Downtown on a very hot Sunday-6/30/2013

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." --Romans 15:13

When I walked out to the car after church this morning at about 9:30, the heat was already starting to be oppressive.  I thought, "This will be a great day to take extra water and ice to my friends downtown."  I certainly got that one right.  With temperatures pushing a 100 in the early afternoon, it had cooled down some by the time I arrived at 6 pm, but everyone I ran into was pretty much fried from the heat of the day.  Before I get into the trip there were two things about the morning that set the tone for today.  One was a story that the pastor giving the Sunday morning message told.  He talked about spending a day with an autistic woman that he knew and that when she asked him for something to eat he realized he was going to have to feed her himself (she was a paraplegic).  He initially was totally uncomfortable feeding her, but then he realized through the Holy Spirit that this act of service was more Christ-like than preaching to a thousand people.  It's amazing to me how simple, personal, one-on-one acts of kindness always seem to teach us more than the information we can gather from reading a stack of books.  The other thing that impacted my day was a short video I watched on facebook about someone going to a chemotherapy session.  It was set to the music of TobyMac's song, Speak Life.  I had never heard the song before, but the message the song conveys is pretty much what I do with the people I meet each week downtown.  It's a very catchy and inspiring song, you can check it out on the youtube link below.

Earlier in the week, I had washed a bunch of clothes to take downtown and had the car loaded with, perhaps, as many clothes as I had ever taken on a trip.  The second stop about six or seven guys went through them and not much was left over.  In fact, one of the guys (Chicago) started getting upset with one of the other guys for taking too many for himself.  I thought they were going to come to blows over it, but I was able to explain to the one man that he was welcome to take what he needed, but not more than he needed.

In the photo from left to right--Chicago,Willie,Charles,Fred and EJ in front.

Chicago, who also goes by the name of Kenny, understood that I make several stops each week and other people can use the help too.  Overall, this stop was a great time.  I was greeted warmly (no pun there) when I first arrived.  Kenny showed up a few minutes later and while I was leaning into the car to get something out he hugged me from behind.  Several homeless people walked or rode bikes by and were welcomed with cold water and an opportunity to get some clothes too.  I decided that this was the place where I'll have the barbecue next week.  They are all looking forward to it.  I got to pray at least two or three times with different groups of people as they came by.  I had prayed beforehand that this trip would be a blessing and a happy time for the people I encountered.  That prayer was answered at every stop, but in a big way at this one.

Last week's trip I didn't see Antonio or Leticia, nor did I see John Stokes.  Since the week before the last trip was Father's Day and I didn't go that week I hadn't seen these folks in three weeks.  So Antonio and Leticia got the first crack at the clothes and Leticia insisted that I pray for them.  Now the scripture I quoted above, from the book of Romans, is a great blessing/benediction.  I had prayed this over each group today.  When I got to John Stokes he asked me if I would write it down for him!  Well, I had it on a card already so I just gave it to him.  Then he wanted to borrow a pen so he could write down the author (the apostle Paul). Can you believe how real the message from that song Speak Life came true!  Now John had received some very disappointing news since I saw him last.  He told me that the Social Security people are now telling him that he'll have to wait until he's 67 before he can start receiving benefits.  I'm sure you can imagine how he's feeling when he thought he was on the brink of getting off the streets and now they're telling him he'll have to wait two more years.

One of the last stops was around the corner from John where Maurice and Leticia live.  I had thought this was going to be the place where I'd barbecue next, but after everyone living there had been run-off, Maurice and Leticia are the only ones who have returned.  Maurice said he had seen Gabriel and told him that I was hoping to see him again.  Supposedly, he's staying near 14th and Central, but I drove over there and didn't see him.  Maurice and his wife are doing fine, we talked for quite a while.  Leticia asked me to explain what agape love is.  Apparently, they have been reading a New Testament bible!  I used it to read the Romans 15:13 verse to them.  They loved it.  Speaking life and words of encouragement, that's pretty much what I do down there.  Throw in some water, burgers and clothes and peoples' lives are impacted.  It really isn't that complicated.  Until next time. --John

PS.  Pray for the barbecue next week!

Here's the link to the Speak Life song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rK6O0YtBRY



  

Downtown Sunday afternoon 6/23/2013

"Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they [the Jewish leaders] saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I [will] restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a s son of Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  --Luke 19:1-10

This morning at church a visiting pastor used this text for his message about "acceptance" and "change".  He used his church as an illustration of how most people will not accept anyone different until the other person changes.  Yet, in the above story, we see a clear example of how Jesus reversed the process and 'accepted' Zacchaeus before there was any change at all.  Then, after a relationship was established, Zacchaeus changed on his own accord.  A couple of other examples were cited as well, the woman caught in adultery and the thief on the cross.  Both stories illustrated Jesus accepting the other person just as they were, before any change was evident.  In fact, with the the thief on the cross---before any outward change was even possible.  Then as an extreme example of this process, this pastor had an unusual anecdotal story of the day when three transvestites showed up at his church for a Sunday service!  He said that if one had shown up that would have been shocking, but when three showed up that was simply overwhelming at this church.  He could see the "people" talking amongst themselves (like the Jewish leaders in the story of Zacchaeus).  Well, this pastor walked over and started talking to the three men.  It turned out that they were homeless and had entered a "best dressed transvestite" contest and hadn't had time to change before coming to the service.  Well the four of them continued talking for a while before the service and seemed to have an enjoyable conversation.  All the while, the pastor could sense all eyes of the congregation looking at him with disapproval.  So in his conversation with them he told them that although he was glad to have them attend and didn't care what they wore, he couldn't guarantee that the "other people" would be as accepting.  The three understood and have been back many many times and always in 'regular' clothes.  So with this story in mind from this morning, here's what happened this afternoon....

I had already seen several people when I drove under the freeway at San Pedro Ave.  I saw a woman standing in an alley, almost like she was waiting for someone, but this isn't an area where you "wait" to meet someone.  Anyway, when I drove up and asked if she was hungry, it was a man, dressed as a woman.  How does God orchestrate these things!!!  His name was Cedric and he was 66 years old and 'liked to wear women's clothes'.  We must have talked for 15 or 20 minutes, he was quite talkative.  I ended up praying for him twice, the first time he dropped to one knee when I prayed and the second time was for healing of a stab wound he received about three weeks ago.  He was quite appreciative of me 'just taking the time to talk to him'.  He said it was the first real conversation he had had with anyone that day (it was about 6:30 pm).  What was the take-away?....God loves these people too!!!

On another note, I had hoped that I might be able to do a barbecue with some folks living on 8th St.  I drove down there first today and there was only one couple left there.  Apparently, the police had run everyone off that street a couple of weeks ago.  Maurice and his wife had left too for about a week and then came back a few days ago.  He told me Gabriel had moved over to 5th and Gladys St.  I'll have to look for him there next week.  We'll see what we can come up with for a location to BBQ.

I did see Willie with his friend Charles.  I hadn't seen Charles in two or three months.  Mel was there too and the four of us had a good time talking.  When I prayed with them, Mel continued praying asking for patience and blessings for us all.  It was surprising that he was so serious in prayer because he is usually a non-stop joke machine.  --Until next time.  John            

Downtown 6/9/2013

                               The story of Mr. Nan Guo

"In the Warring States period, in the third to fifth centuries before Yesu (Christ), there was a state called Qi.  The king was fond of listening to music played on the Yu, a wind instrument.  So he convened a band of three hundred players.  Every day  at teatime the band was called in to play the Yu for His Majesty.  Now, one of the players, Mr. Nan Guo, knew nothing about the instrument.  But, by pretending to play the Yu, he was believed to be part of the orchestra.  No one knew the truth.

Finally the king died, and the prince became king.  But the new king did not like to hear the orchestra.  He enjoyed solo performances.  He called each musician in to play alone for him.  This time, Nan Guo could not hide.  He was shown to be what he was!"

The point of the story is what Yesu (Christ) said in another story.  The tares and wheat grow up together.  There are those who appear to be playing the Yu, those who appear to be Christians.  Then, when they are put to the test, it shows who they really are...."   ----from the novel Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn, about the persecuted house churches in China and how dangerous it is to be a Christian there.

                                          ---------------------------------------------------------------

When I read this story this morning I thought it was an interesting twist on Jesus' story about the tares and wheat (believers and non-believers) growing together, who won't be separated until the day of judgement when their true identities will be revealed.  All during our lives we are faced with moments or opportunities when the decisions we make in that moment will change our direction or the direction of others.  Yesterday, was such a time as this...

For the most part, yesterday's trip was uneventful.  I arrived later than normal because my work scheduled has changed back to nights and I have to sleep when I get home now on Sunday mornings.  I was able to see Antonio and Lelicia whom I missed seeing last week.  I think Lelicia was worried something had happened to me.  When I told them next Sunday is Father's Day and said I have two kids and may not be able to make it next week, Antonio said they had a 28 year old son.  I also found out Antonio is 55 and Leticia is 53 years old.  As I was driving away from them I heard Leticia say, "I love you."  Not too far from them I found a man named Carlos sitting on the sidewalk.  He had a backpack next to him and not much else.  It looked like he'd been wearing the same clothes for awhile.  When I gave him some food and water I could see him looking up to the sky and pointing and then looking at me and thanking me.  It was another direct lesson on the difference between being thankful for help and being happy about being helped.  While talking with Carlos and giving him some much needed clothes another young man named Alex came walking by.  He had passed us, but suddenly realized what was going on and turned around and said something in Spanish while rubbing his stomach.  So he was helped too.  Before driving away, Carlos repeatedly said, "God bless you."

I also saw Willie on Wall St.  I hadn't seen Willie in a month or two.  He told me another Willie that we knew, who had been staying behind the auto parts store on Washington Blvd, had been held up and then beaten up.  Also, Tara Lee had been beaten up and received stitches on his chin within the last week or so.  It was a reminder how dangerous and cold-hearted living on the streets can be.  Willie also warned me about some of the people who have been staying around the two alleys where we've had the barbecues.  In fact, I had driven down one of them earlier and saw two men who seemed sort of out of place there.  They had declined my offer of help and seemed more interested in me moving on than anything.  So I obliged.

Well, I had helped another couple living under a freeway, his name was Paul and they had a small black dog named Magic (I'm hoping that didn't signify black magic) and then there was another man named Kenny who I found picking through trash in the gutter on Washington Blvd.  Anyway, I was down to the last couple of burgers and wanted to go by where John Stokes lives and find out what the latest news is on his plans to move back to Atlanta.  He's turned 65 now and is waiting for his social security checks to start arriving.  When I got to where he lives he had a couple of women there with him.  We talked for a few minutes about his situation and it looks like he'll have to wait at least until next month before he'll start receiving any additional money.  When I commented to him about his women friends he responded with a sheepish grin and said they were 'working girls'.  I had given John the last of the food and a couple of bottled waters, I don't know if he was going to share them or not.  I introduced myself to the two and they said they're names were Yolonda and Angelina.  We talked for a while and then as I was about to leave, John asked me to pray for them.  So, of course, I did.  So here is when "that moment" happened.  I had just gotten back in my car and hadn't even closed the door yet when Angelina walked over to me and asked if I was a pastor.  I said, "No, I'm just a guy."  Then she asked me if I thought she was pretty.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking.  Then she just kind of blurted out that her mother had just died a short time ago (killed in an accident by a drunk driver).  At this point, I knew that I needed to get out of the car to continue this conversation, so I did.  She then told me that she was struggling to get by and was ashamed of some of the things she was having to do.  I looked her in the eyes and told her that in God's eyes she was a person of worth and not to let anyone tell her differently. "Remember you were created in His image, He will always love you."  When I said this I could actually see a look of "Really?" on her face.  I then told her again that God loved her.  I said, "Look, I have two kids and no matter what's happened to them or where they are or what situation they're in, I love them no matter what.  The same goes for you, no matter what's happened to you, God loves you."  At this point I put my arm around her and said, "Let me pray for you."  I prayed that God would comfort her during this difficult time and provide for her needs.  While I prayed, she clung on to me like a six year-old little girl who needed the protection and comfort of her Mom.  What a privilege to have been there for her at this time as an ambassador for Christ.  I can only hope and pray that some other man doesn't come by with other motives in mind.  So here was "that moment".  It came by quite unexpectedly.  A month ago I had a similar encounter with a man named Dave who was living under a freeway.  He had asked me, "Will I ever get another job?  So here were two real people (and there have been others), in times of crisis in their lives, not knowing where their next meal will come or what the future holds.  They're feeling alone and abandoned by their families and society.  In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  My passion is to seek to serve Him.  My job is to be ready for every opportunity.        ---Until next time.  John           

Downtown 6/2/2013

"but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another."  --John 15:16

Well this is the first video I've posted in these blogs.  It's a short but powerful video about love, a lesson on forgiveness from an unlikely 10 year-old girl and God's vast resources.  Yet it starts with the love received from God and played out in the life of Heidi Baker.  It's a lesson we all need to learn and demonstrate in our own lives.  I know not everyone is cut out to serve in Africa or even the streets of downtown Los Angeles, but we can all serve Him someplace and it starts with wherever we are now.  (sorry if there's a promo at the beginning of the video)

My last barbecue was September 30 of last year.  Shortly after that time, those people were pushed out of their 'homes' and run off.  They all scattered in different directions.  It took some 'accepting' of the situation on my part and then finding a new group of friends to bond with who are living close enough to each other and far enough away from the beaten path to do another barbecue.  I'm sure having an open flame on a sidewalk in LA county is violating some law!  So it has to be a 'safe' place in more than just the normal ways one might think (like secluded too).  Last week I happened to stop under a freeway on a small street off Olympic Blvd and in a matter of a few minutes five people came over to the car that I hadn't even seen when I first stopped.  They were people who lived in their vehicles under the freeway.  I thought perhaps this was 'the place', but after this Sunday's trip, I think around the corner from there might work out best. I have been praying about it and God knows it is a desire of my heart to have this happen.  But wouldn't you know that obstacles are appearing on the horizon.  One is my work schedule will change from days to nights for the next four months, so I'll have to be sleeping during the day on Sundays now.  With daylight savings time going until November (I think), I'll need to make this happen in the next two or three months at the outside to ensure enough daylight.  On the street that I have in mind there are at least 4-5 people living on the sidewalk that I know of plus the people in the cars around the corner and under the freeway.  Please pray for this opportunity to happen (that the people stay in place and that the police stay away for about 2 1/2 hours).  I'm thinking sometime the weekend before or after July 4th.

Sunday when I was with these people and brought up the idea the response was very positive.  The couple that I had seen there last week (Maurice and Elicia) was still there.  Maurice kind of mentioned we could do the barbecue and have some music and I could 'preach' to them.  I said, "I don't preach, but I do tell people about the Jesus I know.'  They introduced me to a man living on that street a few tents down.  His name is Gabriel.  He came on down to the car and looked through the clothes in the back, like they all did and we had a good time talking.  Maurice said Gabriel was a Christian and he and I talked for quite a while about spiritual things.  I was very impressed with not only his biblical knowledge, but his understanding of it also.  While I was there a couple of men from around the corner came by (one of them was Kenny from last week).  He had told me last week where Gary was living on a street called Paloma, but I had looked there Sunday and didn't see him.  Kenny said to look on the other side of Washington Blvd.  I'll look again next week.  While I was looking on Paloma St I found a man named Nassau.  He's about my age and has been homeless for almost 40 years!  When I asked him if he needed some socks he showed me the ones he had on.  They were black and were stuck to the skin on his feet.  He feet were in a lot of pain and it made walking around difficult.  That's why he was still on that street and hadn't moved on.

I finished up by going by where John Stokes lives.  The first time I stopped he wasn't there, but the second time he was.  He is the one who turned 65 last week.  He was hoping to have his Social Security check kick in this last week, but it didn't (what a surprise, huh?).  He said he was "so disappointed".  If he has to wait another month, he probably won't make it to Atlanta for his extended family's 4th of July celebration.  So we prayed about the government check coming through.  Perhaps they can help correct the situation this coming week.

Earlier on this trip I met J.J, Alvin and David from Rancho Cucamonga as well as Nassua who I mentioned already.  In the words of the video, I stopped for each one and got to pray with them too. It's really isn't complicated.  Until next time. --John    

Downtown 5/26/2013

 "Listen.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  Luke 17:3

"Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him."  Luke 15:1

Repentance and forgiveness were two of the main tenets Jesus taught during His earthly ministry.  It's easy to see why 'tax collectors and sinners' would draw near to hear Him.  The outcasts of society are the ones experiencing little forgiveness from others, yet Jesus still loved them and treated them as people of worth.  A couple of days ago I 'shared' a post on facebook from the missionary group, Gospel for Asia.  It was simply a picture of a woman laying face down amid a lot of dirt and debris.  Yesterday, I found a man laying face down on a sidewalk that reminded me of the Gospel for Asia picture.  He appeared to be sleeping, although when I walked over to him and asked if he was hungry he immediately turned over and said, "yes".  When I gave him a couple of burgers to eat he started eating them right away.  If you look carefully at the picture, you can see he has no socks and only one of the shoes had laces.  I asked him about his shoes and he said they were too small.  Luckily, I had one pair of tennis shoes and I gave him some socks to go with them along with a couple of shirts.  The man's name was Alisio and he was from "California".  He didn't seem to want to give too many details of his life, so I didn't press him for details.  Where I found him was a bit of a walk from the skid row area where one can get a

meal.  I'm hearing that some of the missions aren't serving 3 meals a day anymore.  So it's likely Alisio hadn't eaten all day and at the time of the afternoon (about 5:30 pm) that I saw him, he wasn't going to eat until at least the next day.  That particular street was deserted on a Sunday.  No cars and no pedestrians around.  There was another homeless man about a quarter mile down the street who had set up his 'house'.  His name was Rafael and he was from Panama.  He had on a T-shirt that he had gotten at a shelter.  It was a soccer jersey with someone else's name on it and it was about 4 sizes too big.  I gave him a couple of new shirts that actually fit. Rafael was very happy to receive the help I offered.  When I prayed with him he repeated the words I said, it was very humbling.  When I was about to leave him, two other homeless people (a couple actually) were walking towards me.  They lived around the corner on the next street and had seen me.  Apparently, I had helped them before and they recognized me and came over looking for help again.  They got the last of the burgers and smoothies.  I only had a box of about a dozen or so smoothies, but they were a big hit with my friends downtown.  The woman was from Texas and they said they were leaving this next week to go back there.  I'm glad there was family available and willing to give them a place to go to.

At this point I was now out of burgers to give out, (I had helped a few other people before I saw Alisio) so I was driving towards the freeway onramp when I saw a couple of men working on a car.  One of the men looked up as I was driving by and we recognized each other.  I stopped the car and the one who looked up was Kenny, a man I knew.  He came over and we talked for a few minutes.  It turns out he was helping the other man change the water pump on the other man's car.  I did have some canned food left and some water which I gave Kenny and he also asked for some socks.  This area where we were is about a half mile or more from the BBQ alleys which is where I usually see Kenny.  So he asked about the other folks that we know from over there.  He told me that Gary, who was living behind the auto parts store on Washington is staying in a parking lot by the food bank on Paloma St on the other side of Washington.  I'll look for him next week.  So I had prayed with Kenny and before he walked back across the street to work on the car, two other men walked up looking for help.  Like I said I was out of burgers, but I did have some canned food left and some snacks which I gave them.  These other two men looked through the back of the car for clothes that fit and both found an armful they could use.  When I prayed for them I reminded God that He had their picture on His refrigerator, they both got a kick out of that image.  When I finished praying with them another man walked up looking for some help too!  I think this place, under the freeway, is where homeless people with cars live.  I think all these people stay/live there in cars.  Perhaps, this could be a potential BBQ site this summer.  I hope so.  I look forward to having an opportunity to give these people a nice afternoon and tell them about the Jesus I know.  --Until next time.  John      

Downtown 5/19/2013

"...All of Jesus' disciples left him and ran away."  --Matthew 26:56--on the night Jesus was arrested.

I guess the most troubling thing to me about being homeless is the incredible feeling of being alone and not knowing what will happen next, where the next meal will come from, where you will sleep and the main question,...when will this be over?  Sadly, for so many, it really never does end.  There may be no family safety net left, and if there is you've either lost contact with them, and/or burned the bridge that could provide the help.  I've met people who are fresh on the street and those who have spent two or three decades on the street.  The fear of the future is evident in either group, whether veteran or newbie.  Thirty years ago when I drove these streets during the day and would see 'street people', I had little compassion for them.  My attitude was 'get a job'.  I had no idea how difficult that is when you have no address or phone number.  How would you fill out an application?  There is a day laborer place on a street off Washington Blvd.  I think it's south of Washington Blvd somewhere around Flower St, but in talking with people who start their day there, there hasn't been work available for quite some time.  To be sure, many of the homeless are not good at structured living (getting up daily at a certain time and going to work).  Perhaps they had no role model when they were growing up or no one pushing them to succeed like I had.  I don't know if its the sole responsibility of the individual or the government's job to provide long term solutions.  All I know is people are hurting and need help today.  Today I have time and resources to help them.  Today God calls on  people to be his hands, feet and loving heart.  Today I can do this.  I don't know about the future, but for these folks today is all they see anyway.  I'm not sure where I was reminded of the story in the New Testament about the disciples by themselves in the boat when a fierce storm appeared and threatened to sink the boat.  Jesus appeared walking on the water.  It's one of the famous stories of Jesus.  Not only were the disciples fearful of the storm, but they thought they were seeing a ghost when Jesus was walking by.  Yet, he said to them, "Don't be afraid.  It's me, Jesus."  When Jesus got in the boat, the wind died down.  It occurred to me that when the storms of this life are raging, there is always an extra seat in that boat--and I'm claiming my spot now!  I want to be near Jesus always, because storm or not, that's the safest place to be even in the midst of a storm.

Yesterday, the first people I met were a couple in an alley.  Their names were LaShawna and Charles.  LaShawna asked me, "Can I have another burger?  I'm pregnant."  Think about that.  Homeless, pregnant and living in an alley.  What do you think of that baby's future?  Outside of these two and Leticia and Antonio everyone else I met were single men by themselves.  Since I've been seeing Leticia and Antonio nearly every week for the past couple of months, Leticia always asks me, "Aren't you going to pray for us?"  This is after the food and water and anything else that they may need is given to them.  I'm always happy to pray for them.

I saw and helped a couple of other homeless men I knew in the streets nearby, but two men a few miles away that I wasn't familiar with caught my attention.  The first was a man named Walter who was originally from Denver.  He was going through some debris in the gutter of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St.  He was extremely thin and told me he had just gotten out of the hospital a few days before.  He didn't say what the health problem was.  He was hungry and quite happy to get a couple of burgers.  I prayed with him and gave him some socks.  He then returned to going through the debris in the gutter when he found two cans of food.  I'm not sure what they were.  I'm not sure if the cans were even cans of food, but he picked them up and put them in his cart.  When I saw that I said, "Hey, I've got something better for you than that.  I gave him some cans of 'meals ready to eat'.  These are cans with a top that you just peel off.  The cans in the gutter weren't even pop tops.  Unless you have a can opener, you'll tear up the can before you get anything out of it.  So the next guy was a guy digging in a dumpster for food.  He told me his name was "Joker".  I gave him some water and food and then dug around in the back of the car for some clothes too.  When I began to pray for him I referred to him as "Joker" when I prayed.  It was then that he corrected me and told me his real name was "Johnny".  When I first called out to Johnny (while he was digging in the dumpster) I guess I must have spooked him, because he dropped the lid to the dumpster and it made a loud bang.  I had prayed to find someone scared Sunday, perhaps this was the one, but I think most all of these men and women were scared to some extent.  One other thing about Johnny.  The dumpster he was digging in was in an alley off Maple St.  While we talked for the ten minutes or so I heard Spanish music playing nearby.  I thought it was from a club or some kind of eatery with a back door to the alley.  As I drove away, I saw that it was a Spanish speaking Pentecostal Church!!!  We were less than 15 feet from their OPEN back door.

I found a couple of other men in this area, one I had never met before, his name was Anthony and another man I've only met once before, his name was Willie.  Willie was the one I offered my shoes to a couple of weeks ago.  I noticed he still wasn't wearing any shoes.

Next I drove over to John Stokes.  I'm not sure how many times I'll be able to see him before he leaves for Atlanta.  I sat down on a milk crate when I got there and we talked for quite awhile.  I told John some of the stories and things I've learned in the four years we've know each other.  I began with a conversation he and I had when I first started coming downtown and I asked him, "What do homeless people need?"  I didn't know anything back then, we both laughed about that.  He was pretty riveted when I told him some of the stories and experiences I've had, in fact, he said I should write a book, that he would like to read it.  What a good friend he's been to me.  I'll miss him when he's gone.----Until next week. John



      

Monday 5/13/2013 Downtown

"After much prayer, ...Dave and his wife Lynn started Children's Hunger Fund out of their garage.  Six weeks after CHF was launched, in January of 1992, he received a phone call from the director of a cancer treatment center in Honduras asking if there was any way he could obtain a certain drug for seven children who would die without it.  Dave wrote down the name of the drug and told the director that he had no idea how to get this type of drug.  They then prayed over the phone and asked God to provide.  As Dave hung up the phone, before he even let go of the receiver, the phone rang again.  It was a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey asking Dave if he would have any use for 48,000 vials of that exact drug!  Not only did they offer him eight million dollars worth of this drug, but they told him they would airlift it to anyplace in the world!  ...Within forty-eight hours, Dave had the drug sent to the treatment center in Honduras and to twenty other locations as well.  It was then he believed firmly that God was at work, validating his calling to this ministry.  The testimony of Dave and Lynn Phillips from the book, "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan (page 135-6).  

Due to our family gathering on Mother's Day, I didn't make the trip until Monday morning.  Weekday trips are like drive-by mercy runs.  Your time with people is so brief that you're barely able to pass food through the window before your forced to drive away due to the traffic.  However, I knew that it was going to be well over 90 degrees downtown and chilled water would be most welcomed by everyone.  Locally, our grocery store had not received any ice in two days and one of the people working there told me that two major stores right nearby hadn't received any either.  I was able to  pick up some ice in another city on the drive into LA.

As kind of an example of how things go during the week, I happened to see a homeless man with a cart on San Pedro St.  I only had moments to talk to him before I had to move on.  This was under the I-10 freeway and normally I would have pulled in and driven down the alley around the warehouse that's there, but the alley was full of parked cars.  I asked the man's for his name and he told me it was Antonio.  He also told me he had lost everything.  I didn't realize until a few minutes later, after pulling away, that he was Leticia's husband, Antonio. I always see them together and that's why I didn't recognize him.  When the homeless lose 'everything', what generally happens is they have to leave their stuff for a little while and when they return it's all gone.  This is a recurring thing with homeless people.  Maybe, they have to leave their stuff to find a bathroom or get something to eat or even take stuff to a recycler.  Unless, your willing to lug your stuff everywhere you need to go, you will eventually lose it and have to start over.

I drove over to 9th St to see if I could find Patrick Morris from last week.  There were cars parked right where he had been laying.  I did see a piece of cardboard on the ground behind one of the cars, but no one was on it.  I'll check back next Sunday and see if he's there.  I did drive over to see John Stokes before I left.  He was there and we talked about when he's leaving.  He hopes to be in Atlanta by July 4th.  Apparently, his family always had a big celebration that day.  I hope he's not disappointed when he gets there.  Sometime around June 3rd he'll start receiving his Social Security checks and then he'll be gone.  I'll miss him.

Well, I gave out all the food and chilled water to go with it and then I had to leave.  This wasn't one of my memorable trips, yet I kept thinking about Jesus' words about giving a "cup of cold water in my name" as being worth something in and of itself.  Perhaps persistence and a life-style of obedience is worth something all by itself.--Until next week.  John