The Dream Center IV

Today, Friday, was a little slower pace and I enjoyed the time that Rebekah and I had to just catch up. In the morning we separated all of the things that have been donated this week for Adopt-A-Block tomorrow. It was raining most of the day so when we had a chance we quickly got the work done.

Before lunch we went to a presentation by The Movement students in the chapel. The Movement is a Bible college on steroids here at the Dream Center. The presentation was very moving. It was a smattering of drama, testimony, and a powerful message at the end from Caroline Barnett, Pastor Matthew’s wife. It reminded me of Life Action Ministries from when I was a kid. Everything about this place reminds me of the dreams and goals I had as a young Christian. My kids at Teens Unlimited, my youth ministry when I was a 22 year old youth pastor, and I used to talk about having  a big building where we could house homeless teens, gang members, and runaways. At the time they were living at my house, on my couch, and sleeping on my porch. Matthew Barnett has stayed young and not allowed the world to douse those childlike dreams of what God can do and it has refreshed and restored my soul. In the message at the end Pastor Caroline challenged us with the idea that there are more than enough Christians in the world to solve the world’s problems if we were just willing. God is not limited. Wow! So true. After the presentation I was able to speak with the director of Project Hope here at the Dream Center. Project Hope is the human trafficking outreach here. They literally rescue women and girls out of the sex trade and hide them, counsel them, and take care of them until it is safe to help them back into society. Since Colombia is the second leading sex trafficking country in the western hemisphere behind the Dominican Republic, I wanted to know all about what they are doing here. In a short period of time Project Hope has become the largest rescue operation in America.

After lunch we went with Rebekah’s Adopt-A-Block tract to a nearby retirement home and spent some time with the lovely residents there. I sat next to a sweet lady named Dora and a sweet lady named Alicia. Alicia was from Sau Paulo, Brazil and spoke only spanish so I enjoyed being able to talk to her and learn about her life. We colored with crayons but Dora insisted on watercolors so the nurse gave her some watercolors and she painted beautifully. I commented to the nurse how awesome Dora’s painting was and she handed me a notebook full of beautiful paintings that Dora had done. Dora told me that she used to sew and embroidery a lot as well but now she can only paint. It was obvious that these dear people look forward to the Dream Center kids coming every other Friday. It was so funny when one of the old gentlemen pointed to me and said, “I thought this was the Dream Center group, why is that old guy with them?” When they explained that I was Rebekah’s dad he said, “Ok, I was wondering because usually the Dream Center people are young.” Too funny.

We were supposed to go to skid row tonight but we were rained out. Rebekah also sometimes goes and witnesses to the prostitutes on sunset strip until 3 a.m. on Fridays but that was rained out as well so we sat in the Dream Center coffee shop and talked and dreamed and planned until bed time. What a lovely day.