I learned so much today.
We had the opportunity to go to School on Wheels and continue some of the work that we did there yesterday; cleaning out storage rooms, organizing supplies, taking stuff down to Goodwill to donate, etc. It was busy yesterday and today but nevertheless, we could see God working in the midst of moving boxes and sweeping floors. School on Wheels, a secular organization that tutors homeless kids and follows them in the places or "homes" they might find themselves in, is located in downtown LA. God has blessed their efforts with a newer, bigger location that will not only accommodate children, but teenagers as well, making it a "cool" place to hang out and do homework that they might otherwise not be able to do.
As I sat in the jungle-theme painted room, on my small chair meant for six-year-olds, I listened to Matt the director of School on Wheels. He briefed us about what we would be doing there, what their vision was, how far they've come, and then answered several questions we had about the place. I was blown away by what I learned there. Although this was my third year going to LA and second year going to School on Wheels, I was, for the first time, introduced to the fact that there are 1.6 million homeless children in the United States who experience homelessness each year! 290,000 of those children are from California. This is mind-blowing! What's worse is that very few people are aware of the fact that there are homeless children going to our schools, playing in our parks, and sadly, living in the streets or in cars.
Jesus had so much to say about what He called "the least of these". The 5k race we put on was named after these people. The children who are homeless, their parents, their situations, we MUST care and share their burdens (Gal. 6:1-4).
The day took an interesting twist.
I had no idea that Matt would talk to Kevin and invite our whole group to a Dodger's game with their volunteers and tutors that work with SOW. Keep in mind that this organization is a 501 (c)3 non-profit as well as secular. Key word: secular. Meaning no affiliation with a church. From the people that sponsored us to the people at at School on Wheels today, those who heard that story of why we were there was confusing. No one would ever expect that a group of twenty college students would be raising funds just to serve someone else, to build relationships and not expect anything else in return
After School on Wheels, we worked with Metro Kidz, an inner-city, outreach for children in high-risk, low income parts of the city.
Then comes the twist.
After Metro Kidz, the invitation to go to the Dodgers game became a reality. We sat in the bleachers and cheered the team on; BUT before any of that, we prayed that relationships would form and that barriers would be broken down. The blessing today came in saying "yes" to the non-christian friends we made at School on Wheels. Although we had other plans, it was a sense of leaving the "nighty-nine righteous" for the "one lost sheep" that compelled us to move in that direction. While we were there, the friendships we made were incredible. We prayed to be used as instruments of faith, hope, and love. God gave us the privilege to be all these things.
There's something about being there to experience how God is using His bride to give hope to the least of these. There's something even greater about being used to speak truth and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to these people - even at a baseball game.
The look on the faces of the kids was priceless. These kids, disappointed by their parents, carrying the burden of the adults in their families, probably would have never seen anything like this had it not been for people who gave them hope and believed in them.
Today, a random thought came into my head. "Just because they're homeless, doesn't mean they have to be hopeless". Be hope, be faith, be love, be a follower of Christ, be who you were created to be. This task, far too large for me to handle, I say "It's Christ's. He was here long before I was and will continue to be here way after i'm gone."
Emmanuel Roldan
Agnes Stevens is the founder of School on Wheels. Her blog can be found at www.onepointsixmillion.org
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