Downtown 8/23/2015

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power."  1 Corinthians 2:4

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power." --1 Corinthians 4:20

Well, for a while now, I seem to be sensing the need to take these trips downtown in a different direction.  It started about a year ago when I began serving the folks living on the street corner at 25th and San Pedro St.  On one trip last year, a recently widowed woman and her grandchildren walked by.  I was introduced to her and prayed for her and her grand kids.  A couple of weeks later I found out where she lived down the block on 25th street and visited her for an hour or so.  Eventually, with her husband gone, she couldn't afford to stay there and she had to move out of the house.  In the process I was somewhat captivated by the idea of reaching the neighborhood for Christ.  I have since learned that the neighborhood is filled with gang activity and drugs.  During the day it appears pretty normal, but at night it transforms into something completely different.  Oddly enough, the corner where I had the 'dinner on a street corner' back in November of last year is completely empty now. There are several folks living in the next alley up San Pedro and I've driven down that alley a couple of times now and served them.  However, I've come to a couple of conclusions about reaching the area.  First and foremost it requires a lot of prayer.  I ran across a quote from a man named Arthur Tappan Pierson (1837-1911).  He was well known in his day for evangelism and missions.  He was also passionate in caring for the poor.  He is quoted as saying, "Every step in the progress of missions is directly traceable to prayer."  I have noticed that two of the highlights of my six years of going downtown began with prayer walking. The first was prayer walking down Cloud Nine Alley five years ago.  Six weeks later I was standing and speaking to the congregation of a new church started a couple of weeks after I started prayer walking. Then a couple of years ago, after witnessing a gang fight on 7th and Alvarado, and being quite troubled by it, I was lead by the Spirit to start prayer walking in MacArthur Park.  Three months later I was actually preaching with some others with a microphone on the the very corner where the fight occurred.  So...... Yesterday I started prayer walking around the streets of 25th and San Pedro.  It's just simple obedience to my calling.  What will happen?  I don't have a clue. How long will it take for something to happen?  I don't know.  If nothing discernible happens that I can see, then the streets that I offer prayer on will be plowed up for the next person who is called to serve this area.  I will have done my part.  It will not be easy.  Days are getting shorter and my ability to walk very far is getting harder. But there are always going to be obstacles.  I used to think my inability to speak Spanish would be a problem, but the Lord seems to be able to overcome my deficiencies.  That way, He gets all the glory!

Yesterday was the first trip.  So what happened?  Well not much. The first block I walked around there were a couple of families out on their porch/front yard area.  It was evening time, around 5 pm. There were two churches on the block on the west side of San Pedro.  One was having a service and the other had maybe a hundred people in the front courtyard having a summer sports camp.  I had just passed by this second church when a small African-American woman came walking down the sidewalk towards me.  She started talking to me and I immediately started thinking, "Oh, here we go, someone trying to hit me up for money."  Eventually, that is what she wanted...bus fare to a cancer clinic in Glendale.  I have no way of knowing if what she was telling me was true or not.  She was trying to produce papers proving that she was to be admitted there, but hey...whatever right?  Well, all I had was two bucks on me so I gave them to her.  Two dollars was all I had to give, but as I started to walk away from her I thought....."Wait just a minute John.  You can pray for this woman!" So I turned back and said to her, "Hey, let me pray for you before you go."  So I put my arm around her shoulders and prayed for her.  She put her arm around my waist.  Sometimes our opportunities are right there before us and we are too lame to recognize them.  Remember how we wonder that the two disciples on the Emmaus Road didn't recognize Jesus?  We are just like them!!!

So eventually I drove across San Pedro St and found a place to park a block east of there.  I walked around that block, but didn't encounter anyone.  I did see a burned out church on a corner and took some pictures. Here they are:

I don't know the story of what happened here, but I'm going to try and find out.  You know, there are a surprising number of churches in these neighborhoods.  I want to find the most 'burned out' and troubled neighborhoods and prayer walk.  Where hope is most needed, Christ will shine most brightly.  I want to test the strength of the gospel in the most desperate neighborhoods.  Here we go. The adventure begins.

I didn't buy any food yesterday, but I did buy some water and ice. It was another really hot day.  I drove down into 7th and 9th streets and gave out ice water to the homeless folks.  They were really thankful for it.

One other thing worth mentioning.  I had heard on the news that some mentally and physically handicapped people colored 3,000 balls and released them in the lake at MacArthur Park.  I drove by there yesterday to check it out.  Here's the photos below. They said they would be there for a month.
---Until next time.  John

PS.  When I heard the report on the news, I thought the balls were going to be tennis ball size, didn't know they were going to be this big.  It is very colorful. --John

Late Monday downtown-8/17/2015

"I'd hate for someone to suffer because I refused to answer God's calling."  Richard Stearns, from his book "The Hole in the Gospel".

I have worked an extra day for the last 4 or 5 weeks and was looking forward to having these three days (nights actually) off from work.  I ended up waiting until Monday night to go and didn't leave the house until about 8:15 pm.  By the time I got down there and was ready to start looking for folks its was 9:00 pm! Sometimes going so late can be a problem because people on the street are already under blankets or whatever they have and are trying to sleep.  But, I was undeterred.  No matter how late it is, I'm bringing the Kingdom down to the streets of L.A.

I didn't have a lot of resources this week, but knew that at least 3 or 4 people would be on Trinity St. I wasn't too far off (there were more).  First there was Lee, a very diminutive older woman who lives on that street.  She didn't recognize me at first, but when she did she asked for some extra food for another homeless man named Alfred who lives there with her.  He came over to the car too and I was able to give out food and water to both of them.  Just on down the street, where Leticia and Antonio live were two other homeless men, Victor and Cole.  Now Cole I've helped a few times before.  About six months ago I first met him panhandling on the corner of Washington and Grande Vista.  He told me then that his roommate, at the time, had lost his job and they were about to lose their place to stay.  Well, they did and now Cole has been homeless ever since.  It's heartbreaking to see the actual physical changes that occur in people as they start having to live out on the street.  Anyway, I gave both these men some food and water and pulled on down the street about 15 or 20 feet and stopped opposite where Leticia and Antonio were sleeping for the night.  I called out to them and Antonio was the first to get up. They both came over to the car.  Leticia told me that she had found a job.  I really couldn't make out what it was she does, but she indicated that perhaps it will help them get a room!  She asked me if I'd pray for them (she ALWAYS asks me to pray for them).  I told her, "Of course I will!" and got out of the car to stand with them.  I praised God and thanked Him for this opportunity she's been given to earn some money on a regular basis.  While I was out of the car I walked over to the other two men, Victor and Cole, and prayed for them too.  That was when Cole reminded me that we had met before. He probably didn't recognize me until I prayed with them.  Victor, whom I hadn't met before asked me what my name is.  Hopefully, I'll see them both again soon.

I only had a couple of burgers left and drove over to Olive St.  By now it was 9:30 pm.  I saw a man sleeping on a couple of mattresses right on the edge of the sidewalk.  I didn't recognize him until I drove up, but his name is Carlos.  He's usually had a couple of beers when I see him and tonight he woke up a little groggy.  Anyway, he said he was hungry and I gave him the last of the food and some water.  I prayed for him and he said, "Thank you Pappa" as I drove away.

In every encounter this night I prayed for everyone and in every case they all started eating the food given as soon as I gave it to them.  I'll use trips like this as a reminder that no matter how tired I am, there are people in need, who are counting on me being obedient to my calling.  Until next time. John