<![CDATA[ Skid Row Journal

<![CDATA[ Skid Row Journal - Home]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 06:19:27 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[So what does one do the day after becoming a doctor?]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 12:09:20 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/05/so-what-does-one-do-the-day-after-becoming-a-doctor.html

Skid Row clean up of course! Lester Laddaran (currently studying medicine at USC) and Dr. Samuel Phang.

]]><![CDATA[Mothers Day, Filled With Mixed Emotions]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 07:04:17 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/05/mothers-day-filled-with-mixed-emotions.htmlby Peggy Heim

This day was filled with mixed emotions. It has been a while since I've cried all through church because of the emotions I felt on the streets. I absolutely loved all the hugs but there's some really, really sad things that we learned as well. One of the more obvious things was about Miriam's situation and the dire need the Castro family are experiencing. Pia has written about this situation and if you have any insight in such situations, please share with us quickly.

Another thing that hurt me was that our unique friend Pepper had collapsed on the street on Tuesday and was hospitalized. It was a stroke! He was using a cane and he just wasn't himself--much quieter to say the least. He was in the hospital for several days when he decided that was enough and either convinced them to release him or just left unapproved. He told me today he has been on Skid Row for 36 years. He has been our protector as we serve and an advocate for whatever or whomever gets his attention. During briefing today he was giving words of encouragement to the Castro children. Pepper is a man who has often volunteered to pray as we debrief--he is not a stranger to Jesus and His love and His Power! Part of my issue is our friends go through things and we never know about it until many times, it is too late. Please pray for him.

Sarah, a lovely lady who goes through our line several times as she takes food home to her family, brought pictures of her family and shared them with many of us because it is Mother's Day--and she knows we care!

Before I started hugging, I asked who all had mothers--duh, right? Then I said Happy Mother's Day to them all; men and women alike. Many of them shared with me about their mom's--and I shared about mine. This morning in the circle, I was very aware that we needed to get to 6th and Gladys--I knew our friends were waiting. It was an awesome Mother's Day!

Last week during our debriefing we had the angelic voices of the Calvillo sisters sing to us and then a CV student break dance in our circle. Today, first time volunteer, Zack, gave us his message by way of Hip Hop. Then Donald juggled for us. It was amazing! Before we left, both "did their thing" again and then we prayed and eventually went back to church. So many blessings; all filled with much emotion. Mostly, an overwhelming love for this awesome team and those we serve!

Facebook Post: In our prayer circle before our Skid Row team left for downtown, we prayed for those we would meet who might have really bad memories of their mother or just simply never knew there mothers. There were two such people that told me they didn't have a mother; never did. One was Pete who has been joining us at the 11:15 service. The other was a women who has been around our tables for as many years as I've served on Skid Row. She seldom actually waits in our line but will often drop by just to see if she can "pick up" something as she passes by.

This lady used to be passed out right next to the wall where we used to serve and then she stayed outside the Salvation Army when we did GED classes. She has literally cursed me to my face and had no use for me or the ministry. However, our consistency has created a relationship from afar. For several months she appears to be clean and sober or at least trying to remain that way.

Today she told me she never knew her mother. She gave me a huge bear hug and went on her way. Just a few minutes later she came back bearing gifts and said she wanted to give me a Mother's Day gift. She slipped a beaded bracelet on my arm, put a rosary necklace around my neck and a darling little box in my hand. My heart is so blessed by her gift--I proudly wore them until just a few minutes ago. I am so very blessed! It was such a pleasure to give and receive Mother's Day hugs.Love to all who supports this ministry with your love and prayer!

]]><![CDATA[A Day of Celebration]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 21:19:33 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/05/a-day-of-celebration.html

Doctor Sam at Skid Row in 2007.

by Peggy Heim

Today was a day of celebration! Today was Team C's day to lead and as usual Sam led us in preparing food for tomorrow's outreach. Sam Phang, faithful leader of Team C and the glue that keeps us stuck together, graduated from the Keck School of Medicine at USC today. There was a fleeting thought a few weeks back where he suggested that Team C might need to trade weekends with one of the other teams as he would be graduating on May 12. He had no more than got those words out of his mouth when he figured the graduation began at 3:00 and he would be able be at the church and then go to his graduation. In case you don't recognize it, that's dedication!

Donuts were shared by his friend Stephen and that set the pace for the day of celebration. As usual, Sam led us in a short devotional and shared how this ministry and our friends on Skid Row had encouraged him to become who he is today--a doctor! He shared how he drew strength from the poor and homeless and from the family who ministers downtown each Sunday. Sam was a leader before I got to the ministry and has faithfully served every Sunday for all of these years. Jessica Jew joined in the celebration at the graduation and she had pictures of those early years; pictures of Sam both cooking and doing the Skid Row dishes in a friend's home. My, how the ministry has changed!

The atmosphere of celebration was carried throughout the morning. John Ellenwood's birthday was last week, he came by and we wished him happy birthday. John was very quick to give Sam credit for saving him from having a massive heart attack a few weeks back as Sam advised the pain John was having was his heart and he needed to go to the doctor. He did and Sam was right. John claims to be the first life that Sam saved as a new doctor. Loriann Overlin, out of the blue showed up and filled a huge vacancy in the kitchen as our chef is away for the summer. Loriann's birthday was last week as well. And before the morning was over, Christine Grisanti came in and we wished her happy birthday as her birthday is tomorrow. We celebrated Jacob's graduating high school and we celebrated having Shirley Rogers back after being away for several months. As I said, it was an atmosphere of celebration in the kitchen today! It was such a happy crew that one of the men who had passed through the work area several times stopped and gave me his name--he wants to help us cook!

It was a really good day!Team C will carry on as we have multiple leaders and Lester, Corey, and I will handle things as Sam moves to Ventura in the next few weeks. I may continue to be in denial but I think we will see Sam as often as he has time off on Team C's weekend--yes, I might still be in denial!

Congratulations Sam! We are proud of you!

]]><![CDATA["This is Church"]]>Sat, 05 May 2012 08:12:03 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/05/this-is-church.html

by John Ellenwood

Friends from Nebraska visited last weekend and we reminisced our 40 some years as friends. We talked about our kids and grand kids listened to old music looked at some photo albums and had a great time.

My friend Bonnie talked about the Hispanic church she attends and we talked about living in L.A. She asked me where I felt closest to God. I thought a moment and I said on skid row and she looked at me kind of funny and said I want to go there. I said you might be shocked or saddened but she and Rich agreed to join us Sunday morning before they left.

We joined in the prayer circle at 8 A.M. as people drizzled into the parking lot. She was surprised at the number of people and the camaraderie. We prayed and loaded up for the outreach drove into Skid Row and were greeted by our friends. We introduced Rich and Bonnie to Jessie and Danielle, Frank and Pepper and many others as the food line and outreach teams walked out. It was a typically great morning. As we debriefed on the street and Joe gave his testimony of getting saved right there in our food line and Pete rambling on with everyone listening and Bill and Lucy telling there stories my eye started to tear up and I looked over at Bonnie and she was weeping.

I walked over and said this is where I feel closest to God with the poor on Skid Row on Sunday morning with our team. She nodded and agreed. "This is Church".

]]><![CDATA[A Harsh Reminder]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:51:16 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/01/a-harsh-reminder.html

Bill and Lasalle

by William A. Myers

Exactly one year ago last Sunday The Myers Family began their Skid Row journey with a gentle nudge from the Lord and a hearty "shove" from our 12 year old daughter Jessica and when Vicky and I went down there that first time with Jessica and Pia I can honestly say that I don't think we ever DREAMED we go more than 1 or 2 more times at the most. God had a different game plan.

On that first day, as I was serving food, a man wearing a NY Giants #56 jersey (Lawrence Taylor for those that don't follow the NFL) came through the line and as I was serving him I made a comment about Lawrence Taylor and the trouble he was in at that time for Statutory rape of a 15 year old back in New Jersey. That man in line wearing the #56 jersey was Lasalle Turner and he promptly, but politely, scolded me for judging a man I didn't even know and reminded me that we ALL are sinners are to be judged by God and God alone!

Darin, Lasalle and John

Wow was I ever humbled.....As the Lord continued working in the Myers lives down serving on Skid Row we eventually developed a fast growing friendship with Lasalle and he in return was one of our many sets of eyes on 6th and Gladys that kept a close watch on Jessica's location as we served on Sunday's and even would call himself "Uncle Lasalle" whenever he spoke to Jess. On one occasion a fight broke among two of the homeless men on Gladys and Lasalle made sure that the kids and women that were down there with CA were safe and herded them into the Hippie Kitchen to be "safer"!

At one point 6 or 7 months ago Lasalle confided in Vicky,who is blessed with the gift of "listening to people" and will invest whatever time is needed to talk with them and truly HEAR them, that he was VERY cynical towards our Group from Christian Assembly. He thought that we were just down there serving to;"......feel good about ourselves and not really caring about what goes on down on skid row", but after seeing the loving hearts and spirits of the younger children down there such as Jessica (and Alex And Meghan et al) and watching CA come back EVERY Sunday, rain or shine he was convinced that the Lord was TRULY working in our hearts and minds......"Shine on CA"

As the summer progressed Lasalles life began to unravel as well as his health as well. He suffered from diabetes and because he had no Medical insurance nor income he would wait as long as he possibly could then call 911 and spend a week or so having fluid drained and his battery recharged at LA county/USC then it was back to the streets in his truck where he would live. Then, several weeks ago after several days of a long cold rain I heard a voice calling my name out on Gladys and when I went over to see it was Lasalle,cold shivering and incoherent laying on the streets under several soaking wet blankets. At first he refused any treatment when John and the guys wanted to call 911 but eventually relented and spent a week or so at County/USC and then was back on the streets shortly after,only this time with no truck or possessions of his own and in the middle of winter.

The harsh reminder is that this is skid row & these friends that we share our love with and most importantly, GOD'S LOVE, could be gone tomorrow and to me that is a very sobering fact of life on skid row.....Lasalle was a saved man so he is no longer suffering but he had his demons he battled here on earth and through the love of a bunch of people from a church in Eagle Rock as well as the childlike love from a young girl wanting do Gods will for those less fortunate living on the streets of LA he experienced the love of Christ .

God Bless you ALL.......rest in perfect peace now Lasalle Eugene Turner!

]]><![CDATA[The Passing of Lesell]]>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:37:38 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2012/01/the-passing-of-lesell.html

by Pia Hugo

I have some very sad news for those of you who know Lesell, our friend who was rushed to the hospital a few weeks back when John, Steve, Neil and George called 911 and helped him get situated there. You might recall, it had been raining for days prior to that and he was soaked from head to toe. His diabetes was also acting up and he was in a lot of pain. Peggy, Corey, Sam (I think) and I had a chance to visit him at the hospital and we were able to witness Lesell, a former minister at the L.A. Mission, turn his life once more completely to the Lord.

After that, the team would see Lesell down at Skid Row--sleeping on a mat right outside the Hippie Kitchen or just slowly walking around with a blanket draped over him--from time to time. This morning, his friends told us that he had quietly passed away Wed. night. The street community put up a memorial for their friend, Gene Lesell, right where he used to sleep on the sidewalk outside the Kitchen.

One is a picture of the memorial The other one is a picture of a note written to our friend by someone whose life was touched by him. It reads "God bless you Gene. I felt so along! You came along. You bought joy. You didn't stay long. Thank you." Sure there are spelling errors and other mistakes but it's a note that comes straight from the heart of one of his many homeless friends. I found it very touching that several of them wanted to let us know as soon as we got there this morning. They knew we cared about him.

Please keep his family and friends who are hurting over his loss in prayer. Again, we take comfort in knowing that just like Peter Paul, Michael, Annie, and so many others before him--he may no longer be with us physically but we can rest assured that he is in a far, far better place than Skid Row because we were intentional about making sure he was saved. May we continue to feel that sense of urgency to reach as many of our homeless friends for Christ before it is too late.

On a happier note, we counted 56 people who showed up at the prayer circle this morning at church--more than 30 of them being high school students from three different high schools: Crescenta Valley (where I teach), Glendale High and La Canada High. They cheerfully served at the food table and walked around passing out food bags with the adult leaders. Later on, two kids shared with the group how it was their first time but it definitely would not be their last. "I was really touched how everyone we met had a smile on their face when we would pray for them and how it made them so happy and grateful we were there! I've never seen anything like that!" one of them said.

Helena, who is usually shy and shuns from crowds, spoke up at the debriefing session for the first time. She said, "I just wanted to thank you all for always coming. Every Sunday, we wait in line for 1 1/2 hours...sometimes 2 hours...just to get some warm food, to see your smiling faces and feel God's love through you. We all love you here and we cannot thank you enough for all you've done and will continue to do for us. God is really using your group...you just don't know. Please, don't ever quit coming!" She started to cry and many of us in that circle shed a few tears as well.

At the end of our time, we sang "Happy Birthday" for Pete as he beamed from ear to ear. Then Martin, our deaf friend, came to church with us (after being gone for a long time) and said hi to Pastor Mark. Mark later announced to the CA crowd how Martin came to the Lord through our ministry years ago and how happy he was to see him again (Martin now goes to a deaf church in L.A.). He looked him in the eye and said, "We love you brother!" His words didn't need interpretation. Martin responded with a huge smile.

Lesell, Helena, Pete, Martin, Rodney (who helped us cook again on Sat. and helped today at the food table after also being gone for a long time)...the list goes on and on of all the homeless people whose lives have forever been touched by the CA Skid Row Ministry...not to mention the lives of so many students, as well as, adults. Who would have thought that such a diverse group of people from all walks of life, all races and all church backgrounds would come together in a little corner on 6th and Gladys and find such joy, such love, and such unity? No one but God could have conceived such an amazing plan!

I don't know about you but the year is barely starting and it already looks like it's going to be one awesome God-glorifying year! I can't wait to see what happens next!

]]><![CDATA[When What God Says is a Dumb Idea]]>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:56:18 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2011/08/when-what-god-says-is-a-dumb-idea.htmlby Miceala Shocklee

Walking through Skid Row today, I stopped to talk with Pastor Octavio, one of the street preachers. He has a thick accent (can't tell whether it's Mexican, Spanish (yes the two sound different), or something else), but he still makes his words clear.

Expecting to chat casually for a few minutes and then pray for him, I got a surprise. A good surprise. I was reminded again of what a fount of wisdom Octavio is. He's so unassuming, lights up whenever we go over to talk to him - but there's a power behind what he has to say.

Today, he told me about the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho. Joshua and his troops were trying to take the city - except it was surrounded by a giant imposing wall. So Joshua turns to Yahweh, the God of his fathers, the God who parted a sea and rained food from heaven and sent water from a rock. And what does this God tell Joshua to do? Go walk around the outside of the walls once for six days. And then do it again seven times on the seventh day.

If I were Joshua, I probably would have been thinking, "what the heck, God? I want to capture this city, and you're telling me to go walk around its wall. That sounds like a dumb idea."

So, the bible doesn't comment on what was going through Joshua's head, but whatever it was, he walked around that wall. Six days in a row, he and his army walked around that wall, not even making any noise except for seven random priests blowing trumpets.

Knock down a wall by walking quietly around it. That's a dumb idea.

Bet the guards who most likely would have been standing on top of that wall didn't hesitant to remind them of that, either.

Then there's the seventh day. And Joshua walks around the wall seven times, letting the people shout now.

And what do you know. The wall fell down. "Collapsed," according to the NIV. Joshua and his army captured the entire city. People, animals, treasury stores. Everything.

Walking around that wall doesn't seem like such a dumb idea now.

What Octavio was telling me, it was like a shade was lifted somewhere in my consciousness. I could totally relate. How many times have I been faced with something seemingly as impossible and unconquerable as a giant wall in my life, and in response to God's prompting - expecting, or at least hoping for something more definitive, like an answer being rained down from the sky - have I thought, "well that's a dumb idea." God tells me to do one thing and I don't see how it could possibly do anything to knock down what I'm facing. How many times, instead of being obedient like Joshua, even in the face of a dumb idea, have I tried to do things my way instead, feeling that I've "figured it out," I've found the point of attack on the wall - and instead I just spend a while frustrating myself trying to ram my solution into the wall over and over again while the wall doesn't budge one inch?

That shade that flicked up - I realized (again) that hunh, God really does know best. It's worth it to listen to Him. To go along with what He's telling me to do, even when it seems like a really dumb idea. Because it turns out that when God has them, really dumb ideas turn out to be brilliant.

]]><![CDATA[A lot of rejoicing on the streets of Skid Row today.]]>Sun, 21 Aug 2011 13:14:58 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2011/08/joy-was-in-the-air.htmlby Marlo Reininger

Joy was in the air... more rejoicing than requests for prayer today. It was really good to hear Praise Reports from those that live on the streets or in the area.

One family in particular, Reggie, LeeAnn and their 3 children Tanya (11), Reggie Jr (2) & Christina (1)... waiting in line at the Salvation Army had so much Joy in their eyes. The woman, LeeAnn asked if she could have some our bags of food for their children - we had two left - so we gave it to them. We started talking and asked if we could pray for them - the answer was yes, they prayed along. In talking with them we learned that Reggie had had a stroke not to long ago and was paralyzed from the waste down, said he was starting to improve but requested prayer for complete recovery - his hands were in gloves, said that his circulation was poor and was often cold; his wife asked for prayer for their motor home - it was parked in the back of someones home, but they had no running water or electricity - other than what was given to them by the lady that owned the home (that they were parked behind) - they would boil water to cook and bath in, the kids seemed happy and healthy - but in worn clothes. We gave them some jeans and a jacket - what we had left in our bags.

But overall - it was their Joy in their eyes that was most pronounced - they had Jesus in their hearts. When we asked if they knew Him, they said oh, yes. They sometimes went to church on the streets up a ways. We invited them to visit all of you on 6th & Gladys... so keep your eyes open for them - when they visit, you'll know them by the Joy in their eyes.

Another man, gave thanks and wanted us to pray and Praise God for the healing that has taken place in his kidneys. I want to say his name was Richard - Christopher, Brenda or Madelyn please correct me if I'm wrong.

So awesome serving with all of you this morning - especially our new volunteers - what a great big group of you - so wonderful. And Brenda and Madelyn, I loved hearing your testimony and meeting the both of you. Will keep you all in prayer, thanks for allowing me to serve with each of you...

]]><![CDATA[Homeless ]]>Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:28:49 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2011/08/homeless.html

by Miceala Shoklee

What if nobody looked at you?

Last night, I drove by a woman standing at the exit of the 210, where it meets Lake. She was holding a sign with just one word: Homeless.

I parked a bit down the street and brought her a granola bar. She nearly jumped when I called out to her. "Why did you come back?" she asked incredulously. "Most people don't even look at me."

I was shocked. How dehumanizing would that be, day in and day out, standing on the same corner trying to just scrape by, and nobody ever looks at you. You're already on the periphery of life and nobody even acknowledges that you're there.

But part of my discomfort at the woman's comment comes from knowing that I am guilty, too. I don't always have that granola bar to give. And so I try not to look. Try not to make eye contact. Try not to acknowledge that yes, I see you there, but no, I am not going to help you.

But would it really hurt to look at the person standing on the sidewalk? To smile at him or chat with her until the light turns green? I don't think our neighbors on the sidewalk stand there expecting people to help them. They just hope people will. And as much as my own guilt complex might get in the way about not having a granola bar, re-humanizing someone seems like a pretty good alternative.

But there are other ways, too, that the homeless get categorized, neatly compartmentalized and dealt a plug-and-chug solution. Even "the homeless" is a term that defaces people and lumps millions of lives and stories and struggles together.

Tonight, I bought a homeless woman dinner. She stood in front of the register looking over the menu hanging above when the clerk gave her a glance and asked if she wanted a cup for water.

Because that's all that the homeless can get at most restaurants.

But how presumptuous was that? Just because the woman fell into a certain racial background and dressed a certain way, the clerk assumed that she was homeless and couldn't be wanting anything more than a cup of water. My indignation is shouting, "Profiling! Profiling!"

When did homeless people become someone just categorized at a glance and sent away with a cup of water?

When did the homeless stop being people?

]]><![CDATA[The Lee's are still praying for us from Brazil ]]>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:12:18 -0800http://www.skidrowjournal.org/4/post/2011/08/the-lees-are-still-praying-for-us-from-brazil.html

Samuel, Manfredi, and Jonathan

by Samuel Lee

I fall in the list of those that continue to be involved with this ministry "from a (physical) distance", and my role now is to cover you with prayer. With good memories I say that one of the phases in my life that I learned the most on how to depend on God, and listen to Him was during the phase that we made the decision to return to Brazil.

Whenever I tell people the circumstances that lead me to Brazil I always start with the ministry at Home Depot (and consequently the whole Skid Row Ministry) as a pre-amble to how God speaks to us.

As I see that the Home Depot team can no longer use the center, that gave me some sadness for it was an important phase in my life, especially because as a newlywed me and Manfredi would wake up 7:00 am every Sunday in order to be at the prayer circle.

However, God has a sovereign eyes, overlooking his whole plan, and we have trust that He is in control. The center might have closed, but I will not forget Jose, Bartolo, David, Don Jesus; whenever I remember them I continue to pray for them.

Something about us:
Me, Manfredi, and Jonathan are doing well here in São Carlos. We are part of a church that has truly embraced us. Within the short time that we are here, besides my regular work I teach High School level Biology as part of a ministry that the church has; Manfredi -- besides being a Mom -- is playing keyboard on a Tuesday afternoon service that we have.

Jonathan is growing strong; in 10 days he´ll be 6-month and is already weighs more than 19 lbs !!!

All of this shows that God continues to be faithful, and he does take care of his children.

In June/ July my parents spent 4 weeks in Brazil. To see my parents spend the precious time with Jonathan was priceless !!! especially considering that my father spent 30 days in ICU at the end of last year... One day he walked close to 1.5 miles just to see a property that he was interested in !!!

Please send my greetings to the whole team.

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