Downtown 8/25/2013

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." --Hebrews 13:15-16

In yesterday's church service the message was about worship and praise in the context of being spiritual warfare.  I'd don't think I had ever seriously considered worship and warfare together in quite this way, although I've heard the idea expressed before. Hebrews 13:15 was one of the verses used in the message, but when I read the next verse this morning, well, I had to include it too.  Anyway, more about this message later....

It was another hot day in Southern California.  Temperatures in the mid to upper 90's around here.  It was difficult to sleep during the day(after working all night), so after 3 or 4 hours I just got up.  I was pretty excited about Sunday's trip because I felt I was being led to a different direction/adventure today.  I finished getting everything together for the trip and arrived downtown at about 5:15 pm.  Once again, like last week, I drove to the small alley where I saw Rico and Miguel a couple of weeks ago, but they weren't there.  I had given Rico the address of the Dream Center that day, I hope she found some stabilizing help there or somewhere else.

So I drove over to Trinity St and there I found Antonio, Leticia and Julio and then another man by the name of Bruce showed up. Remember I hadn't seen Leticia the last two trips, but she was there Sunday.  Also, Alex who was down the block a hundred yards or so had a friend with him by the name of Victor.  Victor spoke a little more English than Alex so it helped greatly him being there.  Alex referred to him as his "cousin", although he said they technically weren't related.  I had given Alex the address and phone# for the Dream Center last week.  He didn't go there (it would be quite a lengthy walk), but he did see a Dream Center truck driving by earlier in the week.  I told them that there is a food bank on Paloma St and Washington Blvd.  Perhaps, that could be where the truck was going.  Without mentioning the name of the founder of the Dream Center, Victor said he had heard Matthew Barnett speak a couple of times, probably at the Angelus Temple.  I was amazed that he knew who he was.  Just so that you know who he is, here is a partial quote from his recent blog on June 3 this year...

"I remember the first day I ran a bus to bring the homeless to church.  I also remember the first mass exodus.  I was told that bringing the homeless to church on a Sunday would be ministry suicide.  The church demographic would not attend a church like this.  Temporarily, we paid the price.  Nineteen years later it's been the key to consistent growth.....No matter how big the church gets, no matter how many services we have, if we don't fight for the homeless and suffering we've missed the point."

Well of course, I couldn't agree more.  After praying with everyone on Trinity St I drove around the block to Wall St.  This is the site of last month's BBQ and where a bunch of people now live.  In fact, I only had four burgers left after Trinity St, so the main draw was a trunk full of clothes.  Also, I gave someone a toothbrush and toothpaste, and I must have had four or five others asking for them too.  Luckily, I had enough for the ones asking, but I'll have to bring some more next week.  One side of the street is where Willie, Dave and now Larry (who sleeps in his van) live.  The other side of the street there are about 6 others living, including Louis, another Willie, Tom, Joe and some others whose names I haven't memorized yet.  I must have given out 75% of the clothes I had with me.  Willie and Dave wanted to know if I was doing the next BBQ next week!  I had told them we would have another one soon. Now I had to tell them we'd have to wait until after my schedule changes back to days at the end of next month.  Before I left, I walked back across the street under the freeway where the other group was staying.  As I walked up, I'll never forget the 'other' Willie had toothpaste dripping from his mouth (he was in the midst of brushing) as I told them sometime in early October we would have another BBQ.  I lifted up my arms towards them as if to give them a group embrace and gave them a parting prayer and blessing.  On two streets and one block, all the food, most all of the clothes and all but three bottles of water were given out.  "Lord, please bless me with more of your resources to help these people."  Now as to the next adventure....

Let's go back to the church service Sunday morning.  During the worship and praise time (also called the singing part by some people) there was a woman, about thirty-ish I'm guessing and looked like Aretha Franklin or Ella Fitzgerald at a similar age.  And man could this gal sing!  She didn't take a back seat to those two in the singing department.  I didn't get the name of the song because I was pretty mesmerized by it, but one of the lines in the song was, "I'm pouring out my praise to you."  I went on youtube to try and get the song name, but the songs that came up weren't the one I heard.  Anyway, as I'm listening to this woman singing this song and realizing that her 'gift' is obviously a voice that can sing well and inspire others in worship and praise I was suddenly "hit" with the question, "What gift do I have that I am using to bring praise and worship to God?  Then the next thing that comes to mind is the sight last week at 7th and Alvarado where I witnessed the street fight with about twenty guys fighting in the middle of the street.  For this 'old white dude from the suburbs' that wasn't a sight I will soon forget.  I realized my 'gift' is one-on-one personal relationships.  I now knew what I was supposed to do.  Go down there Sunday, get out of the car and walk around!  What was I supposed to do?  I didn't know really.  Try and talk to people and bring what I bring to that relationship.  Obviously, it would be apparent that I'm not from that 'hood'.  Maybe that would be something I could use to an advantage.  Anyway, I was pretty excited about the prospects (this added to me being unable to sleep I'm sure).  So now with the 'normal' part of the trip done, I headed down to 7th and Alvarado.

  
So the signal in the background is 7th and Alvarado, the foreground is right where the fighting occurred last week and at about the exact same time as last week.

This is the park directly to the left of the first picture.  Through those trees there are lots of people as well as street vendors selling food, drinks and all kinds of stuff on the sidewalks of Alvarado St.  Hundreds of people are milling around on the streets there and throughout the park.  The park is actually pretty big and just driving around it took some time.  There is a sidewalk that circles the 'lake' and fountain area that I walked around.  Below is a picture from the other side of the lake.

Behind where I took this picture is another section of the park and I saw two large groups of people gathered.  I didn't know what was going on there, but they both seemed to be some kind of organized thing.  So it was quite a walk and I had to rest about two thirds of the way around it (my health is not anywhere near what it once was).  There wasn't any place to park on the streets around the park itself.  There is also an underground metro link station on Alvarado St in the background of the first picture.  I found a 10 minute parking lot on the street behind that picture.  So I was kind of leery about leaving my car there and only intended to leave it for about that long, but I kept walking and ended up walking all around the lake and my car was still there when I got back.  I'll try and find a more suitable place to park next week. So that's the first obstacle, where to park.  The next thing is English is not exactly the primary language spoken here.  However, you may recall the church on Cloud Nine Alley.  I had started prayer-walking on Sept 19, 2010 down Cloud Nine Alley.  Six weeks later, a church was planted in an empty warehouse building and I'm standing in it speaking to the congregation (Blog Nov. 1, 2010).  The congregation was Spanish speaking and the pastor brought someone up to interpret for me.  It is one of my most cherished memories of this ministry.  So I shouldn't consider language as an impossible barrier.  After all, I'm sure there are many around this park area that speak English.  But we will see.  I also remember when I was talking to the guys at the Dream Center last week.  They said that Matthew Barnett, on the 15th anniversary of the Center decided to spend a night on skid row.  He was discouraged from doing this (isn't that what everyone's initial reaction is to anything adventurous?).  He ended up taking his bible with him and when people saw his bible they kept coming up to him asking him to pray for them!  That was going to be my plan Sunday, but when I first left my car I didn't intend to be gone that long and then when I got back to it-it was time to go.  So next week that's the plan after I scout out a new place to park the car.  Be praying for this new opportunity.  I've been praying that I could be God's weapon of choice to a spiritually dark place.  I've now received my assignment.  This week is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" march in Washington DC. I guess I have a dream too!--Until next time.  John

PS.  Remember you can click on the photos to make them bigger.

Downtown 8/18/2013

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." -Isaiah 65:24

I made a beeline straight to the alley where I saw Rico and Miguel last week, however, I didn't see them or anyone else there.  I was hoping to find out if they contacted the Dream Center or not.  I ended up going there (to the Dream Center) at the end of Sunday's trip.  I'm starting to learn something about how the Center functions as well as some of it's many outreaches. There is even a guy who daily goes out and serves people (gives food and stuff) to people living under freeways etc.  Sounds familiar, huh?  The name of that outreach is "Under the Bridge".  I got the email address of the guy who runs it and am hoping to find out what he does with people who are recently  homeless and need some help getting off the streets.  I saw a video a couple of weeks ago of the founder of the Dream Center.  His name is Matthew Barnett.  In the video he tells the story of how things began and one of the turning points was a night where he went to a location in Echo Park around midnight.  Echo Park, for those not familiar with this area, is the area right near Dodger Stadium.  That night he saw the police arresting gang members for various violations and God spoke to him about establishing a place where these people could get help to change the direction in their life.  In addition to that he felt God asking him if he was willing to give up his own dreams of pastoring a 'big church' like most pastors want and instead do something for these people that he saw being arrested that night.  Ironically, he has ended up having the big church, but the path was by way of establishing this Center.  The Center is the old Queen of Angels Hospital, a landmark location in Los Angeles, about two miles from downtown.  On my way there I drove up Alvarado St.  At around 7th I was stopped waiting for the signal to change when I noticed a commotion west of the intersection.  I was stopped a few cars back from the intersection and couldn't see what was going on, but everyone standing on the corners of the sidewalks were looking west down the street.  This street and the surrounding streets are filled with storefront retail stores and the place was packed with pedestrians.  It was about 7 pm.  There is a park on one of the corners.  As I pulled through the intersection I saw what the commotion was.  There must have been twenty men fighting in the middle of the street (most likely gangs).  Police sirens could be heard on the way to break-up the disturbance.  I can only imagine that this was something similar to what Matthew saw that night years ago.  When you think about the direction of the lives of those men involved, it's heartbreaking to think of the lost potential.  Then again, I see it on a one-on-one level each week when I serve the people where I go. At the Center, I was given a list where people can go to receive help from various outreaches in the downtown area.   I'm hoping to start incorporating this into the help I give out each week.

One of the men I saw yesterday was Alex.  I've seen him several times in the last couple of months.  Yesterday, he was reading his bible on the sidewalk on Trinity St.  He was happy to see me and we talked about what he was reading.  His bible is in Spanish and we struggle a little with the language barrier.  However, I asked him what book he was reading and he pointed in his bible to Isaiah chapter 40.  So I got out my bible and he showed me where he was reading and he read it to me (in Spanish while I followed along in my English bible).  Later, I told him about the Dream Center and gave him the address and phone number.  Next week I'll give him some of the places on the list of outreach programs.  I hope we can find a place for him before the cold weather starts.  So after giving Alex the usual food and water and some shirts I left some cans of food for him to save for Monday.  He was overwhelmed with joy over that.  I really really like this guy.  I pray things will work out well for him.

Up the street from Alex was Antonio and Julio.  I haven't seen Leticia the last two times I've seen Antonio.
Both times he's simply said, "She's not back yet."   Although both men were happy to see me, Julio seemed particularly happy.  I think he's pretty lonely and just needs a friend (don't we all?).

After that I drove around the block to Wall St.  I haven't seen Willie since the BBQ last month.  I've driven by a few times, but no one on his side of the street was there.  Yesterday, not only was Willie there, but Dave Parker who I haven't seen since the BBQ last October.  He had been staying in a location where it was impossible to park the car nearby.  When I opened up the back of the car so they could look through the clothes, that brought everyone from the other side of the street over.  Louis and a few others from the BBQ last month came over and a lot of clothes were given out.  I got to pray individually with just about everyone.  It was a pretty cool time with these folks.  In a month or so, I'll be switching back to working days and will have Sundays off.  So I told them we'd do another BBQ in October.

One last encounter I wanted to mention.  It was actually the first guy I saw Sunday.  He was walking down San Pedro I think and he had the look of being homeless and hungry.  His name was Alphonzo.  After passing some food and water to him through the window he said, "Dios la bendigo" (God bless you in Spanish).  Luckily, I'm familiar with this is Spanish or I wouldn't have known what he said.  How blessed I was to have helped him.  I felt like God had specifically pointed this man out for me to help.

Before I finish this entry, I wanted to comment on the verse I opened with.  It's one of my favorite verses in the book of Isaiah and is centered on God being able and willing to provide for us in advance.  I have been praying that I would eventually be able to do more than just provide temporary relief to the people I meet downtown.  There will always be a need for the temporary relief I give.  Some of the homeless will, no doubt, always live on the street, however, my heart goes out to those who I can see that just "don't belong" there and don't want to be there.  Some have adopted life on the street as a lifestyle and aren't too concerned with finding a way out or have long ago given up on finding a way out.  Others who haven't lived this way for very long and are still hoping to find their way back into society deserve whatever help and direction I can give them.  It's to this end that I looked into what help the Dream Center can provide.  We'll see where this leads.  I'll keep you posted. --Until next time. John          

Downtown 8/11/2013

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." --Ephesians 2:10

What a blessed trip this was.  I happened to be talking with a friend of mine on the way into Los Angeles.  When I got there and was ready to start reaching out to people needing help, I asked my friend to be praying that I would reach people that really needed help.  Within minutes of hanging up, I met Andre, sitting on the sidewalk next to his shopping cart on 15th St near Broadway.  After helping him with some food and water and then praying with him I started driving east down 16th St.  As I got a couple of blocks past Los Angeles St I saw a man laying down on the sidewalk.  I had already passed that street so I had to circle back around which probably took almost five minutes.  As I approached that street I remembered a very small alley just west of that small street that you can reach that small street from.  I have only driven down that alley once before and that was 4 months ago or so.  I remember it because I drove down it from the other direction and  this alley is so narrow that it's barely wide enough to drive your car down it.  What made it memorable then was a dog with the biggest head I've seen in awhile got up and started towards me from behind a chain link fence.  It looked like a pit bull....I kept driving that day.  Today I thought I'd come from the other side so the dog, if it was there was on the other side of the car.  As I passed that spot where the dog was, a woman and a young man (maybe he was twenty, but I doubt it) came out from a hole in the chain link fence from the building next to where the dog had been.  I didn't recognize the woman at first, but she recognized me.  Her name was Rico and she remembered me from when I helped her with some clothes in an alley about 3 miles east of there and several months ago.  That day I found her looking through clothes that had been dumped in a dirt alley.  That day as I pulled up to her I asked if she wanted to go through the clothes I had in the back of my car.  I remember her telling me about her situation that day and that she would rather be homeless than to be at home and get beaten up by her boyfriend.  I asked her today if she had ever gone back to him.  She said, "No way!"  I was proud of her and should have told her so, but I think all I said was "Good."  I let them both go through the clothes in the car and gave them some food and water.  I asked Rico if they were staying next to the building behind the chain link fence where they had come out from, but she said, "No, we stay next to a dumpster around the corner (near where I had seen the man laying down originally).  I took a picture of it as I drove on out.  However, I asked Rico if she had ever heard of the Dream Center.  When she said she hadn't, I googled the address and gave it too them.  I told her they could get help there and these people would help them get on the road to self sufficiency.  I'm going to keep checking back with them.  I so much want her to find a safe place to live.  We had a group prayer before I left them.  So do you think it was just by chance that I had to drive around the block and come up that alley just as they were climbing through the hole in the fence?  The picture below is where they stay at night.  I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep behind the dumpster so no one will notice them if they drive or walk by.  And the man I had originally seen laying down on the sidewalk?  His name was Adolfo and yes I helped and prayed with him too.

Before getting too far down 16th St, I found Johnny.  I had helped him a couple months back and at the time he identified himself by the name of "Joker", until it came time to pray for him, then he wanted me to know (and pray for him) by the name of Johnny.  I also remember at the time he was going through a dumpster that was right behind a Pentecostal Church on Washington Blvd.  And they were having a service there at the time too!  I drove on over to Trinity St to look for Antonio and Leticia.  I only found Antonio.  He said Leticia hadn't gotten back yet (from wherever it is that they go during the day).  It was a little earlier than usual for me to see them.  The last man I saw was named Mario and he was on Washington Blvd next to his shopping cart.  He was hungry (as everyone I met today was) and thanked me several times for the help.

After Mario, all the food was gone.  I wished I had had more to give out.  I think all the food was gone in less than an hour and I got to pray with just about everyone.  This is why I love making these trips on Sundays, the people who need help are easier to find and its easier to talk with them.  I had missed going last Sunday, but went down on Wednesday, four days ago, in the early afternoon.  That's a very difficult time to go, but still people need help during the weekdays too.  I remember vividly, the last person I helped Wednesday was a young girl of about 16 or 17 years old.  She seemed way to young to be alone and she had absolutely nothing with her.  No bag of clothes or anything.  Her name was the same as my wife's name and she was barely older than my daughter.  I kept thinking, "She is somebody's little girl."  I need to get into a working relationship with places like the Dream Center so I can get people that I meet on the street that are so vulnerable some help.  Pray for me that I can find people who will help.  Until next time. --John  

Downtown 7/28/2013

"Are not two sparrows sold for penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." ---Matthew 10:29-30

I don't remember exactly where I saw it yesterday, but in one of the intersections I passed through I saw the remains of a bird that had recently died there.  The verse above came to mind immediately and it's implication that God cares about the details of our lives.  When I think about the people that I just "happen" to meet or decide to look for it almost seems like it was meant to be before hand.  While trying not to get into the topic of determinism or predestination, I'll just describe how this trip went, so here it is....

I guess I should begin with saying that I hadn't gotten a block away from home when I realized I didn't have my phone with me and had to turnaround and go back to get it (remember that's our camera nowadays too). When I finally got down there I drove around for quite awhile before finding a couple and a man (separately) on the west side of Alameda sitting in the shade of buildings along that street.  I couldn't park at either spot, so I just passed food through the window.  They were too far from the missions to be staying or eating there for the night and I'm not sure they were really destitute, but they were definitely homeless Sunday night.  So perhaps, they were at least able to save whatever resources they had for another day.

So I finally made it over to Trinity St where Antonio and Leticia live.  I hadn't gone by there last week and Leticia reminded me about it.  She told me they didn't eat that day!  When I pulled up yesterday there was

another man with them who I've helped before, his name is Carlos.  Carlos is on the left, with Leticia and Antonio on the right.  The second photo are the steps where I see Leticia and Antonio every week.  I took that photo while they were looking at the clothes in my car.  Antonio was needing some shoes (size 9) and I had a pair of 9 1/2's.  I'm not sure if they were men's or women's size.  I'll find out next week I guess.  When we had finished talking, Leticia said, "Pray!"  It was almost like a command but, I'm more than happy to oblige.  A little further up the road a young man named Alex was sitting on the sidewalk.  I have seen him several times recently on this same street near them.  I drove on down and helped him too.  I hadn't given him any clothes before and he didn't take much.  He had a sleeping bag and another bag with personal belongings but I think he want to keep things light for traveling purposes.  I prayed with him and he told me he even had a bible too.  He is a very polite and nice man to me.  I'll have to get to know him better and find out what his story is.

So I met another man named Oscar walking in an alley behind some buildings off Washington Blvd.  I had driven down that alley because there was a Latino Pentecostal Church on the corner that was open.  I heard music coming from it.  Anyway, that was the last of the hamburgers and I was trying to decide whether or not to just drive home at this point.  I had driven (and prayed) down Cloud Nine Alley and had driven around the skid row area already, yet it seemed too early to leave just yet, so I decided to go over to where Maurice and Elisha live on 8th St off Alameda.  I hopped on the freeway where I was and drove down the two or three exits and got off at Alameda.  There was a homeless man named Mark standing on the freeway exit asking for help.  I gave him a can of food and we chatted briefly as I waited for the light to change.  I drove on down to 8th St and saw Maurice and Elisha.  When I first started seeing them a couple of months back they were trying to get to Texas.  Well, it looks like they are going to take a bus there this week.  It was about 7 p.m. at this point and Elisha was in tears thinking that they might have left without seeing me one more time.  To think that I almost didn't go by there because I was out of hamburgers would have been a huge missed opportunity.  I gave them my phone number so they could keep in touch with me when they get situated.  They are moving to the Dallas area, I think that is where she is from.  Remember she's pregnant and they have an opportunity to move into some kind of housing there.

  It's been an absolute pleasure to have known these two people and I will miss them greatly.  I remember a few weeks back, I had bought some burgers for the trip and an extra one for me to eat on my way into town.  Apparently, I had dripped some ketchup on my chin (not an unusual occurrence to anyone who knows me!).  Anyway, I didn't know it and when I got there and gave them their burgers and started talking to them they eventually told me about it.  They said they were embarrassed to tell me.  I told them, "Are you kidding?  We're family, you can tell me anything!"  And that's they way I feel towards them. We had a group hug while I took the last opportunity to pray with them about a safe trip, landing in a good place and Elisha's pregnancy.  I'm praying all goes well, I'll miss them both.

"Not a sparrow falls..."  When I think about the people God provided for through yesterday's trip, people living off the beaten path, in alleys on small side streets under freeways it amazes me.  If you look in the background of the picture above you see absolutely no one, no cars, nothing on the streets.  Yet God knows where these people are and doesn't just send food, but friends to them too.  He's awesome.  I'm reminded of something Richard Stearns, CEO of World Vision, said in his book "The Hole in the Gospel".  He said, and I'm quoting loosely here, "I'd hate to think that someone suffered because I refused to be obedient to God's call."  Being obedient yesterday, literally spread joy to these people.  --Until next time.  John

PS.  Remember how I just happened to remember to go back and get my phone?  Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take these pictures!!!  If you click on the picture once, it gets bigger, and then twice and it's real big.

Downtown 7/21/2013

"They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.'  He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.  And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.'  And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."  He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not keep awake one hour?  Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words."  --Mark 14:32-38

My prayer for this week was that I would have a meaningful encounter with someone needing  encouragement.  I have many encounters where I give out food and water and pray with them, yet I always look forward to the times when the person is wanting to talk further and go beyond just the physical help.  To help those who are hungry and thirsty is a tremendous boost for them, but I am always looking for that next level of encouragement, from physical to emotional help.  When you get to the emotional level you have an opportunity to reach people on a spiritual level too.  I guess if you are to encourage someone on this kind of level it presupposes that they are struggling in some way.  Yesterday I had just such a encounter.

So earlier in the day while I was at church, the pastor happened to mention that Jesus struggled and pointed specifically to the time in the garden at Gethsemane I referred to above in verse 33.  I thought it was important to see Jesus' response to this situation the night of his arrest (since he knew what was going to happen).  We often see Jesus in the gospels as walking around with grace and ease being totally unflappable.  He always seemed to be in control of things and never worried, yet in all four gospels we have the story of the night of his arrest where his temperament changes to one of being "distressed and agitated".  This very human side of Jesus is something we can all relate too, namely worry.  Jesus handles this impending and frightening future with prayer and trust in the Father's ultimate plan.  We struggle with our uncertain future and struggle with temptations that, perhaps in the past, we have not dealt with as well as we should have.  I meet people all the time downtown whose past haunts them and the struggles with the same temptations keep cropping up all the time.  Remember the path that Jesus modeled.

I had driven around for quite awhile and had helped a few people when I drove down an alley near 14th St between Central and San Pedro Ave.  I have driven down this alley many times and a homeless man named Kevin is usually there on Sundays. Yesterday was no exception.  After helping Kevin and talking with him for a few minutes another man named David came walking up. David and Kevin knew each other and they seemed to exchange something that involved money.  I was pretty much finished talking to Kevin at that point and so I drove on down the alley and across the street to where the alley continued on in the next block.  That is where I saw Shawn.  There was a woman there, but she was walking away at the time.  Now Shawn and I knew each other and he seemed very happy to see me.  He needed some food and water and encouraged me to stop and talk with him for awhile.  I had asked him how he was doing (I hadn't seen him in several months) and he admitted to me that he has been struggling with his own weaknesses and temptations that have gone on for quite some time.  I started to mention the story in Genesis about Cain and how he struggled with his attitude.  I had turned around to open the back of the car up so he could get any clothes that he needed.  When I turned back around he had gotten a bible out from his make-shift shelter and handed it to me to show him where the verse was in Genesis.  The passage was just after Cain and his brother Abel had offered sacrifices and Abel's was accepted but Cain's wasn't.  Cain was very upset about this and the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."  I told Shawn that we are constantly facing decisions every day and when we have tough ones we need to think about what we know God would want us to do and speak the name of Jesus over that situation.  I reminded him what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 14:11 that, "...as I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."  I reminded him also that there is power in the name of Jesus and to speak the name of Jesus over situations since He is the Lord over all things.  Jesus said just prior to His ascension to heaven that "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  This means that Jesus in the master of all situations, yet we must call on or pray to him.  Once again, this is what Jesus modeled for us in his most difficult of times in the garden of Gethsemane.  I shared with him some of my own struggles and pointed out a verse in James 5:17 where it says that Elijah was a man just like us and also in Isaiah 6 where Isaiah is brought to the throne room of God and he says "Woe is me!  I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.!"  What these two illustrations point to is that these two "great men" of the bible were just like us and struggled with the same stuff we struggle with today,yet they prayed and sought after God and this was what made the difference in their lives.  Shawn was very aware of all these scriptures and instead of feeling 'beaten down' by them, he was encouraged by them.  We talked at length about some of the other 'great men' of the bible and how each of them were defined by the degree of the struggles they overcame...and so it is with us. While we talked three other people came by.  The first was Dave who was the one with Kevin earlier when they had the 'exchange'.  He asked for more food saying it was for a friend.  When I asked what the friend's name was (so I could pray for that person) he had to think for a few seconds and finally came up with a name.  Shawn and I looked at each other and kind of smiled about it.  I told Shawn that I knew I get taken advantage of from time to time, but it's not unlike the grace that God extends to us that we abuse at times too.  I don't get upset about being taken advantage of in this ministry.  (Just don't take extra socks!)  Anyway, another man came by and sat down just opposite where Shawn's 'house' was.  I had just prayed for Shawn when I turned to this man and asked if I could pray for him.  He put his cigarette down and came over to me and I prayed for him.  When I turned to get some food for him from the car, Shawn then stopped me to pray for me!  Wow!  Pretty powerful moment.  A few minutes later the woman who earlier had walked away when I drove up came back by.  She and I started talking about the weather (it was overcast and kind of muggy) and I said it kind of reminded me of the midwest.  She was from Ohio and Kentucky.  Eventually, I offered her some food and water, but she only wanted the water.  I asked if I could pray for her and she said quite deliberately, "Yes, you can pray for me."  So I asked what her name was and she told me "Heaven".  That was the first time I've ever prayed for Heaven (lol).  This is a picture of Shawn with his bible.

Well, I had a few other encounters, in fact, I found Gabriel on Paloma St near Washington Blvd.  He and I had talked at length once when he was living on 8th St near Maurice and Elisha.  I had hoped to find him again (in fact I had prayed that I would find an old friend during this trip).  It's always good to see an old friend down here. --Until next time. --John

Downtown 7/14/2013

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with [power]; with divine retribution and he will save you'." --Isaiah 35:3-4

I was still pretty worn-out from last week's trip and a busy last 6 days.  I was tempted to stay home and just rest, in fact, I told Maurice and Elisha that I might not make it down this weekend, but I felt up to it when I got up Sunday afternoon (remember I'm working nights these days) and decided to go.  I felt no special word or leading from the Holy Spirit, yet the trip was not devoid of His presence.  Sometimes I think just being regular and dependable in going is important for me and to those I serve.  Last week I didn't see Antonio and Leticia, who only live on the other side of the block from where I had the barbecue.  I think after seeing them yesterday, they kind of missed me coming by.  Most of the people at the barbecue last week I didn't see this time.  However, Louis was there.  He was the one with the big smile last week.  He is always so appreciative of the help I give him and the prayer time we have.  I'm not sure how it happened, but he has told me several times that he has had some head injuries and often can't remember things.  He's about the same age I am, doesn't remember the year he was born, how old he is or when he graduated high school (if he did).  I thoroughly enjoy talking with him.  While I was talking with him a couple of others stopped by asking for help too.  One man was Jacob and the other man was riding by on a bicycle.  I asked what his name was and he told me, but I couldn't write it down at the time and I've forgotten what it was (and I haven't even had a head injury!).  The thing about the guy on the bicycle was he looked at me like we've seen each other before, perhaps he was one of the ones who came by last week.  I had just given out the last of the burgers, although I did have some canned food to give him and some water.  There was something about the big smile on his face when he saw me that has stayed with me.  Maybe, it's just a reminder that everyone I meet in these trips needs to be met with God's love and treated like they're valued people and missed.  Every trip and every expression of love is of value to these people and to God.  In our western culture, Christians are usually thought of as being narrow minded and the things we are 'against' are spoken about more than the things we should be known for.  We are supposed to be known by the way we love  and serve.  I still consider it a miracle that God has changed my priorities to make me into someone willing to use my time and resources to serve others.  That's probably the biggest miracle of this ministry.  He has gifted me and given me 'talents' that I never would have put together on my own.  I've been thinking a lot lately about the parable of the talents.  In that parable the one who did nothing with the talents given him was severely punished.  I think the uniqueness of each of us makes the discovery and use of our special gifting a lifelong adventure.  The apostle Peter wrote, "Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others.  So use your gift well." (1 Peter 4:10)--Until next week. John

Summer BBQ Downtown 7/7/13

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel.  Under his feet was something like pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.  But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. --Exodus 24:9-11

No there weren't seventy people and no we didn't see God, but His presence was felt and we ate and drank.  This was the most ethnically diverse group of folks I've had at a BBQ and everyone enjoyed themselves.  I had been so concerned about the police showing up and shutting things down, but they never appeared.  The only real issue was the noise from the freeway overhead. Yes, we were literally under the overpass.  The street we used was a small little street called Wall St.  Yeah, we've got one out here too, but it's very small and where it runs into Washington Blvd there is very little traffic on Sundays.  When I first arrived, Willie, Charles and Santa Barbara were there waiting for me.  After I got the food ready Paul, Tom and Louis who live on the sidewalk across the street came over.  Tom made a comment about the smoke from the grill making a beeline to their 'camp', but I think that was just so I'd ask if they wanted to join us (he didn't know that was the plan all along).  It turns out Tom is quite an artist and brought over some of his drawings.  One of them was a very unique drawing of Christ on the cross with an angel holding His head up.  It was obvious he has exceptional artistic talent.  Louis, who I met before, was just waking up (yeah, it was 4 pm) and was about the happiest person there.  He kept commenting to me about the big smile on my face!  Eddie works and lives at the recycling place across the street.  I had never met him, but he and I talked together for quite awhile.  I guess one of the recurring themes with some of the people yesterday that I don't know as well as Willie and Santa Barbara, was why I do this.  I was actually asked if I was a 'man of the cloth'.  They were somewhat amazed when I told them I wasn't and am just a regular guy like them.  I told them that although I go to church and am called to do this by Christ, my function is just to tell people about the Jesus I know.  The Jesus who talks with and accepts the people living on the fringe that most people attending churches don't associate with.  Yesterday, with this group, mostly one on one and using very short stories, I was able to weave biblical stories of Jesus encountering people and some of my own personal experiences in coping  with my struggles in life to show how God loves and cares about them.  Of course, the goal of these stories is to encourage people and to let them know that they don't have to be stuck in the mindset where they are now which may be indifference or out and out anger with God and people.  Two of the folks yesterday, Charles and Santa Barbara, spent most of the time laying down (they weren't feeling well).  Santa Barbara has a serious illness that I've been witness to for almost a year. There were several other people who were walking by, Guillermo and Earnest were two that I remember who stayed and got fed.  I tried to make this as close to a park BBQ with family and friends as I could.  I'm sure that most all of these folks at one time or another in their past had a day of food, family and friends.  That's what I was shooting for, just to have a good day for these people.  I prayed with nearly everyone and my goal of bringing a good day and a piece of the kingdom of heaven to earth for these people was pretty much accomplished.  But I wasn't done yet....

I had plenty of food left and it was only about 6 pm, so I packed everything up and drove over to where Maurice and Elisha live on 8th St just off Alameda and BBq'd for them too.  They have become kind of like next door neighbors to me.  People you can drop in on anytime and be welcomed.  When I got out of the car Elisha told me to congratulate Maurice on being a Papa!  Yeah, she is (they think).  I stayed with them for about two hours too.  During this time I had an update on a story I had told them a week or two ago about a little four year old girl in Madagascar.  I had heard from a missionary/orphanage group that this little girl had been found abandoned and near death.  She was brought to a hospital and this group immediately sent people over to care and talk to her.  It turned out she didn't know if she had a name or not, she didn't know of one!  I know the continent of Africa has been decimated by the AID's virus and many kids have been left orphans with maybe an older sibling as their only caregiver.  So what happens when the older sibling is suddenly gone or unable to care for them anymore?  So the missions group started caring for this little girl even though she was still in the hospital being nursed back to health.  They went over a list of possible names for her and she liked the name Sarah.  Did you know that Sarah means 'princess'?  How fitting.  So for the last two weeks this little girl, Sarah, was happy and smiling and looking forward to coming home with them, knowing she now had a home.  Then suddenly a few nights ago Sarah died.  The orphanage staff was devastated.  One of the staff members posted these words on facebook, "So sad.  Our beautiful Princess Sarah just passed away in the hospital.  We are not sure why..she was doing so well and starting to get better.  We are all in shock as this was not what we expected.  But at least in the last few weeks of her life she knew that she was precious and beautiful and that she was so loved.  Instead of being abandoned and rejected, she was wanted and adored and knew that we loved her so much.  Now she's happy in the arms of her amazing daddy God with no more pain and no more needles and is able to walk and run and play again.  We miss you already though, our beautiful girl."  Then she used a quote from the co-founder of the organization, Heidi Baker, "We lay our lives down for love, and we give our lives away.  We cannot just love with our words.  Love is in truth and in our actions."  Although this story is so tragic from our perspective on this side of eternity, it reminds me of the truth that all love is precious and it is never wasted.  The apostle Paul's words in the great 'love chapter' in Corinthians tells us, "Love is patient, love is kind, ...it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  I had always understood the 'endures all things' part as enduring pain and trouble that loving someone sometimes brings, but in light of this story it occurred to me that the expression of love itself endures forever.  Acts of kindness and love endure because God himself remembers them forever.  Pretty cool.

So I always have these big fears before I do a BBQ.  What if no one shows up, what if we get shut down, what if..what if.  So I come up with contingency plans.  I could go over to Lincoln park and use the grills there and cook everything and take them around to everyone, or go find a safe alley and cook everything.  Because God is more than able to change an unexpected obstacle into triumph I guess I should never worry but I still do (one of my many flaws that I'm working on).  Oh, so I guess I should tell you what I 'forgot to bring".  It's always something, this time it was the potato salad.  I had bought a couple of pounds of it and left it in the refrigerator at home.  I forgot my cell phone, so I couldn't take pictures.  Well, I bought some more potato salad and a disposable camera.  I took some pictures, but it will take a few days to get them developed and back, so maybe next week I'll post them. --Until next time.  John

PS.  I'll leave you with this quote from a film group on their facebook page, "Stop telling people about the gospel. Start showing them."  Well, I don't think it's an either or thing.  Perhaps, if we show people what the gospel (the good news) looks like first, then they'll be more willing to listen.  What do you think?