Saw This on BuzzFeed Today . . . YES!

Good Conversations and Horses

UPDATE on AFTER HOURS


After Hours hit the streets of Los Angeles once again on Friday in an effort to spread God’s love to the men and women in the prostitute industry. Instead of meeting at a church we typically meet at, we met at a gas station outside our favorite taco truck. The moment we stepped out of our cars, some in our group were overwhelmed with the sounds surrounding us: the car engines, the honking, people talking, and just the hustle and bustle of LA life. It was the sound of God’s people. It was the sound of hope.

After we prayed together, we hopped into two different cars. But the night was not about us. It was about the work God did in the hearts of the women we met.

One particular girl stood out the minute we approached her. Her name was A. She was open to prayer and looked us in the eye, which was shocking because normally girls fidget after 30 seconds, telling you her time is up for socializing.  Knowing God was present in this conversation we took a chance and asked A what she knew about Jesus. She hinted at answers like pray and go to church. So one of our team members Tommy shared a bit of the gospel with her, telling A that Jesus died for her, he wanted to forgive her and have a relationship with her; it wasn’t just a checklist. A’s eyes widened and we saw hope grow. We got to ask her what held her back from leaving prostitution and she admitted she liked the money and the lifestyle that provided but she knew she should stop. After a few more minutes of conversation about her life and ambitions our time was up. The fidgeting started and her eyes began to wander.  We told her to call the number in her gift bag if she ever needed help or wanted someone to talk to – and that was that. We walked back to the car, praying with every step. The Holy Spirit was present. And even though we left A on that street corner, Jesus did not. A is in good hands.

We ask that you keep praying for A and the other girls on the streets. A was just one of a couple dozen girls we met Friday night. They need prayer and we need your support. There is hope. The Holy Spirit is working and God has not abandoned the streets of Los Angeles.

BONUS STORY:

As we were driving down the track, we saw an unusual sight. If I gave you 100 guesses as to what we saw that night I would bet you’d never even come close to guessing.

Close you eyes and imagine two cops “pulling over” three South LA guys… on horses. Yup, they were just galloping down the main track, talking on their cell phones. That’s not something we see every Friday night!

(PS sorry for the lame photo... it was the best I could do from the middle seat) 

Mistakes

Recently I have been thinking about grace, especially in the work place. In so many instances one mistake results in complete distrust.  As an intern you are already running an up hill battle. You are worthless until proven worth it. You are an amateur until someone deems you as legitimate.

Basically, I believe everything in this world is about perception.

But what happens when you mess-up and your perception is tainted?

What happens when you do something really stupid, that you cant explain away. You can't save face. All you can do is shrug and say... 'I have no idea what went wrong.'

To the rest of the world that is unacceptable. A boss will start checking your work and pretty soon you are back to being an intern. A professor will ride you off as hopeless. A friend may not want to associate with you.

Why is that? We all mess up. But when someone else screws up, it is fatal. You think to yourself , 'at least its not me'

But God.... God forgets about it and when you repent he elevates you higher in his family.

I am sick of this world and how we treat each other. If God can move on, then so can we.