Team Season

Right now is the big push when all of the Short Term Mission teams come down to L.A. to volunteer at the Dream Center.
Hundreds of people come for what we call "Team Season." It is a crazy, packed, awesome few months. Because there have been so many new additions to the Dream Center, such as our family floor, a lot of the rooms where these teams would stay have been taken over for something else so there are teams sleeping in the gym!

These people are dedicated, excited and come here to serve because God has called them to be here.

If you've never been here and want to experience what it is like for a week of two, I would really recommend coming down. You can see what all the ministries are like, meet tons of awesome people, see God move and have your life changed while you are helping to change others.

We love STM's, so definitely come down if you get a chance this summer!

Burns

Twice a week, usually on weekends, I work over at Starbucks so that I can pay for school while I am volunteering at the Dream Center. Today I opened at 5 AM--in the middle of our morning rush I was getting someone their coffee when, somehow, the 20 oz cup of freshly brewed 200* coffee spilt all over my exposed arm and where my sleeve was covering. It immediately started stinging and my eyes started tearing up. I began laughing, I think more from shock as my arm was burning. I could feel it begin really hurting as I didnt have time to put it under water because we had a line of 20 people waiting for their drinks.

I kept ringing people up and wiped the tears streaming down my face that came nonchalantly. I wasn't crying but my eyes just wouldn't stop watering. One of my co-workers started giving me a bad time and telling me to "deal with it" and I joked back and forth with him like it wasn't a big deal. BUT IT HURT. So, after the line was gone, I pulled my sleeve up and realize my arm was still a deep pink and had started swelling. The coworker who has made fun of me went into the back and grabbed this burn medicine for me to put on my arm but instead of being grateful and taking it to get rid of the pain, I become proud and said "No, I don't need that." I didn't want to give in because he had made fun of me and made me feel foolish. After about 10 minutes I realized how stupid that was. Why would I sit there in pain if there was something that could take the pain away?

I was walking home with this big yellow sponge like thing on my arm and gauze wrapped around it and I started thinking about how we deal with so many problems like that. We are hurting. We are dealing with something painful. We are in, someway, over our head and don't know how to make it stop. But we are too proud, too embarrassed, feel too foolish to ask for help.
We have the grace of a God that loves us so much that He had his son die for us.
I know we talk about that a lot, but really think about that.
Think about your child or someone's child you love so much--and think about having them be crucified, the most painful and humiliating death, to save a bunch of people who sometimes don't even care or would rather just get by without the help.
Imagine that.
Imagine GIVING UP your child.
Now-- why do we waste so much time being unhappy, being in pain, hurting...when God is there to be the relief? Why do we wait to seek out what will make us better?

Just a few thoughts
My arm feels a lot better.
I know once I take the little pad off, it will probably still hurt, but the medicine helped almost immediately to eliminate the pain. God does not always miraculously make us better right away--but he definitely brings a sense of hope that you can't describe. Don't be too proud to ask Him for help.
He loves you.

Change the way you think

I was reading in my bible yesterday and found a verse that has really challenged me.

Leviticus 5:1 says :if you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrong doing, you'll be held responsible.

Don't we as humans use the excuse that "I'm only human" when we do things wrong? We think that because we are flawed and we fall short, that it almost gives us the excuse to do things wrong? Now, this isn't all the time or with everyone, but I think a lot of people can agree with me that we fight for reasons to avoid feeling guilty. so when my friend said this to me tonight..it almost made my heart hurt for God.

How do we make Him feel when we aren't even willing to try and go that extra step for Him? How do we make Him feel when we don't even think what we are saying, or doing, or thinking, is wrong? Why AREN'T we willing to go to that extreme?

It boggles me that, when we KNOW, the things God can do...we STILL aren't willing to try and change.

Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
We HAVE to change the way we think.
WE HAVE TO.

If we don't change the way we think...if we don't 'renew our minds' we will continue to find ourselves in the same situations feeling like we just aren't willing to go any further. We are responsible for the things we say...but we also are responsible for the things we DON'T say and SHOULD have said.

Start changing the way you think---The closer we get to God, the more what HE wants becomes what WE want.
Isn't that the best place to be?

Creativity

You know what I have learned (over and over and over again) while volunteering at the Dream Center?

You can never be more creative than when you are in-tune with your Creator.

God created each of us with unique talents, gifts, attributes, personalities....and the time, I think, that those REALLY shine is when we give up our own agenda and adopt God's.
It's hard. Trying to live for an audience of one is TOUGH. But wow--is it freeing.
Suddenly you have new perspective, new motivation, new desire.

So just a little something to think about---
Are you following your path and trying to take God along or God's path and following blindly?
One may sound scarier than the other, but I bet one is also more rewarding.

Happy Tuesday!

Join the Cause

Every night in Los Angeles, someone goes hungry
Statistics are a mind blowing thing.

But nothing compares to being able to see those statistics first hand.

I have the opportunity to work at The Dream Center and be a part of the Adopt-A-Block program.
I see the need here everyday, overwhelming the streets and hearts of people who are hanging on to their last string of hope.

We have the chance to make a difference in their lives.
Not a difference that will take place a year from now or next week, but a difference that will take place RIGHT NOW.

By donating, you provide these families and individuals with food, a place to stay, mentoring, hygiene needs and most importantly, the chance for us to continue to go and tell them that we love them and God loves them even more.

I don't have statistics for you but I do have my first hand experience. Los Angeles is in need. The people are in need.

And you can be their hope.

Wouldn't you agree that RIGHT NOW is a good time to make a difference?


Visit this site and JOIN THE CAUSE!!!

www.dreamcenteraab.ning.com

Find more photos like this on Adopt-A-Block

Homelessness

Did you know that California has the highest amount of homeless people in our nation?

Our state has more homeless people each night than some states have in PEOPLE all together.
(Maybe I am exaggerating) The last thing I read, said that there was 80,000 homeless people A NIGHT in Los Angeles.

How is that even possible?

We were extremely blessed to have three photographers come down to LA and shoot for us all day today. They have been here since 8:30 AM and they are great. I have been telling them about the Dream Center all day...but you know what has been the most amazing thing for them?

I sent them all out on different sites today with Adopt-A-Block. One of the girls came back and she told me, "I had no idea there was this much need here. It is so beautiful and moving what you guys are doing..."

Do you KNOW?
It's so hard to SEE it sometimes, isn't it?
Even for people who are in these neighborhoods everyday...for those of us who live here...we see it everyday.
But do we REALLY?

Do we let ourselves see the need here? Do we let ourselves see the hurt? Or do we become desensitized and distracted?

If you want to volunteer, if you want to come see what's going on here, if you want to come and have your life impacted and REALLY impact other people's lives, PLEASE contact us.

The need is real.
And we really can help.

Nameless

Pain and hurt covered her face.

I first saw her when she was lying on the concrete with a tiny puddle of vomit on the sidewalk next to her. I said hi and told her that the Hope for Homeless outreach from the Dream Center would be handing out free sandwiches and water later if she wanted to stop by. She stared off into space, not acknowledging my existence. I sat with her for just a moment longer and then I smiled at her and walked off. As I walked away I heard a muffled “thanks.”

We continued on, walking down the Venice Beach Boardwalk. We prayed with some people and told them about the free food. As I watched The Hope for Homeless Youth put on a short drama about the love of Christ I saw that same woman in the corner of the group. Her head was down and she was softly muttering to herself. When it was time to hand out the food, I saw her standing in line with her head down ashamedly. I tried to make eye contact with her to smile at her, but she never looked my way. Finally she had made it to the front of the line and a lunch bag was lovingly handed to her. She looked up, said “thank you,” and then quickly put her head back down. She walked over to her own private corner and quietly ate her sandwich. I decided to start talking to her again.

I sat down next to her and said, “Hi! My name is Carrie. What’s your name?” She looked at me with heartache. It looked as if she had been through so many horrific circumstances in her life. She began to shake her head as she scowled and asked me why I even cared. I looked deep into her eyes and told her that I wanted to get to know her. She grunted displeasingly and looked away. I sat with her quietly for a few minutes. I decided to try again. “Is this the first time you’ve talked to people here from the Dream Center?” Without looking my way she said, “Why are you stilly talking to me?” My heart broke for her. There was a vanload of people who came out on the outreach, ready to pour the love of God into the lives of everyone there, including this woman. “Would you like to eat alone?” I quietly asked. “Yes, leave me the f--- alone,” was her response. “Ok! That’s fine. Enjoy your day sweetie,” I said as nicely as I could. As I left her, I turned around to smile at her.

She looked at me like she was ready to erupt in an ocean of tears. I wanted to hug her and let her cry, tell her that its ok, but I knew she wouldn’t let me. Each week as the Hope for Homeless Youth outreach goes there and hands out food and the love of Christ, I believe that her guard will drop. One day she’ll smile and be open to conversation. But it takes persistence. I think it’s important that the outreach goes out there every week. There were some homeless people who walked past us and yelled out, “Hey Dream Center!” Those are people that the ministry has developed relationships with.

The outreach helps show them hope, and the love and grace of our Savior. There were two people who almost came back to stay at the shelter then changed their minds at the last second. They wanted to stay on the streets where they were comfortable. But they know that the outreach will be there faithfully every week if they change their mind and decide to start a new chapter in their lives.

I pray that one day the woman I met will make that choice.

-Carrie