Monday, December 29, 2014

Downtown 12/28/14-Year in review

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."  Jeremiah 29:11-12

This was the last trip of 2014 and it was made at night again.  I was wanting to make a trip where I would be helping homeless folks who were alone.  I have the two spots, 25th and San Pedro St and the place a block from the Jack in the Box, where there are lots of people and if I stop there I end up giving out all the food and it kind of limits my ability to help those who are by themselves.  I love helping both, but for some reason I always gravitate towards those who are alone.  Probably because I can have deeper conversations one-on-one than with a crowd.  I had some stuff for Nicole's baby that I wanted to drop off at the spot she seems to drop by occasionally so I waited to go there at the end of the trip.

So between the first guy and the last woman I was able to help and pray with about eight people.  All of them seemed to be very needful of a meal.  One of the last guys was Derek.  He knew me and I've seen him several times around 14th and Essex.  This night he was in an alley were I had a couple of BBQ's a few years back.  He told me Keysha, a homeless woman we both know, is in a 'program' down on skid row at the Weingarden facility.  Derek was doing the best he could in this spot.  Other homeless people keep taking stuff when he leaves, so he's constantly having to start over.  He needed 'anything' warm and I was happy to be able to help him out.

There were a couple of others over on Venice by Los Angeles St on opposite corners.  One was a man named Jaime.  He was very grateful for the food and the pair of socks and he told me about his brother on the other corner.  I'm not sure if his 'brother' was actually related or just in spirit, but I went over and helped him too.  His name was Hector.  Hector was in pretty much the same situation everyone else was Sunday night....cold and hungry.

One other woman I helped was Angel, who lives in an alley off Pico between Olive and Hill St.  She called me by name as I drove up.  She was listening to the Laker game that had just started.  She needed a pair of pants and I just happened to have put a pair of women's jogging pants in the car before leaving the house.  She was pretty happy to get them.  She too complained about losing stuff when she's away from her spot.

So looking back on this last year there are three or four really memorable times for me.  As the year started I was getting an opportunity to preach the gospel in MacArthur Park until about April or so. That was probably one of the more exhilarating things I've ever done.  Impromptu preaching I had never done before.  Along with that opportunity was the praying in front of the store door where the words "I am Legion" had been painted.  By April those words were gone from the door and  coincidentally, the preaching opportunity ended also.  Then there was the BBQ in August.  The biggest BBQ I had done up to that time.  Along with my wife, daughter, sister-in-law and niece we not only served a lot of people food, but because I had help (and an extra car) we gave out lots of clothing too.  Then back in November I was able to put on the lasagna dinner on the corner of 25th and San Pedro.  I probably served more meals on that day than on any other BBQ day.  In addition to that, because Nikki helped serve a lot of the people, I was able to talk and pray with many others.  It was so cool praying with people that otherwise might not ever go to a church.

On a more personal level there were two encounters that really stood out for me.  I had prayed before a trip back in June or so about  helping someone who was really desperate emotionally.  About fifteen minutes later I was helping a man on Petaloma and 14th.  After giving out some food and water to him we got started talking somehow about his situation.  He ended up telling me he was ready to end his life.  I stayed and talked to him for quite a while that day and ended up giving him a card to the Dream Center hoping he would take the opportunity to not only get some help, but change the direction of his life.  I never saw him again.  I pray he sought help there or somewhere else.  The other person was Elva.  I met her through the people at 25th and San Pedro.  She lives in the residential area east of San Pedro Ave.  I prayed with her and found out her husband had just died a short time before.  A couple of weeks later I spent an hour or more in her home as she showed me pictures of her wedding forty years before.  She just needed someone to share her grief with and I was very privileged to be the someone chosen.  How fortunate it was that her son-in-law was there to translate for us!  It may have been the most important moment of this ministry during the whole year.  However, I realize that I see things from my perspective and there may have been many other moments that from the perspective of the person I helped it was much more valuable that I could ever know.  All in all, it was a very good year and I look forward to 2015 and the possibilities that lay ahead.  --Until next time. --John

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Downtown 12/20/14

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him..."  John 3:16-17

I had been on a trip to visit family all day Saturday and stopped downtown on my way back home.  I didn't even arrive there until about 6 pm and needed to rest for a half an hour or so.  I had kind of dozed off for a little bit and I was awakened by "Jackie", a homeless guy who wanted to say "Hello" and "Merry Christmas".  I went into the Jack in the Box (I had been in my car in the parking lot) and had some coffee and a couple of tacos before meeting with any homeless friends.  When I left the burger joint at 7 pm I purchased a bunch of burgers and went down a few streets to where I had the BBQ during the summer.  There were a half dozen or so homeless folks there where Willie lives. They were all real happy to see me.  One of the cool things that happened was one of the homeless men I had given some burgers to came back up to me thanking me for the food....after he had eaten the burgers.  It kind of reminded me of the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers (and the one who returned to thank him for the healing).  During this time Nicole and Bill came by with her baby, Billy Joe. She works at the recycler on the other side of the block.  I had collected some things for her that I was going to leave with Willie, but it was great that they just happened to show up while I was there.  Most of the men who were there had been there for the BBQ back in August, so one of the things they asked me about was when I was going to do another one!  I had to tell them, "Not for a while."  I need to be off the night shift and we need daylight savings time back too.  This won't happen until after February.  Since there were so many people there the food went pretty quickly and all the coats and jackets went too.

I left there with only four burgers left so I drove around the corner and gave them to Dave and John Stokes. It ended up being a fairly quick trip once I actually got started.  However brief it was, it was still very fulfilling and several people were helped on a cold December night downtown the weekend before Christmas.  --Until next time.  John


Here's a photo of Nicole and Billy Joe



Sunday, December 14, 2014

Sunday night downtown-12/14/2014

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:8-16  
This is a favorite passage of mine and one of the reasons is because the first people who were told of Jesus' birth worked the night shift!!!



Another trip downtown made at night.  In fact, I don't think I even made it down there until about 7:30 pm.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow or at least by tomorrow night and I knew people could use some warm clothes.  So I loaded up a half dozen or so jackets and sweat shirts in the car and took off for San Pedro and 25th.  I hadn't seen these folks since the dinner last month (Nov 16th) and all the usual people were there except for Victoria and Hiram.  The jackets were gone in less than five minutes and two of the blankets I took also.  It was a good but brief stop because I had parked in front of a driveway and one of the residents came home needing to use the driveway.  There was a iron fence I was parked in front of that I didn't think anyone would be needing to get through, but someone showed up after I'd been there for five minutes, so I had to leave rather quickly.  It was good to be able to accomplish so much so quickly; food, water and warm clothing and hugs for everyone.

I then drove over to Venice Blvd by Los Angeles St and found some friends on a corner there. One of the guys is Felipe.  I was able to show him a picture of him on my phone that I took with him and Antonio and Leticia a couple of summers ago.  He was sure surprised to see it.  Although they looked like they had a lot of 'stuff'', Felipe told me that the city had come by one day while they were gone and taken everything away.  So the socks and the last blanket I had with me were greatly needed.

I had two burgers left and after checking out a couple of locations and finding nobody there I decided to drive over to the Jack in the Box and take a short break.  So while I was sitting at one of the tables and having some coffee (I was reading a book during this time) I noticed a man sitting by himself in one of the corners of the dining room.  He wasn't eating or drinking anything just sitting there minding his own business hoping to not be noticed by the staff there.  He kept looking at his hands which were kind of dirty.  When I was ready to go I walked over to him and told him if he was hungry I had a couple of burgers left in my car he could have.  He said "OK" and I motioned for him to follow me outside.  I gave him the burgers and asked what his name was.  He told me his name was Michael.  I told him I have a brother by that name.  We talked for a minute or two, I gave him a pair of socks and a bottle of water before leaving.  He then walked back over to the sidewalk by the Jack in the Box and started eating the burgers.  I just knew he was hungry.  I was glad I offered him the burgers and glad I had two left to give out.  --Until next time.  John      

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Saturday night downtown 12/6/2014

"If you mistreat the poor you insult your Creator, if you are kind to them you show him respect."  Proverbs 14:31

I usually don't have Saturday nights off from work, but I did have it off this week and I was able to make the trip at night.  It rained earlier this week and the temperature is still very cool (high 50's to low 60's). Along with the low night-time temperatures most of the homeless were already bedded down for the night when I arrived at about 6:30 pm.  Some I didn't try to arouse, but others (who were probably hungry) got up quickly when I asked if they were hungry.

One group of guys on the corner of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St were still awake, but obviously winding down.  One of the men I had helped before but I probably hadn't seen him in over a year.  His name was Felipe and I used to see him a few blocks east of there with Antonio and Lecticia.  In fact, he asked me how they were doing.  After I helped these three men I prayed with them and it was then that Felipe said something I won't soon forget.  He said, "We need prayer.  Thank you so much." It wasn't said in a patronizing way, but really heartfelt.  He probably remembered me praying with Antonio and Leticia..

I left that corner and drove on down to Trinity St where I usually see Antonio and Leticia.  I didn't see them, although they may have been there sleeping under some blankets, but I did meet two men named Oscar and Pablo.  I didn't have a lengthy conversation with them because of the language barrier, but they were very thankful for the food and water.  They also were grateful for the "calcetines" (socks) and the blanket I gave them.  Yes, I got to pray with them too.

I saw Angel again in an alley off Pico and Olive.  She didn't say anything about leaving for Utah this time, but did talk about how a lot of her stuff had been stolen.  I let her go through the clothes in the back of the car.  I think she was pretty happy to see me tonight.

The last place I stopped was where I had the BBQ back in August.  I saw Willie and also Nicole's husband.  I'm not real sure if Nicole and him are married or not and I never did get his name.  I asked how Nicole was doing and they said she stops by there every night.  I didn't ask too many questions (like where she's staying), but I told them I have some stuff I've collected for her baby.  Willie said I could leave it with them and he'll make sure she gets it.  I didn't have any of it with me tonight, but I'll bring a few things at a time over the next few trips and I'll see if it makes it to her or not.  --Until next time.  John  

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Downtown Sunday night 11/23/14

"Never worry about numbers.  Help one person at a time and always start with the person in front of you."  --Mother Teresa

"There is a terrible hunger for love.  We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness.  We must have the courage to recognize it.  The poor you may have right in your own family.  Find them.  Love them."  --Mother Teresa

After last week's trip, I didn't necessarily want to go back to the same street corner, but I did want to try and find Gabriel.  I wrote about meeting him last week, however, as I crossed Washington Blvd on San Pedro there was some police activity right near the alley he said he spends his nights at.  Since it was already dark, I couldn't really see people walking up and down the street too well either. Gabriel said he spends most of his time there on San Pedro St during the daytime.  I'll keep looking around for him in the weeks ahead.

I didn't arrive downtown until almost 5:30 pm and by this time it's night time now.  The trip didn't take very long once I got there.  Everyone I met I prayed with and I'm pretty sure everyone I helped would have gone to sleep without eating anything too, so it was a worthwhile trip on both counts.

I found Antonio and Leticia on their street (Trinity), but they were standing on the other side of the street than they usually are.  Antonio is always very reserved, but Leticia is always happy to see me and asks for me to pray for them.  I'm always happy to oblige.

Just down the street from them and under the freeway was a woman named Sharon.  She looked to be about my age and all bundled up.  It is starting to get cold a night around here.  She was happy for the food, but didn't need any water.  I think she was surprised when I asked to pray for her.  Perhaps next time she will be a little more talkative.  She said she was from around the LA area.

On the corner of Los Angeles St and Venice Blvd there is an auto repair shop.  A pit bull guards the back door behind a small fenced area.  I call this dog Rocky (because he's built like a rock) and I usually feed him some treats when I go by there.  It's probably been six weeks or more since I've seen Rocky, but he was happy to see me and ate the treats right out of my hand!  Around the corner from him were three Latino men getting ready to spend the night on the sidewalk.  Alex, Santa and (I think they said) Bocha.  I gave out food and water to all of them and a blanket too.  Then I prayed for them.

At this point I only had two burgers left.  I drove down an alley off Pico Ave separating a couple of fenced parking lots and found Angel.  I hadn't seen her in at least two months. She had a small flashlight and showed me her cat.  When I saw it the last time it was just a kitten.  She also has a small dog named Prince too.  She told me her tent was stolen and also a tarp she had for the 'roof' of her make-shift home.  I gave her a blanket to help her get through these cold nights.  Then she told me someone was providing her with a bus ticket to go back to Utah next month and that this would probably be the last time we'd see each other.  I said,"Well, let me pray for a safe trip."  So I prayed for her.  I wonder what will become of her dog and cat when she leaves. Angel has a lot of 'issues'. One big one is that she needs a wheel chair to get around in.  I'm sure she's also a very lonely woman and that's why she has the dog and cat.  I thought the second quote from Mother Teresa was a great quote. What if we all recognized the need others have to be loved and just loved them unconditionally?  The world would be a better place I'm sure.  --Until next time.  John

  


Monday, November 17, 2014

Sunday afternoon dinner on a street corner downtown-11/16/14

"Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 'Here is a boy with five small barely loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?'  Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down'.  There was plenty of grass in that place and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.  Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.  He did the same with the fish.  When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over.  Let nothing be wasted.'  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."  John 6:8-13  

I was unable to put on two BBQ's this year.  I had done the one in August, but somehow, ran out of time before daylight savings time was over to do a second one.  I wanted to do a second one down on the corner of 25th and San Pedro St in Los Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with firing up a BBQ that close to a busy street.  So I thought about using the pans with the little cans of Sterno gel under them to heat up food.  I got some advice and help on this from a close friend and it worked out perfectly.  I thought about the menu options and decided to go with Lasagna with a few different choices of salads and with chips and salsa.  The food went over very well, only one guy didn't like lasagna and he ended up coming back for more salad!

So if you've followed these blogs for a while you might be wondering, "What specifically were you praying about this time John?"  The thing about this location is that there is a lot of foot traffic going from the residential neighborhood to the retail stores on San Pedro St.  There are lots of alleys up and down San Pedro St where homeless folks live too.  So I knew it would be busy in the afternoon with a lot of people walking by.  Especially, with the kind of people I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to pray with.  I had told the core people that live on that corner that we'd be celebrating Thanksgiving early and since my birthday was the Friday before we'd celebrate 'every ones' birthday too.  So the core people that are there nearly every time I come by there are Queen Victoria, Dave Parker, Hiram, Nicky and another woman who rarely speaks (and I've never caught her name either, she always looks kind of scared and worried too).  Anyway, I got down there at 1:30 pm. and Nicky and Hiram helped me set up (I really would have struggled if they hadn't helped).  I had cooked six pans of lasagna in the morning and wanted to get the tables and the chafing pans set up as quickly as possible.  I had rented 3 tables and 8 chairs so people walking by could sit and eat and enjoy the time on the corner in comfort.  It worked out well and Nicky probably served 80% of the people, she was a great help.  Victoria had gone to the Burger King to use their restroom to get ready.  When she came back she had on a pretty bright floral blouse and looked radiant.  Dave, for some reason, left right away and didn't come back. Victoria was very upset about it and shed some tears over it, but I told her not to worry about it on my account.  I was a little surprised though.  Now I didn't count the number of people served, but it was around thirty (more than I've ever done at a BBQ).  All the salads were gone, and 4 of the 6 pans of lasagna were gone.  I'd rather have too much, than too little.  Remember I had said that the dinner was an early Thanksgiving Day celebration of sorts too.  The story above that I started with of Jesus feeding the five thousand was the earliest written words that I could come up with where someone "gives thanks" for what they are about to eat (in the other three gospels it says Jesus "blessed" the loaves, but here he "gives thanks").

OK, so what happened?  I'd say at least three people said they hadn't eaten all day.  I'm sure there were a lot more that didn't say it.  One woman said she hadn't eaten in three days.  Another woman who was all dressed up and had come from the "Kingdom Hall" said the only thing in her refrigerator at home was ice cubes!  There were people who walked by who didn't speak hardly any English who stayed and ate with us.  One woman, named Marabelle, lived near Maple St.  I sat and talked with her while she ate.  She had had knee surgery a while back and walking was still painful for her.  Actually, I talked with just about everyone who came by.  Two men, Freddy and Moses, came by.  I'm not really sure if they were homeless or not.  They may live in the neighborhood nearby I really don't remember if they said so or not.  But I got to talk with them and pray with them.  They (as were most of the people who asked) were surprised that I live as far away as I do and come down there to help people.  There was one couple who stopped and ate with us, the man had on a Redskin's jersey with the name Randel El on the back.  I'm sure I surprised him when I said that guy was in the Super Bowl with the Steelers several years back and as a receiver threw a touchdown pass.  The Steeler's quarterback didn't throw one in the whole game, yet that guy did.  How did I remember that???

So are you ready for the encounter of the day?  It's difficult to tell and will probably shock a few people, but this is the reality for some people on the street, so here goes.  About two hours into the trip and man came by, Latino, but spoke fluent English.  His name was Gabriel.  I guess he grew up in the area.  I had been talking about my daughter learning to drive and he told me about his mother promising to buy him a car when he was 17 after he got his driver's license.  She got him a GTO in 1981, so by now he's in his early 50's I'm guessing.  I noticed a big patch of skin off the top of his right forearm when he first walked up, so I had made a plate of food for him and had him sit down in one of the chairs and handed it to him.  We had talked for a while when I got around to asking him about the open spot on his arm.  In addition to the missing skin, the back of his hand was now at a 90 degree angle to his forearm and his fingers were kind of swollen too.  So he told me the story of one night when he was shooting up heroin.  He was looking for a vein in that arm and was having trouble finding one so he set the needle down next to him so he could tie up his arm so the veins would pop up.  Then he shot the needle in.  A few hours later his arm swelled up and he ended up in the hospital.  When he woke up, they had removed that patch of skin due to a flesh eating virus or something.  As his arm healed, the hand moved into that position, probably due to lack of physical therapy.  After telling me this, Gabriel said, "Hey, I'm just telling you the truth of what happened.  I'm on methadone now."  I told him it was OK, I wasn't offended by his story.  Of course, I prayed for him.  I also asked him where he stayed at night.  he told me that he and two other guys sleep in an alley off Washington Blvd and San Pedro St, between 10 pm and 7:30 am and then they have to move on.  He spends most of his days walking up and down San Pedro St.  Remember when I said one of the reasons I wanted to do a dinner on this street corner was because I'd meet people there that I'd never have the opportunity to meet otherwise?  Well, there you go!  You're not going to meet people like this in a church, people like this will never make it there.  You have to go to the streets to meet people like this (in desperate need).  By the way, Gabriel seemed coherent, well-spoken and pleasant to talk to.  He even asked for some literature so I gave him a couple of Guide Post magazines.  As he was about to leave and he told me he spent most of his time walking up and down San Pedro St, I told him I come down here once a week and pointed to my car.  "When you see this car, flag me down.  I come down here to help people."  Then he said, "When I see you, I see Jesus.  You are Jesus to me."  Talk about being humbled immediately.  I sure hope I see Gabriel again because I realized later I missed an opportunity to tell him, "Jesus loves you.  I know because this Jesus loves you!"  I think somehow he knew that already, but I'll keep searching for him until I find him again.

Well, a little while later Hiram, Nicky and the other woman helped me pack the car up.  Before I left we all gathered around and held hands and prayed.  When we finished praying they all sang happy birthday to me.  It was quite a trip!

So I had two pans of lasagna left.  I decided to try and find some folks on the other side of Washington Blvd to help on my way out of town.  I called out to several tents where people I know live, but no one came out or were there, so I came on home.  Don't worry about the left-over lasagna, it won't go to waste (as of Monday afternoon, only one pan is left!)  Until next time.--John          

    

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Monday afternoon downtown-11/10/14

"I the LORD, was ready to answer even those who were not asking and to be found by those who were not searching.  To a nation that refused to worship me, I said, "Here I am!"  All day long I have reached out to stubborn and sinful people."  --Isaiah 65:1-2

Well today's trip started out being as much a PR trip as anything.  I needed to get down to 25th and San Pedro and remind those folks that I would be back on Sunday afternoon for the dinner I'm planning.  By the time a got there it was about 2:20 pm.  The elementary school down the street had just let out and San Pedro St was pretty packed with cars.  I saw Hiram,but he was sleeping.  I saw Queen Victoria and her face lit up when she saw me.  There was no place to park, so I called out to her and reminded her to tell everyone that I would be back on Sunday afternoon.  Hopefully, that will be enough.  Please pray for 'the 25th street gang" to be there.

On the way over there I saw Solo.  I hadn't seen Solo for almost a year.  He was on a sidewalk at 21st and Central.  I didn't know until he told me, but he's 64 years old.  I told him I was turning 60 this week.  He is looking to get into a 'program' next week.  He said, "I have to get off the streets".  He had told me that he hadn't been feeling well lately either and asked me to pray for him.  So in our short conversation I had a few things to petition God for on his behalf.  There was another homeless man on the sidewalk a few feet away from Solo, his name was Jorge.

There were a few others I helped, Dave and John Stokes were two, but the last stop was kind of heartbreaking.  I was driving down Hunter St by the LA Times building.  There are a lot of tents set up on that street, but as I drove by I couldn't actually see anyone.  Then as I got almost down to the end of the street by Alameda I saw one girl sitting on a milk crate by her tent.  I had driven by, but stopped and backed up to where she was sitting.  I'm guessing her to be about twenty years old.  I had the window down and called out asking if she was hungry.  She said yes and as I opened up my bag of sandwiches another young 20 year old girl popped out of the tent next to her and she came over looking for food too.  Then a man in his forties (with a lot of tattoos) came out of the same tent as the second girl and he was looking for food too.  They all tore into the sandwiches immediately.  The Lord sent me by at just the right time for them.

Sunday will be a big day downtown at 25th and San Pedro.  It's not going to be a BBQ, but it will be another type of dinner I'll be putting on.  Please pray for this day and that's God' Kingdom will be expanded, that we will be protected from harm, that I will be able to pray for people I'd never get the chance to pray for otherwise and let them know God loves them.  In Jesus name.  --Until next time.  John.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Monday night downtown-11/3/14

"My sheep know my voice, and I know them.  They follow me..."  John 10:27

I was just too tired and it was too late to go Sunday when I woke up.  It was about 7 pm when I was awake enough to go and I hadn't gotten the car ready (loaded up) or anything.  I decided I'd get things ready for a trip on Monday night.  I was pretty sure I could get downtown by 6-630 pm and that was about the way it worked out.  I have been trying to be more attentive to God's leading and speaking to me in my prayer time and in situations when I'm on these trips.  It's a learning process of recognizing his voice.

So I was in the Carl's Jr on Soto and Washington waiting for my order of burgers.  I was praying about this trip and looking around the room and the other people waiting and eating there.  It was after 6 pm and now its dark out.  There was a woman who had gotten up and gone to the soda machine to get a refill, except that she had a cup for water.  I also noticed that one of her pant legs near the bottom of the left leg was torn about eight to ten inches from the cuff.  I'm guessing her to be in her 40's and she was very thin.  She sat back down at a table and I started thinking that when I got my 16 burgers I'd offer her one.  Her table was next to (back to back) another table where two young men were sitting and eating their meal.  I was trying to  figure out a way to offer her some food without the guys in the next booth hearing what was going on.  I felt pretty sure that she could use the help even if she had already eaten something, but out of respect for her I didn't want to draw attention to her situation, especially if it wasn't warranted.  When the time came to pick-up my order I walked out by her and noticed she had a wrapper from a hamburger and so I quickly decided she didn't need the help.  By the time I got to my car about 20 seconds later I felt the Lord saying, "Are you going to listen to me or go about on your own "limited" logic"?   By now of course, it was too late to go back in.  Lesson...go with your first instincts on this.

I drove over to 25th and San Pedro St.  As I drove passed the intersection I saw only about two people in the spot where I usually see about 4-5.  I drove on down to about 29th to turn around.  There is a short street leading into a school playground area and a homeless man by the name of Cameron was sleeping on the sidewalk. I called out to him and asked if he was hungry.  He got up immediately.  He remembered me and said it was about 6-8 months ago that we had seen each other there.  I ended up giving him a blanket and pillow along with the food and water.  We prayed together and he was very happy I stopped.

After Cameron I drove on back up the street to 25th.  There was plenty of room to park there and as I drove up I called out to Dave.  I know they weren't expecting me on a Monday night and I don't think they recognized me right off.  But Dave a Hiram caught on quick enough and were at the back of the car waiting for me to open it up before I could get out of the car.  First I walked across the street to where Becky, another woman and Rico were and gave them some food and water.  We talked for a while and I invited them to be there on Nov 16th when I have a BBQ of sorts there.They all said they'd be there.  So I walked back across the street to where the car was and Dave and Hiram.  Dave said he had just gotten back from Texas that morning after a trip to bury his sister.  He said he hadn't seen her in 45 years.  He also said he had  taken Victoria 'home' because she had a doctor's appointment the next day.  I'm not sure who's 'home' she was staying in.  He called her on the phone and I talked with her for a few minutes.  When I got off the phone with her Rico was standing by the back of my car.  I asked him if there was anything in there he wanted and he said "No. I just need prayer."  Now I had prayed with him and the two other women maybe ten minutes before, but he said he needed more prayer (Don't we all?).  I asked him if there was anything specific he wanted me to pray about, but he said there was nothing special.  Figuring that there was "something" troubling him, I started praying asking for not just physical healing, but emotional and spiritual healing as well.  I acknowledged that anyone living as long as we have (I'm guessing Rico to be about as old as I am) has some "life scars" that are hard to overcome.  It was one of the best times ever praying with him. I told him that praying for people down here is my favorite thing to do and the real reason I'm there.  A few others that I know came by before I left and I told them all that Nov. 16th is the day I'm looking to have the big dinner there for them.  They all are looking forward to it.

On my way home I had two burgers left and stopped by were Leticia and Antonio stay.  I hadn't seen them in a couple of months.  Leticia wanted me to pray for them before I gave them the food.  It was wonderful.  I love being God's ambassador.  What a privilege.  --Until next time.  John

  


Monday, October 20, 2014

Downtown 10/19/14

"You listen to the longings of those who suffer.  You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help.  You defend orphans and everyone else in need,..."  Psalm 10:17-18a

This was my first trip after missing two Sundays.  My work schedule is now back on the night shift, so Sundays are spent sleeping for the most part and makes my arrival downtown considerably later.  I didn't arrive until almost 6:30 pm.  In another two weeks daylight savings time will be over and each trip will be at night.  The next four months will be interesting and different so say the least.

On my last trip I saw Nichole, a pregnant woman I first met a month or so earlier during the BBQ. She told me this last time that she was gong to deliver her baby boy on the following Wednesday. Since I hadn't made a trip since then I wanted to find out what I could about her and the birth of Billy. The freeway off-ramp is right there where she works, which is a recycling center.  I pulled in there and looked around at the people working there, but didn't see her.  I waited there in the car for a minute and while I was waiting I heard my name being called.  Will or "Willie" was panhandling on the corner and he was calling out to me.  He told me that Nichole had her baby, but she and her husband had lost their little apartment.  In fact, they had stayed with him for a night in his tent last week as they look to get their situation settled.  After talking with Willie I pulled around the corner to where we had the BBQ and where Willie's tent is.  He had told me there were a couple of other people there.  It turned out there were about four or five people there.  I told them when they see Nicole to let her know I have some things collected for her and her baby.  It may be awhile before I actually see her.

By the time I left them it was completely dark out.  I drove around the block and saw John Stokes and talked to him for a while.  By this time I only had three burgers left, so my options were kind of limited.  I didn't want to go down to 25th and San Pedro again with only three burgers left (like the last time), so I decided to go over to the other side of town and look for men on the sidewalk by themselves.  I wasn't really expecting what happened.  There is a little street just west of Pico and Olive.  I've helped a few people on this street before, but it's been a while and I usually end up using this street to just go around the block and come out on Olive again so I can either cross it (Olive is a one-way street) or get to the far east lane to turn back east on Pico.  When I pulled onto this small street I immediately saw a man sleeping on the sidewalk with his shoes off and another man on the other side of the street sitting on the sidewalk with his back up against a building.  I pulled up to where the man was sleeping and parked.  I tried taking his picture in the darkness from the car, but the picture didn't turn out too well because the flash from the camera lit up the window on the passenger side.  I had my driver window down and could hear the other man talking.  I wasn't sure what he was saying, but I thought it might be about me and my picture taking.  Anyway, I put all three burgers in a bag along with three water bottles and got out of the car.  The man sitting up across the street, his name was Rodney.  Another man, named BB had walked by at this time pushing a shopping cart.  He thought he was going to miss out on the free food, but when I walked over to him he got all happy about the 'perfect timing' of his arrival to that street.  BB motioned to the guy sleeping that he 'must be pretty tired because he didn't even find a piece of cardboard to lay down on'. Sadly, this man was sleeping straight on the concrete sidewalk, no blanket, no pillow, no nothing. I walked over to this sleeping man and bent over to set the bag down next to him with the last burger and the water bottle and gently spoke to him.  He was Latino and spoke no English.  However, when I said,"Comida" he immediately understood and sat up and opened the bag and started eating the burger.  I went to the back of my car and got out three pairs of new socks and gave each man one. All three of these men would have slept through the night without a meal if I hadn't have come by.

When I left the house before this trip, I asked my wife to pray for me.  I really wasn't feeling "up to" or "connected" to this trip.  I know part of that is because of the schedule change to nights at work. Part of it was due to it being three Sundays ago since the last trip.  Knowing that it would be dark soon puts a different spin and expectation level to a trip also.  During the next four months things will be different.  People will be getting ready to sleep and a lot of folks will be covered up and sleeping as soon as the sun goes down.  It can be kind of rude to "wake someone up" when they've gone to bed.  Well, we'll see what happens.  God will lead me to people needing help, that I know.  Until next time.---John

Monday, September 29, 2014

Downtown 9/28/14

"Not everyone can work miracles.  Not everyone can heal the sick.  Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages.  Not everyone can tell you what these languages mean.  I want you to desire the best gifts.  So I will show you a much better way."  ---1 Cor. 12:29b-30.  The Apostle Paul's introduction into the 'love chapter' ( 1 Cor.13).

In recent weeks I have been really overcome with an intense desire to just love people and demonstrate God's love for the people I meet on these trips.  I prayed that I would give everything out of me I could, not just the 'stuff'' I brought with me in the car, but everything inside me as well.  I just wanted to give away what God has given me.  It's kind of a hard 'thing' to describe, but I hope you'll understand it somehow.

I arrived kind of late in the day, shortly after 5 pm with enough food and water for about 9-10 people. I decided to focus on the 'loners'. People who are off by themselves.  Usually, you get the best conversations/encounters with these folks.  I drove to Hunter St which is one of the streets around the LA Times building.  Maurice and Elaine used to live there, but I haven't seen them in months. It is, however, where my friend Michael and his dog have stayed, although the last time I went there, there was no sign of them.  Sunday, I found a couple of guys there, one on a bike talking to a another guy in a tent. When I pulled up and asked them about Michael, they said he was staying there, but wasn't there right then.  Their names were Jacob and Miguel.  On down the street I almost drove by a man laying on the sidewalk.  I stopped and backed the car up to ask if he was hungry.  His name was Malich. We talked for quite a while when we found out we both grew up here locally.  He went to high school at Manuel Arts and when I told him I went to El Segundo High he asked me if I knew George Brett (the Hall of Fame baseball player). I told him that George was a year older than me and yes I did know him way back in those days  We had gone to school from elementary to high school together.  Malich seems to be drifting around these days between his home town area and LA.  He seemed very likeable and coherent so it was somewhat troubling to see him disconnected from family and friends at this age in his life.  I sure hope I see him again soon.

When I had first gotten off the freeway at Alameda I saw a homeless man walking around the cars coming down the freeway off-ramp.  I drove back around to get to him.  It turned out to be Willie or just "Will" whose picture I put in the blog from the last BBQ.  He lives directly across the street from where I had set up.  Will is originally from Denver.  Can you imagine being homeless in a very cold city like that during the winter?  That's why he's out here.  I drove on down to Channing St, which is where the BBQ was.  Jessie was there in the spot where I had set up and while I was talking with him, Nichole came by.  She was the woman who came by in the car several times that day.  She told me her baby is due Wednesday and he will be named Billy.  I prayed with her for a safe delivery.  She lives in what she described as a cheap apartment in Inglewood and works there at the recycler on the corner to make ends meet.  She asked if I came across any baby boy clothes to keep her in mind.  I'll have to get some things together for her.  I look forward to giving them to her.

There were a couple of others I helped before I decided to go down to the area on 25th and San Pedro.  This is where my friends Dave and Queen Victoria (and others) live on the sidewalk of that corner.  Yet I didn't want to actually see them, but look for Elba, a recently widowed woman who lives in a house on that street.  I only had 3 hamburgers left and was concerned about not having near enough food for the amount of people that might be there on the corner.  I planned to just go down 25th from the east side going west and look for Elba and maybe ask if anyone knew where she lived, and then take the last cross street before San Pedro.  Well, the Lord had other plans!  I missed the last street and ended up driving right by all my friends on the corner.  Sunday, there were more people there than I had ever seen on that corner before.  There were probably seven or eight people sitting on the sidewalk and I only had 3 burgers! What was I going to do?  Well,they all saw me and told me to come back around and park there so I did.




The first thing they wanted was to go through the clothes in the back of the car.  I told them I didn't have much food left, but I dug around for some bags of chips and I found three cans of food (one was a can of pineapple slices).  The one gal in the powder blue jacket shared her burger with the two men next to her.  Victoria and Dave got the other two.  There were probably a half dozen or so others who came walking by on the street and got to go through the clothes too.  It was really a very 'family' atmosphere and no one complained that I didn't have enough food, although some of the passersby were hungry and disappointed that they missed out on what I did have.  I even gave out a bible to a man named Pops who asked for one.  Anyway, we made plans to do a dinner of sorts in November.  It won't be a BBQ, but I'll figure out some way of doing an early Thanksgiving type dinner (it may not be turkey either).  I had asked about Elba and if anyone knew where she lived.  Victoria and the woman in the brown shirt said she lived in the third house from the corner at the other end of the block.  About twenty minutes later, Elba and her grandson Nicholas, came by on their way home!  I told Elba (her name is actually Elva) I would stop by her house on my way home.  I talked with my friends on the corner for a few minutes more.  Dave asked me to pray for them before I left.  I told them about the message at church I had heard that morning.  It was about being anchored to Christ and how we sometimes drift away from what we know is right.  The pastor that morning used an example of a priest by the name of Eli in the book of 1 Samuel and his two (wicked) sons who were priests in the temple.  The sons were wicked and immoral, but the father did nothing about their behavior.  Some of us see ourselves as the wicked sons, some as the father who doesn't confront the bad behavior.  During various times of my life I could identify with both, yet all I could think of during the message that morning was little Samuel who was growing up surrounded by this dysfunctional family.  He was "all in" on God's plan for his life and that's what I want to be..."all in".  I told my friends how I wanted to just give out everything I had and that "as you know, you guys got everything today".  It was actually quite a testimony to them.  Then just as I was about to get into my car a woman walked up to me from the street and asked for help.  She had been evicted from her house by Sheriff Marshals the day before and she had four kids.  I was heartbroken.  I gave her the remaining change I had in the cup holder in my car and what was in my pocket.  Maybe it was two bucks.  The needs are always so great and immediate on the streets.

Well, I had prayed with my friends on the corner before leaving for Elva's house.  She was out front sweeping the sidewalk and waiting for me to come by.  Luckily, her son-in-law, Nicholas' father, was there and he is bilingual.  I stayed with them for over an hour.  It looks as though they will be forced to move out soon.  They aren't sure where they will go at this point.  The son-in-law's name is Emanuel and he has a low paying construction job.  He is trying to get into a tech school to get a better job.  Elva's emotions are still very raw as you can imagine since her husband died so recently. She brought out her wedding photo album, there were lots of tears as she showed me the people in the photos, both his family and hers.  She and her husband, Ruben were married in 1973 at a church on 12th and Los Angeles St.  In fact, its down about 10 blocks from the church on Cloud Nine Alley.  It turns out Elva is only a couple of years older than me and she has five children.  Her daughter, Nicolas' mother is disabled after being shot ten years ago.  You can imagine how fearful Elva is about the future with so many problems to deal with.  I won't be able to get back down there for two weeks, so I'm hoping I'll be able to find out where they end up if they're gone before I see them again.  I'm confident the Lord will keep us connected.

So I began this blog with the intro to the"love chapter" and how my desire was to just love these people as God loves them.  I try to read through the bible every year (one of those disciplines I try to do).  Wouldn't you know that when I got home Sunday night, the next section of the bible I read was Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians!!!!!!  Is that divine planning or what?  So I'll end this blog with the first eight verses in this famous chapter from the Apostle Paul.  I hope you will see it in a whole new light as I did....

"What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels?  If I did not love others I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge?  And what if I had faith that moved mountains?  I would be nothing, unless I loved others.

What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive?  I would gain nothing unless I loved others.

Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.  Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.

Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting.

Love never fails......."

Stay tuned.  Love likes happy endings and in Christ they are always ultimately going to be happy endings.--- Until next time.  John                

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Downtown 9/14/14

"When the poor and needy are dying of thirst and cannot find water, I, the LORD God of Israel, will come to their rescue.  I won't forget them.  I will make rivers flow on mountain peaks.  I will send streams to fill the valleys."  Isaiah 41:17-18a

Not only are we experiencing a severe drought here in California, but probably the last heat wave of the summer too.  When I left home for this week's trip it was 107 and it was almost 4 pm.  Downtown wasn't near as hot, low to mid 90's, but it had been a very hot day and had been that way for the last three or four days with more to come.  I had been looking forward to the trip because I knew people would be really wanting cold water, so I brought a lot with me.

Once again, there wasn't any one encounter that stood out, but everyone I handed food and cold water to was happy to receive it.  There were a few people by themselves spread out over the usual places and then I drove over to my friends at 25th and San Pedro.  At first I couldn't find a place to park there, but eventually a spot opened up that I was able to get.  I spent quite a lot of time with them, Dave, Hiram, Queen Victoria and a couple of new guys I met, Jimmy and Junior.  In talking with Victoria I learned that Elba's (from a couple of weeks ago) husband died just a couple of months ago. She is also the grandmother of the kids I saw that day, the kids' mother is handicapped.  Jimmy,who I didn't recognize, didn't recognize me at first either, but then after about ten minutes or so said, "I remember you.  You've been doing this a long time haven't you?"  I probably spent 45 minutes there just talking with them.  Other folks came by, including Becky.  I saw Dorothy walking by across the street, but she didn't come over.  Eventually, I prayed with them and left.  I told them I wouldn't be down there next week I have a trip to make out of town.

Before leaving for home I wanted to go by the store on 7th ave and Columbia.  Last week I had driven by there and for the first time in months the door where the words "I am Legion" had been painted were now gone.  The door had been rolled up for months and I didn't know they had been removed.  I'll take small victories like that any time.  This week I wanted to take a picture to show that prayer makes a difference!!!
Before prayer

 After several months of weekly prayer in front of it.
It should probably be noted that I never talked to anyone at this place, the 7/Eleven store or anyone on the whole block....ever!

Before closing, I wanted to share this video a friend posted on facebook the other day.  It's just under five minutes long.  It gives you an idea of how 'regular' people view the homeless and how just the least bit of kindness towards the homeless affects them:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85P2iMHfzKw&list=UUu4X846OSea5YU6S8fIpy1A


Make sure you watch the video from the link above, you may have to copy and paste it into your address line.  



Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Downtown 9/7/2014

"With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name!  With all my heart I praise the Lord!  I will never forget how kind he has been.  The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick and protects us from death.  His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.  Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle."  Psalm 103:1-5

Sometimes their doesn't seem to be anything special about a trip.  I was reminded recently that most days of ministry are that way and then once in a while you get a 'wow' day.  Sunday's trip didn't seem to have anything special about it.  There were people who were needful and I helped them, but nothing really stood out.

Carlos and another man were sitting on a sidewalk on a little street just east of Los Angeles St.  Curtis from Louisiana was in one of the alleys where I've had BBQ's  He was kind of the most interesting encounter of the day.  He had only two large teeth, one on each upper side of his mouth, but that didn't hamper him from asking me for two sandwiches.  (yes I gave him two and prayed with him also)

Then there was Jayson and Sonny and at the end of the trip John Stokes and Dave and around the corner from them Beverly and another man.  I drove down Hunter St by the LA Times building to see if Michael and his dog were there, but it looked like they haven't been there for days.  Maurice and Elaine's stuff had been removed also, but I haven't seen or heard from them in well over a month now.

So there was one thing about this trip that did stand out.  About a year ago at this time I was driving down 7th Ave each week on my way to McArthur Park.  Along the way I had noticed a gray roll-up door at the corner of 7th and Columbia next to a 7 Eleven store.  I noticed it because it had the words "I am Legion" spelled out in big block letters on the door.  Whoever painted those words on the door knew precisely that they carried with them demonic implications.  There is only one place in the New Testament where this phrase is used and that is exactly what it represents.  I started praying in front of this door every week when I would pass by it on the way to the park.  Somewhere around April I noticed the door was rolled-up.  It looked like someone might be getting ready to reopen the store that was behind this door, but I never did see any movement of things behind the glass windows, never saw any people in there at all.  Last week the door was down.  The words had been painted over and were now gone completely!  I'd like to think my prayers had something to do with their removal, but I'll probably never know.  I do know I was faithful to pray about it weekly.  I do know God is faithful. I also know God is against this type of thing.  You can make your own assumptions.  --Until next time.  John                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       



 


Sunday, August 31, 2014

Saturday evening downtown 8/30/14

"The LORD All-Powerful will destroy the power of death and wipe away all tears." Isaiah 25:8a  

"He [God] will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying or pain.  These things of the past are gone forever."  Revelation 21:4

"Now I tell you to love one another as I have loved you."  John 15:12

I had only one prayer request as I drove into Los Angeles, and that was to love the people I would meet as God loves them.

I haven't been able to make a trip downtown since the BBQ two Sundays ago.  This week I've been on vacation from work and was able to get a trip in on a Saturday evening.  I decided to try and find the folks I invited to the BBQ, but didn't show up.  One such place was on the corner of San Pedro and about 25th, across the street from the Winchell's donut shop.  There are about 4 or 5 folks living there on the sidewalk including Dave Parker and Queen Victoria.  I had seen a couple of other people before going over there, but didn't want to see too many others because I didn't want to show up there with only a couple of sandwiches left.

One of the cool things about the folks on this corner is that every time I show up there, several other people walk by or drive by and stop.  So it ends up being a lengthy stop with lots of opportunities to talk to different people you otherwise might not meet.  This evening was no exception.  Since there are a lot of stores on San Pedro Ave, the pedestrian traffic is fairly heavy especially in the last hour or so before the sun goes down.  When I arrived only Dave and Victoria were there, but soon a pick-up truck pulled up with Tony and Johnny.  Victoria is introducing me to these people as they show up.  I don't think Tony was homeless, but apparently Johnny is.  Tony didn't accept any food or look at any of the clothes, but Johnny did, I got to pray with both of them before they left.  Becky showed up too (I've seen her many times before).  Then a man named Bill who it appeared lived on the street with Dave and Victoria came over. Bill was a little difficult to deal with, but I managed.  A couple of guys from across the street came over.  I had met one of them before and he remembered me.  Dave had to take off for a while, but before he left he wanted me to pray for them (he and Victoria) which I did. So sometime along here a woman with two kids walked by.  I didn't get a good look at the older child because she had gone on ahead, but Victoria seemed to know them and was saying hello to the little boy, whom I'm guessing was about 4 years old.  I said hello to the mom who was probably about fortyish.  She told me her son, whose hand she held, was Nicholas and her daughter's name was Ruby.  Her name was Elba.  Elba didn't speak any English, so I thought she started telling me about a ten year old son at home who was 'incapacion'.  I thought maybe this was a child at home, but I think it was about the girl who had gone on ahead down the sidewalk.  The daughter, Ruby looked like she was maybe sixteen or so from where I was standing.  Anyway, I offered to pray for her family.  When I finished she looked up at me and started telling me about her 'esposo' (husband) who was 'muerte' (died).  I sensed that this had happened fairly recently.  About this time, Nicholas had taken-off down the street after his sister, so Elba had to leave.  After she left, Victoria confirmed that her husband had died.  I don't know if I'll see her again or not.  Perhaps, Victoria knows about where they live and I could check in on them.  I felt privileged to pray for them and it was obvious that Elba's husband's death was still fresh on her heart.  It was the most special and holy moment of the trip and I just wanted to give out the peace and comfort that only comes from Jesus.  I would love to get to know more of the people in the neighborhood and finding out where Elba lives could be a way to get to know other people in the neighborhood.  Then again, just hanging out there you end up meeting a lot of folks and those that live there on the sidewalk, like Victoria, seem to know lots of the people that walk by there.

Well, when I finally left there I ended up going to the Jack in the Box on Alameda to wait out the evening traffic for a while.  When I was about to get out of the car, a woman who came to the BBQ a couple of weeks was walking out the door with someone.  She came up to the car and asked where the BBQ was today!  I told her I only do BBQ's a couple of times during the summer months and that I usually just drive around looking for folks in need and told them about some of the stuff that happened on this trip.  Eventually, I went inside, but while I was waiting for my order I needed to go get something out of the car.  When I went out to the car, John Stokes was walking up.  Then while he and I were inside, another guy I know by the name of Kenny walked up.  He had a large cup and wanted to get it filled with water.  No food, just water (no money).  We talked for a while and he told me where he was staying on 14th St.  I gave him a couple of dollars to get something to eat with his water and let him look through the clothes in the car.  It was amazing how I thought the trip was over and yet there were still opportunities to serve even when I was out of food.

So as I left to go home I kept thinking about Elba and her family.  How is she making ends meet? Does she have another child who is handicapped?  How can I find her again?  How can I remove the sorrow and pain in her life.  The verses I opened with came to mind.  I was surprised to see a verse in Isaiah mirror so closely with that familiar verse from Revelation.  My desire to "love these people as you love them Lord", was answered so powerfully.  Be careful what you pray for! --Until next time. John

Here is a photo of Queen Victoria.  I asked her to give me a big smile because when she smiles her face just lights up!

          

Monday, August 18, 2014

BBQ downtown 8/17/14

"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress: my God, in whom I trust.'  For he will deliver you..."  Psalm 91:1-3a 

Shortly after I started this ministry, I dreamed of putting on a BBQ for my homeless friends.  I had envisioned finding a place where I could set-up shop and serve the people coming by.  Of course, I had a lot of fears about doing this.  What if the authorities saw me with a BBQ fire on a public sidewalk?  They'd probably shut me down.  So I'd have to find a place sort-of out of the way, but where enough homeless people would see me and come by.  You can't exactly call up these folks the night before or even advertise with flyers either.  So up until this time I always picked a place where I knew 4-6 people lived and had them tell their friends to come around on the day I had planned.  It usually worked out pretty well, but this summer that core of people that I usually met with have all gone their separate ways and there hasn't been 'a group' of folks as a starting point to do one.  So I was back trying to just find a good location that would work.  My first choice was a parking lot of a business that wasn't open on Sundays, but I never could get approval from them.  I ended up using a small street called Channing just east off Alameda and 14th where the I-10 freeway-off ramp to Alameda St is.  It was a short block east of Alameda and nearby the Jack in the Box which is the center of the homeless world in that part of downtown.  There are two recycling places right by there.  That generally insures a steady stream of homeless folks.  After much prayer in the preceding days and weeks about this location, I set-up shop at 1:30 pm.  Also, for the first time I had help.  My wife and daughter and sister-in-law and her daughter were coming too.  I loaded up my wife's car full of clothes the night before and with their help let them give out as many clothes as they could.  If I got shut down because of the BBQ, at least we could give out clothes!  Well, it worked out just fine.  No problems with the authorities and we had quite a stream of folks coming by.  Some even drove by and stopped (I'll get to those later).  Since you always hear my side of the story, I thought I'd let my daughter and wife tell their story first.....

Allison's story:
For those of you who did not know, planning this BBQ was part of my Gold Award for Girl Scouts. I had put on a worship night at my school in June, in which people brought in old clothes and non-perishable foods as their "ticket" to get in. My dad spoke that night about his trips downtown and what God has been doing in his life and the lives of the homeless. I also did some fundraising to help pay for some of the supplies needed for this trip. Even with all the planning and assurance from friends and family, I was still extremely nervous. I kept thinking of everything that could go wrong, and my heart was filled with worry. I was having unusual dreams the nights leading up to it, and I couldn't fall asleep the night before. But Sunday afternoon had arrived, and we were all packed up and on our way.

When I was feeling especially nervous on the way there, I remembered in church that morning, our worship leader was encouraging us to be bold when God is calling us somewhere and to follow Him wherever He leads. Then, she sang one of my favorite songs. The bridge (and basically the main point of the whole song) goes like this:

"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you may call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior"

That became my prayer for the day. I was still feeling a little uncomfortable, but God doesn't call us to "comfortable" places. He brings us to places in which we can only let The Spirit, the Comforter in the most uncomfortable places, take hold of us and use us to do His will.

The trip was more than incredible. My cousin and I helped many people by picking out clothes and shoes that they needed. It was amazing to see that we had exactly what they needed, in size and in style. Towards the beginning I got to meet Alexis, who was only a few years younger than me. She told me about her classes at school and her school uniforms. I told her that I had to wear uniforms at school, too. I also got to meet an older woman named Lola towards the end of the trip. She was tall and very thin. We gave her socks, shirts, and a few pairs of pants. We got to sit down and eat with her since she was the only one there for a while. She told us some of her story, and I was extremely blessed by her kind, gentle spirit. Everyone we met was so thankful for the things that I often forget to be thankful about. I was in awe of the miraculous work that the Holy Spirit did on that tiny street under the freeway. A passage that I've been thinking about is Ephesians 3:20, which says, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." This whole trip would not have been possible without God's faithfulness, His provision, and His Spirit that dwells within us.

Lauren's story:
Any of you who know me well know that I tend to be kind of a worrier. And those of you who know me REALLY well are laughing right now that I said "kind of" a worrier. I am actually a full-fledged, bona fide queen of the worrywarts. So in the days leading up to the BBQ, I worried about everything from getting lice (I worked too many years in the foster care system to not worry about that) to gang activity to being robbed to us getting arrested (see, that's the thing about my worries - they don't have to have any basis in reality to begin to overtake my mind). But I knew God was calling us to follow Him  to the streets of downtown Los Angeles.

In addition to the obvious prayers for safety and protection, I was also praying that I would be able to see these homeless people as God sees them, to have His eyes. Before John began his weekly trips downtown, I had a fairly judgmental attitude toward homeless people. I remember thinking "Something is really wrong with them if they have burned all their bridges and have nobody in their lives who will help them." Then when John began telling me stories about the people he was meeting, I became a little bit less judgmental -- but I was still kind of obsessed with the reason they were homeless. I sort of mentally put them in categories of who deserved help (mainly those who were mentally ill) and those who did not deserve help (drug addicts, alcoholics, etc.)  I'm kind of ashamed to put that in writing but that's where my mind was.

The first person I met on Sunday was John Stokes, who has gone, in my mind, from being some nameless homeless guy, to John Stokes, some homeless guy who now has a name and who my husband has befriended, to John Stokes, a living, breathing human being who is shaking my hand, who is hungry and smiling and who has a story. Each of the people we met and helped on Sunday were unique and beautiful and had a story. A couple of them were a little bit . . . .um . . . . for lack of a better term, abrasive. I started to categorize them . . . John Stokes is deserving, that woman who just took some food and water and didn't say "thank you" -- undeserving! And then I thought, can you imagine if God put us in those categories -- who is deserving and undeserving of His grace and mercy? Can you guess which group wouldn't have any members? Would I be brazen (and stupid) enough to claim that I had never forgotten to say thank you to God for the many ways He has blessed me?

I am learning that we are all on equal ground at the foot of the cross -- there is no one more deserving than another -- in fact, we are all pitifully and unmistakably undeserving. In that way, I have more in common with John Stokes then I am different from him. And whether you are Lola who lives under an overpass in central Los Angeles, or Lauren who lives in a little, old, comfortable house in a suburb, or Joe Blow who lives in a mansion (I had to use the name Joe Blow because I don't know anyone in real life who lives in a mansion), God sees us all as His precious children who He would do anything to save and for whom He would go to any lengths to rescue. And we all need rescuing.

Finally, you will read in a minute how John had to drive around to find his friends to tell them about the barbecue. He worried the whole time about his one friend, Michael, who he thought was going to be there. Once the initial crowd died down and had eaten, John got in his car to go find Michael. I was initially a little irritated that he was leaving his wife, sister-in-law, daughter, and niece alone under questionable circumstances, but I eventually got over my irritation . . . it helped that he was only gone about 5 minutes or less. He came back and said "I found Michael. He's coming." The look of relief on John's face that he had found his friend and was going to be able to give him lunch was another high point of the day. It wasn't until later that night that I remembered the parable of the wedding feast that Jesus told, where none of the invited guests came and so the party host goes out into the streets and invites the people in the street.  Michael didn't say much, he just ate his hamburger and left. But I have to believe he slept a little more soundly last night knowing that his friend John came and sought him out and invited him to come and eat.

How blessed we are to have a God who pursues us because He wants to shower us with His mercy. How can we not share that with others?

John's wrap-up:
So because of my fear of lack of people showing up that I mentioned early on, I had driven around the area where people that I knew hung-out and let them know where I was doing the BBQ.  None of the people that I told who were west of Alameda came by.  The people east, the side of Alameda where I had set up, started coming by as soon as they started smelling the BBQ fire.  John Stokes and his buddy Dave came by first.  I had rented some chairs so people could hang-out for a while.  I also rented some tables to have room for not only the food, but the clothes as well.
 Soon there was a wave of folks that came by.  I was busy cooking burgers and brats and the girls got to talk to the people and welcome them, help serve the drinks and help them find clothes.  There was one woman named Alondra that came by in a car.  Fairly late model car at that.  She came by several times, ate, got some clothes and even came by again asking for some napkins to clean her car windshield.  I guess her wipers didn't work.  Anyway, she came by a fourth time and just asked me to pray for her, that was it.  Didn't ask for more food to take with her or more clothes, just came back for me to pray for her.  Then she came back one more time a little while later.  She kept saying, "God bless you." several times and gave me a $20 dollar bill.  I told her, she didn't need to do that, but she insisted and said, "God bless you." to me again.  I didn't get to pray with everyone, but several people I did get a chance with.  Early on I was doing a lot of cooking.  Things finally slowed down a bit so I could take some pictures.  You can see the massive freeway support column there in the middle of the picture.  Being underneath a massive concrete 10 lane freeway brought to mind the image from the verse I opened with in Psalms of God being a Mighty Fortress.  That's why it was easy to claim this turf as His Kingdom Turf!!!!  We were under His mighty fortress.


  


Towards the end a homeless man who apparently was a Vietnam vet showed up across the street.  He was talking very loudly to himself and I could sense the girls were very uncomfortable about it.  He stayed across the street on the corner, but I couldn't resist the opportunity.  I made up a burger and took it over to him and asked if he was hungry.  He turned to me and with what appeared to be tears in his eyes said, "Yes I am."  I gave him the burger and asked if I could pray for him and he said yes to that too.  So I prayed for him a short brief prayer and he thanked me.  We looked at each other straight in the eyes and I could see he was fighting back tears again. I thanked him for his service to our country.  He then showed me a newspaper article he had in his hand with a picture of an unidentified soldier in battle.  It was of a marine in Afghanistan.  He had told me his name was Mr Johnston and he started talking about the Marines.  It was obvious he was still living his war experience.  I asked if he wanted some water too and went back and got him a bottle when he said yes.  Eventually, he crossed the street and came over, but stayed on my end of our set-up.  A few other homeless folks came by and said hello to him and called him Damion.  He stayed near me until we had packed everything up (my wife was nervous about leaving me alone with him).  When everything was cleaned up the girls took off and I walked across the street where a man named Willie lived on the sidewalk.  He was asleep when I arrived.  He woke up and came over and ate, but now he was asleep again.  I just wanted to say good-bye, but he was sound asleep.  I took a picture of him to show what a very contented person looks like after one of my BBQ's!  As I walked back to the car, Mr. Damion Johnston was kind of crouched down on the sidewalk.  I had my camera phone and asked him if he would give me a salute before I left.  He immediately stood up and turned his back towards me and arranged his clothes so he looked 'proper'.  He then did an about-face and in all seriousness, looking left and right to other imaginary soldiers, shouted out like a drill instructor, "Ten hut!" and then snapped off a salute.  I took the picture and then saluted back.  It was quite a moment.


Willie sound asleep, but with a full stomach.

Damion Johnston, at attention.

As I drove away I had two cooked burgers left.  I hadn't eaten anything yet, but thought I'd stop by where Rocky the pit bull dog I have befriended lives and have one with him.  As I drove down the little street to get to the alley where he's penned up, I passed a homeless man sitting on the corner who I've helped a few times before.  I drove on into the alley where Rocky was.  As I pulled up Rocky is immediately licking his chops and getting all excited.  It was the classic sight of a happy and expectant dog.  I gave him the burger and he wolfed it down in a couple of seconds.  So here I am sitting in the car with one burger left, I haven't eaten and there's a homeless man on the sidewalk on the other side of the block.  You know I wouldn't feel right eating it myself. So, yeah, I drove around the block and gave it to Oscar (I think that's his name).  I told him as best I could (he doesn't speak much English) that it was the 'ultima' (last) burger I had.  I had a small bag of crackers and pieces of candy in  a bag and gave him those too.  He then asked for some 'calcetines' (socks).  I had some new ones within reach so I gave him two pair.  Then he asked for some water.  I usually give out bottles of water with the food, but since the car had been repacked after the BBQ I wasn't really sure where the water bottles were, but I told him to come around to my side of the car and look in right behind me.  So he finds the water bottles and takes one, then asks if he could have the half bag of BBQ chips that were right there too.  I said, 'sure go ahead'.  I had to smile as I drove away, because one bottle of water wasn't going to be enough for a half a bag of BBQ potato chips, but he was on his own now. 

My little car loaded up with the BBQ food and stuff


So I had arrived downtown at about 12:45 and started driving around to drum up business.  Then I started setting up the BBQ at 1:30pm.  We were all packed back up at 4:30 pm.  So in 3 hours time we served probably 20-25 homeless people (more than I ever have before) with food and clothes and enjoyed their company most of all.  We 'hosted' a banquet for people who can never repay, but whom God finds precious and somehow provides for daily.  They got a 'family type' BBQ in the summer like they probably had long ago when they were growing up.  I prayed with probably a third of the people and yet all of them knew the reason we were there is because we serve the King of Kings.  Our Kingdom of Heaven turf was secure and protected the whole time.  We were indeed blessed. 
Until next time. --John.