"Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."- -1 John 3:18
My car was in the shop all last weekend (Sat-Tues) keeping me from going downtown. It was only the second time I've been unable to go since I started doing this well over a year ago now. So yesterday I was pretty eager to go and went down there early in the morning. I also had an extra incentive this week that would make this trip special. The 5th and 6th grade VBS class that my sister-in-law, Debbie, was teaching and my niece Corinne was a part of, donated 10 loaves of bread and plenty of water for this trip. Now I usually only take 6 loaves with me and once in a while one or two extra loaves, but never 10 loaves. So I was a little concerned about having so much more that usual. After all, bread does have a 'shelf life'. I thought if I didn't give it all out downtown on Sunday, then perhaps I'd find some people around here where I live in the next few days that I could help out. So here's what happened...
I arrived early, around 8:10, and started looking for folks on the North side of town. I drove up San Fernando Rd where I met Robert a couple of weeks ago. However, I didn't see any homeless along that road so I drove back to North Main St. and headed towards downtown. Around Sotello and W. Ann St on North Main I found Charles pushing his cart with his dog, Smith. When I asked where he was from he said he was born in Mexico but raised here in the States. He thought I looked familiar and asked if my name was Curtis. I said, "No, I'm John. So where are you staying around here?" He told me he was living behind the Skyline Warehouse, behind the dumpsters on Naud St. I told him I'd look for him again next week there. He was very cheerful, happy and thankful for the food and water. I was thinking later about his description of where he lived. My parents lived in a rural area in a midwestern state for many years. For a long time their address in that town was simply Route 1, Box 26. Charles's address was no less descriptive and I'm sure I will have no trouble finding him. But imagine having as your address "behind the warehouse and behind the dumpters on Naud St". Well that's where my new friend Charles lives and I look forward to seeing him there. I'll probably be able to talk there with him longer and perhaps be able to give him some clothes or other items to help him out.
I continued toward downtown but turned off N. Main at Vignes Steet. Vignes isn't a very long street and the most notable address on it is the Los Angeles County Jail. As I turned onto that street I saw two Latino men walking down the street. Both had backpacks on and one was pushing a shopping cart and the other was pushing a bicycle. I pulled up alongside them and asked if they needed some food. They both said, "Yes, we need food." quite definitively so I pulled over to the side of the street. Their names were Garde (I think) and Miguel and I was able to give them each a bag of food and some water. They looked like they hadn't eaten in a while and were pretty happy for the help.
When I got to the end of Vignes I turned east on Cesar Chavez Ave and then north on Mission Rd. There is a man who lives on a concrete bench as Mission goes over some railroad tracks just before Lincoln Park. I stopped once before several months ago to help him. The lane closest to the curb is a right turn only lane so it's hard to get away with stopping there for very long but I figured I could this early on a Sunday morning. Anyway, as I approached where he lives I noticed that he wasn't there nor was his shopping cart there. So I continued on toward Lincoln Park and turned onto Valley Blvd. On the right hand side of the road I saw a man and a woman with all of their stuff sitting on the ground up against a chain link fence. Where they were was set down from the street a little. Remember I had just come over a bridge over some railroad tracks (that was what was on the other side of the chain link fence). I almost didn't see them but I quickly stopped and pulled over and got out to meet them. I grabbed a bag of food and started walking toward them. The man had gotten up and was walking toward me. His name was Phillip and the woman's name turned out to be Nancy. He was 52 years old and was from Whittier. Before Nancy joined us I had given Phillip the bag of food and some water and prayed with him. When I finished, he prayed too, thanking God that I had stopped to help them. They had been staying across the street in the park Saturday night but were kicked out by the police at 1:30 in the morning and had relocated to where they were when I found them. They had a lot of stuff in their carts and didn't need any blankets. I was able to give Nancy a couple of pairs of womens socks and I had one pair left of regular size socks that I gave Phillip. Nancy said she had been living in this area (presumably homeless) for eight years. Phillip was a veteran and said they were both waiting until their "benefits" kick in. They didn't say how long that would be. However, they both looked like any other couple that might be living on your street. I was sorry to see them having to struggle like they were. I was also glad to be able to show them that God cares about them after they were rousted in the middle of the night in the park. Yes, I gave them another bag of food too. Nancy asked if I just drove around all day giving out food. I told them I come down here once a week and try to find people who need some help. It's hard to describe the look on people's faces after you've helped them out and they are so thankful. It's a look that says, "I can't believe you came here and helped me!" I get it often, it makes the trips well worth it and as always, it remains a privilege to do so.
In the next 15 minutes or so I was able to help Victor who lives under the overpass at the I-5 and North Main (he was a couple of blocks away from there but I recognized him anyway), Ron who lives on the 4th St. bridge (turns out he's from Idaho and is going to go back home soon) and Ignacio (the man who looks like Moses--see the picture from two weeks ago). Now Ignacio was pushing his cart about a half a block from the east side of the 4th St bridge and as I left him I drove north on Mission Rd toward 1st Street. As I got to the signal there, a man had crossed the street carrying only a small plastic bag. He looked like he was 'working' (recycling). His name was Patrick and he was happy to get some food. He passed on the water though, saying he had some in his pocket. Carrying a gallon of water while you're walking around can be difficult after a short time (unless you're really thirsty).
The last guy I helped was Michael from Texas. He was sitting on a bench on Boyle Ave. His shopping cart was next to him and he had on earphones and was reading a newspaper. He had what looked like a couple of plastic bags of stuff at his feet. As I pulled up next to him and tried to get his attention (he was listening to a radio) I noticed one of his legs was badly swollen. The other leg was in one of those plastic bags all the way up to his knee. He didn't talk much but said he was getting therapy for his legs. He was well enough and able to get up and come over to the car to get the food and water. If I had realized his condition sooner, I would have just gotten out and gone over to him. It was now 9:25 a.m., I had been down here barely an hour and fifteen minutes and had given out all the loaves of bread and bags of food and seven gallons of water. Usually, it takes at least a couple of hours or so to find the folks needing the most help. I had been praying a lot since Saturday night about God leading me to the right people this morning with the extra supplies to meet their needs. It was really unbelievable how quickly it all went. Praise God for His faithfulness in directing our steps. Another amazing thing was that I really never ended up downtown but instead all of these people were North and just East of the actual downtown area. Later in the morning I was reading those short letters of the Apostle John when I ran across that verse up above. I always love the way he tenderly refers to his readers as his "little children". You can tell he cared so much for them and this was the guy who, with his brother, wanted to call down fire from heaven when a town rejected Jesus' message one day. Well, Jesus sure did a number on that John's heart. Likewise, Jesus sure did a number on this John's heart too. If you had told me thirty years ago when I use to drive these streets everyday that I'd be coming down here on my day off to help homeless people, I would have told you "No way." But here I am. These are my "little children" and God has given me a love for these "least of these".--Until next week. John
PS. There was one other man I tried to help. Just after I saw Ignacio and before Patrick, I saw the most helpless and hopeless looking man of the morning. He was standing and kind of shuffling around next to a building on a deserted street under the 4th St. bridge. I asked him if he needed any food or water or clothing items and he declined them all. I asked him three times what his name was but I could never quite make out what he said. I felt later that I should have just gotten out of the car and prayed with him. I'm guessing that he was probably 65 years old or so. It's been kind of haunting me ever since I drove away. He was on Mission Rd. and I'll call him Mr. Mission. Please pray for him.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Downtown 7/11/2010
With some reservations I went downtown early again Sunday morning. After last week I felt the best time to go is Sunday afternoon because I seem to be able to have longer encounters with the homeless than early on Sunday mornings. So I prayed a lot about this trip and asked specifically for God to help me love these people more and give me a heart like his for them. When you read this recap, it may seem like just another trip downtown, however, God answered this request more than I could possibly have expected. Three of the men who I saw Sunday I met for the first time and I talked to them for at least 20 minutes each. All three were asleep when I first approached them! I'm not sure when I will be able to go next week (I know it won't be Sunday morning) but early Sunday morning trips can't be ruled out in the future.
I started in North L.A. at Main St. I got off the freeway and immediately found Victor living under the I-5 right there as I got off. Victor was just getting up and getting ready for his day. He was sure surprised and happy to have food delivered to his 'house'. We didn't talk very long because you can't stop there but at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning I knew I could stop there for a minute or two. There was another homeless man on the other side of the street under that overpass. However, he wasn't awake yet so I didn't go over to him. He had an apartment complex set up (about four shopping carts) and seemed to be doing OK.
You may remember Ignacio from last week. He was the guy that looked like Moses (see the picture). I found him looking for cans and bottles to recycle not too far from where he was last week. It turns out he understands and speaks a little more English than I thought he did. It is very broken but we were able to converse much better that last week. The street where I found him digging in trash cans was an
industrial area and a wide (for trucks) but dead-end street. I gave him some food and water and got out and showed him what I had in the trunk. He ended up getting a pair of pants (the ones he had on were absolutely filthy), socks, shoes and a couple of T-shirts. When I said, "Let me pray for you before I go" he took off his cap and bowed his head. It is always humbling to me to see simple people with simple reverence and respect for God. I count it a blessing to me and a privileged to have helped Ignacio. Just around the block from Ignacio I found Marsela again sleeping in her make-shift home of pallets and cardboard. I had gotten a bag of dog food for her dog. The dog's name she told me is "Moses". So I went from a guy who looked like Moses to a dog named Moses. Marsela didn't need anything else I had although she did need some shoes. I just didn't have her size (7 1/2) with me. I'll have to check into that for next week. I found Antonio on the 4th St. bridge right near these folks. I had given him a new pair of pants last week. Well he had them on but they looked like he'd had them on for a month already. I guess when you wear something 24/7 outdoors it's going to show dirt and wear and tear a lot quicker. He told me he was doing OK though.
When I left this area I ended up going North on San Fernando Rd for a while. I hadn't been in this area in years. On the left is a Metro Link rail and on the right side are industrial type buildings with a residential community behind them. Eventually, I found a guy sleeping on the corner of one of the business buildings with his shopping cart full of stuff. He had a rake and broom and told me he uses them to earn money cleaning up places in addition to recycling. His name was Robert and he was from Columbus, Ohio. He is 56 years old. When I first saw him I had to drive around the block to get back to him and found him sleeping under a blanket next to his cart (see picture).
We talked quite awhile about some of the jobs he had out here over the years. He told me I looked familiar to him but it didn't appear our paths had crossed before this. He told me he had learned some judo at some location in the L.A area and most of the people in there were blonde people (is my hair still blonde?). When I prayed for him I noticed his hands were pretty rugged and beaten up from a life of doing a lot of manual labor. One of his little fingers was really crooked from being broken by an L.A. policeman years ago. I prayed for his protection and for God to bless his life. It was a simple but earnest prayer. Life on the streets is dangerous and unforgiving.
After seeing Robert I drove back to the 4th St. bridge and under the bridge I found Michael from Mobile, Alabama. He is 57 years old. He was sleeping with most of his body in a cardboard box when I approached him (see picture). He quickly woke up and was happy to receive a bag of food. I asked him if he could use some water and a pair of socks and he said he could. We ended up looking through the trunk and found a pair of shoes and pants and a few shirts. He admired my car (98 Grand Prix)! He told me he had a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix in 1973 when he was 19 years old and in the Army. He told me it was his favorite car that he ever had. It was
probably the best time of his life too. I had given him a gospel of John booklet after praying with him and when I took his picture he was holding up the shoes and the booklet. I didn't ask him to hold them up but he was pretty happy and in a good mood by the time I took the picture and he was "showing them off". I was glad to have helped make his day better.
At this point I drove over to Washington Blvd and went down an alley on the South side by Los Angeles St. This is the second or third time I've been down this alley. There are probably five or six guys who live in this alley. I took a few pictures of this alley. It is also on the residential side of Washington Blvd. The first time I drove through a couple of weeks back it was too early in the morning
and only one guy was awake and didn't want to be bothered yet. I wonder if his attitude had something to do with conduct of other people who drive through there throughout the night. Sunday, Willie was awake enough and willing to take a chance on receiving something from me. I was glad to break the ice here. Maybe next time I'll ask him if he can use any clothing items. That will enable me to talk with him more and develop some trust. Who knows, maybe he and the others will start looking forward to me coming through there. Each time I've gone through this alley there is one guy who is barricaded with a pallet in a small hole in the wall (see photo). I haven't actually seen him yet.
When I drove out of that alley and got back on to Washington Blvd I saw a guy sleeping on the other side of Washington Blvd on the corner and porch of some business just passed Los Angeles St. I really wish I had taken a picture of this guy whose name turned out to be Joe. He was 53 years old and was from Illinois. He told me he travels back and forth between here and there and comes out here because of the weather. He told me where his family lives is a bad drug infested area and that it's hard to keep away from drugs when everyone back there is involved with them. I was able to help Joe with food and clothing items and gave him a gospel of John too. We prayed together and I do hope I see him again. I'd like to talk to him some more about what it takes to beat the cycle of drug behavior. It starts with staying away from those people who do them and developing relationships with people who don't do them. One of the ironic things about seeing Joe sleeping on the corner was that about two hundred yards away on the other corner of that same block on Washington Blvd was a church. I'm sure people were there at the church because it was Sunday morning and it was 10:30 a.m. by now. I know it's impossible to help everyone down there, but some of these men are so easy to help and close by that you wonder what the church is doing about it. In fact, there are actually a lot of churches in that area. I guess I tend to look at the church as more of a verb, something we do, rather than a building we go to. Until next week. --John
I started in North L.A. at Main St. I got off the freeway and immediately found Victor living under the I-5 right there as I got off. Victor was just getting up and getting ready for his day. He was sure surprised and happy to have food delivered to his 'house'. We didn't talk very long because you can't stop there but at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning I knew I could stop there for a minute or two. There was another homeless man on the other side of the street under that overpass. However, he wasn't awake yet so I didn't go over to him. He had an apartment complex set up (about four shopping carts) and seemed to be doing OK.
You may remember Ignacio from last week. He was the guy that looked like Moses (see the picture). I found him looking for cans and bottles to recycle not too far from where he was last week. It turns out he understands and speaks a little more English than I thought he did. It is very broken but we were able to converse much better that last week. The street where I found him digging in trash cans was an
industrial area and a wide (for trucks) but dead-end street. I gave him some food and water and got out and showed him what I had in the trunk. He ended up getting a pair of pants (the ones he had on were absolutely filthy), socks, shoes and a couple of T-shirts. When I said, "Let me pray for you before I go" he took off his cap and bowed his head. It is always humbling to me to see simple people with simple reverence and respect for God. I count it a blessing to me and a privileged to have helped Ignacio. Just around the block from Ignacio I found Marsela again sleeping in her make-shift home of pallets and cardboard. I had gotten a bag of dog food for her dog. The dog's name she told me is "Moses". So I went from a guy who looked like Moses to a dog named Moses. Marsela didn't need anything else I had although she did need some shoes. I just didn't have her size (7 1/2) with me. I'll have to check into that for next week. I found Antonio on the 4th St. bridge right near these folks. I had given him a new pair of pants last week. Well he had them on but they looked like he'd had them on for a month already. I guess when you wear something 24/7 outdoors it's going to show dirt and wear and tear a lot quicker. He told me he was doing OK though.When I left this area I ended up going North on San Fernando Rd for a while. I hadn't been in this area in years. On the left is a Metro Link rail and on the right side are industrial type buildings with a residential community behind them. Eventually, I found a guy sleeping on the corner of one of the business buildings with his shopping cart full of stuff. He had a rake and broom and told me he uses them to earn money cleaning up places in addition to recycling. His name was Robert and he was from Columbus, Ohio. He is 56 years old. When I first saw him I had to drive around the block to get back to him and found him sleeping under a blanket next to his cart (see picture).
We talked quite awhile about some of the jobs he had out here over the years. He told me I looked familiar to him but it didn't appear our paths had crossed before this. He told me he had learned some judo at some location in the L.A area and most of the people in there were blonde people (is my hair still blonde?). When I prayed for him I noticed his hands were pretty rugged and beaten up from a life of doing a lot of manual labor. One of his little fingers was really crooked from being broken by an L.A. policeman years ago. I prayed for his protection and for God to bless his life. It was a simple but earnest prayer. Life on the streets is dangerous and unforgiving.
After seeing Robert I drove back to the 4th St. bridge and under the bridge I found Michael from Mobile, Alabama. He is 57 years old. He was sleeping with most of his body in a cardboard box when I approached him (see picture). He quickly woke up and was happy to receive a bag of food. I asked him if he could use some water and a pair of socks and he said he could. We ended up looking through the trunk and found a pair of shoes and pants and a few shirts. He admired my car (98 Grand Prix)! He told me he had a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix in 1973 when he was 19 years old and in the Army. He told me it was his favorite car that he ever had. It was
probably the best time of his life too. I had given him a gospel of John booklet after praying with him and when I took his picture he was holding up the shoes and the booklet. I didn't ask him to hold them up but he was pretty happy and in a good mood by the time I took the picture and he was "showing them off". I was glad to have helped make his day better.At this point I drove over to Washington Blvd and went down an alley on the South side by Los Angeles St. This is the second or third time I've been down this alley. There are probably five or six guys who live in this alley. I took a few pictures of this alley. It is also on the residential side of Washington Blvd. The first time I drove through a couple of weeks back it was too early in the morning
and only one guy was awake and didn't want to be bothered yet. I wonder if his attitude had something to do with conduct of other people who drive through there throughout the night. Sunday, Willie was awake enough and willing to take a chance on receiving something from me. I was glad to break the ice here. Maybe next time I'll ask him if he can use any clothing items. That will enable me to talk with him more and develop some trust. Who knows, maybe he and the others will start looking forward to me coming through there. Each time I've gone through this alley there is one guy who is barricaded with a pallet in a small hole in the wall (see photo). I haven't actually seen him yet.
When I drove out of that alley and got back on to Washington Blvd I saw a guy sleeping on the other side of Washington Blvd on the corner and porch of some business just passed Los Angeles St. I really wish I had taken a picture of this guy whose name turned out to be Joe. He was 53 years old and was from Illinois. He told me he travels back and forth between here and there and comes out here because of the weather. He told me where his family lives is a bad drug infested area and that it's hard to keep away from drugs when everyone back there is involved with them. I was able to help Joe with food and clothing items and gave him a gospel of John too. We prayed together and I do hope I see him again. I'd like to talk to him some more about what it takes to beat the cycle of drug behavior. It starts with staying away from those people who do them and developing relationships with people who don't do them. One of the ironic things about seeing Joe sleeping on the corner was that about two hundred yards away on the other corner of that same block on Washington Blvd was a church. I'm sure people were there at the church because it was Sunday morning and it was 10:30 a.m. by now. I know it's impossible to help everyone down there, but some of these men are so easy to help and close by that you wonder what the church is doing about it. In fact, there are actually a lot of churches in that area. I guess I tend to look at the church as more of a verb, something we do, rather than a building we go to. Until next week. --John
Monday, July 5, 2010
Downtown 7/4/2010
Well I made it down to L.A. again early Sunday morning. It was overcast and eerily quiet. I had gotten a new pair of jeans and underwear to give to Antonio so I drove to his place first. However, when I got there he was still asleep so I drove on by and decided to come back to him later. On the other end of the bridge I found an elderly looking man (he had a long beard and looked like Moses) named Ignacio. If I didn't know someone at work with that name I probably would never have understood him because he spoke no English. I did understand the happy look on his face when he received the help though. I drove around some of the streets there and found someone who had built a barricade around them for the night. This is a very deserted industrial section on the weekends. It turned out to be Marsella who I first met a couple of weeks ago in this same area. She was on a very small street named Boyd just off of Mission Rd. Her dog was in the barricade too. Marsella told me she was born in Mexico but was raised here in the United States. I don't think she's thirty years old yet and she speaks perfect English. I gave her some food and water and asked if there was anything else she needed. But just like last time she declined anything else. I even asked if she could think of anything that I could bring to her next time and she said there was nothing. I noticed her arms were pretty dirty so I told her I did have something special for her and gave her a hygiene bag. When I showed her what was in it she was quite excited. Next time I'll ask her what her dog's name is and I'll bring some dog food. I just can't imagine the risk she's taking by being in such a deserted place. Please pray for her safety.
After driving by Lincoln Park and not seeing any homeless people there I figured it was time to go back to check on Antonio. He was still in the same position as when I first drove by but he awakened quickly when I stopped. I told him I had something special for him and he got up and took the bag I handed him through the window. He was pretty happy when he saw what was in the bag. He had on a different pair of jeans than last week and they were way too big for him, but if you're wearing what you find in dumpsters or in the street you take what you can get. Anyway, I'll check back with him next week to see how the pair I gave him fit. I couldn't stay there on the bridge any longer and I didn't want to take his picture while he was changing!
The next three people I was able to help were all on the 'other' side of Washington Blvd from downtown. One was a woman named Sharon who I found in a very, very narrow alley that runs parallel to Washington Blvd. She was busy rearranging the stuff in her carts. If she had a house you'd day she was house-cleaning. I'm not sure what you call it in this case. Perhaps, nesting is the best term.
The final two encounters were with men I found asleep on the sidewalk. One was George on Central just off Washington and the other was Mick who I found on Maple St just off Washington. I asked George (I think his name was probably Jorge) if he was hungry and showed him what was in the bag. He was happy to have it but was still sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep (it was about 10:00 a.m by now). It was kind of weird how both of these men were in almost the exact same position. Mick is the one in the picture and he woke up quickly when I started talking to him. He was also very hungry and started eating from the can of soup immediately. I sat down on the curb next to him and we talked for awhile. He had on a dirty pair of socks and some sandals. I gave him a new pair of socks but he wore size 13 shoes and I didn't have any that big. I did gave him another shirt to wear though. He said he needed "everything". He knew it was the 4th of July and asked me if I voted. It turned out that he was a Vietnam Veteran and he was very angry with our government and life in general. He asked me what I was going to be doing this morning and I told him in a hour or so I was going to be in church. He said, "I don't believe in God." He told me this a couple of times at least. I also noticed when he held the can of soup in his left hand that his fingers didn't grip the can. He held the bottom of the can with his little finger (actually a knuckle) and the top of the can with his thumb. It turned out that he had been wounded in the war and this was a permanent injury. I listened to him talk for a while and finally said, "Let me pray for you before I go." He reminded me that he didn't believe in God and I gently said to him, "I know, but I do." Wouldn't you know, he bowed his head when I prayed with him. God is Sovereign no matter who believes or who doesn't believe. Later, when I was in church, the service was very 4th of July oriented. There was a big push to remember God's presence and guiding hand in our country's history and the people in our congregation who were either serving or had served in our armed
forces. I'm sure the ones who were in our church and saw action were quite aware of how fortunate they are. It is good to remember our veterans and the role they have played and continue to play in our freedom. But this Sunday morning, I couldn't help but remember this one homeless veteran who I served on a curb downtown on Maple St. Please pray for all of our veterans. --Until next week. John
After driving by Lincoln Park and not seeing any homeless people there I figured it was time to go back to check on Antonio. He was still in the same position as when I first drove by but he awakened quickly when I stopped. I told him I had something special for him and he got up and took the bag I handed him through the window. He was pretty happy when he saw what was in the bag. He had on a different pair of jeans than last week and they were way too big for him, but if you're wearing what you find in dumpsters or in the street you take what you can get. Anyway, I'll check back with him next week to see how the pair I gave him fit. I couldn't stay there on the bridge any longer and I didn't want to take his picture while he was changing!
The next three people I was able to help were all on the 'other' side of Washington Blvd from downtown. One was a woman named Sharon who I found in a very, very narrow alley that runs parallel to Washington Blvd. She was busy rearranging the stuff in her carts. If she had a house you'd day she was house-cleaning. I'm not sure what you call it in this case. Perhaps, nesting is the best term.
The final two encounters were with men I found asleep on the sidewalk. One was George on Central just off Washington and the other was Mick who I found on Maple St just off Washington. I asked George (I think his name was probably Jorge) if he was hungry and showed him what was in the bag. He was happy to have it but was still sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep (it was about 10:00 a.m by now). It was kind of weird how both of these men were in almost the exact same position. Mick is the one in the picture and he woke up quickly when I started talking to him. He was also very hungry and started eating from the can of soup immediately. I sat down on the curb next to him and we talked for awhile. He had on a dirty pair of socks and some sandals. I gave him a new pair of socks but he wore size 13 shoes and I didn't have any that big. I did gave him another shirt to wear though. He said he needed "everything". He knew it was the 4th of July and asked me if I voted. It turned out that he was a Vietnam Veteran and he was very angry with our government and life in general. He asked me what I was going to be doing this morning and I told him in a hour or so I was going to be in church. He said, "I don't believe in God." He told me this a couple of times at least. I also noticed when he held the can of soup in his left hand that his fingers didn't grip the can. He held the bottom of the can with his little finger (actually a knuckle) and the top of the can with his thumb. It turned out that he had been wounded in the war and this was a permanent injury. I listened to him talk for a while and finally said, "Let me pray for you before I go." He reminded me that he didn't believe in God and I gently said to him, "I know, but I do." Wouldn't you know, he bowed his head when I prayed with him. God is Sovereign no matter who believes or who doesn't believe. Later, when I was in church, the service was very 4th of July oriented. There was a big push to remember God's presence and guiding hand in our country's history and the people in our congregation who were either serving or had served in our armed
forces. I'm sure the ones who were in our church and saw action were quite aware of how fortunate they are. It is good to remember our veterans and the role they have played and continue to play in our freedom. But this Sunday morning, I couldn't help but remember this one homeless veteran who I served on a curb downtown on Maple St. Please pray for all of our veterans. --Until next week. John
Monday, June 28, 2010
Downtown 6/27/2010
I made it downtown Sunday morning at about 8:30 a.m. It just worked out that this was the best time for me to go this week. I've only been down there this early once and that was last month on the Memorial Day holiday (a Monday). Getting down there this early means you have to make sure people are awake before you approach them. I may encounter homeless people sleeping later in the day but there usually isn't a problem disturbing their sleep in the afternoon. This early on a Sunday morning you might encounter some hostililty. Later in the mornig, I went down one alley off Washington Blvd. at about 9:30 and found 5 or 6 homeless men sleeping. Only one was awake and I could tell by his response that he really didn't want to be bothered yet (even though I was trying to help him). It was also very overcast so that added to the still "early" feel of the morning. Along North Main St. I saw a Latino man sitting on a planter with his shopping cart next to him. This is the northeast section of Los Angeles and a very Latino area so I expected this man to have quite an accent. You can imagine my surprise when I asked him his name and in perfect English and very chipper for that time of the morning he said, "My name is Ricky." He told me he is from this area. You wonder where his family members are. Surely there would be someone in his extended family who could help him out. He was very appreciative of the help as was Andrew just around the corner from him on Moulton Ave. I had been given some prayer and meditation booklets and included one in each bag today. Hopefully, these men (and the others) will make use of them, after all, it was Sunday morning!
One of the people I have had somewhat regular contact with and am hoping to provide lasting help to is Antonio, who lives on the 4th St. bridge (see photo). Since it was still early and not a weekday, I was able to stop and get out of the car and talk to him for a few minutes. I found out Antonio is 24 years old and from Louisiana. I asked if he had relatives out here and he indicated he might but didn't know them and they wouldn't know him. His life in Louisiana was, apparently, a very similar struggle to what it is out here. I didn't think to ask until later if Katrina was what caused him to move away from there. Since I had a little bit of time I opened the trunk and was able to give him some shirts and a
pair of shoes and new socks. I noticed he had on a different pair of pants than the last time I saw him (although these weren't much better). He told me, "I found these in the street." I asked what size he wears and he told me 36 x 32 which seems to be a size that fits a lot of these men on the streets. I told him I'd try and bring him back a pair next week since I didn't have any men's pants with me. The pair he had on were probably 6 inches too long and the zipper didn't work. I guess you take what you can get when you do your shopping in the street! Please pray for Antonio, he needs so much help and because of his age time is critical that he gets off the streets soon.
Back on the other side of town along the I-10 I found Octavius (I met him on Memorial Day) on Central Ave. just about where I saw him the first time. He was "accepting donations" at the freeway off-ramp. He seemed to be OK and was glad for the help. I only talked with him briefly because that corner by the freeway is busy all the time.
I continued along the I-10 freeway and at Hill St. I saw an elderly woman with her shopping cart under the freeway. I drove around the block so I could pull up next to her and stop. It was a no stopping zone but I took a chance on not getting a ticket since it was Sunday morning. I ended up stopped there talking with this woman for about 15 or 20 minutes. It turned out to be Mama Kirby and I had met her before. In fact, I looked it up in my previous recaps and it was January 25th when I first met her. I found out today she is from Texas. Her husband was a Korean War veteran (awarded a purple heart) who passed away in 1978. I'm not sure how long she's been living in the streets, but it would appear she has been living this way for a very long time. She told me her 'family' back in Texas has been 'using' her social security checks. She is a woman of deep faith and gladly accepted not only the food and water but a prayer booklet and a bible too. She inquired of the bible, "Does it have big print?" We prayed together and underneath her daily struggles and unhappiness with her family, she still is able to praise God. It was a valuable lesson to me about praising God in the midst of our struggles no matter how great they are. It was truly straight out of the book of Job right here in front of me on the streets of downtown L.A. I gave her physical help to get through the day, she gave me a lasting example of getting through life with an attitude of praise towards God. Thanks Mama.
The last man I met said his name was Blythe (I think). I've seen him for several months living by a building near Santa Fe Ave. on Washington Blvd. Several months ago I offered help to this man and he refused it. Today, he accepted the help but still had a very surly attitude. He is very thin and sits on an upturned plastic bucket with just a very few possessions near him (no shopping cart). He keeps himself and his area very clean. I've seen him wash up, change clothes and carry on a 'normal' street life over the past months. I hope this encounter breaks the ice with him so that we can talk more in the future. Perhaps the prayer booklet in with the bag of food will help. Please pray that we can reach this man. When I left Blythe, it was off to church, after all....it was still Sunday morning! Until next week. --John
One of the people I have had somewhat regular contact with and am hoping to provide lasting help to is Antonio, who lives on the 4th St. bridge (see photo). Since it was still early and not a weekday, I was able to stop and get out of the car and talk to him for a few minutes. I found out Antonio is 24 years old and from Louisiana. I asked if he had relatives out here and he indicated he might but didn't know them and they wouldn't know him. His life in Louisiana was, apparently, a very similar struggle to what it is out here. I didn't think to ask until later if Katrina was what caused him to move away from there. Since I had a little bit of time I opened the trunk and was able to give him some shirts and a
pair of shoes and new socks. I noticed he had on a different pair of pants than the last time I saw him (although these weren't much better). He told me, "I found these in the street." I asked what size he wears and he told me 36 x 32 which seems to be a size that fits a lot of these men on the streets. I told him I'd try and bring him back a pair next week since I didn't have any men's pants with me. The pair he had on were probably 6 inches too long and the zipper didn't work. I guess you take what you can get when you do your shopping in the street! Please pray for Antonio, he needs so much help and because of his age time is critical that he gets off the streets soon.
Back on the other side of town along the I-10 I found Octavius (I met him on Memorial Day) on Central Ave. just about where I saw him the first time. He was "accepting donations" at the freeway off-ramp. He seemed to be OK and was glad for the help. I only talked with him briefly because that corner by the freeway is busy all the time.
I continued along the I-10 freeway and at Hill St. I saw an elderly woman with her shopping cart under the freeway. I drove around the block so I could pull up next to her and stop. It was a no stopping zone but I took a chance on not getting a ticket since it was Sunday morning. I ended up stopped there talking with this woman for about 15 or 20 minutes. It turned out to be Mama Kirby and I had met her before. In fact, I looked it up in my previous recaps and it was January 25th when I first met her. I found out today she is from Texas. Her husband was a Korean War veteran (awarded a purple heart) who passed away in 1978. I'm not sure how long she's been living in the streets, but it would appear she has been living this way for a very long time. She told me her 'family' back in Texas has been 'using' her social security checks. She is a woman of deep faith and gladly accepted not only the food and water but a prayer booklet and a bible too. She inquired of the bible, "Does it have big print?" We prayed together and underneath her daily struggles and unhappiness with her family, she still is able to praise God. It was a valuable lesson to me about praising God in the midst of our struggles no matter how great they are. It was truly straight out of the book of Job right here in front of me on the streets of downtown L.A. I gave her physical help to get through the day, she gave me a lasting example of getting through life with an attitude of praise towards God. Thanks Mama.
The last man I met said his name was Blythe (I think). I've seen him for several months living by a building near Santa Fe Ave. on Washington Blvd. Several months ago I offered help to this man and he refused it. Today, he accepted the help but still had a very surly attitude. He is very thin and sits on an upturned plastic bucket with just a very few possessions near him (no shopping cart). He keeps himself and his area very clean. I've seen him wash up, change clothes and carry on a 'normal' street life over the past months. I hope this encounter breaks the ice with him so that we can talk more in the future. Perhaps the prayer booklet in with the bag of food will help. Please pray that we can reach this man. When I left Blythe, it was off to church, after all....it was still Sunday morning! Until next week. --John
Monday, June 21, 2010
Downtown-Father's Day, 6/20/2010
Sunday was the last day of spring and it felt like summer was here, temperatures were in the mid-80's downtown. I headed down to the 4th St bridge to see if Antonio was still there. I'm pretty sure I saw him in his spot on the bridge but I wanted to find a safe place to park because it would be quite a walk back to where he is. In the process I ended up on Mission Blvd. Mission Blvd is a pretty small street after it crosses 1st St. and comes to an end around 6th or 7th St. The last couple of miles of the road are in a strictly industrial area and it was completely deserted on Sunday except for a couple of homeless people. This is why I love going on Sundays. My target group is much easier to see and get to because the traffic is minimal. I found Carlos digging around in a dumpster. I asked where he was from and I'm pretty sure it was a town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Due to the heat, he was very happy to get the water as well as a bag of food. I was even able to help him out with some shirts and socks. After praying with him he expressed his thanks to God for me stopping and helping him. I'm sure the help was totally unexpected for him. As I left him he had already opened up the can of soup and was enjoying lunch. A couple of blocks away I found Marsella lying on the ground with a couple of shopping carts between her and the street. She had a dog with her tied up to her shopping carts. She had found some shade next to a building and kind of set up her stuff to 'camp out' for a while. I asked her if she needed some food and water and she quickly said yes and got up. I got out of the car and gave her some and asked if she needed any clothes or socks but she declined. I think she was probably hungry enough to accept the food but a little wary of any further contact with a strange man in such a deserted place. I was concerned for her safety in that area. It was deserted but that can work to one's disadvantage if someone wants to do you harm. Her dog barked a little at me and I'm glad she had some protection but I think that dog was nothing more than an alarm. Pray for her safety.
I left that area and drove by Lincoln Park and then down North Main St. I found Glen on the sidewalk going through all of her "stuff" which was spread out all over the wide sidewalk. This encounter was a little more than I expected. I turned around and drove back to where she was and parked next to her on the sidewalk. I asked her if she needed some food. Her response was, "What do you have?" I should have known right-away this one was going to be different. She reminded me of Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy show) when she would dress up as a country bumpkin with some of her teeth blacked out. Except this woman did have missing teeth. I'm guessing her to be in her mid-fifties and she was a fairly large woman. When she saw what was in the bag of food she said, "OK, I'll try one." But what she really wanted was a ride to a McDonalds on Olympic. Well, I knew where there was a McDonalds on Olympic and Central that wasn't too far away so I said, "OK, I can give you a ride there." I was going in that direction anyway. Now I usually don't give these people rides. I think I've given three rides (and this was the third one) in all the time I've done these downtown trips, so this isn't a thing I normally do or am even comfortable doing. It took her about 7 or 8 minutes just to get all her stuff back in her bags and in my car. When we got to the McDonalds it wasn't the one she was looking for. She actually had an address and the McDonalds she was looking for was just near this address. The address was 4425 E. Olympic Blvd and the McDonalds at Olympic and Central was the 1300 block. I was somewhat relieved that it was 1300 East Olympic so I ended up driving her the 31 blocks to 4425 E. Olympic. When you're in the middle of a situation like this you never know how it's going to end or how long before it ends so I was fighting the urge to start showing impatience the whole time. I'm pretty sure I succeeded at showing calmness the whole time but it was a struggle. I kept thinking that it would be over soon and when it was over I would be disappointed at myself if I hadn't helped this woman as best I could. Well, we finally located the address she was looking for and the McDonalds that was across the street. The address was apparently a bus depot. Whether or not she was going to catch a bus on a Sunday or not I don't know (and I wasn't going to ask) but I dropped her off at the McDonalds and wished her well. She looked pretty country bumpkinish but spoke with a New England accent. It was a weird combo. I pray she finds where she was looking to go. It ended up only taking about thirty minutes or so. Why are we so impatient with people who need our help? Lord forgive me.
So now I really headed back to downtown (and in a hurry) to more familiar turf. I found Nick lying on the street at 18th and Los Angeles St. He quickly got up and came to the car when I asked him if he needed some food. No, he didn't ask what kind of food was in the bag! He was especially happy to get some water too. Remember it was still pretty hot. As I drove down Olive St and was waiting at a signal at 8th St. a homeless man with a shopping cart was standing right there on the corner waiting to cross the street. His name was Jessie. I didn't recognize him but he may have recognized me because after I gave him a bag of food he asked if I had water too. As I drove away he was starting to eat some of the food in the bag. Once again, what a privilege to help people in their time of need.
The last man I helped was Alan. I've helped Alan a few times before. He is one of the dirtiest of the homeless men I've helped and doesn't talk very much. He was sitting on the sidewalk around the corner from the recycler and the Jack in the Box at Alameda and 14th St. He has 3 shopping carts of stuff now that were lined up in the street while he sat under the shade of a tree on the sidewalk (see the pictures). I parked and walked over to him with a bag of food. "Hey, Alan can you use some food?" I asked. He nodded his head. "How about some water too?" Again, he nodded his head. That's about the only response you'll get from Alan. I went back to the car and got the last gallon of water I had and gave it to him and sat down on the sidewalk next to him. It was about 1:00 or 1:30 in the afternoon by now. I decided I would try and talk with Alan for a little while and see what happens. He had started to look through the bag of food and had pulled out the can of soup. I told him there was a plastic spoon in the bag which he quickly got out. I almost laughed out loud when he "wiped if off". He seemed to hesitate before eating the soup so I told him to go ahead and start eating. So while he was eating the soup I talked with him for a few minutes. I told him it was the last official day of spring and summer looked like it was really going to be a warm one. I was just trying to make some idle conversation hoping to get him to talk to me. I told him it was also Father's Day and asked if he had any kids. He shook his head no. He had told me before that he was from East Los Angeles so I asked if his Dad was still around or alive. Again he shook his head no. I then asked him what town in East Los Angeles he was from and he motioned towards the east and made kind of a looping motion like it was "just over the bridge". Since I was sitting so close to him on the sidewalk I noticed he had a large bible next to him. I picked it up and saw that it was a King James version from the Latter Day Saints. I commented, "So the Mormans have been by, huh?" He nodded his head again. I said, "Well good for them." I had given him a Gospel of John which was in the bag of food and he had pulled it out when he went through the bag. It is the NIV version and a lot easier for us to read in our day but I thought I'd let him discover that on his own. He had actually been reading a recycler newpaper when I walked up. While we were
sitting there under the shade of that big tree two small sparrows had landed on the street in front of us, not more that a few feet away. I commented that Jesus said a sparrow doesn't fall to earth but that the Father doesn't know about it and because of this Jesus said the Father knows all about us too. Well, I didn't stay too much longer with Alan. I wondered later if he was as impatient for me to leave him as I had been with that woman. I hope not. It's weird that I was willing to spend time with Alan because I knew I was in control of the situation and could leave at any time but was
uncomfortable and impatient with Glen because I wasn't as much in control of that situation. Lord teach me a lesson in patience in this and calm my spirit. It turned out to be a good Father's Day downtown. --Until next week. John
I left that area and drove by Lincoln Park and then down North Main St. I found Glen on the sidewalk going through all of her "stuff" which was spread out all over the wide sidewalk. This encounter was a little more than I expected. I turned around and drove back to where she was and parked next to her on the sidewalk. I asked her if she needed some food. Her response was, "What do you have?" I should have known right-away this one was going to be different. She reminded me of Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy show) when she would dress up as a country bumpkin with some of her teeth blacked out. Except this woman did have missing teeth. I'm guessing her to be in her mid-fifties and she was a fairly large woman. When she saw what was in the bag of food she said, "OK, I'll try one." But what she really wanted was a ride to a McDonalds on Olympic. Well, I knew where there was a McDonalds on Olympic and Central that wasn't too far away so I said, "OK, I can give you a ride there." I was going in that direction anyway. Now I usually don't give these people rides. I think I've given three rides (and this was the third one) in all the time I've done these downtown trips, so this isn't a thing I normally do or am even comfortable doing. It took her about 7 or 8 minutes just to get all her stuff back in her bags and in my car. When we got to the McDonalds it wasn't the one she was looking for. She actually had an address and the McDonalds she was looking for was just near this address. The address was 4425 E. Olympic Blvd and the McDonalds at Olympic and Central was the 1300 block. I was somewhat relieved that it was 1300 East Olympic so I ended up driving her the 31 blocks to 4425 E. Olympic. When you're in the middle of a situation like this you never know how it's going to end or how long before it ends so I was fighting the urge to start showing impatience the whole time. I'm pretty sure I succeeded at showing calmness the whole time but it was a struggle. I kept thinking that it would be over soon and when it was over I would be disappointed at myself if I hadn't helped this woman as best I could. Well, we finally located the address she was looking for and the McDonalds that was across the street. The address was apparently a bus depot. Whether or not she was going to catch a bus on a Sunday or not I don't know (and I wasn't going to ask) but I dropped her off at the McDonalds and wished her well. She looked pretty country bumpkinish but spoke with a New England accent. It was a weird combo. I pray she finds where she was looking to go. It ended up only taking about thirty minutes or so. Why are we so impatient with people who need our help? Lord forgive me.
So now I really headed back to downtown (and in a hurry) to more familiar turf. I found Nick lying on the street at 18th and Los Angeles St. He quickly got up and came to the car when I asked him if he needed some food. No, he didn't ask what kind of food was in the bag! He was especially happy to get some water too. Remember it was still pretty hot. As I drove down Olive St and was waiting at a signal at 8th St. a homeless man with a shopping cart was standing right there on the corner waiting to cross the street. His name was Jessie. I didn't recognize him but he may have recognized me because after I gave him a bag of food he asked if I had water too. As I drove away he was starting to eat some of the food in the bag. Once again, what a privilege to help people in their time of need.
The last man I helped was Alan. I've helped Alan a few times before. He is one of the dirtiest of the homeless men I've helped and doesn't talk very much. He was sitting on the sidewalk around the corner from the recycler and the Jack in the Box at Alameda and 14th St. He has 3 shopping carts of stuff now that were lined up in the street while he sat under the shade of a tree on the sidewalk (see the pictures). I parked and walked over to him with a bag of food. "Hey, Alan can you use some food?" I asked. He nodded his head. "How about some water too?" Again, he nodded his head. That's about the only response you'll get from Alan. I went back to the car and got the last gallon of water I had and gave it to him and sat down on the sidewalk next to him. It was about 1:00 or 1:30 in the afternoon by now. I decided I would try and talk with Alan for a little while and see what happens. He had started to look through the bag of food and had pulled out the can of soup. I told him there was a plastic spoon in the bag which he quickly got out. I almost laughed out loud when he "wiped if off". He seemed to hesitate before eating the soup so I told him to go ahead and start eating. So while he was eating the soup I talked with him for a few minutes. I told him it was the last official day of spring and summer looked like it was really going to be a warm one. I was just trying to make some idle conversation hoping to get him to talk to me. I told him it was also Father's Day and asked if he had any kids. He shook his head no. He had told me before that he was from East Los Angeles so I asked if his Dad was still around or alive. Again he shook his head no. I then asked him what town in East Los Angeles he was from and he motioned towards the east and made kind of a looping motion like it was "just over the bridge". Since I was sitting so close to him on the sidewalk I noticed he had a large bible next to him. I picked it up and saw that it was a King James version from the Latter Day Saints. I commented, "So the Mormans have been by, huh?" He nodded his head again. I said, "Well good for them." I had given him a Gospel of John which was in the bag of food and he had pulled it out when he went through the bag. It is the NIV version and a lot easier for us to read in our day but I thought I'd let him discover that on his own. He had actually been reading a recycler newpaper when I walked up. While we were
sitting there under the shade of that big tree two small sparrows had landed on the street in front of us, not more that a few feet away. I commented that Jesus said a sparrow doesn't fall to earth but that the Father doesn't know about it and because of this Jesus said the Father knows all about us too. Well, I didn't stay too much longer with Alan. I wondered later if he was as impatient for me to leave him as I had been with that woman. I hope not. It's weird that I was willing to spend time with Alan because I knew I was in control of the situation and could leave at any time but was
uncomfortable and impatient with Glen because I wasn't as much in control of that situation. Lord teach me a lesson in patience in this and calm my spirit. It turned out to be a good Father's Day downtown. --Until next week. John
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Downtown 6/14/2010
I didn't make it downtown until about 11:00 am Monday morning. Since it was so warm it really felt like the first day of summer (at least summer vacation) to me. Life's struggles continue for the folks living on the streets down here. I hadn't gone over to the 4th St. bridge in a while so I started there first. Just off the bridge on the west (downtown) side I found Robert sitting on the sidewalk with his back up against a chain link fence and his shopping cart of possessions next to him. He is from the Los Angeles area and I'm guessing him to be in his early forties. He didn't appear to be homeless for very long, probably recently out of work, so there he was sitting on the sidewalk trying to figure it all out. I'm sure it was a surprise to him that someone would drive up offering food and water and just talk to him for a few moments and pray with him. He told me he has relatives in the LA area and Arizona. Pray that he reconnects with them.
On the other side of the bridge I found Antonio. He was in the exact same spot as the last time I saw him a few months ago. Since he is so young (early twenties) I was quite surprised that he was still there. Because he stays at a location that is very hard to stop for any length of time it's difficult to find out his story. It would appear that his life is 'stuck' right there. His clothes, especially his pants, are falling apart. My guess is that he is staying right there and living off the missions on the other side of the bridge. I'm going to have to find a place to park and walk back to him sometime and just talk with him and see what's up. I've never gotten a chance to pray with him because I just can't stop for more that a few seconds on that bridge. Antonio is going to be a project and I am determined to help this man find hope in this world. Please pray for this man, that God would use me to bring about a transformation in his life.
Next, I went down the alley where Willie and Marvin used to live. I haven't seen either of them for a couple of months now. Today I saw a man sleeping where Marvin use to live. I called out to him as I drove by but didn't get a response. So I drove down a ways and turned around so I would be on the same side as he was and called out to him again, but still no response. It was getting pretty warm out and he was sleeping with his shirt off. I pulled over to the side and got a gallon of water and walked back to him. By now he was awake and when I asked if he wanted the water I quickly realized why I didn't get a response from him earlier. He is deaf and mute. I've seen this guy twice before, the last time was probably six months ago. He wanted the water and when I made eating motions he nodded his head so I gave him a bag of food too. The last time I saw him was actually in the area where I saw the first two men this morning and he was digging around in trash bins looking for recyclables. This is his life, deaf and mute, digging in trash cans unable to talk with anyone. I don't know if he knows sign language but I'm going to learn a few words of it and try and talk with him next time. I remember the last time I saw him I offered him some clothes in the trunk of my car and he was so happy he wanted a hug. I prayed with him today, although he couldn't hear a word of it.
I headed west along 16th St. which parallels the I-10 freeway. I turned up a small street named Trinity St. towards Washington Blvd. On the corner of Trinity and Washington Blvd is a small church named, you probably guessed, Trinity Church. Just a few yards away from this Church on Trinity I found Glen pushing a shopping cart. On Washington Blvd just a little ways east of this church I found Tyrone sitting on a planter. I was able to help both of these men and prayed with them too. I didn't recognize Tyrone at first but I think I've seen him on the other side of this block before. What I remembered about him was his very quiet voice, barely above a whisper, almost like he's out of breath. He is a fairly large man and he may be in poor health, although I don't think he's forty yet. I wonder about the church. I sometimes see racks of clothes on the sidewalk. I don't think they are selling these clothes because I don't see anyone out there. Perhaps, they are offering the clothes to the homeless living in the area. The people that go in and out of that church (when I see them on Sundays) are well dressed, but I never see them walking the short distance to the freeway underpass where the homeless are living. I wonder if they have co-existed so long together that they just don't "see" the homeless anymore. What an opportunity for a church to be a light amidst so much darkness.
Just before leaving downtown I was driving north on Maple and saw Johnny's stuff and him sleeping right next to it. His stuff is clean and neatly organized so he's easy to recognize. I only had one bag of food and one gallon of water left but before I could get back to him I found Roger just down the street a ways and decided to help him. I had never met Roger before. This made it an even split of folks I had helped before and those who I helped for the first time today. My hope is that with all of these people, as the next couple of days go by, that each time they eat and drink the stuff I left with them they will remember "the guy who prayed with me" and connect with the God who provided for them today. --Until next week. John
On the other side of the bridge I found Antonio. He was in the exact same spot as the last time I saw him a few months ago. Since he is so young (early twenties) I was quite surprised that he was still there. Because he stays at a location that is very hard to stop for any length of time it's difficult to find out his story. It would appear that his life is 'stuck' right there. His clothes, especially his pants, are falling apart. My guess is that he is staying right there and living off the missions on the other side of the bridge. I'm going to have to find a place to park and walk back to him sometime and just talk with him and see what's up. I've never gotten a chance to pray with him because I just can't stop for more that a few seconds on that bridge. Antonio is going to be a project and I am determined to help this man find hope in this world. Please pray for this man, that God would use me to bring about a transformation in his life.
Next, I went down the alley where Willie and Marvin used to live. I haven't seen either of them for a couple of months now. Today I saw a man sleeping where Marvin use to live. I called out to him as I drove by but didn't get a response. So I drove down a ways and turned around so I would be on the same side as he was and called out to him again, but still no response. It was getting pretty warm out and he was sleeping with his shirt off. I pulled over to the side and got a gallon of water and walked back to him. By now he was awake and when I asked if he wanted the water I quickly realized why I didn't get a response from him earlier. He is deaf and mute. I've seen this guy twice before, the last time was probably six months ago. He wanted the water and when I made eating motions he nodded his head so I gave him a bag of food too. The last time I saw him was actually in the area where I saw the first two men this morning and he was digging around in trash bins looking for recyclables. This is his life, deaf and mute, digging in trash cans unable to talk with anyone. I don't know if he knows sign language but I'm going to learn a few words of it and try and talk with him next time. I remember the last time I saw him I offered him some clothes in the trunk of my car and he was so happy he wanted a hug. I prayed with him today, although he couldn't hear a word of it.
I headed west along 16th St. which parallels the I-10 freeway. I turned up a small street named Trinity St. towards Washington Blvd. On the corner of Trinity and Washington Blvd is a small church named, you probably guessed, Trinity Church. Just a few yards away from this Church on Trinity I found Glen pushing a shopping cart. On Washington Blvd just a little ways east of this church I found Tyrone sitting on a planter. I was able to help both of these men and prayed with them too. I didn't recognize Tyrone at first but I think I've seen him on the other side of this block before. What I remembered about him was his very quiet voice, barely above a whisper, almost like he's out of breath. He is a fairly large man and he may be in poor health, although I don't think he's forty yet. I wonder about the church. I sometimes see racks of clothes on the sidewalk. I don't think they are selling these clothes because I don't see anyone out there. Perhaps, they are offering the clothes to the homeless living in the area. The people that go in and out of that church (when I see them on Sundays) are well dressed, but I never see them walking the short distance to the freeway underpass where the homeless are living. I wonder if they have co-existed so long together that they just don't "see" the homeless anymore. What an opportunity for a church to be a light amidst so much darkness.
Just before leaving downtown I was driving north on Maple and saw Johnny's stuff and him sleeping right next to it. His stuff is clean and neatly organized so he's easy to recognize. I only had one bag of food and one gallon of water left but before I could get back to him I found Roger just down the street a ways and decided to help him. I had never met Roger before. This made it an even split of folks I had helped before and those who I helped for the first time today. My hope is that with all of these people, as the next couple of days go by, that each time they eat and drink the stuff I left with them they will remember "the guy who prayed with me" and connect with the God who provided for them today. --Until next week. John
Monday, June 7, 2010
Downtown 6/6/10
I wasn't sure when I was going downtown this week, but ended up being able to go late Sunday afternoon. I didn't know how the traffic would be since there was a Laker game starting at 5 p.m. I arrived at about 4:30 p.m and traffic wasn't too bad at all. I got off the I-10 at Central Ave and kept going west until I got to
Broadway. That's when I saw the person in the picture laying on the sidewalk. It was a warm day, probably in the mid 80's, and I'm sure the concrete sidewalk was hot to be laying on. I wanted to help this person but I couldn't find any parking on the street anywhere near there. There were parking lots available (for a price) but the curbs were red or no stopping all around that block. There were a couple of people standing on the corner nearby but no one seemed concerned. Behind the blanket hidden from this camera angle was a plastic bottle with some water in it. I'm sure it was warm water by now, but it indicated the person under the blanket was probably OK. It occurred to me that the Staples Center was less than a half a mile away. The place would be filled, at this point, with celebrities at courtside and million dollar basketball players and here within such a short distance and away from the television cameras a completely different lifestyle existed. A short distance from here at an alley around 12th and Pico I found Hernando digging through a trash bin. He was just thankful to receive the food and water I had. While driving around the area looking for a place to park for the person in the picture I found Johnny! You may remember him from a couple of weeks ago. He was the one who declined my offer to pray for him. He was sitting on the curb with his shopping cart under the shade of a small tree. Along with the food and water he told me he could use a blanket. I got one out of the trunk and when he complained of having a terrible itch all over his body and being unable to shower to get clean I offered him a couple of clean shirts. He warned me not to get too close to him because of this itch. I know there's no poison ivy around there, but he may have slept somewhere where someone dumped something with a chemical in it that is causing the skin irritation. When I offered to pray for him this time he relented but said, "Just a short prayer." So I prayed a short prayer with him and was able to give him a Guideposts magazine. I was so happy to see this man after not being able to pray for him the last time. Perhaps now he will be more open to me the next time I see him. I've been criticized for not "evangelizing" these people I meet on the street. All of these people have many needs and they all need a relationship with God through Jesus. However, some of their needs are physical and need immediate attention. In Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan there was no mention of him evangelizing the injured man. He was commended for simply helping the injured man when he needed it most. After those needs are tended to, there is then a foundation for getting to some of their other needs. Helping people when they need it without asking anything in return is a good way to establish an ongoing relationship. After all, they might just ask why you're doing it the next time. By the way, I found out Johnny is from Fort Worth, Texas.
Up a few streets from Broadway on 18th I found Carmen on a corner holding up a 'homeless needing help' sign. I stopped and gave her a bag of food and she said she could use the water too. It turned out she needed some the other items I had in the trunk, shoes, socks and a blanket. Carmen is still fairly young, about 30 or 35, but I could tell she had spent a lot of time now on the streets. I prayed with her and she thanked me for stopping. As I pulled away she was putting on her 'new' shoes and gave me a thumbs up on the fit. What a privilege.
About a mile or so east of Broadway I turned down a small street called Naomi. Under the I-10 freeway I found Faulstine. She had quite a collection of stuff around her, but it was kind of a mess too. When I asked if she needed any food and held up a bag she immediately got up and came over to the car. She asked if I'd pray for her too. I said, "Well let me pray for you right now." I held out my hand to her and she apologized saying her hand was dirty from recycling. I said, "That's OK, I don't mind." I held her hand and prayed with her. I told her I had something for her to read and she said she had a Bible. I said, "No, I've got something else." and I gave her a Guidepost magazine too.
A few more blocks over at Olympic and Alameda I saw two people I'm quite familiar with. One was Alphonso and the other was John Mellin. Both are quite talkative although Alphonso talks so quietly it's difficult for me to hear him (he's always next to a busy off-ramp). John talks pretty loud and I have no problems hearing him. He was very excited to see me. He said, "I've got something to tell you, I've got a girl friend!" I'm glad he's found some companionship. Life on the streets is so lonely for these people. Most of these people are very talkative when you get to know them and when they feel safe around you. A few blocks down Alameda I found Chavez. The street I saw him on was completely deserted on Sunday afternoon. Typically, it is crowded with tractor trailers waiting to get unloaded. He may have been looking for work as a 'lumper' (person who you pay to unload your trailer). We didn't talk much, but I know he was happy to get the food, especially without having to unload a trailer of freight!
All in all it was a good trip downtown. It was a good mix of people I'd seen before and people I met for the first time. I even got home in time for the end of the Laker game. There was a time when I would have stayed home to watch the whole game, after all it is the playoffs, right? But at the end of the day what's more important, to watch a game or help people? I guess I really have changed in the last year or so. Until next week. --John
Broadway. That's when I saw the person in the picture laying on the sidewalk. It was a warm day, probably in the mid 80's, and I'm sure the concrete sidewalk was hot to be laying on. I wanted to help this person but I couldn't find any parking on the street anywhere near there. There were parking lots available (for a price) but the curbs were red or no stopping all around that block. There were a couple of people standing on the corner nearby but no one seemed concerned. Behind the blanket hidden from this camera angle was a plastic bottle with some water in it. I'm sure it was warm water by now, but it indicated the person under the blanket was probably OK. It occurred to me that the Staples Center was less than a half a mile away. The place would be filled, at this point, with celebrities at courtside and million dollar basketball players and here within such a short distance and away from the television cameras a completely different lifestyle existed. A short distance from here at an alley around 12th and Pico I found Hernando digging through a trash bin. He was just thankful to receive the food and water I had. While driving around the area looking for a place to park for the person in the picture I found Johnny! You may remember him from a couple of weeks ago. He was the one who declined my offer to pray for him. He was sitting on the curb with his shopping cart under the shade of a small tree. Along with the food and water he told me he could use a blanket. I got one out of the trunk and when he complained of having a terrible itch all over his body and being unable to shower to get clean I offered him a couple of clean shirts. He warned me not to get too close to him because of this itch. I know there's no poison ivy around there, but he may have slept somewhere where someone dumped something with a chemical in it that is causing the skin irritation. When I offered to pray for him this time he relented but said, "Just a short prayer." So I prayed a short prayer with him and was able to give him a Guideposts magazine. I was so happy to see this man after not being able to pray for him the last time. Perhaps now he will be more open to me the next time I see him. I've been criticized for not "evangelizing" these people I meet on the street. All of these people have many needs and they all need a relationship with God through Jesus. However, some of their needs are physical and need immediate attention. In Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan there was no mention of him evangelizing the injured man. He was commended for simply helping the injured man when he needed it most. After those needs are tended to, there is then a foundation for getting to some of their other needs. Helping people when they need it without asking anything in return is a good way to establish an ongoing relationship. After all, they might just ask why you're doing it the next time. By the way, I found out Johnny is from Fort Worth, Texas.Up a few streets from Broadway on 18th I found Carmen on a corner holding up a 'homeless needing help' sign. I stopped and gave her a bag of food and she said she could use the water too. It turned out she needed some the other items I had in the trunk, shoes, socks and a blanket. Carmen is still fairly young, about 30 or 35, but I could tell she had spent a lot of time now on the streets. I prayed with her and she thanked me for stopping. As I pulled away she was putting on her 'new' shoes and gave me a thumbs up on the fit. What a privilege.
About a mile or so east of Broadway I turned down a small street called Naomi. Under the I-10 freeway I found Faulstine. She had quite a collection of stuff around her, but it was kind of a mess too. When I asked if she needed any food and held up a bag she immediately got up and came over to the car. She asked if I'd pray for her too. I said, "Well let me pray for you right now." I held out my hand to her and she apologized saying her hand was dirty from recycling. I said, "That's OK, I don't mind." I held her hand and prayed with her. I told her I had something for her to read and she said she had a Bible. I said, "No, I've got something else." and I gave her a Guidepost magazine too.
A few more blocks over at Olympic and Alameda I saw two people I'm quite familiar with. One was Alphonso and the other was John Mellin. Both are quite talkative although Alphonso talks so quietly it's difficult for me to hear him (he's always next to a busy off-ramp). John talks pretty loud and I have no problems hearing him. He was very excited to see me. He said, "I've got something to tell you, I've got a girl friend!" I'm glad he's found some companionship. Life on the streets is so lonely for these people. Most of these people are very talkative when you get to know them and when they feel safe around you. A few blocks down Alameda I found Chavez. The street I saw him on was completely deserted on Sunday afternoon. Typically, it is crowded with tractor trailers waiting to get unloaded. He may have been looking for work as a 'lumper' (person who you pay to unload your trailer). We didn't talk much, but I know he was happy to get the food, especially without having to unload a trailer of freight!
All in all it was a good trip downtown. It was a good mix of people I'd seen before and people I met for the first time. I even got home in time for the end of the Laker game. There was a time when I would have stayed home to watch the whole game, after all it is the playoffs, right? But at the end of the day what's more important, to watch a game or help people? I guess I really have changed in the last year or so. Until next week. --John
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