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.
