IOWAY: Individual Outreach with Adults and Youth

Pasadena update

Hello family and friends of the Pasadena group!

 Yesterday was our “free day” between working on floats and doing the Skid Row adventure.  The day began with a welcome relief since we didn’t need to wake up at such an early morning hour.  We were free to decide how to spend the day and most chose to do some sightseeing while a few wanted to sit around the pool and simply relax and go to the beach in the afternoon.  Yes, out here you can actually sit by the pool in shirt sleeves on Jan. 2^nd.  That may be hard for you to believe back in the snowy wastelands of Iowa. Please get that cold and snow out of the forecast before we get home tomorrow because we took a vote and NOBODY wants to come home to it!  And, that is the truth!  It is actually quite fun to be sweating in January!  J

 About half of the group (three carloads) hit the freeways again and headed north into scenic country.  California is so beautiful with the dry hillsides and mountain ranges all around.  We drove to Simi Valley where the President Reagan Library and burial site is located.  The day was perfect with temps as high as 80 degrees.  The property is such a fitting tribute to our former president.  Everything is so well done and the atmosphere around the grounds is nothing but quiet and peaceful with flowers, trees and shady benches to sit on and ponder.  The view over the valley is breathtaking!  We took a tour through Air Force One which is suspended in mid-air and on display inside the huge building.  This is the Air Force One that was used by a number of presidents and President Reagan logged the most miles on it.  It has now been replaced with a newer version.

 I guess our group was the most ambitious since we decided to do it up right and take in two adventures in one day.  After we left the library and museum we drove down into the town of Simi Valley.  We filled our gas tanks and our tummies and headed back south, this time way down to San Pedro to the dock where the battleship USS Iowa is resting.  It is an impressive ship no matter how you look at it.  But once you tour and learn about all the weaponry onboard, its firepower boggles the mind.  The gun turrets are encased in 17 inches of solid steel making them impenetrable to any existing weapon.  Those guns can continue to fire no matter what is thrown at the ship.  Other guns on the decks will literally pulverize anything that comes close, including modern day incoming missiles.  The ship was only hit two times; one hit left a tiny mark not noticeable except for the arrow to show the spot and the other left no mark at all.  The famous ship was in service three different times and could be called into service again if ever needed.  It was modernized and has modern weapons as well as the huge guns with their awesome firepower.  It can now launch Tomahawk missiles and rockets. 

 Our group of 13 arrived at the USS Iowa mid-afternoon after our scenic drive from the north country.   I was driving the first car and am still impressed how the other two drivers stuck like glue to my bumper.  A big credit goes to Paul, my co-pilot who did an excellent job with maps as he kept me on track and in the right lanes on the freeways. 

 As we boarded the ship we were met by a career Navy guy.  His job was to answer questions.  Most people simply follow the arrows and do their own tour through the compartments of the huge ship.  We all wore our matching Petal Pusher shirts which calls attention to our group no matter where we go.  We chatted with him a moment and mentioned that we were from Iowa.  By the way, it is true that all Iowa people get onboard for free!!  He was excited to learn that we were Iowans and said he had been born in Carroll.  Once again, who would have thunked?  We named the towns we were from and he said, “Follow me.”  He personally took us on a tour and told us stories and showed us all the features of this magnificent fighting machine.  It was indeed a wonderful day and we had so much fun with him as our personal guide!

 I apologize for not doing an update yesterday, but in all my years, I have found it necessary to listen to my spouse now and then.  She told me to get some sleep and wait to do the update until tonight.  What else could I do?  I was very tired since I was one of the drivers for the long day and I finally took her advice and went to bed looking for some much needed rest. 

 Let me insert a personal note here before I end our “free day” discussion.  I am thanking God because our group has had seven vehicles crawling in and out of horrific traffic for six days now at all hours of the day and night.  Yet, not a scratch on any so far!  Most of us are not California trained but perhaps we are now.  And we have only been lost a few times!  I personally think it is a feat to keep that many vehicles together on the mass of spaghetti cement they call freeways out here.  Thank you, God!  To you be the glory!

 And that brings us to today’s activities.

 We are a tired bunch and we are winding down after another day of new adventures.  Actually, we were all together today once again.  The flu, yes, the ugly kind of flu, found its way into our group.  Four of us had to donate a day to getting better instead of being part of the ongoing adventure.  Maybe though, it was simply another part of the adventure for them.  Anyway, today all were going again as we drove into the middle of downtown Los Angeles to the Urban Street Mission.  This building sits in the area known as “Skid Row” where up to 8,000 homeless people live at all times. 

 I find it fascinating and have to share something I learned today.  Skid Row is named as such because when the area was just a little settlement long ago, they would harvest logs in the Los Angeles Forest and bundle them together.  They would skid them down the hill one bundle after another and it became known as Skid Row.  The name stuck even though the forest is long cut down and nothing remains in this area to suggest it ever existed.  It must certainly have changed the climate also as I suspect it is too dry to sustain a forest now.  That is really sad for this tree lover!

 We learned about the mission from Jeremiah Johnson who has a position just under the CEO.  He shared that the mission operates on donations from a great many churches, individuals and companies.  It is all donations, no government money.  I don’t recall the cost to operate each year but I believe he said it was 30 plus million!  They run a tight ship with guards everywhere to keep order and keep things operating smoothly.  It is centered around Christ and the Gospel.

 At one point we were taken to the roof of the building which has been transformed into a beautiful place to sit in the warm California sun and look over the city.  There are children’s play areas there and also raised vegetable gardens to grow food.  We did a group photo up there.  Look for that in one of the upcoming issues of “The Harvest” or some other IDW publication or the Lutheran Witness!  You will see God’s servants with the Los Angeles skyline behind.   It should be an impressive photo.

 The mission serves meals to residents who are on rehabilitation programs as well as women and children who live inside the shelters off the streets.  First the residents went through the food line. Then they opened the doors for people who live on the streets to come for a meal.

 We set up tables in the large lunchroom and spread our gifts of love from Iowa out for the homeless who came through. Our group brought health items in our suitcases from Iowa since bags are free when you fly on Southwest Airlines.  We also purchased over a thousand dollars worth of items here at the 99 cent store.  We worked long and hard to assemble 496 health kits to hand out at Skid Row.  We handed them out as people came into the food line.  We also had underwear, socks, bags, backpacks, Bibles and old suitcases for the homeless.  We gave away mounds of things, literally everything we had.  The day went well and we ended up with so many thankful and happy homeless people who experienced God’s love through our hands!  Thanks to all of you who donated items at your church or individually for us to bring along.  Thanks also for all the gift cards that were used to purchase additional items to complete all 496 health kits!  Because of all of you, God’s love was evident here today in Los Angeles for so many who have so little!

 After leaving the Skid Row area, we traveled to a Sizzler’s Steak House for a meal.  It seems that GPS and Smart Phones do not always agree which direction to head.  But, we eventually did find the place and it was even in the direction we needed to travel back to the motel so all was good.  The meal was wonderful of course.  Before we returned to the motel we filled all cars with gas so they were ready to turn in at Enterprise in the morning.  We arrived at the motel with an hour of down time before Ellie called our last meeting.

 We gathered and closed up the trip by writing positive comments about each person.  Then we revealed our secret servants by giving them their last gift.  We had a closing service including a foot washing ceremony for any who wanted to participate.  As usual, we closed the evening by doing our circle prayer, thanking God this time for whatever was most meaningful to us during this last week.

 At 7:30 a.m. we leave the motel, return the vehicles and arrive at LAX for the flight home.  Everyone will be processing the events of the last week and all that has happened.  Memories and new friendships were certainly made. 

 To my readers, thanks for listening to the Pasadena adventures!  It was enjoyable to lay it out for you and hopefully help you visualize what actually happens out here in sunny California!  Good night and may God Bless each one of you.

 Sincerely,

Lynn Menz