Pictures from Photography Class

We're almost finished with our second Photography Class for neighbors. Here are some of the best pictures so far:

Friday Evening on Eucalyptus

There's a group of neighbor boys that have been skating in my front yard off and on for the last couple of months. In the beginning there were two of them and I thought it was cool... but then two turned into 10 plus and some older guys started hanging out and smoking with the younger ones. I don't mind the skateboarding, but the trash they left behind, the smoking and the rudeness I'd get sometimes when I'd ask them to move, got on my nerves a little. Also, my neighbors behind me didn't like all the noise and they also have felt a little disrespected by these boys. But no matter what we'd say or ask... they'd always be back the minute we turned our backs. So lately I've just ignored it and don't say anything unless there's a lot of trash or stuff on my porch moved around. Maybe not the best thing, but I was out of ideas.

Tonight when I got home, it was so hot in my house that I decided to just sit outside. I usually sit outside during the day, but I rarely hang out and night, mostly because I'm busy. The boys were outside skateboarding. I saw the opportunity to try a different approach with them. I thought for sure when I brought my chair out they would leave because in their mind, I'm "the man" (the authority figure). To my surprise they immediately started talking with me and showing their tricks. I ended up sitting out there for 2 hours until it was dark. The boy that in the past was the hardest to deal with ended up being the one talking my ear off. It was amazing. Also while I was outside I got to talk to 5 different moms about our meeting on Monday and practiced my Spanish a little too.

All in all... a very productive night of hanging out in the neighborhood.

Last Minute RSVPs?

Are there any last minute RSVPs for our Advancement Dinner next Thursday?  Call us at 562-804-2189 or email us at christinap@kingdomcauses.org.  We want to see you on Thursday!

A new way to love our neighbors!

Many of our homeless neighbors have plenty of money... That's right, some of our homeless neighbors receive anywhere from $500-1200 per month, yet they remain on the streets because they are unsupported in their use of that money. Their addictions and "friends" demand so much, the money is gone with in one or two weeks.

Recently Kingdom Causes Bellflower started a new Representative Payee Program that will help the church of the city to love these neighbors in a new way. Aura Gonzalez, a long-time volunteer, and member of Calvary Chapel Downey, has come on board to help get this program started that will help manage their money and ensure they are housed, fed and safe for the entire month and their money wont get wasted.

This program has been generously funded and supported by Bridge Builders, a faith based representative payee program that has been operating in Bakersfield for 11 years. They are providing the technical support, equipment and staffing that will help make this a great success and help the church to love some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

Update on Kelty

Kelty's "After" Picture

A few weeks ago we had a visit from our old friend Kelty. Last summer we helped him get into a rehab in San Pedro. (You can read that blog article by clicking here.) When he walked in the doors of our office, I almost didn't recognize him.  He looks great!  He's sober and has decided to move back home with his wife and kids.  We're so proud of Kelty and pray that God continues to bring restoration and sobriety to his life. 

Kelty's "Before" Picture

A Neighborhood Church

I was encouraged last week by Bethel Reformed Church's willingness to open their property for their neighbors to use. Bellflower parks do not have space for our soccer teams to practice. In the past our neighborhood teams had been practicing on any open green space within the parks, but they didn't have a permit to practice and would frequently get kicked off the fields. When we looked into getting permits we found out that even if they did have a one, the official space used for soccer practice was all taken up by existing sports leagues... mainly baseball. We were all a little frustrated with the situation. We need more parks in Bellflower!

On to the good part...

Nichole, the children's pastor at Bethel, offered the field next to their sanctuary for the boys to practice on. Last Wednesday was their first day. I showed up half way through to see how things were going. When I pulled on to their campus I was struck by the beauty of a church property buzzing with life. Their new basketball courts in the parking lot were filled with neighbors from Ramona and their field was filled with neighbors from Eucalyptus. They are shouting the love of God just by offering their resources to their neighbors. What a testimony!

If your church property is empty more than it is full, I encourage you to think of ways that your surrounding neighborhood can benefit from your space. We need to move past the fear of lawsuits and open our doors and resources to become a community-friendly church. Be creative! Ask the neighbors what they want. Our church buildings should BLESS the neighborhood that they are in. Can you imagine if all 52 churches in Bellflower took an active interest in their neighbors. Beautiful!

Skid Row in our backyard

During the summer of 2006 a youth pastor friend from Chino was hosting a group of 45 high school kids from the midwest for a week long mission trip. He had heard that Kingdom Causes did work with the homeless and asked if I would be willing to figure out some activity that would help the teens to learn about homelessness.

I decided an urban hike through skid row would introduce them to the harsh realities of homelessness. It was incredible. Even though I had lots of experience with homeless folks, I was taken aback at how many people lined the streets between Pershing Square and San Julian. Tents and boxes all over the sidewalk housed veterans, drug addicts, mentally ill moms, and even kids. Needless to say we all walked away at the end of the day with a new understanding of the realities of homelessness in LA.

Last fall things began to change in Skid Row. The city officials put pressure on the local law enforcement to put more pressure on the residents of Skid Row through the Safer City Initiative. The hope was that with more pressure from police the homeless population would not be as concentrated, and the properties in the area (mostly empty factory buildings now converting to trendy loft apartments) would increase in value and popularity with hip young couples.

Almost a year later, it seems that the initiative was successful. While 10 homeless shelters remain in the area, the "permanent" residents have moved out to the surrounding cities including Bellflower.

On Good Friday, the director of the Savlation Army Harbor Light Center was the speaker at the Kiwanis prayer breakfast. He shared about his ministry and as he closed he told us about the fact that Skid Row is coming to our backyard and he challenged the church and community to be prepared to help.

I have seen God at work in the church of Bellflower over the last few years preparing us to care for these our these our vulnerable neighbors. He's using the Christians involved with the Homeless Task Force to create support structures and to build relational bridges that help people who are on the streets.

God and Ordinary People

I have been reading through the Old Testament this year and my reading for this morning was really profound. Exodus, the story of God delivering his people from slavery in Egypt, starts with a couple of ordinary women honoring God with their obedience.

Shiphirah and Puah were the midwives for the people of Israel. Pharaoh, in an attempt to control the growing Israelite slave population, commanded the women to kill any boy babies that were born. In courageous civil disobedience, and radical obedience to God, these ordinary women defied the orders of an extraordinary world ruler and let the boys live, telling the pharaoh that Hebrew women gave birth to quickly for them to follow his orders.

The obedience of these ordinary women resulted in the birth and survival of Aaron and Moses, two boy babies who God eventually used to free his people from Egypt. As Eugene Peterson notes, "World leaders are minor players in the biblical way of writing and participating in history. People like Shiprah and Puah played decisive roles."

Everyday working with Kingdom Causes, I get to witness this. I get to work with ordinary people of God, like Sam (pictured below) one of our volunteers who helps make breakfast for our homeless neighbors. Ordinary people playing decisive roles in transforming lives and neighborhoods in Bellflower. God is using ordinary people working together to proclaim freedom to our neighbors who are enslaved to the "Egypts" of homelessness, poverty, hopelessness, and isolation.

We Appreciate You!

We love our volunteers! Please come to our Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue at 4pm on Saturday, March 29th at the VerWys' house. Call Chrissy to RSVP at 562-804-2189 or on my cell.

Eucalyptus Garden - Second Try

If any of you visited my home last summer, you learned that I am not a good gardener. I try very hard to be, but I can't seem to keep things alive and looking healthy. Last year I planted 15 tomato plants in a space where only 2 should've been planted. The garden turned into an unmanageable mess and I was scared of what could be living inside of it!

So this year I got some help. Over the last few weeks a team of helpers (made up of neighbors and friends) have been weeding, digging out old dead plants and watering to prepare the soil for the new garden. Some of the kids that helped with last year's garden (wilderness, is more like it) have been stopping by after school to water and dig. Alicia, a mom that lives in the neighborhood, came by a few days last week to help me plant the flowers. Alicia's kids along with some of my other neighbor kids helped too. Here are some pictures from the day:

New uniforms for Barcelona

I took some pictures of the boys when they received their new uniforms. They won the game that day.

Shaun and Jonah

Shaun and Jonah met over a year ago. Shaun, a member of the Bellflower House Church, had been volunteering for several months with the Homeless Task Force and wanted to take the next step and commit to praying for one homeless neighbor in particular and establish a relationship with him. Jonah has been on the streets since his grandmother passed away three years ago. His kind spirit and outgoing personality was endearing to whomever he encountered. One Tuesday night when we hit the streets for our relational outreach, Shaun and I found Jonah lying on his back unconscious from an overdose of medication that wasn’t his. Shaun and I loaded him in our vehicle and took him to the nearest hospital, fearing that he wasn’t going to make it.
Shaun went back to visit him later that week and formed a friendship. A year later, after hundreds of encounters with Shaun, and much prayer on Shaun’s part, Jonah had hit bottom. He and some friends had been drinking behind the liquor store when they began to argue. Before Jonah knew it he was on the ground, pummeled by two of his “friends”. He woke up the next day at the local hospital. Upon discharge the social workers asked where he wanted to be dropped off and he indicated he wanted to come to the Community Center. Shaun was there and we were able to pray with him and he agreed that he needed long term help. That night we had a party celebrating his decision. Pizza, pasta, salad and soda flowed. Jonah had turned and wanted help! He stayed that night at Shaun’s home and the next day we brought him to a mission to get help with rehabilitation. He’s been there now over 30 days, beating his previous sobriety streak by 10 days. Shaun continues to go visit him on a weekly basis providing him with support and prayer. This is our ideal. Connect people with supportive relationships via the body of Christ.

We need a place to practice!!!

In the next two weeks both of the neighborhood teams that we've been working with will lose access to their practice field. We're in desperate need of some green space. The city of Bellflower only has 3 parks with fields and they're booked up all year with city leagues (mostly football & baseball). Our boys need a place to practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8pm.

I write this blog for two reasons: 1) To put the need out there in case any of you have access to a school field, a large church property or something creative and 2) So that when we figure this out we can give God the glory.

Please respond with any input or connections you have. Thanks!

Progress with Neighborhood Soccer Teams

We were able to purchase the uniforms & practice balls/equipment for Team Barcelona (15-18) today. The boys have worked hard to raise money and are now able to look like an official team, thanks to the donation from Kiwanis last Friday. Here's what their uniforms will look like:




This week we will focus on helping the younger Barcelona team... I call them Barcelona Juniors because I get them mixed up.

If you are interested in coming out to support the boys on either team, please give me a call at our office number (562.804.2189) and I'll set you up with the upcoming schedule. Games are usually on Saturday mornings. Please come out and cheer on the teams. It means a lot to them.

Also, I just heard of a girls team that is starting up in our neighborhood.

We DEFINITELY need a park!!

Proud of our young men...

I am so proud of Sabino & Fernando. We just got back from a Kiwanis service club meeting where they did a presentation on their neighborhood soccer team, Barcelona. Their team has raised over $1,000 on their own, but they needed $1,444 more to finish buying uniforms and paying registration/insurance. They did such a good job that the group pledged $1,000 from thier children's foundation. In addition to that, individuals were so impressed by Sabino & Fernando's efforts and gave an additional $455 out of their own pockets to support the team.

Praise God for his faithfulness & provisions.

It is an honor to work with these talented neighbors. I am full of hope and excitement for our community.

This is the flyer that we passed out at the meeting today:

Good Neighbors with Creative Ideas

On Monday, 14 neighbors attended our first Eucalyptus/Cornuta neighborhood meeting of the year. Each person had so many thoughts and ideas to share. We ended up focusing on two ideas: 1)supporting the local soccer teams by fundraising, encouraging neighbors to help with rides & attend their games and 2) promoting the neighborhood clean-up day hosted by the city this weekend. The next day I received calls from a few of the neighbors who had already begun working on some of the projects discussed at the meeting. There is so much excitement! Neighbors are pooling together their resources and using creativity to help one another. What a glimpse of the Kingdom.

Today a few of us neighbors helped with rides for Barcelona (Soccer Team 16-18yrs). We stayed for the game to support our boys. They played well, but ended up losing to the oposing team (who is in 2nd place). When we got home we went out to the neighborhood clean-up day. The city blocked off a small portion of our street to set up BRIM (Bellflower Recreation in Motion) for the kids and had a spot for snacks, arts & crafts.

I'd love to see something like this happen again during the summer. The kids need space to play. The parks are too far. I did find out that construction, where the existing railroad tracks are, is going to start in the next two months for a walk/bike path. It's still not enough space to play, but I'm hoping it's a start.

Support Team Barcelona

The young men who are a part of EUCY (Eucalyptus Urban Council of Youth) play on a soccer team mostly made up of neighborhood kids from our street. The team was started a few months ago when a neighbor noticed a large group of talented boys playing pick-up games at the park. He found out that most of these boys were not on any official team and decided to help organize and join a league with thier team, Barcelona.

I met with the coach's wife and son this morning to hear more about their story. She shared about how she went to each of their homes to meet their families and check-out their situation before the season started. She found that many of the kids live in single-parent homes or with an aunt or a grandma, making it difficult for them to afford the equipment & uniforms and get rides to practices & games.

During the next week we will be going to several meetings with the parents and local service organizations to figure out a way to help raise money and find support for this team. We see Team Barcelona as an asset to our neighborhood as it provides a healthy alternative to gang and drug involvement and gives the boys something to take pride in.

Please pray for us as we work together to advance this cause.

Thanks to Bethany CRC Servants

Bethany CRC conducted a congregation wide service day in Bellflower today. 150 of their members were out volunteering today picking up trash, cleaning, and serving in other ways.



A team of 8 came to the community center to help us bless our neighboring business neighbors by washing windows, pressure washing the parking lot, and weeding the flower bed in front. The place looks great!


Before we cleaned the windows, I went to the neighboring businesses to make sure it was okay with them that we do that. The new owners of Liquor Land, the tiny store on the corner, were very reluctant to let us wash their windows at first.


"What do you expect from me?"asked the owner, a middle aged man immigrant from India or Pakistan. "I do not want to pay!"
"No sir, no payment is necessary. We simply want to help." I replied. "These folks are here just because they want to serve."
"I need to talk with the property manager, is he paying them?"
"No sir, we're just helping out."
"You expect nothing?" he asked yet again incredulously.
"Nothing. We're just trying to be good neighbors that's all."


Finally assured that we weren't selling our services and a little confused about our motives, he consented to let us wash his windows.


What a great first impression for our new neighbors down the way.


Lord your kingdom come and your will be done in the life of that liquor store owner as it is in heaven.

Prayer Walk

I was eating lunch with one of our Volunteers the other day and we were talking about a Church nearby a park just down the street here in Bellflower. He told me a short story about how when he used to live in that neighborhood, he and a group would prayer walk the neighborhood. Every time they would go by this Church, named 1st Baptist, they would pray that it would be a "Neighborhood Church". Here is where it all comes together; within the past year, this Church has taken a much more "Neighborhood" approach and even re-named it's building to "Neighborhood Fellowship". I went by yesterday and spoke with the pastor and told him the story. He was pretty encouraged!

God is active and shows up in his timing!

Local Business Highlight: Adelita's Mexican Restaurant

We're working on a neighborhood newsletter for Eucalyptus & Cornuta. It will be published in English & Spanish. The stories will be about things happening in our neighborhood and each issue will contain a neighbor of the month and a business of the month. We'll also include a section for a community calendar & announcements.

The first business we're highlighting is Adelita's Mexican Restaurant on Artesia & Clark. The owners, Elida & Lugo, lived in our neighborhood for many years. Elida was famous for her tamales. They moved a few years ago, but are talking about moving back into the neighborhood. We met with Elida on Wednesday to share our idea. She teared up and expressed her gratitude for the support of their business.

So... if you're looking for a place to eat, I recommend stopping by Adelita's. Their chilaquiles breakfast is wonderful!

Maria Maria

This last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting two new neighbors. On Saturday we worked with a local Bible Study group of Greenleaf Church that meets in the neighborhood to host an arts & crafts day for the kids on our street. I've learned over the past year that passing out flyers a week before doesn't work. So an hour before the event began we went out into the neighborhood and invited the kids that were around. Ryan invited two sisters named Maria to bring their families and hang out with us. They spoke a little English, but mostly Spanish. Luckily, they had a good sense of humor making my attempts to communicate in Spanish a little more welcome. As we were chatting about the neighborhood I was working on a loom to make a scarf. The Marias were very excited because looming was part of their childhood in Mexico. They asked where I got the loom and if I'd be willing to teach a class for the neighbors.

Since last weekend I've ran into the Marias twice. I'm sure we walked passed each other many other times without knowing that one day we'd be friends.

I'm exploring the idea of a sewing/knitting/looming night with the ladies in the neighborhood and some friends. It might be nice, especially before Christmas. I'll keep you posted.

Mentor Outing!

As a reward for meeting and accomplishing goals, our mentor team goes on an outing together. We recently went to the LA Zoo and saw many of the animals there. We were sad that there were no beavers!

I can't tell you how proud I am of both the mentors and the "mentees". We talk about Signs of Transformation, or ways in which God is changing people, and I am so encouraged that change is happening in peoples lives through the efforts of those who listen and walk alongside others. One particular "mentee" has accomplished so much in a year and continually makes strides towards self-sufficiency.

Every month we make goals and her goal this month is to walk independently and safely across a busy intersection. She is working to overcome fears that have kept her from being active for some time. She is learning to trust God to protect her, and to trust us to support her.

Great JOB!

Graduation at the LA Mission

I was recently invited to the Graduation Ceremony for our friend Art Torres. We helped him get into the LA mission over a year ago and now he has completed over a year of spiritual rehabilitation. I was so encouraged at his graduation. Each graduate read a verse from memory that meant something to them and received a certificate on stage. I was able to meet his family afterwards and they were blessed by his progress.

I see such value in sending individuals to Christian recovery programs. We have seen others come out of non-Bible based programs and sometimes they lack the spiritual connection.

Great Job ART. We look forward to hearing your testimony on a Saturday at the showers.

Kingdom Contributors

A couple of weeks ago we realized that after the showers the Homeless Task Force offers each week the stalls would be filled with bottles of shampoo and partially used bars of soap. We were having a hard time keeping these items stocked so we decided something needed to change.

In the past, we've simply offered free food and free showers with nothing expected in return. While that felt good at first, we began to see that giving stuff for free with out any expectation of exchange, actually separates us from the neighbors we are called to love. One-way charity at arms length is easy and feels good for the givers but creates a false perception that we the givers have everything, and our homeless neighbors are empty vessels with nothing to offer.

So when the shampoo and soap problem came along we decided rather than perpetuating the charity mindset, we would put it in the hands of the people who use the showers. We alerted all of the "regulars" of the problem and appointed three leaders to take care of it.

Since then, Jessie, one of the homeless appointees has been regularly picking up shampoo, soap, powder and other items that are used on Saturday mornings. When we recognized that the neighbors weren't just needy, and invited them to take part, leaders emerged. Had we the "givers" simply solved the problem ourselves, we would have missed out on the opportunity involve Jessie in the solution. That to me is a picture of the Kingdom... neighbors moving from recipient to partner, from poor to contributor.

Urban Youth Workers RELOAD Conference

This weekend we took a small group to the Urban Youth Workers RELOAD Conference in Los Angeles. Heather, Lee, Mike & Madison came from Canaan Presbyterian on Palm & Clark. We love working with that church! Desiree, an awesome young leader from our neighborhood came with us, as well.

One of the workshops I went to really challenged me on how I work with the youth in the neighborhood. The worshop speaker asked if we were imposing our "middle-class" on to the kids as if that was the only way. I think I have done that from time to time without even noticing. She was teaching out of a book by Dr. Ruby Payne called "What every church member should know about poverty." It's sitting on my shelf, but I really haven't gone through in depth. I walked away resolving that I would spend more time researching the culture that surrounds me in my neighborhood. The other workshop I went to highlighted the importance of rest & Sabbath for those working with youth in an urban setting. Really... it applies to us all. They talked about how being burnt out has turned into a badge of honor. People say "I'm so busy!" as if it's something good. I'm very guilty of that. Burn out is not what God intended for his workers. If we're burnt out we're probably doing more than he asked of us.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Last night my neighbors invited me over to their house for their 10-year-old son's birthday. I couldn't make it until after 8, but they insisted that I still stop by. It was mainly a family party, but they made me feel very welcomed. The parents mainly speak Spanish, but their kids are bilingual. I sat around the dinner table with the adults and we chatted about the day. Oscar, the dad, has the biggest heart and loves to tell stories. He told story after story about his week and funny things that happened. His stories were in Spanish, so I only got about half of it. The kids were laughing at me because they knew I didn't really understand it all, but they re-assured me that even though they speak Spanish... they only understood half of it, as well. They went on to give me a lesson in Spanish.

I use the language barrier between me and most of my neighbors as an excuse not to visit as much. Last night proved to me that being a little uncomfortable about my lack of Spanish skills is not a good enough excuse to miss out on building relationships.

As I was leaving, the mom hugged me and told me that I am welcome in their home any time.

Case Closed

"We close cases if clients refuse service".

These were the words I recently heard from an Adult Protective Services Case worker regarding a lady that I have been meeting with who is Homeless. I was introduced to her by a Bellflower community resident who has been buying her coffee daily at 8:30am at the nearby Grannies donughts. She is frail with a hunched back and a walker. She speaks of having little feeling in her legs and a shortness of breath. We have suggested that she ought to go to a Hospital to have a doctor to look at her eye injured when someone recently beat her. When I called Adult Protective Services informed me that if she won't take assistance, they close her case. I don't blame them. It's the old saying, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink"

I wonder what my role is with Theresa? Should I take the same stance as the Adult Protective Services Case Worker, or am I called to something different? I have found that people who are homeless are so, not because of a lack of resources, but rather a lack of relationships.

I have been wondering what this relationship (without the contingent of an exchange of resources attached to it) looks like? A wise friend of mine commented that Jesus was called to be "with" people. Jesus had a ministry of presence among those he served. How do I do this? We are soo tempted to Cure people. Henry Nouwen speaks of the concept of Caring for people rather than curing them. God lead me!

Any thoughts?

Church Sponsorship

There is a recent article in the LA Times about the Denver Rescue Mission's work of partnering Church mentors with homeless families transitioning into housing. The story is told from the mentor's point of view and captures the challenge, yet reward of working with these families.

Kingdom Causes is doing similar work with families in Bellflower and the Long Beach Rescue Mission is looking at a similar approach. We'll see what the future unfolds. The key would be to get Churches to sponsor first months rent and deposit for families or individuals. Anyone have any thoughts?

Our Place in the Liberty Day Parade

Last Saturday was the Liberty Day Parade in Bellflower and we were well represented by two of our most gregarious team members, Check it out!

Coach Betty Sandoval

Taffy the Clown: aka Teri Larsen

Eucalyptus Kids go to Chivas USA Game

This last Sunday we had the joy of accompanying 20 kids from our neighborhood to the Chivas USA vs Colorado Rapids soccer game. The Chivas lost, but we had a blast anyway. Four of our teenagers from EUCY (Eucalyptus Urban Council of Youth) were the designated ballboys and Desiree was the field manager's assistant. In fact, Desiree was invited back by the manager to help out at future games. Score!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the day:

From building walls to building bridges

“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13,14). The first paradigm shift pertains to where we, as the church, see ourselves in relation to our communities. Will we remain outside of the community inviting people in or will we go to our
communities, seeking to be a transforming agent? The church is called to be separate in lifestyle but never called to be isolated from the people it seeks to influence.

excerpt from Eric Swanson's 10 Paradigm Shifts for Community Transformation.

As Eric wrote in an earlier post, he has been working with the "un-expected worker" to help one of our homeless neighbors. This is a great example of this principle of bridge building. Eric is building a bridge with the "worker", an unbeliever, via someone they both care deeply about, a homeless neighbor. It is exciting to see that this "worker" has been exposed to the Gospel and a representative of the church (Eric). The work of the Kingdom Causes Homeless Task Force is building bridges as a "transforming agent" not only to our homeless neighbors but also those unbelieving neighbors who think, "Something must be done."

10 paradigm shifts towards community transformation

I have been reading through a paper by Eric Swanson entitled 10 Paradigm Shifts Towards Community Transformation. He shares what he believes "takes us [the church] from model of thinking that we must discard to a new model that we must embrace."

1. From building walls to building bridges.


2. From measuring attendance to measuring impact.


3. From encouraging saints to attend the service to equipping the saints for works of service


4. From "serve us" to service


5. From duplication of human services and ministries to partnering wiht existing services and ministries.


6. From fellowship to functional unity


7. From condemning the city to blessing the city and praying for it.


8. From being a minister in a congregation to being a minister in a parish.


9. From anecdote and speculation to valid information


10. From teacher to learner.

Over the next few months it is my intent to take one of these paradigm shifts per week and unpack it in light of what is happening here in Bellflower. Stay tuned.

Our Place Housing Solutions

This past Sunday, Our Place Housing Solutions officially got off the ground. This new "daughter organization" will serve as a Community Housing Development Organization seeking housing justice for our neighbors in Bellflower. Our hope is that this organization will be a leading force in preserving and creating new affordable housing that impacts individuals and empowers and strengthens neighborhoods and communities. Stay tuned for exciting news from this team!

A un-expected worker

I get a phone call the other day from a guy with a British accent and it goes something like this,
"Hey, i've been buying coffee and donuts for this homeless lady every morning. She is hunched over, about 60 and speaks clearly and considerately. I just keep thinking to myself that something should be done for this lady. Someone in this Country should be able to help her. I went to three different Churches and they said that they don't help homeless people. I tracked you down because I saw in the Bellflower paper that some award was given to a guy for helping homeless people. I tried to get a hold of him but couldn't. Is there anything you can do to help me?"
I was kinda shocked and blown away at this phone call. This guy who isn't even a believer calls me with a concern for someone in his community that seems to be in need. I smiled grew on my face once I began to think about the variety of people that God uses to bring about his Kingdom.
We've talked in Bible Study about the idea that no one can enter or even see the Kingdom unless they are born again. This guy is doing Kingdom work and he doesn't even realize it.
I've met with this guy and the homeless lady and we are taking steps towards bringing peace into her life. I hope and pray that God would use me to impact this guys perspective on life and why we do what we do!
I thank Calvary Baptist Church for giving this guy my number. While thier staff doesn't directly serve the Homeless population, they do a great job of listening and praying with people and then referring them to others.

Kelty Enters rehab

Our Journey with Nick goes back two years ago when we met him on the Riverbed near a Park we would have Church at. He was an "irish man"; rugged and foul in all his ways but sweet at the core.

Fast forward to about 6 months ago when he re-surfaced to Bellflowers streets and alley ways. He would join us every saturday for Breakfast and we would see him on Tuesdays.

I had helped out a friend of his and so his friend wanted me to help him out. We took him to a detox in Costa Mesa and visited him there. This is a detox facility for people cutting Alcohol cold Turkey. When we arrived for intake that day, a guy was being carted off in the Ambulence for having seizures (typical detox symptom).

He was there for the full 10 days and then went to Beacon Mission in San Pedro. This place is sweet. Old and creaky, yet super clean and organized.

He'll be there for 1 year without any outside contact. I wish we could go see him but we can't. He's in good hands.

We prayed before he went in. He was looking for a "new life".

Kelty: We pray that God cures you friend and that you can gain new eyes so you can see and enter the Kingdom.

Kingdom Cause Volunteer recognized in Bellflower

This article appeared in the Bellflower Citizen in August. Corwin Schenk won the "We are Bellflower" nomination.

Homeless Helper
Named ‘We Are
Bellflower’ Honoree

Corwin Schenk has a wife, two kids and eight grandchildren to keep him
busy. Yet every week, he still makes time to volunteer his help to Bellflower's homeless community. To recognize his service, the City has named Corwin this month's "We Are Bellflower"
honoree. Corwin, a resident of Bellflower for the past 37 years, has
logged more than 240 hours helping the homeless this year.
Corwin visits different "homeless camps" every Tuesday and wakes up at 6:30 a.m.
each Saturday to take homeless individuals to Calvary Baptist Church for breakfast
and a shower. Corwin, a Deacon at Bethany Christian Reformed Church, has a relationship with Teen Challenge, a Christian-based rehabilitation program in Lynwood, and helps promote a community meal that many homeless people frequent. He also regularly helps the
homeless by making phone calls, charging dead batteries, budgeting and giving car rides to those in need.

Proclaiming freedom for the prisoners of addictions

Last Tuesday, as is our routine, the volunteers prayed together for our friends and neighbors who are homeless before we hit the streets to share lunches and conversation with them.

Pulling into the parking lot of the vacant strip mall, we had little idea of what we would encounter. We'd suspected that the heroin traffic has been increasing in this area and more and more of our neighbors here seemed to be getting involved with it. I hadn't encountered someone in the throws of heroin withdrawl before. But as "Tom" approached me, I knew he was experiencing extreme symptoms of withdrawl. Our team has some history with Tom and he recognized us as Christians. His body was twitching as he walked up to me and immediately asked me to pray for him. He openly confessed that he was sick and addicted to heroin. So I laid my hands on his shoulders, and he put his on mine and we prayed.

We prayed for forgiveness of sins, we prayed that God would release him from this addiction, we prayed that any spirits that had attached to him during his drug use would leave in Jesus name. When we finished praying he was still twitching. He began a scattered monologue on his past with the church, as a minister and singer. He yelled at a few of his companions who owed him $5, threatening them with violence if they didnt pay up soon. I was scared and wondered if God could really get a hold of this guy. I wondered, is Tom responsible for his recovery now? I know the official party line for social work is that he is. But how is it that we expect someone so dependant on a chemical that his soul is buried under addiction to make daily phone calls to the detox in order to stay on thier 2 week waiting list and get help?

In Luke 4: 18-19, Jesus says "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Sometimes we wonder if what we are doing is really gospel work. If we don't disciple people in a program are we really doing God's work? The simple act of proclamation, while it often doesn't result in immediate transformation in an individual or nieghborhood, is obedience and therefore success. I struggle some times because I don't see immediate change for our neighbors like Tom. But when I reflect on my own journey with God, and the ongoing nature of my own sanctification process I recognize that God's time frame is different than ours.

May this year be the year of the Lord's favor for Tom.

School Year Officially Starts... Sanity Returns

This summer was crazy busy. At times I felt like we took on too many events, but in the end it was worth it. Between the neighborhood soccer games, VBS, bread sales, and hang outs we made good connections with our neighbors. One of the coolest things that came out of our events is a group of high school students that meets once a week to come up with plans to help their neighborhood. I know good things will come from this group of talented youth.

As great as the summer was, I couldn't wait for school to start again. There's something very appealing to a routine. In the summer, every day was different. Kids would show up at random times making it difficult to keep a schedule. I'm not complaining, though. I have a great job.

Last Thursday was the first day back to school. I pulled out my lawn chair and sat in the front yard like I did last year, except for this time I knew almost all of the faces passing by. It was a good feeling.

Definitions of Success

Eric and I have been talking about success this week. What does it mean for us to be successful in our work with the homeless? Has the Homeless Task Force been successful this year? Have we been successful even if no one has gotten off of the streets lately because of our efforts?

The answer is a resounding "yes"! Here is what we have seen God doing in our midst. We are seeing more Christians from Bellflower intentionally building relationships with our homeless neighbors. Every week we are witnessing the truth of the Gospel, that God has reaches out to us in the midst of our brokenness, calling us away from paths of destruction into relationship with him. He has divinely mobilized his people in Bellflower to be his hands and feet to these our homeless neighbors that he loves. That is success.

Thoughts on being a neighbor

We are such a busy people! One has to be extremely intentional to not be busy. Most of us are pretty lousy at it... including myself. I mean, really, what is my excuse? My job involves being a good neighbor to my neighbors through community development, yet I am still too busy doing that to actually be at home. We have to be present to build a relationship. Can you imagine if all Christians were intentional with how they related to their neighbors? It would be beautiful!

With this on my mind for the last couple of weeks, I've made more of an effort to be around. Even with these efforts, I've only made time for an extra hour to be available for whatever sporatic conversation or "hello" I get from people walking by. The amazing thing is, God uses the time. You can't predict it. Sometimes I'll be around and not have a meaningful conversation with anyone... and sometimes I will. As I was pulling into the driveway late Saturday night, a neighbor that I've talked to a few times before was walking by. We ended up talking for a half an hour about life, God, work, and everything else. She's an amazing single mother with a bunch of talents that are not being used. She moved to this neighborhood a few months ago and is looking for friendships. We're going to lunch today to hang out.

I wonder how many relationships we miss out on because we're too busy. Even when we're home we stay inside and watch TV. I challenge you to go outside. You never know what God has in store.

Judgement

Last night after soccer I gave a few of the kids a ride back home. As I drove down our street there was a car stopped in the middle of the road, making it almost impossible to pass on either side. So I slowed down, thinking he would move. He moved a little, giving me enough to room to squeeze through, but then a group of guys walked out where I was going to pass. I was a little annoyed, but I recognized one of them so I honked and jokingly yelled at them to get out of the street. Then, a guy on a bike who I've never seen before nearly ran into the front of my car. They wouldn't move. In fact, they almost ignored me completely. I decided the only way to make them move is if I started driving slowly to "push" them out of the way. It worked. But after I got through I felt a little uncomfortable. I looked in my mirror to see if they were laughing, but they weren't. I wondered if I had disrespected them and began to second guess my "good" connection with the neighbors. After I dropped off the kids I had to drive by the same spot. All the same guys were outside, but the car had moved. I waved and smiled, but they didn't respond. Not good.

Later on that night I heard a commosion in my front yard. I looked out my window and saw a girl passed out on my driveway. I went outside to investigate. I turned out she was a friend of one of my neighbors and had drank too much Jack Daniels. She woke up and tried to stand up but ended up falling flat on her face on the cement. I got her some water but she hit it out of my hand and it landed all over me. By that time about a dozen neighbors had walked by. Her friends pulled up the car but we couldn't get her in. Then one of the guys that I had an incident with earlier pulled up on his bike. He offered to help but told I him we were okay. He motioned for me to come over and talk to him. When I came over he explained that people "talk" in the neighborhood and that it didn't look good to have a girl passed out in front of my house, even if it wasn't my guest. He told me that in our neighborhood, people watch out for each other and that's what he was trying to do. I felt convicted. A few hours earlier I had him written off as a disrespectful gangster that could potentially be a threat to me. And here he was trying to help me by carrying this complete stranger covered in vomit over to the car. I was humbled.

Saying Goodbye

I can't believe my summer with Kingdom Causes is almost over. In a week I'll be back in Grand Rapids, Michigan buying books and soaking up my last breaths of summer air. This summer has truly been a remarkable summer. I have learned so much and have really seen God working throughout the city. I have been amazed at the many signs of transformation I have seen throughout the past three months. I have gotten to know a lot of neighbors while working on Eucalyptus street and it has been great seeing them get more involved throughout the summer. I think the importance of building relationships has been one of the biggest lessons I have learned while working here. It is amazing what happens when we just hang-out and talk with people. I am sad to be saying goodbye and will miss so many things about working here. I will miss swim days with the girls Chrissy and I are mentoring, playing soccer with the neighborhood boys, playing intense games of fuseball and ping-pong, sitting out on Chrissy front lawn connecting with her neighbors, and morning prayers with Pat Holwerda and other neighbors. But most of all, I will miss the friendships I have made. Working here has helped me grow in so many ways and has truly been a great experience. I know that God has great plans for Bellflower and Kingdom Causes and I cant wait to hear more stories of transformation when I come home at Christmas.

Canaan Presbyterian Church -- Local Missions

Over the past two weeks we have had the joy of hosting a group of young adults from Canaan Presbyterian Church here in Bellflower. What a great group of Christians, willing to learn and serve, wanting to be obedient to Jesus and engage thier local community! Chrissy and Eric have done an excellent job of orienting them to Kingdom Causes and giving them practical training in homeless outreach and asset based community development.

I love to see new connections being made and young people committed to blessing Bellflower!

Choices

You never know what you will learn when you decide to sit and listen. Not talk or converse, just listen. I was able to do that a couple weeks ago with someone at the park and it was incredible what I learned. This man shared how he went from being a church going youth leader in love with sports to a drug addicted dad living with constant fear of finding money for his daughter and girlfriend. The most eye-opening thing was that he wasn’t much different than me. We both loved sports, loved youth group, love family and have both faced hard times. So what’s the difference? What made it so this man is in such a different place than me? Choices. We all make choices, big ones, small ones, and even medium-sized ones. When it comes down to it, what will our decision be each and every time we are faced with a decision? Will we continue to go down the road that the world has for us or will we turn to the truth. Choices. What will we decide?

Soccer Started!!!

Praise God! After weeks of overcoming obstacles, we finally started our Eucalyptus Soccer Program! We had a great group of kids ranging from ages 4 to 14. Most of the kids are between 6th & 8th grades. About 5 kids that live across the street from me played with us on Wednesday night. I'd always said hello or smiled to their families, but never had the chance to connect with them until this week. Please continue to pray that God blesses our interactions with the kids and their families. The purpose for this program is to give the kids a safe place to go to do something they love. Our hope is to get to know the parents through these types of programs. We'd love to see more neighbors at our meetings for the street.