It starts at Nohl  Canyon Elementary School: for ten years Mrs. Donaldson has opened her heart and classroom for the production of the sandwiches. This time we had over 20 volunteers, 3/4 of the class eager to help. After a short tutorial, all of the kids received an assignment, and, with all these helping hands, our loving task was completed in one hour.

For their protection, we are no longer allowed to share photos of the children, but I have their sweet little faces registered in my heart. I am very grateful for their help, and for the parents who have allowed them to participate in this ministry. To instill servanthood in a child is one of the greatest gifts a parent can bestow. Children learn an early life lesson, to think of others and to help the displaced. We had several parents helping to organize and pack the lunches as well, but they are also being great examples to their kids. The people on Skid Row love to hear that 6th graders have helped  assemble the meals. They always tell us to thank the children.

I am very excited to announce that the Skid Row ReFresh Spot is in operation again. On Crocker Street,  just off 6th Street, the Oasis from Heaven is now open daily. Showers, bathrooms, washer/dryers, and phone-charging stations are available for the citizens of Skid Row at no charge. Thank you, Councilmember Jose Huizar, for introducing the motion to secure the funding for this much-needed project.   Evans, the project manager, took us on a tour of the personal care/hygiene facility. We know that this project coming to fruition was the answer to many prayers. This entire facility was manufactured in Indiana and is completely mobile.

The ReFresh Spot organizers keep it simple; if you are going to do laundry, you sign in with your first and last initials, and are given a number. Then you wait until your number is called when the washer/dryers are available.   Volunteers are available to make sure that all is done in an orderly manner. If you need to shower, fresh towels, and all body-soap is accessible, and after every use of the showers and bathrooms, volunteers clean up for the next person. The facility is open from 6 a.m.. through 6 p.m. When a homeless person is offered these services, he or she is grateful and respectful of the gift. This gives an incentive for the people to look for employment, and also gives them the dignity and confidence to improve other areas of their lives.

On all of our outreach excursions, there are always several persons who leave a strong impression on our lives.  The first young man we met was a few steps from The ReFresh Spot. His name is DJ, and he has a wonderful disposition.  DJ, who is from Louisiana, did not appear to have a drug problem but was down on his luck. Transitioning from his first stop in San Bernardino to Skid Row, DJ is employed but wants to go back home; so we prayed that God would provide this goal for him and his girlfriend. DJ was respectful and received our prayer with much hope.

Shawn is a drug addict, a beautiful young man who has given up on himself. I asked Shawn if I could touch him when praying for him, and he agreed.  Shawn said, “Look at me, I just shot up, my arms are all marked up.” I told him, “Shawn, we are not here to judge, but to offer you hope in knowing that God is real, and that He loves you. It doesn’t matter what condition you are in when you come to Him.” I asked Shawn if he felt anything, because his face was still set in stone. Shawn answered, ” I feel electricity in my body; it started at my feet.” The Lord was supernaturally healing Shawn, and what he experienced was a confirmation from God. We as a team were greatly elated to witness this wonderful manifestation of God for Shawn.

We walked past a man with a skin disorder. His face was hard on the eyes, but God showed us his heart. Andre was precious and received us with great love. How wonderful to be in the presence of someone who is frequently misjudged because of his appearance. I was hesitant to ask Andre if we could take a picture with him, but when I asked, he welcomed the gesture and obliged.

I always have an idea of  who is going to help with the ministry, but it is the Lord who brings us together. We are a small group, but we make a difference in gaining lost souls for the Kingdom.

To be a part of this team you must learn to shut out most of your senses. Close your eyes to what the world sees, and look with the eyes of Jesus.  Though we can see both human and animal feces, and dead rats, God closes our noses to the stench. We hear all the arguments and curse words, but this never affects our ministry because God protects our ears. We touch the people because we are their brothers and sisters, and we bring the love of Jesus to them, because this is our calling.

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers, starting with the hard-working students, the parents, and especially Mrs. Donaldson. To our team of dedicated servants of God, Mary, Gary, Robert, and John, your faithfulness will always be your blessing.

When I stared to pray for him, I had to move his long dreadlocks to the side so he could hear me. The Lord revealed to me that he was a singer. I spoke the words that God was giving me, as they were prophetic. Though I never conveyed this on my Blog, this time it was different, and this is the only way of explaining the holy encounter. His name is Vernell. His sweet voice was shaky when he started to sing a beautiful praise song. As Vernell continued to sing, we could see the sadness lifting. I told him to go on with singing his praise songs, as much healing comes from praise music. Vernell was a gospel singer, and I knew that with prayer, he would soon be singing in a choir again.

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

His name is Frank, and he could not get up because the night demons got a hold on him. Gary and Jane prayed for him. Whatever happened to Frank broke him and he is a rut of lies. That’s what the Devil does, talking to them and reminding them that no one cares and that this is their lot in life. God’s plan is never for a person to end up Skid Row.

Psalm 102:17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.

Her name is Gracie, and she is waiting for housing.  In the meantime she keeps a pretty tidy tent. Gracie is organized and her dwelling is not only impeccable but has a special  interior decorator’s touch.

His name Daniel. His appearance would scare many, but what we saw was his beautiful heart. His red bloodshot eyes filled with tears as we prayed for him. To the world, Daniel is on a downward spiral, leading nowhere, but to us there is  hope for him. The Lord revealed to me that he had a calling from the age of five, I reminded him not to give up, that God was not done with him yet. Daniel’s lack of love was evident, but for a moment his loneliness was lifted with gratitude.

Her name is Ignacia, she is Cuban, and she is not homeless but her sons are. Ignacia spends many hours on 5th street watching over her boys, who were both asleep in the tent. It is very sad to see a mother do this, with the guilt-driven spirit that  keep her captive to her sons.

Her name is Tamysha. Before we parted ways we prayed, and as Robert was leading the prayer Tamysha approached us. We broke from holding hands to allow Tamysha to join us in prayer. This sweet baby was so broken that she cried through the entire prayer. She showed great respect and reverence to the devotion. I held her tightly and we could not let each other go. We cannot imagine what she left to come to this living hell, Tamysha’s yielding to the prayer was a supernatural experience.

Psalm 109:22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.

We leave blessed, not a Facebook blessed, but an honest to goodness feeling of great accomplishment. Thank you, Lord, for Jane, our logical brain of the team; Gary, our passionate warrior; Robert, our mighty spiritual intercessor; Mary, your hand and eyes bring healing; and Leah, our powerful woman of God and long time Skid Row partner.

We do this as a group and at no time could do we go on our own. It takes a team of dedicated intercessors to be used in this ministry, but in the end we are the ones that are transformed. We can change the paths of homeless persons through prayer, and they are converted through love.

We as a team will continue to pray for Vernell, Frank, Daniel, Ignacia, Gracie,Tamysha, Cheryl, and all the countless others not pictured. So many positive divine appointments that our hearts are overwhelmed, so please join us in lifting these precious souls in prayer.

I had just posted on Facebook that for the first time, I had enough volunteers for the homeless ministry. On Saturday, the day we distribute the meals, one by one the text messages came in;  first Jane, then John and finally Gary canceling due to illness and personal matters that needed immediate attention. I told Mike, and he panicked, saying, “What are you going to do? You better figure it! Who is going with you?” I make one phone call to Sarah because she employs severals millennials, and I explained my desperation. In the meantime I knew that Mary was on her way, but this was her first experience with Skid Row. I called Robert, and he confirmed that he would meet us there. Sarah texted me several phone numbers, but after many attempts of calling, no response. Through Sarah’s suggestion I called Devin, and he agreed to go with us. Devin has been to Skid Row on several occasions, and for years in his youth he helped with making sandwiches. Devin is waiting to get an acceptance letter into medical school, and I am praying that it will be Loma Linda University.  Sarah texted me again and she said that she would also be going with us. As soon as I read the text , the Lord revealed to me that it was her husband Jason that would be going and not her. This would be Jason’s first time as well.

As Jason drove, I read from a prayer book and we prayed the Rosary. I also gave Mary and Jason a quick briefing on what to expect. I told them, “While praying, do not touch anyone without asking permission, and do not close your eyes. If they ask for two lunches, give them the meals, but most of all operate in the love of Jesus.”

I was about 9:30 A.M. by the time we arrived, too early for the demons to be aroused. As soon as we parked we were surrounded by the citizens of this despairing community. Right away some wanted two sandwiches, I have no problem with this, but sometimes they come back for more. One man in particular had already received two and when I reminded him of it, he said,”How can you tell, we all look alike.”  My response was “But you are the only one wearing that shirt.” He politely smiled and left. The displaced are entrepreneurs, and if they can get money for these meals, they will sell them.

Both Mary and Jason were the greatest of help, and it came natural for them to understand the plight of these persons,  and as their love poured out, it was reciprocated with beautiful smiles. Devin and Robert were a team, and I watched from a distance as Robert lovingly prayed for a young lady addicted to crack. I know that one day Devin will become an extraordinary doctor partly because of these experiences.

It had been several years since Devin had been to Skid Row, and he was shocked at the conditions and the growth of the population. I am always amazed with the pet population. The homeless pets are very precious and peaceful, and they truly are man’s best friend. These pets offer three things: a reason for them to live and a sense of responsibility, and unconditional love.

Yolanda resides on San Pedro St. and  she has 5 cats. As Mary and I were praying for her, Yolanda could not hold back her tears. Her husband had recently died in their tent, and she has no money to collect his ashes from the morgue. Yolanda does not want to leave because she believes that she would be leaving him. Mary explained to Yolanda that her husband was in her heart and that he would always be with her. Our hearts ached with hers.

Robert prayed for Victor, a precious young man that wanted to know who his father was. Victor said that he was raised by a stepdad but wanted to find his real father. We told him that God is his Father, and that he is to look to Him for real love. This is the major part of the the homeless problem, the breakdown of the family, and many who end up on Skid Row have no father. They are not equipped to move ahead in life because of poverty.  This is where the Devil come in to seal the deal with them, constantly reminding them that no one loves them.

We left with heavy hearts, saying goodbye to a sweet young man named Jimmy, and parolee James. James has been out of prison for thirty days only to fall into this prison of hopelessness. Where James will end up is anyone’s guess, because he will most likely go back to a regular prison, where he has a daily meals and thin mattress to sleep on, keeping him away from the demons that prey and torment when night falls. I pray that he and Jimmy rest their heads on the heart of Jesus, and that in some miracle they can get into a program to help them transition into their callings.

Thank you, Robert, for always being the rock of this small ministry.  Jason, Mary, and Devin, it was your loving hands that brought a sign of hope for these beautiful forgotten souls, so I thank you for saying yes.