Mission Trips, me changing the world or is the world changing me?

I just got back from a WONDERFUL week in Los Angeles, California with a great group of teenagers and sponsors. We went out there for our yearly mission trip. This is not the first time I have been to LA for the mission trip, but this year it was the first time I came back feeling totally different.

In years past I have gone and focused more on our teens and making sure they are okay and doing what they should and not getting in trouble or hurt. Which I still did that this year, but I did not place 100% of my focus on just them. I prayed before I went out there about being more focused on the people we would be meeting and getting to know. I wanted to be the face of Jesus to the people on Skid Row, Venice Beach, and the kids at Urban Rescue, and the other areas we worked. I wanted to be open to listening to them, and let them tell their stories and cry on my shoulder. And I know the Lord answered my prays and guided me in that way this past week.

Let me give a little background for those who don't know what we did. Skid Row is what LA describes as a 50-square-block section of downtown LA were 7,000 to 8,000 homeless "reside". It is considered as "the homeless capital of the world." Our group went down there everyday, not to preach but to listen. To be where Jesus would be, walking and talking to his people. To teach VBS on a roof to children that lived in a Rescue Mission in that area. Mainly we went down there to LOVE and show LOVE.

We also went to Venice Beach, it is a very popular tourist attraction in LA. But we were not there to just look around and enjoy the beach. Each day a different group would go and buy the food they would want for lunch but also extra. Then they would take it to a location in Venice called Hippie Hill, where most of the homeless in that area hang out. We would not just drop the food off and run, no we sat and ate with them. Talked with them, told them our stories and in return had them tell us theirs. We worshipped on the beach, sang praises to our Lord. Again showing LOVE and to all who came by.

I have some stories to tell, which I will in the next few post, about some amazing people that taught me while I was there. I just ask that you stop today and pray for these locations in LA. But also for our homeless and troubled here in Lubbock. They all need our prays no matter what location they are currently in.