Today was super fun! We went to the LA Food Bank in the morning and got to be a small part of the food distribution process there. Our whole class was able to be part of sorting through and labeling food from a big conveyer belt and then placing it on pallets to go out to mission organizations like the Dream Center. After that we had the sweet opportunity to drive down to Santa Monica and do some more street evangelism there. Initially my perspective on street evangelism was from the approach of, “how many people can we talk to in the time we have?” My perspective changed as I realized that it is God who orchestrates every day and where we will go and what we will say and do. He orchestrates it in the sense that He knows exactly what is going to happen and He is ultimately in control. It gives me confidence when I remember that outlook because I then realize that it is not up to me to change a person’s thinking or convert them but up to God and what He will do. With that point of view, Camellia and I were able to talk to a few different people, learning their stories and getting a snapshot of their worldview. One guy in particular, Dylan Whiteside, was really encouraging to talk to. He has been homeless for a few about a week because his roommate kicked him out of his apartment. It was encouraging to talk to because he had hope; hope that he could do something to be able to change his own life in a way that would also positively effect the lives of others. Often we need to take that view. How can I work on myself and change so that ultimately I can bring that change to others? The big piece that Dylan was missing is that those changes come by the perfect blood of Jesus Christ, who poured out His love on us so that we could pour that love out to others.
Written by Brandt