Before and (Thankfully) After

Working and living at The Dream Center is a great experience. Being a part of helping so many individuals and families is an honor and blessing. Whether it be a Dream Center Discipleship testimony at church, a child rescued from sex trafficking, or a homeless family getting free room and board on campus, miracles are happening all around me everyday. It is amazing.

As great as these stories are, after a while I found myself growing numb to the testimonies of restoration and grace. It was something that became commonplace due to the hard work of those around me. In church, I thought of the testimonies as another part of the service and the families as a few more people that live on campus. There is so much more to each story.

I did not realize my attitude until a few weeks ago. One Friday afternoon, I went out with The Dream Center Food Truck, which passes out free groceries to people who need it to survive. A few minutes into our afternoon at MacArthur Park, near Downtown Los Angeles, I met Jorge and Laura. These loving parents of two stopped to see why a group of people had gathered in the park. After explaining what we were here to do, they were speechless.

Jorge began telling me he recently lost his job, and his family was struggling to survive. When he and his wife heard that they could receive free groceries that afternoon, it was as if I told him he had won the lottery. I could not imagine the pain these two felt not knowing where they will get their next meal. After I told them about The Dream Center and the additional support we could provide, they received their bags of food and thanked us multiple times.

During my conversation with the family, I couldn’t help but sense their desperation and need. After a family comes to The Dream Center, we are able to provide a home and hope – that is the part of the story I have grown accustomed to seeing. The “before” stage, such as Jorge and Laura, was heart breaking.

Upon my return to The Dream Center, I saw everyone in our various programs in a new light. Whether it was a few months, weeks, or even days earlier, these individuals were at the same brink of desperation. Now, thanks to God’s provision, these individuals and families once again had hope.

That average Friday afternoon became a wake-up call to change my attitude. It also served as a boost to my desire to reach more like Jorge and Laura. Although the couple I met lived in LA, there are many in your area who need help. Pray that God will open your eyes to serve someone in need near you.

- Jesse

New Chapter

I came to The Los Angeles Dream Center several weeks ago to be a part of The Movement - a discipleship program for young adults. The Movement is an alternative to Bible college or university where young people can come to The Dream Center for ten months to serve the local church and pastor, and most importantly, be discipled. In the short amount of time that I have spent in the program God has not delayed in shaping me and my peers to be world changers. Within this group of young adults there is a deep and passionate fire burning within our hearts to become the men and women of God that this world so desperately needs to see, and to take a stand to be in the world, but not of it. I know that if my peers and I do not stay complacent in our faith and in our relationship with Christ, we will be very powerful and do a lot of work for the Kingdom.

Personally, I have gone through a lot of ups-and-downs since I moved here. Just within the last week there have been a lot of things going on back home with my friends and family. I have felt very discouraged and, more than anything, guilty for not being there for the people that needed me. However, God has a way of working things out for His glory and, slowly but surely, God is healing the pain, sickness and heartache that I felt was weighing me down so heavily. During Pastor Matthew’s recent sermon, God gave me this word from James that really lifted my spirit and has encouraged me to continue seeking after Him. James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of faith develops perseverance."

I know that in hard times, when I feel like the world is collapsing in on me, all I need to do is seek Him and have faith that God is holding my life and my world in His hands. I am so grateful that God has brought me to this place because it is a great environment for young people, like myself, to be able to focus on my relationship with God, be discipled and mentored by amazing leadership, seek direction for my future, and be Christ’s hands and feet!

- Becka

"For the Least"

It’s always a privilege to pray with the least of these – the homeless and needy. I always find it so interesting how the needy surprise me through conversation because when I talk to them, they don't seem like a "least" or even a stranger. Actually, I feel like we're equal and one is not greater than the other. The needy feel like family to me.

Let me introduce myself, I'm a one-year intern here at The Dream Center and I've been here more than half my assigned time. Right before I got here from Ohio, I had a nice little Honda Civic. I miss cruising in that car – or a car at all. I sold my car when I moved to The Dream Center in hopes of buying another car in L.A. – I'm still working on it.

When I had my car, I used to pull up next to a "least of these" at a stop light quite often. Occasionally I'd give them some money or food but a lot of times I'd just pray for them under my breath. Still, I'd feel like I missed a great opportunity to be an extended hand of Christ Jesus, even when I gave them something, because even non-Christians give to the needy. I don't like leaving not knowing if they understand that I did what I did in Jesus' name.

Feeling empty back in Ohio made me aware of a void I had in my heart for outreach ministry. Thank God for the Under the Bridge (UTB) outreach and others like it, here at The Dream Center. Just recently I went out with UTB to McArthur Park where we brought a warm meal to the parks "residents". .

It's very rewarding to minister face-to-face, hand-in-hand with the needy – or least of these. Speaking of "hand-in-hand", I like healthy personal hygiene; more specifically, hand-washing. There's nothing like clean hands that make up a good handshake. Funny thing is, God encourages me that in being a hand extended for Christ, I have to touch those no one else wants to – no matter how unclean their hands may be.

I often recall a story of a leper in Mark 1:40-43 whom Jesus reached out and touched to heal. At this time, he leper is considered ceremonially unclean in the Old Testament and people wouldn't want the leper in their town let alone would they want to touch them. However, Christ touched the ones that no one else wanted to and they were healed because of it. Since my desire is to be a hand extended of Christ, I should be willing to touch those with unwashed hands.

When I was in my car, I never got up-close-and-personal with the "least" like I get to do here. Now I get to dispel the untruth that Christians believe they are better than the ones we are helping. Pure affection expressed in a handshake or hug is a big part of how we as Christians can show that we really care. Touch their hands and let the "least" title fall away. Hold their hands and pray for them and let them know that they are not too dirty to be loved by God – or a Christian.

- LaQuesha

What I Am Learning

I have always lived a life of knowing what was next. As a child, I always knew what we would be having for dinner that night and that my family would have a roof over our heads. I never really knew that for some kids this is never an option for them; they don’t know what is going to happen the next day or what to eat even for that night. God has really opened my eyes to some of the hurt and simplest struggles they have when others sometimes take this for granted.

God has shown me how to step out of my comfort zone and open up to people when sometimes I just don’t want to talk or help them out. This was something I would never do; I was comfortable when I was back home knowing what was next. I knew a lot of kids, but none of them really had these problems. Some had simple family problems, yet they would make a big deal of them. Here, kids have way bigger problems and are just crying out for help right in front of us, yet some just walk right pass them and don’t do anything.

God has really opened my heart up to those kids; I can go up and talk to them like they are my friends. God wants us to step out and help the needy. Sometimes it may be the hardest thing to do; yet in the end, it can be the best thing you have ever done. I am learning so much, not only about God’s power, but the power in me that God has restored. He is teaching me to step out and trust him because through Christ all things are possible.

I didn’t really believe in myself, I didn’t have the confidence to go out and show kids God’s love and compassion. I wasn’t truly living for Christ - I was being selfish. I was quick to learn that it wasn’t always about me. Instead, life is about God and His working through me to really show love no matter where the kids have came from. When we step out in faith and let God work through us, He will do amazing things.

- Josh

Did I Hear That Right?

This time of year we usually hear the same message of thankfulness. Around the Thanksgiving table you may even name one thing for which you are thankful. For most of us, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of things we are glad we have, from basic needs like food and shelter, to the wants such as the latest iPhone or car.

Now before you think this is another typical lesson, I want to tell you about Marvin, a man I met last Saturday while on Adopt-A-Block. As usual, I was walking around my site, Pueblos, which is a large housing project in South Central Los Angeles. This area is full of violence, gangs, and those in need. In addition to the danger and poverty, most of the residents, including families, live in units not much larger than a studio.

As I introduced myself to Marvin, he greeted me with a smile. I told him why we were in his community and what we do every week. During our conversation, we talked about God, and what He has done in both of our lives. At the time, our dialogue seemed normal to me; however, on the ride home, I was challenged by his attitude. Throughout our talk, Marvin’s focus was on thankfulness for what God has given him. Furthermore, as I was getting ready to leave, I asked if he would like prayer for anything, his answer – to remain thankful.

As I said earlier, the conversation and prayer request seemed ordinary at the time; yet, as the bus was leaving Pueblos, I saw three police cars and two men getting arrested a few blocks from Marvin’s unit. I thought how can this man be so thankful, much less thankful at all? Although he lacked what most, including myself, view as important and necessary, such as material possessions (big screen tv, car, ect.) or success (money, power, ect.), his focus was on thankfulness for what God has given him: salvation, peace, and love.

With all the blessings in my life, I rarely take the time to thank God for His provision. I cannot imagine how little thanks I would feel toward God if my life was as hard as Marvin’s. I am beginning to realize the greatest things in life are not necessarily the things I can achieve or work toward. Instead, like Marvin, I need to appreciate the things in life that really matter.

Jesus, in Luke 12:48, says, “To whom much is given, from him much is required.” I encourage you to take time to thank God for His faithfulness and provision, whether tangible or intangible, and use what He has blessed you with to help others.

- Jesse

Charlotte's Angels Debut Fashion Show

I found out about Charlotte’s designs by accident, the day I saw a few images of her accessory line on a co-worker’s computer desktop. I was so impressed by the quality of the designs that I inquired who was the creative mind behind these beautiful pieces.

Charlotte, I later learned, lived on The Dream Center’s family floor with her husband and son. They had been accepted into the transitional housing program a few weeks after she and her husband had both lost their jobs and had become homeless. Charlotte was asked during the time that she was interviewed by the staff on the family floor what her future dreams were, and she opened up to them about her passion for fashion design.

Around the time that we first met Charlotte I asked if I could help her with her debut fashion show. Initially, I thought I would be calling a few people on her behalf and setting up some of her social networks for her. Little did I know that within a few short weeks I would be roped into being the event organizer - something I never thought I would do. I would soon learn that saying “no” to Charlotte is almost impossible!

Over the next five months we planned and prepared for Charlotte’s debut fashion event. Charlotte was running around to get her collection completed, I was e-mailing the ever- growing mailing list and figuring out the timing of music and lights, while others were busy making calls to secure models, stylists and hairdressers for the event. The fashion show was now scheduled to take place on Oct 15^th at Angelus Temple.

The week of the event was hectic. One day we had ten models ready to come to the rehearsal, the next day we found out, to our dismay, that five had either dropped out or were not the right stature for a runway model. There was a lot of prayer and a lot of last minute changes that had to take place, but somehow Charlotte was able to pull off an amazing show, which wowed her audience. It was great to see how God enabled her dreams to come true, while she and her family are being supported by The Dream Center.

- Chaka

For more information on the clothing line, please check out Charlotte's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CharlottesAngels/140768942626875

In a State of ME-ocracy

There is something that is truly freeing when you decide to stop living for yourself. At times it seems to go against everything within us. It is a fault we must constantly toil with that is innate to human character. The simple truth is that this is something the whole world struggles with, and it doesn’t help that this self-seeking behavior has become an attitude which is socially acceptable and justified. With all that said, Christians are still called to “love your neighbor as yourself” - a concept that is at the heart of The Dream Center.

Last week, during an amazing outreach program called Project Prevention, I was gently reminded of how it feels to apply this concept to my daily life. (On a quick side note, Project Prevention is an outreach that brings food and basic essentials to families in the surrounding area that are in danger of losing their kids to foster care). During my time with Project Prevention, the leaders challenged everyone in the small group, of no more than 15, to truly listen to the different testimonies shared by all of the families. More importantly, I was being challenged to remove myself as numero uno in my life. Looking back, what they were really asking of our small group is for just a small period of time to live our lives for someone we may never see again.

Whether it is a bin full of food, a handshake, a cheerful smile, or an encouraging word we were being asked to find a way to truly love our neighbor. We were letting someone else’s problems become our own, sharing in their successes, and especially their failures, and taking a genuine interest in a life other than our own. When this happens the changes are transforming. It is amazing what can happen when someone chooses to get over how important they think they are and become a blessing. When we abandon our state of me-ocarcy, we stop worrying about our personal appearance, status, or possessions, and we find that we gain a peace that truly surpasses all understanding.

It might not come natural to put a complete stranger’s needs in front of your own, but I promise when we finally make this decision it is life changing. In a world obsessed with finding itself, God desires for us to lose ourselves in service to others.

-Nic