Sunday, May 12, 2019
After 10 years of Downtown-Mother's Day, 2019
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
So Sunday's trip, though somewhat uneventful, was quite a milestone for me. It was the first Monday in May back in 2009 when I made the very first trip. I was pretty clueless as to what I was going to do, but I felt called and I was going. I figured that when I got to where I was going I'd know what to do. Well sort of.... I just felt called to go to the least likely group of people I knew of and be a part of God working in their lives. Little did I know or think about what God would be doing in my life too. Somehow I totally underestimated that part of this adventure. And what an adventure these past ten years have been.
Early on someone encouraged me to write about these trips. So I obliged and began writing sort of a running diary of each trip. They were pretty bland and bare (translate that--lame). I made sure to try and get people's names and where they were from, but mostly the accounts went something like this, "I saw Fred from Louisiana on 5th St and Joe from Texas on 10th St." Soon I started seeing some people repeatedly and got to know them. Some would be living in an alley with 2-4 people and that got to be kind of cool to see them more often. Eventually, that led to doing BBQs during the summer for these groups. I loved it and so did they. People started donating clothing as word got around about what I was doing. That part has always been amazing. Answers to prayer started happening that were truly unbelievable. Early on I felt the need to provide blankets for people as winter was approaching. I prayed about it one morning because I didn't know what to do and these people needed help. A childhood friend, whom I hadn't seen in years, had been trying to get a hold of me because he had a gift for me. He didn't tell me what it was, but he said I had to come and get it. Needless to say, two and a half hours after I prayed for blankets I had twelve new ones in the back seat of my car. I was stunned and overjoyed. I would have to say answered prayer has been the most amazing thing that just continues to astonish and impact this ministry week after week. And it's not just the answer to prayers for provision that surprise me either. The impact that prayer has on the homeless people themselves is sometimes surprising too. I have had people months and years later tell me, "Oh, I remember you. You gave me some burgers and prayed for me." One guy told me he remembered me from a year and half earlier! I didn't remember him. I always feel like just giving someone food and water is good, but praying with them adds an eternal value to the encounter that lasts long after the food and/or clothing I give them are gone. I imagine this person at night, when they are lonely and perhaps hungry and cold; they will think back to that 'crazy old white dude from the suburbs' that prayed for me right here." Maybe it will lead to that ultimate question in their heart, "God, if you're there, will you help me?"
Often times an image of something I saw will stick in my mind or be a burden on my heart and will cause me to eventually pray about it when it won't go away, "Lord, what do you want me to do with this?" Once this happened when a guy I saw had passed out by a curb and had thrown-up into the gutter. There were too many cars parked to get close to him and a while later when I drove by he was gone. I just couldn't shake the image though in my mind. That's when it was revealed to me the Father's heart for even people like that. Every human has intrinsic worth to the Father. I am not the one to judge who "deserves" help and who doesn't. We start by helping the one in front of us. Another time I witnessed a street fight with about twenty guys fighting in the street at 7th and Alvarado. The image haunted me for a week. I just couldn't shake it and I still remember it vividly. A week later in church during a beautiful song sung by a young woman I finally pleaded with God, "What do you want me to do?" The answer came quickly at that point, "Go back to 7th and Alvarado." No additional instructions, just go! So I went. Now I have to say, "Old white dudes" from the suburbs kind of stick out there to say the least. English isn't even the primary language there either. I would later learn that in the 80's immigrants from Central America landed in this area. The park, McArthur Park, was the border to three different street gangs there. That's who was fighting in the street the week before. What was I supposed to do here? Well, I started prayer-walking in the park with a fairly large hard-bound bible. I felt kind of invisible because no one wanted to talk to me. There were some homeless people living in the park too. I started praying-walking in front of stores in the surrounding area too. One store I noticed had obvious occult references (names and symbols) written on the door. It took five months of prayer walking when one night something unbelievable happened. I had noticed a group of Pentecostals preaching in Spanish with microphones every week by the corner of 7th and Alvarado. There was actually a church that met on the other end of the park every week at 4 pm. But on this weekend I saw a man reading from a big black book near the corner by where the Pentecostals were preaching. Some other unexpected stuff had happened just before I saw this guy, but I walked up to him and asked if the book he was reading was better than the book I had (my blue Bible). He said it was better. He then showed me it was a Hebrew and Greek transliteration of the Bible. I had to agree he was probably right about that. We talked for a while and I asked about the group of people preaching there by the corner. He told me they were Pentecostals and asked if I wanted to preach too. It was totally unexpected, but I said "OK" and a few minutes later this group of folks turned and handed me the microphone! That began a 5 or 6 month period of preaching in the park (in English) and praying behind these others preaching in Spanish. I think those months were probably the most alive I've ever felt. I never saw that man with the big black book again after that one night. There were some other really strange things that happened connected with this time in the ministry that you probably wouldn't believe if I told you, you'll have to trust me on this one.
Another part that has really stood out for me are biblical principles and stories re-enacted right before my eyes. Since I'm passionate about reading the bible, when something happens that is 'just like' a story I've read it becomes so much more real. Early on in my first few months of going I met a man living in an alley just off Alameda. He was dirty looking and had a bike with a 'mountain of stuff'' that he would carry with him. But at night he would park it right there in this alley. The buildings surrounding him were owned by one man. One day the owner had driven down the alley on Easter with his wife in their Cadillac Escalade and given the homeless man a chewing out for being in 'his'
alley. Now the homeless man is one of the few people (I could count on one hand) who have not wanted me to pray for them. So instead of praying with him I told him the story Jesus told of a poor beggar named Lazarus living outside the compound of a rich man. When both mdn died Lazarus (the poor beggar) went to where Abraham was and the rich man ended up in hell. The story being a powerful reminder that not only will we pay for our sins, but that we are to be loving and caring for those in need. The sin in this case was being uncaring of the neighbor's (poor man's) needs.
During the ten years of this ministry I've been thanked by grateful people in many different ways. Sometimes even rejected, yes it does happen sometimes, but it's rare. Usually though, people will say "God bless you and thank you so much." I've had people kiss my hand they were so grateful and I've had people say "Whoo Hoo" they were so happy for their good fortune in running into me. Some people are so hungry that they immediately begin eating the food I've given them. I always feel so blessed and happy to reach people when their situation is that critical or to give someone a jacket or pair of socks when there's a cold night ahead. A few times I've had the privilege of giving a blanket or two to a tearful husband and wife, fresh on the street after being forced to move out of their apartment. Experiences like this change you. You know there are others doing what you do, but they aren't there right now and what would these folks do if you hadn't shown up when you did? You learn the lesson of Romans 1:21 through people's responses when the Apostle Paul, in indicting the whole human race of its sinfulness says, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him...." Yes it's great to give someone a "Whoo Hoo" day, yet there is a difference between being happy for the blessing of the good fortune of receiving something needed and being thankful to the person who brought it. We teach our kids when they are young to say "thank you" to a person who has given them something or done them a favor. It's always said to someone. This is what the Father desires, to thank Him. Now I'm not looking for praise, I am the sent one. Praise the one who sent me. James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father". It is to Him our thanks and praises are to go. One brief story of an encounter I had with a man several years ago. He spoke no English and I speak limited Spanish. At that time I was giving out bags with a loaf of bread, cookies, a can of Chunky soup and a gallon of water. I showed him what was in the bag and how to open the soup can. He opened it and took a couple of spoonfuls and then offered me some. I couldn't believe it. In his abject poverty he was willing to share the food. It was a very humbling experience.
Well, one last thing to cover before I close. One day I pulled up to one of my 'regulars' at the time and before I even talked to him I could tell he was drunk. Instantly, my mind was flooded with a series of thoughts. Does this man even deserve help today in his condition? Does God really forgive sin....repeated sin? What about my sin issues and my own repeated sin issues? Does God really forgive me too? Seeing your own flaws as being just as manifest to God as we see other's flaws is one of the 'benefits' of being in this ministry. Your theology is tested. Does God really forgive us "seven times seventy"? What if in your weakness you purposefully sin just because you rebelliously want to? Well, you soon realize the 'sanctification' process is a lifelong deal. You also realize quickly that despite outward appearances you are no better than the person your serving. You just have greater resources. I do believe God's favor generally rests on those who are obedient, yet there may be a testing in your life with a purpose beyond the temporary circumstances. Remain faithful, abstain from sin and learn the value of perseverance.
Since it's now Mother's Day, I'll leave you with one humorous story from a Mother's Day several years ago. For a brief time one spring/summer I went downtown in the morning. The morning of Mother's Day I was reminding people what day it was and would ask them what their mother's name was. One guy, named Robert, was quite elderly. When I asked him his mother's name he said, "Why? She's been dead for years." Well......his mother's name was Mary. Until next time.
PS. Nine years ago, May 4th, 2010, I wrote a blog after going downtown for one year. It tells about how this ministry started. You can access that blog by clicking on the year 2010 then May and then "After one year of going downtown." That blog concluded with the question of how long will I do this. My response at the time was, "As long as I'm able." That still holds true. It is becoming more of a physical challenge, but I still love doing this. Please pray for the folks I serve. Thanks John
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
2/24/2019-Oscar Sunday downtown
"God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!
God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!
God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see Him!
God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children!
God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven." --Matthew 5:3-10 From the sermon on the mount discourse.
On my last blog I showed some pictures of two women I have been helping the last several times I've gone downtown. I saw both of them last week and again this week. Last week the weather in Southern California was very much below normal for here. Maria, who had been in her van when I pulled up, put her hands around my hand so I could feel how cold she was, and they were ice cold. We talked for a while and I gave her a couple of pairs of socks along with some food. Although we struggle with the language barrier, we enjoy talking together. When I started to drive away and she was getting back into her van I could hear her gently crying. It was tough to leave.
I drove over to San Pedro St and helped a couple of other folks and then found Carmen on the corner of 24th. She was in her tent already, but I noticed her wheelchair next to the tent so I called out her name. She got up and hobbled over to the car. Guess what the first thing she said was? "It is so cold!" I gave her a couple of sandwiches and she asked for a third sandwich for someone else. She told me a man named Mario comes over in the mornings and helps push her around in her wheelchair. She told me that Mario digs in the trash for food ("Well, we all dig in the trash sometimes." she said) and she wanted to be able to give him something special the next morning. I gave her a couple of pairs of socks too. She was so thankful to receive them. Because it was so cold she asked me to pray that she would find a place to stay. As she walked back to her tent I could hear her gently crying too. It was tough to leave once again.
So that week when I got down to the last two sandwiches, I was driving down Olympic between Central and Alameda and low and behold there was Alan pulling his two shopping carts with great difficulty. I called out to him as it was just beginning to sprinkle a little bit. He quickly came over to get the food. So in one trip I saw all three of them, that never happens.
So this last Sunday I saw both ladies again. Across from where Maria stays (this is a residential area) there was a birthday party going on. The music was very loud and Maria wasn't too happy about it. She said it will go on far into the night with lots of drinking. Carmen was already in her tent again and struggled to get over to the car. She said she may not be there next week because she is hoping to see a spinal cord specialist sometime this week. I certainly pray they can help her. Her future is going to be pretty bleak if she stays on the street with her handicap.
So the last people I saw this last Sunday were on 10th Pl and 9th St just off San Pedro St. Last week Red was on 10th Pl, but this week he wasn't. There was another man on the side-walk both weeks. I don't know his name, but he told me that he and Red had been beaten up by some people and so had the people on 9th St too. When I drove around the block to 9th I saw Chris by himself in his wheel-chair. I asked him about the thugs who were coming around beating people up. He told me the police had just left when I pulled up. He said they even kicked Debbie around. I was astonished at this because Debbie only weighs 80-lbs, if that. So here you have a defenseless woman and a man with a leg brace in a wheelchair suffering from kidney and liver failure. Sometimes the degree of evil is just disgusting. Chris asked if I had a blanket and I just happened to have one left when I loaded up the car. I had it on the floor of the front seat so I was able to just grab it and hand it to him. He was greatly relieved at getting the blanket, because the thugs keep stealing their stuff from them too. Well, I have to say these weren't really 'happy' trips, but they were important none the less because it helped the morale for these folks for me to be there if nothing else. What a privilege it is. --Until next time. John
PS. I guess I should say something about it being Oscar Sunday. The Academy Awards show was starting up nearby at the Staples Center about the time I was finishing my trip. I have nothing against the movies or even this awards show. The extravagance of it all and the arrogance of the rich kind of gets to me at times as I'm sure it does you. The lifestyles of the rich and the people I see regularly downtown are so vastly different I suppose neither side will ever understand the other.
God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!
God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!
God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see Him!
God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children!
God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven." --Matthew 5:3-10 From the sermon on the mount discourse.
On my last blog I showed some pictures of two women I have been helping the last several times I've gone downtown. I saw both of them last week and again this week. Last week the weather in Southern California was very much below normal for here. Maria, who had been in her van when I pulled up, put her hands around my hand so I could feel how cold she was, and they were ice cold. We talked for a while and I gave her a couple of pairs of socks along with some food. Although we struggle with the language barrier, we enjoy talking together. When I started to drive away and she was getting back into her van I could hear her gently crying. It was tough to leave.
I drove over to San Pedro St and helped a couple of other folks and then found Carmen on the corner of 24th. She was in her tent already, but I noticed her wheelchair next to the tent so I called out her name. She got up and hobbled over to the car. Guess what the first thing she said was? "It is so cold!" I gave her a couple of sandwiches and she asked for a third sandwich for someone else. She told me a man named Mario comes over in the mornings and helps push her around in her wheelchair. She told me that Mario digs in the trash for food ("Well, we all dig in the trash sometimes." she said) and she wanted to be able to give him something special the next morning. I gave her a couple of pairs of socks too. She was so thankful to receive them. Because it was so cold she asked me to pray that she would find a place to stay. As she walked back to her tent I could hear her gently crying too. It was tough to leave once again.
So that week when I got down to the last two sandwiches, I was driving down Olympic between Central and Alameda and low and behold there was Alan pulling his two shopping carts with great difficulty. I called out to him as it was just beginning to sprinkle a little bit. He quickly came over to get the food. So in one trip I saw all three of them, that never happens.
So this last Sunday I saw both ladies again. Across from where Maria stays (this is a residential area) there was a birthday party going on. The music was very loud and Maria wasn't too happy about it. She said it will go on far into the night with lots of drinking. Carmen was already in her tent again and struggled to get over to the car. She said she may not be there next week because she is hoping to see a spinal cord specialist sometime this week. I certainly pray they can help her. Her future is going to be pretty bleak if she stays on the street with her handicap.
So the last people I saw this last Sunday were on 10th Pl and 9th St just off San Pedro St. Last week Red was on 10th Pl, but this week he wasn't. There was another man on the side-walk both weeks. I don't know his name, but he told me that he and Red had been beaten up by some people and so had the people on 9th St too. When I drove around the block to 9th I saw Chris by himself in his wheel-chair. I asked him about the thugs who were coming around beating people up. He told me the police had just left when I pulled up. He said they even kicked Debbie around. I was astonished at this because Debbie only weighs 80-lbs, if that. So here you have a defenseless woman and a man with a leg brace in a wheelchair suffering from kidney and liver failure. Sometimes the degree of evil is just disgusting. Chris asked if I had a blanket and I just happened to have one left when I loaded up the car. I had it on the floor of the front seat so I was able to just grab it and hand it to him. He was greatly relieved at getting the blanket, because the thugs keep stealing their stuff from them too. Well, I have to say these weren't really 'happy' trips, but they were important none the less because it helped the morale for these folks for me to be there if nothing else. What a privilege it is. --Until next time. John
PS. I guess I should say something about it being Oscar Sunday. The Academy Awards show was starting up nearby at the Staples Center about the time I was finishing my trip. I have nothing against the movies or even this awards show. The extravagance of it all and the arrogance of the rich kind of gets to me at times as I'm sure it does you. The lifestyles of the rich and the people I see regularly downtown are so vastly different I suppose neither side will ever understand the other.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Downtown on a rainy Super Sunday--2/3/2019
"I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you've said 'yes', when all it meant was extra work for you and was seemingly helpful only to somebody else."
"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."
Fred Rogers...aka Mr. Rogers
For those who do not live here in Southern California it has been raining a lot the last few days. On Friday the forecast, while it was raining heavily, was rain pretty much continually for the next 4 days. I began to wonder if I would be able to make a trip downtown at all this weekend. When it's raining, people find places to hide to get out of the rain. Not only are your clothes wet, but unless you have a waterproof tent or tarp, all your stuff gets wet too. You're then colder than you would be and even more miserable for days afterwards until you dry out. The next day, Saturday, (it was still raining) while at work I decided I would go no matter what. I came to the conclusion that those people I did find would be really glad and thankful I found them despite the rain. So after work, I stopped by the store and got the stuff I'd need to make sandwiches and Sunday afternoon I drove on down. It was raining a little bit when I left and I hit a downpour in Alhambra, but slowed to very light drizzle by the time I got to Los Angeles.
The first guy I helped was sitting on the sidewalk under the freeway trying to sleep. Apparently, not very soundly because when I asked him if he was hungry he practically bolted over to the car. I had gotten off the freeway at the Santa Fe/Mateo exit because I wanted to see if I could find Alan as I drove through that part of town. Sure enough, along the way I found him resting and sitting on a small pillow on the sidewalk (the sidewalk was wet). I had to turn around and drive back to get to him. I've known Alan for several years now and have shared with you before that he doesn't talk much. I called out to him as I was positioning my car near where he was and he came over. I immediately noticed that he didn't have a shirt on under the sport coat he had on. I gave him a couple of sandwiches and a couple bottles of water and asked him if he wanted a shirt. He nodded yes and I got one out of the trunk for him. I had some socks and asked him if he needed a pair. He actually said "Yes" to that. During my visit with him I put my arm around his shoulders and told him I loved him. As I drove away I wondered how many years its been since anyone has said those words to him. I'm sure it's been a very long time. Here's his picture from today.
Alan
I went over to 10th and San Pedro St and saw my friends who live there. Last week I didn't stop there because I was all out of food before I could get to them. These folks have suffered greatly in the rain. There is a small awning that they live under and it leaks. It seems the tarps and blankets I give them get stolen repeatedly and now I'm pretty much out of both of those items. They are looking forward to warmer and dryer weather....and soon.
On the last trip that I wrote a blog about (January 1st) I told about two women I have tried to help each time I come downtown the last 2-3 months. One was Carmen who told me she was abducted at 12 years old and forced to work on the street. I saw her last week and again today. I learned a few more details about her ordeal which lasted seven years. The other woman was Maria. I didn't see her today, but spent twenty minutes or so with her last week. I showed her pictures of my family that were on my phone. She seemed very grateful to me spending time with her and sharing the pictures and conversation (such as it is with her limited English and my limited Spanish). I have a couple of pictures of these ladies, Carmen from today and Maria from a couple weeks ago. Now you have a face to put with the names and stories. Please pray for each of these women: First is Maria and then Carmen.
So after I found Carmen today I was about a block or so away from where Maria lives in her van. But when I got there, Maria was nowhere to be found. There is a church on a corner near there that I spend time praying for when I'm down there and while I was parked there it started to rain heavily. At that point, it became nearly impossible to find people needing help as they were all someplace out of the rain. I drove around for about another 20-25 minutes until the rain let up and finally found Becky. She is another homeless woman I've now known for at least 6-7 years. I had two sandwiches left and I gave them both to her. I was glad she got them and she was happy to receive them. She told me she was very hungry. Although the rain had let up and barely drizzled at all on the way home, the traffic was a mess and it took twice as long as normal to get home. But I got home safely and just as the coin toss for the football game was about to start. After all, it is Super Sunday and it's Super to do God's work any day of the week. Next week my work week switches back to nights for the next four months. I won't get off work until 7 am Sunday mornings and will have to sleep when I get home. It will make these trips very difficult for me until we switch back to daylight savings time in another month. Please pray for my health and energy levels. --Until next time. John
PS. I began this blog with a quote from Mr. Rogers about saying yes. Initially, I was only thinking about how difficult it would be for me to find people to help in the rain. Then I started thinking about those I would find and how they would feel to be found! What a privilege it is to help those in need and let them know someone cares about them when things are at there worst.
"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."
Fred Rogers...aka Mr. Rogers
For those who do not live here in Southern California it has been raining a lot the last few days. On Friday the forecast, while it was raining heavily, was rain pretty much continually for the next 4 days. I began to wonder if I would be able to make a trip downtown at all this weekend. When it's raining, people find places to hide to get out of the rain. Not only are your clothes wet, but unless you have a waterproof tent or tarp, all your stuff gets wet too. You're then colder than you would be and even more miserable for days afterwards until you dry out. The next day, Saturday, (it was still raining) while at work I decided I would go no matter what. I came to the conclusion that those people I did find would be really glad and thankful I found them despite the rain. So after work, I stopped by the store and got the stuff I'd need to make sandwiches and Sunday afternoon I drove on down. It was raining a little bit when I left and I hit a downpour in Alhambra, but slowed to very light drizzle by the time I got to Los Angeles.
The first guy I helped was sitting on the sidewalk under the freeway trying to sleep. Apparently, not very soundly because when I asked him if he was hungry he practically bolted over to the car. I had gotten off the freeway at the Santa Fe/Mateo exit because I wanted to see if I could find Alan as I drove through that part of town. Sure enough, along the way I found him resting and sitting on a small pillow on the sidewalk (the sidewalk was wet). I had to turn around and drive back to get to him. I've known Alan for several years now and have shared with you before that he doesn't talk much. I called out to him as I was positioning my car near where he was and he came over. I immediately noticed that he didn't have a shirt on under the sport coat he had on. I gave him a couple of sandwiches and a couple bottles of water and asked him if he wanted a shirt. He nodded yes and I got one out of the trunk for him. I had some socks and asked him if he needed a pair. He actually said "Yes" to that. During my visit with him I put my arm around his shoulders and told him I loved him. As I drove away I wondered how many years its been since anyone has said those words to him. I'm sure it's been a very long time. Here's his picture from today.
Alan
I went over to 10th and San Pedro St and saw my friends who live there. Last week I didn't stop there because I was all out of food before I could get to them. These folks have suffered greatly in the rain. There is a small awning that they live under and it leaks. It seems the tarps and blankets I give them get stolen repeatedly and now I'm pretty much out of both of those items. They are looking forward to warmer and dryer weather....and soon.
On the last trip that I wrote a blog about (January 1st) I told about two women I have tried to help each time I come downtown the last 2-3 months. One was Carmen who told me she was abducted at 12 years old and forced to work on the street. I saw her last week and again today. I learned a few more details about her ordeal which lasted seven years. The other woman was Maria. I didn't see her today, but spent twenty minutes or so with her last week. I showed her pictures of my family that were on my phone. She seemed very grateful to me spending time with her and sharing the pictures and conversation (such as it is with her limited English and my limited Spanish). I have a couple of pictures of these ladies, Carmen from today and Maria from a couple weeks ago. Now you have a face to put with the names and stories. Please pray for each of these women: First is Maria and then Carmen.
So after I found Carmen today I was about a block or so away from where Maria lives in her van. But when I got there, Maria was nowhere to be found. There is a church on a corner near there that I spend time praying for when I'm down there and while I was parked there it started to rain heavily. At that point, it became nearly impossible to find people needing help as they were all someplace out of the rain. I drove around for about another 20-25 minutes until the rain let up and finally found Becky. She is another homeless woman I've now known for at least 6-7 years. I had two sandwiches left and I gave them both to her. I was glad she got them and she was happy to receive them. She told me she was very hungry. Although the rain had let up and barely drizzled at all on the way home, the traffic was a mess and it took twice as long as normal to get home. But I got home safely and just as the coin toss for the football game was about to start. After all, it is Super Sunday and it's Super to do God's work any day of the week. Next week my work week switches back to nights for the next four months. I won't get off work until 7 am Sunday mornings and will have to sleep when I get home. It will make these trips very difficult for me until we switch back to daylight savings time in another month. Please pray for my health and energy levels. --Until next time. John
PS. I began this blog with a quote from Mr. Rogers about saying yes. Initially, I was only thinking about how difficult it would be for me to find people to help in the rain. Then I started thinking about those I would find and how they would feel to be found! What a privilege it is to help those in need and let them know someone cares about them when things are at there worst.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Downtown on New Year's Day-2019
"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Mother Teresa
Yesterday someone posted this on facebook, "Show love in places where no one else will show up." I'll always raise my hand at that opportunity. As for the Mother Teresa quote above, most of the people I see fall into both categories, poor and lonely. There's something irresistible to me about the man or woman who is all alone either wearing all their stuff or having it sitting next to them ready to pick up and move when they have to move on. The last couple of trips have been filled with these types of people.
A week ago I went downtown on Christmas Eve in the early afternoon. On one of the allies that I go down (where I usually see several folks) I only saw one woman, probably in her fifties. She was in a wheelchair. When I drove up I asked if she was hungry and she told me she was. She asked if I was the guy that brings the sandwiches. I told her I was and she told me she was hoping I would come by! How's that for a welcome? I told her I didn't have sandwiches that day, but I had made some pasta and it was hot. She was my first person of the trip and her name was Carmen. She was so grateful. We talked for a while, I didn't want to pry too much, but she told me she had been kidnapped at twelve years old and forced to work in the streets. I don't know what country she was from, someplace south of here no doubt. Since it was Christmas Eve, I told her this was the day we celebrate God sending the hope of Jesus into the world. She told me people often ask her why she isn't angry with God and she told me God has blessed her very much and she has a great family, but they live a ways away. I had hoped to see her yesterday, New Years Day, when I made the trip, but she wasn't to be found. I'll keep looking for her next week. Remember the guy a couple months back who kissed my hand repeatedly after I had given him a sandwich and prayed with him. This woman was in the same spot he had been!
Another woman, perhaps a little older than Carmen, I had hoped to see last week, but didn't. Yet yesterday, I did see her. She lives in a van that I don't think runs anymore on a street off Central and 27th. Her name is Maria. She is all alone too, with no family anywhere to help her. She speaks little English and is from Mexico. Two years ago she was in a serious auto accident where she received some major injuries. She has no money and no family. I am committed to finding some agency to help her. She accepted the food and water and I gave her a blanket too and got to pray for her. She was very happy when I left.
I don't know why, but lately, I've been helping a lot more women than I have in the past. Coincidentally, I've had more women's clothes lately too.
I'll leave this as a short one. Yes, there are many others I see on these trips, but these have stuck in my heart so much. We all have so much to be thankful for and these two women had so little, yet they were so thankful and happy to be talked to and to be helped. I'll always consider it a privilege to go to these places, where no one else seems to want to go. Thank you Lord for this blessing. --Until next time. John
Yesterday someone posted this on facebook, "Show love in places where no one else will show up." I'll always raise my hand at that opportunity. As for the Mother Teresa quote above, most of the people I see fall into both categories, poor and lonely. There's something irresistible to me about the man or woman who is all alone either wearing all their stuff or having it sitting next to them ready to pick up and move when they have to move on. The last couple of trips have been filled with these types of people.
A week ago I went downtown on Christmas Eve in the early afternoon. On one of the allies that I go down (where I usually see several folks) I only saw one woman, probably in her fifties. She was in a wheelchair. When I drove up I asked if she was hungry and she told me she was. She asked if I was the guy that brings the sandwiches. I told her I was and she told me she was hoping I would come by! How's that for a welcome? I told her I didn't have sandwiches that day, but I had made some pasta and it was hot. She was my first person of the trip and her name was Carmen. She was so grateful. We talked for a while, I didn't want to pry too much, but she told me she had been kidnapped at twelve years old and forced to work in the streets. I don't know what country she was from, someplace south of here no doubt. Since it was Christmas Eve, I told her this was the day we celebrate God sending the hope of Jesus into the world. She told me people often ask her why she isn't angry with God and she told me God has blessed her very much and she has a great family, but they live a ways away. I had hoped to see her yesterday, New Years Day, when I made the trip, but she wasn't to be found. I'll keep looking for her next week. Remember the guy a couple months back who kissed my hand repeatedly after I had given him a sandwich and prayed with him. This woman was in the same spot he had been!
Another woman, perhaps a little older than Carmen, I had hoped to see last week, but didn't. Yet yesterday, I did see her. She lives in a van that I don't think runs anymore on a street off Central and 27th. Her name is Maria. She is all alone too, with no family anywhere to help her. She speaks little English and is from Mexico. Two years ago she was in a serious auto accident where she received some major injuries. She has no money and no family. I am committed to finding some agency to help her. She accepted the food and water and I gave her a blanket too and got to pray for her. She was very happy when I left.
I don't know why, but lately, I've been helping a lot more women than I have in the past. Coincidentally, I've had more women's clothes lately too.
I'll leave this as a short one. Yes, there are many others I see on these trips, but these have stuck in my heart so much. We all have so much to be thankful for and these two women had so little, yet they were so thankful and happy to be talked to and to be helped. I'll always consider it a privilege to go to these places, where no one else seems to want to go. Thank you Lord for this blessing. --Until next time. John
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Downtown 12/2/2018
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." 2 Corrinthians 5:20
It has been six months since my last blog. I had a month and a half where I was unable to go due to my work schedule, but I have made trips most of the rest of the time. I have personally gone through some difficult times, a lot having to do with my health. None the less, I have had many encounters that were very important and memorable for me. I'll try and recap some of the high points here.
The last blog was on June 4th and we have now transitioned from the heat of summer to the nightly cold of fall and now almost winter time. Two months ago in the alley near San Pedro and 25th St. there were maybe 5 or 6 people the day I went down there. Sometimes you don't have a clear understanding of what went down until you process the event later. This was definitely one of those times. When I first pulled up the first man I saw was sitting on the ground with his back against one of the walls of the buildings there. I think his name was David. I asked if he was hungry and he indicated he was. I held out the sandwich I had for him and he got up and came over to the car with obvious difficulty. When he reached the car he took the sandwich and I held out my hand to squeeze his. He took my hand and held it up to his cheek and thanked God for me and asked God to bless me and my family (repeatedly). He kissed my hand. I have been thanked by hundreds of people over the years in many different ways. I have had my hand kissed before. It is always very humbling. I told him I love to come down there and help people and thanked him for his "blessing". I slowly pulled forward to the rest of the folks living in that alley and gave out the rest of the food that day. This was back in September. It wasn't until later that I realized that David probably hadn't eaten anything in a day or two and probably wouldn't have eaten anything at all unless I had come down there. If I had realized that at the time, I would have given him more food, but since he was the first contact in the alley I didn't think about that, instead it was, "Would I have enough for everyone there." I have been back to that alley several times since then, but he hasn't been there. In fact, last Sunday no one was there.... I remember reading a book many years ago by a man who wrote about his journey from being a successful businessman to a VP (at a drastically reduced salary) for World Vision. He made a comment that has stuck with me and that is, "I'd hate for someone to suffer because I refused the call of God on my life to be a servant."
This photo is of Hiram and Lawrence. It was taken in September, the day I saw David, and was the first time I'd seen Hiram in about 3 or 4 years. I was so happy to see him.
So I made a trip on Thanksgiving morning. I had taken the week off from work and the day before had spent a considerable amount of time loading the car up with clothes and blankets. I had a friend from work and a couple of his friends joining me for this trip. We traveled in separate cars. I had wanted to keep some of the blankets in their car out of sight so they wouldn't be snatched up at the first stop. That usually is what happens when homeless people see blankets. Even if they have some already they'll always want another one or two. I had two places where I wanted to go. The first was the alley I spoke about above and the second was 10th St off San Pedro (near Olympic Blvd downtown). I had made pasta and had thirteen sandwiches ready to go. My friend from work brought some snacks that they could keep for later. The problem????? It rained the night before and it was all wet on Thanksgiving morning. Why is this a big deal? Well, people who are not sleeping under something go someplace where they are out of the rainfall. So the alley off 25th St. is not where they would spend the night. When I got there, there were only two people and one of them was leaving. That left one guy! I was hoping there would be at least 5-6 people with a few people walking through while I was there. Two guys did walk through, but they, apparently, weren't homeless and didn't want any of the food. The next stop off 10th St only two women were there. They started cheering when I pulled up! Both these women I've seen and written about many times. One was Debbie and the other was Chris's niece, Veloma. Chris was in the hospital with kidney and liver failure. Debbie wanted me to take her to the hospital where he was and marry them! Now they refer to me as Pastor John, but I had to tell Debbie that I am not an ordained pastor and couldn't legally marry them and that day (Thanksgiving) was probably not the best day for this since I was down there to serve as many as I could with all the food and clothes I brought. This seemed to placate her. She also insisted that my being ordained or not didn't matter to her/them because this was "in the heart" and would be a great comfort to them. I really think she felt Chris wouldn't last too much longer and she wanted this to happen before he died. More about this later....
This is Debbie on the right and Keloma on the left on Thanksgiving Day. The sun was finally out and temperatures were not too bad.
I had to do some driving to find people. This guy was in an alley off Trinity St just south of Washington Blvd.
Well as I mentioned I had twice the food that I normally take with me and the first two stops hardly anyone was there. I was expecting by this point to have all the pasta given out and half the sandwiches. Instead, only 3-4 bowls of pasta were given out and none of the sandwiches. It was going to be a slow go from here on out. Since I've been doing this for many years now I knew of many places to go to find one or two people to serve and normally that wouldn't bother me, but I had people specifically coming with me that day to be a part of this and it wasn't going smoothly. Eventually, we gave all the food out and I got to pray with many folks. One of the people I "happened" to find was Alan. He is never in the same place twice and pushes two shopping carts around. He is essentially a mute. About all he ever says is grunts in the affirmative like, "Alan, do you want a sandwich?" And then a "Uh huh." Years ago I sat down on the sidewalk with him for a while and he told me his name. I'm probably one of the few people that knows his name. I was so happy to see him on Thanksgiving. I found him on the corner of Olympic and Alameda. I gave him two sandwiches on that day. I'm sure it made his day.
Last Sunday I went back to 10th St and saw Debbie. Chris was out of the hospital and there too, but his niece wasn't. Red was there, but he left after he woke up. It was almost 5 pm and was getting colder by the minute. Here was Chris in his wheelchair with a jacket on and a shirt over his legs. He asked if I had a pair of pants. Luckily, I had a pair of jogging pants (one size fits all). Debbie told me that while she went to visit him in the hospital, someone stole everything she had on the street. So I came just in the nick of time with blankets, sweaters, towels and other warm clothing (not to mention the food). Debbie must have commented a couple of times how cold it was the night before. I stayed with them for 20 or 25 minutes talking with them. Finally, Debbie asked me, "Pastor John, could you do what we talked about the last time?" I said "Sure". Although, I never used the term 'marriage', I joined these to together and asked God to bless the 'union' and provide for them. I find it hard to believe that the hospital let Chris out in his condition. I'm not sure I'm spelling it correctly, but here he is on the street with a 'coloscopy' bag and in a wheelchair. I'm not sure how much time he has left, but he told me he was so thankful for me and all the times I've come by to help them. All I can say is its a privilege to do God's work loving people. We are called to be ambassadors for God wherever we go. --Until next time "Pastor John"
That's Debbie in the background getting things ready for the night.
Chris and Debbie back in September with a friend during less stressful times.
It has been six months since my last blog. I had a month and a half where I was unable to go due to my work schedule, but I have made trips most of the rest of the time. I have personally gone through some difficult times, a lot having to do with my health. None the less, I have had many encounters that were very important and memorable for me. I'll try and recap some of the high points here.
The last blog was on June 4th and we have now transitioned from the heat of summer to the nightly cold of fall and now almost winter time. Two months ago in the alley near San Pedro and 25th St. there were maybe 5 or 6 people the day I went down there. Sometimes you don't have a clear understanding of what went down until you process the event later. This was definitely one of those times. When I first pulled up the first man I saw was sitting on the ground with his back against one of the walls of the buildings there. I think his name was David. I asked if he was hungry and he indicated he was. I held out the sandwich I had for him and he got up and came over to the car with obvious difficulty. When he reached the car he took the sandwich and I held out my hand to squeeze his. He took my hand and held it up to his cheek and thanked God for me and asked God to bless me and my family (repeatedly). He kissed my hand. I have been thanked by hundreds of people over the years in many different ways. I have had my hand kissed before. It is always very humbling. I told him I love to come down there and help people and thanked him for his "blessing". I slowly pulled forward to the rest of the folks living in that alley and gave out the rest of the food that day. This was back in September. It wasn't until later that I realized that David probably hadn't eaten anything in a day or two and probably wouldn't have eaten anything at all unless I had come down there. If I had realized that at the time, I would have given him more food, but since he was the first contact in the alley I didn't think about that, instead it was, "Would I have enough for everyone there." I have been back to that alley several times since then, but he hasn't been there. In fact, last Sunday no one was there.... I remember reading a book many years ago by a man who wrote about his journey from being a successful businessman to a VP (at a drastically reduced salary) for World Vision. He made a comment that has stuck with me and that is, "I'd hate for someone to suffer because I refused the call of God on my life to be a servant."
So I made a trip on Thanksgiving morning. I had taken the week off from work and the day before had spent a considerable amount of time loading the car up with clothes and blankets. I had a friend from work and a couple of his friends joining me for this trip. We traveled in separate cars. I had wanted to keep some of the blankets in their car out of sight so they wouldn't be snatched up at the first stop. That usually is what happens when homeless people see blankets. Even if they have some already they'll always want another one or two. I had two places where I wanted to go. The first was the alley I spoke about above and the second was 10th St off San Pedro (near Olympic Blvd downtown). I had made pasta and had thirteen sandwiches ready to go. My friend from work brought some snacks that they could keep for later. The problem????? It rained the night before and it was all wet on Thanksgiving morning. Why is this a big deal? Well, people who are not sleeping under something go someplace where they are out of the rainfall. So the alley off 25th St. is not where they would spend the night. When I got there, there were only two people and one of them was leaving. That left one guy! I was hoping there would be at least 5-6 people with a few people walking through while I was there. Two guys did walk through, but they, apparently, weren't homeless and didn't want any of the food. The next stop off 10th St only two women were there. They started cheering when I pulled up! Both these women I've seen and written about many times. One was Debbie and the other was Chris's niece, Veloma. Chris was in the hospital with kidney and liver failure. Debbie wanted me to take her to the hospital where he was and marry them! Now they refer to me as Pastor John, but I had to tell Debbie that I am not an ordained pastor and couldn't legally marry them and that day (Thanksgiving) was probably not the best day for this since I was down there to serve as many as I could with all the food and clothes I brought. This seemed to placate her. She also insisted that my being ordained or not didn't matter to her/them because this was "in the heart" and would be a great comfort to them. I really think she felt Chris wouldn't last too much longer and she wanted this to happen before he died. More about this later....
Well as I mentioned I had twice the food that I normally take with me and the first two stops hardly anyone was there. I was expecting by this point to have all the pasta given out and half the sandwiches. Instead, only 3-4 bowls of pasta were given out and none of the sandwiches. It was going to be a slow go from here on out. Since I've been doing this for many years now I knew of many places to go to find one or two people to serve and normally that wouldn't bother me, but I had people specifically coming with me that day to be a part of this and it wasn't going smoothly. Eventually, we gave all the food out and I got to pray with many folks. One of the people I "happened" to find was Alan. He is never in the same place twice and pushes two shopping carts around. He is essentially a mute. About all he ever says is grunts in the affirmative like, "Alan, do you want a sandwich?" And then a "Uh huh." Years ago I sat down on the sidewalk with him for a while and he told me his name. I'm probably one of the few people that knows his name. I was so happy to see him on Thanksgiving. I found him on the corner of Olympic and Alameda. I gave him two sandwiches on that day. I'm sure it made his day.
Last Sunday I went back to 10th St and saw Debbie. Chris was out of the hospital and there too, but his niece wasn't. Red was there, but he left after he woke up. It was almost 5 pm and was getting colder by the minute. Here was Chris in his wheelchair with a jacket on and a shirt over his legs. He asked if I had a pair of pants. Luckily, I had a pair of jogging pants (one size fits all). Debbie told me that while she went to visit him in the hospital, someone stole everything she had on the street. So I came just in the nick of time with blankets, sweaters, towels and other warm clothing (not to mention the food). Debbie must have commented a couple of times how cold it was the night before. I stayed with them for 20 or 25 minutes talking with them. Finally, Debbie asked me, "Pastor John, could you do what we talked about the last time?" I said "Sure". Although, I never used the term 'marriage', I joined these to together and asked God to bless the 'union' and provide for them. I find it hard to believe that the hospital let Chris out in his condition. I'm not sure I'm spelling it correctly, but here he is on the street with a 'coloscopy' bag and in a wheelchair. I'm not sure how much time he has left, but he told me he was so thankful for me and all the times I've come by to help them. All I can say is its a privilege to do God's work loving people. We are called to be ambassadors for God wherever we go. --Until next time "Pastor John"
Monday, June 4, 2018
Downtown 6/3/2018
"What if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing unless I loved others. Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting. Love never fails." From the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 13:2b-8
Well, I've made four trips since my last blog, I guess it's time to fill you in on what's happened since the last one which was on Easter Sunday. For 3 weeks or so I couldn't make any trips and then the week before Mothers Day I made one. You may recall I had a very emotional visit on 10th St and San Pedro on Easter. There was a group of folks living on that street that I had become very close with. The next time back, they were all gone. Nothing left on the sidewalk to show anyone living there. I was heart-broken. Two weeks later I returned and Red was there. He told me that Ray had gone to an alcohol rehab place, Brigette and the rest of them all disappeared and he didn't know where they went to. A week later Chris was there. He didn't know much more than Red knew as far as what's happened to the people there. Last week I didn't see Red, but I saw Chris again and Shorty who I hadn't seen in probably two years. If you recall a blog from the end of last year (9/24/2017) Chris had a niece that was living there with him. She had asked me to pray for her and specifically for her to get her daughter (Kennedy) back. So last week she was there and was going through the clothes in the back of the car. I walked up next to her and whispered, "How's Kennedy?" Her face immediately lit up and she told me how cute her little 3 year old is now. It was a precious moment seeing her so happy and so proud when talking about her daughter.
A few weeks back I started checking in on an alley I used to frequent a lot about 3 years ago. It is an alley a half block north of 25th and San Pedro. Back then there were upwards of a dozen people living there, then one of them died and within a short time the city made them all leave the alley. Recently, the first couple times I stopped by only 2 or 3 were people there. Last week there were about 5 and today there was probably 8-9 people there and most all of them I knew. One of them was a young woman named Nicky who helped me big time the day (3 1/2 years ago) when I put on a lasagna dinner on the street corner at 25th. She let out a big squeal when she saw it was me that pulled up in the alley. The big problem was I only had 3 sandwiches left when I got there today. They took it pretty well (those that didn't get one), but I had to promise to come back next week and go there first so I have enough for everyone! When I left home to go on this trip I asked my wife to pray for two specific things. The first was that since I have a lot of women's clothes and almost exclusively women's clothes on this trip, that I would find women to give them to. The next thing was that I would keep a mental focus on bringing heaven down to earth for these people. Now this stop in this alley was the last stop of this trip. I had several other stops and one of them included some women who got to go through the trunk full of clothes. But on this last stop there were 5 women who got to go through the clothes. This is a testimony of the power of a praying wife! Praise the Lord.
There were two other significant stops. The last four weeks I've been going down a street just west of Alameda right near the Jack in the Box (yes that Jack in the Box from when I started these trips). I started befriending a few people on this street. Last week's trip was a couple hours earlier than most of the trips I make and only one guy was there when I drove down there. His name is Orlando. Carlos rode up on a bike that day, but Orlando and I had quite an encounter last week. He told me last week that his tent got tossed while he was away from it and someone took his shoes. I asked him what size he wore and he told me he wore 12's. Usually, when someone tells me they wear 12's I end up giving them mine because I rarely have that size with me in the car. But last week I remembered that I had put a pair of men's shoes in the trunk and they were 12's. So I told Orlando, "I just might have something for you." When I pulled them out of the trunk and showed them to him he grinned really big and said these are the best shoes you can get, "These are walking shoes." They weren't tennis shoes, but standing on your feet working shoes with big thick soles. He was happy to get them, I was happy to give him something he really needed. Today he had them on and I took his picture in them.
It's gotta be the shoes man!
Last week he had told me that he was out here to try and get some benefits through the VA. He has just about given up now on receiving them. He told me he was ready to go back to Green Bay, Wisconsin. I said, "Green Bay?" I told him that was my favorite football team. He told me he had worked in the maintenance department at the stadium for a while. He said the whole town runs off of that team being there. Today I showed him this picture I posted on facebook about six weeks ago when there was a big winter storm going through there in mid-April. He was stunned to see so much snow and so late in the year. He knew right were this photo was taken.
Lambeau Field--April 16, 2018
So I'll end this blog with an encounter that occurred early on on this trip. I had gotten off the freeway at Soto St and drove south by an area that I used to work out of about 30+ years ago. I drove around there for a short time and then moved west on Washington Blvd. There was a man named Carlos that I used to see sometimes sitting in the parking lot behind some buildings at Washington Blvd and Long Beach Ave. It was always on a Sunday when I'd see him and nobody was ever around. He was from Nicaragua and worked on a sewing machine for American Apparel. Well, that company recently went out of business and now he's out of work. He is collecting unemployment benefits, but they won't last much longer. He said he's hoping one of his job searches will work out by next month. I don't think I've seen Carlos for a couple of years, yet I have driven by this place many times since then in hopes of seeing him. He never accepted anything from me but maybe some water and maybe a blanket once, but never any food. Today he accepted a sandwich (but only one) a bottle of water and a blanket. I prayed with him and gave him a hug. I was so happy to see him. Here's his picture:
What you see there behind him is all he has. Please pray for Carlos.
So I told you that I asked my wife to specifically pray for two things, to find women to give out the clothes to and to bring heaven down to earth for the people that I'd meet. I gave out most of the clothes I took with me. I'll let you decide if the second part was fulfilled. --Until next time. John
PS. With so many renewed friendships on this trip, I couldn't help but begin this blog with a quote from Paul's famous "Love Chapter". I truly felt it on this trip.
Well, I've made four trips since my last blog, I guess it's time to fill you in on what's happened since the last one which was on Easter Sunday. For 3 weeks or so I couldn't make any trips and then the week before Mothers Day I made one. You may recall I had a very emotional visit on 10th St and San Pedro on Easter. There was a group of folks living on that street that I had become very close with. The next time back, they were all gone. Nothing left on the sidewalk to show anyone living there. I was heart-broken. Two weeks later I returned and Red was there. He told me that Ray had gone to an alcohol rehab place, Brigette and the rest of them all disappeared and he didn't know where they went to. A week later Chris was there. He didn't know much more than Red knew as far as what's happened to the people there. Last week I didn't see Red, but I saw Chris again and Shorty who I hadn't seen in probably two years. If you recall a blog from the end of last year (9/24/2017) Chris had a niece that was living there with him. She had asked me to pray for her and specifically for her to get her daughter (Kennedy) back. So last week she was there and was going through the clothes in the back of the car. I walked up next to her and whispered, "How's Kennedy?" Her face immediately lit up and she told me how cute her little 3 year old is now. It was a precious moment seeing her so happy and so proud when talking about her daughter.
A few weeks back I started checking in on an alley I used to frequent a lot about 3 years ago. It is an alley a half block north of 25th and San Pedro. Back then there were upwards of a dozen people living there, then one of them died and within a short time the city made them all leave the alley. Recently, the first couple times I stopped by only 2 or 3 were people there. Last week there were about 5 and today there was probably 8-9 people there and most all of them I knew. One of them was a young woman named Nicky who helped me big time the day (3 1/2 years ago) when I put on a lasagna dinner on the street corner at 25th. She let out a big squeal when she saw it was me that pulled up in the alley. The big problem was I only had 3 sandwiches left when I got there today. They took it pretty well (those that didn't get one), but I had to promise to come back next week and go there first so I have enough for everyone! When I left home to go on this trip I asked my wife to pray for two specific things. The first was that since I have a lot of women's clothes and almost exclusively women's clothes on this trip, that I would find women to give them to. The next thing was that I would keep a mental focus on bringing heaven down to earth for these people. Now this stop in this alley was the last stop of this trip. I had several other stops and one of them included some women who got to go through the trunk full of clothes. But on this last stop there were 5 women who got to go through the clothes. This is a testimony of the power of a praying wife! Praise the Lord.
There were two other significant stops. The last four weeks I've been going down a street just west of Alameda right near the Jack in the Box (yes that Jack in the Box from when I started these trips). I started befriending a few people on this street. Last week's trip was a couple hours earlier than most of the trips I make and only one guy was there when I drove down there. His name is Orlando. Carlos rode up on a bike that day, but Orlando and I had quite an encounter last week. He told me last week that his tent got tossed while he was away from it and someone took his shoes. I asked him what size he wore and he told me he wore 12's. Usually, when someone tells me they wear 12's I end up giving them mine because I rarely have that size with me in the car. But last week I remembered that I had put a pair of men's shoes in the trunk and they were 12's. So I told Orlando, "I just might have something for you." When I pulled them out of the trunk and showed them to him he grinned really big and said these are the best shoes you can get, "These are walking shoes." They weren't tennis shoes, but standing on your feet working shoes with big thick soles. He was happy to get them, I was happy to give him something he really needed. Today he had them on and I took his picture in them.
It's gotta be the shoes man!
Last week he had told me that he was out here to try and get some benefits through the VA. He has just about given up now on receiving them. He told me he was ready to go back to Green Bay, Wisconsin. I said, "Green Bay?" I told him that was my favorite football team. He told me he had worked in the maintenance department at the stadium for a while. He said the whole town runs off of that team being there. Today I showed him this picture I posted on facebook about six weeks ago when there was a big winter storm going through there in mid-April. He was stunned to see so much snow and so late in the year. He knew right were this photo was taken.
Lambeau Field--April 16, 2018
So I'll end this blog with an encounter that occurred early on on this trip. I had gotten off the freeway at Soto St and drove south by an area that I used to work out of about 30+ years ago. I drove around there for a short time and then moved west on Washington Blvd. There was a man named Carlos that I used to see sometimes sitting in the parking lot behind some buildings at Washington Blvd and Long Beach Ave. It was always on a Sunday when I'd see him and nobody was ever around. He was from Nicaragua and worked on a sewing machine for American Apparel. Well, that company recently went out of business and now he's out of work. He is collecting unemployment benefits, but they won't last much longer. He said he's hoping one of his job searches will work out by next month. I don't think I've seen Carlos for a couple of years, yet I have driven by this place many times since then in hopes of seeing him. He never accepted anything from me but maybe some water and maybe a blanket once, but never any food. Today he accepted a sandwich (but only one) a bottle of water and a blanket. I prayed with him and gave him a hug. I was so happy to see him. Here's his picture:
What you see there behind him is all he has. Please pray for Carlos.
So I told you that I asked my wife to specifically pray for two things, to find women to give out the clothes to and to bring heaven down to earth for the people that I'd meet. I gave out most of the clothes I took with me. I'll let you decide if the second part was fulfilled. --Until next time. John
PS. With so many renewed friendships on this trip, I couldn't help but begin this blog with a quote from Paul's famous "Love Chapter". I truly felt it on this trip.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Downtown Easter Sunday, 4/1/2018
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let the patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him, but let him ask in faith..." "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 1:2-6a and 5:16b
The story behind this week's trip began at the end of last week's trip when I promised a group of homeless folks that I'd stop to see them first this week and bring blankets. I had brought blankets on that trip, but they are usually gone by the 1st or 2nd stop. I try my best to keep my promises to these folks because I know they count on it greatly and I know many others have not followed through with promises in their past before....but it wasn't easy to keep this promise.
This last week I learned of a close friend landing in the hospital due to liver and kidney failure. Then the next day my car broke down. Luckily, for a while I have an extra car to drive, but the other one will have to be replaced quickly. It's too old and costly to fix all the things wrong with it now (the car's not worth that much). While visiting my friend in the hospital I was able to remind her that this Sunday was Easter and that all our sins were paid for on the cross by Jesus and that the peace that we seek is found in the presence of Jesus and his Holy Spirit. I tried to keep the message as brief and clear as possible because my friend is unable to speak coherently at this point so I don't know to what extent the ability to understand is either. So I simply said, "Keep seeking the peace that Jesus gives. When you get troubled, seek Jesus and His peace." This situation weighed heavily on me all week and was further complicated with the car trouble issues. The car was repaired up to a point, but the service light and the ABS light are still on. So when Sunday came along and it was time to make the trip downtown I loaded up that car, but only made it a few miles down the road when the instrument panel lights started going haywire and the temperature gauge showed all the way over to the red zone. Yet the car wasn't smoking and I checked the water levels and they were fine. So I drove it back home and made if just fine and then transferred the stuff into the extra car and started out again.
Now keep in mind this is Easter Sunday and you usually have a family gathering somewhere to go to. The thought crossed my mind to just not go, but I had made a dozen sandwiches, had blankets, towels and clothes, and I was determined to make it down there. On the way down there I got really hungry and thought about eating one of the sandwiches, but held off from doing so. I had this one place on 10th St and San Pedro to go to first, so I drove by there. I saw a couple of guys sitting on the street corner and some others halfway down the street so I knew most everyone was going to be there. I drove around the block so I could pull in on the side of the street where they were. When I pulled up I was expecting to see the people from last week but another man was standing there. He leaned over to look into the car and asked, "Are you the pastor?" I told him I was and he said they were just talking about me and had been expecting me. He stood up and called down to the guys on the corner and said, "Hey Chris, the pastor is here." He leaned back down to talk to me. I asked him how he was doing and he told me the trial for the guy that murdered his son was over and finally he had some closure on it. I told him about my son's situation and we both immediately had a deep connection. I got out of the car and by this point Chris (who is in a wheel-chair) was almost to the car. He said, "Hey pastor we were just talking about you and were wondering where you were." I said, "You know I promised to come here first and do you remember why?" He said something about me bringing food, but I reminded him that I promised to bring blankets. So now I'm handing out the blankets and the sandwiches. The trunk of the car is open and people are going through the clothes in there. Brigette (the pregnant woman from last week) and Ray (I referred to him as Don Juan last week) were there and Red came by too. Another man with a Dallas Cowboy cap was there, he goes by the name of "Dallas". Brigette is trying to get off the street. We had a chance to talk briefly together and I warned her about being on the street with a child and she was well aware of the potential for losing the child to protective services. She was hopeful to find a place very soon. Please pray for her and her baby. I talked with most all of them one on one briefly and then said, "Well, you all know what day today is right?" And they knew it was Easter Sunday. It was a heaven-gifted opportunity to give a word of encouragement and prayer and they were all eager to receive it. I started out by talking briefly about my friend in the hospital and how Jesus had paid for our sins on Easter and overcame death. I know that life is complicated and troubling for everyone and that the peace they seek can be found in the presence of Jesus. I encouraged them to keep seeking His presence. They all know my story and my hardships and I know theirs. We all seek the peace that surpasses all understanding. I gathered them all around me and started praying for them. Almost immediately I started feeling very emotional and had trouble finishing the prayer. When I did I think they were all in tears too. I received a hug from just about everyone there and Chris in the wheelchair was one of the people next to me. He kissed my hand and told me he was so glad I come down there. It was a very emotional moment for all of us. A few minutes later I gathered those that were left together and took their picture.
So just before I left, I think I had taken the picture by this point, but it was definitely after I had prayed with them that one man came walking down the street by himself. He asked if I had a blanket, but I didn't have any left. I asked him if he was hungry. He said he was and I looked around for the bag of sandwiches. Some one had put it back in my car. I asked if they were all gone, but someone said there was one left. When I picked up the bag it felt empty, but sure enough there was one left. Remember the one I didn't eat on the way down there????? This man ended up with it. Praise the Lord. It all worked out perfectly. --Until next time. John
PS. On the way home I was again overcome by the feeling that this had been a point of grace for all the people there. We all felt it. We will all remember it for a very long time. It would have been easy after the car had acted up on me to just say forget it and it wasn't meant to be today. Am I glad I persevered and continued on! Look at what would have been missed.
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