From The Heart - Part 2

We found another man with a story: his name was Joe, and he wore a smile as he thanked us for the food he was eating. We began to talk with him and found that he had lived in California his entire life, 58 years, but that his mother was from Mexico. Joe told us that he was nice, and that he loved to speak from his heart. That is exactly what we experienced as others came up to us telling us of the lovely spirit of this man.

After a while, the tone of the conversation changed as Joe told us of his time as a solider in Vietnam. He spoke of dark memories, full of fire and death and pain; of drug-driven nightmares and hallucinations; memories that had stayed with him for 40 years and that he used alcohol to forget.

Joe told us that he and his friend, Arturo, wanted to change and enter a program. We told them about The Dream Center and what was available for them. We asked if we could pray for him and after doing so, left him with some men who had been through the program already. Thankfully, he said he would come to church, now all we can do is pray that he chooses to come, and that the next part of his story is one of healing and restoration.

From The Heart - Part 1

There was a man named Romeo. He was sitting on the ground waiting to be fed, and he was crying out his feelings of guilt and shame - how unworthy of God’s love he was and how awful the things he had done were.

We told Romeo God loved him anyway, as a father loves his son. We told him about grace. We asked Romeo if he had any children and through tears he produced a photograph of his three-month-old son who he’d been made to leave.

Romeo told us how he’d been numbing his pain through drinking, and how it had only encouraged more pain and violent behavior, causing him to have to leave his son with his sister and partner while he dealt with his problems. He said he had not seen his son for a few months and that this was his first night on the streets in this area.

Art and music were his passion and he tenderly showed us a drawing he had done, with painted footprints of his son featuring baby blue in the center of the page. Romeo said he was going to get himself sorted so that he could go home, and we told him about a program where he could get help to heal, but Romeo told us there was another program he was going to enter. So with breaking hearts, we gave a notebook to him to write lyrics to God in and we said goodbye. We wished there was more that we could do, but we would just have to pray and trust that Jesus had his heart.

A Bus Ride to Nickerson Gardens

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 almost two weeks ago, which means I have finally passed my first milestone. I have been at The Dream Center longer than any 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 apart 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 these 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

New Experiences

Moving to Los Angeles from England is the biggest thing I’ve done so far. Yet despite being as prepared as I could be practically, I totally underestimated the scale of the changes I’ve had to make to live here.

Reading about the experiences of the other interns when they were new, it seems everyone goes through similar experiences. At first I felt bad about feeling like I wanted to go home or feeling overwhelmed, and I often tried to overcome that by trying to throw myself in at the deep end work wise and got involved in as much as possible all at once.

But God slowed me down. He has a lot of grace like that… showing me that it was ok to just settle in. The people I met here are also totally God sent: He’s never left me alone and I’ve always had the support that I’ve needed at that moment.

In other situations too, he’s been teaching me to trust him. Like at the airport, when I was told my visa would only last for six months. I had already applied to come to The Dream Center for a year. I could have freaked out, and I nearly did, but instead I took a really deep breath and gave it to God. The next thing I knew, I was informed by immigration that it was apparently all just a big misunderstanding! But I had managed to keep my peace because I trusted Jesus because I knew he had my back.

There have been situations where I have nearly lost my peace, but even those times are teaching me to trust God even more knowing that if my God is for me, who can be against me and He has shown me that again and again.

I have been so blessed by the experiences of this first week. The first outreach I went out with was Under The Bridge, where we went out serving meals to people who needed them. This was my first experience of seeing so many people with such great need and in such desperate situations. It’s shocking to see that there are people living like that and it is a lot to take in, but it is equally awesome to see so many amazing people taking time out of their ordinary lives to serve this community, these people.

The second outreach I went out with was the food truck. It felt really good to serve the community in a practical way and to love on them in a way that they could receive it – groceries. I got to give out many smiles and received many back. It was awesome to be a part of something that was so simple but which had such a great impact. There were kids helping us unload the truck and braiding our hair. It was so nice to be in that moment where everyone was working together for the sake of loving others.

So my first week is over but it has been a good week. God has put me here and He is looking after me throughout all the difficulties. Living at The Dream Center is a constant reminder of His goodness and faithfulness and grace.

- Charli

Under The Bridge

Under the Bridge is a ministry that not only serves the physical needs of the homeless on Skid Row but also the spiritual and emotional needs. After four times of serving food with Under the Bridge, I finally pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Every time the director asks who would like to work in the food line, I eagerly, and quite obnoxiously, wave my hand around so I can get away with just serving food and not actually talking to people.  I felt safe and comfortable behind the table. I have not had the confidence to talk to people and hear their stories.  So this Wednesday, with much encouragement from my fellow volunteers, I decided to push myself out of what I am comfortable with and agreed to interact with those we were feeding. Immediately after I agreed, I couldn’t believe it, I kept asking myself why in the world had I agreed to start conversations. 

         The previous day I felt like I kept getting hit with little things that kept bringing me down and kept me dwelling in sadness rather than joy. So I had been looking forward to the comfort and familiarity of the serving table and only having to give a smile rather than a word of hope to the homeless. But God does not want you to become comfortable; comfort leads to complacency. God cannot use those who are complacent and comfortable.   As Christians, we should strive to be Christ-like in everything we do, so we should always be growing and pushing ourselves to be Christ-like.  So, armed with a tract rather than a spoon, I came from behind the barrier in which I had found such comfort in the previous times, and paired with another volunteer named Carrie, we walked around talking to the residents of Skid Row.

        

         The first couple of people we talked to were not very friendly, but then we came across a resident named Deborah. She was reserved at first, but then later told us it was because she wanted to see how we would react to her demeanor.  We started talking about anything, and then started to get into the Scriptures. In talking to her, we found out that her church picks her up and brings her to church, and she is a backup Sunday School teacher. She did not go into great detail about how she got there, in a state of poverty and homelessness, but it was interesting to see her say that she got there by her own choices and means. She knows that God will use this time of her life to reach a group of people that I cannot, because she will have a story to which they can relate. It was refreshing to see someone who was so planted in God yet is living in that circumstance.

         We also talked to a man named Thomas, who was a truck driver, but has not been able to find work recently. We asked him about how he ended up there, and he said that that was just a pit stop until he gets back on his feet. We then asked what his plans are now, and he said that he feels that God has called him to ministry to be a pastor.  Like Deborah, he knows that he can use this part of his life to reach those who I cannot, and God is in control of his life. He will be able to reach those on Skid Row as well as people in the same circumstances and elsewhere. His story and journey is more relatable then mine.

                  It seemed that I had no reason to be nervous because God brought those people so that I can see that He is in control, and no matter how nervous I am with something out of my comfort zone, H e will always be there with me. So yes, I don’t enjoy pushing my boundaries and coming out of my comfort zone, but I know that God does it for a reason. Not only does He do this when I go on outreaches, but also with my work at the Dream Center. Before I came, I did not like praying out loud; I was just not confident in my prayers, and part of my job at the Dream Center is praying for people on the phone. When I first started I was almost in tears, because I did not want to do it. I was so nervous, but again He would put people on the other side of the phone line that knew exactly how to encourage me. I know that He is always stretching me so that I am more prepared for what life will throw at me and so that in any situation, I am able to keep the faith and do God’s will. 

~Tessa

Without Help, It’s Too Bad To Be True

The past couple Thursday afternoons I have been able to help Project Prevention as they make food deliveries to families at risk of losing their children to foster care due to poverty. Until my recent experience, I did not realize this was even possible, and I wish it were not.

Our first stop was a single mother living with her two children. Before she found help at The Dream Center and Project Prevention, she and her young boys had little food and no furniture, including beds. After listening to her story and seeing how much she loves her children, I cannot imagine the pain she has already gone through and the thought of potentially losing her very own boys. On a daily basis she is faced with more pain and anxiety I have ever felt in my entire life, but her smile week-after-week challenges me and my attitude.

Next, we stop on a corner occupied by a small convenience store. After heading up a narrow stairway leading to apartments above the property, we knock on the door of another single mother living with her five children. That alone would be difficult for almost any single parent, but as I unloaded the food on a small table that could tightly seat two, I notice there is only one bedroom in the apartment. I realize this entire family lives in an area about the size of my college dorm room!

While I thought about my college years, I spoke with the eldest child, a boy who is going to be a senior in high school in the fall. He told me about his plans after high school, which includes attending college in the Los Angeles area next year. I was impressed by his attitude and the fact that he did not use his current situation as an excuse.

After receiving many “thank you’s” from the grateful family, we made our way to a few more stops before heading back to The Dream Center. Sadly, each one had a similar sad story of parents struggling to provide the basics for themselves and their children. Thankfully, as I have seen so many times, whether with Project Prevention, on Skid Row, or in the housing projects of South Central Los Angeles, there is a sense of peace and hope in those with so little to the naked eye. But through sharing Christ and taking the families to church, many have found the strength needed to make it through each day.

Thanks to those who work with Project Prevention every day and those who support the ministry, we are able to give hope to those with not much else.

- Jesse

"Because You say so, I will"

Looking back on my first month as an intern at The LA Dream Center I realize how much God has directed my life to this point. A couple of months ago I was living close to family and friends in the Midwest and had a great job, but I felt I was missing out on something.  Ever since my first visit to The Dream Center I felt a strong desire to come back and serve full-time. After graduating from college two years ago and working in the field I studied, I still did not feel like I was where I needed to be.

 

In the fall of 2009 I finally decided to follow the dream I had years ago, and I applied to become a one-year intern.  During that summer, I was reading Luke 5:5 where Jesus told Simon to lower the nets after a long night of fishing with nothing to show for it. Simon, probably frustrated and ready to quit, responded so simply, “Because You say so, I will.” Like Simon, moving to LA was not an easy decision or made the most sense, but I do not regret listening to the voice of God.

 

We often hear God is always with you and has a plan for your life, but it’s another thing to experience it yourself. Once I arrived at The Dream Center, I learned that I would be working in the Marketing Department, which is what I studied in college. Also, upon arrival I learned that a friend from college was coming to volunteer, and we have since become roommates.  After seeing these two works of God within my first month here, I am excited to see what is coming up in my future.

 

If you are thinking about coming out to The Dream Center to volunteer, I would recommend that you first—pray. You need to talk with God so you can hear what His plan is for you. In Proverbs 16:9 it states, “the Lord determines our steps;” we need to let Him. Secondly, don’t be afraid to take a risk. A piece of advice I received in college is, “If you are given an opportunity, say ‘yes,’ and learn as fast as you can.” This is something I try to put into practice in my life.

 

If God has put a desire on your heart, pray about it and don’t be afraid to take a risk. When facing a big decision remember that God has watched over your life through today, don't think He will stop now.

 

- Jesse