Hey Folks! Well here is two more of my journal entries from my trip. Tomorrow's blog will hold a couple more entries, but then I am headed back to California on Thursday. I am going to Encounter 2010 which is a Jesus Culture conference, pray that God will do something spectacular, I am so yearning to grow so much more, and experience his love in a whole other setting. So, tomorrow there will be a blog and I am hoping that when I get to California I will get a chance to blog about what's going on there, if not, when I return home I will definitely fill you in, I plan on taking a journal.
Thrilling, threatening, indescribable! That is how I would describe today. This morning we went to Skid Row, I felt tired and drained but got through it. Then this afternoon we handed meals to the homeless, today it seemed like the majority of them were African American. It strikes me how there are hardly any white people on the streets, perhaps this hurts people perceptions. I loved handing the meals out, I was at the end of the assembly line so that was my job, giving the plate of food to the next person in line. I felt like I was actually making people hope, or light a spark of energy in their lives. It's so curious to watch people. There was only one guy who gave me a hard time. He kept trying to cut the line and steal another meal so we kept telling him "no." Then, one time he tried and I caught him and said, "sorry sir you have to go to the back of the line." While saying this a I put my hand on his shoulder, as a friendly gesture. However, he lost it because I touched him. He said that I had no right to touch me and then he told everyone he wasn't coming back until I was gone. Haha, I felt so threatened, but I was excited and I felt I grew in courage. When no one was looking he humbled himself and went back to the line and I was really happy to give him his next meal, although I'm not sure what was going through his mind.
Tonight was a service night at the Angeles Temple. Indescribable, Life Changing, God breathed! They had dancers that danced to Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. Plus an incredible live band and team or worship leaders. Along with that there was intelligent lighting and the energy of hundreds and hundreds of people. God's spirit was undeniable and I feel filled, blessed, and so connected with God. The message and everything was wonderful, I am so blessed to have three more services here! I want to continue to be strong, patient, wise, and mature... I pray for that! God has changed me and taken it all, because He can.
Friday, August 21st
Heart breaking. Skid Row outreach tonight. SO much Poverty! So much disaster, sadness, cursing, hatred. I felt like I'm meant to be a beacon of hope and light in these hurting peoples lives. I've been praying and learning a lot lately that it's not about me, it's about him... but I still wanted to feel like I was accomplishing something through God. We came to this man on Skid Row who found out today that he had six months to live. His story is unimaginable, everything inside of him is failing. He felt hopeless, forsaken, every terrible feeling out there, I'm sure his spirit held. He has two kids, one 15, one 9. They live with their Mother and they won't see him again until three weeks before he dies, according to the Doctor. He kept talking about how terrible of a Father he was and felt like His whole life he had failed, and He wanted to do at least one thing right before his time was up. He shared that when his son was young he used to force his son to give Him needles. Eventually everyone from The Dream Center was praying around this young man. God was moving! I was trying to give my all, knowing that it wasn't about how successful I thought my prayer was, just thinking that I could give it my all to try and help this man. My hand was stretched towards him, we were half way done praying and this man grabbed my hand! No one else noticed but it shook me! I don't know why he did it, or what it meant, but it really sincerely meant the world to me. For him it was probably a cry for help and a grab of thanksgiving that this multitude of people were praying for him, but for me it felt like it was a word from God saying, you are doing what I want you to do, keep going!
Skid Row is heart breaking and you learn so much, I feel like I need to be bolder in my faith and just let myself by led by the Holy Spirit. That is my prayer. We were exhausted after, that but we wanted to keep outreaching so we then went to Hollywood Blvd. Right outside of The Kodak Theatre. It was so different, and it's peculiar to think about. Moments ago we were surrounded by garbage and people living in that Garbage, and now we were standing in front of the Kodak Theatre, where Celebrity's are usually spotted. The two places were so different, yet the hurt was the exact same! I am so exhausted now, it's almost one here, I'm dead!I'm still growing, and I LOVE that!
Filled with Excitement,
Colton
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