"Be joyful in hope,patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:12-3
Last week when I left Antonio and Leticia I promised to come back this week and bring a blanket. Leticia was shivering as they were getting ready to lay down their pieces of cardboard to make a bed and sleep on the sidewalk that night. So they were the first ones I visited this week. If I hadn't seen them first, I probably wouldn't have had the blanket when I did see them. Blankets go fast just about any time of year, but especially now that its getting colder at night. I told them also, that I probably wouldn't be down next Sunday, but would be down there on Thanksgiving morning. I showed them a calender on my phone so they knew Thanksgiving was on Thursday the 24th. I'm not sure how familiar they are with this holiday. I'm reminded of the story of one of my nurses at the hospital who asked me if I knew what they called Thanksgiving in the Philippines....(answer)."Thursday". Not everyone shares our holidays.
In last week's blog I opened with a brief account of some health issues I've had recently and expressed my thanks and gratefulness at having good health insurance. I wondered out loud what it would be like for folks on the street to go through life without any health insurance. Well, this week I now know of two people who are facing this situation. I'll begin with the story of Hope. Hope is a woman in her mid to late thirties (I'm guessing). She is in one of the pictures from last week's blog. I had promised to bring Robert, who also lives on this street, a bible and stopped by this small little street after seeing Antonio and Leticia. There are now a half dozen or so people living on this street all the time. I got out of the car and had opened the back hatch when Hope asked me if I had any maternity clothes. Well, Hope is as skinny as a rail and I didn't realize at first that she was asking for herself. In talking with her further about this, she told me she has had 5 kids, a miscarriage and now is pregnant again. The father is around, but isn't treating her well and I got the impression isn't going to help her with this at all. I asked her if she had family that could help. Apparently, she's from the Chicago area and does have family there. Getting back there is another hurdle. Hope receives no government assistance at this time. She's hoping to somehow get back there before the end of the year, but these things usually take a lot of time to make happen. I prayed with her about her pregnancy and situation. We'll get through this somehow. Unless she can get back to Chicago, the outcome will not be a happy one.
The other situation I heard about was told to me by Red, a man who lives near San Pedro Ave and 10th street. I hadn't been down there in a while and had told him about my foot infection. So he knows a homeless guy who hangs out around there who was doing something in a dumpster and sliced his foot on some sheet metal. His foot got infected (lack of immediate medical attention) and he ended up losing 3 toes. Can you imagine? The things like medical insurance that we take for granted are so important.
When I pulled up to talk to Red I had three sandwiches left. There were three guys there and I gave out all three to them. So while I'm talking to Red a woman in a wheelchair came around the corner from San Pedro Ave and towards us. She was moving the wheel chair with one leg and her hands. The other leg, apparently, wasn't working. As she got closer to us, she called out asking if I had any "spaghetti". She said the last time I had spaghetti and "it was so good". Like I said, I had just given out the last of the sandwiches. I told her I would be back on Thanksgiving with some pasta and to make sure she was there. Well Red still had his sandwich in his hand and it was still in the baggie unopened. He offered his to her! So that was how the trip ended...on a high note. A high note of hope! Until next time. --John
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