Nick-Nacks

So one day I was in the acquisitions warehouse...also known as the "Gifts and Kinds" warehouse - gathering different items for the some of the basic needs for blocks in our surrounding area. I asked Margaret (the lady who organizes all the masses of donated items, you wouldn't believe how much NICE stuff this place receives) .... anyways, I asked her if she had any little "nick-nacks?" She and Jonathan (who is basically like my boss) turned and cut their eyes at me and were like whaaaat did you just say...I was like you know "nick-nacks." Well, lets just put it this way - Jonathan and Margaret both went through the drug rehab program here several years ago and come to find out - thats a slang drug term. They were like "Katie!! We are not handing out drugs!!" It was hilarious and I felt like the ultimate white girl. (Adam, the other guy intern was unaware of the drug meaning as well, so that made me feel a little better).

I apologize for not writing more, I have been so very busy. Things have been crazy around here. I am so blessed. I have a great balance between ministry in the street as well as being a part of the administrative side. I got a desk and a computer this week and a name tag with my photo ID on it, so I am feeling official. Actually at one point this week during my training I felt like they were handing the entire Dream Center over into my hands - that was a semi-stressful moment, but it only lasted like five minutes. I love what I am doing here. This is what makes my heart beat - so much so that it scares me! Yesterday I went out with a ministry called "Under the Bridge" where we feed hot meals to the homeless. They go out 3-4 times a week (this is just one of the the 200 ministries here). Anyways, I was with some short term mission people and I enjoyed hanging out with them. Some were from LA - one of the guys is an actor who is on General Hospital. What a stud, and how encouraging to hear how God is using him in that very dark industry. Others were from all over the US...To put it simply, I love homeless people. As weird as that sounds, it's true. I love conversing with them. I love to hear each and every ones' story. I should have dyed my hair black before I came out here. The people on the streets are fascinated by my eyes, it kind of freaks me out - but I pray and I believe they see only my Father's love shining in my eyes...I know thats what they see - you believe what you want. I was especially intrigued with this one guy who looked way too young to be living on the streets. He was alone and looked about sixteen...come to found out he is twenty, his name is Cory. He began to tell us some of his story - and wow, this kid has seen it all. He just recently drove here from Vegas. At one point he lived in Texas and he shared his dream of going to Texas A&M. My heart broke...Long story short, we loaded Cory up in our van and brought him back to the Dream Center with us to be placed in our short term Hope for the Homeless Youth housing and I saw him at church last night. This place is serious - they do whatever it takes to get these people off the streets.

There are so many stories already...and I want to tell every single one of them - but that would be ridiculous. One evening I talked to a man at the coffee bar who works in the financial/accounting area of the Dream Center. Ohh the stories of financial history of this place. The Dream Center is run solely on donations from month to month. Each month it costs 600,000 dollars to cover all costs from water, electricity, and food, etc. He explained how incredible it is to watch the money come in each and every single month. This place is debt free.

Last night I was on a bus route to pick up people for our Thursday evening service. They send out multiple buses all over LA on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for all of their services. It's funny...the driver would just pull up to the different stops and lay on the horn until they came out, but many were already outside waiting. We picked up some of the most beautiful children - they fascinate me. After church this four year old little boy (I seriously wanted to kidnap him and bring him back with me) - he kept looking out the window at the sliver of the moon and asking me, "Why is there only a piece of the moon?" He also told me about what he learned in church - "That Jesus is our Savior". He then offered me one of his cookies and the next thing I knew he was fast asleep. I shuttered when we dropped him back off...all I can do is pray.

In the office yesterday I spent an hour and fifteen minutes talking to a very distraught single mother of four...ages 16, 13, 6, and 21 months. She was in tears the majority of the conversation...her eldest is into dope and other heavy drugs and has been kicked out of every school imaginable - while her 13 year old daughter has recently starting cutting her wrists and is suicidal. How I ended up being the one on the phone with her is a story in itself...just the Lord. It is in these moments that I learn what it truly means to operate in the Spirit - because no words of mine can be of any help to this broken mother. She receives $39 a month for child support...I won't go into any more details - but it is cool to see how the Spirit gives words to minister when you are at a loss. She had no idea I am twenty-one...

Hate to end abruptly - but I have to go to work...I can't even call it work because I love it so much. I'll write this weekend.