"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:8-16
This is a favorite passage of mine and one of the reasons is because the first people who were told of Jesus' birth worked the night shift!!!
Another trip downtown made at night. In fact, I don't think I even made it down there until about 7:30 pm. It's supposed to rain tomorrow or at least by tomorrow night and I knew people could use some warm clothes. So I loaded up a half dozen or so jackets and sweat shirts in the car and took off for San Pedro and 25th. I hadn't seen these folks since the dinner last month (Nov 16th) and all the usual people were there except for Victoria and Hiram. The jackets were gone in less than five minutes and two of the blankets I took also. It was a good but brief stop because I had parked in front of a driveway and one of the residents came home needing to use the driveway. There was a iron fence I was parked in front of that I didn't think anyone would be needing to get through, but someone showed up after I'd been there for five minutes, so I had to leave rather quickly. It was good to be able to accomplish so much so quickly; food, water and warm clothing and hugs for everyone.
I then drove over to Venice Blvd by Los Angeles St and found some friends on a corner there. One of the guys is Felipe. I was able to show him a picture of him on my phone that I took with him and Antonio and Leticia a couple of summers ago. He was sure surprised to see it. Although they looked like they had a lot of 'stuff'', Felipe told me that the city had come by one day while they were gone and taken everything away. So the socks and the last blanket I had with me were greatly needed.
I had two burgers left and after checking out a couple of locations and finding nobody there I decided to drive over to the Jack in the Box and take a short break. So while I was sitting at one of the tables and having some coffee (I was reading a book during this time) I noticed a man sitting by himself in one of the corners of the dining room. He wasn't eating or drinking anything just sitting there minding his own business hoping to not be noticed by the staff there. He kept looking at his hands which were kind of dirty. When I was ready to go I walked over to him and told him if he was hungry I had a couple of burgers left in my car he could have. He said "OK" and I motioned for him to follow me outside. I gave him the burgers and asked what his name was. He told me his name was Michael. I told him I have a brother by that name. We talked for a minute or two, I gave him a pair of socks and a bottle of water before leaving. He then walked back over to the sidewalk by the Jack in the Box and started eating the burgers. I just knew he was hungry. I was glad I offered him the burgers and glad I had two left to give out. --Until next time. John
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Saturday night downtown 12/6/2014
"If you mistreat the poor you insult your Creator, if you are kind to them you show him respect." Proverbs 14:31
I usually don't have Saturday nights off from work, but I did have it off this week and I was able to make the trip at night. It rained earlier this week and the temperature is still very cool (high 50's to low 60's). Along with the low night-time temperatures most of the homeless were already bedded down for the night when I arrived at about 6:30 pm. Some I didn't try to arouse, but others (who were probably hungry) got up quickly when I asked if they were hungry.
One group of guys on the corner of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St were still awake, but obviously winding down. One of the men I had helped before but I probably hadn't seen him in over a year. His name was Felipe and I used to see him a few blocks east of there with Antonio and Lecticia. In fact, he asked me how they were doing. After I helped these three men I prayed with them and it was then that Felipe said something I won't soon forget. He said, "We need prayer. Thank you so much." It wasn't said in a patronizing way, but really heartfelt. He probably remembered me praying with Antonio and Leticia..
I left that corner and drove on down to Trinity St where I usually see Antonio and Leticia. I didn't see them, although they may have been there sleeping under some blankets, but I did meet two men named Oscar and Pablo. I didn't have a lengthy conversation with them because of the language barrier, but they were very thankful for the food and water. They also were grateful for the "calcetines" (socks) and the blanket I gave them. Yes, I got to pray with them too.
I saw Angel again in an alley off Pico and Olive. She didn't say anything about leaving for Utah this time, but did talk about how a lot of her stuff had been stolen. I let her go through the clothes in the back of the car. I think she was pretty happy to see me tonight.
The last place I stopped was where I had the BBQ back in August. I saw Willie and also Nicole's husband. I'm not real sure if Nicole and him are married or not and I never did get his name. I asked how Nicole was doing and they said she stops by there every night. I didn't ask too many questions (like where she's staying), but I told them I have some stuff I've collected for her baby. Willie said I could leave it with them and he'll make sure she gets it. I didn't have any of it with me tonight, but I'll bring a few things at a time over the next few trips and I'll see if it makes it to her or not. --Until next time. John
I usually don't have Saturday nights off from work, but I did have it off this week and I was able to make the trip at night. It rained earlier this week and the temperature is still very cool (high 50's to low 60's). Along with the low night-time temperatures most of the homeless were already bedded down for the night when I arrived at about 6:30 pm. Some I didn't try to arouse, but others (who were probably hungry) got up quickly when I asked if they were hungry.
One group of guys on the corner of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St were still awake, but obviously winding down. One of the men I had helped before but I probably hadn't seen him in over a year. His name was Felipe and I used to see him a few blocks east of there with Antonio and Lecticia. In fact, he asked me how they were doing. After I helped these three men I prayed with them and it was then that Felipe said something I won't soon forget. He said, "We need prayer. Thank you so much." It wasn't said in a patronizing way, but really heartfelt. He probably remembered me praying with Antonio and Leticia..
I left that corner and drove on down to Trinity St where I usually see Antonio and Leticia. I didn't see them, although they may have been there sleeping under some blankets, but I did meet two men named Oscar and Pablo. I didn't have a lengthy conversation with them because of the language barrier, but they were very thankful for the food and water. They also were grateful for the "calcetines" (socks) and the blanket I gave them. Yes, I got to pray with them too.
I saw Angel again in an alley off Pico and Olive. She didn't say anything about leaving for Utah this time, but did talk about how a lot of her stuff had been stolen. I let her go through the clothes in the back of the car. I think she was pretty happy to see me tonight.
The last place I stopped was where I had the BBQ back in August. I saw Willie and also Nicole's husband. I'm not real sure if Nicole and him are married or not and I never did get his name. I asked how Nicole was doing and they said she stops by there every night. I didn't ask too many questions (like where she's staying), but I told them I have some stuff I've collected for her baby. Willie said I could leave it with them and he'll make sure she gets it. I didn't have any of it with me tonight, but I'll bring a few things at a time over the next few trips and I'll see if it makes it to her or not. --Until next time. John
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Downtown Sunday night 11/23/14
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person in front of you." --Mother Teresa
"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them." --Mother Teresa
After last week's trip, I didn't necessarily want to go back to the same street corner, but I did want to try and find Gabriel. I wrote about meeting him last week, however, as I crossed Washington Blvd on San Pedro there was some police activity right near the alley he said he spends his nights at. Since it was already dark, I couldn't really see people walking up and down the street too well either. Gabriel said he spends most of his time there on San Pedro St during the daytime. I'll keep looking around for him in the weeks ahead.
I didn't arrive downtown until almost 5:30 pm and by this time it's night time now. The trip didn't take very long once I got there. Everyone I met I prayed with and I'm pretty sure everyone I helped would have gone to sleep without eating anything too, so it was a worthwhile trip on both counts.
I found Antonio and Leticia on their street (Trinity), but they were standing on the other side of the street than they usually are. Antonio is always very reserved, but Leticia is always happy to see me and asks for me to pray for them. I'm always happy to oblige.
Just down the street from them and under the freeway was a woman named Sharon. She looked to be about my age and all bundled up. It is starting to get cold a night around here. She was happy for the food, but didn't need any water. I think she was surprised when I asked to pray for her. Perhaps next time she will be a little more talkative. She said she was from around the LA area.
On the corner of Los Angeles St and Venice Blvd there is an auto repair shop. A pit bull guards the back door behind a small fenced area. I call this dog Rocky (because he's built like a rock) and I usually feed him some treats when I go by there. It's probably been six weeks or more since I've seen Rocky, but he was happy to see me and ate the treats right out of my hand! Around the corner from him were three Latino men getting ready to spend the night on the sidewalk. Alex, Santa and (I think they said) Bocha. I gave out food and water to all of them and a blanket too. Then I prayed for them.
At this point I only had two burgers left. I drove down an alley off Pico Ave separating a couple of fenced parking lots and found Angel. I hadn't seen her in at least two months. She had a small flashlight and showed me her cat. When I saw it the last time it was just a kitten. She also has a small dog named Prince too. She told me her tent was stolen and also a tarp she had for the 'roof' of her make-shift home. I gave her a blanket to help her get through these cold nights. Then she told me someone was providing her with a bus ticket to go back to Utah next month and that this would probably be the last time we'd see each other. I said,"Well, let me pray for a safe trip." So I prayed for her. I wonder what will become of her dog and cat when she leaves. Angel has a lot of 'issues'. One big one is that she needs a wheel chair to get around in. I'm sure she's also a very lonely woman and that's why she has the dog and cat. I thought the second quote from Mother Teresa was a great quote. What if we all recognized the need others have to be loved and just loved them unconditionally? The world would be a better place I'm sure. --Until next time. John
"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them." --Mother Teresa
After last week's trip, I didn't necessarily want to go back to the same street corner, but I did want to try and find Gabriel. I wrote about meeting him last week, however, as I crossed Washington Blvd on San Pedro there was some police activity right near the alley he said he spends his nights at. Since it was already dark, I couldn't really see people walking up and down the street too well either. Gabriel said he spends most of his time there on San Pedro St during the daytime. I'll keep looking around for him in the weeks ahead.
I didn't arrive downtown until almost 5:30 pm and by this time it's night time now. The trip didn't take very long once I got there. Everyone I met I prayed with and I'm pretty sure everyone I helped would have gone to sleep without eating anything too, so it was a worthwhile trip on both counts.
I found Antonio and Leticia on their street (Trinity), but they were standing on the other side of the street than they usually are. Antonio is always very reserved, but Leticia is always happy to see me and asks for me to pray for them. I'm always happy to oblige.
Just down the street from them and under the freeway was a woman named Sharon. She looked to be about my age and all bundled up. It is starting to get cold a night around here. She was happy for the food, but didn't need any water. I think she was surprised when I asked to pray for her. Perhaps next time she will be a little more talkative. She said she was from around the LA area.
On the corner of Los Angeles St and Venice Blvd there is an auto repair shop. A pit bull guards the back door behind a small fenced area. I call this dog Rocky (because he's built like a rock) and I usually feed him some treats when I go by there. It's probably been six weeks or more since I've seen Rocky, but he was happy to see me and ate the treats right out of my hand! Around the corner from him were three Latino men getting ready to spend the night on the sidewalk. Alex, Santa and (I think they said) Bocha. I gave out food and water to all of them and a blanket too. Then I prayed for them.
At this point I only had two burgers left. I drove down an alley off Pico Ave separating a couple of fenced parking lots and found Angel. I hadn't seen her in at least two months. She had a small flashlight and showed me her cat. When I saw it the last time it was just a kitten. She also has a small dog named Prince too. She told me her tent was stolen and also a tarp she had for the 'roof' of her make-shift home. I gave her a blanket to help her get through these cold nights. Then she told me someone was providing her with a bus ticket to go back to Utah next month and that this would probably be the last time we'd see each other. I said,"Well, let me pray for a safe trip." So I prayed for her. I wonder what will become of her dog and cat when she leaves. Angel has a lot of 'issues'. One big one is that she needs a wheel chair to get around in. I'm sure she's also a very lonely woman and that's why she has the dog and cat. I thought the second quote from Mother Teresa was a great quote. What if we all recognized the need others have to be loved and just loved them unconditionally? The world would be a better place I'm sure. --Until next time. John
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday afternoon dinner on a street corner downtown-11/16/14
"Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 'Here is a boy with five small barely loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?' Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down'. There was plenty of grass in that place and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.' So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten." John 6:8-13
I was unable to put on two BBQ's this year. I had done the one in August, but somehow, ran out of time before daylight savings time was over to do a second one. I wanted to do a second one down on the corner of 25th and San Pedro St in Los Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with firing up a BBQ that close to a busy street. So I thought about using the pans with the little cans of Sterno gel under them to heat up food. I got some advice and help on this from a close friend and it worked out perfectly. I thought about the menu options and decided to go with Lasagna with a few different choices of salads and with chips and salsa. The food went over very well, only one guy didn't like lasagna and he ended up coming back for more salad!
So if you've followed these blogs for a while you might be wondering, "What specifically were you praying about this time John?" The thing about this location is that there is a lot of foot traffic going from the residential neighborhood to the retail stores on San Pedro St. There are lots of alleys up and down San Pedro St where homeless folks live too. So I knew it would be busy in the afternoon with a lot of people walking by. Especially, with the kind of people I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to pray with. I had told the core people that live on that corner that we'd be celebrating Thanksgiving early and since my birthday was the Friday before we'd celebrate 'every ones' birthday too. So the core people that are there nearly every time I come by there are Queen Victoria, Dave Parker, Hiram, Nicky and another woman who rarely speaks (and I've never caught her name either, she always looks kind of scared and worried too). Anyway, I got down there at 1:30 pm. and Nicky and Hiram helped me set up (I really would have struggled if they hadn't helped). I had cooked six pans of lasagna in the morning and wanted to get the tables and the chafing pans set up as quickly as possible. I had rented 3 tables and 8 chairs so people walking by could sit and eat and enjoy the time on the corner in comfort. It worked out well and Nicky probably served 80% of the people, she was a great help. Victoria had gone to the Burger King to use their restroom to get ready. When she came back she had on a pretty bright floral blouse and looked radiant. Dave, for some reason, left right away and didn't come back. Victoria was very upset about it and shed some tears over it, but I told her not to worry about it on my account. I was a little surprised though. Now I didn't count the number of people served, but it was around thirty (more than I've ever done at a BBQ). All the salads were gone, and 4 of the 6 pans of lasagna were gone. I'd rather have too much, than too little. Remember I had said that the dinner was an early Thanksgiving Day celebration of sorts too. The story above that I started with of Jesus feeding the five thousand was the earliest written words that I could come up with where someone "gives thanks" for what they are about to eat (in the other three gospels it says Jesus "blessed" the loaves, but here he "gives thanks").
OK, so what happened? I'd say at least three people said they hadn't eaten all day. I'm sure there were a lot more that didn't say it. One woman said she hadn't eaten in three days. Another woman who was all dressed up and had come from the "Kingdom Hall" said the only thing in her refrigerator at home was ice cubes! There were people who walked by who didn't speak hardly any English who stayed and ate with us. One woman, named Marabelle, lived near Maple St. I sat and talked with her while she ate. She had had knee surgery a while back and walking was still painful for her. Actually, I talked with just about everyone who came by. Two men, Freddy and Moses, came by. I'm not really sure if they were homeless or not. They may live in the neighborhood nearby I really don't remember if they said so or not. But I got to talk with them and pray with them. They (as were most of the people who asked) were surprised that I live as far away as I do and come down there to help people. There was one couple who stopped and ate with us, the man had on a Redskin's jersey with the name Randel El on the back. I'm sure I surprised him when I said that guy was in the Super Bowl with the Steelers several years back and as a receiver threw a touchdown pass. The Steeler's quarterback didn't throw one in the whole game, yet that guy did. How did I remember that???
So are you ready for the encounter of the day? It's difficult to tell and will probably shock a few people, but this is the reality for some people on the street, so here goes. About two hours into the trip and man came by, Latino, but spoke fluent English. His name was Gabriel. I guess he grew up in the area. I had been talking about my daughter learning to drive and he told me about his mother promising to buy him a car when he was 17 after he got his driver's license. She got him a GTO in 1981, so by now he's in his early 50's I'm guessing. I noticed a big patch of skin off the top of his right forearm when he first walked up, so I had made a plate of food for him and had him sit down in one of the chairs and handed it to him. We had talked for a while when I got around to asking him about the open spot on his arm. In addition to the missing skin, the back of his hand was now at a 90 degree angle to his forearm and his fingers were kind of swollen too. So he told me the story of one night when he was shooting up heroin. He was looking for a vein in that arm and was having trouble finding one so he set the needle down next to him so he could tie up his arm so the veins would pop up. Then he shot the needle in. A few hours later his arm swelled up and he ended up in the hospital. When he woke up, they had removed that patch of skin due to a flesh eating virus or something. As his arm healed, the hand moved into that position, probably due to lack of physical therapy. After telling me this, Gabriel said, "Hey, I'm just telling you the truth of what happened. I'm on methadone now." I told him it was OK, I wasn't offended by his story. Of course, I prayed for him. I also asked him where he stayed at night. he told me that he and two other guys sleep in an alley off Washington Blvd and San Pedro St, between 10 pm and 7:30 am and then they have to move on. He spends most of his days walking up and down San Pedro St. Remember when I said one of the reasons I wanted to do a dinner on this street corner was because I'd meet people there that I'd never have the opportunity to meet otherwise? Well, there you go! You're not going to meet people like this in a church, people like this will never make it there. You have to go to the streets to meet people like this (in desperate need). By the way, Gabriel seemed coherent, well-spoken and pleasant to talk to. He even asked for some literature so I gave him a couple of Guide Post magazines. As he was about to leave and he told me he spent most of his time walking up and down San Pedro St, I told him I come down here once a week and pointed to my car. "When you see this car, flag me down. I come down here to help people." Then he said, "When I see you, I see Jesus. You are Jesus to me." Talk about being humbled immediately. I sure hope I see Gabriel again because I realized later I missed an opportunity to tell him, "Jesus loves you. I know because this Jesus loves you!" I think somehow he knew that already, but I'll keep searching for him until I find him again.
Well, a little while later Hiram, Nicky and the other woman helped me pack the car up. Before I left we all gathered around and held hands and prayed. When we finished praying they all sang happy birthday to me. It was quite a trip!
So I had two pans of lasagna left. I decided to try and find some folks on the other side of Washington Blvd to help on my way out of town. I called out to several tents where people I know live, but no one came out or were there, so I came on home. Don't worry about the left-over lasagna, it won't go to waste (as of Monday afternoon, only one pan is left!) Until next time.--John
I was unable to put on two BBQ's this year. I had done the one in August, but somehow, ran out of time before daylight savings time was over to do a second one. I wanted to do a second one down on the corner of 25th and San Pedro St in Los Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with firing up a BBQ that close to a busy street. So I thought about using the pans with the little cans of Sterno gel under them to heat up food. I got some advice and help on this from a close friend and it worked out perfectly. I thought about the menu options and decided to go with Lasagna with a few different choices of salads and with chips and salsa. The food went over very well, only one guy didn't like lasagna and he ended up coming back for more salad!
So if you've followed these blogs for a while you might be wondering, "What specifically were you praying about this time John?" The thing about this location is that there is a lot of foot traffic going from the residential neighborhood to the retail stores on San Pedro St. There are lots of alleys up and down San Pedro St where homeless folks live too. So I knew it would be busy in the afternoon with a lot of people walking by. Especially, with the kind of people I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to pray with. I had told the core people that live on that corner that we'd be celebrating Thanksgiving early and since my birthday was the Friday before we'd celebrate 'every ones' birthday too. So the core people that are there nearly every time I come by there are Queen Victoria, Dave Parker, Hiram, Nicky and another woman who rarely speaks (and I've never caught her name either, she always looks kind of scared and worried too). Anyway, I got down there at 1:30 pm. and Nicky and Hiram helped me set up (I really would have struggled if they hadn't helped). I had cooked six pans of lasagna in the morning and wanted to get the tables and the chafing pans set up as quickly as possible. I had rented 3 tables and 8 chairs so people walking by could sit and eat and enjoy the time on the corner in comfort. It worked out well and Nicky probably served 80% of the people, she was a great help. Victoria had gone to the Burger King to use their restroom to get ready. When she came back she had on a pretty bright floral blouse and looked radiant. Dave, for some reason, left right away and didn't come back. Victoria was very upset about it and shed some tears over it, but I told her not to worry about it on my account. I was a little surprised though. Now I didn't count the number of people served, but it was around thirty (more than I've ever done at a BBQ). All the salads were gone, and 4 of the 6 pans of lasagna were gone. I'd rather have too much, than too little. Remember I had said that the dinner was an early Thanksgiving Day celebration of sorts too. The story above that I started with of Jesus feeding the five thousand was the earliest written words that I could come up with where someone "gives thanks" for what they are about to eat (in the other three gospels it says Jesus "blessed" the loaves, but here he "gives thanks").
OK, so what happened? I'd say at least three people said they hadn't eaten all day. I'm sure there were a lot more that didn't say it. One woman said she hadn't eaten in three days. Another woman who was all dressed up and had come from the "Kingdom Hall" said the only thing in her refrigerator at home was ice cubes! There were people who walked by who didn't speak hardly any English who stayed and ate with us. One woman, named Marabelle, lived near Maple St. I sat and talked with her while she ate. She had had knee surgery a while back and walking was still painful for her. Actually, I talked with just about everyone who came by. Two men, Freddy and Moses, came by. I'm not really sure if they were homeless or not. They may live in the neighborhood nearby I really don't remember if they said so or not. But I got to talk with them and pray with them. They (as were most of the people who asked) were surprised that I live as far away as I do and come down there to help people. There was one couple who stopped and ate with us, the man had on a Redskin's jersey with the name Randel El on the back. I'm sure I surprised him when I said that guy was in the Super Bowl with the Steelers several years back and as a receiver threw a touchdown pass. The Steeler's quarterback didn't throw one in the whole game, yet that guy did. How did I remember that???
So are you ready for the encounter of the day? It's difficult to tell and will probably shock a few people, but this is the reality for some people on the street, so here goes. About two hours into the trip and man came by, Latino, but spoke fluent English. His name was Gabriel. I guess he grew up in the area. I had been talking about my daughter learning to drive and he told me about his mother promising to buy him a car when he was 17 after he got his driver's license. She got him a GTO in 1981, so by now he's in his early 50's I'm guessing. I noticed a big patch of skin off the top of his right forearm when he first walked up, so I had made a plate of food for him and had him sit down in one of the chairs and handed it to him. We had talked for a while when I got around to asking him about the open spot on his arm. In addition to the missing skin, the back of his hand was now at a 90 degree angle to his forearm and his fingers were kind of swollen too. So he told me the story of one night when he was shooting up heroin. He was looking for a vein in that arm and was having trouble finding one so he set the needle down next to him so he could tie up his arm so the veins would pop up. Then he shot the needle in. A few hours later his arm swelled up and he ended up in the hospital. When he woke up, they had removed that patch of skin due to a flesh eating virus or something. As his arm healed, the hand moved into that position, probably due to lack of physical therapy. After telling me this, Gabriel said, "Hey, I'm just telling you the truth of what happened. I'm on methadone now." I told him it was OK, I wasn't offended by his story. Of course, I prayed for him. I also asked him where he stayed at night. he told me that he and two other guys sleep in an alley off Washington Blvd and San Pedro St, between 10 pm and 7:30 am and then they have to move on. He spends most of his days walking up and down San Pedro St. Remember when I said one of the reasons I wanted to do a dinner on this street corner was because I'd meet people there that I'd never have the opportunity to meet otherwise? Well, there you go! You're not going to meet people like this in a church, people like this will never make it there. You have to go to the streets to meet people like this (in desperate need). By the way, Gabriel seemed coherent, well-spoken and pleasant to talk to. He even asked for some literature so I gave him a couple of Guide Post magazines. As he was about to leave and he told me he spent most of his time walking up and down San Pedro St, I told him I come down here once a week and pointed to my car. "When you see this car, flag me down. I come down here to help people." Then he said, "When I see you, I see Jesus. You are Jesus to me." Talk about being humbled immediately. I sure hope I see Gabriel again because I realized later I missed an opportunity to tell him, "Jesus loves you. I know because this Jesus loves you!" I think somehow he knew that already, but I'll keep searching for him until I find him again.
Well, a little while later Hiram, Nicky and the other woman helped me pack the car up. Before I left we all gathered around and held hands and prayed. When we finished praying they all sang happy birthday to me. It was quite a trip!
So I had two pans of lasagna left. I decided to try and find some folks on the other side of Washington Blvd to help on my way out of town. I called out to several tents where people I know live, but no one came out or were there, so I came on home. Don't worry about the left-over lasagna, it won't go to waste (as of Monday afternoon, only one pan is left!) Until next time.--John
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Monday afternoon downtown-11/10/14
"I the LORD, was ready to answer even those who were not asking and to be found by those who were not searching. To a nation that refused to worship me, I said, "Here I am!" All day long I have reached out to stubborn and sinful people." --Isaiah 65:1-2
Well today's trip started out being as much a PR trip as anything. I needed to get down to 25th and San Pedro and remind those folks that I would be back on Sunday afternoon for the dinner I'm planning. By the time a got there it was about 2:20 pm. The elementary school down the street had just let out and San Pedro St was pretty packed with cars. I saw Hiram,but he was sleeping. I saw Queen Victoria and her face lit up when she saw me. There was no place to park, so I called out to her and reminded her to tell everyone that I would be back on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, that will be enough. Please pray for 'the 25th street gang" to be there.
On the way over there I saw Solo. I hadn't seen Solo for almost a year. He was on a sidewalk at 21st and Central. I didn't know until he told me, but he's 64 years old. I told him I was turning 60 this week. He is looking to get into a 'program' next week. He said, "I have to get off the streets". He had told me that he hadn't been feeling well lately either and asked me to pray for him. So in our short conversation I had a few things to petition God for on his behalf. There was another homeless man on the sidewalk a few feet away from Solo, his name was Jorge.
There were a few others I helped, Dave and John Stokes were two, but the last stop was kind of heartbreaking. I was driving down Hunter St by the LA Times building. There are a lot of tents set up on that street, but as I drove by I couldn't actually see anyone. Then as I got almost down to the end of the street by Alameda I saw one girl sitting on a milk crate by her tent. I had driven by, but stopped and backed up to where she was sitting. I'm guessing her to be about twenty years old. I had the window down and called out asking if she was hungry. She said yes and as I opened up my bag of sandwiches another young 20 year old girl popped out of the tent next to her and she came over looking for food too. Then a man in his forties (with a lot of tattoos) came out of the same tent as the second girl and he was looking for food too. They all tore into the sandwiches immediately. The Lord sent me by at just the right time for them.
Sunday will be a big day downtown at 25th and San Pedro. It's not going to be a BBQ, but it will be another type of dinner I'll be putting on. Please pray for this day and that's God' Kingdom will be expanded, that we will be protected from harm, that I will be able to pray for people I'd never get the chance to pray for otherwise and let them know God loves them. In Jesus name. --Until next time. John.
Well today's trip started out being as much a PR trip as anything. I needed to get down to 25th and San Pedro and remind those folks that I would be back on Sunday afternoon for the dinner I'm planning. By the time a got there it was about 2:20 pm. The elementary school down the street had just let out and San Pedro St was pretty packed with cars. I saw Hiram,but he was sleeping. I saw Queen Victoria and her face lit up when she saw me. There was no place to park, so I called out to her and reminded her to tell everyone that I would be back on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, that will be enough. Please pray for 'the 25th street gang" to be there.
On the way over there I saw Solo. I hadn't seen Solo for almost a year. He was on a sidewalk at 21st and Central. I didn't know until he told me, but he's 64 years old. I told him I was turning 60 this week. He is looking to get into a 'program' next week. He said, "I have to get off the streets". He had told me that he hadn't been feeling well lately either and asked me to pray for him. So in our short conversation I had a few things to petition God for on his behalf. There was another homeless man on the sidewalk a few feet away from Solo, his name was Jorge.
There were a few others I helped, Dave and John Stokes were two, but the last stop was kind of heartbreaking. I was driving down Hunter St by the LA Times building. There are a lot of tents set up on that street, but as I drove by I couldn't actually see anyone. Then as I got almost down to the end of the street by Alameda I saw one girl sitting on a milk crate by her tent. I had driven by, but stopped and backed up to where she was sitting. I'm guessing her to be about twenty years old. I had the window down and called out asking if she was hungry. She said yes and as I opened up my bag of sandwiches another young 20 year old girl popped out of the tent next to her and she came over looking for food too. Then a man in his forties (with a lot of tattoos) came out of the same tent as the second girl and he was looking for food too. They all tore into the sandwiches immediately. The Lord sent me by at just the right time for them.
Sunday will be a big day downtown at 25th and San Pedro. It's not going to be a BBQ, but it will be another type of dinner I'll be putting on. Please pray for this day and that's God' Kingdom will be expanded, that we will be protected from harm, that I will be able to pray for people I'd never get the chance to pray for otherwise and let them know God loves them. In Jesus name. --Until next time. John.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Monday night downtown-11/3/14
"My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me..." John 10:27
I was just too tired and it was too late to go Sunday when I woke up. It was about 7 pm when I was awake enough to go and I hadn't gotten the car ready (loaded up) or anything. I decided I'd get things ready for a trip on Monday night. I was pretty sure I could get downtown by 6-630 pm and that was about the way it worked out. I have been trying to be more attentive to God's leading and speaking to me in my prayer time and in situations when I'm on these trips. It's a learning process of recognizing his voice.
So I was in the Carl's Jr on Soto and Washington waiting for my order of burgers. I was praying about this trip and looking around the room and the other people waiting and eating there. It was after 6 pm and now its dark out. There was a woman who had gotten up and gone to the soda machine to get a refill, except that she had a cup for water. I also noticed that one of her pant legs near the bottom of the left leg was torn about eight to ten inches from the cuff. I'm guessing her to be in her 40's and she was very thin. She sat back down at a table and I started thinking that when I got my 16 burgers I'd offer her one. Her table was next to (back to back) another table where two young men were sitting and eating their meal. I was trying to figure out a way to offer her some food without the guys in the next booth hearing what was going on. I felt pretty sure that she could use the help even if she had already eaten something, but out of respect for her I didn't want to draw attention to her situation, especially if it wasn't warranted. When the time came to pick-up my order I walked out by her and noticed she had a wrapper from a hamburger and so I quickly decided she didn't need the help. By the time I got to my car about 20 seconds later I felt the Lord saying, "Are you going to listen to me or go about on your own "limited" logic"? By now of course, it was too late to go back in. Lesson...go with your first instincts on this.
I drove over to 25th and San Pedro St. As I drove passed the intersection I saw only about two people in the spot where I usually see about 4-5. I drove on down to about 29th to turn around. There is a short street leading into a school playground area and a homeless man by the name of Cameron was sleeping on the sidewalk. I called out to him and asked if he was hungry. He got up immediately. He remembered me and said it was about 6-8 months ago that we had seen each other there. I ended up giving him a blanket and pillow along with the food and water. We prayed together and he was very happy I stopped.
After Cameron I drove on back up the street to 25th. There was plenty of room to park there and as I drove up I called out to Dave. I know they weren't expecting me on a Monday night and I don't think they recognized me right off. But Dave a Hiram caught on quick enough and were at the back of the car waiting for me to open it up before I could get out of the car. First I walked across the street to where Becky, another woman and Rico were and gave them some food and water. We talked for a while and I invited them to be there on Nov 16th when I have a BBQ of sorts there.They all said they'd be there. So I walked back across the street to where the car was and Dave and Hiram. Dave said he had just gotten back from Texas that morning after a trip to bury his sister. He said he hadn't seen her in 45 years. He also said he had taken Victoria 'home' because she had a doctor's appointment the next day. I'm not sure who's 'home' she was staying in. He called her on the phone and I talked with her for a few minutes. When I got off the phone with her Rico was standing by the back of my car. I asked him if there was anything in there he wanted and he said "No. I just need prayer." Now I had prayed with him and the two other women maybe ten minutes before, but he said he needed more prayer (Don't we all?). I asked him if there was anything specific he wanted me to pray about, but he said there was nothing special. Figuring that there was "something" troubling him, I started praying asking for not just physical healing, but emotional and spiritual healing as well. I acknowledged that anyone living as long as we have (I'm guessing Rico to be about as old as I am) has some "life scars" that are hard to overcome. It was one of the best times ever praying with him. I told him that praying for people down here is my favorite thing to do and the real reason I'm there. A few others that I know came by before I left and I told them all that Nov. 16th is the day I'm looking to have the big dinner there for them. They all are looking forward to it.
On my way home I had two burgers left and stopped by were Leticia and Antonio stay. I hadn't seen them in a couple of months. Leticia wanted me to pray for them before I gave them the food. It was wonderful. I love being God's ambassador. What a privilege. --Until next time. John
I was just too tired and it was too late to go Sunday when I woke up. It was about 7 pm when I was awake enough to go and I hadn't gotten the car ready (loaded up) or anything. I decided I'd get things ready for a trip on Monday night. I was pretty sure I could get downtown by 6-630 pm and that was about the way it worked out. I have been trying to be more attentive to God's leading and speaking to me in my prayer time and in situations when I'm on these trips. It's a learning process of recognizing his voice.
So I was in the Carl's Jr on Soto and Washington waiting for my order of burgers. I was praying about this trip and looking around the room and the other people waiting and eating there. It was after 6 pm and now its dark out. There was a woman who had gotten up and gone to the soda machine to get a refill, except that she had a cup for water. I also noticed that one of her pant legs near the bottom of the left leg was torn about eight to ten inches from the cuff. I'm guessing her to be in her 40's and she was very thin. She sat back down at a table and I started thinking that when I got my 16 burgers I'd offer her one. Her table was next to (back to back) another table where two young men were sitting and eating their meal. I was trying to figure out a way to offer her some food without the guys in the next booth hearing what was going on. I felt pretty sure that she could use the help even if she had already eaten something, but out of respect for her I didn't want to draw attention to her situation, especially if it wasn't warranted. When the time came to pick-up my order I walked out by her and noticed she had a wrapper from a hamburger and so I quickly decided she didn't need the help. By the time I got to my car about 20 seconds later I felt the Lord saying, "Are you going to listen to me or go about on your own "limited" logic"? By now of course, it was too late to go back in. Lesson...go with your first instincts on this.
I drove over to 25th and San Pedro St. As I drove passed the intersection I saw only about two people in the spot where I usually see about 4-5. I drove on down to about 29th to turn around. There is a short street leading into a school playground area and a homeless man by the name of Cameron was sleeping on the sidewalk. I called out to him and asked if he was hungry. He got up immediately. He remembered me and said it was about 6-8 months ago that we had seen each other there. I ended up giving him a blanket and pillow along with the food and water. We prayed together and he was very happy I stopped.
After Cameron I drove on back up the street to 25th. There was plenty of room to park there and as I drove up I called out to Dave. I know they weren't expecting me on a Monday night and I don't think they recognized me right off. But Dave a Hiram caught on quick enough and were at the back of the car waiting for me to open it up before I could get out of the car. First I walked across the street to where Becky, another woman and Rico were and gave them some food and water. We talked for a while and I invited them to be there on Nov 16th when I have a BBQ of sorts there.They all said they'd be there. So I walked back across the street to where the car was and Dave and Hiram. Dave said he had just gotten back from Texas that morning after a trip to bury his sister. He said he hadn't seen her in 45 years. He also said he had taken Victoria 'home' because she had a doctor's appointment the next day. I'm not sure who's 'home' she was staying in. He called her on the phone and I talked with her for a few minutes. When I got off the phone with her Rico was standing by the back of my car. I asked him if there was anything in there he wanted and he said "No. I just need prayer." Now I had prayed with him and the two other women maybe ten minutes before, but he said he needed more prayer (Don't we all?). I asked him if there was anything specific he wanted me to pray about, but he said there was nothing special. Figuring that there was "something" troubling him, I started praying asking for not just physical healing, but emotional and spiritual healing as well. I acknowledged that anyone living as long as we have (I'm guessing Rico to be about as old as I am) has some "life scars" that are hard to overcome. It was one of the best times ever praying with him. I told him that praying for people down here is my favorite thing to do and the real reason I'm there. A few others that I know came by before I left and I told them all that Nov. 16th is the day I'm looking to have the big dinner there for them. They all are looking forward to it.
On my way home I had two burgers left and stopped by were Leticia and Antonio stay. I hadn't seen them in a couple of months. Leticia wanted me to pray for them before I gave them the food. It was wonderful. I love being God's ambassador. What a privilege. --Until next time. John
Monday, October 20, 2014
Downtown 10/19/14
"You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help. You defend orphans and everyone else in need,..." Psalm 10:17-18a
This was my first trip after missing two Sundays. My work schedule is now back on the night shift, so Sundays are spent sleeping for the most part and makes my arrival downtown considerably later. I didn't arrive until almost 6:30 pm. In another two weeks daylight savings time will be over and each trip will be at night. The next four months will be interesting and different so say the least.
On my last trip I saw Nichole, a pregnant woman I first met a month or so earlier during the BBQ. She told me this last time that she was gong to deliver her baby boy on the following Wednesday. Since I hadn't made a trip since then I wanted to find out what I could about her and the birth of Billy. The freeway off-ramp is right there where she works, which is a recycling center. I pulled in there and looked around at the people working there, but didn't see her. I waited there in the car for a minute and while I was waiting I heard my name being called. Will or "Willie" was panhandling on the corner and he was calling out to me. He told me that Nichole had her baby, but she and her husband had lost their little apartment. In fact, they had stayed with him for a night in his tent last week as they look to get their situation settled. After talking with Willie I pulled around the corner to where we had the BBQ and where Willie's tent is. He had told me there were a couple of other people there. It turned out there were about four or five people there. I told them when they see Nicole to let her know I have some things collected for her and her baby. It may be awhile before I actually see her.
By the time I left them it was completely dark out. I drove around the block and saw John Stokes and talked to him for a while. By this time I only had three burgers left, so my options were kind of limited. I didn't want to go down to 25th and San Pedro again with only three burgers left (like the last time), so I decided to go over to the other side of town and look for men on the sidewalk by themselves. I wasn't really expecting what happened. There is a little street just west of Pico and Olive. I've helped a few people on this street before, but it's been a while and I usually end up using this street to just go around the block and come out on Olive again so I can either cross it (Olive is a one-way street) or get to the far east lane to turn back east on Pico. When I pulled onto this small street I immediately saw a man sleeping on the sidewalk with his shoes off and another man on the other side of the street sitting on the sidewalk with his back up against a building. I pulled up to where the man was sleeping and parked. I tried taking his picture in the darkness from the car, but the picture didn't turn out too well because the flash from the camera lit up the window on the passenger side. I had my driver window down and could hear the other man talking. I wasn't sure what he was saying, but I thought it might be about me and my picture taking. Anyway, I put all three burgers in a bag along with three water bottles and got out of the car. The man sitting up across the street, his name was Rodney. Another man, named BB had walked by at this time pushing a shopping cart. He thought he was going to miss out on the free food, but when I walked over to him he got all happy about the 'perfect timing' of his arrival to that street. BB motioned to the guy sleeping that he 'must be pretty tired because he didn't even find a piece of cardboard to lay down on'. Sadly, this man was sleeping straight on the concrete sidewalk, no blanket, no pillow, no nothing. I walked over to this sleeping man and bent over to set the bag down next to him with the last burger and the water bottle and gently spoke to him. He was Latino and spoke no English. However, when I said,"Comida" he immediately understood and sat up and opened the bag and started eating the burger. I went to the back of my car and got out three pairs of new socks and gave each man one. All three of these men would have slept through the night without a meal if I hadn't have come by.
When I left the house before this trip, I asked my wife to pray for me. I really wasn't feeling "up to" or "connected" to this trip. I know part of that is because of the schedule change to nights at work. Part of it was due to it being three Sundays ago since the last trip. Knowing that it would be dark soon puts a different spin and expectation level to a trip also. During the next four months things will be different. People will be getting ready to sleep and a lot of folks will be covered up and sleeping as soon as the sun goes down. It can be kind of rude to "wake someone up" when they've gone to bed. Well, we'll see what happens. God will lead me to people needing help, that I know. Until next time.---John
This was my first trip after missing two Sundays. My work schedule is now back on the night shift, so Sundays are spent sleeping for the most part and makes my arrival downtown considerably later. I didn't arrive until almost 6:30 pm. In another two weeks daylight savings time will be over and each trip will be at night. The next four months will be interesting and different so say the least.
On my last trip I saw Nichole, a pregnant woman I first met a month or so earlier during the BBQ. She told me this last time that she was gong to deliver her baby boy on the following Wednesday. Since I hadn't made a trip since then I wanted to find out what I could about her and the birth of Billy. The freeway off-ramp is right there where she works, which is a recycling center. I pulled in there and looked around at the people working there, but didn't see her. I waited there in the car for a minute and while I was waiting I heard my name being called. Will or "Willie" was panhandling on the corner and he was calling out to me. He told me that Nichole had her baby, but she and her husband had lost their little apartment. In fact, they had stayed with him for a night in his tent last week as they look to get their situation settled. After talking with Willie I pulled around the corner to where we had the BBQ and where Willie's tent is. He had told me there were a couple of other people there. It turned out there were about four or five people there. I told them when they see Nicole to let her know I have some things collected for her and her baby. It may be awhile before I actually see her.
By the time I left them it was completely dark out. I drove around the block and saw John Stokes and talked to him for a while. By this time I only had three burgers left, so my options were kind of limited. I didn't want to go down to 25th and San Pedro again with only three burgers left (like the last time), so I decided to go over to the other side of town and look for men on the sidewalk by themselves. I wasn't really expecting what happened. There is a little street just west of Pico and Olive. I've helped a few people on this street before, but it's been a while and I usually end up using this street to just go around the block and come out on Olive again so I can either cross it (Olive is a one-way street) or get to the far east lane to turn back east on Pico. When I pulled onto this small street I immediately saw a man sleeping on the sidewalk with his shoes off and another man on the other side of the street sitting on the sidewalk with his back up against a building. I pulled up to where the man was sleeping and parked. I tried taking his picture in the darkness from the car, but the picture didn't turn out too well because the flash from the camera lit up the window on the passenger side. I had my driver window down and could hear the other man talking. I wasn't sure what he was saying, but I thought it might be about me and my picture taking. Anyway, I put all three burgers in a bag along with three water bottles and got out of the car. The man sitting up across the street, his name was Rodney. Another man, named BB had walked by at this time pushing a shopping cart. He thought he was going to miss out on the free food, but when I walked over to him he got all happy about the 'perfect timing' of his arrival to that street. BB motioned to the guy sleeping that he 'must be pretty tired because he didn't even find a piece of cardboard to lay down on'. Sadly, this man was sleeping straight on the concrete sidewalk, no blanket, no pillow, no nothing. I walked over to this sleeping man and bent over to set the bag down next to him with the last burger and the water bottle and gently spoke to him. He was Latino and spoke no English. However, when I said,"Comida" he immediately understood and sat up and opened the bag and started eating the burger. I went to the back of my car and got out three pairs of new socks and gave each man one. All three of these men would have slept through the night without a meal if I hadn't have come by.
When I left the house before this trip, I asked my wife to pray for me. I really wasn't feeling "up to" or "connected" to this trip. I know part of that is because of the schedule change to nights at work. Part of it was due to it being three Sundays ago since the last trip. Knowing that it would be dark soon puts a different spin and expectation level to a trip also. During the next four months things will be different. People will be getting ready to sleep and a lot of folks will be covered up and sleeping as soon as the sun goes down. It can be kind of rude to "wake someone up" when they've gone to bed. Well, we'll see what happens. God will lead me to people needing help, that I know. Until next time.---John
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
