Missionary Outreach, My Heart of the Matter

Brayden’s Miracle Healing

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Brayden Mother’s Day 2017

Brayden is a  rambunctious 3-year-old that lives with his older brother Brian and parents Brian and Selena in South Orange County, California. Brayden has the reputation of being the tough kid around his cousins and friends. He has no idea of his strength, and already has the hands and body of a linebacker. At family functions, children come running and crying to their parents, the first word that comes out of their mouth is Brayden’s name. Brayden by all means is a normal loving little guy.

Brayden before the miracle healing

In December Brayden’s upper lip became infected. The journey of his healing as told to me by his mother Selena:

This infection has been referred to as staph by some doctors but to others it’s a bad case of eczema. Brayden was seeing an allergist when his lip started to get infected. From there Selena was referred to a pediatric dermatologist, the doctor put him on antitbiotics and  took a culture. In frustration this doctor recommended that Brayden be taken to the ER at CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County).  The doctor also recommended Brayden to be put on an I.V. because he was resistant to antibiotics prescribed to persons his age.

At CHOC the doctors disagreed with the treatment. The CHOC doctors took two Q-tip swipes from Brayden’s upper lip to test for herpes. Two weeks and $2,000 later, no herpes and no treatment.

My friend Helen ( Brayden’s grandmother) shared this ongoing condition and concern for little Brayden.

As Helen was sharing the story, I remembered that I had purchased some anointing oil from The Church of the Holy Sepulcher  in Jerusalem. This church houses the tomb of Jesus. Within the church is a tiny shop that sells holy souvenirs and also has the smallest inventory. Though the crowd was thick with pilgrims, the small shop that is normally closed was opened. As my friends and I walked in, we were greeted by Armenian priest. I picked up a bottle of oil and asked where the oil was from, and he stated that it was from the oils off the  lanterns in Jesus’s  tomb. We purchased several bottles and left.

After Helen showed me a picture of Brayden’s infected lip, I got a handkerchief and saturated it with the oil, placed in a baggie, and gave to Helen to give to Selena.

Braydon five days after the holy oil and steroid

Selena once again went to a new  pediatrician; the doctor did not know how to treat Brayden and referred him to a new pediatric dematologist. This doctor told Selena to use topical steroid cream. Selena started the treatment but added the anointing oil on to Brayden’s forehead. Selena also asked the venerable Father Solanus Casey’s intervention. Father Casey was beatified by Pope Francis on May 4, 2017. One of his miracles was the healing of a woman with an incurable skin disease.

Within five days, 90% of little Brayden’s face was cleared! Selena attributes this healing to both the  topical steroid and the anointing oil.

The prayers of a desperate mother make all the difference and after eight doctors she finally got results.  We give God the Glory for Brayden’s miracle, as our greatest physician is our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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My Heart of the Matter

Honoring “My Mother”

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Our Beautiful Mom, Marianna

My mother was a complex person who loved her family. We were seven, four girls and three boys. Each one of us called her “My Mother.” All of her grandchildren called her “Ma”; she adored them.

Myra, Jo, Ma, Mike, Norma, Lynda and George

By the time I was eight years old, our parent’s marriage unraveled. Once our father was out of the picture, our Mom became our rock. She used everything in her being to make sure we grew up to be good honorable Christians. I can remember coming home from school to homemade flour tortillas, which we would load up with butter and eat as many as four in one sitting.

Rocky, Gina, Ma, Frank, Nick, (back roll) Leah, Torie, Mikos, Alex, Robert, Nick, Steven, Maggie and Sonja (some of my moms grandchildren)

She loved to read and she always kept up with politics. It was later in life that she received her GED, which was a huge accomplishment because she had only completed 7th grade.  She was a die-hard Democrat and loved the Kennedys. I once took her to a rally for Robert Kennedy and I watched her as countenance  change to that of great joy. I remembered a photographer capturing what I witnessed and could not stop taking pictures of her enamored expression.  A picture of President Kennedy was showcased on the main shelf of our living room.

Our Mother was funny (I got my sence of humor from her). We always got the giggles at funerals, especially when going up to the casket. This still happens to my sister and me, I realize how morbidly wrong this is but we can’t help it.

Once when my Dad was in the hospital, my Mother asked me to take her to see him. My father was comatose when we walked in. Suddenly I heard my Mom say, “I want to hit him!” I could not believe my ears but then she said it again. ” I just want to hit him!” I told her, “Go ahead, Mom; no one will know.” We started laughing and of course she never did hit him. As a matter of fact, she taught us to love our father. She never spoke an unkind word about him, and would not allow us to say anything mean-spirited about him. This was a powerful lesson of love for us and I never had ill feeling for my Dad.

Our mother made sure we received our Sacraments as Catholics. She never learned to drive and we lived out in out in the sticks, so going to church on a regular basis was a challenge.We took taxis everywhere, to visit our cousins, to go grocery shopping, and to doctor’s appointment. We were the original Uber family.

Our mother taught us to become strong Christians and emphasized the importance of family. We still are all very close because she made sure we got over our differences by calling us out when we were in the wrong.

My mother never got over the fact that I became a Republican, and that caused a lot of heated debates. I remained steadfast as she stood her ground, using our heritage to try to persuade me. It did not work.

When our mother became dependent on others, my sister Norma took over the role of her caregiver, Norma cared for her lovingly.  A few weeks before she went home to be with the Lord, she had a heart- to-heart talk with me. “I don’t want to die in the house.” “Ok,” I said, and then she added, “I don’t want to die in the hospital either.” I gave her a puzzled look and asked her, “Well where do you want to die?” She answered, “Not in those two places.” My mother died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Our mother buried two of her children: our oldest brother Robert, who died at age 33, and our sister Myra who died five months before my mother. She is survived by son George, his wife Mary,  son Mike,  daughters  Jo and Lynda and Mike Lynda’s husband, and daughter Norma. She has left a legacy of 17 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

We love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

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Feeding The Homeless

Life on Skid Row

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John, Gary, Me, Dillian, Jane and Robert…The Team having lunch at Paul’s Kitchen

I have in the past mentioned our friend Carlos, who is a staple on Skid Row. Carlos has been and will always be our ally. As soon as I exited the vehicle there were signs that our friend had fallen hard off the wagon. Carlos was reaching two years of sobriety, but it was evident that he was not in good shape. As the friendly, loving Carlos was swallowed up by a negative alcoholic spirit, it was heartbreaking to witness his suffering. According to the statistics from the Centers of Disease Control, the probability  of a relapse is 40 to 90%. I would image that the numbers on Skid Row are closer to the latter.

Our service to the homeless was powerful. As we arrived the rain was gently falling, thus creating a slippery, muddy, messy sidewalk. I never realized how poorly the streets on Skid Row are maintained. Part of the problem is that the permanent tents in the area impede any upkeep that the city can provide.

We have a positive rapport on Skid Row so many of the regulars recognize us and are receptive of our ministry. Some of the homeless keep their area tidy but others are not as considerate thus breeding an epidemic of flies. Once you get through all the obstacles and start praying for people, all these outside distractions and bad scents disappear.

We met Yolanda, an attractive young lady in her mid-twenties; she explained that she was just released from prison. She was honest, and received prayer in a humble and loving manner. Good looking women are always surrounded by men and she had three men bidding for her attention. I prayed for her to find her way out of this situation and for her to find housing.

We made our way to the Cuban section and the people were as usual, kind and receptive to prayer. The Cubans are homeless due to their excessive drinking and smoking pot, but they do not get into meth or other hardcore drugs. They seem to be less violent, and stick to each other for protection.

We came across about seven sweet teenage girls standing in a tight row and handing out water. Some of them seemed displaced, but the fact that they were there to minister was a testament to their bravery. As we passed the girls, we met and prayed for many, with one man very excited to announce the birth of two kittens. His face beamed with great joy as he held out a one week-old-kitten. This new life gave him a sense of purpose and responsibility.

Jane, Robert and John’s praying circle
Skid Row tents and street debris

In front of the Midnight Mission I came across a young girl, whose beautiful black eyes spoke of deep hurt and pain. She did not want prayer, and could not even verbalize the response. She simply shook her head with a no. Whatever she was harboring was more than her spirit could bear. She broke my heart. As we walked ahead, part of the team stayed to pray for others. The Spirit of the Lord was moving so powerfully on Jane, Robert and John that from a distance I knew they were touching the hearts of many. Gary and I waited for the team at the corner while witnessing to our youngest volunteer, Dillian. Earlier Dillian had mentioned that he needed scientific proof of God’s existence. He got a view of both God and Satan in a few hours for good and evil manifested on Skid Row. Dillian has a special calling to the poor, and God will continue to tug at his heart until he is yielded to the call.

Whatever the homeless do not use it ends up on the street. It is a monumental task for the city to keep up with the debris of the homeless. The task force of volunteers work tirelessly cleaning up the mess.

We had lunch at Paul’s Kitchen, which our family has frequented it for over 35 years. This restaurant has the best Chinese food in L.A. and is located a stone’s away from Skid Row.

 

My Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, every person we encountered on Skid Row has a purpose in life. Lord, as we plant the small seed of love, I ask that you would cultivate and nurture your people. Let them hear your still, small voice in this chaos. Move mightily and speedily in their lives, give them dreams, and allow them to experience the presence of angels. Dear Lord, protect them from the elements, the cold, the rain, and the sun, and always provide food and water for them. Put it on the hearts of their loved ones to intercede on their behalf and offer them tangible help. Open the floodgates from heaven for those who are looking for housing. For those who have lost all hope, Dear God, I pray for restoration of their spirits. Please Lord, be with them, especially when they cry out to you. For Carlos, Lord, you know his heart’s intention; help him to dust himself off, and lead him to the road of recovery. Thank you for using us this day, Father, and allowing us to serve you. Amen

 

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