Prayers for Pastor Ron

Rhonda is on the front row, far left, leading the choir!

Obviously I haven’t posted since my trip to Skid Row, which is purely due to my lack time management and my accidental neglect of the blog, but also because of my lack of proximity to LA. Don’t think that just because I’m not there, these men and women don’t touch my life every day.

Yesterday morning, I received some shocking and upsetting news. Pastor Ron, the man in charge of Set Free Los Angeles’ wife passed away. I don’t know any details, but I do know that the ministry can certainly use all the prayers anyone can offer right now. Rhonda was an amazing lady who was very active in Set Free, among other things.

She had a caring heart, led the music ministry with her vocal talents, and spent a lot of time with the women’s ministry of Set Free.

She is truly and angel who will be missed. Please keep Pastor Ron and Set Free LA in your prayers.

Fear Not…

(A very delayed recount of Saturday – our final day on Skid Row)

We awoke this morning unsure of what our day held. As we left it last night, we were all going to pray about Keely’s decision on whether or not we would attend the outreach on Skid Row this morning. (The outreach posed a potentially dangerous situation because of large crowds, no home base for us, and a lot of the unknown). However, when we arrived downstairs at our hotel, there was a feeling of peace over me, Keely announced that we would be going to serve, and I could just tell that it was exactly what we were supposed to do. To be quite honest, I was going to be really disappointed if we didn’t get to go – I couldn’t imagine leaving LA without saying good bye to my friends down on the streets.

I think this is just an example of God reminding us that he’s got our back – no matter what, and that we shouldn’t let fear dictate our decisions.

Harleys lining each side of San Julian St. in Skid Row for the Outreach

As we arrived on Skid Row, I had a feeling of calm about me… we were surprised by having more of our Set Free guys downtown than previously anticipated, so that was definitely a blessing. I was still sad because I hadn’t seen Keith before we went back to our hotel last night, and he hadn’t come home to Urban Connection Center, so I knew he was out there somewhere… it is amazing how much I have grown to care about these people in a matter of just a couple of days. It is a new sense of compassion that I have not previously known, but I’m sure I’ll carry with me after I leave here.

When we parked the van to begin our day, the street festival had begun and we were primed and ready for the outreach event. Looking down San Julian Street was amazing. There were hundreds of Harley Davidsons parked along the sides of the road, and tons of bikers in leather vests all out mingling with the residents of Skid Row. The bikers are all part of a biker ministry that partners with Set Free to put on this event each year. Almost immediately I wondered why we had ever had any fear about coming down here. Then, as if to reassure me that I was here for a reason today, God brought Keith to the corner of 6th and San Julian. I felt like I had found my kid who had run away from home for a day.

I ran across the street to greet him, probably giving him the biggest hug he

Home Base - The Urban Connection Center

has ever gotten… poor guy was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and said that he had gone to Venice Beach to be by himself. He had clearly not slept, and said that he had torn the sleeves off his shirt to use as a washcloth, but the water in the showers at the Mission had been cut off this morning, so he didn’t get a chance to shower. Once again, my heart broke on San Julian.

We got Keith some food and water back at the Connection Center, then teamed up and headed out into the street for the outreach event.

Churches had come and set up booths to hand out clothes, food, drinks and a band was set up at the end of the street. The place was rocking and people were coming in from everywhere to partake. It is amazing how much just a few people working together can do to bless this Skid Row area – God was truly showing his face through people today. Men flipped burgers and hot dogs, people sorted through clothes, and we walked around to talk to people and make sure they were getting what they needed.

Cutest Kid Ever!

I gave away a lot of my sillyband bracelets to kids, and one little guy was especially excited! I’m not sure if he spoke english or not, but he loved that dinosaur bracelet, and his dad seemed to be very happy that his kid was so happy. A few of the girls in our group had gotten roses from a man walking around handing them out – and I found out from another team member that a homeless woman had been wanting one, but the man had run out. So, she and I walked over and placed my rose on the lady’s backpack (she was gone for the moment). I hope she got that rose and it brightened her day!

One of my favorite characters of today was a little old man named JoJo. As

JoJo winning our dance-off - the man's got MOVES!

some of my teammates and Ernie (a Set Free friend) and I were walking around, we came across a little man pushing a shopping cart. The guy saw Ernie (with his long dark hair) and yelled, “YOU! are a LONG HAIRED HIPPY!” Ernie laughed it off, as JoJo continued to repeat it.. then all of a sudden, the little guy just broke out in a dance! So, I danced with him and we had a little dance off, right in the middle of San Julian St. JoJo won. No contest – and everyone got a great laugh out of it.

Later in the day, my teammates Derek, McClain and I decided to try and talk to some more people as we were walking around, and we came across a big guy who we later learned was named Curtis. Curtis called out to us as we walked by,

Our man Curtis

but because he was a tall, muscular, younger guy, we assumed he was going to make an inappropriate comment (as many had while we were street witnessing) but for some reason, we turned around when he yelled, and found that he just wanted to say hi and wish us a good day. That hello turned into an amazing conversation with him. Curtis has been clean 11 days, and lives in apartments just off Skid Row. He has been in jail, has a child that he rarely gets to see, but wants to see, an ex-girlfriend that he is trying to get away from, and a heart of gold. He told us that he loves God, but he is ashamed of the life he has been leading, and that he wants to change. It was just an amazing opportunity for us to talk to him about who God is and how he can get help… We told him the truth – that we could see so much potential in him. He was good-looking, well-spoken, and seemed to really want to get his life together. These are the kind of people I hate to leave down there… just as we are starting to make an impact, we have to leave them. Curtis was an awesome guy – I hope he gets to where he needs to be in life.

Sadly, our time on Skid Row for the day came to a close and it was time to

85, homeless, and still praising God - wow!

say our good-byes to our friends we had met throughout the week… It was hardest to leave Keith, of course, and Bernard, and Carol – the sweet lady who stays outside the Connection Center all day and attends every service they offer., and Fred, who now has his very own bible, and the sweet 85-yr old man who comes to Proverbs every day like clockwork… It is heartbreaking to walk away from these people who you know so desperately need help, but as I have learned this week more than anything, their lives are in God’s hands, and He will make sure that they are where they need to be.

After we said our tearful good-byes we headed back to the hotel to regroup

Saying Good-Bye to Keith...

and say good-bye to one of our team members and my roommate, Aletta. She had to leave a day early to get back to work – and at this point I realized that our trip was really coming to an end. It was tough to see her go, after sharing a week in the same room and the same daily heartbreak on Skid Row, but happy because she is an amazing friend and great woman of faith, so I know I still have a lot to learn from her!

The whole group went to dinner in Manhattan Beach and had some time to put our feet in the sand, which was definitely much needed. Southern California beaches are amazing – I have been to some great beaches, but these blow me away.

Ice Cream heaven!

After dinner we headed to the grocery store to get supplies for the world’s greatest ice cream sundae bar – which we were putting together at the Set Free house in Bell Gardens that night. It was amazing – four kinds of ice cream, every topping you can imagine, root beer floats… a sugar lover’s heaven. And boy were our friends at Bell Gardens excited. That is one thing that I love about them. They are forever grateful and so excited about everything that we do for them – no matter how great or small, they are truly thankful and let us know how much it means to them, which makes us happy to do more for them (and because they are our friends and we love them!). Stan was first in line with his ice cream bowl (Stan is a quiet one, but he is steadfast in his love for God and he is always first to church) and everyone else followed soon after.

We shared an awesome evening of fellowship, sharing, and a LOT of laughs… I had written a song to the tune of a song we learned at the Urban Connection Center earlier this week and incorporated funny joked about all of the guys – so it was fun to share that and hear them laugh about our observations of their housemates! It was tough to gather up and leave, knowing that we head back to Tennessee tomorrow, so we stayed until they basically kicked us out at midnight, with promises to return for church bright and early tomorrow.

Today I was reminded that God is greater than any fear we can have. We went to bed last night reluctant to come back downtown, but I am so happy that we did. It was really tough saying goodbye to Keith and Bernard, but would have been harder without seeing them at all. I am also so thankful that we got the opportunity to meet and talk to Curtis. Maybe hearing encouragement from us is all that he needed to continue his path to cleaning up and changing his life. We will probably never know, but that’s okay.  Looking forward to our last day with the guys tomorrow, but not the tears that have already started flowing.

Bringing Thomas Home

Wow – what a day! God has been doing some serious work through us today. This is the kind of day I hoped to have when coming out here. It seems like everything has come to a climax and we have seen God work in a major way. However, when God works in big ways, there is usually some bad to counteract that, which I have experienced today as well. But, I know that the bad happens because God has been so hard at work, and that is reassuring.

Today at Proverbs I had an awesome experience. First, Keith was downstairs to greet us, a big smile on his face. The guys who run the Urban Connection said to me, “I don’t know what you have done to him, but he has never participated in any of the services and we have never seen him so excited to get down here.” That in itself made my day.

As I mentioned yesterday, we are starting to see who the regulars are – the people who come in from the streets every morning to share in the word and learn more about God. They contribute to the conversation and seem to truly want to be there. One of those people is Fred. Fred is a Hispanic man who seems to be pretty young – probably in his 20s. He always comes in and sits in the back, and every day someone shares their bible with him, since he does not have his own. He is always willing to participate and anxious to share his favorite verse. Today, something led me to ask Fred if he had his own bible. He didn’t – so I gave him mine (It was one that I had bough specifically to give out on Skid Row) and I wrote his name in it, just to make sure he knew it was his. You would not believe the way Fred’s face lit up when I told him he could have it. It was like I had given him a million dollars. I have never given away a bible before, but I sure will do more of it from now on. All through Proverbs, Fred was flipping through and reading different passages. I didn’t even have a conversation with him, or tell him my name, but I know that Fred will forever remember the girl who gave him the bible, and I know God is smiling because of that.

After Proverbs we always have time to have coffee and hang out with the people in the Urban Connection Center, today I took the opportunity to spend some time with my buddy Keith and try to get more out of him. He was in good spirits today and ready to talk (and I had brought him a cinnamon roll from our hotel, so that was probably helpful). Keith talked to us about his life in San Diego and about how he had been in a gang, and was running with the wrong crowd, and how different things are now – worse than they were. Keith really opened up to us, and I could tell he was having a hard time with it, so I mentioned the Set Free ranch to him again. I had told him about it yesterday, and he spoke to brother Mark to get some info, but I just haven’t figured out if it’s the right thing for him or not. I asked my favorite Set Free guy, Big John, to come in and talk to Keith, just to give him some encouragement, because Big John has such a way with words and getting Jesus across to people in a very real way. Big John came in and sat with us and asked Keith if he loved God. Keith sweetly answered, “Yes I do.” John continued to tell him about how much God loved him no matter what he had done, but that he had to quit worrying about getting a job and getting his food stamps and trust God to take care of him. He told him about the ranch and said, “If you trust God to take care of you, and you give all of your worries to him, the ranch is the place for you.” Big John asked if he could pray for Keith, and Keith said that he would very  much like that. So we sat in a circle and held hands and John prayed for Keith. It was very much a crying moment, and I’m so glad I was a part of it.

After our morning Proverbs we went out to hit the streets and tell the people about the big outreach event tomorrow. We had a great group of our Set Free friends with us today – Big John, David, Ernie and Gerald. John, David and Ernie are awesome at speaking to people, and Gerald is a huge dude that rarely speaks, but he is always watching… and he always has our back. If I ever needed a bodyguard, Gerald would be the man. We split up into much smaller groups today and it was so much more effective. I feel like we actually got a chance to talk to people and share some love without seeming so impersonal. My street partner Ashley (who is part of our group from Nashville), Lauren, Big John, Gerald and I went out ot hit the streets. As we walked, we met a lot of cool people. It’s amazing how safe I feel when I’m walking around Skid Row with our Set Free friends. They are constantly watching over us and making sure no one treats us with anything less than respect. I talked to LaVerne (who we are pretty sure is a prostitude), and boy was she excited about the event tomorrow – she even gave me a “God Bless you, sister!”; a guy named Cowboy, who loved us because we were from Tennessee and he was from Mississippi; Oscar, whose girlfriend wanted nothing to do with us, but he was so sweet and excited that we invited him to come be a part of the outreach; a deaf couple, who we signed the information to, which brought huge smiles; and so many more.

Thomas with my teammates Lauren and McClain

As we were walking, Ashley told Big John that she wanted to stop on the corner of the old Set Free building and try and find Thomas. Thomas is a man who went through the set free program and had been living with the guys, but had taken a turn for the worse and ended up back on the streets. Thomas is an alcoholic, but had recovered and taken over the position as the cook of the house before he fell back into his old habits. He and John were especially close, as they had gone to work loading trucks together every day for several months, and John had yet to go looking for him on the streets because he was so mad at him for leaving the house. Well, God had plans for us that day because as we turned the corner, there was Thomas, laying on the ground. Ashley walked right over to him, woke him up and said, “Thomas, what are you doing out here? You know you are better than this.” Thomas was pretty drunk and a little hazy from just waking up, so it took him a minute to realize who was talking to him, but when he did he got up and said, “John? Is that you? Am I awake?” John said, “Thomas, you’re coming with us…” Thomas went to gather his things and John told him not to worry about his stuff – he had new stuff for him, just to trust God and he would provide. And who would have thought, but we took Thomas right back to the Urban Connection Center with us and got him some food and water, and he’s moving back into the house tonight! It was nothing short of miraculous that we found him. Big John was crying like a baby. It was amazing.

On our way back to the Urban Connection Center, I saw a little Hispanic boy on the sidewalk playing. I think homeless kids break my heart the most because they are there only as a result of their parents poor decisions… not their own. I had been giving out Silly bandz – bracelets that look like different shapes, to people all week, just as a little token of love. I offered him a Saturn one and his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. Seeing how excited he was, and his parents were, just to get something as small as a rubber band bracelet, made me truly appreciate all that I have.

Ernie after a good roll!

That afternoon we were all getting a little tired and weary from the extreme heat and the lack of sleep we had been getting. So, Keely, our leader, decided to take us over to LA Live – an area with food, ESPN zone, Lucky Stike Bowling, and lots of restaurants downtown by the Staples Center. We took our set free guys with us and this turned out to be my favorite afternoon so far! As we got there, I was talking with Randy, one of the guys, and he said to me, “You know, I have lived in LA my entire life and I have never gotten to come down here.” That broke my heart a little, to know that he had been in such a bad situation that he had never gotten to come to the nice part of LA in his entire life….

We took them to Lucky Strike and rented out lanes, most of those guys said they had not bowled in over 20 years – and the smiles we got from them that afternoon will

Big John shooting hoops downtown

never be forgotten. I thanked God so much that day for allowing me the means to do simple things like eat out and go bowling. They had a blast at the bowling alley, and we found a radio promotion booth set up outside that allowed you to shoot a basked to win a prize. Big John was all about it – he didn’t win, but you would have thought he did watching him shoot and grin. We all got ice cream at a fancy ice cream parlor, walked around outside and danced to the music playing over the loud speakers and just enjoyed the opportunity to be where we were.

As we were walking back, I overheard one of the guy say that this might be the best day of his life. Big John told me, “You know, usually my phone is ringing off the hook. I was supposed to be working all week this week, but for some reason, God let me off. He knew I needed this, and it has been one of the best weeks ever.” I learn to love these guys a little more each day. It is truly amazing how grateful they are for every little thing, and they don’t just give thanks to us, they give thanks to God, which I often forget. And old Thomas… who would have thought that he would be bowling and eating ice cream by the Staples Center with us when he had just gone to sleep on Skid Row a few hours before… amazing.

We arrived back at the connection center, in great spirits from our outing and ready to serve. We walked the streets once more inviting people to the church service that night and the feeding of hamburgers and hot dogs we were providing afterward. People on Skid Row don’t get too excited when you invite them to church, but when you tell them there is food involved… they sure do perk up. haha.

We had church service that night and a guy came in who was clearly high on some sort of drug and who just seemed a little scary to me. He plopped down in front, took off his shoes and socks and started circling the room, glaring at us. I was sitting by Thomas, but none of the other set free guys were in my row… and this was truly the only time I felt scared on Skid Row up to this point. The preacher continued preaching, and I began praying for protection, as this guy continued to walk past, glaring specifically at my teammate McClain who was sitting right next to me.  At one point, I got up and left because it was so uncomfortable, and sure enough, as soon as we had finished church and serving food (which he had stayed for) the guy snapped. He started cussing and yelling and threatening to fight… he was immediately escorted from the building, but I guess you could say that we got our Skid Row initiation tonight.

After that outburst, Keely was in a hurry to get us out of there and back to our hotel, just to keep us safe. We were all a little frazzled from the experience, and worn out from such a big day. My only concern with leaving was that Keith had not returned that evening like he said he would. I kept asking the Urban Connection guys and they told me he always comes home by 7 to get a shower… it was 9 at this point and they closed the doors. The rule is that if you’re not there by 9, you don’t get to sleep there. My heart breaks for Keith, wherever he might be. I just truly hope that he is safe, and that he comes home tomorrow so that I can see him again.

Pastor Ron with the Bucs bag I gave him (He's from Tampa and LOVES the bucs)

We met in the van after arriving back at the hotel and Keely just had a quick meeting with us, telling us that she felt like we might not make it to Skid Row in the morning because of here heightened awareness of some dangerous things that were going on this week. I understand that completely – and it had been very heavy on her heart, but I’m hoping we do make it… I don’t know how I would feel about leaving without seeing my friends Keith and Bernard again, and I just feel like we shouldn’t operate out of fear… God’s got our backs no matter what, but we were all left to pray about the decision tonight, so that’s what I’m headed to do!

My Friend Keith

This morning we headed back down to Skid Row for our usual morning Proverbs. I love the morning Proverbs because there are always new people to meet, and most of them are the ones who are not on drugs (or at least not too badly) and who really enjoy talking to us. Today I met Keith, who has touched my heart and I’m sure will continue to do so the rest of the week.

My buddy Keith

Keith looks to be about 35 – but he laughs and gets all embarrassed when you ask him how old he is. He has one eye that turns in, and a clear mental slowness, but nothing that is severe. He’s a big kid in a grown man’s body, and he lives at the Urban Connection Center. Every day he goes out looking for a job, but he has no resume, and a clear problem speaking to people when he is nervous, thus making it virtually impossible for him to get the kind of job he is applying for. He has taken computer classes, but his experience is in outdoor work. He says that he did ditch digging and landscaping back in San Diego (where he is from). Keith has been on the street for 4 months and seems to be running away from something in San Diego. He is the youngest of eight, and says that he calls his mom every month. My heart breaks that none of his brothers or sisters or even his mother haven’t come to bring him home. I’m sure he gets taken advantage of on the streets because he is so sweet and innocent. He is a prime target for some of the bad guys living on Skid Row – he is kind, he gets food stamps, and he is slow.

During Proverbs, today I learned something from my new friend. Each morning there are some crazies who come in for Proverbs, just because there are comfortable chairs, and they have large fans to keep people cool, and they serve coffee afterward. Most of the people are there to hear the word, but there are a few who stumble in and out during the hour. Today, I was sitting with Keith at the end of a row and a lady came in and sat behind us. She was dirty and smelled and was mumbling every cuss word you can think of. I looked back at her because she was disrupting my experience, but wasn’t really being too loud or anything. Then, I looked at Keith and kind of rolled my eyes. Keith just looked back at me and said, “Well, she musta just had a lot on her mind.” I immediately felt bad for rolling my eyes and love how I was just humbled by my new friend from the streets.

My friend (and roommate on the trip) Mandy and I hung out with Keith for quite some time after Proverbs, just chatting about life and getting to know him. Then we did the 11 a.m. service, took our Set Free guys to lunch at McDonalds (I love taking them to lunch out because so many of them rarely get to order whatever they want at a restaurant) and headed back down to the Connection Center for the 2 o’clock service. We had made Keith promise earlier that he would be there, and sure enough he showed up. He had gone to Venice Beach to look for a job while we were gone.

After the service, we divided into two groups and went out onto the streets of Skid

Ronald - the best street witness I know!

Row to do some street witnessing and to tell people about the big outreach event we are having Saturday. On Saturday they are shutting down a block and having several church groups come in to offer food, clothes, music and fun. It is sponsored by Set Free and they partner with a local motorcycle church, so there will be some cool bikes there as well. We had yet to walk much beyond our normal path from the van to the Urban Connection Center, so I was really excited to hit the streets and love on some people. We had our Set Free guys with us, so I automatically felt safe walking streets that are not normally a comfort zone.

Street witnessing today was a very eye-opening experience for me. I guess I was just imagining that we would go out in smaller groups and really get to know the people, hear some stories, and love on them, but the way we went about it today was much different. We were in two groups, and kind of seemed to bombard these people and all stand around while a couple of people talked. I tried to branch out and talk to people on my own, but you didn’t want to stray far from the group because of safety reasons. However, Ronald, one of the Set Free guys, was our rock. That man knew exactly what to say about Jesus to these guys living on the street. Ronald used to live on Skid Row, and it’s amazing how many people knew him. He was so confident, and so loving to these people, but he did it in a very matter-of-fact manner. He would say “Hey Brother! You GOT to be at this event on Saturday. We gonna bring some Jesus to this place!” Or he would ask, “Hey man, you need some prayer today?” He truly had a way of bringing Jesus to the streets in a way these people could comprehend. It was awesome to see him do that.

We didn’t stay on the streets for too long because we were attending church at the Dream Center and had to be there by 6:30. The Dream Center is where one of our teammates, Kyla, lives and works. It is a huge center in Los Angeles that has several different programs ranging from drugs and alcohol to human trafficking, homeless ministry, domestic violence and many many more. Like Set Free, they are a Christian organization focused on bringing people in troubled situations to God. They have a huge campus where they run all of their programs from. They have done a lot of great work, getting people back on their feet.

Dream Center Church

Some of our Set Free friends met us for church – Big John, Ernie, David and Gerald (Big John, Ernie and David have quickly become three of my favorites this week) The service was VERY high-energy. They had several youth groups in volunteering at the Dream Center and it seemed that the service was definitely geared towards a younger crowd. One thing that was really awesome about it was that so many different people – all ages, races, etc. came together in this building. It was one of the most diverse church services I have attended, and man were the people there on fire. There were a LOT of “amen’s” and “Preach it!’s”  The band was a popular Christian Rock band and the audiovisual effects were amazing. You felt like you were in Hollywood. They had a guest preacher in from Detroit who was very evangelistic. He was PREACHING. We all laughed at some of his sayings…”The best part of wakin’ up is NOT folgers in your cup – it’s JESUS in your heart!” and… “Somethin REDICULOUS is gonna happen for you!”  His message was really great though – he talked about the story of Elijah and how God brought him from obscurity into prominence, and that you should give thanks for the little blessings in order to get the big blessings. I sat by Big John and boy did he love this service. He told me, “You know, I was mad that I had to come here at first, but I sure am glad I didn’t miss this!” I loved that.

After church we took the guys and hit up a local taco truck on Sunset Blvd. – The

David and I at the taco truck

whole menu was in Spanish, so you knew it was legit. We took our food back to the Dream Center and ate outside while one of the men working with the Dream Center, Alfred, spoke to us. Alfred has an awesome story. He used to be one of the top 5% most powerful gang members in the country, but has since given his life to God, works in ministry and has set up a program in Los Angeles where the two biggest rival gangs have come to a peace agreement. He spoke about the gang wars of the 80s and 90s and how South Central used to be one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, with one of the highest murder rates. He was really deep into the workings of the gang, which is why he is able to be so instrumental in talking to the leaders now and working to get gang violence to an almost non-existent level. His next project sounds like it is going to be quite the undertaking, but will make a huge impact if he is able to make it happen. He is

Taco Truck! Yum!

working with the Mexican government, and some of the largest gangs in Mexico to help put an end to the use of women and children as sex slaves. It’s a horrible thing that is happening in Tiajuana – women and children coming from Central America are being beaten and broken and turned into objects. as they pass through Tiajuana trying to get to America. I didn’t really get how it all tied in with the Mexican gangs, but somehow it does, and Alfred is working to put an end to it – so keep him and his project in your prayers.

Tomorrow we head back to Skid Row for more street ministry and to continue to build relationships with those on the streets as we inform people of the outreach event. Pray for safety and that we will have the right words to say as we continue to bring Jesus to Skid Row.

Hitting The Streets

Today was our first full day on Skid Row. It was really awesome to actually get to spend a lot of time with the people of Skid Row and our friends from Set Free. I can’t begin to tell you how much the relationships with the men and women of the Set Free houses have effected me. They are truly my friends, and have already been SUCH a blessing in my life – it is amazing.

Living quarters at Urban Connection - each person gets 1 cot

We arrived for morning Proverbs on Skid Row at the Urban Connection Center, which is basically our Skid Row home base for the week. The Urban Connection Center is where Set Free Skid Row holds church, morning Proverbs, a morning and an afternoon devotion. However, they have their own programs too and are doing some pretty awesome things for the homeless as well. After Proverbs, we met and heard the testimonies of several of the people involved with running the Urban Connection Center. There is a married couple who survived living

Crack alley - a snapshot of Skid Row

on the streets, cleaned up then got married, Larma and Ula, and a former big businessman-turned homeless, Robert and K, another formerly homeless man who cleaned up and gave his life to God. They gave us a tour of the facility, which includes a large open sanctuary area downstairs, a huge room with cots for sleeping and bathrooms on the second floor, a third floor that is under renovation, but will be somewhat of a living area for residents, and an awesome rooftop.

In the Urban Connection Center, people can pay a minimal amount per week and they are given a cot to sleep on, a place to keep their things (which is very important to a homeless person – it is very difficult to apply for jobs or to go pick up their food stamps while having to carry all of their things with them, but they don’t like to leave them out on the streets where they are sure to get stolen) a place to shower each day, and fellowship with other men and women who are trying to clean up and get off the streets. Many of the people living in the Urban Connection Center have met with their counselor and are either in college, trade school, or are actively seeking employment. They must be up and out of the living quarters by 8 am, but they can leave earlier if they need to. They have certain times for showering and a lights out time in the evenings. They leave most of their belongings in the living quarters during the day because they know it is locked and their things are safe there, which allows them to do what they need to do as far as seeking employment or going to school during the day. We met Hans, the man who started the center, and got an awesome view of the city from the building rooftop. Hans pointed out crack alley, just below the building, where many of the drug deals go down… very eye opening.

Pershing Square

After our tour, some of my team members led the 11 a.m. devotion time. People from the streets can always come into these devotions, as well as people who live at Urban Connections, and the Set Free guys come as well, if they aren’t working that day. Following our 11 a.m. devotion, we dispersed for lunch and hit up Pershing Square, a great park in downtown LA. It still shocks me – what goes on at Skid Row, just a few blocks from Los Angeles’ downtown business district, and how literally one block is the difference between a normal downtown, and an area full of hurt and despair.

We reconvened to lead the 2 p.m. devotion at the Urban Connection Center and this is when I met one of my first Skid Row street friends, Bernard. Bernard is a bigger black man who rocks a “Crack open the Bible, Get High On Jesus” shirt. He comes to Proverbs every morning, and just attended the afternoon devotion for the first time. Bernard is a little quiet at first, but once you get him talking his personality shines through. He has lived on Skid Row for a few months… my heart aches for him because he seems to be vulnerable to those out on the streets. He is clean of drugs with the

Afternoon Rapping

exception of cigarettes, but still can’t find a way to get off the streets. We invited him back for tomorrows Proverbs and devotions – I told him we’d save him a seat, so I hope to see him soon. My team members shared awesome testimonies of God’s unconditional love. We also got a special treat in the afternoon devotion… Ula and Lamar apparently write Christian rap songs, which they performed for us – it was awesome! To be quite honest, when they said that, I was not expecting much, but it turned out to be pretty great!

Today was a day when I was kind of able to distinguish the “regulars” who are becoming our friends, from the others that just wander in and out of the center. For instance, Carol, who I wrote about on my first day of Skid Row, the women who was a former prostitute and drug addict. Carol is there for every service, on the front row, praising God for what she has. What an inspiration, to see someone like her, who is living on the street, have such a grateful attitude.There’s also an 85 yr old man who comes to Proverbs every morning. He can’t read because the print of the Bible is too small, but every day he stands up and thanks God for another day. He doesn’t look any older than 65, and seems to be doing okay, so God must have something planned for him…

Ernie and Irie goofing off - acting out Irie's shirt

After our 2:00 devotion, we headed back to the Set Free house in Bell Garden to hang with our Set Free friends. We took them to dinner at In-N-Out Burger, and wow – what a blessing that was! You would not believe how happy a simple fast food meal and some time to sit and talk makes our Set Free friends. They tried to skimp on their orders so that we wouldn’t have to pay as much, but we made them go the extra mile. Brother Mark, who leads the morning Proverbs each day, even got him a large neopolitan milkshake and extra cheese and bacon fries. Irie, the youngest of the set free guys, said that this has been the best week of his life – that right there makes the whole trip worth it.

Pastor Ron had mentioned earlier in the week that there would be Wednesday night church at the Urban Connection Center, and that we would be leading it. Somehow at that point I felt in my heart that my turn to speak would happen to fall on Wednesday night. As scheduling would have it, my partner and I were supposed to go on Thursday. However, the group that was supposed to go Wednesday was not ready to go yet, and asked us if we would be willing to switch. Of course! Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t mind talking in front of people. So, at God’s discretion, I ended up being the one who would share my story and give a lesson to the people of Skid Row that night.

We had some awesome praise and worship at the service, and the building was

Our girl Victoria rocking the solo.

rocking. These people have some fire in their worship. They aren’t afraid to “amen” if they feel it, and they love to dance and sing loud. The praise and worship choir for the Set Free Church sang a few numbers, then it was my turn to speak. I had prepared a talk on the story of Jacob hearing God’s voice in the night as he was fleeing from Beersheba. Jacob stopped at a certain place because he was so weary from travel, and he laid his head upon a stone. In the night, God spoke to him, and when he woke up, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord was here and I have missed it.” I related this to my life by discussing the fact that we all have stones, or hard places in life. Every day people face stones. I discussed my time at Miami and my transfer to Butler, and my time living in Chicago and then moving to Nashville, and relayed the message that sometimes God puts us in certain places to draw us closer to him, and that he always has a plan no matter where we are in life.

I can’t tell you how good it felt to speak to these people, and hopefully touch at least one person. If just one person heard what they needed to hear through my words, then I count it a success. What an awesome experience, and of course all of my set free friends were there with hugs and high fives after the service.

Following church, we were really excited about homeless karaoke that takes place each Wednesday in an outreach building on Skid Row, but we got there, only to find out it was canceled. Huge letdown, so we went back to the guys’ house at Bell Gardens and hung with our set free friends. One of the guys, Jeff, shared a lot of his heart with us, and his knowledge of toxicology and funny stories of the dumb things he did in his previous life before God. We had a great time learning from him and hearing his story.

Already these people have become near and dear to my heart. The hugs we get when we leave their houses or leave them anytime are out of this world. I can’t count the number of times they have thanked us for being here and for being their friends. It’s amazing. These guys are true men of God, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for some of them.

I’ll have more to share soon about Thursday (today) – it’s all already happened, I’m just too tired to put it into words right now. 6 am comes early!

The Ranch

85 miles outside of Los Angeles, in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains, is a small town called Yucaipa. Yucaipa is the site of the original Set Free church. A quick history lesson – Set Free was founded back in the 80s, but really took off in the early 90s because of a biker named Pastor Willy. At first glance, Pastor Willy looks like he just rode into town on his Harley, and would probably be found at your local bike shop. However, within the first five minutes of talking to him, you would quickly learn that Pastor Willy is a devoted man of God, who just happens to really like motorcycles. Pastor Willy and some others are the ones who started what is referred to as “the ranch.”

The Ranch is located about 30 minutes outside of Yucaipa, even deeper into the

Pastor Willy's bike - in the sanctuary!

desert. Let’s clear something up – this is not a normal “ranch” that you would picture…. green pastures, horses, a house… none of those are at the ranch. The Ranch is a place where those who leave the streets go to get cleaned up and get some Jesus in them. There is a men’s ranch and a women’s ranch – both located in the same trailer park, unbeknownst to each other. The ranch consists of one mobile home for the women, and three for the men. Today our team visited the women’s home. 30 women, a few children, and a LOT of bugs all share the space of one mobile home. In the men’s home there are often up to 80 resident. They eat beans and rice, spend a lot of time in the word, and quickly detox from any drug or alcohol abuse situations – that is their only option.

For the most part, these people are at the ranch because they have chosen to be there. Some have been before, left, and have returned. Some are there on court orders, but decide to stay longer than their appointed period because they have been so blessed there, and some have no other option – it’s either come to the ranch or die on the streets. In order to be blessed out of the ranch, you must stay at least 60 days. The cool thing about it is – if you don’t feel ready to leave after that time period, you can stay as long as you want. In addition, they accept everyone, at any time of the day, which is unique to a lot of other missions, rehab facilities or halfway houses.

Today, we began our journey at Set Free Church in Yucaipa – meeting Pastor Willy, hearing the history of Set Free, and preparing to go to the ranch. At Set Free we met two amazing young women (both age 20) who shared their stories with us, telling us their similar tragic tales of heroin use, an abusive boyfriend, suffering and loss, and how their lives are so blessed since going through the program at the ranch. Both girls now work in the church office and help run the merchandise store. They are clean, in relationships with their families, and one is even engaged to be married – all because of Pastor Willy’s ranch. They both live in a women’s home in Yucaipa, very similar to the one we visited in Los Angeles yesterday.

The Ranch

After meeting these women, we loaded up the van, picked up a LOT of pizza, and headed further into the desert. Upon arrival at the ranch, I was amazed at how hot it was, and how bad the flies were, and how they all squeezed into that small space. But, I know that the purpose of the ranch is to sober people up and get them right with Christ, not to make them comfortable with a place to stay. They are provided for, don’t get me wrong, but not so much that they miss the reason they are there. A motto that I heard more than once today was “Beans and rice and Jesus Christ!” which was funny, but turned out to be a great observation.

We fed the women and talked with them for awhile (I have never seen Dominos pizza disappear so fast) and I naturally gravitated towards the kids living there. I met the sweetest three year old, named Alana, and a 10 year old boy, Tyler. Alana had been at the ranch for a couple of months, while Tyler’s mom and he had just arrived days ago.

I instantly won them over with SillyBandz (animal rubber band bracelets) and playing

Hanging with Alana

cards. It was really an eye-opener for me to see these kids on the ranch, who had either lived on the streets with their parents, or been in dangerous, drug-related situations based upon their parents previous decisions. But then I thanked God that the kids were at least there, and that their mom’s were there getting help and seeking Him. These kids had never seen Silly Bandz, and they didn’t have any toys of their own, which broke my heart as I thought back to all of the toys the kids I babysit have…

I sat with Tyler’s mom and listened to her story of how she ended up in the ranch – she had already been there in 2007 and had been blessed out, clean and saved. It broke my heart to see her eyes well up as she talked about having to come back after slipping back into her old ways. She was SO appreciative when a teammate of mine prayed with her, and I offered her reassurance that she was making the right decision by being there and that I would certainly keep her and Tyler in my prayers. My favorite moment of the day came from her, as she casually told her son when I wasn’t supposed to be listening, “You know, it will be okay Tyler, she’s going to be praying for us.”

I convinced Tyler to let me do his nails too!

One of my teammates led a study on Phillipeans 3 and Romans 8:1-2, talking about how we are set free from condemnation because of Jesus’ love for us, and some more of these women shared their joy for the opportunity to be at the ranch, or back at the ranch. We even had one of them sing a song she had written about Romans 8 for us! It was awesome! (I’m going to try and put it in this post)

After the study, we had girl time and painted their fingernails with the assortment of nail polish that we had brought. You would have thought we were giving them extreme makeovers – they were so happy. On more than one occasion today, these women said how grateful they were that people like us had come and given them a taste of the goodness that can come from the outside world, and treated them like people, even though they had made some bad mistakes in their past. I teared up hearing that because no one should have to be thankful to be treated like a normal person. We all make bad decisions at some point, and shouldn’t have to feel like any less of a person because of it. God forgives, so we should too.

We left the ranch sweaty, sunburned, and full of love. I know that these women aren’t

Necklaces for the girls - courtesy of Pastor Willy and the thrift store

all going to make it through their 60 days. Not all of them will be success stories, and that is a tough pill to swallow, but all I can do is pray for them, and tell others to pray for them.

We also visited a thrift store in Yucaipa that is completely owned and run by Set Free people – mostly those living in the halfway houses after leaving the ranch. What an awesome ministry. Not only does it provide for the less fortunate in the community, it allows those who may not have had any recent job experience the chance to learn how to work. They have to be there at a certain time, they get certain breaks, and they truly hold down a part-time job.

I left the desert today with a much better understanding of how Set Free works, and I’ll definitely share that in another post – I got some pamphlets as well, describing all of the ministries that the Set Free church has their hand in – it is truly amazing what God is doing with these people who were once so broken.

Keep my ranch friends in your prayers this week, especially little Alana and Tyler. Alana jumped up to hug me and ask why we had to leave today, and all I could tell her was that I’d make sure she got lots of love and prayers…

Tomorrow is our first full day on Skid Row – I feel prepared and ready to make a difference in the streets of LA – can’t wait to update you, as I’m SURE we’ll have some tales.

Amenz!

To get to Skid Row this morning we drove past the exit for Robertson Blvd. This is where many of LA’s boutiques are located. We also drove through downtown, past the Staples Center and saw an abundance of palm trees, cafes and stores. It’s almost as if God is playing a funny little trick on me. He knows I love shopping, and that I love being downtown in cities, and that I love to try out new, local cafes. But that is not what this week is about. With the exception of 10 minutes in H&M yesterday, there will be no shopping this week. I have a bigger mission.

Upon arrival at Skid Row (which is right in the heart of downtown LA – amazing how you go from one street with cute shops, and literally across the street is a homeless mecca) we parked our van on the side of the road and upon exiting, I nearly tripped over a man sleeping on the sidewalk. The smell hits your first. It is overwhelming. A mix of urine, sweat, smog and trash. Then we walked toward Urban Connection Center through flies swarming around trashcans and trees.  Strangely enough, not once did I feel uncomfortable – yes, it smelled bad, and this was not a place I would normally hang out, but I didn’t feel unsafe, nor did I feel out of place. Our group was of course and anomaly to those sitting along the streets, but only a few made any comments, and when they did it wasn’t the offensive remarks that I had expected.

We arrived in the Urban Connection Center and joined in with the Set Free group’s daily ritual of 8 a.m. Proverbs. Each morning, Brother Mark leads anyone who wants to come in off the streets through a chapter of Proverbs. Everyone takes turn reading a verse, then everyone has to expound upon their favorite verse. Today was Proverbs 12. The rule is that if you don’t want to share, you can thank God for giving you another day – which several people did. I didn’t think much about it until after we left Skid Row this morning and I realized that those people, more than anyone, truly were thankful for another day of life. That is something I often take for granted – of course I am thankful for each day, but seeing how these people live, and hearing them thank God, even among the filth of their surroundings, was an inspiration.

We were only downtown for about an hour and a half this morning, but I was able to meet a few people and hear a couple of really great stories of redemption. One women who is living on the streets shared a little bit during Proverbs, and I was able to seek her out afterwards and tell her what a blessing she had been, which led to her sharing her life story and how she became clean, and some of her daily struggles. Brother Mark, who leads the Proverbs, shared today that he is so thankful to consider us – a group of clean, white, Christian people from Tennessee, his friends. He said that just a few years ago, when people like us saw him, they held onto their purses and turned the other way. I left Proverbs and Skid Row excited and ready to come back. We will be spending a lot of time there Wed – Saturday and I’m really excited about what is in store for us.

Puzzles with with Set Free LA women's home

After morning Proverbs, we split up. The girls went to the female house (like the male house yesterday – somewhat of a halfway house, but with a God-based lifestyle) and the guys went to the male house. At the house, we led a morning and afternoon bible study and really just spent time getting to know the women. They really opened up their hearts and shared what they are going through, which allowed our team to do the same. We studied Romans 6 – a great chapter about dying to your old self and how to fully rely on God to get you past temptations. We busted out old school camp/bible school songs (Pharoah Pharoah, This Little Light, He’s Still Working on Me) and laughed a lot. These women have some amazing stories to share, and it was great to hear their faith poured out through their words.

After our time at the women’s house, we went and hung out at the men’s house, threw football, talked with a man living there who was a former prisoner, and heard some really interesting stories about his time in so many different prisons, and what made him decide enough was enough. We went to dinner then returned to the men’s house for a large group bible study, led by a pastor from Compton. Tonight’s bible study was on the book of Exodous, primarily chapters 3 and 4. This really hit home for me as it was a study of how God was preparing Moses for what he had been called to do – lead his people out of Egypt. The pastor brought up a lot of great points, but my favorite two were: 1. God wants us to rely not on sight, but on faith. and 2. There is no part of your life that God doesn’t want to be a part of. I struggle to remember God in my daily decisions – I am great at calling on Him for the big ones, but really need to work more on being in constant contact and seeking answers.

Goofing around in Brother Marks BIG pants

After bible study we hung out for a while, and I was able to get to know some of the guys and hear some more stories. One friend, Big John, was sharing his story and really struck me with something. He said, “You know, I remember the first time I got the feeling that I have tonight of pure happiness. I used to look for it in drugs, but now I can’t believe I wasted all that money when I can get it for free!”

It still amazes me how quickly they accepted us as their friends. These men and women love like I have never seen. They hug us when we get there, they share intimate stories with us, they open their hearts to us, and then they hug us again when we leave!

(The title of this post is called “Amenz” because that is what everyone at Set Free says when doing Proverbs to signify the end of their thoughts. Our group has adopted it.)