The Dream Center II
Some amazing DC stats: 600 housed daily, 3,700 clothed monthly, 36,000 hot meals served each month, 40,000 receive groceries each month, 1 million pounds of food distributed each month. 7000 volunteers provide staffing support annually. Monthly budget of $600,000.00.
The most refreshing thing so far though about the Dream Center is that they do all of these things as support to the preaching of the gospel and never in place of it. Every activity is designed to share Christ. The fruit is amazing as well. Nearly every leader of each of the over 200 outreaches here was originally won to Christ through the ministry. The testimonies I’ve already heard in two days just blow my mind. God is mightily at work here.
After I wrote my blog last night Rebekah and I went to a youth service in the beautiful old chapel in the main building (formerly City of Angels Hospital). The worship was outstanding! All the kids come up around the stage and lift their hands to the Lord and sing with all of their hearts. It was beautiful. The lead singer, Chloe, was unbelievable. After the service she came up and told Rebekah that she has her signed up to sing with her starting next week. Rebekah was terrified but excited. The youth pastor gave a wonderful message and many came forward for prayer. I had to laugh to myself as I looked around the ornate old chapel realizing God knew, as it was being built, that someday a throng of teens would be shouting His praise in this place. Amazing.
Under The Bridge
We went out this morning with a ministry called Under The Bridge which takes hot meals to the homeless on skid row and living under freeway overpasses. We spent the morning on skid row praying for, witnessing to, and inviting people to lunch later in the day. It was heartbreaking to see so many people living under tarps and in boxes and things. Many were there because of addiction especially along “heroin alley.” But many others were just there because things had gone wrong in their life and they had no where else to go. We were blessed to pray with, hug, and share Jesus with people who afterward thanked us with tears in their eyes and said things like, “God bless you and your family.” Under the Bridge comes here everyday and tries to get people to come to the Dream Center and get off the street. Many do but most are not ready to give up their addictions. Some came with us today and I pray that they stay and get discipled like so many from these mean streets that I’ve met here who are now radiant followers of Jesus.
We came back at 1:30 p.m. with the hot lunches. Some of us donned hairnets, aprons, and gloves in order to hand out food and the rest sang, prayed, and witnessed to the folks that came. We prepared and handed out about 200 plates. God continued His habit of surprising me with providential encounters. As we were serving food and praying for people the lady next to me who I knew was here from Sweden began to pray for a Mexican man in perfect Spanish. I was surprised. After she prayed she told the man that she used to be a missionary in Bogota, Colombia. I couldn’t believe it. Obviously, she and I spent several minutes talking about Bogota and she thanked me and thanked me for what we are doing there. She said that her heart still lives there even though God has her back in Sweden. Oh, how I know that feeling. I’ve posted some photos here.
Tonight Rebekah and I are attending an intern’s prayer meeting called focus. It is an hour of devotions and an hour of prayer. It is Rebekah’s favorite event each week. Cain’t wait.