Another morning with just a few hours of sleep, fatigue starting to set in, but we were excited for this day, so the tired and weary shuffled to the vehicles to spend Saturday on Skid Row (we didn't know that would be our assignment-we just knew we'd be somewhere where the needs would be great). When you go to the Dream Center for "Adopt A Block," you receive your assignments at the site, and load up your group on the assigned bus to go to the assigned place. We had no idea where we would be going-we just knew it would be a challenge.
We arrived at the Dream Center for an hour of prayer and preparation. You don't go to any place they send you, any block they have "Adopted" without spiritual preparation. You don't go to these places with a sense that you are adequate in your own strength and wisdom. You are keenly aware that you need Him as Shield, Protector, Wisdom...you just know you need Him to do this through you because you are completely inadequate.
The time of prayer was incredible, and necessary. By the time they assigned us to our buses for "Adopt A Block" we were ready for whatever they had. They divided our group into two groups (I'm only able to share the experience of my group from my perspective), and our group was going to Skid Row. This was not going to be one of those 'in and out' missions, this would be two hours of walking the streets, among the people-who are everywhere...being present-our little group of 20 or so, among...well, a lot of people.
Our 'guide' was a kid named Freddy. Late 20's, he was and is an incredible story. Before Christ rescued him, he was, as so many we met, involved in a gang-lost, doing things his own way. He is an introspective person, rather quiet, a thinker-the words that come to mind when I think of him are "humility," "intensity" "love" "compassion"..."calm"...and he has an old soul in many ways. Mature beyond his years. Quiet, but when he speaks, the words matter, they carry a certain weight, insightful words.
Freddy knows what it's like to be at a relative's Quincienera (probably misspelled-but a big celebration in Hispanic culture-a girl's 15th Birthday Celebration)-and to have that day interrupted by gunshots, people screaming, bleeding family, chaos...world turned upside down. That is a small snapshot of his past.
Jesus Christ reached down and rescued Freddy, saved him, transformed him, and to Freddy, Jesus IS life, and he can't get enough of Scripture, taking it all in, memorizing it, thinking it through...consumed with wanting to know Him. Freddy is reflective and takes this business of following Jesus quite seriously. I get the feeling that Freddy has seen hundreds of groups come in and 'help' by 'giving up a Saturday' once a year or so, perhaps to make themselves feel better, perhaps to help for the right reasons, but he has this disposition where you can tell he's not impressed by people playing religious games, this is real to him and he takes this following business seriously. He is not aloof, but you can tell he is trying to discern if the group with him is serious about what God wants to do, or if this is just a field trip to them.
This young man, slightly built, neatly dressed, with tightly woven dreadlocks, and a Bible in his hand and a sense of purpose and focus to minister to those on Skid Row is our guide. I am fascinated by him.
As we approach the drop off point, you can't help but notice what's going on around you. People everywhere. Sleeping on the streets, in alleys, some setting up shop for the day with grocery carts, milling around-others just walking around-who knows where, and some sitting down, just thinking about making it through another day.
Skid Row is a place where people are forgotten. Disposable people. People who have given up on hope, and people who others have given up on-all present. There is mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, but there is also the common man who lost his job, kept trying to make it, and somehow, found himself here, and eventually, he just gave up on everything.
Skid Row can also be a violent place-sometimes desperate people, or people with mental illness, or people fueled by drugs, well, they just do things-things you hear about on the evening news. There is lostness, there is also despair-and the combination of the two makes for a combustible mix at times.
We get off the bus and Freddy tells us: "We usually have food to pass out along with copies of "Daily Bread," but today, we don't have food-so we're going to walk around and check up on people and give out copies of the devotional. Stick together and be ready for whatever God has for us."
And that's it. So we're going to walk Skid Row with nothing to meet physical needs, just literature-and we're going to check on people and see what God has for us. We start walking, and honestly, as we are walking, there are a lot of silent prayers going up, "Lord, whatever you want...prepare us. Help us to see where you are working here."
We have taken perhaps 10 steps when out of nowhere, a driver pulls up and says, "Hey, I have all of these apples-you guys want them?" And, before you know it, God has provided-and we have sacks of apples to pass out.
I don't believe in coincidences like this. I do believe God does amazing things.
Off we go. As we walk around, I notice something-people on Skid Row know Freddy.
"Freddy! What's up my man?"
"Freddy, what's the news today?"
On it goes. Freddy leads us to different people. He's checking up on people he knows and continues to check on people he's still getting to know.
Freddy is the pastor of Skid Row. It's not a formal title-but an earned one. They know him, and he knows them. This speaks to me. I wonder how many of us would apply for that pastoral position? Freddy lives at the Dream Center-so he has a roof over his head and gets three squares a day and minimal pay. But he's chosen this because he believes He has been called to do this. He has embraced this place, these people-and it shows.
Over time, we start to feel more comfortable on Skid Row and while staying in Freddy's field of vision, start talking to other people, checking on them. Praying with them. Sharing food and Scripture with them, talking about Jesus with them-and it's an amazing experience.
We're walking around this one street and I hear (as only a true basketball fan would hear) something surreal...the sound of someone on a mike calling a game, and the unmistakable sound of shoes shuffling and a ball bouncing and people cheering...I am drawn to this. What is going on?
I walk around the corner and find this spot, someone has made this a special place on Skid Row for the homeless to have fun, release tension, get some exercise-and I see small bleachers set up, guys playing basketball, and on the court are players, playing in donated jerseys, and this is a serious game. The guy on the makeshift PA has given all the players nicknames, and he's calling this game like it's game 7 of the NBA finals-pumped up, making comments on everything that's going on.
Before I know it, I'm sitting next to a man named William. Watching it all. It's not pretty basketball, but the guys are having fun. I turn to William and introduce myself. He's friendly, pleasant. He smiles and introduces himself. I ask him if there were some serious ballers' out there and he laughs.
"No...we're all past our prime...this is just for fun."
Past our prime-I wonder if maybe that is how many feel about life in general on Skid Row. Life has come and gone and they are just waiting out the inevitable.
We talk. William is open. We watch the game together and for this moment, God and basketball and conversation converge and we're having a great time. I'm not thinking "I'm on Skid Row"-it's just this wonderful moment where two guys are talking and watching a game.
When the game is over, I start asking William about himself. He's an open book. He asks me if I'm a preacher. I always struggle with that one, in my new ministry position-I preach from time to time, but...
So I tell him, 'Well, I'm a follower of Christ, and I do work with a ministry-but I'm just here to check on you, see how you're doing."
William gets serious. He explains how he once followed Christ and how over time, he lost his way, and in losing his way, he ended up losing family, job, and somehow ended up here. I talk with him about the Message, and offer him a copy of Daily Bread-which he eagerly receives.
I ask him what he'd like to pray about-and he doesn't miss a beat. He quickly says, "I know Jesus is my only Hope. I know He's real and He's the Truth. I got hooked on drugs. I want to follow Him. He can put this all back together. I've been clean now for three days. Pray that I will do what He wants me to do and that I will stay clean."
That's honesty. That's powerful. So in the midst of all of these people, we pray. And after we pray-William gives me a hug. His eyes, a bit teary, but he's smiling. "Thanks brother. Thanks."
And as our conversation comes to a close, our time together, I see Freddy on the other side of the courtyard, a big man yelling at him, so I walk with others towards that area. I don't know what I think I am going to be able to do, but we all gather around, because our guide is taking a verbal beating.
As we approach Freddy, the man continues yelling, and starts walking away.
Freddy never yells back, never gets angry. We stay in this courtyard a bit longer and then head back out to the streets.
"He's an angry guy. He's Muslim, and he likes to stir up problems whenever I'm around here. Tells people lies about me, about what we're doing...I just pray for him."
And we move on. Freddy 'gets it' as pastor-not everyone is going to love you or what you're doing-but you do what your called to do, regardless of opposition. Pastoring is not easy. Freddy know this. Opposition doesn't stop him from doing what he's called to do, what he knows he is to do.
We are finishing up our time, and Freddy said he needs to check on someone. He tells us about a lady in a wheelchair who is usually out in front of LAMP (the rescue mission featured in the movie 'The Soloist'-the movie about Nathaniel Ayers)-so we go there, but she's not around. He asks some people if they know where she is. They don't. Freddy starts talking to these people as well.
As that conversation ends, Freddy asks us if we saw the movie-and we all had (part of training for LA)-and he tells us that this woman and others on Skid Row were extras in the movie, part of the deal to produce it, so a portion of the money would go back to the missions.
I saw the movie twice so I have to ask "Does Nathaniel come out here much?" We all want to know-would love to meet the REAL Nathaniel.
Freddy lowers his head and says, "Nathaniel was shot Easter Sunday. You didn't know that?'
We didn't. The media told us about Nathaniel's life and this amazing movie that captured his story-but they didn't tell us he was murdered shortly after it's release. They forgot that part.
Nathaniel saw a murder. He did the right thing and told the police. For that, he paid the price. Shot in cold blood on Easter Sunday.
We look up, and we are standing under LAMP's sign. It is a surreal moment.
"Yeah, it's very sad" Freddy says, and then we move along.
The apples are gone, the Daily Bread is gone, and we are going back to our bus.
So much to process, so much seen, so much heard, and I realize that when we leave, life goes on for the masses on Skid Row...and there is this part of me that wants to fix everything, but I know I can't.
God is the one who does such things, and I am not Him.
But as we board the bus, Freddy quietly sits down, and it hits me. "God is present-always present everywhere, but all too often we aren't aware of His presence. Freddy knows Jesus is on Skid Row, and Freddy goes there to be a part of what Jesus is doing. Three to five times a week, Freddy is out there checking on his people, God's people....bringing Light and Hope and Truth and Grace and Love into this context.
Pastor to Skid Row.
Watching Freddy navigate the area, talking to people, knowing so many of their situations and stories, watching him flesh out Christ I am reminded of Jesus' words about the first being last and the last being first-and while Freddy may never pastor a church, or gain any public attention-He's walking with God, and He's about the Father's business in virtual anonymity....and I think that when it's all said and done, Freddy is going to be somewhere near the front of that line...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Eric Bryant, Lead Navigator from Mosaic in SA
BSM is blessed to announce that Eric Bryant, Lead Navigator at Mosaic (in some church terms-associate pastor) will be in San Antonio on July 31 (Friday Night). He will be speaking on the topic: "Hindus, Homosexuals and the Hard to Reach: Sharing Christ in a Post-Christian Culture."
Eric is a remarkable man who fleshes out what he preaches-love is the framework for all we do as followers of Christ. At Mosaic, they are reaching people that most traditional churches never reach (and many would not consider reaching out to!)-this is a free event and you are invited.
We meet in the JPL Auditorium, Friday, July 31 from 7:00-9:00. Refreshments will be provided. We will have a time to fellowship at the beginning, Eric will speak and we will follow that up with a 30 minute time of Q and A. Again, admission is free-but seating is limited to the first 200.
We invite you to come! Please RSVP if you plan on attending. You may RSVP by emailing me at kpchprather4@aol.com or calling 210.823.4166.
Eric will also have copies of his book, "Peppermint Filled Pinatas" for sale.
We hope to see you!
Eric is a remarkable man who fleshes out what he preaches-love is the framework for all we do as followers of Christ. At Mosaic, they are reaching people that most traditional churches never reach (and many would not consider reaching out to!)-this is a free event and you are invited.
We meet in the JPL Auditorium, Friday, July 31 from 7:00-9:00. Refreshments will be provided. We will have a time to fellowship at the beginning, Eric will speak and we will follow that up with a 30 minute time of Q and A. Again, admission is free-but seating is limited to the first 200.
We invite you to come! Please RSVP if you plan on attending. You may RSVP by emailing me at kpchprather4@aol.com or calling 210.823.4166.
Eric will also have copies of his book, "Peppermint Filled Pinatas" for sale.
We hope to see you!
Los Angeles
We had an incredible, transformational mission trip to Los Angeles. Words cannot describe how significant the trip was. Out of all the mission trips I have been on over the past 22 years, this one was the most amazing experience. There are many reasons for that:
1) God truly moved on the trip. From the moment we touched down until the time we left, it was quite obvious He had business with us.
2) The students were amazing. I could not have asked for a more well prepared and more responsive and willing group.
3) We discovered more of 'communitas'-that rare thing that takes place when a community grows closer to God and to one another as collectively they stay focused on the mission and go to the margins, the fringes, and experience tests and the discomfort of being out of the the safety of familiarity.
4) The church we connected with, Mosaic, provided an incredible framework for understanding mission, community and how a community of faith can be so wonderfully shaped by faith, hope and love.
There are stories below that describe our trip to Los Angeles. I posted them all on Face Book the week after we returned. I have taken a brief break from Blogging-I had other work that I needed to tend to, so please forgive the late post. I realize that many of those who follow BSM are not on Face Book, and I wanted to get the information out to my other friends today. I hope you enjoy the stories, and gain a sense of how wonderfully God moved, what can happen if we are open to Him, and the power of Him writing our stories....
Grace and Peace,
Kevin
1) God truly moved on the trip. From the moment we touched down until the time we left, it was quite obvious He had business with us.
2) The students were amazing. I could not have asked for a more well prepared and more responsive and willing group.
3) We discovered more of 'communitas'-that rare thing that takes place when a community grows closer to God and to one another as collectively they stay focused on the mission and go to the margins, the fringes, and experience tests and the discomfort of being out of the the safety of familiarity.
4) The church we connected with, Mosaic, provided an incredible framework for understanding mission, community and how a community of faith can be so wonderfully shaped by faith, hope and love.
There are stories below that describe our trip to Los Angeles. I posted them all on Face Book the week after we returned. I have taken a brief break from Blogging-I had other work that I needed to tend to, so please forgive the late post. I realize that many of those who follow BSM are not on Face Book, and I wanted to get the information out to my other friends today. I hope you enjoy the stories, and gain a sense of how wonderfully God moved, what can happen if we are open to Him, and the power of Him writing our stories....
Grace and Peace,
Kevin
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
BSM RUMMAGE SALE FOR MISSION TRIP
This is a rarity for us, but we (Baptist Student Ministries) will be putting on a rummage sale this Saturday, May 9th, at Northwest Hispanic Baptist Church to help raise support for our mission trip May 19-26. We are taking 20 wonderful students to work primarily on Skid Row in Los Angeles and among the urban poor. These students have prayed, worked and prepared well for what I can only describe as a very intense but meaningful time of service, evangelism and training in one of the most difficult contexts in America.
If you or your church is looking for some audio visual equipment, electronics, office supplies-or simply looking for things like appliances, furniture, fixtures or clothes, please come! All proceeds will go directly to students going on the mission trip.
God has blessed us tremendously with the prayers and support of many. We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement.
At this point we are still short on what we need to cover costs, and we are praying and hoping the rummage sale helps us reach that goal.
Northwest Hispanic Baptist Church: 9603 Braun Road; San Antonio TX 78254
If you or your church is looking for some audio visual equipment, electronics, office supplies-or simply looking for things like appliances, furniture, fixtures or clothes, please come! All proceeds will go directly to students going on the mission trip.
God has blessed us tremendously with the prayers and support of many. We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement.
At this point we are still short on what we need to cover costs, and we are praying and hoping the rummage sale helps us reach that goal.
Northwest Hispanic Baptist Church: 9603 Braun Road; San Antonio TX 78254
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Fantastic Year
Baptist Student Ministries experienced an amazing year! God blessed us tremendously and we are seeing incredible things happen!
1) God has raised up a strong core group of students who are the most mission minded young people (or adults for that matter), that I know. These students are actively and intentionally engaging their campus, developing friendships with the lost, and going out of their way to serve the lost on campus. Our students have grown immensely. They no longer see Baptist Student Ministries as a "bubble" where they can hide safely from a lost campus-rather they see our organization as a place to be equipped, to worship, to be built up and re-energized so they can go out into the mission field that is the University of Texas, San Antonio.
2) Lives are being changed. I recently received an email from one of our students stating how significant Baptist Student Ministries was to her in her life. In her words, "I was heading down the wrong path when I came to the university, and God used BSM to change my life." This young girl is one of the most vibrant believers I know. She is actively serving others and sharing Christ. There are many stories like hers.
3) The lost are responding. We have been spiritually mapping our campus. By that, I mean we have been surveying students on campus to gain a better feel for the spiritual climate at UTSA as well as to help us understand our mission field and people's perceptions of Christianity, the Church, Christian organizations and their receptivity to further conversation and exploration. We have found students surprisingly open to talking. We have encountered Neo-Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Satanists and people from other religions and alternative lifestyles. Interesting: While many are open to talking about Jesus, many have negative views of Christianity and the Church. Even more interestingly-after listening to their stories respectfully, these students are open to exploring Christianity with BSM.
4) We are growing. The students have been faithful to till the spiritual soil, to work the ground, to plant, to sow, to water, to continue to do good, to not grow weary, and we are seeing the first fruits of a potentially tremendous harvest. We have outgrown our rooms for luncheons as well as our worship time. God blessed us in that next year we have two larger rooms for both meetings. It is amazing to see how God has and is using our students for His Glory.
Please continue to pray for BSM! We look forward to our summer mission trip and to spending time this summer preparing for an incredible year next year!
1) God has raised up a strong core group of students who are the most mission minded young people (or adults for that matter), that I know. These students are actively and intentionally engaging their campus, developing friendships with the lost, and going out of their way to serve the lost on campus. Our students have grown immensely. They no longer see Baptist Student Ministries as a "bubble" where they can hide safely from a lost campus-rather they see our organization as a place to be equipped, to worship, to be built up and re-energized so they can go out into the mission field that is the University of Texas, San Antonio.
2) Lives are being changed. I recently received an email from one of our students stating how significant Baptist Student Ministries was to her in her life. In her words, "I was heading down the wrong path when I came to the university, and God used BSM to change my life." This young girl is one of the most vibrant believers I know. She is actively serving others and sharing Christ. There are many stories like hers.
3) The lost are responding. We have been spiritually mapping our campus. By that, I mean we have been surveying students on campus to gain a better feel for the spiritual climate at UTSA as well as to help us understand our mission field and people's perceptions of Christianity, the Church, Christian organizations and their receptivity to further conversation and exploration. We have found students surprisingly open to talking. We have encountered Neo-Pagans, Atheists, Agnostics, Satanists and people from other religions and alternative lifestyles. Interesting: While many are open to talking about Jesus, many have negative views of Christianity and the Church. Even more interestingly-after listening to their stories respectfully, these students are open to exploring Christianity with BSM.
4) We are growing. The students have been faithful to till the spiritual soil, to work the ground, to plant, to sow, to water, to continue to do good, to not grow weary, and we are seeing the first fruits of a potentially tremendous harvest. We have outgrown our rooms for luncheons as well as our worship time. God blessed us in that next year we have two larger rooms for both meetings. It is amazing to see how God has and is using our students for His Glory.
Please continue to pray for BSM! We look forward to our summer mission trip and to spending time this summer preparing for an incredible year next year!
Los Angeles and the Least of These
They have a name for it: "Compassion fatigue." It is a recent phenomenon. We hear so much about the needs of others, here and around the world, that we become desensitized to appeals for help. Whether it is the displaced child in a refugee camp in Darfur, the children without parents in AIDS ravaged Africa, or the plight of the homeless and urban poor in America, we are bombarded with images and requests to help. Over time, we become weary of it all, and we stop feeling responsible. "It's someone else's job" or "I'm only one person...what can I do?" or "I just can't handle any more. I have enough stress in my own life."
It is understandable. We live in a hurting world. Fifty years ago, we did not have the Internet, there were not news agencies across the globe covering every tragedy. Now, we are bombarded with images and stories and needs. We want to make a difference, but at the same time we are overloaded.
As I have shared about our Los Angeles mission trip over the past few months, no doubt for some, compassion fatigue was the default response. I've been there and understand.
I am reading a fascinating book that I strongly encourage you to read: "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Rich Stearns, CEO of World Vision. Stearns makes a powerful case for the Gospel (as presented by Jesus, the apostles) being Good News for the poor-and that as Christ-followers, our relationship with Christ leads us to care for the least of these. I strongly encourage you to read it. Going back to God and Israel, Stearns points out quite powerfully and convincingly that God is supremely concerned with the least of these and demands that His people who are called by His Name take responsibility for the poor in their midst. Stearns shows in Scripture how proclamation of the Good News is accompanied by demonstration of the love and kindness of God.
In Los Angeles, we will be working with and serving some of the most destitute, the most 'least of these' in the U.S. . Skid Row is a real place. Thousands upon thousands of people have given up on life, given into despair, feel abandoned by God and by humanity. As one person said of Skid Row in an interview: "Skid Row is where people go to die." We saw that last year-this tangible sense of hopelessness and despair. With over 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles, Skid Row is a city within a city where darkness and despair are tangible. It is the "end of the line" for those who end up there.
Women are at particular risk. A woman (and many women are on the street with their children) has a greater than 80% chance of being sexually or physically assaulted if she is on the streets for longer than 2 weeks. We are ministering with agencies that are doing everything they can to get these women and children off the streets.
Stereotypes of the homeless are shattered in Los Angeles. I must confess my stereotypes often included the ideas such as: 'This is a life they chose,' or 'These are people just working the system,' or 'drug addicts' or 'people with mental illnesses.' While there are certainly people who fit into these categories, they are still loved by God and He desires for them to be set free. There are the 'others' though-thousands and thousands of 'others,' individuals or families who were barely making it paycheck to paycheck. People who were downsized (laid off), or had medical emergencies, and suddenly found themselves unable to pay mortgage or rent. It is a progression: Living in a car while trying to find work. If no work materializes, then being on the streets.
The "drop off point" from having a roof over your head to being out on the streets is a fine line in Los Angeles. The greatest economic disparity between the 'haves' and 'have nots' exists in L.A. Thousands are on the streets asking themselves, 'How did this happen to me?' Jesus cares for these people as well.
And many are on the streets having long given up any idea or hope that things would change. We met a young man last year and after talking with him, it was quite apparent that in his mind, there was simply no more hope." Jesus cares for him.
So we are going to Los Angeles because we sensed Him calling us to go. We won't be spending our time with the 'haves'-or hanging out on Rodeo Drive. We will spend our time on Skid Row and among the urban poor.
And Jesus cares for these people. He cares for this city that so many look at as the "land of fruits and nuts." He cares for them all.
I am blessed by our students. They have prayed and sensed His call to serve in a very challenging context. I would ask for you to pray for them. I would also ask, if you sense His leading, to support them, partner with them in the Gospel. Yes, "compassion fatigue" can desensitize us to many things. I would humbly ask that you consider the twenty students going, and the work they will be doing, and the thousands of people we will be interacting with, and join us in making a difference in the lives of people who experience a sense of abandonment, pain and hopelessness most of us cannot imagine.
Jesus cares for the "least of these." I'm proud of the students going who heard His call and are going in faith. We leave in less than a month. There are still needs to help these students go. We have seen this as a faith venture from beginning to end. We trust Him to provide. If He impresses on you to be a part of that provision, you may send any and all gifts to:
San Antonio Baptist Association
Attn: Baptist Student Ministries/Kevin Prather
5807 I-H 10 West
San Antonio, TX 78201
It is understandable. We live in a hurting world. Fifty years ago, we did not have the Internet, there were not news agencies across the globe covering every tragedy. Now, we are bombarded with images and stories and needs. We want to make a difference, but at the same time we are overloaded.
As I have shared about our Los Angeles mission trip over the past few months, no doubt for some, compassion fatigue was the default response. I've been there and understand.
I am reading a fascinating book that I strongly encourage you to read: "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Rich Stearns, CEO of World Vision. Stearns makes a powerful case for the Gospel (as presented by Jesus, the apostles) being Good News for the poor-and that as Christ-followers, our relationship with Christ leads us to care for the least of these. I strongly encourage you to read it. Going back to God and Israel, Stearns points out quite powerfully and convincingly that God is supremely concerned with the least of these and demands that His people who are called by His Name take responsibility for the poor in their midst. Stearns shows in Scripture how proclamation of the Good News is accompanied by demonstration of the love and kindness of God.
In Los Angeles, we will be working with and serving some of the most destitute, the most 'least of these' in the U.S. . Skid Row is a real place. Thousands upon thousands of people have given up on life, given into despair, feel abandoned by God and by humanity. As one person said of Skid Row in an interview: "Skid Row is where people go to die." We saw that last year-this tangible sense of hopelessness and despair. With over 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles, Skid Row is a city within a city where darkness and despair are tangible. It is the "end of the line" for those who end up there.
Women are at particular risk. A woman (and many women are on the street with their children) has a greater than 80% chance of being sexually or physically assaulted if she is on the streets for longer than 2 weeks. We are ministering with agencies that are doing everything they can to get these women and children off the streets.
Stereotypes of the homeless are shattered in Los Angeles. I must confess my stereotypes often included the ideas such as: 'This is a life they chose,' or 'These are people just working the system,' or 'drug addicts' or 'people with mental illnesses.' While there are certainly people who fit into these categories, they are still loved by God and He desires for them to be set free. There are the 'others' though-thousands and thousands of 'others,' individuals or families who were barely making it paycheck to paycheck. People who were downsized (laid off), or had medical emergencies, and suddenly found themselves unable to pay mortgage or rent. It is a progression: Living in a car while trying to find work. If no work materializes, then being on the streets.
The "drop off point" from having a roof over your head to being out on the streets is a fine line in Los Angeles. The greatest economic disparity between the 'haves' and 'have nots' exists in L.A. Thousands are on the streets asking themselves, 'How did this happen to me?' Jesus cares for these people as well.
And many are on the streets having long given up any idea or hope that things would change. We met a young man last year and after talking with him, it was quite apparent that in his mind, there was simply no more hope." Jesus cares for him.
So we are going to Los Angeles because we sensed Him calling us to go. We won't be spending our time with the 'haves'-or hanging out on Rodeo Drive. We will spend our time on Skid Row and among the urban poor.
And Jesus cares for these people. He cares for this city that so many look at as the "land of fruits and nuts." He cares for them all.
I am blessed by our students. They have prayed and sensed His call to serve in a very challenging context. I would ask for you to pray for them. I would also ask, if you sense His leading, to support them, partner with them in the Gospel. Yes, "compassion fatigue" can desensitize us to many things. I would humbly ask that you consider the twenty students going, and the work they will be doing, and the thousands of people we will be interacting with, and join us in making a difference in the lives of people who experience a sense of abandonment, pain and hopelessness most of us cannot imagine.
Jesus cares for the "least of these." I'm proud of the students going who heard His call and are going in faith. We leave in less than a month. There are still needs to help these students go. We have seen this as a faith venture from beginning to end. We trust Him to provide. If He impresses on you to be a part of that provision, you may send any and all gifts to:
San Antonio Baptist Association
Attn: Baptist Student Ministries/Kevin Prather
5807 I-H 10 West
San Antonio, TX 78201
Missions Here or Abroad? A Both/And Approach
Early in my ministry, I had a somewhat jaded view of many 'mission trips' which I saw as little more than sanctified spiritual tourist trips, or vacations. As such, I was not the most popular youth minister when, at my first ministry post, I broke ranks with the annual "youth choir mission trip" and took the group to Houston's 9th Ward. Prior to my arrival, the youth went to "fun" and "interesting" places to sing, do a backyard bible club, and then do a lot of sightseeing. Somehow, this idea of missions didn't resonate with my understanding of the New Testament pattern of missions. At Mildred McWhorter's Mission in one of the toughest parts of Houston, there was little to see in terms of "sights" unless gangs, people standing in line for sacks of potatoes, vegetables and bread were "sights."
The daily work in Houston was typically long and hard. Have to love that Houston humidity, sleeping on the floor and unloading food from 18 Wheelers from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
As I continued in the ministry in the local church, I believed it important for the church to be on mission both in the community and outside the community. I remember hearing (more than once), something to the effect of: "Shouldn't we focus our energies here when (fill in the blank of the city or town I served in at the time) there are so many needs here instead of going somewhere else? On one level, it seems to make sense. Why go to Houston when Dallas has so many needs? Why go to Los Angeles when San Antonio has so many needs?
When I look at Scripture, I see something else, however. I see Jesus calling His people to not only make a difference where they are, but to go to the ends of the earth. If we all adopted the mindset that said "We'll go elsewhere when everything here is fixed"-we would never leave. Poverty, lostness, hopelessness exist everywhere. The question we must ask is: "What role does Jesus have for us in His Missionary Enterprise? What is He calling us to do, to be?" The Great Commission certainly is not confined by geography.
Missions is not a "here or abroad" issue-it is the very nature of God's people to continually be on mission-both where we are and open to wherever He leads us-and He does lead us out of our geographical locations.
The wonderful thing about mission trips-and by mission trips I am referring to those trips that focus on sharing the Gospel in word and deed, as well as ministering to the 'least of these' is that they expand our vision of the King and His Kingdom, stretch us in ways that can only take place out of our comfort zone, and prepare us for more effective ministry in our city/place of origin. Mission trips also allow us to partner in the Gospel with other believers, strengthening the work they are doing.
As a church planter in Wisconsin, I was blessed when a group from Dallas came to our city to help with the work. Their help allowed us to accomplish in one week what would normally take our church over 2-3 months to accomplish. The benefit was mutual-they were stretched and we were strengthened.
We are partners in the Gospel with believers both here and abroad, and it is in that partnership that we are able to do more together than we could ever do alone. It is in the context of that partnership that we learn more of what it means to be the Body of Christ, working together, each one looking out for the other, not looking out merely for ourselves.
The economy of the Kingdom is different from that of this world system-the more we give away, the more we receive. The more we live for the blessing of others, the more we ourselves are blessed. I'm not referring to receiving material blessings, but rather the blessing that comes with following Christ wherever He leads. May we follow well...
The daily work in Houston was typically long and hard. Have to love that Houston humidity, sleeping on the floor and unloading food from 18 Wheelers from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
As I continued in the ministry in the local church, I believed it important for the church to be on mission both in the community and outside the community. I remember hearing (more than once), something to the effect of: "Shouldn't we focus our energies here when (fill in the blank of the city or town I served in at the time) there are so many needs here instead of going somewhere else? On one level, it seems to make sense. Why go to Houston when Dallas has so many needs? Why go to Los Angeles when San Antonio has so many needs?
When I look at Scripture, I see something else, however. I see Jesus calling His people to not only make a difference where they are, but to go to the ends of the earth. If we all adopted the mindset that said "We'll go elsewhere when everything here is fixed"-we would never leave. Poverty, lostness, hopelessness exist everywhere. The question we must ask is: "What role does Jesus have for us in His Missionary Enterprise? What is He calling us to do, to be?" The Great Commission certainly is not confined by geography.
Missions is not a "here or abroad" issue-it is the very nature of God's people to continually be on mission-both where we are and open to wherever He leads us-and He does lead us out of our geographical locations.
The wonderful thing about mission trips-and by mission trips I am referring to those trips that focus on sharing the Gospel in word and deed, as well as ministering to the 'least of these' is that they expand our vision of the King and His Kingdom, stretch us in ways that can only take place out of our comfort zone, and prepare us for more effective ministry in our city/place of origin. Mission trips also allow us to partner in the Gospel with other believers, strengthening the work they are doing.
As a church planter in Wisconsin, I was blessed when a group from Dallas came to our city to help with the work. Their help allowed us to accomplish in one week what would normally take our church over 2-3 months to accomplish. The benefit was mutual-they were stretched and we were strengthened.
We are partners in the Gospel with believers both here and abroad, and it is in that partnership that we are able to do more together than we could ever do alone. It is in the context of that partnership that we learn more of what it means to be the Body of Christ, working together, each one looking out for the other, not looking out merely for ourselves.
The economy of the Kingdom is different from that of this world system-the more we give away, the more we receive. The more we live for the blessing of others, the more we ourselves are blessed. I'm not referring to receiving material blessings, but rather the blessing that comes with following Christ wherever He leads. May we follow well...
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