2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Last Wednesday, I worked with the outreach team from PATH. The outreach team goes out in certain parts of LA and find homeless people. So at 8am I arrived at the office with my 2 housemates Josh and Robert which they been a part of outreach team since September. We found out that someone who is a huge supporter of PATH, brought few hundred jackets along with gloves to give away to the homeless. Her name was Mrs. Getty, I recalled of hearing good things of what she have done for PATH and she was one of the 32 honorees we honored at PATH's gala event this past October. So we went to a church called Blessing Sacrament where the jackets going to give away. The church gives away free breakfast 4 times a week to the homeless. On Wed, they are normally closed but on the 24th(Last Wednesday), they opened up to give away jackets and food. There was about 120 homeless or more lining up outside the fence waiting to get in. There is a school on the church property and the kids from the school helped out give away jackets as we (outreach team) helped the homeless find their way out of the church as they got their jacket, gloves, and food. Each homeless person that came out of the back door of the church, we greeted them. Sometime we started a conversation with them. I seen mix emotions of the homeless people's faces as they walked out. Some excited, sad, or frustrated. Some didn't want the jackets, so they just got the food. There was a friendly cop that was with us and he asked one homeless fella, why didn't you get a jacket? The homeless fella said you will find me too easy. Too big of a jacket! Ha Ha. Some were thrilled to get jackets. Some came in with shopping cart filled with trash bags full of stuff or a backpack with stuff tied on the ropes of the backpack. I was introduced to a homeless man who worked for a long long time. PATH did some research on some stuff for him awhile back and ended up getting some benefits for him cause he worked for so long. So this week he will have his own apartment and paid for because the benefits. God is Good.
Thursday morning, Thanksgiving day I went to PATH building of Hollywood to take the homeless to Pink Taco for Thanksgiving. When the homeless was lining up, I hand them a waiver paper to sign so we can take pics, etc at this event. If they didn't sign it, they couldn't get on the bus. Over 100 homeless people went to Pink Taco. Pink Taco was a mexican restaurant.(Not a Taco Bell type) This was the 2nd time Pink Taco did this for PATH. It turned out to be great. While I was there, I took pics and talked to most of the homeless there. I listened to their stories. Some of them have said life is gonna get better soon. I know it, they said. They enjoyed the food. There was 2 guys was giving me a hard time for being for the Saints while they were for the Cowboys while we watched the game for little bit.
About 3:30 I came home, and met up with the rest of my housemates and neighbors for thanksgiving. My housemate Alex threw a thanksgiving party for the neighbors from 1pm to whenever. Over 40 people came. I met new and old friends from the neighborhood.
I made my nanny's peach cobbler for the event. We had ton of food from church friends and neighbors beside the dishes we made on our own. My parents sent in few boxes of cans and my housemates's families wired in money so we could use it for thanksgiving event for the neighbors. God is Awesome!
I am thankful for opportunities that God have given me here in LA. He taught me to see things in a new way. Everybody take things for granted and I know I have. I have seen homeless lived out in the dirty streets where they face no protection from weather, lack of food, lack of friends, lack of shelter, lack of money or job. All they need is a shelter, a job, and food. We need a cell phone but certain kind of cell phone or grape juice but certain kind of grape juice. We take things for granted in ridiculous ways. Its stupid. Some of you might argue at the fact that we worked hard to get good things and we deserve to have stuff that we can enjoy. Yes but think of this, do we need it to survive? Are we gonna get to take it to Heaven with us? No. Does this mean, I am going to get rid of my macbook or my truck or stop using it for awhile? No. But since mid September I started to not take things for granted seriously and I am thankful for God showing me this in a deeper way. In past mission trips where I have seen poverty for a week and felt the effects from their stories. But that tend to wear off after few weeks after the mission trip. Now I am seeing poverty every day and seeing the people out on the street asking for food or money. I have better understanding for poverty now and want to find a cure to fix this. Christmas is coming up, we all be at home catching up with families and friends and be warm while there are people who will be sleeping or staring at the traffic while on the street in cold weather. My stomach hurts when I think about that. I wish I can just clap my hands and all the sudden, everybody in the world have a home, food, and families. The reality part is that there gonna be people out in the street no matter what.
I ask you please to pray for homeless that they find warmth, shelter, food, and love through the holiday season. Pray that the homeless shelter help them start fresh again in their lives. Pray for the people who are volunteering their time to help out at the food banks, homeless shelters, fundraising, and helping the homeless during their holiday free time. Pray for the people who gonna travel during the holiday to their families safely and for the ones staying at home. Pray for my friends who are in other countries doing mission work for a year.
I am thankful for my parents who raised me in church and taught me that God is first before anybody or anything. I am thankful for opportunities that God have given me to see his glory shine. I am thankful for my housemates, my director Matthew, Matt's family, my FPH church friends, my prayer partner Brandon and LA friends that I met this year. I am thankful that God still listens. I am thankful whoever made sweet potato pie with pecans for Thanksgiving and its was good. I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving! God bless!
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Last Wednesday, I worked with the outreach team from PATH. The outreach team goes out in certain parts of LA and find homeless people. So at 8am I arrived at the office with my 2 housemates Josh and Robert which they been a part of outreach team since September. We found out that someone who is a huge supporter of PATH, brought few hundred jackets along with gloves to give away to the homeless. Her name was Mrs. Getty, I recalled of hearing good things of what she have done for PATH and she was one of the 32 honorees we honored at PATH's gala event this past October. So we went to a church called Blessing Sacrament where the jackets going to give away. The church gives away free breakfast 4 times a week to the homeless. On Wed, they are normally closed but on the 24th(Last Wednesday), they opened up to give away jackets and food. There was about 120 homeless or more lining up outside the fence waiting to get in. There is a school on the church property and the kids from the school helped out give away jackets as we (outreach team) helped the homeless find their way out of the church as they got their jacket, gloves, and food. Each homeless person that came out of the back door of the church, we greeted them. Sometime we started a conversation with them. I seen mix emotions of the homeless people's faces as they walked out. Some excited, sad, or frustrated. Some didn't want the jackets, so they just got the food. There was a friendly cop that was with us and he asked one homeless fella, why didn't you get a jacket? The homeless fella said you will find me too easy. Too big of a jacket! Ha Ha. Some were thrilled to get jackets. Some came in with shopping cart filled with trash bags full of stuff or a backpack with stuff tied on the ropes of the backpack. I was introduced to a homeless man who worked for a long long time. PATH did some research on some stuff for him awhile back and ended up getting some benefits for him cause he worked for so long. So this week he will have his own apartment and paid for because the benefits. God is Good.
Thursday morning, Thanksgiving day I went to PATH building of Hollywood to take the homeless to Pink Taco for Thanksgiving. When the homeless was lining up, I hand them a waiver paper to sign so we can take pics, etc at this event. If they didn't sign it, they couldn't get on the bus. Over 100 homeless people went to Pink Taco. Pink Taco was a mexican restaurant.(Not a Taco Bell type) This was the 2nd time Pink Taco did this for PATH. It turned out to be great. While I was there, I took pics and talked to most of the homeless there. I listened to their stories. Some of them have said life is gonna get better soon. I know it, they said. They enjoyed the food. There was 2 guys was giving me a hard time for being for the Saints while they were for the Cowboys while we watched the game for little bit.
They are enjoying the food and the conversation.
People lining up to get back on the bus to head home.
About 3:30 I came home, and met up with the rest of my housemates and neighbors for thanksgiving. My housemate Alex threw a thanksgiving party for the neighbors from 1pm to whenever. Over 40 people came. I met new and old friends from the neighborhood.
I am thankful for opportunities that God have given me here in LA. He taught me to see things in a new way. Everybody take things for granted and I know I have. I have seen homeless lived out in the dirty streets where they face no protection from weather, lack of food, lack of friends, lack of shelter, lack of money or job. All they need is a shelter, a job, and food. We need a cell phone but certain kind of cell phone or grape juice but certain kind of grape juice. We take things for granted in ridiculous ways. Its stupid. Some of you might argue at the fact that we worked hard to get good things and we deserve to have stuff that we can enjoy. Yes but think of this, do we need it to survive? Are we gonna get to take it to Heaven with us? No. Does this mean, I am going to get rid of my macbook or my truck or stop using it for awhile? No. But since mid September I started to not take things for granted seriously and I am thankful for God showing me this in a deeper way. In past mission trips where I have seen poverty for a week and felt the effects from their stories. But that tend to wear off after few weeks after the mission trip. Now I am seeing poverty every day and seeing the people out on the street asking for food or money. I have better understanding for poverty now and want to find a cure to fix this. Christmas is coming up, we all be at home catching up with families and friends and be warm while there are people who will be sleeping or staring at the traffic while on the street in cold weather. My stomach hurts when I think about that. I wish I can just clap my hands and all the sudden, everybody in the world have a home, food, and families. The reality part is that there gonna be people out in the street no matter what.
I ask you please to pray for homeless that they find warmth, shelter, food, and love through the holiday season. Pray that the homeless shelter help them start fresh again in their lives. Pray for the people who are volunteering their time to help out at the food banks, homeless shelters, fundraising, and helping the homeless during their holiday free time. Pray for the people who gonna travel during the holiday to their families safely and for the ones staying at home. Pray for my friends who are in other countries doing mission work for a year.
I am thankful for my parents who raised me in church and taught me that God is first before anybody or anything. I am thankful for opportunities that God have given me to see his glory shine. I am thankful for my housemates, my director Matthew, Matt's family, my FPH church friends, my prayer partner Brandon and LA friends that I met this year. I am thankful that God still listens. I am thankful whoever made sweet potato pie with pecans for Thanksgiving and its was good. I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving! God bless!
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteGrrreat Blog. One thing though, one day we will solve homelessness with the help of our God. It won't be easy and it will require ingenuity and effort, but it will happen. Never lose faith in that.