Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Downtown 2/24/2013

"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"  the words of John the apostle ---1 John 3:17 

I just finished reading an account from a woman missionary, named Heather, in Thailand after her first experience in the 'red-light district' of that city.  After describing the shock of what it looked like first-hand as opposed to seeing it on TV or reading a report or email she said, in part, the "Thai churches can preach a message of revival and transformation to a culture so accustomed to this "industry", and I am thankful that God has allowed me to be here to offer not what I have, but what He has...."  It was quite a reminder that even when my food resources are low my primary resource is Him and my overflowing staple is God's love and mercy and not what I bring in the trunk of the car or purchase on the way down there.  I nearly always drive through the skid row area just to be blown away by the incredible need.  Then I drive to the outskirts of that area to stop for and care for the one here and the one there where the big established mid-night missions don't reach.  The power and gifting that the Holy Spirit has given this ministry has always been one-on-one personal contact.  There is nothing wrong with big churches and big mission centers, but I've found the real adventure for me is out in the streets, away from the crowds and one guy sharing with one or two others how God loves even the one (them!) face to face.

I had a most incredible encounter Sunday with a man named Shawn.  I had never met him before.  It was in an alley near where I knew three other men lived over a couple of years ago.  I mentioned Billy, James and Will (check out blog entry on Nov 1, 2010) to Shawn and he knew them too!  Two of them had moved on to Pasadena to some VA housing and Shawn confirmed that Will had followed them there a few months back.  I'm guessing Shawn to be about 35 years old.  He told me he was from Ventura.  I told him I had lived in Ventura one summer (1983) and was sort of homeless myself at the time.  I was living out of a truck that I was driving for work at the time.  Anyway, we seemed to have an instant connection.  I had given him some food (which he ate right away) and clothing (he put the sweater on before I left because it was cold) and we were just standing by the car talking for about thirty minutes.  Apparently, he had had some Christian upbringing and had a general understanding of the bible.  This turned out to be useful in helping him see that since God knows where he's from and all about him that God is able to speak to him in exactly the way that will reach through to his heart if he will just pray and seek after Him.  He told me he had been married with three step-children, but through choices that he had made he ended up where he is today.  I was also able to help him see through my own experiences in helping the homeless that since everyone is created in God's image, then we are all people of worth to Him, even the seemingly worst of us!  For some reason I shared with Shawn an experience I had about 7 or 8 years ago and how God spoke to me in a very specific way when I was having trouble forgiving someone.  I'll try to keep this story as brief as possible, but someone at work at offended me.  I was holding on to this 'offense' in my heart for a couple of days.  On a Monday I was prayer-walking in the neighborhood of my church at the time.  Prayer-walking is praying for people as I walked by their houses and yet here I was holding on to this incredible anger.  I soon realized the inconsistancy and futility in this and knew there was only one thing to do even though I didn't want to do it.  I was to pray for the man who offended me!!!  Ouch!  OK, so I did it even though I really didn't want to.  Exactly twenty four hours and twenty minutes later I get a call from my wife telling me that someone I was interested in was being interviewed on the radio right then.  I turned on the radio and heard this man (he was a missionary's kid and his dad had been killed by the tribe he was living with at the time) tell the story of an experience he had when he was nine years old living in the jungles of Ecuador.  One night he heard men shouting outside.  He was frightened and went into where his Aunt was sleeping and asked her what was going on.  She woke up and listened to the voices for a minute or two and said, "Oh, those are men from another tribe who have come to kill us, but our men are telling them that we don't do that anymore (the tribe had been converted to Christianity) and even if they kill some of us, we won't kill them."  You have to realize that in a span of about 10 minutes after turning on this program I suddenly realized these "uncivilized" South American natives understood more about surrendering to God all their 'rights' and displaying mercy and forgiveness than I understood in all my years of being a Christian.  I was humbled instantly and totally ashamed.  But also, the anger immediately disappeared.  How could I remain angry over someone's rude words to me, when these men were willing to give up their lives?  Anyway, I explained to Shawn that God knew exactly what would reach through to me.  He (God) let me stew about it for 24 hours and then wham, bam get over it!!!!  The same way will work for him, pray and allow God the freedom to work on your heart.  Well, we talked about a few other spiritual issues when a latino man by the name of Mario rode by on a bicycle.  He stopped and motioned with his hand over his stomach that he was hungry.  While I went to get some burgers out of the car, Shawn started talking to Mario in Spanish!  I was pleasantly surprised and proud of Shawn.  Mario got some food, water and a sweater.  It was a good thirty minutes.......

On the way out of town I drove by where John Stokes lives.  Last week he wasn't there and that's when I met Mel (I met with Mel when I first arrived today).  Today John was there and also a couple of other people were with him.  I only had 2 burgers left and there were three people!  John came over to the car and I gave him the two.  He gave one to the woman who was there and kept the other burger.  I had given him three bottles of water.  The 'odd man out' gave me quite a mournful look.  What was I to do?  I suddenly remembered I had some peanut butter crackers, so I called him over and offered him those.  That saved the day!  He was happy (I gave him about six packs of them).  I usually bring a half a dozen cans of spagetti or beef ravioli, but I didn't have any with me today.  Somehow, there's always seems to be "just enough" of the stuff I bring, but always "more than enough" of the mercy and love God supplies. --Until next time.  John

          

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Downtown 2/17/2013

"Caring for the poor is lending to the Lord, and you will be well repaid."  Proverbs 19:17


Finally, after four months I was finally able to make a trip in the early hours of a Sunday afternoon.  It was also a picturesque sunny day in the mid-sixties.  Probably due to that it was somewhat of a quiet day--I had trouble finding people.  Gary wasn't around behind the auto parts store, Ray wasn't around on Cloud Nine Alley nor anyone on the barbecue alleys I drove down.  I did see Robert again across from the mini-truck stop.  I wanted to check and see if he was feeling better after last week.  He had been sick with a cold last week.  He seemed to be feeling much better and I was relieved to see that.

When I first arrived I drove over to the Lincoln Park area.  I haven't spent much time there in quite a while.  I found a couple of guys there who were digging through trash cans looking for recyclables.  I asked one of them if he had seen Ricky (someone I used to see quite frequently in that area) lately.  He said Ricky was still around and was OK.

Back on the other side of town after checking on Gary, who wasn't around, I looked for Oscar and Jorge, but they weren't around either.  Near where I usually find them I did find a man named Reese.  I'm guessing him to be about thirty years old.  When I first pulled up he was laying down in the parking lot of a little corner shopping area.  His eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping because he looked at me when I called out to him asking if he needed some food.  He quickly got up and came over to the car.  I don't think he had eaten at all yet that day (remember it's afternoon now). because when I asked him if he wanted a second burger he excitedly said, "Yes! God bless you!"  I happened to drive back by there about fifteen minutes later and noticed he was gone.  It was a reminder that our energy levels are quite low when we're hungry.

Near one of the alleys where I've had the barbecues I met a man named James Daniel from Missouri.  James is seventy years old and quite thin with several teeth missing in the front.  He was digging through a dumpster looking for recyclables when I drove up.  After giving him some food and water I prayed with him through the window and then asked if he needed some socks.  He said he hadn't had a pair in a week.  I pulled over to the side of the alley and got out.  He then asked me how I knew that he was homeless!  Not really much guesswork there!  After asking him where he was from he told me that his mother had told him and his siblings to move out here to California and that was 50 years ago.  At that point he was on the verge of tears thinking about it, then he added, "I came out here and just got stuck."  We talked for a while about the difficulties of living out here and being homeless and also how dangerous the skid row area is.  He told me he had lived on the skid row area for about 7 months and just about every thing that could go wrong went wrong down there.  We had already prayed once, but I felt an incredible urge to pray again for James.  This time I prayed that God would not only provide for his needs but help him understand that he was a person of value and worth as well.  Before leaving him I gave him some sweaters, shirts and a blanket.  He was on the verge of tears again.  I do hope I see James again soon.

On my way out of town I stopped by where John Stokes lives under the freeway on Elwood Ave, but he wasn't home either.  However, there was a man named Mel who was going through a dumpster a hundred yards or so down the street.  I gave him the last of the food.  He told me he lived off 14th St around the corner.  I'll look in on him next week too. --Until then.  John


  

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

On a Cold Sunday night downtown-2/10/2013

"We at Iris (a missionary outreach in Mozambique, Africa) continue to face more need, challenge, opposition, helplessness and perplexity than we can bear, yet daily God shows up and we soldier on.  We are jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor. 4:7).  We often feel under great pressure, condemned to failure.  But we have learned that this happens that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:9).  We cannot overstate how much more help we need in every way......We exist to demonstrate an all-encompassing love that flows from God's heart, a love that the unsaved have never seen before.  We are here to seek and save the lost, and in the process give them a foretaste of heaven and our unshakeable inheritance that is to come.  We have come to Mozambique, one of the world's poorest countries, to prove the Gospel, both in our own hearts and lives and among the neediest people we could find.  And the Gospel has taken root all around us... ---Update from Rolland and Heidi Baker, IRIS Directors, Feb. 10, 2013.

Just when I needed encouragement, I read this newsletter update from Rolland Baker.  Some of you may know that it was in response to an interview of Rolland that I started this ministry.  The last two months I have dealt with a lot of health issues and was worn-out and discouraged.  The last two weeks I haven't even been healthy enough to make a trip.  Last week I spent my whole "weekend" in bed.  But this Sunday I was determined to make a trip, albeit a short one.  I prayed for God to renew my passion for the lost and overcome the mental and physical obstacles that have been in my way.  I knew the homeless needed someone to show up.  It has been cold and wet here and they need to know that God cares and hasn't forgotten about them.  It was 53 degrees at 4:30 pm when I arrived Sunday evening, with about an hour and fifteen minutes of daylight left.  I heard later that night that it was expected to drop into the 30's (if your sleeping on concrete, it can seem a lot colder that that).

I can't say this was the most memorable trip ever.  I can't say I had any lengthy deep encounters with anyone either.  But I did get to pray with most everyone and about half the people I had seen before.  One man named Michael said he remembered me from another location near 18th St (right near the I-10 freeway--prime area of this ministry).  He had a tent and an assortment of 'stuff' around it on a side street off Alameda between 7th and 8th.  I found out why everything was spread out on the sidewalk.  Someone had gone into his tent while he was away and urinated on everything, including his blanket.  Can you imagine how frustrating that would be just hours before a cold night?  Yes, he received a blanket. 

No one was in either of the alleys where I've had the barbecues, although one Asian man named Wayne was on Hooper St right near one of them.  All I could get out of him was his name.  I'm not sure if he spoke much English, although his name would indicate he did.  Perhaps I didn't hear him correctly.  He seemed lost.  Another man was bedded down for the night on Olive St.  His name is Luis.  It was still light out so I got out of the car and asked him if he needed some food.  He nodded yes.  Before I drove away I snapped this photo of him starting to unwrap one of the burgers.  It would be the warmest thing he would have all night.  I did see Alan on Olympic again and Antonio on the 4th St bridge.  I hadn't seen Antonio in a couple of years.  He seemed a little more coherant Sunday, and younger for some reason, than I remembered.

Well, before I left I stopped by where Robert 'lives' across from a little mini truck stop off Alameda just south of 4th St.  He's there every day.  When I pulled up in the car he was standing with his head down facing a warehouse building.  Robert is probably in his late sixties, maybe even 70 yrs old.  I've seen him at this location for as long as I've been coming down here.  I remember one Mother's Day a couple of years ago he told me his mom's name was Mary.  I asked all the men that day what their mom's name was.  When Robert turned around to face me Sunday night I saw a cold sick man.  He had on a jacket with a couple of layers of shirts underneath.  He had on a pair of incredibly dirty jeans that didn't fit and a very long drip of you know what coming from his nose.  I asked him how he was doing and his answer was the same it always is, "I'm OK."  I knew he wasn't OK.  He had to feel as bad as he looked.  I gave him the warm burgers and reached out my hand towards him and prayed.  When I finished I saw he had leaned forward to hear me pray.  He looked up at me and in that moment I saw the face of Jesus in his eyes.  I don't know how to describe to you what that means or what that looks like.  I just saw a hurting man looking at me, yet thankful I had stopped to help him.  Robert didn't say anything.  I told him I loved him and would see him again soon.  It makes you feel guilty driving away in the face of such need....Lord forgive me.

One of my favorite missionary books is the story of Brother Yun from China.  His story is recorded in a book called, The Heavenly Man.  In a subsequent book he writes that Satan's favorite weapons are your health, your family and your purity.  My health it seems has been under constant attack for the last two months.  I have prayed diligently for protection for my family.  Protection for their health and well-being and also protection from temptation (I have a teenage daughter after all!).  Purity is a constant battlefield.  My motives, thoughts and feelings are easy fodder for the enemy to harrass me with.  When I read the newletter/update from Rolland, which I quoted only in part above, it reminded me that I'm not alone and am grateful that I am counted worthy to suffer for Christ.  Who would have thought that the enemy would consider me worth stopping???   It teaches me to rely on Christ and not myself (especially not my physical health).  --Until next time.  John