.  They asked if I'd like to speak again and I told them if they wanted me to I would.  But first each one of them spoke except for the youngest girl.  During that time I kept praying behind them and eventually, a man named Salbador came walking up.  He was maybe 25 or 30 years old and from the Spanish speaking evangelistic group on the other side of the park.  He said he liked to come by and give support to this group since we're all "on the same team".  He asked me if I wanted to speak too.  I said "Sure, I'm just not sure how many people will understand my English here."  He told me, probably 40-50% of the people there can understand English and that eventually some people will come just to hear me speaking.  He told me, "I want you to be speaking here every Sunday!"  So it was three months ago that I started adding this stop as part of my downtown ministry.  I had no idea when I started what to expect, in fact, I was a little overwhelmed thinking I didn't really fit in here in this Spanish speaking area.  I did know, however, that language is no barrier to God, and if need be He would provide someone to interpret for me like he did at the church on Cloud Nine Alley three years ago.  Anyway, I did preach for a few minutes and after I finished Salbador brought another man over to the group who was ready to give his life to Jesus.  I know it couldn't have been from me speaking, because I don't think this guy could speak any English.  But.....I had been praying for people's hearts while the others were speaking......  So last week Joe, the policeman, told me there are three gangs whose turf borders this park.  Joe doesn't know about the fourth gang.....Gang Jesus!  His turf covers the whole earth. --Until next time. John