Lunch on Skid Row

“I smell like donuts.” The lonely sentence on the back page of my notes seems a little odd, to say the least. Upon an hour or more of digging my hands into two medium-sized donut boxes – with a hair net on my afro-puff, wearing a full-body apron with a rebellious strap continuously finding its way under my shoes, latex gloves making my hands drip with perspiration, leaving a residue of white sticky powder behind – my quirky character considered it necessary to write, “I smell like donuts.” Maybe that was my comedic relief on behalf of the sad situation I witnessed.

The sweet smell of donuts had suddenly been interrupted with the sickly sent of poor hygiene. My sense of smell couldn’t help but remind me of where I was. I hadn’t been there since last December nor had I planned on attending the Under the Bridge outreach that day. I thought I’d stay “safe” and go visit a family in need and see the gentle face of a mother who would receive furniture through one of The Dream Center’s many ministries. The reality is that God wanted me there – on Skid Row – that hot summer day.

On the ride over, I could feel a nervous spirit rise up within me. However, just as quick, I felt my Comforter remind me that I didn’t choose to be there. So since it was a God thing, I knew that it was a good thing. On the contrary to what I thought I’d see on the faces of those on Skid Row, I found smiles and grateful hearts. Their gratitude brought me great relief.

I’ve heard my share of horror stories regarding Skid Row, but I find it to be my duty to respond like Joshua and Caleb and share a positive perspective: God covered us. In the midst of darkness, His light filled the atmosphere and cancelled out negative spirits and activities.

As we drove through the abandoned streets, I prayed that God would cover my eyes so that I would not look on the residents of Skid Row with a “natural” eye. My prayers were answered when all that I could see was God’s children; those He sent His Son to die for – just like He did for me. My heart broke for those who seemed “stuck,” and I found hope that there were some who only seemed to be there for a brief while. Those “temporary” residents of Skid Row reminded me of two people I’ve met in the last 2 years who have the testimony of being delivered from that area and lifestyle. I wish the same to those I met that hot summer day where the flies attacked those delicious donuts they loved so much.

There were signs for “hope” all around the helpless and I immediately wondered if these signs of “hope” were actually false. The signs mentioned resumé building, job placement assistance and other community resources. But as I looked around, I saw people too old to work or to start all afresh. I saw people who seemed to be out of their mind. As I placed a donut on the plates set before me, I occasionally glanced up at our “observers.” One lady just stared into space at something above our heads; maybe she was looking at the sun or at the palm tree behind us. Others watched us as they stood behind the construction posts that kept them a comfortable distance from the table with all the food. From the time I read these signs of “hope” up to now, I continued to wonder if these “resources” would really help them.

There’s a tug on my heart to do more. My job is to tell you the story and like tag – you’re it. What can you do to help? Skid Row is not so bad and dangerous when you bring the Light of Jesus Christ with you. I encourage all who are prayed up and ready to serve, to come out to Skid Row and pray about what you can do to help these poor, hurting people. They are flesh and bones with a heart inside just like you and I. Let us not be afraid of one another, but may our hearts break as we seek God to help those in need – here at Skid Row and all over the world.

- LaQuesha

Risks Can Be Rewarding

For those of you thinking about getting involved in daily ministry at The Dream Center, which we need, here are some observations I’ve made just a couple months into my One Year Internship:

1. It’s Not Easy. I heard those three words numerous times before I moved and it’s true. (Now don’t let this be the only thing you remember from this post. I will explain, so please keep reading.) Pastors, friends, and family all told me how full-time ministry can wear a person down. Although true, they almost all left out my next point…

2. I Haven’t Had a Bad Day. Now how can my first two points coincide? Although I may not have all the home cooking, material things, or money I would like, I have never felt this fulfilled in my entire life. The sense of purpose I sense every moment is more than I can put into words.

3. It’s Not What I Expected…and for that I am grateful. When others heard that I would be quitting my job and moving across the country to volunteer, they couldn’t understand why I was giving up financial security and the familiarities of home to volunteer. After a while, I naturally began to think about the things I would be missing. However, I have learned and received much more than what I gave up.

The list and examples could go on, but I want to be brief. What I want you to know is – don’t let trivial thoughts and fears keep you from a great, life-changing experience. Whether it’s coming to The Dream Center or doing something at home, taking a risk can take away regrets.

Projection

I met a teenage hero the other day! He’s “the man of the house,” but he’s only thirteen years old. His assurance in God and his natural-born leadership was inspirational to my faith-walk. During our prayer circle at the boy’s house, one of our short-term volunteers was so moved by his story that he couldn’t stop crying.

Earlier, when we had arrived in our Project Prevention truck, I took in the surroundings of our final stop of the day. Since I had never been there, I looked up and down the street in search of the house we were scheduled to visit. I only saw storefronts – something like China Town in NYC. To my right were a hair salon and an unmarked building. I saw this young boy, who seemed out of place, standing in front of the unmarked building. I wondered where his mother was.

One of the Project Prevention volunteers, Becky, called out to him to say, “hello.” So I assumed this young boy was picking up food for his family and from there, would walk to his house. However, I found myself following the boy and our Brazilian short-term mission group up some stairs in the unmarked building.

At the top of the stairs, a picture of Jesus bleeding and sorrowful, wearing a crown of thorns, greeted us. The words of my pastor from back in Ohio came to mind, “Humility: meek not weak.” The picture was a perfect transition to enter the home of this young boy because his home was a very humbling scene. His house seemed to be a decent place for a bachelor (yet too small for his family) with a couple of rooms attached to the living space of which ten of us piled into.

The boy explained to us that his mother works very hard just to keep the lights on and her children comfortable so that’s why she’s asleep in the middle of the day. I was amazed by her sacrifice but was also impressed at her son’s gratefulness for her sacrifice. I could tell that there was something special about him.

He and his family were previously living in a rough L.A. area called “Temple Street.” In that area is a gang, which is known to be very violent and dangerous. After our visit, I became more spiritually alert desiring to be apart of finding other “diamonds in the rough” like this boy. Diamonds that I could encourage and point to Christ. This way their gifts may have room to grow in God’s garden.

Sometimes I wonder how many children/people – like this boy – with such great potential “slip through the cracks.” At the same time, I find peace that God would plant jewels like this boy in such rough areas. Such areas need God’s little rays of hope. In time, I could see this particular boy being a local political figure in rough areas like where he grew up. I picture him fighting to clean up the streets and starting programs to help kids reach their full potential just as he was helped. I cringe at the thought of the kids we miss. Finding them could mean fewer victims of heinous crimes.

One of my greatest concerns for myself and other young people is the “potential for lack of potential.” We have what it takes, but if we don’t meet the One who can take us to the next level, then our potential will come to nothing. I love how God uses The Dream Center to encourage young people to lead and find out whom God says that we are, not falling into the limitations of the Devil. There’s something right about giving back to God all that He’s given us in sincere surrender. Surrendering like a child – like the little hero I met the other day – is to say, “Please use me Lord because I don’t know what to do on my own.” I know my life is better for surrendering to God. I believe this teen boy’s life will continue to get better because he’s given his life to Christ. And I’m sure your life will be better because you’ve surrendered too.

-LaQuesha

Hearts Will Most Certainly Break, But It is the Best Way

On a Friday evening, as the day draws to its close, a bus full of volunteers hits the road and goes to Skid Row armed with water, snacks, and a positive word. Last Friday, I was a member of that bus, and that is one evening I know I will never forget. The conversation on the bus was lighthearted - games were played, questions asked, and for the most part, a sense of familiarity at this regular journey. However, this was my first time to Skid Row, and I didn’t know what to expect other than I was sure it wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before.

We drove down a street where suddenly the number of homeless people multiplied into the hundreds. After parking, we got out of the bus, where water and snacks were distributed to those we met. My memory of that evening is a blur of people – all grateful for the water, some laughed with us, and others wanted to be left alone. The atmosphere as I perceived it, was of self-preservation; I felt on edge despite the protection of the group.

For the first hour I tried to take the scene in. Tents, cardboard, and sidewalk were people’s home. A woman who had run away from an abusive relationship and had nowhere else to go asked us if this street was a safe place for her to sleep. My heart broke for her as you could hear the lack of hope and fear in her voice, and there was little more we could do than pray with her, give her a jacket, and tell her about our discipleship program.

After the first hour, I couldn’t really speak. I had no words for how I felt or what I saw; I just followed the group and gave out water and snacks and connected with people that I could with a smile or a greeting. I was asked if I was enjoyed this outreach, my answer was no, but there wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.

I saw a family walk by with a 6-year-old child and from that moment on I was moved. The young, the old and everyone in-between, were living on those dangerous streets and it brought me to tears. I don’t want it to get easier. I don’t want to learn to be less moved each time I go out and see these people in order to preserve myself. But I do need God to move through me and work in me so that He can work on those streets because that is too great a task for us to be able to take on alone.

We need compassion, and we need God.

~Charli

Big Things

My roommate always talks about doing “big things” in a way that will eventually change the world. You don’t have to be around The Dream Center for more than five minutes to come to the understanding that there are no small visions here. Whatever the Dream Center decides to do, it is all designed to have the biggest impact possible. In fact, this place has been built on the whole concept of desperately trying to reach new heights by having a vision that is greater than its provision.

Aside from very rare exceptions, there is no one on this planet that doesn’t want to do amazing and incredible things with their life. Our childhood and even movies are filled with stories of people that do incredible things, of people that are the best of the best. Recently, while watching a show on TV, the show’s leading actress began a rather insightful monologue. She talked about how the best days of your life are normally days that start exactly like all the others, and that sometimes the moments or days we think will define us turn out to be disappointments.

At times it seems like we have the similar mindset of waiting and anticipating a big event to provide a breakthrough. We are looking for a catalyst that will finally allow us to get over the hump to the land of “big things.” Unfortunately, many of us go through seasons where we are caught in limbo, in a time-consuming waiting game. There is no doubt that God has amazing plans for everyone, but like my mother always says, “God can’t steer an anchored ship.”

Going back to my roommate, he continues to do “big things” not just because he has faith they will happen, although that doesn’t hurt. You can credit the fact he is willing to faithfully take care of the things no one sees, which later produces huge rewards. The late, great John Wooden once said, "It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." In life there are no big breakthroughs propelling us to greatness, only a string of smaller decisions. Taking a hint from my roommate, it is clear that “big things” only happen when those small things become more important.

Sometimes in order to do something everyone wants to do, you have to do things that no one wants to do.

-Nic

God Isn't Done With Me Yet

I was really excited to come back to my Adopt-A-Block site, after being away for over a month, to catch up with people in Pueblos that I have come to know and care about. It was hot and as the bus drove around the corner, to where we usually set up the food for the community, I noticed that the line of people who meet us there had grown considerably bigger than what it was before. There were a lot of new faces, there was also the regulars, families that I have known for the nine months I have been at The Dream Center as an intern.

After the food was given out, I took a couple of volunteers to the block that I usually go to, it was comforting to see the families that live there looking happy and excited to pray with us, like Phillipa and her three grandchildren. There was one house that stood out for us last Saturday though, a lady who looked very stressed and busy answered the door with a cell phone pressed to her ear and half-smiled politely as we said hello and asked her if she had heard of The Dream Center.

We were just walking away from her door to knock on the next one, and she came back outside her house and asked us if we could pray for her friend. She said her friend was in hospital in intensive care after being shot four times by her ex-boyfriend. We gathered around her to get ready to pray, then one of the volunteers with us from North Carolina, boldly asked the lady if she knew about Jesus, and when I was in disbelief that she had asked the lady about the status of her salvation, the volunteer had quickly asked the lady to repeat a simple prayer of accepting Jesus as her savior!

We prayed in agreement and the lady said "thank you" for praying for her friend and for praying for her, she looked almost relieved like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. What impressed me the most about this situation was the boldness of this volunteer. She didn’t hesitate for one moment. She was direct and straight to the point about Jesus.

It definitely made me question why I found this so difficult to do, why was I was so nervous about going to the core of what we were commissioned to do—to go and preach the gospel? It’s instances like this that reminds me that I still have a lot of growing up to do as a Christian, a hard truth to face!

~Chaka

A Bus Ride to Nickerson

The beginning of the next year of my life officially started on the 23^rd of July; the day I officially moved into the Dream Center. That was a few weeks ago, which means I have finally passed my first milestone - I have been at the Dream Center longer than most of the teams from short-term missions. Granted, it is not a huge milestone, but it is a milestone nonetheless. I cannot tell you that this is my first experience with the Dream Center because I have been a part of this place for 10 years, but what I can tell you is this continues to be a place like no other. Outreaches like the bus ministry are clear examples of how the Dream Center continues to separate itself from anything else.

The first Sunday I was here I was fortunate enough to ride on one of these buses that actually goes into troubled neighborhoods to bring people from the area to church. The “site” I was assigned to was Nickerson Gardens; a relatively large housing project in Watts. To be completely honest almost the entire ride over there I was apprehensive about what I would say and how to avoid looking like a complete fool in front of the kids. I finally came to the conclusion that it isn’t about me at all, but about leading people to God. I decided to give all my petty worries to God and allow him to show me how to simply love on people. It was the best decision I could have made.

The bus was slowly making its way through the neighborhood when I saw a homeless man on the side of the road. As I waived to him I saw an expression of pure joy come over his face as he happily smiled and waived back. Thus revealing a smile that was missing the front two teeth. It was a smile that proudly displayed more tongue than actual teeth. I couldn’t help, but laugh and continue to wave back. During this random exchange of pleasantries I was hit with an urge help this man in whatever way possible. An urge to see this man succeed, but most of all, I felt genuine compassion for a man I have never met. It truly was and is an indescribable feeling.

The goal of the Dream Center has always been to change the atmosphere of the community through love, and I thank God so much for giving me just a small glimpse of what it means to love people.

- Nic