Cold Eggs and Reconciliation

"About a year ago, I beat somebody up really bad. Like really bad."

Kenny, the big, tattooed guy wearing a bandana and leather sitting next to me was reporting on "signs of transformation" he had seen since the last meeting of the Homeless Task Force, a group of Christians from several different congregations in Bellflower, who work together to love our homeless neighbors. Kenny, who had been homeless himself for many years before coming to know Christ, now serves weekly, building relationships with our homeless neighbors.

The transformation happened after the previous week's breakfast. At the end of the weekly meal where we serve 40-50 neighbors we had left over eggs and beans. We were about to throw away the excess when Kenny offered to load up his Harley and bring them down to the riverbed. As he walked down the embankment near the intersection of the 605 and the 105, the first person he encountered was this man with whom he had brawled a year back. Tensions were high as you might imagine, but as Kenny reached out and handed him the cold left over eggs reconciliation happened. This simple act of love and concern melted what ever conflict had remained between these two former enemies.

I am constantly humbled to be involved in the story of God's Kingdom work in Bellflower. I get to see God use people who most would consider too far gone, or damaged to minister his love and peace. I am blessed to see the Body at work, with our many gifts and backgrounds, all working in symphony as God uses us in His ministry of reconciliation.

what makes the difference?

The name of our program, Good Soil, comes from Jesus parable of the seed that is scattered (Mark 4). Some seed falls on thorns, some falls on rocky soil, and still other seed falls on good soil.

During 2009 I have worked with men who were part of this good soil, and they experienced radical transformation in their life because of Christ. Men have become members of local churches, become married, found full-time jobs, moved into homes, and worship Jesus with great passion. Their testimony has given me fresh hope in the limitless power of Jesus.
I have also worked with men who currently seem stuck in thorny or rocky soil. Life is filled with thorns that keep them from reaching their potential.
The strength that I’ve found in the parable is that God has called me to be a sower, but the power is in the Word. When I am obedient and share Scripture, I can trust God to do the rest. Scripture is active and when we share how it is impacting our lives, we plant the seed and let God work. So as I look to 2010 I am renewed in my excitement to share God’s word with the men of Good Soil and to watch how it transforms both our lives.

A local business that's giving back...

Kingdom Causes has a shout out in this video:



Did you know that locally owned businesses invest MORE into the community than chains? That's exactly what Casa de Luna is doing in our city. Interested in learning more about why it's important for a community to have strong local businesses? Check out the 3/50 Project.

Still looking for new toy donations...

We're still short toys for our Christmas Store. Will you help our community out by donating a new, unwrapped gift for a kid (ages 0-17). Click here to read more about how the store works... where the money goes... why we sell the gifts... etc.

600!

That's how many gifts we need to have for our Christmas Toy & Gift Store on December 15th. Eeek! 600. Will you help?

You can drop off new, unwrapped gifts of $10+ value for kids ages 0-17 to Rosewood Church (10115 Rose Street) during regular weekly office hours or you can bring them to the City Wide Carol Sing on December 13th.

Christmas Carol Sing - 12/13

Visit www.blessbellflower.org and click on "Bellflower Christmas" to learn more about what's going in in our city in December.

Eavesdropping on a Thanksgiving Luncheon

I wish you all could sit in on this...

A group of Christians, including a local retired pastor, host a weekly Bible Study in Thompson Park for our homeless neighbors. Today they are using the front of our community center to host a Thanksgiving Lunch.

Pastor Dan is playing the ukulele (a skill he picked up in the last few months of retirement) and leading the group in the song "Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice." The diverse group of 20 neighbors is attempting to sing the song in rounds. It's awesome!

He just shared a Bible story and I've never heard so many enthusiastic "Amens!"

I'm sure God is smiling right now. I am.

Fall Newsletter

Miss our Fall Newsletter? Click below to download past KC Bellflower newsletters.

OPHS - Now Hiring

Our Place Housing Solutions is now hiring. Please visit our website www.ourplacehousingsolutions.org for job descriptions.

Submit resume and cover letter, no later than October 23, 2009 to: admin@ourplacehousingsolutions.org. No letters or phone calls please. Resumes will be reviewed as they are received. OPHS is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity in employment.

Oak Street Neighbor Meeting

Seeing neighbors get excited about transforming their community is probably one of the most inspiring things ever. Last Saturday, we had our first neighbor meeting in the Oak Street Neighborhood, and it was so much fun! (Thanks to Neighborhood Christian Fellowship for letting us use the church yard!)

To be honest, I was preparing myself for disappointment at the meeting. Even though I’ve gotten to know many residents over the past few months, I didn’t feel overly confident that they would take time out of their Saturday morning to meet with their neighbors. But, I was wrong! It was exciting to see a diverse group show up and share their dreams for the neighborhood.

We talked about everything from better street lighting to potlucks to front porches. I couldn’t be happier that the group’s main goal was to foster a sense of “togetherness” in the community.

With Asset Based Community Development, fostering togetherness is the first step! When neighbors get to know what is best about each other, they can’t help but work together to bring transformation to the neighborhood.

What about us? Let’s go treasure-hunting in our own neighborhoods to find out what is best about our neighbors and community. Who knows what God will do with one small step!

Mayor's Prayer Breakfast goes GRASSROOTS!

Tuesday morning was sweet! This was the first year we hosted the Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast. We changed things up a bit. Read more about it in the Press Telegram Article: Bellflower prayer breakfast goes grassroots.

Project Oak - House Cleaned!

Check it out! http://ourplacehousingsolutions.wordpress.com/blog/

Project Oak

Check out our affordable housing project: www.ourplacehousingsolutions.org

Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast

The city of Bellflower has hosted the Mayor's Community Prayer breakfast for many years. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, they were unable to host it this year. So, Kingdom Causes and Bless Bellflower agreed to host a modified version of the breakfast as a way to encourage the city and keep the tradition going. And hopefully encourage prayer on behalf of our city!

The breakfast will take place on Tuesday, October 6th from 7-8:30 am at Simms Park. It's only $5 for a time of prayer and encouragement, plus a yummy continental breakfast!

If you're interested in helping with this event, or if you'd like to attend please, call Kingdom Causes at (562) 804-2189.

September Fridays = Streetfests

If you don't have any plans for your Friday evenings, head over to Laurel Street & Bellflower Blvd. for Streetfest. The Chamber of Commerce has decided to continue the event though the month of September.

Spread the word.

What do we do?

Today I spent a few hours with a homeless neighbor and her two young kids. We travelled down to Long Beach to see about getting them set up at a longer term shelter.

I wish I could say that throughout the whole process I remained utterly selfless, acting in the Jesus-like way that I'm supposed to. Sadly, I did not. After two hours of trying to entertain energetic preschool boys in a crowded government facility, I was less than chipper. I was concerned about when I was going to get lunch, somehow forgetting that this mom didn't even know if she was going to eat again in the near future.

Despite the imperfections in my attitude, I learned a lot about a piece of society that I don't often interact with. Long lines, endless referrals, dirty conditions, and judgmental attitudes are realities that this mom has to deal with every day. As I sat with her today, the questions kept rolling through my mind, "How can I best help her? What am I supposed to do? Is there any hope at all?".

I wanted to save the world in one afternoon. It's not going to happen. But I can start with being kind, with treating her as my friend and neighbor, rather than my client. I can choose allow my heart to be broken by the poverty of body and soul that I saw today. And I can pray.

What can you do?

Last Chance to Buy Pictures!

This is your last chance to order 8x10 pictures from the photo class. I've made a flickr album for you to view the available shots. Click here or on the picture to view.

$20 for 8x10 with a glass frame

Money goes to support events & programs in the Eucalyptus Neighborhood. Check out the cool art work. Email me at christinap@kingdomcauses with your orders!

Street Fests are Happening!

It's been a little discouraging to see so many of the community-building events in Bellflower get shut down because of the economy... but now we have some good news! The Bellflower Chamber of Commerce has brought back the Street Fests! These are fun evenings for the whole family with clowns, face painting, prizes, great food, and music! Come support local businesses and have a great time meeting neighbors!

Here are all the details:

What: Summer Street Fests 2009

When: Every Thursday in August from 6-9pm

Where: On Laurel Street off of Bellflower Blvd (by Johnny Rebs)

Who: YOU! (plus your friends and family)

Why: A fun way to meet neighbors and bless your city!

For more info, call (310) 722-4552

Check out Bless Bellflower!

If you haven't visited www.blessbellflower.org in the last month or so... please do us a favor and peruse around. We are working on some awesome community events including the Bella Art Fest.
Also, take some time to read the Bless Bellflower blog entries. We highlight different ways to be a better Bellflower citizen.

Feel free to share your ideas!

Photo Exhibit Recap!

This past Saturday we had a great time interacting with neighbors, artists, and supporters at the Eucalyptus Photo Class exhibit! Pictures from the past three years of photo classes were displayed, and we enjoyed live music and yummy snacks as well!

A highlight for me was watching the students' faces when they overheard positive comments about their pictures. Some of them were SO excited when they found out that people were actually buying their work!

And speaking of purchases, it's not too late to buy a picture for yourself! $20 gets you a framed 8x10 photo, and all of the proceeds go to Eucalyptus youth programs. To view all the photos, click here. I've included a few of my favorites above! If you want to buy one, email Chrissy at christinap@kingdomcauses.org. Just describe which picture you want and we'll take care of the rest!

First Week!

Hello!

My name is Abbey Nishimoto and I am so excited about joining the Kingdom Causes Bellflower team. I grew up in the Bellflower area and am passionate about seeing believers get involved in community development.

My husband, Andrew, and I just moved back to Bellflower after spending the last few years in the snowy land of Warsaw, Indiana. We attended Grace College where we were both involved in various ministries and leadership opportunities. Now Andrew is the new youth pastor at Bethany CRC, and I'm working here at Kingdom Causes!

I've already had a great few days with the staff here. It was awesome to see 13 people come together last night to eat lunch with some of our neighbors at the century inn. We're looking forward to the barbeque there next week as well!

My main focus at KC will be on the Oak Street neighborhood, specially attempting to coordinate a teen center. We'd love to have a safe place for teens to learn, grow, and interact with with volunteers from the church of Bellflower! If you are interested in ministry with teens-please don't hesitate to contact me! We'll need people from all sorts of backgrounds with different talents in order to make this initiative a success!

I'm looking forward to interacting with lots of you over the next few months!

-Abbey

P.S. The pic is from me and Andrew's favorite SoCal spot-Disneyland!

Neighborhood Photo Class Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow we start our summer photography classes for the neighborhood. Each week we teach a basic digital photography skill and take the students out to a local spot to practice. This year the students work will be displayed in Casa de Luna throughout the month of July.

If you're interested in getting involved with future photography classes, please contact Chrissy at 562-804-2189.

Youth Group-Wed Nights!!

Eucalyptus Street is the place to be on Wednesday nights- (Specifically Chrissy’s house.) If you like good food, skateboarding, basketball, hanging out, or just having a conversation with a teen, then you must come to this event every Wednesday night from 6:30-8:30.
Youth Group on Wednesday nights is a place where kids from the community can come and enjoy a good dinner, hear the Word of God, and build relationships with other peers and leaders.

Many of these kids have never heard the story of Jesus or come from broken homes. Through this ministry we hope to build relationships with these kids and show them the love of Jesus. It’s amazing to see how this event has grown in the community. I have been told that the Youth Group started with about 5 kids, but now there are about 20 kids that show up on a consistant basis. It’s amazing to see how God has blessed this ministry.

One of my favorite things to do with the guys on Wednesday nights is to play basketball on the driveway. It can get pretty physical at times, but it usually stays calm and everyone has a good time. I could play basketball with these kids for hours, but I usually don’t because we have a Bible Study later on at night.

Last week we took the boys over to the resource center to have some small group time and play some games. Although it is hard to keep some of their attention, most of them were asking real deep questions that I did not have all the answers for. Some were asking such questions as “Why does God allow so much evil in this world?” or “Can we become unsaved once we have accepted God as our Savior?” These are challenging questions for even Christians in the Church, and trying to explain these answers to kids just learning about Jesus is even harder. However I was encouraged by the attendance and interest that these boys have to learn more. Nobody is forcing these kids to stay for the Bible Study part of the night, yet more than half do stay to listen. These boys are curious about God, and this is the time to tell them about Him before they get older. I ask for your prayers as we continue this ministry on Eucalyptus Street!!

Depth of Good Soil

Good Soil Industries has been busy, and that is a good thing! Cory (Good Soil employee) and I have spent many hours together, and seen each other at our best and worst moments. Yesterday was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. At the end of the day Cory told me, “I’m always watching you. Watching how you respond.”
I thought, uh-oh.
Then Cory went on to bless me and share how he saw Christ in how I responded.
But, it isn’t a one-way blessing. I’ve learned so much from Cory. He’s taught me to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in a new way. To pray with a child-like faith. We have seen each other’s strengths and weaknesses and encouraged one another.

Good Soil has mowed a lot of yards recently. But more than that, it has brought two guys together whose life stories are pretty different. And out of this relationship, we’re both more hopeful that transformation is possible.

First Week At Kingdom Causes!!!

Hello,

My name is Alex Melara and I am the intern for the summer of 2009. I am excited to get a feel for the community and to see what God has planned for the city of Bellflower. I attend Bellflower Brethren Church (Flower & Clark) and have a passion to reach out to the community. I especially enjoy working with at risk teens and building relationships with them.

My hometown is Pico Rivera, which is about 10 miles away from Bellflower. After High School I attended Cal State Long Beach for a year and then transferred to Grace College in Indiana where I am currently a senior. God has blessed me tremendously and I want to give back to those that are at a disadvantage in life.

Last week was my first week working for Kingdom Causes. I have met some great people that work and volunteer for Kingdom Causes. Ryan, Chrissy, Joel, Aura, Larry, and Irene are some of those people that work hard to show the love of Jesus in the city of Bellflower.

I had the chance to work with good soil industries this past week and deliver food to some families that lived in Motels on Alondra Blvd. After a long day of doing yard work with Joel, I had no motivation or energy to go out and deliver food. Since it was my first day, I didn’t want to tell Ryan that I did not feel like going. Now, that I look back I am glad that I went to deliver food. It was awesome to see the joy and expressions on people’s faces as we handed them the food. It might not seem like much, but for some people this is what they look forward to the whole week.

The best part of the day was hearing the stories and struggles that these people are going through. I met a girl who had been living in the motel with her family for 4 years. That was just shocking to hear. However, it was encouraging to see the joy she had even though she was going through these tough circumstances. She was very thankful for the food that we brought to her this evening. In the future, we hope to have a BBQ outside motel and meet more families.

So in conclusion my first day on the job was rewarding. I can’t wait to go back and connect with these people again. After just one week I have realized that there are many people in Bellflower that need physical and spiritual help.

The Church being church

I’ve seen followers of Jesus making conscious choices to impact the lives of their neighbors. I’m excited about what God is doing in and through them.

Jim Tanis has put a new front porch on his house so that he can hang out in the front and get to know his neighbors. What a great idea!
Jane Nishimoto helped orchestrate multiple churches to host an Easter Egg Hunt for 1500 people!
Leticia takes time from her busy schedule to find jobs for her neighbors.
Claudette uses her limited financial resources to cook a meal for the homeless each month.
Mark Garcia tutors Algebra 1 students who have fallen behind.
Betty, Leticia, Corrie Harb, John Davis, and Teri Larsen have faithfully met each week to help K-6th graders with reading and homework, and have used the time to strengthen relationships with families in the neighborhood.

These are just a few of the people who have inspired me lately. Thank you for all you do!

Of Homeless and Hummingbirds

Lately, several homeless neighbors who come to the weekly Homeless Outreach on Saturday mornings have been hanging out in the parking lot after they get their showers and before breakfast starts to enjoy some fresh air. In the interest of building relationships with these men I decided that I would get some fresh air too.

Last Saturday I noticed that Jerry*, one of our homeless neighbors who lives in his late 90’s model Lexus, was pacing methodically in the corner of the parking lot.

“Mind if I walk a few paces with you?” I asked.
“Sure.” Jerry shrugged.

As we walked our circuit we talked about his diabetes, about his interest in science fiction (he reads at least three books each week) and about how he walks these paces each morning “to get the blood flowing.”

After walking and talking for several minutes I noticed what looked like a small green walnut, and after looking closer I realized it was a baby hummingbird that had fallen from it’s nest and was sitting there in the parking lot scared and helpless.

“What should we do?” I asked Jerry.
“Not much we can do. My dad told me once, you can’t save everything.” Jerry responded, as he resumed his pacing.

As I stayed behind looking at this vulnerable bird, I wondered what to do. “He’s probably right.” I thought. Just then, Jaquie pulled into the parking lot. She works for the County as an animal control officer and she came over right away. She picked up the bird and in moments had whisked it away to her home where she would feed it and care for it until she could bring it to a hummingbird rescue the next day. She called me later that week to tell me that she had been successful in getting the little bird a place in the rescue where the staff would feed it every 20 minutes for several days until it was strong enough to survive on it’s own.

When I first started working with our homeless neighbors I was hopeful about our ability to help everyone we met. Then after a few disappointing experiences with neighbors who made “one step forward and three steps back” I noticed that I began to operate with a degree of cynicism. I would like to call this “informed discernment”, but I sometime use the “you can’t save every[one]” line as a rationale for my increasing emotional distance from my neighbors.

That cynicism is challenged each time a new volunteer joins our ranks. Just like Jaquie came and helped me see that we could indeed help the hummingbird, new volunteers come with a new skill sets and new hope that inspire me past my hopelessness.

I realize that while I cannot save everyone, God’s body, with its diverse gifts and ever growing faith can indeed help everyone, even if it is simply to minister hope through relationships.

*name changed

Good Soil Video

Thoughts on Bellflower

Bellflower is a special city. We're smack-dab of middle of LA sprawl, yet we still have a small-town charm. I love that I can go to the grocery store or to a local restaurant and be greeted by my first name. "Hi Chrissy... how are things in the neighborhood. How's the coffee shop?"

Yesterday I attended a special city council budget meeting. Times are tough. Our city leaders are doing their best with the limited funds they have, but money is running out. A majority of city-sponsored community events have already been cut this year... and I'm afraid more cuts are coming.

Bellflower isn't charming because of it's location or landmarks. It's charming because of the people that make up the community. It's charming because of the community-friendly events like Streetfest and Movies Under the Stars. Sadly, these events are too expensive for our city to host this year. But I don't think we can afford not to have summer events. It's the downtown events that keep local businesses running during slow times. It's the downtown events that get people out of their house and talking to their neighbors. It's the downtown events that bring charm to our city.

Times are tough, but this is a chance for us... the community... to step up. Now is the time for churches, businesses, organizations and individuals to work together to pick up some of the events. We saw the success of the Easter Egg Hunt hosted by local churches. Bellflower Noon Lions Club is picking up the Bellflower Blvd. Car Show. What else can we work together on to save?

Now is the time for the church to be active in this city.

Press Telegram Article on Bellflower Easter Egg Hunt

CHURCHES KEEP BELLFLOWER EASTER ALIVE
By: Pamela Hale-Burns Staff Writer
Posted: 04/10/2009
Link: http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_12121087

BELLFLOWER - The economic crisis continues to affect lives, but there are people determined not to let it stop a beloved event like Bellflower's Easter Egg hunt.

Jane Nishimoto, learning that limited funds had led the city of Bellflower to cancel several community events, including the annual egg hunt, decided to find a way to rescue the Easter weekend tradition.

"We've been trying to build a better relationship with the community as a church and this was a good opportunity to show them that we care about the kids in our community," the Bellflower Brethren Church parishioner said. "So we wanted to provide them with a fun day and also provide them with the Easter message."

Nishimoto went online and made phone calls, trying to find others to donate time and money for the egg hunt.

Her hard work has paid off, and the hunt starts at 10 a.m. today at Caruthers Park, 10500 Flora Vista St.

"I Googled churches in Bellflower and started calling, and most of the churches already work with Kingdom Causes," she said.

Kingdom Causes is a nonprofit community mobilizing organization with a mission to be a catalyst that inspires, connects and mobilizes people for personal and community transformation.

"We worked through Kingdom Causes' director and then we used those people to contact other people and to see if others would be willing to volunteer," she said.

Ten churches and more than 150 volunteers agreed to donate and fill plastic Easter Eggs for the hunt.
After 29 years in the city of Bellflower, Pastor Tom Hocking of Bellflower Brethren says he has seen a major change in the past four or five years.

"I feel like the city has made some significant attempts to build a stronger sense of community, he said. "The city has sponsored these annual egg hunts as well as (other events throughout the year)."

"Because of the state of the economy," he continued, "the city is no longer able to fund many of these events. Therefore, what will happen is a powerful statement to other civic groups and clubs about how nongovernmental organizations can `step into the breach."'

Although Nishimoto lives in Lakewood, as a member of Bellflower Brethren Church and a Bellflower schoolteacher her ties to the city are strong.

"Jane is both an inspiration and an encouragement to me because of her constant and consistent passion to be both a redemptive influence in our city and to encourage and motivate others to bless the city as well," Hocking said.

Great opportunity for us to Bless Bellflower... please check out

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_11955612?source=rss

The city's funding has been cut for most of our community events this year (including Streetfest, Movie Nights & Easter Egg Hunt). A group of churches have decided to work together to host the Easter Egg Hunt for the city on April 11th. If you're interested in helping (WE NEED HELP!) please email us at easterbellflower@kingdomcauses.org

More about this later.

Community Health & Resource Fair THIS SUNDAY!

Bethel Reformed Church is hosting a Community Health Fair this Sunday (March 22) from 11am-3pm. The people at Bethel care about the well-being of our community. The following services and/or screenings will be available:

vision
dental
blood pressure
cholesterol
glucose
body fat
bone density
immunizations for children K-18

Click here to get more information from their website.

Thanks for coming out!

We'd like to thank all of those involved in last night's city wide worship service... Especially Hosanna's youth band, Canaan's sound team, and the local businesses for staying open late for us. Christians from 6 different churches gathered to pray for our city and worship God. Our next city-wide gathering is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st. Put it on your calendars!

Bless Bellflower

Check out www.blessbellflower.org and click on the blog!

THIS SUNDAY: City Wide Worship at the Town Center Plaza

bBring your lawn chairs and blankets out on Sunday evening to the Town Center Plaza for our quarterly City Wide Worship Service. A group from Hosanna, led by Mike Winger, will be leading us in worship. Come out to worship and pray for Bellflower with other Christ followers in our city. Service starts at 5pm this Sunday (3/8).

Bring a few extra bucks to grab a cup of coffee at Casa de Luna (the old Perks Coffee House) located in the plaza. There’s a coupon for 30% off in the Bless Bellflower Bulletin insert:

A different kind of memorial service...

A week ago Sam and I hit the streets with some sack lunches for our weekly outreach to the homeless neighbors in our vicinity. Sam is a recovering addict who deals with some pretty tough disabilities (bad heart, partial blindness) yet who feels compelled to give back. He has been well loved by one of the local congregations and he wants to share that similar love with our other neighbors. His story is probably worth a separate post.

Anyhow, our first stop last Tuesday led us to Jim, a man who lives in his 90's Oldsmobile Cutlass. He was parked in the Big Saver Grocery parking lot and when we shared a lunch with him we asked him if he had seen Dean. Dean is a regular in the area who we have seen in and out of rehab. He's an average sized man in his fifties with thinning gray hair and a face with an appearance that tells of years of outdoor living and alcohol abuse. We've known Dean for several years. We once helped him get into the Salvation Army rehab center, only to have him kicked out for smoking indoors. After he was kicked out of rehab last fall he ended up back on the streets in Bellflower, and in rougher shape than ever. He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and fairly incoherent.

Jim, the man with the cutlass, immediately told us that he "was sorry to be the bringer of bad news... Dean passed away yesterday." A sadness came over me that I didn't expect. We had just seen him two days earlier... and now he had passed away? Quickly, I started calling people and encouraging our homeless neighbors to share the news that we would be having a memorial service a the community center the following week. The word went out and the homeless community was saddened.

Last Saturday, a few days before the memorial service was planned, the team at Kingdom Causes Bellflower was hosting a training at the center for local churches. WHile I was presenting, another homeless neighbor named Jim peeked his head in the door and interrupting my training said, "Dean's not dead." What? He's not dead? Could this be true? I dismissed it as the hopeful musings of an inebriated friend. So, yesterday, the day before the memorial service, I sent Joel to the hospital to find out and sure enough, he confirmed the news...Dean was alive. He had had a seizure of sorts and was in bad shape but he wasn't dead... WOW.

Rather than cancel the service and try to inform everyone before hand we instead decided to continue with our plans and to gather his friends for a time of prayer and a celebration meal. About 15 friends showed up, all in varying degrees of sobriety. We talked about how the story of Lazarus in the Bible tells us that Jesus knows what it is like to have a close friend who is sick and dying... and that he has the power to heal, and even raise people from the dead! Our prayer time was incredible... raw, scriptural prayers prayed for a friend close to death. Sam was back and he shared a challenge that only a recovering addict can give... "What's happened to Dean should cause us all to look in the mirror. He's in the shape he's in because of his drinking... and self abuse. If we don't change...then we might go down the same road."

Everyone said they were thankful for the time to come together to pray for their friend... to have a meal together. Many stayed to help clean up. It was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had since I started getting involved in work with the homeless.

My prayer remains that God would continue to surprise us. That many more of hour homeless neighbors, especially those who we have assumed are too far gone in addiction, or too self destructive, would be found to be alive, renewed. Lord come quickly to save.

Redeemed Memorial Service

Last week we got some bad news about our friend, Dean. He died. We made arrangements for a memorial service at Our Place for tonight and invited all of his friends. On Saturday during the middle of our "How Do We Help" training with local churches, a homeless neighbor busted in the door to let us know that Dean is alive. We were confused but excited to hear the good news. He is sick but he's not dead. We decided to hold a prayer service for him instead of a memorial service. So as I type, his friends are sharing their prayers for him. It's amazing to hear their raw conversation with God about a friend. They are vulnerable and honest. God hears them. I feel blessed to listen in. I feel blessed to serve a God who hears us all.

How Do We Help?

Thirty people from 10 different congregations attended a training this Saturday on how to help people in crisis. Especially during these hard times, churches are overwhelmed with the need in the community. We discussed different options for how to help and what resources already exist in our area. A theme throughout the morning was the importance of building relationships with the people asking for help and not just giving them a handout and sending them away. It was encouraging to hear God's people conspiring different ways to bless their neighbors.

The church in our city needs to be equipped to help the families that will lose jobs and homes. Being proactive now will better prepare us to be of help and share God's love through our actions in the future.

If you'd like to talk to us about how you can help, email us or give us a call at 562-804-2189.

Back in the day...

Check out these pictures from Bellflower in the 50s! I wasn't around in that era, but I heard that Bellflower Blvd. was the street to hang out on. Wouldn't it be great to see our downtown buzzing like it did back then? What businesses would you like to see downtown?

Joel's a neighbor!

Joel moved onto Eucalyptus Avenue to be a strategic neighbor... but he needs our help. Do you have any of the following items that you're willing to donate to his apartment?

Bed

Bookshelves

Television

Speakers

End Tables

Kitchen or Dining Room Table & Chairs

Lamps

If so, call us up at the office (562-804-2189) and let us know!

Thanks for counting!

Last Wednesday night Our Place NRC served as a launching point for volunteers to count homeless neighbors in Bellflower, Lakewood, Norwalk & Hawaiian Gardens. Thank you to all who showed up and stayed late to count.

Local Coffee Shops

Make sure to check out Bellflower's newest coffee shops: Mos & Eclipse. Both are opening in the next week or two. Our local businesses need as much help as they can get. Make sure to stop by and buy a drink at either of these places before you drive off to another city to buy a drink there.

Mos Coffee Shop officially opens this weekend. They are located in the Town Center Plaza on Belmont (near Bellflower Blvd.) where Perks used to be. They've remodeled inside and it looks lovely. I think they use organic coffee beans. Also, they'll be selling pastries from Porto's Bakery. Check them out. Normal hours will be from 7am-10pm Mon-Sun and 7am-midnight Fri-Sat.

Eclipse Cafe should be opening in the next few weeks where the downtown Starbucks used to be. Besides coffee they offer gelato, soups, salads & sandwiches.

They Count. Will You? - LA Homeless Count 2009

This Wednesday at 8pm we are meeting at Our Place Neighborhood Resource Center to count the homeless in our community. We are helping LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) get an accurate count of the homeless in our county in order to better help them.

We will lead a short training at 8pm and then send teams of 2 out to different neighborhoods in Bellflower.

Will you help? Contact us at 562.804.2189 and register online at www.lahsa.org.

Neighbor Profile: Jimmy

Each Saturday morning at 6:25 I head out the door to pick up my friend Patrick and bring the towels over to Calvary Church where 30-40 of our homeless neighbors and neighbors in crisis gather weekly for a hot breakfast, warm showers, and some good conversation. It is always a blessing to me to see the regular volunteers and to meet some new neighbors.

This morning I met a man named Jimmy. He hasn't been to a breakfast before so I "cornered" him and I wanted to hear his story. He told me that he lost his job at the local wheel shop after he injured himself on the job in October and is staying with a friend at one of the local trailer parks. He's been living on $75 per week and his roommate notified him that he needs to be out at the end of the month. He'll be homeless in weeks.

In the last few weeks and months we are beginning to see more and more homeless neighbors who don't fit the stereotypes. They are not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They are not mentally ill. They are neighbors who have hit hard times and are dealing with hopelessness and despair. They are neighbors who are ready to hear the gospel if we are ready to demonstrate it.

Please pray with me for Jimmy. Pray that God will heal his back and that he will be able to stay off of the streets.

Known

Today as I was walking home to eat lunch I ran into Jim. Jim is blind but walks around our neighborhood every day managing well with his white & red walking cane. I called out "Hi Jim!" while he was still 10 feet away. He replied "Hi Chrissy! Where have you been?" He knew who I was by my voice and he noticed that I'd been away for a few weeks. How cool is that? Things like that make me so happy to live in my neighborhood. I've been away for a few weeks on vacation and my neighbors noticed. When I arrived home from the airport last night I was greeted by the junior high aged boys skating in my front yard. "Welcome home! How was your trip?"

I am blessed to be known by my neighbors. I'm glad to be home.

Successful Christmas Store

Barbies, dolls, stickers, jewelry, pink, sparkly, purple... girl or boy table?

Thank you to all who donated gifts and volunteered at our Neighborhood Christmas Store in December. We had 70 families register and a few extra that showed up the day of to shop. Thanks to you there plenty of quality toys to choose from.

A story about Bridge Builders: Caring Community

Aura Gonzales, is the case worker for Bridge Builders, a program housed at Our Place Neighborhood Resource Center. She helps individuals who are receiving government assistance but cannot manage their own budgets. She and her family recently took one of the clients she serves out for his birthday. Here's what Aura wrote about the outing:

"With the help of my family and a friend, we were able to take Bobby to Hometown Buffett as he wished for his 54th birthday last Saturday. He was like a little kid in a candy store. He was especially touched when we and the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him, and he actually shed a few tears. Every chance he had he would thank the waiters for the food and commented on how good it was, and I was amazed at how such an ordinary thing can be of such extraordinary importance to someone like Bobby. After the meal we took him on a shopping trip to Target where he purchased a Timex waterproof watch that he so wanted and a few clothing items that he needed. He said he wanted to drive the Target shopping scooter so he steered while I pressed the go button. We made it down a couple of isles before we crashed into a clothing display in the men's section, and we had a good laugh, and so did everyone else."

As you can see, God is using Aura and the Bridge Builder program to bring peace and good news to the lives of people who are lonely and in need of a caring community.