"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in [Matthew's] house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples." --Matthew 9:9-10
I love this image of outcasts gathering around to be with Jesus (tax collectors were considered traitors for collecting money for the occupying foreign government). At a place of grace and truth, people willingly gather. Yesterday this happened to me downtown. I had prayed on the way down to be a place where the Kingdom of Heaven would break through, I had my own expectations of what might happen, but as usual, something completely unexpected happened.
I remember a couple of years ago picking up some food for a Sunday evening run at the Jack in the Box down on Alameda just off the 10 freeway. I gave out 2/3rds of the food and a lot of clothes before I even left the parking lot that night. Sunday I drove over to where I met Arleo last week to see if I could find him. As I got close to that street I saw a couple of people on the sidewalk at 14th and Paloma. One of the people called out to me. It turned out to be Dave Parker who I haven't seen in quite a while. It turns out he has been in Texas for the last couple of months and just got back into town. The other person was a woman (I think) who I've helped before. The last time I saw her, she was with another woman just around the corner from where we were yesterday. The other woman said they were transgender people at the time. They also had the bad cough that was going around at the time. Anyway, that encounter turned out to be similar to yesterday. As I stood there and gave out food and clothing to these two people, other people started slowly coming by. Now usually I don't spend a lot of time on one stop, but as I started meeting and talking to more and more people I decided, "Hey, maybe this is exactly where God wants me to be." I stopped worrying about being on a timetable to get to the next place and decided, "this is it". It was the first time in almost five years of going downtown that I gave out all the food in one stop! Lots of clothes were given out and I had a great time meeting these folks. Dave knew most all of the people that came by. It was kind of interesting how initially some of the people seemed a little wary of me, but Dave would give me a great introduction and after a moment or two they would open up to me and be thanking me for stopping. I prayed with most everyone who came by, it was really a place of grace.
Now I was still on kind of a tight schedule. I was hoping to get back home in time to get to the church service Sunday night where my daughter was singing (by 6 pm). It was now about a quarter to four in the afternoon and I was on my way to McArthur Park. I stopped by on the way and prayed in front of the "I am Legion" door and continued on to 'the Park'. When I got there the very first parking space was available! After parking I walked back down to the corner of the park where my friends are preaching in Spanish. I didn't see the usual people there, but there was one man preaching that I had seen before. After he finished, he handed his microphone and speaker to me and said, "Do you want to preach?" I haven't done this in quite a while now (about a month or so) and I hadn't really even thought about what I might say, but I decided to just go for it anyway. I ended up talking about Martha and how she was so upset with her sister that she wasn't helping her get things ready for the dinner they were having when Jesus showed up. It was the way I felt just a little earlier about wanting to move on from the encounter with Dave and his friends until I decided it was just the place I was supposed to be. Sometimes we are moving so quickly from one thing in our lives to the next thing that we miss the opportunities God has given us to help others and be helped by others. How timely to learn the lesson in a real experience and then turn around and give it out to others within the hour.
So despite the 'timetable' I had going into the trip, I was finished within an hour and a half from the time I arrived. I got to the church on time and enjoyed the service immensely. Now the service was not a 'normal' type service. One of the unique features of last night's service was the opportunity to pick a country in the world, be given a short page of information about that country and place a location pin in a large wall map of the world where that country is. I picked Trinidad and Tobago which is a small group of islands off the northeast coast of South America (Ireland was already taken). I picked this country because a couple of years ago I received several 'hits' on this blog from that country. I still wasn't even sure where it was until last night. However, I still placed a locator pin in the wall map on "Los Angeles" too. After all, that is my turf! --Until next time. John
Monday, March 24, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Downtown 3/16/2014
From David Wilkinson's little book, The Prayer of Jabez comes this little anecdotal story...
"There's a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Amid the splendor of golden streets, beautiful mansions, and choirs of angels that Peter shows him, Mr. Jones notices an odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse--it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. 'You really don't want to see what's in there.' he tells the new arrival. 'Why would there be any secrets in heaven?' Mr Jones wonders. What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there? When the official tour is over he's still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure.
Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr Jones almost knocks him over in his haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. "These boxes all have names on them, " Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, "Do I have one?" "Yes, you do." Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. "Frankly, if I were you..." Peter says, but Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the "J" aisle to find his box.
Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition, and he lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so many times before. Because there in Mr. Jones's white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth...but Mr. Jones had never asked.
"Ask," promised Jesus, "and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7). "You do not have because you do not ask," said James (James 4:2). Even though there is no limit to God's goodness, if you didn't ask Him for a blessing yesterday, you didn't get all that you were supposed to have.
I read this story this morning. I thought to myself, "How fortunate I was to make a special request on my way downtown yesterday. I had asked to meet someone who was desperate emotionally. The special encounter came with the second man I stopped to help. His name was Arleo Jones. He told me he will turn 44 years old this week and he is from the LA area. When I first pulled up and asked if he was hungry he immediately responded with a yes. He said yes to the water too and then I asked if he needed some socks. I noticed when I pulled up that his shoes and socks were off. It was about 3 pm and a pretty warm Sunday (about 78 degrees). When someone says yes to the socks, that opens the door up to a longer conversation because I have to get out of the car and open the back up. Arleo ended up needing a couple of T-shirts and a pair a shoes too. During this time he opened up to me about his frustration with his life. More than once he told me, "I have so much to offer, I have lots of talent and yet I'm stuck here with no hope." Eventually, because he hadn't showered in a while he told me he felt so dirty that he thought about going down to the beach and just swimming straight out until the under current pulled him under and he could just end it all right there. His frustration with life was palpable. He told me he is a father to six kids and that he was a good and patient Dad (you'd have to be with that many) and that a couple of years back he was in church and accepted Christ and even received the gift of tongues and a week or so later he was homeless and on the street! He just couldn't understand "why God had let this happen to him!" You know it doesn't take too long to realize an encounter with someone goes far beyond giving them food, water and clothing. I had prayed for this not fifteen minutes before, but for some reason it always sneaks up on you as a surprise, you're not just on deck, you're up (that's a baseball term), it's time to shine and meet the need with whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to give out. As a man of nearly 60 years of living experience I've had my share of trials and tribulations and I knew and recognized the frustration in his words. This was the real deal and this is why I was called for this ministry. All my plans for later in the day are now on hold as it's time to deal with this man for as long as it takes. You know there are no "magic words" to say, each time and each person is different and I like to first let them speak out their circumstances. Not knowing how much of a biblical background each person has can kind of hinder or limit your use of scripture to help, yet there are some general basics to tell them. Usually, people are familiar with the main patriarchs of the bible and you can tell people that these "great men" of the bible are great because of what they overcame without getting into too many specifics. With Arleo I was able to tell him about how things disintegrated around me a couple of years after my spiritual conversion (family, job, auto accident) and it took a few years to slowly get back up. Nothing happened overnight, it was a slow process. I think Arleo appreciated the fact that I wasn't some 25 year old where nothing bad had happened in their life and was trying to give him "advice". Well, we talked, we prayed and I gave him a card from the Dream Center. I only had a dollar and some change in my pocket which I gave to him. He refused it at first until I told him, "Hey, when you're ready, offer someone the buck to use their cell phone and call the number for the Dream Center. See what happens". With that he took the money. Nearly every time I meet someone in this situation, there are more than one or two factors. With Arleo, he was hungry (he ate the two burgers immediately--and I gave him another one before I left), he was thirsty (he drank the two bottles of water and I gave him another one), he was feeling dirty, frustrated, and no doubt guilt over not providing for his kids and his mistakes in the past that led to this situation. He also needed someone to listen! Someone who knew and understood the difficulties and frustrations of life. It was a privilege to be there, thank you Lord for answering my prayer to be a helper to someone in trouble.
Two other notable encounters for me. Carlos, whom I've been seeing for the last six months or so finally accepted some food Sunday. Also, when I was with my Spanish preaching friends down at McArthur Park later in the day, the battery pack gave out before I was able to speak. When they realized they couldn't fix it and had packed up to leave, I gathered them all together to pray for them. After I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to pray behind them and for being co-laborers in His harvest field they asked me to pray for someone with a special need in their group. One of the women who I thought was just with them (I didn't recognize her) turns out she was homeless and had no place to stay. I prayed for her (her name was Mary) to receive some opportunities for shelter and a new start. When I finished I suggested they take her to the Dream Center. Rosalla knew of the center, unfortunately, I didn't have a card on me (they were in the car), but I told them it was straight up Alvarado on Bellvue. I hope to find out how things went next week. --Until next time. John
PS...Yes, the green is in honor of St. Patricks Day....Hey, I'm of Irish descent!
"There's a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Amid the splendor of golden streets, beautiful mansions, and choirs of angels that Peter shows him, Mr. Jones notices an odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse--it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. 'You really don't want to see what's in there.' he tells the new arrival. 'Why would there be any secrets in heaven?' Mr Jones wonders. What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there? When the official tour is over he's still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure.
Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr Jones almost knocks him over in his haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. "These boxes all have names on them, " Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, "Do I have one?" "Yes, you do." Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. "Frankly, if I were you..." Peter says, but Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the "J" aisle to find his box.
Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition, and he lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so many times before. Because there in Mr. Jones's white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth...but Mr. Jones had never asked.
"Ask," promised Jesus, "and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7). "You do not have because you do not ask," said James (James 4:2). Even though there is no limit to God's goodness, if you didn't ask Him for a blessing yesterday, you didn't get all that you were supposed to have.
I read this story this morning. I thought to myself, "How fortunate I was to make a special request on my way downtown yesterday. I had asked to meet someone who was desperate emotionally. The special encounter came with the second man I stopped to help. His name was Arleo Jones. He told me he will turn 44 years old this week and he is from the LA area. When I first pulled up and asked if he was hungry he immediately responded with a yes. He said yes to the water too and then I asked if he needed some socks. I noticed when I pulled up that his shoes and socks were off. It was about 3 pm and a pretty warm Sunday (about 78 degrees). When someone says yes to the socks, that opens the door up to a longer conversation because I have to get out of the car and open the back up. Arleo ended up needing a couple of T-shirts and a pair a shoes too. During this time he opened up to me about his frustration with his life. More than once he told me, "I have so much to offer, I have lots of talent and yet I'm stuck here with no hope." Eventually, because he hadn't showered in a while he told me he felt so dirty that he thought about going down to the beach and just swimming straight out until the under current pulled him under and he could just end it all right there. His frustration with life was palpable. He told me he is a father to six kids and that he was a good and patient Dad (you'd have to be with that many) and that a couple of years back he was in church and accepted Christ and even received the gift of tongues and a week or so later he was homeless and on the street! He just couldn't understand "why God had let this happen to him!" You know it doesn't take too long to realize an encounter with someone goes far beyond giving them food, water and clothing. I had prayed for this not fifteen minutes before, but for some reason it always sneaks up on you as a surprise, you're not just on deck, you're up (that's a baseball term), it's time to shine and meet the need with whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to give out. As a man of nearly 60 years of living experience I've had my share of trials and tribulations and I knew and recognized the frustration in his words. This was the real deal and this is why I was called for this ministry. All my plans for later in the day are now on hold as it's time to deal with this man for as long as it takes. You know there are no "magic words" to say, each time and each person is different and I like to first let them speak out their circumstances. Not knowing how much of a biblical background each person has can kind of hinder or limit your use of scripture to help, yet there are some general basics to tell them. Usually, people are familiar with the main patriarchs of the bible and you can tell people that these "great men" of the bible are great because of what they overcame without getting into too many specifics. With Arleo I was able to tell him about how things disintegrated around me a couple of years after my spiritual conversion (family, job, auto accident) and it took a few years to slowly get back up. Nothing happened overnight, it was a slow process. I think Arleo appreciated the fact that I wasn't some 25 year old where nothing bad had happened in their life and was trying to give him "advice". Well, we talked, we prayed and I gave him a card from the Dream Center. I only had a dollar and some change in my pocket which I gave to him. He refused it at first until I told him, "Hey, when you're ready, offer someone the buck to use their cell phone and call the number for the Dream Center. See what happens". With that he took the money. Nearly every time I meet someone in this situation, there are more than one or two factors. With Arleo, he was hungry (he ate the two burgers immediately--and I gave him another one before I left), he was thirsty (he drank the two bottles of water and I gave him another one), he was feeling dirty, frustrated, and no doubt guilt over not providing for his kids and his mistakes in the past that led to this situation. He also needed someone to listen! Someone who knew and understood the difficulties and frustrations of life. It was a privilege to be there, thank you Lord for answering my prayer to be a helper to someone in trouble.
Two other notable encounters for me. Carlos, whom I've been seeing for the last six months or so finally accepted some food Sunday. Also, when I was with my Spanish preaching friends down at McArthur Park later in the day, the battery pack gave out before I was able to speak. When they realized they couldn't fix it and had packed up to leave, I gathered them all together to pray for them. After I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to pray behind them and for being co-laborers in His harvest field they asked me to pray for someone with a special need in their group. One of the women who I thought was just with them (I didn't recognize her) turns out she was homeless and had no place to stay. I prayed for her (her name was Mary) to receive some opportunities for shelter and a new start. When I finished I suggested they take her to the Dream Center. Rosalla knew of the center, unfortunately, I didn't have a card on me (they were in the car), but I told them it was straight up Alvarado on Bellvue. I hope to find out how things went next week. --Until next time. John
PS...Yes, the green is in honor of St. Patricks Day....Hey, I'm of Irish descent!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Downtown 2/23/2014
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord.' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." Matthew 7:21
After having to work all through last weekend and switching to my 'nights' working schedule for the next four months, I made it downtown a little after 3 pm yesterday. Having to work 8 out of the last 10 days and going on 4 hours of sleep in the last day made it a little difficult, but I was looking forward to it. This weekend and next weekend will be the last two weekends before daylight savings time returns, so I wanted to get down as early as I could to maximize the daylight hours. One of the new dynamics about going to McArthur Park is that it kind of ends up being in the 'middle' of the trip. So I bought what I thought would be just enough food to give out before going to the park with the intention of buying more after the park. Interestingly, I bought the food by my house and as I was leaving the parking lot of that store I saw a homeless man named Compton (yes there are homeless folks here in my hometown) that I was able to assist before even getting on the freeway! He had a very small bag of cans he was taking to the recycler behind the grocery store. I'm sure the proceeds from the cans would not have been enough to buy the amount of food and water I gave him. He was very happy indeed.
So after I drove downtown I ended up on a small street called Essex. It is just west of Central Ave. I had helped one other man already, who lived under the freeway at Hooper St (where Downtown Richard Brown used to live) when I drove down this street. The first guy I helped was a man named Angelo. Just down the street from him I saw another man standing near the corner on the other side of the street. I pulled to the curb and called out to him asking if he needed some food. From behind me and on the same side of the street where I was another man answered "Yes." Both men came over to the car. The first man I had seen, his name was David, said they had been waiting for a food truck that was supposed to come by but hadn't showed up. He said I was "Right on time." They both referred to me as a 'blessing' as they were hungry. Luckily, I had just enough food for the both of them and gave them a bottle of water too. I told them (the other man's name was Mike) I was on my way to preach the gospel in McArthur Park, but offered to pray for them before I left. I reached out my arms to both of them. Now I think this was a first for me, I had one arm out each window holding each man's hand as I prayed for them. It will always be a cherished moment for me. When I concluded the prayer saying, "In Jesus' name", they both repeated it! I drove away to both of them saying, "God bless you." What a precious moment. It was now 3:20 pm. I had been worried about not having enough time to give out the normal amount of food I buy, so I bought less, and now I had given it all out in about 15 minutes. I drove on over to McArthur Park thinking maybe after the park I can come back through here if there's enough daylight left.
It took a while to find a place to park at the park, but I finally made it in there. I had stopped briefly on the way to pray in front of the "I am Legion" sign. It was now about 4 pm when I started walking through the park. I usually see two Spanish speaking evangelical groups on opposite ends of the park along 7th St, but today I saw neither. As I walked around through the park though I saw the women that I normally preach with walking around. I said hello to them and they told me that they didn't have the microphone and equipment that day so they were walking through and handing out tracts. I asked about Rene and they told me he was in Guatamala this week (apparently that's where he's from). Rosalla is from Mexico and two of the other women are from El Salvador. Another young woman (she was probably about eighteen) was with them, but she said she was born here. We talked for a while, I told them I loved them and would see them next week. This was right by the statue of Monsignor Oscar Romero. Over by the corner of 7th and Alvarado, where we normally would be preaching, I saw a couple of men who are with a man who usually preaches after we do. That man, Pastor Rafael, was not there Sunday, but these two men were handing out tracts. As we stood there talking we saw another group of men talking nearby. I asked Willie what was going on there (they were speaking in Spanish) and he told me that some other groups with strange doctrines sometimes go through the park arguing with people over doctrinal issues. You know I try to keep things simple: Love God, love people, God loves you and Jesus died for your sins. Now follow His example and His teachings as you live your life (abide in Him). Simplicity. Pray always. The first century church didn't have the bible, but they had the Holy Spirit with them. This was the source of their power and the church grew. We can learn a lot from the first century church. Well I continued to prayer-walk all around the park. On the west side of the park I have always seen a large group of people there with boxes and boxes of food. The food looks like mostly produce, but there are probably a hundred people around there every weekend. I found out the food is free (you just have to stand in line to get it) and it would appear it is a ministry outreach from some kind of church group. I'll keep asking around to find out more about this group. Hmm, handing out food. I don't see anything strange about that doctrine! That would be actually be doing the 'will of the Father'. --Until next time. John
PS. I did end up going back through the downtown area and met up with John Mellon. I hadn't seen him in over a year. He was in the Jack in the Box and told me he was living near 17th and Naomi St. While I was ordering some coffee and tacos John got into an altercation with another man who punched John in the face! Yes, inside the Jack in the Box! You just never know what's going to happen next downtown. --John
After having to work all through last weekend and switching to my 'nights' working schedule for the next four months, I made it downtown a little after 3 pm yesterday. Having to work 8 out of the last 10 days and going on 4 hours of sleep in the last day made it a little difficult, but I was looking forward to it. This weekend and next weekend will be the last two weekends before daylight savings time returns, so I wanted to get down as early as I could to maximize the daylight hours. One of the new dynamics about going to McArthur Park is that it kind of ends up being in the 'middle' of the trip. So I bought what I thought would be just enough food to give out before going to the park with the intention of buying more after the park. Interestingly, I bought the food by my house and as I was leaving the parking lot of that store I saw a homeless man named Compton (yes there are homeless folks here in my hometown) that I was able to assist before even getting on the freeway! He had a very small bag of cans he was taking to the recycler behind the grocery store. I'm sure the proceeds from the cans would not have been enough to buy the amount of food and water I gave him. He was very happy indeed.
So after I drove downtown I ended up on a small street called Essex. It is just west of Central Ave. I had helped one other man already, who lived under the freeway at Hooper St (where Downtown Richard Brown used to live) when I drove down this street. The first guy I helped was a man named Angelo. Just down the street from him I saw another man standing near the corner on the other side of the street. I pulled to the curb and called out to him asking if he needed some food. From behind me and on the same side of the street where I was another man answered "Yes." Both men came over to the car. The first man I had seen, his name was David, said they had been waiting for a food truck that was supposed to come by but hadn't showed up. He said I was "Right on time." They both referred to me as a 'blessing' as they were hungry. Luckily, I had just enough food for the both of them and gave them a bottle of water too. I told them (the other man's name was Mike) I was on my way to preach the gospel in McArthur Park, but offered to pray for them before I left. I reached out my arms to both of them. Now I think this was a first for me, I had one arm out each window holding each man's hand as I prayed for them. It will always be a cherished moment for me. When I concluded the prayer saying, "In Jesus' name", they both repeated it! I drove away to both of them saying, "God bless you." What a precious moment. It was now 3:20 pm. I had been worried about not having enough time to give out the normal amount of food I buy, so I bought less, and now I had given it all out in about 15 minutes. I drove on over to McArthur Park thinking maybe after the park I can come back through here if there's enough daylight left.
It took a while to find a place to park at the park, but I finally made it in there. I had stopped briefly on the way to pray in front of the "I am Legion" sign. It was now about 4 pm when I started walking through the park. I usually see two Spanish speaking evangelical groups on opposite ends of the park along 7th St, but today I saw neither. As I walked around through the park though I saw the women that I normally preach with walking around. I said hello to them and they told me that they didn't have the microphone and equipment that day so they were walking through and handing out tracts. I asked about Rene and they told me he was in Guatamala this week (apparently that's where he's from). Rosalla is from Mexico and two of the other women are from El Salvador. Another young woman (she was probably about eighteen) was with them, but she said she was born here. We talked for a while, I told them I loved them and would see them next week. This was right by the statue of Monsignor Oscar Romero. Over by the corner of 7th and Alvarado, where we normally would be preaching, I saw a couple of men who are with a man who usually preaches after we do. That man, Pastor Rafael, was not there Sunday, but these two men were handing out tracts. As we stood there talking we saw another group of men talking nearby. I asked Willie what was going on there (they were speaking in Spanish) and he told me that some other groups with strange doctrines sometimes go through the park arguing with people over doctrinal issues. You know I try to keep things simple: Love God, love people, God loves you and Jesus died for your sins. Now follow His example and His teachings as you live your life (abide in Him). Simplicity. Pray always. The first century church didn't have the bible, but they had the Holy Spirit with them. This was the source of their power and the church grew. We can learn a lot from the first century church. Well I continued to prayer-walk all around the park. On the west side of the park I have always seen a large group of people there with boxes and boxes of food. The food looks like mostly produce, but there are probably a hundred people around there every weekend. I found out the food is free (you just have to stand in line to get it) and it would appear it is a ministry outreach from some kind of church group. I'll keep asking around to find out more about this group. Hmm, handing out food. I don't see anything strange about that doctrine! That would be actually be doing the 'will of the Father'. --Until next time. John
PS. I did end up going back through the downtown area and met up with John Mellon. I hadn't seen him in over a year. He was in the Jack in the Box and told me he was living near 17th and Naomi St. While I was ordering some coffee and tacos John got into an altercation with another man who punched John in the face! Yes, inside the Jack in the Box! You just never know what's going to happen next downtown. --John
Monday, February 10, 2014
Downtown 2/9/2014
"Then the king (Jesus) will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when [did we do these things to you]?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' --Matthew 25:34-40
Last week's trip occurred on Monday. When the trip is during the week, the opportunities for conversation are greatly limited due to traffic congestion and my available time. However, I did see Robert that day. He lives near Alameda and 4th by a little mini truck stop. Robert is about 70 years old and lives off of the hand-outs people give him in that area. He is old, tired and speaks in a whisper. I had asked him last week if there was anything special that he needed that I could bring him. I had given him some food, but suggested maybe a blanket or a jacket. He said, "I could use a blanket I guess." So Sunday I brought him one. While we stood at the back of the car I asked if there was anything else he could use. I had asked if he needed some socks and he said yes to that and then he asked if I had a T-shirt. Now usually I let the people I see just go through the clothes and take whatever they see that they need, but Robert is so old and weak from years on the street that I went through the clothes myself looking for a T-shirt. Lo and behold I found a white T-shirt, just what he wanted! I didn't even know I had one in there! A sweet gentle smile appeared on Roberts face! That was worth the trip right there. We talked for a few minutes, Robert barely speaks loud enough to hear and standing by Alameda St doesn't help either. I asked him how old he was, but I couldn't hear his response. I asked where he was from originally and he told me "this area". I told him I was from "this area too". I prayed for Robert and gave him enough food to last into Monday. I was privileged to help him through his day.
Two weeks ago I wrote about a man named Carlos who I see hanging around some buildings in an industrial area by Washington Blvd and Alameda. Actually, he hangs around closer to Long Beach Blvd and Washington. Anyway, he has never accepted any food, but I had given him a blanket a while back and the last time I saw him a bottle of water. This time he accepted another bottle of water and we talked some more (he declined the food again). I saw him reading a book on the French language. He told me when he was in school, years ago, he had taken a couple of years of French, so he was trying to study the language again. I learned that he is from Nicaragua. He told me, "Nicaragua is in Central America". I told him that I knew where it was and that one of my best friends at work was from that country too. I learned the word for "socks" in Spanish is "calcetines". Little by little, Carlos and I will build a relationship. I am convinced that beyond the physical needs that Carlos and others have, the most important commodity that they need is someone spending some time with them. Listening to their stories and their dreams helps validate their lives as worth something to someone. Eventually, I'll be able to help them understand that their life is far more valuable than they ever imagined.....in fact, priceless to their Creator God.
During the course of the trip, I drove over to the Lincoln Park area. I ended up parking and using the public restroom facilities. As I was starting to walk back to my car a homeless man stopped me and asked me if I wanted a peach. He held up a bag with 4 or 5 peaches in it. I declined his offer, but asked him if there was anything he needed. He replied, "I could use some meat". I told him, "Well, I think I can help you with that. Follow me back to my car, I think I've got something there for you." It wasn't very far to get back to my car, but along the way he told me he was from El Paso and that he had just gotten out here a couple of days ago. He said, "Its too cold there in the winter and too hot in the summer." When we got to the car I gave him a deli sandwich and a couple of bottles of water. I asked if he needed some socks. He said, "Well, my socks are wet, I guess I could use some." I think he was surprised that I had some to give out. His name was Daniel and he was 54 years old. I got to pray for him too. The "coincidence" of meeting him was pretty amazing. To think I almost brushed him off as I walked back to my car because I was on a mission to go help people and here right in front of me I almost tripped over someone in my blindness who needed help.
A few months back when my trips downtown were finished I had stopped by a friend of mine from work who was in the hospital with a serious health issue. I saw him in the hospital and at his house when he got out and talked with him a couple of times on the phone. Word got around at work that I had seen this guy and gone to his house and prayed with him. Few people ever expected to see this man return to work, but last week he did return. One of the other guys at work who knew I had gone to see him came over to my desk and talked with me about how amazed he was that our friend had returned to work. We chatted about it for a few minutes and then just before he went home he said in all seriousness, "I guess that prayer stuff really works." Without hesitation or even thinking about it I replied, "Prayer always works." It didn't occur to me until a while later that pretty much everyone in our department knew that I had gone over to pray for and with this man. It was now a testimony to the power of God. What a privilege to be a part of that story.
Well, I'll finish this blog with a quick word on my trip into McArthur Park. It went pretty much the same way it has gone the last few weeks. I got there as my Spanish speaking Pentecostal friends were preaching and at the end, they let me preach too. While they are preaching I'm praying for the hearts of the people milling around in that area of the park. There seemed to be more people there than usual due to some "get the vote out" folks who were gathered around the statue of Signor Oscar Romero. Anyway, as I was standing behind my Pentecostal friends I noticed a few other Christians walking around in the park that day. One couple was a very young couple, I'm guessing in their mid to late twenties who walked right up to me when they saw my Bible in my hands. His name was Luke and hers was Katie. He had on a T-shirt with some words on it about Jesus so we had an immediate bond and talked for quite awhile before it was my time to preach. During this time I also noticed a Muslim family walking past us. I commented about this family later to the Spanish speaking group that was going to take over after we left and one of the men said, "I didn't want to have anything to do with them." I told him, "Remember, Jesus died for Muslims too. We'll never reach Muslims unless we're willing to talk to them." One other thing of note. A blind couple walked passed us at one point too. They both had their walking sticks out. My father was blind the last thirty years of his life and he used a walking stick too. My biggest regret yesterday was not going over to pray for them. Another missed opportunity. Until next time. --John
Last week's trip occurred on Monday. When the trip is during the week, the opportunities for conversation are greatly limited due to traffic congestion and my available time. However, I did see Robert that day. He lives near Alameda and 4th by a little mini truck stop. Robert is about 70 years old and lives off of the hand-outs people give him in that area. He is old, tired and speaks in a whisper. I had asked him last week if there was anything special that he needed that I could bring him. I had given him some food, but suggested maybe a blanket or a jacket. He said, "I could use a blanket I guess." So Sunday I brought him one. While we stood at the back of the car I asked if there was anything else he could use. I had asked if he needed some socks and he said yes to that and then he asked if I had a T-shirt. Now usually I let the people I see just go through the clothes and take whatever they see that they need, but Robert is so old and weak from years on the street that I went through the clothes myself looking for a T-shirt. Lo and behold I found a white T-shirt, just what he wanted! I didn't even know I had one in there! A sweet gentle smile appeared on Roberts face! That was worth the trip right there. We talked for a few minutes, Robert barely speaks loud enough to hear and standing by Alameda St doesn't help either. I asked him how old he was, but I couldn't hear his response. I asked where he was from originally and he told me "this area". I told him I was from "this area too". I prayed for Robert and gave him enough food to last into Monday. I was privileged to help him through his day.
Two weeks ago I wrote about a man named Carlos who I see hanging around some buildings in an industrial area by Washington Blvd and Alameda. Actually, he hangs around closer to Long Beach Blvd and Washington. Anyway, he has never accepted any food, but I had given him a blanket a while back and the last time I saw him a bottle of water. This time he accepted another bottle of water and we talked some more (he declined the food again). I saw him reading a book on the French language. He told me when he was in school, years ago, he had taken a couple of years of French, so he was trying to study the language again. I learned that he is from Nicaragua. He told me, "Nicaragua is in Central America". I told him that I knew where it was and that one of my best friends at work was from that country too. I learned the word for "socks" in Spanish is "calcetines". Little by little, Carlos and I will build a relationship. I am convinced that beyond the physical needs that Carlos and others have, the most important commodity that they need is someone spending some time with them. Listening to their stories and their dreams helps validate their lives as worth something to someone. Eventually, I'll be able to help them understand that their life is far more valuable than they ever imagined.....in fact, priceless to their Creator God.
During the course of the trip, I drove over to the Lincoln Park area. I ended up parking and using the public restroom facilities. As I was starting to walk back to my car a homeless man stopped me and asked me if I wanted a peach. He held up a bag with 4 or 5 peaches in it. I declined his offer, but asked him if there was anything he needed. He replied, "I could use some meat". I told him, "Well, I think I can help you with that. Follow me back to my car, I think I've got something there for you." It wasn't very far to get back to my car, but along the way he told me he was from El Paso and that he had just gotten out here a couple of days ago. He said, "Its too cold there in the winter and too hot in the summer." When we got to the car I gave him a deli sandwich and a couple of bottles of water. I asked if he needed some socks. He said, "Well, my socks are wet, I guess I could use some." I think he was surprised that I had some to give out. His name was Daniel and he was 54 years old. I got to pray for him too. The "coincidence" of meeting him was pretty amazing. To think I almost brushed him off as I walked back to my car because I was on a mission to go help people and here right in front of me I almost tripped over someone in my blindness who needed help.
A few months back when my trips downtown were finished I had stopped by a friend of mine from work who was in the hospital with a serious health issue. I saw him in the hospital and at his house when he got out and talked with him a couple of times on the phone. Word got around at work that I had seen this guy and gone to his house and prayed with him. Few people ever expected to see this man return to work, but last week he did return. One of the other guys at work who knew I had gone to see him came over to my desk and talked with me about how amazed he was that our friend had returned to work. We chatted about it for a few minutes and then just before he went home he said in all seriousness, "I guess that prayer stuff really works." Without hesitation or even thinking about it I replied, "Prayer always works." It didn't occur to me until a while later that pretty much everyone in our department knew that I had gone over to pray for and with this man. It was now a testimony to the power of God. What a privilege to be a part of that story.
Well, I'll finish this blog with a quick word on my trip into McArthur Park. It went pretty much the same way it has gone the last few weeks. I got there as my Spanish speaking Pentecostal friends were preaching and at the end, they let me preach too. While they are preaching I'm praying for the hearts of the people milling around in that area of the park. There seemed to be more people there than usual due to some "get the vote out" folks who were gathered around the statue of Signor Oscar Romero. Anyway, as I was standing behind my Pentecostal friends I noticed a few other Christians walking around in the park that day. One couple was a very young couple, I'm guessing in their mid to late twenties who walked right up to me when they saw my Bible in my hands. His name was Luke and hers was Katie. He had on a T-shirt with some words on it about Jesus so we had an immediate bond and talked for quite awhile before it was my time to preach. During this time I also noticed a Muslim family walking past us. I commented about this family later to the Spanish speaking group that was going to take over after we left and one of the men said, "I didn't want to have anything to do with them." I told him, "Remember, Jesus died for Muslims too. We'll never reach Muslims unless we're willing to talk to them." One other thing of note. A blind couple walked passed us at one point too. They both had their walking sticks out. My father was blind the last thirty years of his life and he used a walking stick too. My biggest regret yesterday was not going over to pray for them. Another missed opportunity. Until next time. --John
Monday, January 27, 2014
Downtown 1/26/2014
"So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples' feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing.... After Jesus had washed his disciples' feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said, 'Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you.' " --John 13:4-5, 12-13
Where do I begin with what's gone on since the last blog? I've made trips downtown about every other week since I last wrote one, but haven't been able to write about them. My 'weekends' have either been too short due to my work schedule or filled with 'stuff to do' due to the holidays (or both). I've had some memorable encounters downtown and wonderful experiences at McArthur Park during this time. One encounter was at 14th and Paloma Ave a couple of weeks back. I saw two women sitting on the sidewalk near this corner and I asked them if they were hungry as I drove by. They told me they were and as they came over to the car they saw the clothes in the back and asked if they could have some. I pulled over to the curb and got out and opened up the back of the car. Well, three or four other people living on the street in this area came over and looked through the clothes too. The first two women, it turned out, were transgender women and one told me about her efforts to film (probably with a cell phone) what life on the streets was like for them. They both had that cough that was going around at the time. I told them I was just getting over my cough too and sympathized with them how it (the cough) just seemed to linger forever! Well, I gave out food and water and let everyone go through the clothes I had and then gathered them all around to pray. They all gladly and willingly came together for me to pray for them. I prayed for them name by name with my arms around their shoulders. I just can't explain in words how awesome this is and I get to do it most every week! Yesterday, I found a man named Ricardo in one of the old alleys where I have given BBQ's before. No one is allowed to live in these two alley's anymore because the police keep running them off, but from time to time I'll see people who are just kind of passing through. Ricardo was one of these people. He was looking around on the ground for cans and bottles to recycle. I'm guessing him to be about 40 years old and he was wearing a blue T-shirt and some fairly nice jeans and women's boots with about a two or three inch high heel. He accepted the food and water, but when he saw the clothes in the back of the car he asked if I had 'ropa' (the word for clothes in Spanish). When I opened up the back he asked if I had "lady's ropas". It was then that I noticed his "chest" and "booty" as he called it. This is probably why he was in a lonely alley by himself with a very small bag looking for recyclables, but God is faithful and leads me to the lost and broken because he loves them. I was privileged to pray for Ricardo.
I have to tell you about a man named Carlos. I have seen him sitting on the ground behind some industrial buildings near Washington Blvd and Alameda since early last summer. He doesn't really look homeless, but I guess he is. He is dressed OK and only has a backpack with him. He repeatedly turns down offers for food. About two or so months ago I asked him (since he turns down the food), if there is anything special that he needs that I can bring him. I suggested a blanket or a jacket. He reluctantly said he could use a blanket. At the time I didn't have one with me and then over the next six weeks I couldn't find him. Then about two weeks ago I finally saw him again. I gave him a choice between a red or a blue blanket. He accepted the blue one and thanked me. He always is gracious towards me, but just doesn't accept any food. Yesterday, he did accept a bottle of water. I'm wondering if he works in the area there and just can't afford a place to live. I'm sure he's very wary of other people in the area (it isn't the safest place to be). Slowly, I hope to gain his trust and friendship.
Yesterday I did see Willie. This Willie has been at every BBQ I've done downtown. Yet, he and Dave, another old buddy of ours, were run off from their place on Wall St near Washington Blvd shortly after the last BBQ in October by the police. They were cited for obstructing the sidewalk even though other homeless people living in tents across the street under the freeway are still there. Willie told me where he's been living and where he's been hanging out. In fact, the area where he's been hanging out was where I had just come from. I had helped a woman there by the name of Lee. When he described the area and a woman there that he knew (he didn't know her by name) it appeared to be the same woman I had just helped. Yes, I also saw Antonio and Leticia yesterday too. About two or three weeks ago I got a phone call from Maurice and Elaine while I was at work. They were concerned about me because we hadn't seen each other in several weeks and they wanted to know if I was OK. They had to move where they had been staying on 8th St east of Alameda (by the LA Times building) to the other side of the block on Hunter St. Some of the other homeless people living around them were making that location an unhealthy environment. I drove by there last night on my way home, but it was dark (at 6 pm) and all the homeless people on those two streets had 'gone to bed', and I wasn't sure which shelter was theirs.
I have to stop here and interject a story I heard recently from a missionary in Africa. She was explaining that she wanted to take some people with her and go follow-up on a church plant that they had started out in the 'bush, bush' as she described it. It required a boat ride and a lengthy walk after the boat ride to get to them. A famous pastor from a large western church was visiting them (the missionaries) and was going to go with them. He asked where this church was and she (Heidi Baker) said she wasn't exactly sure where the village was, but "we'll know when we get there". The visiting pastor was not used to doing or going anywhere with such 'vague' intentions or directions, but he went along anyway. When the boat ride was over Heidi and her group jumped off the boat and were going to swim to shore, but the pastor wasn't prepared for that so they took the small attached dinghy to shore. Once they got ashore there was a lot of mud and it was deep mud so that you couldn't wear shoes or sandals or anything on your feet or they would get stuck in the mud. Your legs got black from mud all the way up to and even above your knees. The walk in this mud was long and it was hot (like 110 degrees--after all it is Africa!). The visiting pastor was not used to these conditions and again asked, "where is it and how much further?" Heidi replied, "I'm not sure, but we'll know when we get there." About an hour or so later they came upon a woman carrying some water in a cracked container. I think Heidi said it was a old sink! Anyway, this small woman, carrying the cracked container asked the group, "Can I wash your feet?" Remember Heidi said, "I'm not sure where this bush church is, but we'll know when we get there." Do you think they found the church? Love has to look like something. So many churches here in the west get tangled up in the details of their theology and fail to act on the second great commandment, "Love your neighbor like you love yourself." It was a great reminder in the basics of theology for all of us.
Yes, I went down to McArthur Park and ended up being given an opportunity to preach the gospel in English with my Spanish speaking friends. I never know if I'll be given this opportunity, but while I'm there supporting them I pray for the peoples hearts that are milling around. A couple of weeks ago this group wasn't there, but another Spanish speaking man was there and he asked me if I wanted to use his microphone and preach. That was totally unexpected. Yesterday, the Holy Spirit was present and one man (his name was Antonio) asked for prayer (it was all in Spanish so I don't know the details). Another couple were listening intently (but left when I spoke--not their language I guess). To be able to pray for the peoples hearts while these obedient servants of God preach is a privilege. I'm blessed to be part of the 'team' and it is actually extremely exhilarating to be a part of it. --Until next time. John
Where do I begin with what's gone on since the last blog? I've made trips downtown about every other week since I last wrote one, but haven't been able to write about them. My 'weekends' have either been too short due to my work schedule or filled with 'stuff to do' due to the holidays (or both). I've had some memorable encounters downtown and wonderful experiences at McArthur Park during this time. One encounter was at 14th and Paloma Ave a couple of weeks back. I saw two women sitting on the sidewalk near this corner and I asked them if they were hungry as I drove by. They told me they were and as they came over to the car they saw the clothes in the back and asked if they could have some. I pulled over to the curb and got out and opened up the back of the car. Well, three or four other people living on the street in this area came over and looked through the clothes too. The first two women, it turned out, were transgender women and one told me about her efforts to film (probably with a cell phone) what life on the streets was like for them. They both had that cough that was going around at the time. I told them I was just getting over my cough too and sympathized with them how it (the cough) just seemed to linger forever! Well, I gave out food and water and let everyone go through the clothes I had and then gathered them all around to pray. They all gladly and willingly came together for me to pray for them. I prayed for them name by name with my arms around their shoulders. I just can't explain in words how awesome this is and I get to do it most every week! Yesterday, I found a man named Ricardo in one of the old alleys where I have given BBQ's before. No one is allowed to live in these two alley's anymore because the police keep running them off, but from time to time I'll see people who are just kind of passing through. Ricardo was one of these people. He was looking around on the ground for cans and bottles to recycle. I'm guessing him to be about 40 years old and he was wearing a blue T-shirt and some fairly nice jeans and women's boots with about a two or three inch high heel. He accepted the food and water, but when he saw the clothes in the back of the car he asked if I had 'ropa' (the word for clothes in Spanish). When I opened up the back he asked if I had "lady's ropas". It was then that I noticed his "chest" and "booty" as he called it. This is probably why he was in a lonely alley by himself with a very small bag looking for recyclables, but God is faithful and leads me to the lost and broken because he loves them. I was privileged to pray for Ricardo.
I have to tell you about a man named Carlos. I have seen him sitting on the ground behind some industrial buildings near Washington Blvd and Alameda since early last summer. He doesn't really look homeless, but I guess he is. He is dressed OK and only has a backpack with him. He repeatedly turns down offers for food. About two or so months ago I asked him (since he turns down the food), if there is anything special that he needs that I can bring him. I suggested a blanket or a jacket. He reluctantly said he could use a blanket. At the time I didn't have one with me and then over the next six weeks I couldn't find him. Then about two weeks ago I finally saw him again. I gave him a choice between a red or a blue blanket. He accepted the blue one and thanked me. He always is gracious towards me, but just doesn't accept any food. Yesterday, he did accept a bottle of water. I'm wondering if he works in the area there and just can't afford a place to live. I'm sure he's very wary of other people in the area (it isn't the safest place to be). Slowly, I hope to gain his trust and friendship.
Yesterday I did see Willie. This Willie has been at every BBQ I've done downtown. Yet, he and Dave, another old buddy of ours, were run off from their place on Wall St near Washington Blvd shortly after the last BBQ in October by the police. They were cited for obstructing the sidewalk even though other homeless people living in tents across the street under the freeway are still there. Willie told me where he's been living and where he's been hanging out. In fact, the area where he's been hanging out was where I had just come from. I had helped a woman there by the name of Lee. When he described the area and a woman there that he knew (he didn't know her by name) it appeared to be the same woman I had just helped. Yes, I also saw Antonio and Leticia yesterday too. About two or three weeks ago I got a phone call from Maurice and Elaine while I was at work. They were concerned about me because we hadn't seen each other in several weeks and they wanted to know if I was OK. They had to move where they had been staying on 8th St east of Alameda (by the LA Times building) to the other side of the block on Hunter St. Some of the other homeless people living around them were making that location an unhealthy environment. I drove by there last night on my way home, but it was dark (at 6 pm) and all the homeless people on those two streets had 'gone to bed', and I wasn't sure which shelter was theirs.
I have to stop here and interject a story I heard recently from a missionary in Africa. She was explaining that she wanted to take some people with her and go follow-up on a church plant that they had started out in the 'bush, bush' as she described it. It required a boat ride and a lengthy walk after the boat ride to get to them. A famous pastor from a large western church was visiting them (the missionaries) and was going to go with them. He asked where this church was and she (Heidi Baker) said she wasn't exactly sure where the village was, but "we'll know when we get there". The visiting pastor was not used to doing or going anywhere with such 'vague' intentions or directions, but he went along anyway. When the boat ride was over Heidi and her group jumped off the boat and were going to swim to shore, but the pastor wasn't prepared for that so they took the small attached dinghy to shore. Once they got ashore there was a lot of mud and it was deep mud so that you couldn't wear shoes or sandals or anything on your feet or they would get stuck in the mud. Your legs got black from mud all the way up to and even above your knees. The walk in this mud was long and it was hot (like 110 degrees--after all it is Africa!). The visiting pastor was not used to these conditions and again asked, "where is it and how much further?" Heidi replied, "I'm not sure, but we'll know when we get there." About an hour or so later they came upon a woman carrying some water in a cracked container. I think Heidi said it was a old sink! Anyway, this small woman, carrying the cracked container asked the group, "Can I wash your feet?" Remember Heidi said, "I'm not sure where this bush church is, but we'll know when we get there." Do you think they found the church? Love has to look like something. So many churches here in the west get tangled up in the details of their theology and fail to act on the second great commandment, "Love your neighbor like you love yourself." It was a great reminder in the basics of theology for all of us.
Yes, I went down to McArthur Park and ended up being given an opportunity to preach the gospel in English with my Spanish speaking friends. I never know if I'll be given this opportunity, but while I'm there supporting them I pray for the peoples hearts that are milling around. A couple of weeks ago this group wasn't there, but another Spanish speaking man was there and he asked me if I wanted to use his microphone and preach. That was totally unexpected. Yesterday, the Holy Spirit was present and one man (his name was Antonio) asked for prayer (it was all in Spanish so I don't know the details). Another couple were listening intently (but left when I spoke--not their language I guess). To be able to pray for the peoples hearts while these obedient servants of God preach is a privilege. I'm blessed to be part of the 'team' and it is actually extremely exhilarating to be a part of it. --Until next time. John
Monday, December 9, 2013
Downtown 12/8/2013
"I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." ---John 10:10b
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." --2 Timothy 4:2
Yesterday's trip taught me a deeper understanding of each of these scriptures. When I first arrived I drove around to a few different locations, not seeing anyone, before finding Dave behind the auto parts store. He was the only one there during the time I stayed with him, although I left food and water for Derek too. We talked for probably thirty minutes about a variety of things and people we both knew. Dave is from the Pine Bluff, Arkansas area and I have family from that area too, so we have a special connection. Dave is 67 years old and has somewhat of a business opportunity through his family, but cannot raise the initial money needed to get started. He told me in past years he helped a couple of his brothers get going and now that he needs the help it's not there. He told me he has prayed about this and wanted to know why nothing's happened. It took quite awhile of talking to him to finally identify his brothers lack of assistance, but when he did I told him that should be the target of his prayers (for God to work on their hearts) and also, that if they were in this business, he may have to start at an entry level position until he 'earned' their belief in his ability to repay them. I told him that prayer was his most valuable tool at this point, but that it isn't a magic potent and it usually takes time to see results. He wasn't real excited about his prospects when I left, most people aren't when they realize that part of prayer is persevering through the times when it seems as though God is silent.This job issue is part of a greater issue of the homelessness and all it's ramifications that prey on the minds of these men daily. The hopelessness that they feel and then uselessness that comes with it, makes it easy to see how this mental cycle leads so many to find temporary relief through substance abuse.
I helped several other men before finding a couple of men on a side street off 14th Pl. I didn't get their names and the encounter went far less than the way I wanted it to go. I'd say when I left them I was troubled on a couple of fronts. So what happened? I pulled up to these guys on my way to McArthur Park. I had a couple of sandwiches left to give out which I offered to them. What they really wanted was money. In fact, one of them suggested the amount of $10.00. Now I've had people ask me for money many times. I usually don't give out any because I don't come equipped to give out money. The two sandwiches cost a little over $2.50 apiece and I told them they would last them through the night, but they were insistent on the money. I had to tell them two or three times that I had none to give them. Finally, I drove away. I'm sure they had some choice words for me after I left. Oh, by the way, they took the sandwiches in the end (what a surprise huh?) So one of the reasons I was troubled was that I did have ten bucks on me and I have given money out before, though not that much. I usually tell people who object to giving money to homeless people that $5.00 isn't going to make or break you, so what difference does it make if you 'lose' it by giving it away. I accept the fact that I will get used by people in this ministry. It goes with the turf. I guess what irritated me the most was their rejection of what I was offering. So a scripture came to mind that showed me God's perspective on this. Now I've had people reject me and what I bring them before and it's always troubling. So I looked up the verse that came to mind when I got home and found it in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I can tell you that if it's in the Sermon on the Mount it's pretty important stuff to learn and understand. So here it is in Matthew 5:43-47:
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy', but I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you what reward have you. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect.
So my initial thought was God sends the sun and rain (good things) on the just as well as the unjust. So everyone benefits from Gods general and basic blessings. So these two men benefited from the basic 'blessing' of giving food away to the needy. But, instead of being thankful they were unthankful for what they were offered and demanded even more. How often do I have this same attitude with God? And over what issues? I've think I've understood more of the bible by serving the poor than I ever actually learned in a bible study! However, studying the bible certainly lays the groundwork for the understanding of the situations I'm encountering. The above verses also point out that there will be people who will use me, but this is just what the Father experiences on a daily basis. Makes you wonder how many people 'used' Jesus to get healed. Anyway, after this encounter I prayed my way over to McArthur Park.
By the time I got there it was near dark and very cold. The verse at the top about preaching in season and out of season applied here. Because of the temperatures, not too many people were around still. Of the small group of Christians preaching the man, Rene' showed up after I got there. He told me he had just come from work. The two older women preached first. Rene' and I were last. After I finished I talked with Rene' and the two younger girls, who I found out are 17 and 15 yrs old. The older one spoke fluent English and told me that plenty of people around there, particularly the homeless people, definitely understand English. We had a group prayer while the two older women were intently talking to some man who had walked up earlier and were giving us some trouble. They were talking in Spanish so I couldn't follow what was going on, but the two young girls said he seemed to be 'disturbed' about something. Well, we said our goodbyes and I look forward to seeing them next week. --Until then. John
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." --2 Timothy 4:2
Yesterday's trip taught me a deeper understanding of each of these scriptures. When I first arrived I drove around to a few different locations, not seeing anyone, before finding Dave behind the auto parts store. He was the only one there during the time I stayed with him, although I left food and water for Derek too. We talked for probably thirty minutes about a variety of things and people we both knew. Dave is from the Pine Bluff, Arkansas area and I have family from that area too, so we have a special connection. Dave is 67 years old and has somewhat of a business opportunity through his family, but cannot raise the initial money needed to get started. He told me in past years he helped a couple of his brothers get going and now that he needs the help it's not there. He told me he has prayed about this and wanted to know why nothing's happened. It took quite awhile of talking to him to finally identify his brothers lack of assistance, but when he did I told him that should be the target of his prayers (for God to work on their hearts) and also, that if they were in this business, he may have to start at an entry level position until he 'earned' their belief in his ability to repay them. I told him that prayer was his most valuable tool at this point, but that it isn't a magic potent and it usually takes time to see results. He wasn't real excited about his prospects when I left, most people aren't when they realize that part of prayer is persevering through the times when it seems as though God is silent.This job issue is part of a greater issue of the homelessness and all it's ramifications that prey on the minds of these men daily. The hopelessness that they feel and then uselessness that comes with it, makes it easy to see how this mental cycle leads so many to find temporary relief through substance abuse.
I helped several other men before finding a couple of men on a side street off 14th Pl. I didn't get their names and the encounter went far less than the way I wanted it to go. I'd say when I left them I was troubled on a couple of fronts. So what happened? I pulled up to these guys on my way to McArthur Park. I had a couple of sandwiches left to give out which I offered to them. What they really wanted was money. In fact, one of them suggested the amount of $10.00. Now I've had people ask me for money many times. I usually don't give out any because I don't come equipped to give out money. The two sandwiches cost a little over $2.50 apiece and I told them they would last them through the night, but they were insistent on the money. I had to tell them two or three times that I had none to give them. Finally, I drove away. I'm sure they had some choice words for me after I left. Oh, by the way, they took the sandwiches in the end (what a surprise huh?) So one of the reasons I was troubled was that I did have ten bucks on me and I have given money out before, though not that much. I usually tell people who object to giving money to homeless people that $5.00 isn't going to make or break you, so what difference does it make if you 'lose' it by giving it away. I accept the fact that I will get used by people in this ministry. It goes with the turf. I guess what irritated me the most was their rejection of what I was offering. So a scripture came to mind that showed me God's perspective on this. Now I've had people reject me and what I bring them before and it's always troubling. So I looked up the verse that came to mind when I got home and found it in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I can tell you that if it's in the Sermon on the Mount it's pretty important stuff to learn and understand. So here it is in Matthew 5:43-47:
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy', but I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you what reward have you. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect.
So my initial thought was God sends the sun and rain (good things) on the just as well as the unjust. So everyone benefits from Gods general and basic blessings. So these two men benefited from the basic 'blessing' of giving food away to the needy. But, instead of being thankful they were unthankful for what they were offered and demanded even more. How often do I have this same attitude with God? And over what issues? I've think I've understood more of the bible by serving the poor than I ever actually learned in a bible study! However, studying the bible certainly lays the groundwork for the understanding of the situations I'm encountering. The above verses also point out that there will be people who will use me, but this is just what the Father experiences on a daily basis. Makes you wonder how many people 'used' Jesus to get healed. Anyway, after this encounter I prayed my way over to McArthur Park.
By the time I got there it was near dark and very cold. The verse at the top about preaching in season and out of season applied here. Because of the temperatures, not too many people were around still. Of the small group of Christians preaching the man, Rene' showed up after I got there. He told me he had just come from work. The two older women preached first. Rene' and I were last. After I finished I talked with Rene' and the two younger girls, who I found out are 17 and 15 yrs old. The older one spoke fluent English and told me that plenty of people around there, particularly the homeless people, definitely understand English. We had a group prayer while the two older women were intently talking to some man who had walked up earlier and were giving us some trouble. They were talking in Spanish so I couldn't follow what was going on, but the two young girls said he seemed to be 'disturbed' about something. Well, we said our goodbyes and I look forward to seeing them next week. --Until then. John
Monday, December 2, 2013
Downtown 12/1/2013
"Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Not last week's trip, but on the two previous trips I met a man named Derek who was living in the alley behind the auto parts store on Washington Blvd. Last week I ran out of food before I got to him, so this week I went there first. When I pulled up I saw Dave, who was previously staying with Willie on Wall St. I hadn't seen Dave since the last BBQ in October (nor Willie either). Yesterday, Derek was there and he was very happy to see me and I found out through Dave that Derek's dad is a man who goes by the name of Peacock whom I've met and helped before too. I don't remember what he looks like without seeing him, but I do remember helping a man in the past with that name. In talking with Derek and asking about his 'prospects' for getting off the street he said he was working to get a job in the oil refinery business. I guess he's worked in that field before (Derek is older that I thought he was, he's 43). I prayed with Derek specifically that he could find the right contacts and help to getting some work. There was another man there named Larry who I've seen before too. I prayed with them all and let them look through the clothes in the back of the car. I helped some others, Antonio & Leticia and Lee & Thomas, a man named Robert who was near where Antonio and Leticia were, but the most memorable man of the day was Kevin on 14th Pl.
Kevin was pushing a cart with just a very few things in it. Now I may have helped Kevin before, he looked vaguely familiar. When he told me his name was Kevin I told him my full name, because Kevin is my middle name, he then told me his full name, Kevin James Rogers, and he said it proudly I might add. Kevin is 51 years old and comes from the South Central Los Angeles area. We talked for quite a while about stuff we used to do as kids growing up in that area. After I told him where I grew up, he said as kids they used to ride their bikes down El Segundo Blvd to the beaches. That was something I used to do too in junior high when I was in the junior lifeguard program at Manhattan Beach during the summers. I told him those two summers of junior high were 67' and 68'. During the summer of 1967 I vividly remembered stopping on my bike on one of the small streets of Manhattan Beach and hearing the Doors song 'Light my fire', blaring on someone's radio (that's the year the song came out). I knew at the time it was a moment to remember. Kevin totally identified with it. When we were looking through the back of the car he saw some shoes and asked if I had any 11 1/2's. I said the only thing I had close to that size were the 12's that I was wearing. So I gave them to him. He had been wearing some 10 1/2' size tennis shoes that obviously didn't fit and must have been painful to walk in. The side part of the heels were stretched way out of shape. He couldn't believe I was offering him my shoes. I think he was about to tear-up when he had them on and his feet felt so much better and then he looked down and saw me in my socks with a big smile on my face. Luckily, his socks appeared to be in good shape, because I was all out of them. I took his picture, but I'm still having problems moving the pictures from my phone to my computer. One of these days I'll have to just post a bunch of pictures of all the cool people and stuff I've seen this year. I prayed with Kevin and we must have hugged two or three times. It was a very special encounter.
So after this I went on down to McArthur Park via 7th and Columbia St and the "I am Legion" sign. (Yes, I had to go get another pair of shoes on the way down there). When I got to the park there was no place to park on the west side, so I parked on the north side close to the east end and then walked towards 7th and Alvarado. The little Spanish speaking evangelistic group from last week was there again and as I listened to them I began praying for the hearts of the people milling around. There were four people, three women and one man who were in this speaking group. The man was preaching at the time. They asked if I'd like to speak again and I told them if they wanted me to I would. But first each one of them spoke except for the youngest girl. During that time I kept praying behind them and eventually, a man named Salbador came walking up. He was maybe 25 or 30 years old and from the Spanish speaking evangelistic group on the other side of the park. He said he liked to come by and give support to this group since we're all "on the same team". He asked me if I wanted to speak too. I said "Sure, I'm just not sure how many people will understand my English here." He told me, probably 40-50% of the people there can understand English and that eventually some people will come just to hear me speaking. He told me, "I want you to be speaking here every Sunday!" So it was three months ago that I started adding this stop as part of my downtown ministry. I had no idea when I started what to expect, in fact, I was a little overwhelmed thinking I didn't really fit in here in this Spanish speaking area. I did know, however, that language is no barrier to God, and if need be He would provide someone to interpret for me like he did at the church on Cloud Nine Alley three years ago. Anyway, I did preach for a few minutes and after I finished Salbador brought another man over to the group who was ready to give his life to Jesus. I know it couldn't have been from me speaking, because I don't think this guy could speak any English. But.....I had been praying for people's hearts while the others were speaking...... So last week Joe, the policeman, told me there are three gangs whose turf borders this park. Joe doesn't know about the fourth gang.....Gang Jesus! His turf covers the whole earth. --Until next time. John
Not last week's trip, but on the two previous trips I met a man named Derek who was living in the alley behind the auto parts store on Washington Blvd. Last week I ran out of food before I got to him, so this week I went there first. When I pulled up I saw Dave, who was previously staying with Willie on Wall St. I hadn't seen Dave since the last BBQ in October (nor Willie either). Yesterday, Derek was there and he was very happy to see me and I found out through Dave that Derek's dad is a man who goes by the name of Peacock whom I've met and helped before too. I don't remember what he looks like without seeing him, but I do remember helping a man in the past with that name. In talking with Derek and asking about his 'prospects' for getting off the street he said he was working to get a job in the oil refinery business. I guess he's worked in that field before (Derek is older that I thought he was, he's 43). I prayed with Derek specifically that he could find the right contacts and help to getting some work. There was another man there named Larry who I've seen before too. I prayed with them all and let them look through the clothes in the back of the car. I helped some others, Antonio & Leticia and Lee & Thomas, a man named Robert who was near where Antonio and Leticia were, but the most memorable man of the day was Kevin on 14th Pl.
Kevin was pushing a cart with just a very few things in it. Now I may have helped Kevin before, he looked vaguely familiar. When he told me his name was Kevin I told him my full name, because Kevin is my middle name, he then told me his full name, Kevin James Rogers, and he said it proudly I might add. Kevin is 51 years old and comes from the South Central Los Angeles area. We talked for quite a while about stuff we used to do as kids growing up in that area. After I told him where I grew up, he said as kids they used to ride their bikes down El Segundo Blvd to the beaches. That was something I used to do too in junior high when I was in the junior lifeguard program at Manhattan Beach during the summers. I told him those two summers of junior high were 67' and 68'. During the summer of 1967 I vividly remembered stopping on my bike on one of the small streets of Manhattan Beach and hearing the Doors song 'Light my fire', blaring on someone's radio (that's the year the song came out). I knew at the time it was a moment to remember. Kevin totally identified with it. When we were looking through the back of the car he saw some shoes and asked if I had any 11 1/2's. I said the only thing I had close to that size were the 12's that I was wearing. So I gave them to him. He had been wearing some 10 1/2' size tennis shoes that obviously didn't fit and must have been painful to walk in. The side part of the heels were stretched way out of shape. He couldn't believe I was offering him my shoes. I think he was about to tear-up when he had them on and his feet felt so much better and then he looked down and saw me in my socks with a big smile on my face. Luckily, his socks appeared to be in good shape, because I was all out of them. I took his picture, but I'm still having problems moving the pictures from my phone to my computer. One of these days I'll have to just post a bunch of pictures of all the cool people and stuff I've seen this year. I prayed with Kevin and we must have hugged two or three times. It was a very special encounter.
So after this I went on down to McArthur Park via 7th and Columbia St and the "I am Legion" sign. (Yes, I had to go get another pair of shoes on the way down there). When I got to the park there was no place to park on the west side, so I parked on the north side close to the east end and then walked towards 7th and Alvarado. The little Spanish speaking evangelistic group from last week was there again and as I listened to them I began praying for the hearts of the people milling around. There were four people, three women and one man who were in this speaking group. The man was preaching at the time. They asked if I'd like to speak again and I told them if they wanted me to I would. But first each one of them spoke except for the youngest girl. During that time I kept praying behind them and eventually, a man named Salbador came walking up. He was maybe 25 or 30 years old and from the Spanish speaking evangelistic group on the other side of the park. He said he liked to come by and give support to this group since we're all "on the same team". He asked me if I wanted to speak too. I said "Sure, I'm just not sure how many people will understand my English here." He told me, probably 40-50% of the people there can understand English and that eventually some people will come just to hear me speaking. He told me, "I want you to be speaking here every Sunday!" So it was three months ago that I started adding this stop as part of my downtown ministry. I had no idea when I started what to expect, in fact, I was a little overwhelmed thinking I didn't really fit in here in this Spanish speaking area. I did know, however, that language is no barrier to God, and if need be He would provide someone to interpret for me like he did at the church on Cloud Nine Alley three years ago. Anyway, I did preach for a few minutes and after I finished Salbador brought another man over to the group who was ready to give his life to Jesus. I know it couldn't have been from me speaking, because I don't think this guy could speak any English. But.....I had been praying for people's hearts while the others were speaking...... So last week Joe, the policeman, told me there are three gangs whose turf borders this park. Joe doesn't know about the fourth gang.....Gang Jesus! His turf covers the whole earth. --Until next time. John
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