"Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu (Aaron's sons) and the seventy leaders, went up the mountain and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something that looked like a pavement made out of sapphire, and it was as bright as the sky. Even though these leaders of Israel saw God, he did not punish them. So they ate and drank." Exodus 24:9-11--This was immediately after God had ratified his agreement with the children of Israel at Mt Sinai.
Well, where do I begin with this blog? This is only my seventh blog of the year (although I've made a lot more trips than that) and most likely my last blog for the year. I usually try and make a special trip on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year on Thanksgiving I had gotten up very early and started preparing food to take, but starting feeling dizzy and nauseous and ended up in the hospital for a day and a half. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I didn't make a trip due to health issues and schedule problems (I'm back working nights for the next 4 months). So if I want to make a trip on a Sunday, I can only sleep about 3 1/2 to 4 hours and then wake up and get ready....quickly, before the sun goes down. Since this Christmas fell on a Monday and I was going to be stretched pretty thin getting around to all the family gatherings, I decided to try and make the trip on Sunday, Christmas Eve instead. There are a few extra obstacles these days with making a big pot of pasta to take with me. Back in June I was about to start making some to take downtown when the electric stove quit working. It was a little more involved than that, but essentially I have no working stove or oven. I have one electric burner, a microwave and a crock pot. We have a big crock pot and a smaller crock pot. My wife was using the big one for something else. The crock pot is what I use to make the sauce. The small crock pot isn't big enough to hold everything. Now you ladies will be able to relate to preparing a meal for company and trying to get everything "ready and hot" at the same time and on the table. I'm trying to get them all hot at once and in the big pot I take at the same time. So the car has to be ready and loaded with all the other stuff I take (blankets, clothes and shoes) as well as the bowls, spoons and water etc. It's a job coordinating everything all by itself and I'm not as physically capable as I used to be. Anyway, I got it all together and left at about 3:30-3:45 pm. I hadn't gotten too far down the road before I realized I forgot my phone. It was too late to go back, but also this means no pictures now ( a huge bummer). I'm almost into Los Angeles when the freeway comes to a complete stop! Time is ticking away and this food isn't going to stay hot forever. After about 10 minutes of being stopped people started making their way to the Whittier/Lorena off-ramp on the 60 right before the 10/101/5 split. Eventually, I was able to get over from the second lane from the left and get off the freeway like everyone else was doing. So now I had to make the rest of the way via surface streets. One thing about delays.....it gives you a chance to get prayed up before things start. So I had been praying and asking God to bring people together at 10th St and San Pedro and prepare their hearts. This is a spot I've served people many times in the last 3 or 4 years. I had a most memorable encounter with a woman named Natalie a couple of Christmas's ago who needed a jacket. So here's what happened this time.
As I pulled onto 10th St I saw about 4-5 people on the south side of the street. I didn't recognize these people and sometimes there are people standing around there from the businesses on that street and they aren't homeless. But on the other side of the street I saw "my people". There were about eight people on the sidewalk and in two cars parked at the curb. Red, Debbie and Chris were there, a couple living in a van that I had met the last time I was down there and a couple of other folks who I recognized, but didn't remember their names. As I slowly drove up I called out to them and pulled on down the street and turned around so I could park on their side. It's hard to put into words how incredible the Spirit of the Lord was at this time. Needless to say I felt very welcomed. The Lord had prepared their hearts for my visit. Those of you who live in the Southern California area know how cold for us it has been here in the last 10 days or so. I had 7 blankets with me. Before I even said anything about food they were asking for the blankets. I asked Chris where his tent was and he told me it had been stolen. I had given him a tarp the last time down because his tent had some leaks in it. Now he and Debbie are just sleeping on the sidewalk in the open air. It must be miserable at night. I gave out about three or four blankets initially and then started serving food while it was still hot. Several other homeless folks with shopping carts wandered by and I served them too. One of those was named Junior. He instantly felt a connection with me. Now most of the people I serve are of a different ethnicity than I am. I really don't think about it much because to me the streets of downtown Los Angeles are like home to me. I drove these streets many years ago when I drove trucks and I'm so familiar with them that its like being 'in the neighborhood' to me. This city of Los Angeles is such a diverse city that I just don't think about those kinds of differences. We're all here and we can all respect each other. Well Junior made a comment that alluded to me being different than the rest of them. It was a complement. He told me, "Its not often that someone from a different ethnic group comes into another group. It shows that you're fearless or God is with you." I know God has placed me here to serve these people. I may not always be fearless, but I do feel comfortable walking into a group of people and asking if they need any help. The food, the clothes and the water help me to gain access to them and facilitate connecting their hearts with God's heart. I remember seeing an interview with Bono the lead singer for the rock bank U2 (for those of you who don't know him or the band they are one of the biggest bands and Bono is known for being a proponent of the disadvantaged). He said in this interview that "People want to know if God will bless their work. Well we know God will bless work done to help the poor, widows and orphans." He's right. It really is a no-brainer. This work has been the absolute joy and passion of my life. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything.
I served up most all the food at this stop and gave out all 7 blankets. The folks picked through the clothes in the back of the car and I prayed with the whole group. Yes, they all gathered around when I prayed for them. I had gone back to the car and had gotten in when another woman came by, so I got out again and let her go through the clothes in the back. Before I left Red asked me to pray again specifically for Debbie because she was having some health problems (he didn't elaborate). He told me to "We need you to do what you do (pray)......for her." Of course, I was more than willing. I received many thank you's and God bless you's and hugs from these folks (even the men!). How can you not love this work. I told them I was going to be receiving some items at my Mom's the next night and included in those things were going to be some tarps. They were pretty excited about that. I didn't have much food left. As it turned out I had about 2 1/2 bowls of pasta left and not many clothes left either. Most of them women's clothes. I drove on over to another little street off the I-10 at Los Angeles St and gave out the rest of the food and let them pick through what was left of the clothes and I prayed with them too. There were three guys there so it worked out just about perfectly. When I take sandwiches down here you can take just about as long as you need to because the sandwiches aren't hot. If I bring pasta, it's imperative that you find a group of people so you can give it away as quickly as possible while it's still hot. Sunday's trip could not have gone much more perfectly than it did. I'm just sorry I forgot my phone and couldn't take any pictures.
OK, so you might be wondering about the scripture passage I opened with. It is a rather obscure passage in the old Testament. It has always intrigued me. First, because they 'saw' God and lived. There are a couple of explanations as to how and why this happened, but not important for us here. The main thing about this passage for me and as it relates to Sunday's trip is the connection to, strangely enough, the announcement of the birth of Jesus. You may recall how in Matthew 1 Joseph is told by an angel to go ahead and marry Mary because the baby is a fulfillment of the prophecy that a "virgin will have a baby boy and he will be called Immanuel," which means "God with us". This passage above from Exodus is the only account we have of living humans, being with God so they experienced, "God with us". Sunday was a different experience, but no less an experience of the "Spirit of God with us." I'm sorry I am unable to explain it in a way that you could feel it like everyone else there did. But we were all truly blessed by it. --Until next time John
PS. Before I sign-off, I want to thank everyone who has contributed this year to making these trips a blessing to me and the folks downtown. It is truly a community effort. I hope to continue doing this as long as I am able. Please pray for my health to improve and for my homeless friends downtown.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Downtown 9/24/17
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony..." The rich man answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Abraham said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31
Well, it's finally time to write about some of the recent trips I have made downtown. I sometimes forget that what seems to me to be a rather ordinary encounter with someone, may be extraordinary to the person I've encountered and even those reading this blog. A couple of weekends ago I was driving up Compton Ave. I'm not really sure where I was, I know I wasn't in Compton at that point maybe still in Watts or just north of there. As I passed through an intersection there was a man digging through a trash can on one of the corners of the intersection, in fact, the same side where I was driving. I passed him and realized what he was doing and so I drove around the block to come up on him again. I'm not sure what this guy was wearing. Our encounter was very brief because it was on a corner, but what he had on was not clothing. Maybe it was carpet or something green and furry cut out like a poncho or something. I never did figure out what he was wearing for pants There was no shopping cart nearby with possessions that I saw. I stopped and offered him a sandwich through the car passenger window which he readily accepted as well as a couple of bottles of water. Over the course of the last couple of weeks this encounter has not only stayed with me, but has troubled me to no end. He thanked me for the food and water and said, "God bless you." and everything seemed to go OK, but it has just left me heartbroken for this guy. The first thing that occurs to me is that this man, like few others on the street, spends every part of every waking moment looking for food and shelter. That's each and every day. So yeah, some guy pulls up and while he's looking for old scraps of food from someone else, he gets a sandwich, crackers and a couple of clean unopened bottles of water. Sure, he's extremely happy in the moment. But I'm kicking myself for not taking a quick look around for a place to park and let the guy go through the clothes in the back of the car and turn the stop into a total transformation for him. Then I could have gotten the guy's name, prayed with him and found out where he hangs out and tried to hook-up again with him the next week. I drove back by there last week, but couldn't remember exactly where it was although it's doubtful he would be in the same exact spot the next week. I really feel like I missed a great opportunity.
Last week I really struggled finding the 'right' folks to help. I ended up driving to places I hadn't been in a really long time. I had given out over half the food by the time I got downtown so you don't want to go to places where there are potentially a lot of people or some (including me) will be very disappointed when you run out of food. If you've ever seen the look on peoples' faces when you just gave out the last sandwich, you'd know what I'm talking about. Well, I was on 7th and Alameda and there are usually a couple of homeless folks who hang-out in the parking lot of a fast food place on the corner there. They came over when I asked them if they were hungry. One of the men asked what church I was with. I told him I go to church, but I'm not down here with any church. He said sometimes people with a church will come down there and hand out food. He ended up by saying, "Well thank you for just being a decent human being." I got a good chuckle out of that one.
Two Sunday's ago I drove by the little street (Santee St) by the I-10 freeway and the Los Angeles St. off-ramp where I've helped a lot of people (including the woman whose name is Hope). But there was a fire truck at the entrance to the street and it looked like they had just put out a fire by the freeway off-ramp at the end of this street. Last week I went by again and a couple of people were back, including Dave. He told me that they didn't know who started the fire. He also told me that Hope is living under the freeway at Los Angeles or Main St. I drove by there, but didn't see her.
I started today's trip in Compton again at a little encampment off Imperial Ave between Wilmington and Central Ave. Charles and Javier were there (I prayed with Charles) and a couple of others. Javier was actually awake today. Marilyn was there, but I didn't see any of the other women who live there. I ended the trip down on 10th Place and San Pedro Ave downtown. When I pulled up there were two men sitting on the sidewalk there. One man I had seen just the week before, but the other man I hadn't seen in a very long time. He told me he had recently gotten out of the hospital and as you can see the leg brace in the photo below he had had to learn to walk again after the back surgery he received. The three of us prayed together and then they went through the clothes in the back of the car. Thaddeus (the man with the leg brace) was looking for some shirts. I mostly had women's clothes and he took some of them for his niece who was in a tent across the street. A little while later she came over with a dress on that she had just received. She asked me if I'd pray for her. I told her "Of course I will". She first wanted to go through the clothes so I waited until she was through and asked if there was something special she wanted me to pray for. She said yes she'd like to get her daughter back. I didn't ask what had happened I just put my arm around her shoulder and prayed for her to get her daughter (whose name is Kennedy) back. Yes, these folks on the streets have real problems just like we do. From health issues, economic issues and relational issues they experience them just as we do.
I began this blog with the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus the poor beggar. I always thought of the 'rich man' as a very wealthy man. I have come to the conclusion that the rich man is you and me. There a several points to the story, one being that we are to share and freely give to those in need. The needy are often right nearby at freeway off-ramps, gas stations and fast food places, but the needy aren't limited to just people with economic problems, but emotional and spiritual depression as well. Lending an ear and just being a "decent human being" goes a long way to restoring their self esteem. Will this vulnerability lend itself to people taking advantage of you....yes it probably will from time to time. Our vulnerability is part of the price we pay to offer the richness and hope of God's kingdom to people struggling in this world. Until next time. -- John
Well, it's finally time to write about some of the recent trips I have made downtown. I sometimes forget that what seems to me to be a rather ordinary encounter with someone, may be extraordinary to the person I've encountered and even those reading this blog. A couple of weekends ago I was driving up Compton Ave. I'm not really sure where I was, I know I wasn't in Compton at that point maybe still in Watts or just north of there. As I passed through an intersection there was a man digging through a trash can on one of the corners of the intersection, in fact, the same side where I was driving. I passed him and realized what he was doing and so I drove around the block to come up on him again. I'm not sure what this guy was wearing. Our encounter was very brief because it was on a corner, but what he had on was not clothing. Maybe it was carpet or something green and furry cut out like a poncho or something. I never did figure out what he was wearing for pants There was no shopping cart nearby with possessions that I saw. I stopped and offered him a sandwich through the car passenger window which he readily accepted as well as a couple of bottles of water. Over the course of the last couple of weeks this encounter has not only stayed with me, but has troubled me to no end. He thanked me for the food and water and said, "God bless you." and everything seemed to go OK, but it has just left me heartbroken for this guy. The first thing that occurs to me is that this man, like few others on the street, spends every part of every waking moment looking for food and shelter. That's each and every day. So yeah, some guy pulls up and while he's looking for old scraps of food from someone else, he gets a sandwich, crackers and a couple of clean unopened bottles of water. Sure, he's extremely happy in the moment. But I'm kicking myself for not taking a quick look around for a place to park and let the guy go through the clothes in the back of the car and turn the stop into a total transformation for him. Then I could have gotten the guy's name, prayed with him and found out where he hangs out and tried to hook-up again with him the next week. I drove back by there last week, but couldn't remember exactly where it was although it's doubtful he would be in the same exact spot the next week. I really feel like I missed a great opportunity.
Last week I really struggled finding the 'right' folks to help. I ended up driving to places I hadn't been in a really long time. I had given out over half the food by the time I got downtown so you don't want to go to places where there are potentially a lot of people or some (including me) will be very disappointed when you run out of food. If you've ever seen the look on peoples' faces when you just gave out the last sandwich, you'd know what I'm talking about. Well, I was on 7th and Alameda and there are usually a couple of homeless folks who hang-out in the parking lot of a fast food place on the corner there. They came over when I asked them if they were hungry. One of the men asked what church I was with. I told him I go to church, but I'm not down here with any church. He said sometimes people with a church will come down there and hand out food. He ended up by saying, "Well thank you for just being a decent human being." I got a good chuckle out of that one.
Two Sunday's ago I drove by the little street (Santee St) by the I-10 freeway and the Los Angeles St. off-ramp where I've helped a lot of people (including the woman whose name is Hope). But there was a fire truck at the entrance to the street and it looked like they had just put out a fire by the freeway off-ramp at the end of this street. Last week I went by again and a couple of people were back, including Dave. He told me that they didn't know who started the fire. He also told me that Hope is living under the freeway at Los Angeles or Main St. I drove by there, but didn't see her.
I started today's trip in Compton again at a little encampment off Imperial Ave between Wilmington and Central Ave. Charles and Javier were there (I prayed with Charles) and a couple of others. Javier was actually awake today. Marilyn was there, but I didn't see any of the other women who live there. I ended the trip down on 10th Place and San Pedro Ave downtown. When I pulled up there were two men sitting on the sidewalk there. One man I had seen just the week before, but the other man I hadn't seen in a very long time. He told me he had recently gotten out of the hospital and as you can see the leg brace in the photo below he had had to learn to walk again after the back surgery he received. The three of us prayed together and then they went through the clothes in the back of the car. Thaddeus (the man with the leg brace) was looking for some shirts. I mostly had women's clothes and he took some of them for his niece who was in a tent across the street. A little while later she came over with a dress on that she had just received. She asked me if I'd pray for her. I told her "Of course I will". She first wanted to go through the clothes so I waited until she was through and asked if there was something special she wanted me to pray for. She said yes she'd like to get her daughter back. I didn't ask what had happened I just put my arm around her shoulder and prayed for her to get her daughter (whose name is Kennedy) back. Yes, these folks on the streets have real problems just like we do. From health issues, economic issues and relational issues they experience them just as we do.
I began this blog with the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus the poor beggar. I always thought of the 'rich man' as a very wealthy man. I have come to the conclusion that the rich man is you and me. There a several points to the story, one being that we are to share and freely give to those in need. The needy are often right nearby at freeway off-ramps, gas stations and fast food places, but the needy aren't limited to just people with economic problems, but emotional and spiritual depression as well. Lending an ear and just being a "decent human being" goes a long way to restoring their self esteem. Will this vulnerability lend itself to people taking advantage of you....yes it probably will from time to time. Our vulnerability is part of the price we pay to offer the richness and hope of God's kingdom to people struggling in this world. Until next time. -- John
Monday, June 19, 2017
The Compton breakthrough-Father's Day 6/18/17
"Our LORD, the nations will honor you, and all kings on earth will praise your glory. You will rebuild the city of Zion. Your glory will be seen and the prayers of the homeless will be answered." Psalm 102:16
Well, if you've been following these blogs the last few months you'd know I've been praying for a break-through in the Compton area. I've helped a few people here and there, but haven't found a spot yet where there were several people together at one place and at one time. I've also come to believe that there will be no break-through until my heart changes. I need to love Compton the way God loves Compton plain and simple. To that end, I've been praying that God will give me a love for these folks the way He loves them and that I must be willing to suffer through any short-term difficulties to get to the real prize of connecting their hearts to God's heart. It's not enough to just be successful at handing out food and clothing, really anyone can to that, but connecting the hearts of people who have been neglected and mistreated to the Father's heart is the real prize. That's what I'm working towards. So as I left home for this trip I asked my wife to pray that I would meet people that God wants me to love. So here's what happened....
It was really hot, over a 100 degrees earlier in the day. When I arrived at 5:40 pm it had cooled off some. I had brought about 30 bottles of water on ice and a dozen sandwiches and socks and clothes. I got off the 91 at Central and went north stopping at a small shopping center across from a Home Depot store. Usually there's at least one or two people there, but yesterday no one was there. It may have been too hot to sit out in the direct sunlight. I drove on up Central to the 105 freeway and turned right just after passing it. I don't remember the name of the street, but it's a main street running parallel and just north to the freeway. Less than a quarter mile east, past the burger joints and a gas station is a very small street, probably less than 30 yards long. It goes from the main street there and ends up against the freeway embankment right next to the gas station. There's a vacant lot on the other side of the street. I sometimes see one maybe two people there and have helped a couple of folks a time or two. Yesterday, there was one guy that I could see there. I asked him if he was hungry and he told me he was so I gave him a sandwich. He pointed to a shopping cart and asked if he could get another one for the "old" guy that lived there. I said sure and asked him how old the old guy was. He said he didn't know but that he "acted" old. We both shared a laugh over that. He then told me there were some people living behind the fence, just out of sight. He went over there and called out to them and before long 6 or 8 more people showed up, some from behind the fence and some from the gas station. The first guy's name was Charles and the second guy who showed up was Peter. He actually shared a clean joke with me about Moses and George Bush (you may have heard it before). The cold water was a big hit and so were the socks, particularly the ones with soap inside them. One of the last people was a woman named Dee. She told me she actually lived in the projects by Wilmington and Compton Ave. with her daughter. I told her I usually come by here on Sunday's about this time every week. I prayed with her before leaving and when I finished she said, "That was a perfect prayer for me." If you've followed the last couple of blogs you'll remember the comments of some of the others after praying for them. It is so encouraging to see God's faithfulness in just the way people have commented after praying for them. Well, this was a first for Compton. All the food gone not only before leaving Compton, but in one stop at that. Everyone I met was cordial and thankful that I had come by. I decided to end the trip here and go home. After all it was Father's Day and if I left then (6 pm) I could get home to my wife and daughter with some daylight hours left.
So I turned around and got back on the main street going west and turned back on Central to get on the 105 freeway. I was the first car in line to make a left turn and in the left of the two left turn lanes getting on the freeway. Other cars were coming up behind me and to the right of me. All of the sudden my car was jolted from behind by the car directly behind me. I think the driver of the car was distracted and took their foot off the brake and the car idled forward into me. Well now the light turned green and I had no choice but to start driving on the freeway on ramp. It took some doing to get over to the right side of the on ramp and stop. The car behind me that hit me just kept going. I got out and looked at the damage which appeared minimal. The license plate frame was busted and the license plate was dented along with the hatch door. There was a pretty good scratch on the back bumper too. My only concern now was whether the back hatch door was going to open OK or not, but I couldn't stay there on the freeway on ramp to check it out. I got back in the car and drove home. Luckily, I'm not the type of guy that freaks-out over a dent in my car (it's 15 years old anyway). I just want everything working and having the back hatch door open correctly is important on these trips. So here I am on my way home with what should be a trip to praise God for the break-through here in Compton. It took a few minutes though to realize how Satan likes to try to rob us of our joy and then I got over it. So after getting past the initial irritation of the rear-end job I started thinking about the folks I had just met and how happy and gracious they all were to me. I started thinking about their lives there at the bottom of the freeway, some out of sight behind a fence and started thinking how heartbroken God must be that His children are living like that. Here we are in America, the land of plenty and these folks are in the middle of the land of need. I started tearing-up over it in the car. I then realized how God had answered two more prayer requests at the top of this blog. My prayer request to find people to love on this trip and my heart for the people of Compton. God is faithful.
Until next time ---John
Well, if you've been following these blogs the last few months you'd know I've been praying for a break-through in the Compton area. I've helped a few people here and there, but haven't found a spot yet where there were several people together at one place and at one time. I've also come to believe that there will be no break-through until my heart changes. I need to love Compton the way God loves Compton plain and simple. To that end, I've been praying that God will give me a love for these folks the way He loves them and that I must be willing to suffer through any short-term difficulties to get to the real prize of connecting their hearts to God's heart. It's not enough to just be successful at handing out food and clothing, really anyone can to that, but connecting the hearts of people who have been neglected and mistreated to the Father's heart is the real prize. That's what I'm working towards. So as I left home for this trip I asked my wife to pray that I would meet people that God wants me to love. So here's what happened....
It was really hot, over a 100 degrees earlier in the day. When I arrived at 5:40 pm it had cooled off some. I had brought about 30 bottles of water on ice and a dozen sandwiches and socks and clothes. I got off the 91 at Central and went north stopping at a small shopping center across from a Home Depot store. Usually there's at least one or two people there, but yesterday no one was there. It may have been too hot to sit out in the direct sunlight. I drove on up Central to the 105 freeway and turned right just after passing it. I don't remember the name of the street, but it's a main street running parallel and just north to the freeway. Less than a quarter mile east, past the burger joints and a gas station is a very small street, probably less than 30 yards long. It goes from the main street there and ends up against the freeway embankment right next to the gas station. There's a vacant lot on the other side of the street. I sometimes see one maybe two people there and have helped a couple of folks a time or two. Yesterday, there was one guy that I could see there. I asked him if he was hungry and he told me he was so I gave him a sandwich. He pointed to a shopping cart and asked if he could get another one for the "old" guy that lived there. I said sure and asked him how old the old guy was. He said he didn't know but that he "acted" old. We both shared a laugh over that. He then told me there were some people living behind the fence, just out of sight. He went over there and called out to them and before long 6 or 8 more people showed up, some from behind the fence and some from the gas station. The first guy's name was Charles and the second guy who showed up was Peter. He actually shared a clean joke with me about Moses and George Bush (you may have heard it before). The cold water was a big hit and so were the socks, particularly the ones with soap inside them. One of the last people was a woman named Dee. She told me she actually lived in the projects by Wilmington and Compton Ave. with her daughter. I told her I usually come by here on Sunday's about this time every week. I prayed with her before leaving and when I finished she said, "That was a perfect prayer for me." If you've followed the last couple of blogs you'll remember the comments of some of the others after praying for them. It is so encouraging to see God's faithfulness in just the way people have commented after praying for them. Well, this was a first for Compton. All the food gone not only before leaving Compton, but in one stop at that. Everyone I met was cordial and thankful that I had come by. I decided to end the trip here and go home. After all it was Father's Day and if I left then (6 pm) I could get home to my wife and daughter with some daylight hours left.
So I turned around and got back on the main street going west and turned back on Central to get on the 105 freeway. I was the first car in line to make a left turn and in the left of the two left turn lanes getting on the freeway. Other cars were coming up behind me and to the right of me. All of the sudden my car was jolted from behind by the car directly behind me. I think the driver of the car was distracted and took their foot off the brake and the car idled forward into me. Well now the light turned green and I had no choice but to start driving on the freeway on ramp. It took some doing to get over to the right side of the on ramp and stop. The car behind me that hit me just kept going. I got out and looked at the damage which appeared minimal. The license plate frame was busted and the license plate was dented along with the hatch door. There was a pretty good scratch on the back bumper too. My only concern now was whether the back hatch door was going to open OK or not, but I couldn't stay there on the freeway on ramp to check it out. I got back in the car and drove home. Luckily, I'm not the type of guy that freaks-out over a dent in my car (it's 15 years old anyway). I just want everything working and having the back hatch door open correctly is important on these trips. So here I am on my way home with what should be a trip to praise God for the break-through here in Compton. It took a few minutes though to realize how Satan likes to try to rob us of our joy and then I got over it. So after getting past the initial irritation of the rear-end job I started thinking about the folks I had just met and how happy and gracious they all were to me. I started thinking about their lives there at the bottom of the freeway, some out of sight behind a fence and started thinking how heartbroken God must be that His children are living like that. Here we are in America, the land of plenty and these folks are in the middle of the land of need. I started tearing-up over it in the car. I then realized how God had answered two more prayer requests at the top of this blog. My prayer request to find people to love on this trip and my heart for the people of Compton. God is faithful.
Until next time ---John
Monday, May 29, 2017
Downtown 5/28/2017
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." The Apostle Paul's letter to the Christians living in Rome and one of my favorite verses. Romans 15:13
I got a late start to the trip this week and didn't get to Compton until after 6 pm. When my wife asked me, as I was leaving, what to pray for I said pretty much the same as last week, but a special request for a break-through in Compton. While I didn't get to help anyone in Compton this week, I did see some homeless encampments at Hooper and Firestone (technically probably north of Compton). The only problem was it was getting late by then and while there were obviously several people living in the parking lot of an abandoned retail store, they weren't outside their tents. Etiquette dictates you don't go up to them and call out unless you know them. I'll try and get there earlier next week. Please pray for this area. So I drove on into Los Angeles.
This trip was one of those where I only saw a few people that I knew, but helped a lot of single folks getting ready to sleep on the street for the night. Virtually every one of them was extremely grateful to receive some food and water before going to sleep. I would have to say that they all would have gone to sleep hungry if I hadn't stopped.
The one encounter that forced me to write this blog was one of the last stops. It was on another small street just west of Olive St off Pico Ave. Lawrence lives there. The last time I saw him a couple of months ago there was a woman staying with him. She wasn't there this time; he was alone. One of the best things about getting to do this ministry is the relationships I build over time with some of these folks and Lawrence is one of them. You may recall from my trip last Christmas Day that he told me a rat had eaten the loaf of bread that he had bought the night before. Well, this is that same guy. We talked for quite a while tonight. At one point we were standing at the back of my car and he had gone through some of the clothes in the car. I pretty much only had women's clothes for this trip, but he wanted to look for something his friend might like. Anyway, he asked me if I'd pray for him because he was looking to visit his Dad's grave tomorrow and apparently, there is a fair amount of internal baggage to go with a trip like this. I said I'd be happy to pray for him and did. Now mind you, I really didn't know how to pray for this and I felt some internal struggles myself at what to say. I wouldn't say I stumbled through the prayer, but it was, no doubt, a touchy area of Lawrence' life and I didn't treat it lightly and wanted to bring as much peace and healing as I could. When I finished, although he didn't say he felt "connected" like the man last week, he did say he felt at peace about it and relieved. He told me, "It's obvious you have an anointing for prayer." He thanked me profusely for praying for him. I'll be praying for him again tomorrow from home. Now look at the verse I opened with again. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." I had written this verse down last Monday and probably read it at least once or twice daily this week. It begins with "the God of hope" and ends with "that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". We are to give this hope out to those most in need of it. Folks living on the streets are part of that group. After we trust in Him, he will fill us with joy and peace so we can be used to give out His hope. What a privilege!
With that encounter, I only had a couple of sandwiches left to give out and found Carlos on a corner a couple of blocks away. When I gave him some food and water he was so happy I thought he was going to get in the car with me. Maybe he wanted to. Anyway, it was a nice way to end the trip. -- Until next time. John
I got a late start to the trip this week and didn't get to Compton until after 6 pm. When my wife asked me, as I was leaving, what to pray for I said pretty much the same as last week, but a special request for a break-through in Compton. While I didn't get to help anyone in Compton this week, I did see some homeless encampments at Hooper and Firestone (technically probably north of Compton). The only problem was it was getting late by then and while there were obviously several people living in the parking lot of an abandoned retail store, they weren't outside their tents. Etiquette dictates you don't go up to them and call out unless you know them. I'll try and get there earlier next week. Please pray for this area. So I drove on into Los Angeles.
This trip was one of those where I only saw a few people that I knew, but helped a lot of single folks getting ready to sleep on the street for the night. Virtually every one of them was extremely grateful to receive some food and water before going to sleep. I would have to say that they all would have gone to sleep hungry if I hadn't stopped.
The one encounter that forced me to write this blog was one of the last stops. It was on another small street just west of Olive St off Pico Ave. Lawrence lives there. The last time I saw him a couple of months ago there was a woman staying with him. She wasn't there this time; he was alone. One of the best things about getting to do this ministry is the relationships I build over time with some of these folks and Lawrence is one of them. You may recall from my trip last Christmas Day that he told me a rat had eaten the loaf of bread that he had bought the night before. Well, this is that same guy. We talked for quite a while tonight. At one point we were standing at the back of my car and he had gone through some of the clothes in the car. I pretty much only had women's clothes for this trip, but he wanted to look for something his friend might like. Anyway, he asked me if I'd pray for him because he was looking to visit his Dad's grave tomorrow and apparently, there is a fair amount of internal baggage to go with a trip like this. I said I'd be happy to pray for him and did. Now mind you, I really didn't know how to pray for this and I felt some internal struggles myself at what to say. I wouldn't say I stumbled through the prayer, but it was, no doubt, a touchy area of Lawrence' life and I didn't treat it lightly and wanted to bring as much peace and healing as I could. When I finished, although he didn't say he felt "connected" like the man last week, he did say he felt at peace about it and relieved. He told me, "It's obvious you have an anointing for prayer." He thanked me profusely for praying for him. I'll be praying for him again tomorrow from home. Now look at the verse I opened with again. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." I had written this verse down last Monday and probably read it at least once or twice daily this week. It begins with "the God of hope" and ends with "that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". We are to give this hope out to those most in need of it. Folks living on the streets are part of that group. After we trust in Him, he will fill us with joy and peace so we can be used to give out His hope. What a privilege!
With that encounter, I only had a couple of sandwiches left to give out and found Carlos on a corner a couple of blocks away. When I gave him some food and water he was so happy I thought he was going to get in the car with me. Maybe he wanted to. Anyway, it was a nice way to end the trip. -- Until next time. John
Monday, May 22, 2017
Downtown 5/21/17
"Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks... Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people. And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret." Ephesians 6:10-13a, 6:18-9 Written by the Apostle Paul from a Roman prison.
I knew it would be awhile between this trip and the last one (5 weeks). I had switched back to a night work schedule which means I have to sleep on Sunday mornings when I get home from work. I also had to work a Monday day-shift for six weeks in a row. I'm reaching the age where I know my physical limits. So yesterday I was able to go (didn't have to work today/Monday) and with the daylight hours lasting longer it made it a lot easier to get downtown. I still didn't get there until after 5:30 pm. Before leaving, as I was saying goodbye to my wife, she asked if there was anything specific that she could pray for. My response went something like this. "Pray that I would meet people whose hearts I can connect with God and meet their needs." With that I left and headed down to Compton first.
Compton is still a work in progress for me. I haven't had a break-through with the people there yet. There is one parking lot off Central where I've had some contacts, but yesterday I was rebuffed. It would be easy to just skip going there, but I feel it may take more prayer and perseverance before a real break-through occurs and people start looking forward to me arriving. Please pray for me and Compton, California. After driving around a bit there I left and drove into Los Angeles. Since I'm coming from the South side I stopped by the burned-out church off 27th and Central. There is still no progress there either. I'll keep praying there too.
I drove on up a couple of streets to 25th and San Pedro. I saw Becky and Connie there on the same stretch of sidewalk where I had the dinner a couple of years ago. I gave them food and water and let them look through the clothes in the back of the car. Connie asked if I would pray for them. I asked her if there was something specific she wanted me to pray for and she said, "Yes. Pray that I can leave here with my daughter." Connie is old enough that her daughter is, no doubt, an adult now too. I'm sure she's looking towards her daughter as a way out of there. Just before leaving, as I was standing by the back of my car closing things up, I gave them a group hug and told them they were two of my favorite people down there. They were both very happy to hear that.
With that I drove on up to 16th/Venice just east of Los Angeles St off the I-10 freeway. This little street is called Santee and dead-ends against the freeway. I've ministered to a lot of homeless people here. This is where Hope lives. I drove to the end of the street where a couple of guys were sitting next to their make-shift shelter. I got out of the car and opened up the back so everyone could go through the clothes. Other people came out of their shelters and there was a small crowd gathered around my car, Hope was there too, as I handed out sandwiches and chilled water (it was a hot day even after 6:30 pm). One of the men whose name was Dewayne thanked me for coming down. In fact, he said it twice to make sure I understood how thankful he was for me coming there to help them. Towards the end, a man (about 40-ish) rode up on a bicycle. I usually see him around 14th St, but there he was over here and greeted me by saying, "Hey Pastor". I had just closed the back of the car up, but I opened it up again so he could go through the clothes. He told me a lot of his stuff had been stolen (a very common occurrence on the street). At this point he and I were the only two left standing at the back of my car and he told me about a couple of things that happened to him and asked my opinion. He told me he had been down in Irvine at a friend's house and was on the computer and all of the sudden he felt like someone had taken their finger and swiped it against the back of his neck. He turned around to see who it was, but no one was there. Then over on 14th St he was in his tent and the same thing happened again, yet no one was around then either. He asked me, "What's happening to me?" I told him that he may be experiencing the presence of evil spirits. He sounded very disturbed about it and somewhat fearful that they would be following him from Irvine back downtown. I'm not sure if he asked me if I could do something about it or I told him to let me pray for him, but I was going to pray with him no matter what. I prayed that the Spirit of Jesus would enter him and with that, the darkness would be forced to leave. That darkness could not stay in the presence of Light. I know there was more to my praying over him than just that, but that was the main point of concern. When I finished, he said, "Man, thank you. I felt a real connection with God when you were praying." Yes, "connection" was the actual word he used to describe what he was feeling while I prayed for him and the very same thing my wife and I talked about before I left on this trip. This man really seemed greatly relieved. He told me that he used to pray all the time. What better target for evil spirits than someone living on the streets who prays. I'm going to start going back over to 14th St and follow up with this guy.
I left there and drove a couple of streets over to Trinity St (yes, that is the name of the street), where Antonio and Leticia hang-out. Before leaving, Leticia urgently requested I pray for them. I had one sandwich left after that and gave it to a guy under the freeway a few hundred yards away. There were actually a couple of men there, the other guy got a couple of chilled bottles of water at least. It ended up a good trip. ---Until next time. John
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Sunday 3/12/17
"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil and disaster. And God granted him that which he requested." 1 Chronicles 4:10 (This is commonly referred to as the "Prayer of Jabez).
"Attempt something large enough, that failure is guaranteed....unless God steps in." Bruce Wilkinson
Sunday's trip started in Compton again and ended up in the downtown area. On this trip, instead of getting off the 91 freeway at Wilmington, I got off at Central Ave. Central goes all the way into the downtown area. After the trip two Sunday's ago where I got off the freeway at Wilmington Ave I didn't see any homeless folks on that street so I had to switch things up. This trip went much better. I hadn't been driving up this street for too long before I saw about three homeless men in the parking lot of a small corner strip mall. It was a small lot and a there were a lot of cars parked in it, so I drove on passed it for 3 miles or so before I decided that was where I was supposed to start! I drove back there and with a little apprehension I drove into the parking lot. Like I said, there were a lot of cars already parked there and getting near where these men were involved stopping near the drive-out part of the driveway at the other end of the lot. I stopped and called out to them, "Is anyone hungry?" They couldn't hear me at first and I had to repeat myself 2 or 3 times before they heard me and came over to the car. When they did and I started handing out some food, then some men from another direction came over and then some guys I hadn't even seen earlier came over. I gave out 7 or 8 sandwiches and everyone got a couple of pairs of socks. It was a good beginning. I introduced myself to one of the original three that I saw. I told them that I have been making trips to help the homeless for years, but haven't been to this area much and would like to start coming regularly. He said, "Hey, there's lots of homeless here in South Central. They're all over the place here." I told him I'll be back next week and we'll talk some more. I know it will take a few trips before they get used to me coming and realize that I'm not here to receive or get anything from them. So this first time with them I didn't pray with anyone, but got several "God Bless you's" from them. I looked at it as a good start. I just need to make sure I'm back there next Sunday, whether these same guys are there or not.
I drove on up Central and into Los Angeles. I stopped at the burned-out church off 27th and prayed there for a while and then went on up to Washington Blvd. I helped a few more folks with food and had one sandwich left. Now someone at work had given me about 4 or 5 bags of women's clothes and they were about the only clothes I had on this trip. As I drove around many of the familiar streets around 14th and the Jack in the Box area by Alameda I drove by a block long street full of homeless people. Now I usually wouldn't think of stopping here with only one sandwich left, but as I drove by I saw several women standing around on the sidewalk by their "homes". I thought they would probably love to go through these clothes in the back of the car, so I turned around (again) and drove up to them and stopped. Well, it didn't take long before six or so women were going through these clothes. One of them asked me if I used to go over by 25th and San Pedro St. I said,"Yes, I still go over there." I was able to pray with some of these women and probably only had about 10% of the clothes left when everyone was done. On my way to the freeway, I gave out the last sandwich. The car was pretty well cleaned out. On this trip alone I must have given out 50 pairs of socks and several blankets in addition to the clothes and food. It was a good trip in that regard, but I only prayed with maybe four people. However, the first stop and the last stop were the first times I have met with most of these people, so this trip will lay the ground work for upcoming trips. It was great that daylight-savings time has started. Next month, my schedule switches back to nights in the middle of the month, so having the extra daylight will be a big help as I will have to sleep when I get home from work on Sunday mornings. Please pray for these trips into the Compton/South Central area. I so much want to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to these places so they can experience and witness the presence of God at work. --Until next time. John
"Attempt something large enough, that failure is guaranteed....unless God steps in." Bruce Wilkinson
Sunday's trip started in Compton again and ended up in the downtown area. On this trip, instead of getting off the 91 freeway at Wilmington, I got off at Central Ave. Central goes all the way into the downtown area. After the trip two Sunday's ago where I got off the freeway at Wilmington Ave I didn't see any homeless folks on that street so I had to switch things up. This trip went much better. I hadn't been driving up this street for too long before I saw about three homeless men in the parking lot of a small corner strip mall. It was a small lot and a there were a lot of cars parked in it, so I drove on passed it for 3 miles or so before I decided that was where I was supposed to start! I drove back there and with a little apprehension I drove into the parking lot. Like I said, there were a lot of cars already parked there and getting near where these men were involved stopping near the drive-out part of the driveway at the other end of the lot. I stopped and called out to them, "Is anyone hungry?" They couldn't hear me at first and I had to repeat myself 2 or 3 times before they heard me and came over to the car. When they did and I started handing out some food, then some men from another direction came over and then some guys I hadn't even seen earlier came over. I gave out 7 or 8 sandwiches and everyone got a couple of pairs of socks. It was a good beginning. I introduced myself to one of the original three that I saw. I told them that I have been making trips to help the homeless for years, but haven't been to this area much and would like to start coming regularly. He said, "Hey, there's lots of homeless here in South Central. They're all over the place here." I told him I'll be back next week and we'll talk some more. I know it will take a few trips before they get used to me coming and realize that I'm not here to receive or get anything from them. So this first time with them I didn't pray with anyone, but got several "God Bless you's" from them. I looked at it as a good start. I just need to make sure I'm back there next Sunday, whether these same guys are there or not.
I drove on up Central and into Los Angeles. I stopped at the burned-out church off 27th and prayed there for a while and then went on up to Washington Blvd. I helped a few more folks with food and had one sandwich left. Now someone at work had given me about 4 or 5 bags of women's clothes and they were about the only clothes I had on this trip. As I drove around many of the familiar streets around 14th and the Jack in the Box area by Alameda I drove by a block long street full of homeless people. Now I usually wouldn't think of stopping here with only one sandwich left, but as I drove by I saw several women standing around on the sidewalk by their "homes". I thought they would probably love to go through these clothes in the back of the car, so I turned around (again) and drove up to them and stopped. Well, it didn't take long before six or so women were going through these clothes. One of them asked me if I used to go over by 25th and San Pedro St. I said,"Yes, I still go over there." I was able to pray with some of these women and probably only had about 10% of the clothes left when everyone was done. On my way to the freeway, I gave out the last sandwich. The car was pretty well cleaned out. On this trip alone I must have given out 50 pairs of socks and several blankets in addition to the clothes and food. It was a good trip in that regard, but I only prayed with maybe four people. However, the first stop and the last stop were the first times I have met with most of these people, so this trip will lay the ground work for upcoming trips. It was great that daylight-savings time has started. Next month, my schedule switches back to nights in the middle of the month, so having the extra daylight will be a big help as I will have to sleep when I get home from work on Sunday mornings. Please pray for these trips into the Compton/South Central area. I so much want to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to these places so they can experience and witness the presence of God at work. --Until next time. John
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Straight into Compton, CA-2/26/17
Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. He said to them: "A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves." Luke 10:1-3
I haven't written a blog since the one on Christmas day, so this one is long overdue. I've made trips just about every week, but haven't written any blogs. As a quick update on my health, the IV pump with antibiotics for my foot is done. The foot infection seems to be OK now, but we won't know for sure for another six months or so when another X-ray can be taken. I still have some discomfort when walking if I put too much weight on my big toe. The other muscle issues are still there, but nothing has changed on that front lately, I still have infusions every other week and they will continue for the foreseeable future. What a blessing it is to have good quality health insurance.
For quite some time now I have had a desire to start working in other areas of the Los Angeles area. Our country is suffering greatly from racial tension and we are all ill-equipped to handle this situation on our own. However, our God is great and as the New Testament says, "His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen." (Ephesians. 3:21) I really believe this is true so I have made a couple of trips into Compton to look for homeless folks to help. Sunday was my second trip there and like the first one, I haven't found too many homeless folks there yet, but I'll keep looking. I am not bound to just looking in Compton, but the whole general south central area is OK. With whatever left-over food and clothes I have, I'll finish up in the downtown area. That's not to say that the trip was uneventful.... I drove down to the 91 freeway and got off at the Wilmington exit. I turned north on Wilmington and went on up towards the 105 freeway. As I approached that freeway I saw about 30 yards ahead of me a woman (about 20-ish) in the middle of the street. There was a car coming from the other direction that had stopped and this woman, as I got closer, was yelling at the car, but walking away from it. There was a skate board in the street on my side of the road and she walked over and picked it up and continued yelling at the other car which was now driving away. I had slowed down and stopped, but started to move forward. I wasn't sure if she was going to walk in front of my car or wait and go behind me. As I passed by her she continued yelling at the other car and started hitting my car with her skate board about 3 or 4 times (very violently I might add). Luckily, none of the windows broke and all I ended up with were a few dings on the hood and side towards the back. Now I couldn't really get out and start yelling at her to stop. Imagine how that might look to someone driving by, plus here I am trying to bring the Kingdom of Heaven down here and yelling at someone is a bad way to start. Being calm under pressure is essential. I just drove away and had to laugh at the whole situation. "Welcome to Compton John." I certainly don't know that woman, but her aggressive behavior is indicative of the kind of behavior people have who live in tough neighborhoods. It was a clear lesson in what to pray about for this area. I found a couple of men to help, but they were in places where it was difficult to have a conversation with them. Eventually, I decided to head on up Central and into the downtown area. Now the Compton area is around 133rd streets. I drove up and stopped at 27th to pray for the burned-out church (still no movement there) and then over to 25th and San Pedro where I saw Becky and Pete. I hadn't seen them in a while, so it was good to see them again.
I finally ended up on a familiar small street just east of Los Angeles St and the I-10 freeway. I only had 3 sandwiches left at this point, but hadn't given out many clothes, maybe just some socks. Anyway. as I drove onto this street there were a couple of guys who I stopped for right-away and then as I stopped about 5 other men and Hope came over to the car. I was so disappointed that I didn't have more food left. Well, they went through all the clothes and the last person to go through them was a woman named Michelle. She took every last piece of clothing I had. Yep, I was completely cleaned out except for a dozen or so socks, but everyone there got socks so having some left was a good thing. Before everyone left one of the men asked me to pray for them. What a blessing it is to be asked to pray over them. Before I left one of the men, his name is Gary and I've known him for years now, asked if he could pray for me before I left. Yes, he wanted to pray for me. That is what you call a double blessing. He prayed that even though some of these folks don't seem too appreciative, they are all thankful that I come down there. He prayed for protection for me and over my car. I had to chuckle about that one. Gary has prostate cancer and it is attacking his vocal chords too. His voice is getting very raspy. This was the highlight of the trip. I love these people. Yes God speaks to us through other people. Until next time. John
I haven't written a blog since the one on Christmas day, so this one is long overdue. I've made trips just about every week, but haven't written any blogs. As a quick update on my health, the IV pump with antibiotics for my foot is done. The foot infection seems to be OK now, but we won't know for sure for another six months or so when another X-ray can be taken. I still have some discomfort when walking if I put too much weight on my big toe. The other muscle issues are still there, but nothing has changed on that front lately, I still have infusions every other week and they will continue for the foreseeable future. What a blessing it is to have good quality health insurance.
For quite some time now I have had a desire to start working in other areas of the Los Angeles area. Our country is suffering greatly from racial tension and we are all ill-equipped to handle this situation on our own. However, our God is great and as the New Testament says, "His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen." (Ephesians. 3:21) I really believe this is true so I have made a couple of trips into Compton to look for homeless folks to help. Sunday was my second trip there and like the first one, I haven't found too many homeless folks there yet, but I'll keep looking. I am not bound to just looking in Compton, but the whole general south central area is OK. With whatever left-over food and clothes I have, I'll finish up in the downtown area. That's not to say that the trip was uneventful.... I drove down to the 91 freeway and got off at the Wilmington exit. I turned north on Wilmington and went on up towards the 105 freeway. As I approached that freeway I saw about 30 yards ahead of me a woman (about 20-ish) in the middle of the street. There was a car coming from the other direction that had stopped and this woman, as I got closer, was yelling at the car, but walking away from it. There was a skate board in the street on my side of the road and she walked over and picked it up and continued yelling at the other car which was now driving away. I had slowed down and stopped, but started to move forward. I wasn't sure if she was going to walk in front of my car or wait and go behind me. As I passed by her she continued yelling at the other car and started hitting my car with her skate board about 3 or 4 times (very violently I might add). Luckily, none of the windows broke and all I ended up with were a few dings on the hood and side towards the back. Now I couldn't really get out and start yelling at her to stop. Imagine how that might look to someone driving by, plus here I am trying to bring the Kingdom of Heaven down here and yelling at someone is a bad way to start. Being calm under pressure is essential. I just drove away and had to laugh at the whole situation. "Welcome to Compton John." I certainly don't know that woman, but her aggressive behavior is indicative of the kind of behavior people have who live in tough neighborhoods. It was a clear lesson in what to pray about for this area. I found a couple of men to help, but they were in places where it was difficult to have a conversation with them. Eventually, I decided to head on up Central and into the downtown area. Now the Compton area is around 133rd streets. I drove up and stopped at 27th to pray for the burned-out church (still no movement there) and then over to 25th and San Pedro where I saw Becky and Pete. I hadn't seen them in a while, so it was good to see them again.
I finally ended up on a familiar small street just east of Los Angeles St and the I-10 freeway. I only had 3 sandwiches left at this point, but hadn't given out many clothes, maybe just some socks. Anyway. as I drove onto this street there were a couple of guys who I stopped for right-away and then as I stopped about 5 other men and Hope came over to the car. I was so disappointed that I didn't have more food left. Well, they went through all the clothes and the last person to go through them was a woman named Michelle. She took every last piece of clothing I had. Yep, I was completely cleaned out except for a dozen or so socks, but everyone there got socks so having some left was a good thing. Before everyone left one of the men asked me to pray for them. What a blessing it is to be asked to pray over them. Before I left one of the men, his name is Gary and I've known him for years now, asked if he could pray for me before I left. Yes, he wanted to pray for me. That is what you call a double blessing. He prayed that even though some of these folks don't seem too appreciative, they are all thankful that I come down there. He prayed for protection for me and over my car. I had to chuckle about that one. Gary has prostate cancer and it is attacking his vocal chords too. His voice is getting very raspy. This was the highlight of the trip. I love these people. Yes God speaks to us through other people. Until next time. John
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