Downtown 7/28/2013

"Are not two sparrows sold for penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." ---Matthew 10:29-30

I don't remember exactly where I saw it yesterday, but in one of the intersections I passed through I saw the remains of a bird that had recently died there.  The verse above came to mind immediately and it's implication that God cares about the details of our lives.  When I think about the people that I just "happen" to meet or decide to look for it almost seems like it was meant to be before hand.  While trying not to get into the topic of determinism or predestination, I'll just describe how this trip went, so here it is....

I guess I should begin with saying that I hadn't gotten a block away from home when I realized I didn't have my phone with me and had to turnaround and go back to get it (remember that's our camera nowadays too). When I finally got down there I drove around for quite awhile before finding a couple and a man (separately) on the west side of Alameda sitting in the shade of buildings along that street.  I couldn't park at either spot, so I just passed food through the window.  They were too far from the missions to be staying or eating there for the night and I'm not sure they were really destitute, but they were definitely homeless Sunday night.  So perhaps, they were at least able to save whatever resources they had for another day.

So I finally made it over to Trinity St where Antonio and Leticia live.  I hadn't gone by there last week and Leticia reminded me about it.  She told me they didn't eat that day!  When I pulled up yesterday there was

another man with them who I've helped before, his name is Carlos.  Carlos is on the left, with Leticia and Antonio on the right.  The second photo are the steps where I see Leticia and Antonio every week.  I took that photo while they were looking at the clothes in my car.  Antonio was needing some shoes (size 9) and I had a pair of 9 1/2's.  I'm not sure if they were men's or women's size.  I'll find out next week I guess.  When we had finished talking, Leticia said, "Pray!"  It was almost like a command but, I'm more than happy to oblige.  A little further up the road a young man named Alex was sitting on the sidewalk.  I have seen him several times recently on this same street near them.  I drove on down and helped him too.  I hadn't given him any clothes before and he didn't take much.  He had a sleeping bag and another bag with personal belongings but I think he want to keep things light for traveling purposes.  I prayed with him and he told me he even had a bible too.  He is a very polite and nice man to me.  I'll have to get to know him better and find out what his story is.

So I met another man named Oscar walking in an alley behind some buildings off Washington Blvd.  I had driven down that alley because there was a Latino Pentecostal Church on the corner that was open.  I heard music coming from it.  Anyway, that was the last of the hamburgers and I was trying to decide whether or not to just drive home at this point.  I had driven (and prayed) down Cloud Nine Alley and had driven around the skid row area already, yet it seemed too early to leave just yet, so I decided to go over to where Maurice and Elisha live on 8th St off Alameda.  I hopped on the freeway where I was and drove down the two or three exits and got off at Alameda.  There was a homeless man named Mark standing on the freeway exit asking for help.  I gave him a can of food and we chatted briefly as I waited for the light to change.  I drove on down to 8th St and saw Maurice and Elisha.  When I first started seeing them a couple of months back they were trying to get to Texas.  Well, it looks like they are going to take a bus there this week.  It was about 7 p.m. at this point and Elisha was in tears thinking that they might have left without seeing me one more time.  To think that I almost didn't go by there because I was out of hamburgers would have been a huge missed opportunity.  I gave them my phone number so they could keep in touch with me when they get situated.  They are moving to the Dallas area, I think that is where she is from.  Remember she's pregnant and they have an opportunity to move into some kind of housing there.

  It's been an absolute pleasure to have known these two people and I will miss them greatly.  I remember a few weeks back, I had bought some burgers for the trip and an extra one for me to eat on my way into town.  Apparently, I had dripped some ketchup on my chin (not an unusual occurrence to anyone who knows me!).  Anyway, I didn't know it and when I got there and gave them their burgers and started talking to them they eventually told me about it.  They said they were embarrassed to tell me.  I told them, "Are you kidding?  We're family, you can tell me anything!"  And that's they way I feel towards them. We had a group hug while I took the last opportunity to pray with them about a safe trip, landing in a good place and Elisha's pregnancy.  I'm praying all goes well, I'll miss them both.

"Not a sparrow falls..."  When I think about the people God provided for through yesterday's trip, people living off the beaten path, in alleys on small side streets under freeways it amazes me.  If you look in the background of the picture above you see absolutely no one, no cars, nothing on the streets.  Yet God knows where these people are and doesn't just send food, but friends to them too.  He's awesome.  I'm reminded of something Richard Stearns, CEO of World Vision, said in his book "The Hole in the Gospel".  He said, and I'm quoting loosely here, "I'd hate to think that someone suffered because I refused to be obedient to God's call."  Being obedient yesterday, literally spread joy to these people.  --Until next time.  John

PS.  Remember how I just happened to remember to go back and get my phone?  Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take these pictures!!!  If you click on the picture once, it gets bigger, and then twice and it's real big.

Downtown 7/21/2013

"They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.'  He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.  And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.'  And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."  He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not keep awake one hour?  Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words."  --Mark 14:32-38

My prayer for this week was that I would have a meaningful encounter with someone needing  encouragement.  I have many encounters where I give out food and water and pray with them, yet I always look forward to the times when the person is wanting to talk further and go beyond just the physical help.  To help those who are hungry and thirsty is a tremendous boost for them, but I am always looking for that next level of encouragement, from physical to emotional help.  When you get to the emotional level you have an opportunity to reach people on a spiritual level too.  I guess if you are to encourage someone on this kind of level it presupposes that they are struggling in some way.  Yesterday I had just such a encounter.

So earlier in the day while I was at church, the pastor happened to mention that Jesus struggled and pointed specifically to the time in the garden at Gethsemane I referred to above in verse 33.  I thought it was important to see Jesus' response to this situation the night of his arrest (since he knew what was going to happen).  We often see Jesus in the gospels as walking around with grace and ease being totally unflappable.  He always seemed to be in control of things and never worried, yet in all four gospels we have the story of the night of his arrest where his temperament changes to one of being "distressed and agitated".  This very human side of Jesus is something we can all relate too, namely worry.  Jesus handles this impending and frightening future with prayer and trust in the Father's ultimate plan.  We struggle with our uncertain future and struggle with temptations that, perhaps in the past, we have not dealt with as well as we should have.  I meet people all the time downtown whose past haunts them and the struggles with the same temptations keep cropping up all the time.  Remember the path that Jesus modeled.

I had driven around for quite awhile and had helped a few people when I drove down an alley near 14th St between Central and San Pedro Ave.  I have driven down this alley many times and a homeless man named Kevin is usually there on Sundays. Yesterday was no exception.  After helping Kevin and talking with him for a few minutes another man named David came walking up. David and Kevin knew each other and they seemed to exchange something that involved money.  I was pretty much finished talking to Kevin at that point and so I drove on down the alley and across the street to where the alley continued on in the next block.  That is where I saw Shawn.  There was a woman there, but she was walking away at the time.  Now Shawn and I knew each other and he seemed very happy to see me.  He needed some food and water and encouraged me to stop and talk with him for awhile.  I had asked him how he was doing (I hadn't seen him in several months) and he admitted to me that he has been struggling with his own weaknesses and temptations that have gone on for quite some time.  I started to mention the story in Genesis about Cain and how he struggled with his attitude.  I had turned around to open the back of the car up so he could get any clothes that he needed.  When I turned back around he had gotten a bible out from his make-shift shelter and handed it to me to show him where the verse was in Genesis.  The passage was just after Cain and his brother Abel had offered sacrifices and Abel's was accepted but Cain's wasn't.  Cain was very upset about this and the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."  I told Shawn that we are constantly facing decisions every day and when we have tough ones we need to think about what we know God would want us to do and speak the name of Jesus over that situation.  I reminded him what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 14:11 that, "...as I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."  I reminded him also that there is power in the name of Jesus and to speak the name of Jesus over situations since He is the Lord over all things.  Jesus said just prior to His ascension to heaven that "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  This means that Jesus in the master of all situations, yet we must call on or pray to him.  Once again, this is what Jesus modeled for us in his most difficult of times in the garden of Gethsemane.  I shared with him some of my own struggles and pointed out a verse in James 5:17 where it says that Elijah was a man just like us and also in Isaiah 6 where Isaiah is brought to the throne room of God and he says "Woe is me!  I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.!"  What these two illustrations point to is that these two "great men" of the bible were just like us and struggled with the same stuff we struggle with today,yet they prayed and sought after God and this was what made the difference in their lives.  Shawn was very aware of all these scriptures and instead of feeling 'beaten down' by them, he was encouraged by them.  We talked at length about some of the other 'great men' of the bible and how each of them were defined by the degree of the struggles they overcame...and so it is with us. While we talked three other people came by.  The first was Dave who was the one with Kevin earlier when they had the 'exchange'.  He asked for more food saying it was for a friend.  When I asked what the friend's name was (so I could pray for that person) he had to think for a few seconds and finally came up with a name.  Shawn and I looked at each other and kind of smiled about it.  I told Shawn that I knew I get taken advantage of from time to time, but it's not unlike the grace that God extends to us that we abuse at times too.  I don't get upset about being taken advantage of in this ministry.  (Just don't take extra socks!)  Anyway, another man came by and sat down just opposite where Shawn's 'house' was.  I had just prayed for Shawn when I turned to this man and asked if I could pray for him.  He put his cigarette down and came over to me and I prayed for him.  When I turned to get some food for him from the car, Shawn then stopped me to pray for me!  Wow!  Pretty powerful moment.  A few minutes later the woman who earlier had walked away when I drove up came back by.  She and I started talking about the weather (it was overcast and kind of muggy) and I said it kind of reminded me of the midwest.  She was from Ohio and Kentucky.  Eventually, I offered her some food and water, but she only wanted the water.  I asked if I could pray for her and she said quite deliberately, "Yes, you can pray for me."  So I asked what her name was and she told me "Heaven".  That was the first time I've ever prayed for Heaven (lol).  This is a picture of Shawn with his bible.

Well, I had a few other encounters, in fact, I found Gabriel on Paloma St near Washington Blvd.  He and I had talked at length once when he was living on 8th St near Maurice and Elisha.  I had hoped to find him again (in fact I had prayed that I would find an old friend during this trip).  It's always good to see an old friend down here. --Until next time. --John

Downtown 7/14/2013

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with [power]; with divine retribution and he will save you'." --Isaiah 35:3-4

I was still pretty worn-out from last week's trip and a busy last 6 days.  I was tempted to stay home and just rest, in fact, I told Maurice and Elisha that I might not make it down this weekend, but I felt up to it when I got up Sunday afternoon (remember I'm working nights these days) and decided to go.  I felt no special word or leading from the Holy Spirit, yet the trip was not devoid of His presence.  Sometimes I think just being regular and dependable in going is important for me and to those I serve.  Last week I didn't see Antonio and Leticia, who only live on the other side of the block from where I had the barbecue.  I think after seeing them yesterday, they kind of missed me coming by.  Most of the people at the barbecue last week I didn't see this time.  However, Louis was there.  He was the one with the big smile last week.  He is always so appreciative of the help I give him and the prayer time we have.  I'm not sure how it happened, but he has told me several times that he has had some head injuries and often can't remember things.  He's about the same age I am, doesn't remember the year he was born, how old he is or when he graduated high school (if he did).  I thoroughly enjoy talking with him.  While I was talking with him a couple of others stopped by asking for help too.  One man was Jacob and the other man was riding by on a bicycle.  I asked what his name was and he told me, but I couldn't write it down at the time and I've forgotten what it was (and I haven't even had a head injury!).  The thing about the guy on the bicycle was he looked at me like we've seen each other before, perhaps he was one of the ones who came by last week.  I had just given out the last of the burgers, although I did have some canned food to give him and some water.  There was something about the big smile on his face when he saw me that has stayed with me.  Maybe, it's just a reminder that everyone I meet in these trips needs to be met with God's love and treated like they're valued people and missed.  Every trip and every expression of love is of value to these people and to God.  In our western culture, Christians are usually thought of as being narrow minded and the things we are 'against' are spoken about more than the things we should be known for.  We are supposed to be known by the way we love  and serve.  I still consider it a miracle that God has changed my priorities to make me into someone willing to use my time and resources to serve others.  That's probably the biggest miracle of this ministry.  He has gifted me and given me 'talents' that I never would have put together on my own.  I've been thinking a lot lately about the parable of the talents.  In that parable the one who did nothing with the talents given him was severely punished.  I think the uniqueness of each of us makes the discovery and use of our special gifting a lifelong adventure.  The apostle Peter wrote, "Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others.  So use your gift well." (1 Peter 4:10)--Until next week. John

Summer BBQ Downtown 7/7/13

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel.  Under his feet was something like pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.  But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. --Exodus 24:9-11

No there weren't seventy people and no we didn't see God, but His presence was felt and we ate and drank.  This was the most ethnically diverse group of folks I've had at a BBQ and everyone enjoyed themselves.  I had been so concerned about the police showing up and shutting things down, but they never appeared.  The only real issue was the noise from the freeway overhead. Yes, we were literally under the overpass.  The street we used was a small little street called Wall St.  Yeah, we've got one out here too, but it's very small and where it runs into Washington Blvd there is very little traffic on Sundays.  When I first arrived, Willie, Charles and Santa Barbara were there waiting for me.  After I got the food ready Paul, Tom and Louis who live on the sidewalk across the street came over.  Tom made a comment about the smoke from the grill making a beeline to their 'camp', but I think that was just so I'd ask if they wanted to join us (he didn't know that was the plan all along).  It turns out Tom is quite an artist and brought over some of his drawings.  One of them was a very unique drawing of Christ on the cross with an angel holding His head up.  It was obvious he has exceptional artistic talent.  Louis, who I met before, was just waking up (yeah, it was 4 pm) and was about the happiest person there.  He kept commenting to me about the big smile on my face!  Eddie works and lives at the recycling place across the street.  I had never met him, but he and I talked together for quite awhile.  I guess one of the recurring themes with some of the people yesterday that I don't know as well as Willie and Santa Barbara, was why I do this.  I was actually asked if I was a 'man of the cloth'.  They were somewhat amazed when I told them I wasn't and am just a regular guy like them.  I told them that although I go to church and am called to do this by Christ, my function is just to tell people about the Jesus I know.  The Jesus who talks with and accepts the people living on the fringe that most people attending churches don't associate with.  Yesterday, with this group, mostly one on one and using very short stories, I was able to weave biblical stories of Jesus encountering people and some of my own personal experiences in coping  with my struggles in life to show how God loves and cares about them.  Of course, the goal of these stories is to encourage people and to let them know that they don't have to be stuck in the mindset where they are now which may be indifference or out and out anger with God and people.  Two of the folks yesterday, Charles and Santa Barbara, spent most of the time laying down (they weren't feeling well).  Santa Barbara has a serious illness that I've been witness to for almost a year. There were several other people who were walking by, Guillermo and Earnest were two that I remember who stayed and got fed.  I tried to make this as close to a park BBQ with family and friends as I could.  I'm sure that most all of these folks at one time or another in their past had a day of food, family and friends.  That's what I was shooting for, just to have a good day for these people.  I prayed with nearly everyone and my goal of bringing a good day and a piece of the kingdom of heaven to earth for these people was pretty much accomplished.  But I wasn't done yet....

I had plenty of food left and it was only about 6 pm, so I packed everything up and drove over to where Maurice and Elisha live on 8th St just off Alameda and BBq'd for them too.  They have become kind of like next door neighbors to me.  People you can drop in on anytime and be welcomed.  When I got out of the car Elisha told me to congratulate Maurice on being a Papa!  Yeah, she is (they think).  I stayed with them for about two hours too.  During this time I had an update on a story I had told them a week or two ago about a little four year old girl in Madagascar.  I had heard from a missionary/orphanage group that this little girl had been found abandoned and near death.  She was brought to a hospital and this group immediately sent people over to care and talk to her.  It turned out she didn't know if she had a name or not, she didn't know of one!  I know the continent of Africa has been decimated by the AID's virus and many kids have been left orphans with maybe an older sibling as their only caregiver.  So what happens when the older sibling is suddenly gone or unable to care for them anymore?  So the missions group started caring for this little girl even though she was still in the hospital being nursed back to health.  They went over a list of possible names for her and she liked the name Sarah.  Did you know that Sarah means 'princess'?  How fitting.  So for the last two weeks this little girl, Sarah, was happy and smiling and looking forward to coming home with them, knowing she now had a home.  Then suddenly a few nights ago Sarah died.  The orphanage staff was devastated.  One of the staff members posted these words on facebook, "So sad.  Our beautiful Princess Sarah just passed away in the hospital.  We are not sure why..she was doing so well and starting to get better.  We are all in shock as this was not what we expected.  But at least in the last few weeks of her life she knew that she was precious and beautiful and that she was so loved.  Instead of being abandoned and rejected, she was wanted and adored and knew that we loved her so much.  Now she's happy in the arms of her amazing daddy God with no more pain and no more needles and is able to walk and run and play again.  We miss you already though, our beautiful girl."  Then she used a quote from the co-founder of the organization, Heidi Baker, "We lay our lives down for love, and we give our lives away.  We cannot just love with our words.  Love is in truth and in our actions."  Although this story is so tragic from our perspective on this side of eternity, it reminds me of the truth that all love is precious and it is never wasted.  The apostle Paul's words in the great 'love chapter' in Corinthians tells us, "Love is patient, love is kind, ...it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  I had always understood the 'endures all things' part as enduring pain and trouble that loving someone sometimes brings, but in light of this story it occurred to me that the expression of love itself endures forever.  Acts of kindness and love endure because God himself remembers them forever.  Pretty cool.

So I always have these big fears before I do a BBQ.  What if no one shows up, what if we get shut down, what if..what if.  So I come up with contingency plans.  I could go over to Lincoln park and use the grills there and cook everything and take them around to everyone, or go find a safe alley and cook everything.  Because God is more than able to change an unexpected obstacle into triumph I guess I should never worry but I still do (one of my many flaws that I'm working on).  Oh, so I guess I should tell you what I 'forgot to bring".  It's always something, this time it was the potato salad.  I had bought a couple of pounds of it and left it in the refrigerator at home.  I forgot my cell phone, so I couldn't take pictures.  Well, I bought some more potato salad and a disposable camera.  I took some pictures, but it will take a few days to get them developed and back, so maybe next week I'll post them. --Until next time.  John

PS.  I'll leave you with this quote from a film group on their facebook page, "Stop telling people about the gospel. Start showing them."  Well, I don't think it's an either or thing.  Perhaps, if we show people what the gospel (the good news) looks like first, then they'll be more willing to listen.  What do you think?