So this past weekend, I went to California, mainly for a missions leadership seminar. But I gained so much more out of it than just missions leadership. On Thursday night, my friend picked me up from the Los Angeles airport and then showed me around LA. She was born and raised there, so it is all she knows. The poverty was insane. At night, out come the tents. This one street had so many tents lined up along the sidewalk, it was crazy. To see that many people without houses. Especially in one of the most populous cities in the West. We went to a street vendor taco seller (which I would never do at home) and they were pretty good tacos. So here we are, buying from a street vendor, my friend is ordering in Spanish and all around me was not like the United States. At first, and maybe even now, it is hard to believe that I have been in the US this whole time. Thursday night, I felt like I was in Peru or Mexico. Not the US. It was an insane culture shock.
Friday afternoon again we went to downtown LA. We went to a place called callenas which is this big alleyway where people sell things. Again I felt like I was shopping at the market in Peru. Not LA. As we were leaving that, we went down, as I call it, ‘the wrong street’ which was just full of African Americans. Honestly I was scared for my life. Not be to be racist, but it was scary. People who were drunk and psycho just roaming the streets. I was super thankful when we got to the next area of town. But what amazes me is how diverse LA is. And people of the same race/culture tend to congregate in the same area. But driving though LA, seeing the scary African American area, and then two blocks later is the old historic restored downtown and then two blocks later is business and soon after are the rich homes. Driving through it, you don’t see a gradual change, but it’s like automatic. You can be in one type of neighborhood, cross a street, and then be in an entirely different one.
I know the US has poverty. I know we aren’t perfect. And yeah Denver has homeless people, and diversity, but not like LA. This trip was definitely an eye opener in this aspect. It was hard for me to see. It was hard to me to grasp and comprehend. But this is only the start. If the richest country in the world has this type of poverty, I guess I better be ready for what the rest of the world has. I know in developing countries, it will be a ton worse. And maybe this trip to LA was the Lord preparing me. Opening my eyes and helping me to see that, Jamie there are people out there. People suffering, hurting, lost and without hope. Jamie I have called you to reach these. To reach the lost. The despised. The hopeless. The homeless. The suffering. The untouchables. Are you willing? Are you ready? This is only a taste of what you will see.
And yeah it was hard for me, but it is reality. Not everyone can grow up and live like me. A house over my head. Food on the table. A bed to sleep in and a bathroom to use. Not everyone is as blessed as me. Not everyone was able to have the lifestyle as me. I was just blessed to be born when and where I was. And though I may not be able to cure diseases or stop world hunger and poverty, I can bring hope and love. I can show those suffering that there is peace. That there is hope. That they are loved and cared for, even if only by a 21 year old student from the United States… oh and course the God of the Universe!!!
