"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:11-12
This was the last trip of 2014 and it was made at night again. I was wanting to make a trip where I would be helping homeless folks who were alone. I have the two spots, 25th and San Pedro St and the place a block from the Jack in the Box, where there are lots of people and if I stop there I end up giving out all the food and it kind of limits my ability to help those who are by themselves. I love helping both, but for some reason I always gravitate towards those who are alone. Probably because I can have deeper conversations one-on-one than with a crowd. I had some stuff for Nicole's baby that I wanted to drop off at the spot she seems to drop by occasionally so I waited to go there at the end of the trip.
So between the first guy and the last woman I was able to help and pray with about eight people. All of them seemed to be very needful of a meal. One of the last guys was Derek. He knew me and I've seen him several times around 14th and Essex. This night he was in an alley were I had a couple of BBQ's a few years back. He told me Keysha, a homeless woman we both know, is in a 'program' down on skid row at the Weingarden facility. Derek was doing the best he could in this spot. Other homeless people keep taking stuff when he leaves, so he's constantly having to start over. He needed 'anything' warm and I was happy to be able to help him out.
There were a couple of others over on Venice by Los Angeles St on opposite corners. One was a man named Jaime. He was very grateful for the food and the pair of socks and he told me about his brother on the other corner. I'm not sure if his 'brother' was actually related or just in spirit, but I went over and helped him too. His name was Hector. Hector was in pretty much the same situation everyone else was Sunday night....cold and hungry.
One other woman I helped was Angel, who lives in an alley off Pico between Olive and Hill St. She called me by name as I drove up. She was listening to the Laker game that had just started. She needed a pair of pants and I just happened to have put a pair of women's jogging pants in the car before leaving the house. She was pretty happy to get them. She too complained about losing stuff when she's away from her spot.
So looking back on this last year there are three or four really memorable times for me. As the year started I was getting an opportunity to preach the gospel in MacArthur Park until about April or so. That was probably one of the more exhilarating things I've ever done. Impromptu preaching I had never done before. Along with that opportunity was the praying in front of the store door where the words "I am Legion" had been painted. By April those words were gone from the door and coincidentally, the preaching opportunity ended also. Then there was the BBQ in August. The biggest BBQ I had done up to that time. Along with my wife, daughter, sister-in-law and niece we not only served a lot of people food, but because I had help (and an extra car) we gave out lots of clothing too. Then back in November I was able to put on the lasagna dinner on the corner of 25th and San Pedro. I probably served more meals on that day than on any other BBQ day. In addition to that, because Nikki helped serve a lot of the people, I was able to talk and pray with many others. It was so cool praying with people that otherwise might not ever go to a church.
On a more personal level there were two encounters that really stood out for me. I had prayed before a trip back in June or so about helping someone who was really desperate emotionally. About fifteen minutes later I was helping a man on Petaloma and 14th. After giving out some food and water to him we got started talking somehow about his situation. He ended up telling me he was ready to end his life. I stayed and talked to him for quite a while that day and ended up giving him a card to the Dream Center hoping he would take the opportunity to not only get some help, but change the direction of his life. I never saw him again. I pray he sought help there or somewhere else. The other person was Elva. I met her through the people at 25th and San Pedro. She lives in the residential area east of San Pedro Ave. I prayed with her and found out her husband had just died a short time before. A couple of weeks later I spent an hour or more in her home as she showed me pictures of her wedding forty years before. She just needed someone to share her grief with and I was very privileged to be the someone chosen. How fortunate it was that her son-in-law was there to translate for us! It may have been the most important moment of this ministry during the whole year. However, I realize that I see things from my perspective and there may have been many other moments that from the perspective of the person I helped it was much more valuable that I could ever know. All in all, it was a very good year and I look forward to 2015 and the possibilities that lay ahead. --Until next time. --John
Monday, December 29, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Downtown 12/20/14
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him..." John 3:16-17
I had been on a trip to visit family all day Saturday and stopped downtown on my way back home. I didn't even arrive there until about 6 pm and needed to rest for a half an hour or so. I had kind of dozed off for a little bit and I was awakened by "Jackie", a homeless guy who wanted to say "Hello" and "Merry Christmas". I went into the Jack in the Box (I had been in my car in the parking lot) and had some coffee and a couple of tacos before meeting with any homeless friends. When I left the burger joint at 7 pm I purchased a bunch of burgers and went down a few streets to where I had the BBQ during the summer. There were a half dozen or so homeless folks there where Willie lives. They were all real happy to see me. One of the cool things that happened was one of the homeless men I had given some burgers to came back up to me thanking me for the food....after he had eaten the burgers. It kind of reminded me of the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers (and the one who returned to thank him for the healing). During this time Nicole and Bill came by with her baby, Billy Joe. She works at the recycler on the other side of the block. I had collected some things for her that I was going to leave with Willie, but it was great that they just happened to show up while I was there. Most of the men who were there had been there for the BBQ back in August, so one of the things they asked me about was when I was going to do another one! I had to tell them, "Not for a while." I need to be off the night shift and we need daylight savings time back too. This won't happen until after February. Since there were so many people there the food went pretty quickly and all the coats and jackets went too.
I left there with only four burgers left so I drove around the corner and gave them to Dave and John Stokes. It ended up being a fairly quick trip once I actually got started. However brief it was, it was still very fulfilling and several people were helped on a cold December night downtown the weekend before Christmas. --Until next time. John
Here's a photo of Nicole and Billy Joe
I had been on a trip to visit family all day Saturday and stopped downtown on my way back home. I didn't even arrive there until about 6 pm and needed to rest for a half an hour or so. I had kind of dozed off for a little bit and I was awakened by "Jackie", a homeless guy who wanted to say "Hello" and "Merry Christmas". I went into the Jack in the Box (I had been in my car in the parking lot) and had some coffee and a couple of tacos before meeting with any homeless friends. When I left the burger joint at 7 pm I purchased a bunch of burgers and went down a few streets to where I had the BBQ during the summer. There were a half dozen or so homeless folks there where Willie lives. They were all real happy to see me. One of the cool things that happened was one of the homeless men I had given some burgers to came back up to me thanking me for the food....after he had eaten the burgers. It kind of reminded me of the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers (and the one who returned to thank him for the healing). During this time Nicole and Bill came by with her baby, Billy Joe. She works at the recycler on the other side of the block. I had collected some things for her that I was going to leave with Willie, but it was great that they just happened to show up while I was there. Most of the men who were there had been there for the BBQ back in August, so one of the things they asked me about was when I was going to do another one! I had to tell them, "Not for a while." I need to be off the night shift and we need daylight savings time back too. This won't happen until after February. Since there were so many people there the food went pretty quickly and all the coats and jackets went too.
I left there with only four burgers left so I drove around the corner and gave them to Dave and John Stokes. It ended up being a fairly quick trip once I actually got started. However brief it was, it was still very fulfilling and several people were helped on a cold December night downtown the weekend before Christmas. --Until next time. John
Here's a photo of Nicole and Billy Joe
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Sunday night downtown-12/14/2014
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger." Luke 2:8-16
This is a favorite passage of mine and one of the reasons is because the first people who were told of Jesus' birth worked the night shift!!!
Another trip downtown made at night. In fact, I don't think I even made it down there until about 7:30 pm. It's supposed to rain tomorrow or at least by tomorrow night and I knew people could use some warm clothes. So I loaded up a half dozen or so jackets and sweat shirts in the car and took off for San Pedro and 25th. I hadn't seen these folks since the dinner last month (Nov 16th) and all the usual people were there except for Victoria and Hiram. The jackets were gone in less than five minutes and two of the blankets I took also. It was a good but brief stop because I had parked in front of a driveway and one of the residents came home needing to use the driveway. There was a iron fence I was parked in front of that I didn't think anyone would be needing to get through, but someone showed up after I'd been there for five minutes, so I had to leave rather quickly. It was good to be able to accomplish so much so quickly; food, water and warm clothing and hugs for everyone.
I then drove over to Venice Blvd by Los Angeles St and found some friends on a corner there. One of the guys is Felipe. I was able to show him a picture of him on my phone that I took with him and Antonio and Leticia a couple of summers ago. He was sure surprised to see it. Although they looked like they had a lot of 'stuff'', Felipe told me that the city had come by one day while they were gone and taken everything away. So the socks and the last blanket I had with me were greatly needed.
I had two burgers left and after checking out a couple of locations and finding nobody there I decided to drive over to the Jack in the Box and take a short break. So while I was sitting at one of the tables and having some coffee (I was reading a book during this time) I noticed a man sitting by himself in one of the corners of the dining room. He wasn't eating or drinking anything just sitting there minding his own business hoping to not be noticed by the staff there. He kept looking at his hands which were kind of dirty. When I was ready to go I walked over to him and told him if he was hungry I had a couple of burgers left in my car he could have. He said "OK" and I motioned for him to follow me outside. I gave him the burgers and asked what his name was. He told me his name was Michael. I told him I have a brother by that name. We talked for a minute or two, I gave him a pair of socks and a bottle of water before leaving. He then walked back over to the sidewalk by the Jack in the Box and started eating the burgers. I just knew he was hungry. I was glad I offered him the burgers and glad I had two left to give out. --Until next time. John
This is a favorite passage of mine and one of the reasons is because the first people who were told of Jesus' birth worked the night shift!!!
Another trip downtown made at night. In fact, I don't think I even made it down there until about 7:30 pm. It's supposed to rain tomorrow or at least by tomorrow night and I knew people could use some warm clothes. So I loaded up a half dozen or so jackets and sweat shirts in the car and took off for San Pedro and 25th. I hadn't seen these folks since the dinner last month (Nov 16th) and all the usual people were there except for Victoria and Hiram. The jackets were gone in less than five minutes and two of the blankets I took also. It was a good but brief stop because I had parked in front of a driveway and one of the residents came home needing to use the driveway. There was a iron fence I was parked in front of that I didn't think anyone would be needing to get through, but someone showed up after I'd been there for five minutes, so I had to leave rather quickly. It was good to be able to accomplish so much so quickly; food, water and warm clothing and hugs for everyone.
I then drove over to Venice Blvd by Los Angeles St and found some friends on a corner there. One of the guys is Felipe. I was able to show him a picture of him on my phone that I took with him and Antonio and Leticia a couple of summers ago. He was sure surprised to see it. Although they looked like they had a lot of 'stuff'', Felipe told me that the city had come by one day while they were gone and taken everything away. So the socks and the last blanket I had with me were greatly needed.
I had two burgers left and after checking out a couple of locations and finding nobody there I decided to drive over to the Jack in the Box and take a short break. So while I was sitting at one of the tables and having some coffee (I was reading a book during this time) I noticed a man sitting by himself in one of the corners of the dining room. He wasn't eating or drinking anything just sitting there minding his own business hoping to not be noticed by the staff there. He kept looking at his hands which were kind of dirty. When I was ready to go I walked over to him and told him if he was hungry I had a couple of burgers left in my car he could have. He said "OK" and I motioned for him to follow me outside. I gave him the burgers and asked what his name was. He told me his name was Michael. I told him I have a brother by that name. We talked for a minute or two, I gave him a pair of socks and a bottle of water before leaving. He then walked back over to the sidewalk by the Jack in the Box and started eating the burgers. I just knew he was hungry. I was glad I offered him the burgers and glad I had two left to give out. --Until next time. John
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Saturday night downtown 12/6/2014
"If you mistreat the poor you insult your Creator, if you are kind to them you show him respect." Proverbs 14:31
I usually don't have Saturday nights off from work, but I did have it off this week and I was able to make the trip at night. It rained earlier this week and the temperature is still very cool (high 50's to low 60's). Along with the low night-time temperatures most of the homeless were already bedded down for the night when I arrived at about 6:30 pm. Some I didn't try to arouse, but others (who were probably hungry) got up quickly when I asked if they were hungry.
One group of guys on the corner of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St were still awake, but obviously winding down. One of the men I had helped before but I probably hadn't seen him in over a year. His name was Felipe and I used to see him a few blocks east of there with Antonio and Lecticia. In fact, he asked me how they were doing. After I helped these three men I prayed with them and it was then that Felipe said something I won't soon forget. He said, "We need prayer. Thank you so much." It wasn't said in a patronizing way, but really heartfelt. He probably remembered me praying with Antonio and Leticia..
I left that corner and drove on down to Trinity St where I usually see Antonio and Leticia. I didn't see them, although they may have been there sleeping under some blankets, but I did meet two men named Oscar and Pablo. I didn't have a lengthy conversation with them because of the language barrier, but they were very thankful for the food and water. They also were grateful for the "calcetines" (socks) and the blanket I gave them. Yes, I got to pray with them too.
I saw Angel again in an alley off Pico and Olive. She didn't say anything about leaving for Utah this time, but did talk about how a lot of her stuff had been stolen. I let her go through the clothes in the back of the car. I think she was pretty happy to see me tonight.
The last place I stopped was where I had the BBQ back in August. I saw Willie and also Nicole's husband. I'm not real sure if Nicole and him are married or not and I never did get his name. I asked how Nicole was doing and they said she stops by there every night. I didn't ask too many questions (like where she's staying), but I told them I have some stuff I've collected for her baby. Willie said I could leave it with them and he'll make sure she gets it. I didn't have any of it with me tonight, but I'll bring a few things at a time over the next few trips and I'll see if it makes it to her or not. --Until next time. John
I usually don't have Saturday nights off from work, but I did have it off this week and I was able to make the trip at night. It rained earlier this week and the temperature is still very cool (high 50's to low 60's). Along with the low night-time temperatures most of the homeless were already bedded down for the night when I arrived at about 6:30 pm. Some I didn't try to arouse, but others (who were probably hungry) got up quickly when I asked if they were hungry.
One group of guys on the corner of Venice Blvd near Los Angeles St were still awake, but obviously winding down. One of the men I had helped before but I probably hadn't seen him in over a year. His name was Felipe and I used to see him a few blocks east of there with Antonio and Lecticia. In fact, he asked me how they were doing. After I helped these three men I prayed with them and it was then that Felipe said something I won't soon forget. He said, "We need prayer. Thank you so much." It wasn't said in a patronizing way, but really heartfelt. He probably remembered me praying with Antonio and Leticia..
I left that corner and drove on down to Trinity St where I usually see Antonio and Leticia. I didn't see them, although they may have been there sleeping under some blankets, but I did meet two men named Oscar and Pablo. I didn't have a lengthy conversation with them because of the language barrier, but they were very thankful for the food and water. They also were grateful for the "calcetines" (socks) and the blanket I gave them. Yes, I got to pray with them too.
I saw Angel again in an alley off Pico and Olive. She didn't say anything about leaving for Utah this time, but did talk about how a lot of her stuff had been stolen. I let her go through the clothes in the back of the car. I think she was pretty happy to see me tonight.
The last place I stopped was where I had the BBQ back in August. I saw Willie and also Nicole's husband. I'm not real sure if Nicole and him are married or not and I never did get his name. I asked how Nicole was doing and they said she stops by there every night. I didn't ask too many questions (like where she's staying), but I told them I have some stuff I've collected for her baby. Willie said I could leave it with them and he'll make sure she gets it. I didn't have any of it with me tonight, but I'll bring a few things at a time over the next few trips and I'll see if it makes it to her or not. --Until next time. John
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Downtown Sunday night 11/23/14
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person in front of you." --Mother Teresa
"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them." --Mother Teresa
After last week's trip, I didn't necessarily want to go back to the same street corner, but I did want to try and find Gabriel. I wrote about meeting him last week, however, as I crossed Washington Blvd on San Pedro there was some police activity right near the alley he said he spends his nights at. Since it was already dark, I couldn't really see people walking up and down the street too well either. Gabriel said he spends most of his time there on San Pedro St during the daytime. I'll keep looking around for him in the weeks ahead.
I didn't arrive downtown until almost 5:30 pm and by this time it's night time now. The trip didn't take very long once I got there. Everyone I met I prayed with and I'm pretty sure everyone I helped would have gone to sleep without eating anything too, so it was a worthwhile trip on both counts.
I found Antonio and Leticia on their street (Trinity), but they were standing on the other side of the street than they usually are. Antonio is always very reserved, but Leticia is always happy to see me and asks for me to pray for them. I'm always happy to oblige.
Just down the street from them and under the freeway was a woman named Sharon. She looked to be about my age and all bundled up. It is starting to get cold a night around here. She was happy for the food, but didn't need any water. I think she was surprised when I asked to pray for her. Perhaps next time she will be a little more talkative. She said she was from around the LA area.
On the corner of Los Angeles St and Venice Blvd there is an auto repair shop. A pit bull guards the back door behind a small fenced area. I call this dog Rocky (because he's built like a rock) and I usually feed him some treats when I go by there. It's probably been six weeks or more since I've seen Rocky, but he was happy to see me and ate the treats right out of my hand! Around the corner from him were three Latino men getting ready to spend the night on the sidewalk. Alex, Santa and (I think they said) Bocha. I gave out food and water to all of them and a blanket too. Then I prayed for them.
At this point I only had two burgers left. I drove down an alley off Pico Ave separating a couple of fenced parking lots and found Angel. I hadn't seen her in at least two months. She had a small flashlight and showed me her cat. When I saw it the last time it was just a kitten. She also has a small dog named Prince too. She told me her tent was stolen and also a tarp she had for the 'roof' of her make-shift home. I gave her a blanket to help her get through these cold nights. Then she told me someone was providing her with a bus ticket to go back to Utah next month and that this would probably be the last time we'd see each other. I said,"Well, let me pray for a safe trip." So I prayed for her. I wonder what will become of her dog and cat when she leaves. Angel has a lot of 'issues'. One big one is that she needs a wheel chair to get around in. I'm sure she's also a very lonely woman and that's why she has the dog and cat. I thought the second quote from Mother Teresa was a great quote. What if we all recognized the need others have to be loved and just loved them unconditionally? The world would be a better place I'm sure. --Until next time. John
"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them." --Mother Teresa
After last week's trip, I didn't necessarily want to go back to the same street corner, but I did want to try and find Gabriel. I wrote about meeting him last week, however, as I crossed Washington Blvd on San Pedro there was some police activity right near the alley he said he spends his nights at. Since it was already dark, I couldn't really see people walking up and down the street too well either. Gabriel said he spends most of his time there on San Pedro St during the daytime. I'll keep looking around for him in the weeks ahead.
I didn't arrive downtown until almost 5:30 pm and by this time it's night time now. The trip didn't take very long once I got there. Everyone I met I prayed with and I'm pretty sure everyone I helped would have gone to sleep without eating anything too, so it was a worthwhile trip on both counts.
I found Antonio and Leticia on their street (Trinity), but they were standing on the other side of the street than they usually are. Antonio is always very reserved, but Leticia is always happy to see me and asks for me to pray for them. I'm always happy to oblige.
Just down the street from them and under the freeway was a woman named Sharon. She looked to be about my age and all bundled up. It is starting to get cold a night around here. She was happy for the food, but didn't need any water. I think she was surprised when I asked to pray for her. Perhaps next time she will be a little more talkative. She said she was from around the LA area.
On the corner of Los Angeles St and Venice Blvd there is an auto repair shop. A pit bull guards the back door behind a small fenced area. I call this dog Rocky (because he's built like a rock) and I usually feed him some treats when I go by there. It's probably been six weeks or more since I've seen Rocky, but he was happy to see me and ate the treats right out of my hand! Around the corner from him were three Latino men getting ready to spend the night on the sidewalk. Alex, Santa and (I think they said) Bocha. I gave out food and water to all of them and a blanket too. Then I prayed for them.
At this point I only had two burgers left. I drove down an alley off Pico Ave separating a couple of fenced parking lots and found Angel. I hadn't seen her in at least two months. She had a small flashlight and showed me her cat. When I saw it the last time it was just a kitten. She also has a small dog named Prince too. She told me her tent was stolen and also a tarp she had for the 'roof' of her make-shift home. I gave her a blanket to help her get through these cold nights. Then she told me someone was providing her with a bus ticket to go back to Utah next month and that this would probably be the last time we'd see each other. I said,"Well, let me pray for a safe trip." So I prayed for her. I wonder what will become of her dog and cat when she leaves. Angel has a lot of 'issues'. One big one is that she needs a wheel chair to get around in. I'm sure she's also a very lonely woman and that's why she has the dog and cat. I thought the second quote from Mother Teresa was a great quote. What if we all recognized the need others have to be loved and just loved them unconditionally? The world would be a better place I'm sure. --Until next time. John
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday afternoon dinner on a street corner downtown-11/16/14
"Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 'Here is a boy with five small barely loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?' Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down'. There was plenty of grass in that place and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.' So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten." John 6:8-13
I was unable to put on two BBQ's this year. I had done the one in August, but somehow, ran out of time before daylight savings time was over to do a second one. I wanted to do a second one down on the corner of 25th and San Pedro St in Los Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with firing up a BBQ that close to a busy street. So I thought about using the pans with the little cans of Sterno gel under them to heat up food. I got some advice and help on this from a close friend and it worked out perfectly. I thought about the menu options and decided to go with Lasagna with a few different choices of salads and with chips and salsa. The food went over very well, only one guy didn't like lasagna and he ended up coming back for more salad!
So if you've followed these blogs for a while you might be wondering, "What specifically were you praying about this time John?" The thing about this location is that there is a lot of foot traffic going from the residential neighborhood to the retail stores on San Pedro St. There are lots of alleys up and down San Pedro St where homeless folks live too. So I knew it would be busy in the afternoon with a lot of people walking by. Especially, with the kind of people I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to pray with. I had told the core people that live on that corner that we'd be celebrating Thanksgiving early and since my birthday was the Friday before we'd celebrate 'every ones' birthday too. So the core people that are there nearly every time I come by there are Queen Victoria, Dave Parker, Hiram, Nicky and another woman who rarely speaks (and I've never caught her name either, she always looks kind of scared and worried too). Anyway, I got down there at 1:30 pm. and Nicky and Hiram helped me set up (I really would have struggled if they hadn't helped). I had cooked six pans of lasagna in the morning and wanted to get the tables and the chafing pans set up as quickly as possible. I had rented 3 tables and 8 chairs so people walking by could sit and eat and enjoy the time on the corner in comfort. It worked out well and Nicky probably served 80% of the people, she was a great help. Victoria had gone to the Burger King to use their restroom to get ready. When she came back she had on a pretty bright floral blouse and looked radiant. Dave, for some reason, left right away and didn't come back. Victoria was very upset about it and shed some tears over it, but I told her not to worry about it on my account. I was a little surprised though. Now I didn't count the number of people served, but it was around thirty (more than I've ever done at a BBQ). All the salads were gone, and 4 of the 6 pans of lasagna were gone. I'd rather have too much, than too little. Remember I had said that the dinner was an early Thanksgiving Day celebration of sorts too. The story above that I started with of Jesus feeding the five thousand was the earliest written words that I could come up with where someone "gives thanks" for what they are about to eat (in the other three gospels it says Jesus "blessed" the loaves, but here he "gives thanks").
OK, so what happened? I'd say at least three people said they hadn't eaten all day. I'm sure there were a lot more that didn't say it. One woman said she hadn't eaten in three days. Another woman who was all dressed up and had come from the "Kingdom Hall" said the only thing in her refrigerator at home was ice cubes! There were people who walked by who didn't speak hardly any English who stayed and ate with us. One woman, named Marabelle, lived near Maple St. I sat and talked with her while she ate. She had had knee surgery a while back and walking was still painful for her. Actually, I talked with just about everyone who came by. Two men, Freddy and Moses, came by. I'm not really sure if they were homeless or not. They may live in the neighborhood nearby I really don't remember if they said so or not. But I got to talk with them and pray with them. They (as were most of the people who asked) were surprised that I live as far away as I do and come down there to help people. There was one couple who stopped and ate with us, the man had on a Redskin's jersey with the name Randel El on the back. I'm sure I surprised him when I said that guy was in the Super Bowl with the Steelers several years back and as a receiver threw a touchdown pass. The Steeler's quarterback didn't throw one in the whole game, yet that guy did. How did I remember that???
So are you ready for the encounter of the day? It's difficult to tell and will probably shock a few people, but this is the reality for some people on the street, so here goes. About two hours into the trip and man came by, Latino, but spoke fluent English. His name was Gabriel. I guess he grew up in the area. I had been talking about my daughter learning to drive and he told me about his mother promising to buy him a car when he was 17 after he got his driver's license. She got him a GTO in 1981, so by now he's in his early 50's I'm guessing. I noticed a big patch of skin off the top of his right forearm when he first walked up, so I had made a plate of food for him and had him sit down in one of the chairs and handed it to him. We had talked for a while when I got around to asking him about the open spot on his arm. In addition to the missing skin, the back of his hand was now at a 90 degree angle to his forearm and his fingers were kind of swollen too. So he told me the story of one night when he was shooting up heroin. He was looking for a vein in that arm and was having trouble finding one so he set the needle down next to him so he could tie up his arm so the veins would pop up. Then he shot the needle in. A few hours later his arm swelled up and he ended up in the hospital. When he woke up, they had removed that patch of skin due to a flesh eating virus or something. As his arm healed, the hand moved into that position, probably due to lack of physical therapy. After telling me this, Gabriel said, "Hey, I'm just telling you the truth of what happened. I'm on methadone now." I told him it was OK, I wasn't offended by his story. Of course, I prayed for him. I also asked him where he stayed at night. he told me that he and two other guys sleep in an alley off Washington Blvd and San Pedro St, between 10 pm and 7:30 am and then they have to move on. He spends most of his days walking up and down San Pedro St. Remember when I said one of the reasons I wanted to do a dinner on this street corner was because I'd meet people there that I'd never have the opportunity to meet otherwise? Well, there you go! You're not going to meet people like this in a church, people like this will never make it there. You have to go to the streets to meet people like this (in desperate need). By the way, Gabriel seemed coherent, well-spoken and pleasant to talk to. He even asked for some literature so I gave him a couple of Guide Post magazines. As he was about to leave and he told me he spent most of his time walking up and down San Pedro St, I told him I come down here once a week and pointed to my car. "When you see this car, flag me down. I come down here to help people." Then he said, "When I see you, I see Jesus. You are Jesus to me." Talk about being humbled immediately. I sure hope I see Gabriel again because I realized later I missed an opportunity to tell him, "Jesus loves you. I know because this Jesus loves you!" I think somehow he knew that already, but I'll keep searching for him until I find him again.
Well, a little while later Hiram, Nicky and the other woman helped me pack the car up. Before I left we all gathered around and held hands and prayed. When we finished praying they all sang happy birthday to me. It was quite a trip!
So I had two pans of lasagna left. I decided to try and find some folks on the other side of Washington Blvd to help on my way out of town. I called out to several tents where people I know live, but no one came out or were there, so I came on home. Don't worry about the left-over lasagna, it won't go to waste (as of Monday afternoon, only one pan is left!) Until next time.--John
I was unable to put on two BBQ's this year. I had done the one in August, but somehow, ran out of time before daylight savings time was over to do a second one. I wanted to do a second one down on the corner of 25th and San Pedro St in Los Angeles, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with firing up a BBQ that close to a busy street. So I thought about using the pans with the little cans of Sterno gel under them to heat up food. I got some advice and help on this from a close friend and it worked out perfectly. I thought about the menu options and decided to go with Lasagna with a few different choices of salads and with chips and salsa. The food went over very well, only one guy didn't like lasagna and he ended up coming back for more salad!
So if you've followed these blogs for a while you might be wondering, "What specifically were you praying about this time John?" The thing about this location is that there is a lot of foot traffic going from the residential neighborhood to the retail stores on San Pedro St. There are lots of alleys up and down San Pedro St where homeless folks live too. So I knew it would be busy in the afternoon with a lot of people walking by. Especially, with the kind of people I wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to pray with. I had told the core people that live on that corner that we'd be celebrating Thanksgiving early and since my birthday was the Friday before we'd celebrate 'every ones' birthday too. So the core people that are there nearly every time I come by there are Queen Victoria, Dave Parker, Hiram, Nicky and another woman who rarely speaks (and I've never caught her name either, she always looks kind of scared and worried too). Anyway, I got down there at 1:30 pm. and Nicky and Hiram helped me set up (I really would have struggled if they hadn't helped). I had cooked six pans of lasagna in the morning and wanted to get the tables and the chafing pans set up as quickly as possible. I had rented 3 tables and 8 chairs so people walking by could sit and eat and enjoy the time on the corner in comfort. It worked out well and Nicky probably served 80% of the people, she was a great help. Victoria had gone to the Burger King to use their restroom to get ready. When she came back she had on a pretty bright floral blouse and looked radiant. Dave, for some reason, left right away and didn't come back. Victoria was very upset about it and shed some tears over it, but I told her not to worry about it on my account. I was a little surprised though. Now I didn't count the number of people served, but it was around thirty (more than I've ever done at a BBQ). All the salads were gone, and 4 of the 6 pans of lasagna were gone. I'd rather have too much, than too little. Remember I had said that the dinner was an early Thanksgiving Day celebration of sorts too. The story above that I started with of Jesus feeding the five thousand was the earliest written words that I could come up with where someone "gives thanks" for what they are about to eat (in the other three gospels it says Jesus "blessed" the loaves, but here he "gives thanks").
OK, so what happened? I'd say at least three people said they hadn't eaten all day. I'm sure there were a lot more that didn't say it. One woman said she hadn't eaten in three days. Another woman who was all dressed up and had come from the "Kingdom Hall" said the only thing in her refrigerator at home was ice cubes! There were people who walked by who didn't speak hardly any English who stayed and ate with us. One woman, named Marabelle, lived near Maple St. I sat and talked with her while she ate. She had had knee surgery a while back and walking was still painful for her. Actually, I talked with just about everyone who came by. Two men, Freddy and Moses, came by. I'm not really sure if they were homeless or not. They may live in the neighborhood nearby I really don't remember if they said so or not. But I got to talk with them and pray with them. They (as were most of the people who asked) were surprised that I live as far away as I do and come down there to help people. There was one couple who stopped and ate with us, the man had on a Redskin's jersey with the name Randel El on the back. I'm sure I surprised him when I said that guy was in the Super Bowl with the Steelers several years back and as a receiver threw a touchdown pass. The Steeler's quarterback didn't throw one in the whole game, yet that guy did. How did I remember that???
So are you ready for the encounter of the day? It's difficult to tell and will probably shock a few people, but this is the reality for some people on the street, so here goes. About two hours into the trip and man came by, Latino, but spoke fluent English. His name was Gabriel. I guess he grew up in the area. I had been talking about my daughter learning to drive and he told me about his mother promising to buy him a car when he was 17 after he got his driver's license. She got him a GTO in 1981, so by now he's in his early 50's I'm guessing. I noticed a big patch of skin off the top of his right forearm when he first walked up, so I had made a plate of food for him and had him sit down in one of the chairs and handed it to him. We had talked for a while when I got around to asking him about the open spot on his arm. In addition to the missing skin, the back of his hand was now at a 90 degree angle to his forearm and his fingers were kind of swollen too. So he told me the story of one night when he was shooting up heroin. He was looking for a vein in that arm and was having trouble finding one so he set the needle down next to him so he could tie up his arm so the veins would pop up. Then he shot the needle in. A few hours later his arm swelled up and he ended up in the hospital. When he woke up, they had removed that patch of skin due to a flesh eating virus or something. As his arm healed, the hand moved into that position, probably due to lack of physical therapy. After telling me this, Gabriel said, "Hey, I'm just telling you the truth of what happened. I'm on methadone now." I told him it was OK, I wasn't offended by his story. Of course, I prayed for him. I also asked him where he stayed at night. he told me that he and two other guys sleep in an alley off Washington Blvd and San Pedro St, between 10 pm and 7:30 am and then they have to move on. He spends most of his days walking up and down San Pedro St. Remember when I said one of the reasons I wanted to do a dinner on this street corner was because I'd meet people there that I'd never have the opportunity to meet otherwise? Well, there you go! You're not going to meet people like this in a church, people like this will never make it there. You have to go to the streets to meet people like this (in desperate need). By the way, Gabriel seemed coherent, well-spoken and pleasant to talk to. He even asked for some literature so I gave him a couple of Guide Post magazines. As he was about to leave and he told me he spent most of his time walking up and down San Pedro St, I told him I come down here once a week and pointed to my car. "When you see this car, flag me down. I come down here to help people." Then he said, "When I see you, I see Jesus. You are Jesus to me." Talk about being humbled immediately. I sure hope I see Gabriel again because I realized later I missed an opportunity to tell him, "Jesus loves you. I know because this Jesus loves you!" I think somehow he knew that already, but I'll keep searching for him until I find him again.
Well, a little while later Hiram, Nicky and the other woman helped me pack the car up. Before I left we all gathered around and held hands and prayed. When we finished praying they all sang happy birthday to me. It was quite a trip!
So I had two pans of lasagna left. I decided to try and find some folks on the other side of Washington Blvd to help on my way out of town. I called out to several tents where people I know live, but no one came out or were there, so I came on home. Don't worry about the left-over lasagna, it won't go to waste (as of Monday afternoon, only one pan is left!) Until next time.--John
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Monday afternoon downtown-11/10/14
"I the LORD, was ready to answer even those who were not asking and to be found by those who were not searching. To a nation that refused to worship me, I said, "Here I am!" All day long I have reached out to stubborn and sinful people." --Isaiah 65:1-2
Well today's trip started out being as much a PR trip as anything. I needed to get down to 25th and San Pedro and remind those folks that I would be back on Sunday afternoon for the dinner I'm planning. By the time a got there it was about 2:20 pm. The elementary school down the street had just let out and San Pedro St was pretty packed with cars. I saw Hiram,but he was sleeping. I saw Queen Victoria and her face lit up when she saw me. There was no place to park, so I called out to her and reminded her to tell everyone that I would be back on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, that will be enough. Please pray for 'the 25th street gang" to be there.
On the way over there I saw Solo. I hadn't seen Solo for almost a year. He was on a sidewalk at 21st and Central. I didn't know until he told me, but he's 64 years old. I told him I was turning 60 this week. He is looking to get into a 'program' next week. He said, "I have to get off the streets". He had told me that he hadn't been feeling well lately either and asked me to pray for him. So in our short conversation I had a few things to petition God for on his behalf. There was another homeless man on the sidewalk a few feet away from Solo, his name was Jorge.
There were a few others I helped, Dave and John Stokes were two, but the last stop was kind of heartbreaking. I was driving down Hunter St by the LA Times building. There are a lot of tents set up on that street, but as I drove by I couldn't actually see anyone. Then as I got almost down to the end of the street by Alameda I saw one girl sitting on a milk crate by her tent. I had driven by, but stopped and backed up to where she was sitting. I'm guessing her to be about twenty years old. I had the window down and called out asking if she was hungry. She said yes and as I opened up my bag of sandwiches another young 20 year old girl popped out of the tent next to her and she came over looking for food too. Then a man in his forties (with a lot of tattoos) came out of the same tent as the second girl and he was looking for food too. They all tore into the sandwiches immediately. The Lord sent me by at just the right time for them.
Sunday will be a big day downtown at 25th and San Pedro. It's not going to be a BBQ, but it will be another type of dinner I'll be putting on. Please pray for this day and that's God' Kingdom will be expanded, that we will be protected from harm, that I will be able to pray for people I'd never get the chance to pray for otherwise and let them know God loves them. In Jesus name. --Until next time. John.
Well today's trip started out being as much a PR trip as anything. I needed to get down to 25th and San Pedro and remind those folks that I would be back on Sunday afternoon for the dinner I'm planning. By the time a got there it was about 2:20 pm. The elementary school down the street had just let out and San Pedro St was pretty packed with cars. I saw Hiram,but he was sleeping. I saw Queen Victoria and her face lit up when she saw me. There was no place to park, so I called out to her and reminded her to tell everyone that I would be back on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, that will be enough. Please pray for 'the 25th street gang" to be there.
On the way over there I saw Solo. I hadn't seen Solo for almost a year. He was on a sidewalk at 21st and Central. I didn't know until he told me, but he's 64 years old. I told him I was turning 60 this week. He is looking to get into a 'program' next week. He said, "I have to get off the streets". He had told me that he hadn't been feeling well lately either and asked me to pray for him. So in our short conversation I had a few things to petition God for on his behalf. There was another homeless man on the sidewalk a few feet away from Solo, his name was Jorge.
There were a few others I helped, Dave and John Stokes were two, but the last stop was kind of heartbreaking. I was driving down Hunter St by the LA Times building. There are a lot of tents set up on that street, but as I drove by I couldn't actually see anyone. Then as I got almost down to the end of the street by Alameda I saw one girl sitting on a milk crate by her tent. I had driven by, but stopped and backed up to where she was sitting. I'm guessing her to be about twenty years old. I had the window down and called out asking if she was hungry. She said yes and as I opened up my bag of sandwiches another young 20 year old girl popped out of the tent next to her and she came over looking for food too. Then a man in his forties (with a lot of tattoos) came out of the same tent as the second girl and he was looking for food too. They all tore into the sandwiches immediately. The Lord sent me by at just the right time for them.
Sunday will be a big day downtown at 25th and San Pedro. It's not going to be a BBQ, but it will be another type of dinner I'll be putting on. Please pray for this day and that's God' Kingdom will be expanded, that we will be protected from harm, that I will be able to pray for people I'd never get the chance to pray for otherwise and let them know God loves them. In Jesus name. --Until next time. John.
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