Final Day Packing Up and Driving Home

Here are some photos from yesterday showing students packing up the tents and spending time at the Griffith Observatory. While we were there, we went through some discussion questions to debrief about our week.

1- Who touched your heart during this trip and what touched you most about that person? 

2- How can that person use your prayer support? 

3- What caught you off guard during this trip? 

4- Is there something you understand more deeply because of your experiences in L.A.? 

5- Did you experience God in a new way during this trip? 

6- What did you learn in Los Angeles this week that you can apply in your life back home?

The drive home was quiet as most of the students just slept! Some of us saw TKA cars on I-5 from the Tecate trip, and then we ended up meeting at the same stop for lunch. It was a happy and unplanned surprise. We arrived around 4:30, and I can guarantee you that we were all grateful to go home and shower and be in warm houses and comfy beds. 

We will keep those we met on this trip in our prayers. We are all grateful for the experiences we had to serve the Lord and others through this service trip!

Ms. Lopes' Reflection

When I found out I would be coming on the Los Angeles trip, I felt nervous about how it would be trying to talk to people on the streets. I came with assumptions that people would be bitter, unkind, unpredictable with drugs in their system, and that I'd potentially need to shield students from being yelled at or aggressively approached. I even wondered how much of their lifestyle was a result of laziness or choice. There were certainly people who were guarded and visibly affected by drugs, but our experience did not reflect the worst case scenarios I had worried about. I was caught off guard by the genuine thankfulness and joy of people who received a flower from us as we walked by, the willingness to greet us and say good morning as we helped pick up trash, and the interest to just to talk to us and even pray with us.

Many of us expressed how we learned the importance of not judging the homeless because you never know what a person has experienced in their life-the trauma of an abusive home life, the way a life can be threatened and backed into a corner with a choice to live safely with a cost. I did not know that if someone pitches a tent on Skid Row, they are very likely to be threatened to join a gang, buy drugs from the gangs, or hide drugs or weapons. If they refuse, the gangs could attack them or burn their tents down. Women on Skid Row are very likely to be raped at least twice. The things we heard from the lead officer in Skid Row were shocking and heartbreaking. I am thankful that he is a strong Christian who answered God's call to protect people there.

Through talking with families at the mission during meals and hearing testimonies of people there and at Homeboy Industries, I learned of the difficulty as a single mom with five kids and no job, the life of an immigrant fleeing violence only to find themselves in a dangerous or tough position in the United States with no friends or assistance, and the way a broken home and tough neighborhood can lead a kid down a terrible path and put them at a huge disadvantage in life. Our time walking the streets in the rain and living in tents on the roof while it rained (some of us getting water in the tents), taught us how to have more empathy for the unhoused and to regularly pray for them. I am so thankful to know about and to have worked with ministries that are truly making a difference in people's lives. They do more than feed the homeless, shelter some people, and provide supplies. They offer a way out of gangs, a program to detox from drugs, daily classes and workshops, trained therapists, legal assistance, help with domestic violence, learning centers and coaching to find jobs, and even programs to employ the people who go through their programs. There are Bible studies, a chapel in the mission, and workers who are there to provide spiritual support and tell residents about the hope of Jesus. THESE are the kinds of programs that change lives and provide hope. I will keep these ministries and the people I met in my prayers and remember that everyone has a story and the desire deep down for healing that can only be truly found in Jesus.

Final Day of Projects and VBS

Hello everyone!

Today was our last day of projects and Kids Club/VBS, and it was great! You can find the Day 7 Photos here. Groups washed hallway walls in the mission, assisted with rooftop gardening tasks, finished bolstering a deck of a treehouse at Fuente Church, and put on an awesome last day of Kids Club. Students helped with games and Easter egg races/"hunt." Mrs. Huber shared the Easter story, and the children made shrinky dinks where they traced their handprint on special paper, colored it, wrote their names, and then the papers were put in the oven for about 45 seconds to shrink. The kids loved them. We ended with a BBQ in the park for all the kids and families. We had 200 hot dogs, several trays of watermelon, bags of chips, and several cookies; all were gone by the end! We pray that families will come to know Jesus and will check out Fuente Church across the street from the park. 

Several little kids came to the rooftop to play games and listen to music after dinner, which was unexpected and unplanned on our end, but our students enjoyed the time to play with the kids. We then had our devotional time in the chapel downstairs where we heard from Mrs. Lily. Most were present, but eight students actually were stuck on an elevator when they were heading down from the rooftop, so the fire department came to their aid. The students were fine. They actually prayed together and just talked and reflected on experiences this week! Surprisingly, mostly everyone still took the elevator on the way back up after our time together. Before leaving our devo time, though, we all wrote our names and the names of those who have made an impression on us this week on a wooden cross we brought from school. We will be praying for the people we met here in LA. 

The night ended with ice cream for a job well done this week and a visit from the volunteer manager at the URM and her service dog (in the photos). We will wake up at 6am to pack up everything, have breakfast at 7am, and then head to the Griffith Observatory for a final look at Los Angeles. 

Ms. Silverstein's Reflection

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

On Wednesday night we met with male residents and the chaplain in the beautiful spacious chapel. The URM started a program where guests can hear the stories of residents, gain empathy, and share the mission of the URM with their own communities.

We heard from older men who had success in jobs and had families before succumbing to drug or alcohol addiction and ending up on the streets. We also heard from young men who grew up with broken families and physical and sexual abuse and left home as children to try to make it on their own to support themselves. They turned to selling drugs as an easy way to make money.

One of the residents explained the surprising fact that homelessness itself can become addictive. People living on the street don’t have to follow the rules of residential facilities, and can be left alone. They are not ready to give up drugs or the feeling of “living in the wild.” They also see other homeless as their peers who understand what it is like to live on the streets.

Psalm 38:18 was the favorite verse of a young man named Manny. It is a relief to know that God doesn’t abandon you no matter the circumstances you find yourself in or how low you feel. I am very grateful to hear from these men, because I felt it was a missing piece to the story of Skid Row and the URM.

Trip Leader Reflection from Matt Nisbet

God shows up.  He seems to always do that.  This year’s service trip to Los Angeles has further shown me His mercy and His provision and His unique way of taking charge when I feel like I am not in control.  This year’s group experienced two unique hardships—a massive traffic delay and lots of rain—but this year’s group also exceeded two prior achievements—a phenomenal message reach for our South Park Kids Club, and off the charts attendance at the same.  What a roller coaster!

I think a highlight for me this week has been to eat meals with this wonderful family—a single mom and her four kids from 10 to 2.  Turns out the kids love silliness and fun finger snapping tricks; they love attention from both our students and adults; and they hasten at any opportunity to show their learned mimicry from our engaging TKA team. There may even be a petition going around for us to adopt each other…or at least it sounds like that would get quick and unanimous approval. It’s been a good trip this year.  My hopes have been achieved, and I’ll just keep praying that the impact of us being here will be enduring.

Iris' Reflection

During this trip I experienced a lot of great events and heard several inspiring stories. But an event that stood out the most to me was handing out hygiene kits and VBS. We encountered many homeless people with a positive mindset about receiving hygiene kits but we also met some people who didn’t appreciate our existence and contribution. I understood why they were so wary, but their actions also made me wonder what their hardships are they went through. At VBS, the kids were so cute and nice, diligently doing work that was asked for and enjoyed most activities! Another experience was hearing stories of the residents and their recoveries led by God. The stories visibly showed every individual’s courage to share their experience with addicting substances and circumstances/environments. I’m so grateful that I got to experience this service trip and this will definitely be imprinted in my core memories forever! 

Wednesday Ministry, Testimonies, and Fun

Hi everyone! 

Today we continued the door painting of the family residence floor rooms and serving at Kids Club/VBS. We learned about following Jesus just like the disciples did. We had between 50-90 kids attend between Monday-Wednesday, so hopefully a lot show up for the final day. We're doing a BBQ too. After VBS we were treated to an awesome dinner at a Mexican restaurant where some of the students got super burritos, and yes, they were huge! A memorable part of the evening was hearing from some of the men in the program at the URM about their lives and how they got caught up in the wrong things that landed them in prison, an addictive lifestyle, or on the streets. Ask the kids about the stories they heard and how it impacted them. Finally, we ended the evening with some karaoke. Look for the video clips in the day 6 photos!