"Stinky People"

Dear Blog Readers,

I read this article in Relevant Magazine called "The Experiment" by Tom Smith. Tom went to a Christian bookstore and he asked the front desk clerk "if they had any books on helping the poor and fighting Aids. The sales rep looked confused and didn't say anything. However Tom did see alot of "Here's how to use Jesus to make you more successful titles". Tom then went to a second Christian bookstore and they said, "No sir, this is a religious bookstore. I think you should try the secular bookstore around the corner". He asked the sales rep "if she didn't think that helping the poor or sick had anything to do with religion". She replied with a blank stare. Later in the article he tells his buddy about what happened at the bookstores and his buddy said, "there was a great book on the topic of poverty and helping people with Aids in those bookstores. It's called the Bible". Tom said, "I think we need to ask God to open our eyes towards those who are less fortunate. When God shows us someone in need, we need to respond, not as a superior, but as a humble servant in the name of Christ".

Tonight I was thinking about this while walking the streets in downtown stockton. I asked myself the question of, "why does God care so much about these people and why did Jesus spend so much time with them?". After tonight I think I have a better understanding. I fed a man who stunk like B.O. and urine, I prayed for a man who has been in and out of detox programs, and I prayed for a man who was hungry, skinny and bones. What did they all have in common, broken, defeated, and hopeless.

God loves broken people. He loves to lift us up when we are down. Maybe God loves these people so much because they cannot rely on themselves. Even though they have messed up a million times, just like me, they have come to a place of hopelessness in themselves, but have found a hope in God. Maybe this is the place that God wants all of us to be. Humble, broken and open, and ready to be molded into His creation.

I fed a man who I have seen on the stockton most wanted list, I prayed and fed men who were crippled and one did not even have a wheel chair. I saw Andre again tonight, he told my brother "that he should listen to me because I am wise and that I am his boy". I told him I have been praying for him and he said God has been doing things for him.
God is amoung the stinky people of the world. God can turn a bunch of broken pieces into a mosaic work of art. Jesus loves these people and now so do I.

-Justin

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

"My Nice Warm Bed"

Dear Blog Readers,

"It"s kind of funny", tonight my friend Terry and I were sharing after our excursions about what happened at Wilson Way, we were saying that "its as if we truely don't soak in and dwell on what we see and hear". See tonight we met two prostitutes on the streets between Wilson Way and Sierra Nevada, and they said their names were China and Natasha. They didn't want water or something to eat, and at first they didn't want us to pray for them because they felt they were not worthy of it. Natasha said "you can't pray for us because we are doing bad things right now". As fear and imprisonment came through their eyes we saw they want out and we said, "Jesus died for people like you and me and he loves you and we want to pray for you". They said ok and as cars were slowing down to watch what we were doing we began to cry out and pray that God would change their circumstances and keep them safe on the streets tonight.

A few minutes later we are driving back and talking about my outdoor movie night tommarow night and it would be cool to buy a highbride car. Here we left a couple girls fearing for their lives and with a blink of an eye we are back in our safe and secure worlds.

Then I get home, take off my shoes, I got a nice cold glass of water, washed my hands, changed my shirt, and I am just about to get under my nice warm sheets and covers next to my wife who I am so in love with. Here at this same time Natasha and China are either still out on the streets trying to get work or they are currently working, and maybe fearing for their lives imprisoned by abuse. And here I am, in my safe little world under my safe and secure roof and my life goes on, leaving their world behind.

Earlier today I was mad at my circumstances with my job and not sure what to do, where to go, or what to settle for. I was mad at how my job ended and that I maynot get another great job that I once had. I was mad that my former boss did not have enough courage to tell me by phone or in person why my position was eliminated. I was mad that I have not received a phone call for an interview I want. I was mad, depressed and discouraged at my life's circumstances. But then after tonight I get back home and realize how bless my life and circumstances really are. I feel a little guilty now that right now I will get up from this computer, slip under the covers in the other room next to my wife and embrace my nice warm bed! It's funny how doing the things Jesus did grounds you a little more!

-Justin

Thursday, July 06, 2006
Prostitute Central

Dear Blog Readers,
If you have been reading my blogs you know that our group on Wednesday Nights (the group that gets together to pray and feed people on the streets) have been wanting to go out to Wilson Way in Stockton. Now if you know Stockton at all you know that Wilson Way is prostitute/pimp central. Well last night a group of seven of us finally made it out there and it was a great night.
We have been concerned going out because we know that if we start talking to the prostitutes we could be taking away business from the pimps and we do not want any confrontation. Well the exact opposite happened last night. One example was we had this one guy named Mike and he was walking with this girl (note:**I could not believe how young some of these prositutes were) and we told Mike what we were doing and if we could pray for them. He said that he wanted us to pray for him and his situation, but could not pray with us right then because he was booking his girl in a Motel.

Earlier we met a group of girls standing outside a house ( we were not sure but it may have been prostitute house) and they wanted us to pray for there daughter. Note these girls were probably under 18 and they had a daughter who was 4 or 5. The little girl has a heart murmor and they wanted us to pray for her, their lives and situation. We then began to pray for them as the pimp was looking at us outside the window. They were so greatful of our presence and hearts.
We moved on and met a man named Robert. We gave him some food and asked if we could pray for him. He immediately bowed his head and wanted us to lay hands on him. Robert was thinking about committing suicide because his family was getting broken apart and you could tell the situation was now out of his hands and his heart was broken over it. He kept saying that he "is tired". We prayed for Robert and he sincerely rededicated his life to Christ as tears came pouring down his face. After we prayed for him he felt like a new person and we were also able to point him to a mental health clinic.

Right then on this dark street we saw a guy that was riding his bike. We yelled "we are with the church and do you want some food". He stopped and we began to minister to him and then we layed hands on him and began to pray fervantly for his family. He is going to call Ryan to pick them up because he wants to now start bringing his family to church.

We then walked quite a ways to a Motel where prostitutes frequent. No one was there. TJ had it on his heart to pray. We then circled up, held hands, and knelt down and began to pray fervantly upon this place and the people who frequent it. All of a sudden people began to come out of there doors and began to watch what we were doing. It was if the spirit of God was there and was drawing them out to feel his presence. It was an amazing thing to watch as we then began to minster and pray with people in the Motel.

We then walked to another Motel and did then same thing. And sure enough it happened again. We met a homeless looking guy who often stayed at this motel and he thought we were asking him for food when we wanted to give him food. As things cleared up he came down stairs and we then prayed for him and tears began to pour down his face when we prayed for him. We also met a hard looking pair come out of the hotel who's names were Jessie & James (get it Jessie James). They reconized us from earlier and were kind of baffled by what we were doing.
The night was coming to a close so we went back to Starbucks to circle up and pray with the group. As we came back the whole group was excited about what happened tonight because there were major breakthroughs amoung the different routes.

My friend Jeremy and his Dad John said that this guy that we see all the time under the underpasses named Tim and his friend Jerry and their dog had a major breakthrough. See Jerry always wants prayer and is excited to see us, but Tim never says anything and doesn't ever get up. Well John told Jerry that we are having this big event coming up in September where we are going to rent out Weber Point and have a big barbeque and invite everyone we know on the streets to come out. What we are going to do is we are going to have vans and buses actually pick people up and bring them to this event. Then at the event we are going to feed them and have a church type service, alter call, and try to plug these people into churches and help programs in this community. When we told Jerry this, Tim got up and said, "You mean you would actually do that for us". Our love for them over took him and God began to work on his heart. John said, "You could tell God touched him tonight".

Keep us in prayer because God continues to give us favor and we have a meeting with the mayor and many pastors in the community on July 19th. We are going to talk about this event and share what we are doing on the streets of Stockton.

Also pray for Becky and I because my positition at Diablo Funding Group as the Business Development Manager was eliminated last Friday. It wasn't based on preformance, but based on some things out of my control going on with the company. I still can do loans with the company, but I am really seeking Gods favor and his direction for my life. Pray that God will open the doors he wants to open and close the doors he wants to shut. Also pray that God's hand will be upon our finances.
Sincerely,
Justin Perry
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Blind Man's Laptop

Dear Blog Readers,

Yesturday Becky and I went to a high school students home in Stockton who happened to be blind and terminally ill. He is incredibly smart and excells in subjects like calculus and physics. Becky and I went to his house to deliever His Wish that the Make A Wish Foundation was able to provide for him. It was a laptop and a GPS system for blind people. It was a crazy looking thing. The laptop didn't have a monitor, it was all in brail and he could search google.com and could find out where His street address was through a map GPS program. The GPS program can tell him where He is at and if a Mc Donalds or Starbucks is on the right hand side if he's walking or driving down the street. He could see all of this and was so excited through this liberation and I was sitting there thinking "I can't see a thing or read anything he is reading". He was blind to what I can see and I was blind to what he could see. It was as if we are living in two different worlds within the same one.

God was showing me that in the same way I cannot see what Kevin can read and see, I also can't see what God can see. God can see people's hearts and knows there pasts. God can change lives by using me as an available instrument to show people His love. But I truely will never see God's hand behind the seens in my life and His impact in the life of others.

Tonight I went to feed and pray for people in the streets of downtown Stockton. Our group went under Hwy 4 and there were people 50 feet up hiding in these holes under the freeway. There were three people up there and I and a couple others ran up the steep grade. We met a young man named Mike and we asked if we could pray for him. I began to pray for him and I could hear the fervency in His agreement that he wanted His circumstances to change.

We then went to pray for the usual suspects, Jerry, Tim and their dog by the delta under another over pass. Tim was sick last week and he's better now and Jerry's happy because he can read with glasses we gave him.

Then we went across the way and prayed for 4 homeless immigrants. Jose was able to talk with them in spanish. After we prayed for them, gave them food, water, OJ, and a couple new shirts, Jose said one of them was named Justin (Note: he did not have a shirt until we gave him one) he said Justin wanted to change his life, give his heart to Christ and get involved with a church. Jose is going to try to pick Him up.

Tonight we heard testimonies of people cleaning themselves up through detox programs because we prayed for them last week, a women and her children now have a house to live in because we prayed with them, a man just excepted Christ into His life and he just past away a few days ago, and teenage girl excepted Jesus into her life and wants to go to church.
God is moving in ways we cannot see and doing things we cannot comprehend or fathom. But everyweek we have been hearing about how lives are being changed and all we are is available to be used and show them God's love.
-Justin
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Thursday, June 08, 2006
The Fear To Love

Dear Blog Readers,

It has been a couple of weeks since my last posting, but I am back and want to tell you about last night. I did the normal Wednesday Night, feed and pray with people on the streets. There were about 30+ of us and the group seems to be getting bigger every week. Next week I am going to be leading a group into a heavily prostitute/pimp area called Wilson Way. The group is now big enough that we need another route and a small group of us have been talking about it, but every week we seem to chicken out. Well this week we made a pack that next Wednesday Night we are going to Wilson Way to pray and love people working the streets.

Last night I was with a group that took the center route and there weren't that many people on the streets. We thought well it could be two things. One is that our prayers are being answered or the second is the cops have been cleaning the streets. Last night I met a guy who we prayed with the week before and we saw him again last night. He told us thank you for praying for him because after that he put himself into detox last week and now is clean and wants to start a new life. I guess prayer does work.

When I was walking I was telling a friend about a lady who we saw the week before. Unlike this week where we had too much food to hand out, last week we didn't have enough. We were on this corner right in the middle of the Ghetto and a couple of us started to pray for this guy and girl and another group began praying for this homeless woman. As were praying seriously their were people yelling, prostitutes getting out of cars and meeting up with their pimps, drug deals going on besides us and here we were praying for people on this street corner. Well after I prayed for these people I see this lady across the street. So I asked a friend of mine if we have any water left to give to that lady. My friend says, "No, we are not going near her", I asked "why", my friend told me last week she offered to give her some water and it became apparent that she was demon possessed. So as the prostitute is on the corner looking the other way we began to pray for her. All of a sudden she turns around and stares at us and then walks over to the curb glaring. Now I have read in the bible how Jesus casted out demons, but that was my first encounter with a person that up close and personal. Our group then began to stare back and was too scared to go over and pray for her personally.

Later last night we saw a drug addict tweaking on drugs and a lady in the group says in panick that girl is on drugs. We then went up to her and we gave her some food and offered to pray for her and then we ended up praying for 3 or 4 people at that spot.

What I have come to learn is that we have to overcome fear to love the people Jesus loved and do the things he did. We have been chickening out to go to Wilson Way, we were afraid of the demon possessed woman, we fear people on drugs. There are people I know who are fearful of coming out on Wednesday Nights. I know I was the first time. I'll admit, I was scared to death. But God called us to overcome fear and become soliders of love. It says in the Bible that we are to only fear God.

It comes down to when the time and place comes, can you do it and can I do it?
-Justin
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Monday, May 29, 2006
Life Taken By Katrina

Dear Blog Readers,

Imagine the Las Vegas strip, the San Mateo Bridge, every major chain restaurant you can imagine, a Walmart SuperStore and old Estates in Beverly Hills on the Water. Now Imagine all these things destroyed by 30 feet of water and a category 5 hurricane. This was the picture of the aftermath destruction we saw live in Gulfport and Biloxi Mississippi done by hurricane Katrina. The tour guide told us that the Casinos were lifted up off the ground by the storm and then landed back down, taking out building after building and home after home. 2 million cubic feet of debris was taken off the beach and when the water recinded it brought with it homes, buildings, debris, cars, people, etc into the ocean. No one is allowed back in the ocean at this time and they do not have a plan on how they are going to clean this up.

Roads are gone, foundations are gone, biloxi lost 180 people, the jefferson monument and historic home is gone, a whole university is gone along with all the records (luckily they had a back up file), and other elementry schools are gone. People dreamed of living in this part of town becasue it was by the ocean. It was a place where if you lived there you considered yourself blessed because you made it. Homes were not for sale in this area because they were ususally passed down from generation to generation. All of these dreams and lives are gone.

Now you might be thinking well didn't these people have insurance. The fact of the matter is the insurance companies have not paid hardly any money to these consumers. We heard of this family who had full hurricane coverage, wind coverage, home coverage, flooding coverage, the only one they did not have is earthquake coverage. They have only received $1,000 from the insurance company and they had a million dollar estate. The insurance companies have law suit after law suit stacking up by people, cities, and the government, trying to get them to pay out. The insurance companies try to weazle their way out of nickle and dime possible and even if you take them to court and win, you are still waiting for them to pay you. It is a mess to say the least and as the sheriff said, "There is no way to prepare yourself for a natural disaster of this magnitude".

Words cannot express the community I saw. These people formally lived very independant and many times only worried about their own needs. Then after this storm that was not an option for them. They had to rely on each other for basic needs like food, water, a roof over their head, and clothing. I heard this story of this man who was a physical therepist who had all the major contracts for the major hospitals in the South Coast. He had major bucks and lived in a huge estate, had servants, and beautiful family. He was a person who had made it. Then the storm hit and he lost his wife and kids, his home, his buisness, his cars and he had no shoes, no shirt, and no underwhere. The only thing he had on was shorts. After the storm he couldn't find any water or food and what good does money do in a bank account when there aren't any ATM machines, grocery stores, gas stations, or restaurants. He ended up weaping on the floor of a women name Gwene. (She was one of the people who we helped rebuild her home). She simply had some drinking water that she gave him because he not drunk any water in days.

See I realized that I have a house, a wife, a family, a car and a truck, a great job, and living what some would consider the american dream. But with a blink of an eye I can be left with nothing except a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have learned how important and priceless that really is and how I need to strive every day to make it more and more important.

I also learned that I cannot count on a bank account, insurance coverage, contingency plans, or the government to save me. But I only can count on God to be there when I need him.
The last thing I learned is it is more important for me to go there and spend my time helping them then simply sending a check. Most of these people don't need money, they need people to come beside them and help them rebuild their homes and lives. As a result instead of me being the blessing, I end up being blessed!
Sincerely,
Justin

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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
My Experience with Katrina

Dear Blog Readers,

When we landed in Gulf Port Mississippi I didn't see very many planes coming in or flying out out of the airport. I saw the roof of the airline hanger ripped off and the buildings in disrepair. I got off the plane and all I saw was hopelessness and despair in peoples faces. I didn't see laughter or people in good spirits.

Then I met some of the Pastors of Memorial First Baptist Church and I saw joy in their eyes and smiles on their faces. They were so relieved and thankful that we were here to help them. After we got everything on board we prayed right in front of the airport in the middle of the street. Which is something you could never get by with in SFO, Sacramento, or the Oakland Airport. It's a differnt pace down here.

Pulling out of the airport Pastor Chuck pointed out that their are people who work at Gulf Port Airport who are living in FEMA trailors in the parking lot. Talk about not being able to get away.
We would go by lots where they was sometimes nothing, sometimes a trailor, no roofs, and big stumps that were once 50 year old trees.

We are staying at Memorial First Baptist Church and the hospitality is amazing. The food is out of this world and we have received countless hugs. We are staying in the this huge church with air conditioning and showers with hotwater in the middle of the church parking lot. These showers were created by Samaritons Purse.

We helped a lady today who said that her estimation for her house damage was $89,000 and she received a check for only $19,000 from State Farm, even though she had full insurance coverage, worked for State Farm for 23 years, and she won a lawsuit against them. I heard horror stories of contractor scams and how one day you have all this stuff and then the next day you have nothing. One day you live in one of the richest countries and next you become a third world country over night. One day you have a job or a buisness and the next there is nothing. One day you have a family of five living in a nice house the next your family of five is living in a four person tent on your driveway 9 months later because your still waiting for your FEMA trailor. The lady we helped today said that her electricity just came on 3 weeks ago. Imagine not living with electricity or have hot water for nearly 9 months.Words cannot express the things I've seen or the stories I have heard.

She told us that during the storm literally rain was going through her window as the roof was collasping on her, windows caving in, and part of the house destroyed. Tears filled her eyes as we blessed her with fixing up her home. But the thing is we are the ones who were blessed by her. She graced us with her Southern Hospitality and said we always have a place to stay in Mississippi.

Tonight this other lady told us at dinner that she lives on the coast and out of 36 homes in her neighborhood, she was one of 2 that was still standing. Talk about a house that had God's protection over it. Tears over took her as she was so blessed that we were there to help.
God showed me something that I believe is interesting. When I got off the plane I saw despair and hopelessness in people's faces. When I began to meet members of this church I saw hope and Jesus fill their faces with joy. See even though all of them went through the same devestation and tradegy, I met people who had Jesus and they have something that others don't. I have truely seen the blessing it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how valueable and priceless that really is.

Just another day just trying to do the things Jesus did and go to the places he would go!
-Justin
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Thursday, May 18, 2006
Spiritual Battle

Dear Blog Readers,

Pray for me because this week I have been going through a spiritual battle and I just feel beat up inside. Next week I am going with Becky and the First Baptist Church to Mississippi to help Katrina Victims rebuild their homes. Pray for a safe trip and pray that God will give me strength and will use me to bless others.

Tonight was a good Wednesday Night. I went with a group down center street in Stockton to do our usual feed people on the streets and pray with them. We went all the way down to Charter Way, which is quite a hike and we saw a migrant worker that some of the people in our group prayed for last week. They asked him if he found work, because that is what they prayed for him last week about and with a smile on his face he said, "Si".

On our way back we found two other migrant workers on the steps of the over pass. We asked if they wanted food and prayer. We had a really hard time communicating with them, but they wanted us to pray for them. It was interesting because here were these two guys who could not understand us when we were praying for them and the guy on the left began to cry. It taught me that it is not our words, but God's Spirit and power that touches them. I was wearing a Jesus shirt from Urban Outfitters that has a face of Jesus and it says, "The Boss". And he was touched by my shirt and we were able to communicate that we both love Jesus.

We then went to this corner and people began to flock to us. Some came specifically to get prayed for. This one guy was telling us that people talk about us on the streets and look forward to us coming out every Wednesday Night, he is glad to see Christians actually living our there faith. We prayed for 8 to 10 people at this one spot. This guy named Andrea that I met a couple weeks ago recognized me and wanted me to keep him in prayer this week. Another homeless lady came up to me and I gave her some water and before I could even speak she began to cry. Her name is Connie and she said to pray for her because she is hurting, I am not sure, but I think she saw my shirt and the face of Jesus and began to become convicted of her sin.
It is amazing how people want and need to be prayed for and all we need to do is ask. We need to just show people that we love them and then they become open to Jesus who is the only one who can transform their lives.

To give you a little glimpse of my spiritual battle that is going on. My pastor and I have been having some deep conflicting disscussions about people of the homosexual lifestyle. We both agree that it is sin, that is not what we were fighting about. But how to reach them. He is doing this big political fight against Gay Marriage and believes the church should get behind this issue and fight. I believe this is wrong. I have friends who are in this lifestyle and they don't know they are sinning because God's law is not written on their hearts and this only happens when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and God begins to convict them of their sin. I had an old professor who was of this lifestyle and she repented and turned from it when a church began to love and take care of her parents in Colorado. She began to become open to God and had some good talks and prayers with another professor who led her to Christ. This is when she began to become convicted of her sin and turned away.

Their is a song by the Black Eye Peas called "Where is the Love?". Where is the love for these people when all they see us fighting against them through picketing and condemning them. Maybe my idea of loving them and praying for them and this will change their hearts is an "over Utopian Idea" as my Pastor called it. But this is the only thing I find Jesus in the Bible doing. I have not read a scripture yet where I find Jesus inspiring a political call. I only find Jesus winning souls.

I suggested an idea where a group of us go together one night to a Gay Bar, buy appetizers, and begin to ask them if they want us to pray for them. But this was an idea that was to radical for us to do as a church and my pastor was not sure if people in the church would be offended. But I am still up for it, if anyone else is. Seriously if you are down, let me know and lets go see what God can do in a Gay Bar in Stockton.

I challenge my blog readers to love someone and then ask them if they need or want you to pray for them about anything. If we did this on a daily basis, our world would be radically different.
-Justin


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Thursday, May 11, 2006
Homeless Waterfront Property

Dear Blog Readers,

****This night made the front page of the Stockton Record Newspaper as the Main Headline. Click on the link to view the story: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060512/NEWS01/605120321
Tonight my friend Jeremy and I arrived a little early. We were waiting in front of Starbucks and a lady asked us what we were doing. We told her that we feed the homeless and pray with people every Wed. night. She said, "Can you pray for me?" We said "ok," and after we did, tears filled her eyes as God touched her. I thought that's good sign since the night barely started.
Then a reporter and a photographer from the Record showed up and is going to do a story on our group (I will post the story when it comes out). He began to ask a few questions. It was like 8:59 and only three other people were there. I was kind of getting a little worried. And then all of a sudden there were 25-30 people.

We had a mass amount of food and water. We filled 200 plus lunch bags full of food. Then we prayed in a giant circle and Cops were looking at us and others were wondering what we were doing. One Cop came up to us after we prayed and gave us His private number just in case we run into problems. I thought God must be giving us more favor.

We then went out and I took a route that I have never taken before. We went under the Crosstown Freeway bridges under the Delta. There are people who literally sleep right under the freeway tucked away hidden. Merely 2 or 3 feet from cars and trucks moving 70 mph. We went into these dark cramped holes to give these people food and we began to pray for them. They sleep near the water and I instantly thought this is like homeless waterfront property. The first place we went we had to slouch way down to get to them and there were probably 3 or 4 people. None of them spoke English but they could understand us enough to want us to pray for them. My friend Ryan and I began to pray for them and we felt God's presence. The second waterfront location that I went to we had to be careful not to slip because it was wet and muddy. We gave food to 4 or 5 people but only spoke with one lady. She asked us to pray for her sister and tears began to fill her eyes. Ryan shared that God has not forgotten about her and we began to pray and she felt God's presence and began to sob trying to wipe away her tears.

We left the Homeless Waterfront and went near St. Mary's Dining Hall. God showed up in this place. We began to pray for this homeless guy and like everyweek people began to come up to us so that we were praying for 3 or 4 people at a time. Right before I began to pray for this man sitting on the street who wanted healing in His back and wanted His circumstances to change, I looked up at a group of us who were praying for a kid about 15 years old. After I got done praying I looked up and I seriously thought they were praying for another kid. My friend Matt said that when they were praying for Him the Holy Spirit hit him so hard that he almost fell back and His eyes lit up and I am not joking His face glowed in the night. He said, "The Holy Spirit filled me up". We left and we were about 3 blocks away when he yelled, "Hey wait up". He just wanted to be around us and he walked back with us to Starbucks. God radically touched His life.

After we left my friend Jeremy wanted to pray at the Tower at UOP. We were both tired, but really felt led. So we got there and not knowing really what to do Jeremy said, "Well lets like walk around for a couple of minutes and pray and then we will pray together and go home". I then went over to the bench and began to look at the rose garden who is full in bloom and began pray.

A college looking student was walking and it was weird. It was like he was drawn in to me and came and sat down with me on the bench. I thought ok, God do you want talk to this guy. He asked, "What are you doing?". I said, "I am praying". He asked, "What are you praying for?". I then began to tell him I was praying for this campus and began to tell him about how we were feeding and praying with the homeless. He said, "Are you drunk?" I said, "no". I said, "What's your name?" He said, "Fernando". I said, "Can I pray for you?" He paused and began to share how he's been drinking because he is trying to forget what he is doing with his life and how he felt he was a disappoinment to his family. He actually graduated a couple years back and was on campus because he went to some type of lecture that had wine. It was mexican mothers day and he crushed his Mom when he told her the truth about where he was working. He could not get a job after he graduated and he has sent out countless resumes and no one would hire him. So he told His parents that he was working at a restaurant and began working at a strip club. He kind of did it out of rebellion from not being able to get a job and the pressure of being the first graduate of his family and not fullfilling their expectations. He then became so convicted about what he was doing.

We then prayed for Fernando and tears filled his eyes as he was touched by God. He could not believe what was happening because he was crying out to God earlier that day asking God what he wanted him to do. We gave him a Bible and our phone numbers and drove him home.
Just another Wed. night!
-Justin
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Sunday, May 07, 2006
Made the Front Page

Dear Blog Readers,

Becky and I had a Bible Study that decided to do something Jesus would have done. Our friend Jacquie Klo (a teacher) came up with an idea to pay for a high school students Prom who would not other wise would be able to pay for it. From buying her tickets, shoes, spending money, pay for her hair to get done, nails, pedacure, etc.

Through a series of God ordained events and being apart of the United Way Community Impact Team we met my new friend Rachel Williams. Rachel lives in a group home with 5 or 6 other girls. You could read all about her in The Record newspaper article that was done on her and us helping her go to Prom. We made the front page and the front page of the e-News Record site, Recordnet.com. The link is below"
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060507/NEWS01/605070325
It was amazing to look in her eyes when she was getting her hair done and see how special she felt. I was able to share with her through a series of e-mails that we were doing this because God has a special place in His heart for her and this is the call we as followers of Christ are suppose to do. We are suppose to share with her the Love that Jesus gave us by dieing on the cross for us and take care of those who have to overcome the circumstances she has had to overcome. I am so proud of her! My prayer is that God will reveal Himself to her and that she will come into a relationship with Jesus and will want to become a follower of Him.

It was amazing the support we received from people who heard about it. Almost everyone we talk to about helping Rachel go to Prom wanted to help and it was a success. We may make this an annual thing and our hope is that next year we can send even more high school teen's to Prom.

If you know of any teens that are not able to pay for Prom or could find out, please let us know. Also let us know if you would want to donate any services or $$ to this cause next year. If you know of any beatitions or limo drivers, etc and they would like to donate their time and services that would be awesome as well.

We have compiled some footage and pictures that we hope to compile into some type of video. Maybe we will be able to figure out how to put it on myspace.

My closing advice is study what Jesus did, then replicate it in some form, and your life will become alot more exciting and who know's you may make the news!
-Justin


9:37 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Cops Were Raiding

Dear Blog Readers,

It was my third wed. night feeding the homeless in the streets on Stockton and this was by far the most intense.

We broke out into teams again and I took the center route. It was kind of slow in the begining. There were not that many people on the streets. Then out of no where we heard two blocks away a loud voice crying out "Hey it's me Curtis, come pray for me." Some of the team members new him and we ran over there. He told us that he was hit in the head and that he almost had brain surgury. We laid hands on him and I began to pray for a new begining to occur in his life.
After we prayed for Curtis we looked up and there was a lady, homeless, in sandles and a mini skirt and she said she needed for us to pray for her. We laid hands on her, gave her food and began to pray. We gave her a hug and she began to cry.

We then looked up again and there was a guy walking towards us. We asked if he needed food. He was no more than 16 years old, alone in the streets. We gave him food and with tears in his eyes we began to pray for him.

We then looked up and we saw two guys walking on the other side of the street. A group and I went over to meet them. While another part of the group began to pray for a lady who wanted to change her drug addictions. I met a guy named Dre, no more than 17 years old who when we said we were from the church and that Jesus loves him. He said, "That's funny because that is the third time I heard that today." The other guy was a field worker who did not speak much english. Dre told us that it was his birthday this Friday.

We met up with the group again and began to walk down the street. All of sudden we heard a lady say, "Hey are you the group that has food." We said yeah and we saw she was strung out on drugs and was sitting with two other guys. Once again I saw first hand what happens when light comes into darkness. The girl strung out and another guy who for some reason could not look at us, took off running and left their stuff. In a great hurry, for a reason I do not know, she said "please pray for me...I'm sick..." while she was twitching and tweaking out. We then began to pray for the other guy who decided to stay. He began to share his problems with his addictions and sins and he wanted to change. Three of them were praying for him and ministering, while my friend Brian and I saw three more guys coming our way. We went up to them and was ministering to them. One wanted to have us pray for him, while the other did not want any part of it, yet he was to scared to walk off by himself.

Then all of a sudden the cops swormed in like it was a drug bust. Here we are praying with these people and the cops wanted to arrest the people we were praying for. I told them we were with the church and he said ok and cautiously proceeded to search the people we were laying hands on. Three of the people in our group stayed while the cops were searching them, the rest of us moved on. Later they told us because they stood there they let both of them go even though they found a crack pipe on them.

Cop cars were swarming everywhere and were asking us what we were doing. We told them who we were and what we were doing. The Cops either smiled or kind of had a confused look on their face.

Another group told me that on the route that I took last week tonight, there were people passing out drugs like it was candy. My friend Jeremy said "a lady was so tweaked out she was running around naked in the streets."

After the raid everybody scattered and the night came to early close. Just another night with my new friends in the hood.
-Justin
11:24 PM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove