Before I start:
Every single person, I don't care who you are or what you do, needs to visit the Dream Center. Yes that includes YOU. The way that they are impacting people in the city of Los Angeles is phenomenal and everyone needs to go experience it. To learn more about the Dream Center (and plan your trip there), click here. Okay, now that that's out of the way! Let me tell y'all about this week.
Quick disclaimer: Everything that I mention here is my personal experience. Due to the way our trip was set up, each person was not able to do every ministry assignment, so these are the specific assignments that I was able to do and experience throughout the week. Others in my group did some that I didn't do, and I did some that others didn't do. This is just my experience, so keep in mind that when you go (see what I did there, ha), your experience might have some similarities to mine, but it can, and probably will, look very very different from mine.
The Mission Trip
This past week, I was able to go on a mission trip with 48 other people from my church to the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the first mission trip we did as a church, and the Dream Center was recommended as one of the most impactful places in the world which is why we went. It was that and so much more. We spent 4.5 days living, eating, serving, laughing, and bonding with one another and with people from different parts of the country and different walks of life. We stayed in a dormitory style building with around 550 beds, good ole community bathrooms, a cafeteria, and a staff that truly loves what they do. Each day, our fearless leaders assigned us to one group and ministry assignment for the morning and another group and ministry assignment for the afternoon. We would wake up every morning somewhere between 5-7 (or earlier for some of us, but definitely not me lol), go eat breakfast, then head out to our first assignment. After that, we would come back for lunch and then head out for our second assignment. Once we finished that, we came back in the evening for meetings, dinner, and getting prepared for the following day. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and seriously, you should go do it.
Bringing Life
Upon arriving to and getting settled at the Dream Center on Monday, we attended orientation and then went on a tour of the Dream Center. Our guide shared with us all of the different challenges that people in LA face and then ways that the Dream Center seeks to meet those challenges through the various residential and outreach ministries provided by the Dream Center. As we walked throughout the Dream Center, I was asking God what the Dream Center was and how He viewed it, and God simply said "Life". The more we toured and learned about everything the Dream Center does, I began to get a glimpse of why this word was so fitting. Little did I know, this was just the beginning and throughout the rest of the week, God would show me each and every day more and more how and why the Dream Center was bringing Life (spiritual and physical) to everyone who either walked through the doors or came into contact with them through their outreach programs.
Tuesday: Food Bank + Kidz JAM
On Tuesday morning, I was assigned to the Dream Center Food Bank. During the couple of hours on this assignment, I helped sort and pack food that had been donated to the Dream Center. This food would later be delivered to different neighborhoods throughout the city to people who needed it. Once we finished sorting and packing the food, we also swept, mopped, and picked up trash inside and outside of the Dream Center.
Tuesday afternoon, I was assigned to Kidz JAM (Kids, Jesus, And Me). Anyone who knows me knows kids are my absolute favorite, so I was stoked about this. We got on a bus and pulled up to a neighborhood park where we played and colored with kids. After a short period of time, the regular Kidz JAM volunteers from the Dream Center called certain kids up to participate in different games and challenges to win prizes, led song and dance, prayed, went over rules, and gave a short lesson. This time was so special to me because you could clearly see the bond that these kids had formed with the Dream Center staff and volunteers. Kids JAM happens in several neighborhoods weekly, and each week the kids show up excited and eager to have fun, get snacks, and learn about Jesus. I absolutely loved the consistency and dedication that the Dream Center shows to these children, and once again I was reminded of the great love that Jesus has for children.
In the morning, we were given a list of how many boxes/cans of each type of food were supposed to go on each truck. Once we loaded the trucks with the food, we set out for the destination. When we arrived at the site, people were already lined up, and a few individuals were so polite and helped us set the food out and bag it up so it would be ready to go as soon as we needed to start. Once everything was ready, each person was able to go down the line and get all of the food they wanted and more! Again, this is something that is done multiple times a week in these communities and the appreciation was so greatly seen by each person who was blessed with food.
In the afternoon, we headed out to a different site to do the same thing there. This one took place at a church, and they also offered kids' activities to keep the children entertained while their parents were in line getting food. I got to play with a few of the kids here and my heart was so full seeing the pure joy on their faces as they played games, colored with chalk, and ate ice cream and candy.
Thursday afternoon we set out for a neighborhood with trash bags, gloves, and trash tools, and we walked through the neighborhood picking up and throwing away trash. This is definitely the side of ministry that is not glamorous and appealing, but it is so necessary. As we walked through and cleaned up the neighborhood, I was just lost in prayer for the individuals who live there. When we finished, our site leader gathered us and reminded us that while picking up trash may not have been our first choice, the impact that even just a little cleaning does on communities is astounding. When people start cleaning neighborhoods, crime rates go down, rates of proper trash disposal goes up, and the overall safety of the community is improved - simply by someone being the one to start picking up trash. We know that change does not happen overnight, but again, this is a ministry of the Dream Center that is so consistent and faithful in doing what God has called them to do, and their continued faithfulness, over time, will yield amazing results.
This brought me back to the "why" of the Dream Center: #WeGetToServe. Loving Jesus' sheep, feeding Jesus' sheep, and serving Jesus' sheep is the reason the Dream Center exists. That is what they do so well. That is what they invite us to do when we say yes to doing [short term] missions with them.
And then God reminded me that feeding His sheep is not just the responsibility of the Dream Center or even us while we were at the Dream Center, but it is our responsibility each and every day, no matter where we are.
His sheep are wherever we find ourselves, so God's instruction to feed His sheep has not ended just because I am back home now. If anything, now is the time for me to feed His sheep in an even greater way. As I love faithfully, pour faithfully, and serve faithfully where God has me, that is how I demonstrate my love to the Lord.
Feeding His sheep is how we demonstrate our love for Jesus to the world. It is truly an honor to be able to partner with Jesus in loving and serving His people, wherever we are.
Tuesday afternoon, I was assigned to Kidz JAM (Kids, Jesus, And Me). Anyone who knows me knows kids are my absolute favorite, so I was stoked about this. We got on a bus and pulled up to a neighborhood park where we played and colored with kids. After a short period of time, the regular Kidz JAM volunteers from the Dream Center called certain kids up to participate in different games and challenges to win prizes, led song and dance, prayed, went over rules, and gave a short lesson. This time was so special to me because you could clearly see the bond that these kids had formed with the Dream Center staff and volunteers. Kids JAM happens in several neighborhoods weekly, and each week the kids show up excited and eager to have fun, get snacks, and learn about Jesus. I absolutely loved the consistency and dedication that the Dream Center shows to these children, and once again I was reminded of the great love that Jesus has for children.
Wednesday: Food Truck + Kids Ministry
On Wednesday morning and afternoon, I was assigned to the Food Truck. For this, we were directed to large pallets of packaged food that we had to load onto about five Dream Center trucks and then go and distribute this food to people who were lined up at different sites.In the morning, we were given a list of how many boxes/cans of each type of food were supposed to go on each truck. Once we loaded the trucks with the food, we set out for the destination. When we arrived at the site, people were already lined up, and a few individuals were so polite and helped us set the food out and bag it up so it would be ready to go as soon as we needed to start. Once everything was ready, each person was able to go down the line and get all of the food they wanted and more! Again, this is something that is done multiple times a week in these communities and the appreciation was so greatly seen by each person who was blessed with food.
In the afternoon, we headed out to a different site to do the same thing there. This one took place at a church, and they also offered kids' activities to keep the children entertained while their parents were in line getting food. I got to play with a few of the kids here and my heart was so full seeing the pure joy on their faces as they played games, colored with chalk, and ate ice cream and candy.
Thursday: Prayer Ministry + Adopt-A-Block
As much as I love kids and loved interacting with people on this trip, Thursday morning was probably the most impactful time of ministry for me. This was an amazing session led by one of the Dream Center staff, and she gave each of us an entirely different perspective when it came to prayer. Each of us took a piece of candy (without looking) and then asked God to give us something to pray about pertaining to the piece of candy that we received. While this might sound absolutely insane to you, it absolutely blew my mind. Not only did what God spoke to me personally blow my mind, but also what He spoke to each and every person who participated in this activity. Though many of us had the same piece of candy, God spoke different things to each of us and as we shared with the group and then prayed, I can guarantee every person in there was reminded of and humbled by how big God is and how closely He pays attention to and cares about the intricate details of our lives.Thursday afternoon we set out for a neighborhood with trash bags, gloves, and trash tools, and we walked through the neighborhood picking up and throwing away trash. This is definitely the side of ministry that is not glamorous and appealing, but it is so necessary. As we walked through and cleaned up the neighborhood, I was just lost in prayer for the individuals who live there. When we finished, our site leader gathered us and reminded us that while picking up trash may not have been our first choice, the impact that even just a little cleaning does on communities is astounding. When people start cleaning neighborhoods, crime rates go down, rates of proper trash disposal goes up, and the overall safety of the community is improved - simply by someone being the one to start picking up trash. We know that change does not happen overnight, but again, this is a ministry of the Dream Center that is so consistent and faithful in doing what God has called them to do, and their continued faithfulness, over time, will yield amazing results.
S is for Sheep
The piece of candy that I picked up during the time of prayer ministry was a mini Snickers bar with the letter S on it. As soon as I saw the S, I figured God wanted me to pray for someone who's name started with an S, so I started thinking of different people that He might be asking me to pray for. As I closed my eyes and began to ask God who He wanted me to pray for, He simply said "Feed my Sheep" and then I realized that the S was not for the name of a particular person, but for His Sheep. As I was reflecting back on the week and on all of the different ways that the Dream Center carries out the task of feeding the Lord's sheep (which is what Jesus Himself instructed Peter to do in John 21:15-17), I was blown away. I was reminded once again of the great, massive love that God has for all of His people, and how much He desires for us to love Him through the way that we love His sheep.This brought me back to the "why" of the Dream Center: #WeGetToServe. Loving Jesus' sheep, feeding Jesus' sheep, and serving Jesus' sheep is the reason the Dream Center exists. That is what they do so well. That is what they invite us to do when we say yes to doing [short term] missions with them.
And then God reminded me that feeding His sheep is not just the responsibility of the Dream Center or even us while we were at the Dream Center, but it is our responsibility each and every day, no matter where we are.
His sheep are wherever we find ourselves, so God's instruction to feed His sheep has not ended just because I am back home now. If anything, now is the time for me to feed His sheep in an even greater way. As I love faithfully, pour faithfully, and serve faithfully where God has me, that is how I demonstrate my love to the Lord.
Feeding His sheep is how we demonstrate our love for Jesus to the world. It is truly an honor to be able to partner with Jesus in loving and serving His people, wherever we are.
"The third time He said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
-John 21:17
Blessings♥︎
Elisha