-Tertullian
No, I am not being persecuted as a Christian, not even close.
But I am a chicken trembling under its' mama's wings called "look at the bright side and pretend there's nothing wrong with the world!"
When I first heard the name Tenderloin I thought it was spelled Dandelion...."how cute" I thought
When I first heard the name Tenderloin I thought it was spelled Dandelion...."how cute" I thought
Then when I knew what it was actually spelled...I thought, "It would be better if it is spelled
Tender Lion. That's a good lion right there, you can pet it!"
When we arrived the area I was a bit shocked. I've been to SF by myself and walk on Market street plenty of times. I would have never thought just a block away is Tenderloin District, a place of human trafficking, homeless, filth, death, drugs, insanity and just plain desperation and loneliness.
As we started our day off at City Impact's office (an organization that help the people at Tenderloin), and listening to this Chinese guy talking about his reasons and experiences helping the people in Tenderloin. All other students in Thrive School were so pumped up by the speech but my mind was in a different place.
I cried.
I didn't want to go out there and talked to the desperate people. One of the leader Heidi asked "why?"
I didn't want to go out there and talked to the desperate people. One of the leader Heidi asked "why?"
At the moment I could only said "I don't want to look into their eyes and see sadness."
My reason at the time suggested I am kind, but there was more. I spent most of my life looking the other way pretending there's no brutality in this world, because I thought it will never be part of my life.
Now being in Tenderloin and everything was in my face...and the good chance of while we were listening to the pumped up speech, an innocent girl or kid is being abused in the building across the street from us. It was more than I could bear.
Heidi then suggested I can stay in the kitchen instead.
Like a whiny annoying kid, I said no to that and went on the streets though I cried about it.
I think God knows that I was not ready to see anything more so the 2 days we were there serving I didn't see any demon possessed people like some of the students had. Nor have I seen too much that I came back quiet.
The firs day morning I was just running back and froth between Rescue Mission and City Impact Thrift store trying to find a set of clothes for a large lady. Which took lots of time and two other male students follow me back and forth, just in case anything happened. They were such good sports, very kind and no complains while I took their time away from spending time with people in needs.
In the afternoon I just helped in the kitchen for a change.
Then in the evening all the students were out on the streets to pray with people. That evening was quite interesting. There was this person called Jeremiah, pretty much an Anti-Christ, telling us that we are all doing devil's works. Then he claimed he was a prophet come to save the world and has died and rose again by shot heroin into his arm. He even claim there are 8000 people in Hawaii doing yoga and they are his followers.
One thing I found interesting was....thought he was using jehovah's witnesses bible..that bible IS very well read. Jeremiah knows his bible very well yet what he got out of it is so out of the world.
The conversation with this guy went on for 20-30 minutes between him and other Thrive Students...but it didn't really go anywhere.
On the way back to City Impact's office, we passed by a Catholic church with homeless people sleeping in front. Some students in my group started to have long and deep conversations with some of them. While I was waiting, one of the homeless old men Called Victor woke up. He used the little English he know to tell me Cuba was a beautiful county but not any more. I then asked him if he was doing all right, he replied "I am good now but I don't know about tomorrow."..(how do I replied to that?) However I did made sure my eyes were looking straight into his so I can really connect with him. Then I asked if I could prayed from him, he immediately agreed. After the prayer I pet his head and told him to come to Rescue Mission for food the next morning.
It's really God who helped me to do any of this. If it wasn't God I would't have touch a homeless person with no disgust or fear. Nor would I even try to connect with a homeless person and learn that he has a name....and he is Victor. To be really honest with you, (yeah, Thrive Naked!) I don't know how long Victor still got in his life. In fact he didn't even showed up at the Rescue Mission the next morning, and the street he was on the night before was being washed by a streets cleaner. I don't think I've helped this old man that much. It is probably more about God works in me by allowing me to see the sadness of reality, so that I can understand more about His sorrow and His love for His children who are suffering.
