Reachin' OUt in the TL of SF 25 Sept

Hello, Friends! Chris here in San Francisco in the TL (Tenderloin, for all the non-SF'ers), cathin' up on some needed washing of clothes. I'm 2 weeks out from home, 1 more to go (we return to Chula Vista next weekend), and Lori is here, 1 week in...
Today (Saturday) the Urban Health Care School participated in a SF-TL-wide Community Health Fair. There were about 45+ agencies who had booths, and offered a number of free health info and health services.
As part of the Urban Health school, the students put together, all on their own, an educational booth to promote good HANDWASHING... and a number of associated activities to make it fun, informative and eye-catching. (The pictures up top show a bit...). One of the 'fun' parts was having children apply a 'glow-gel' to their hands, 'wash' their hands as they normally would... then see how much of the 'glow' is left in a black box... wow! The kids were amazed at how their hands could still be loaded with bacterias... !! Lori was there interacting with the Latina women, and talking to a number of the health workers at other booths for ideas on our own health outreach fairs.
I had two unique interactions. One was an elderly Samoan woman being pushed around in a wheelchair by her son, giving out Samoan candies to the workers. When I asked her son on how to say 'thank you ' in Samoan, and did so, her face lit up with the biggest smile and she pulled me down to kiss me on the cheek!
The other interaction was a group of Muslim children who came to the station. Not knowing if I should address the girls, I and the YWAM student did a group-fun thing for handwashing ed... and there was water flying everywhere! The two mothers (in their veils) were watching and laughing... it was fun. A few minutes later, as I was headed indoors on an errand, the mother called me over and asked if I would have my photo taken with their children... so a great 'everybody wash hands!' pose was struck...
One of the biggest rewards of doing public health fairs is the bridges of relationships built. The YWAM students spoke with many who live in the neighborhood here. With over 400 people coming thru the Fair, most came thru the Handwashing booth. Many knew about YWAM's presence in the SF TL, and their caring outreach...
A great outreach day...

Teaching at the Urban Healthcare School SF... Day 4

23 Sept Chris here in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, CA...
Well, had to work my way thru the long line of over 100 elderly Chinese waiting for the YWAM base food distribution to start... and dodge the street people who were saying negative things to those in line... seems like there is a great deal of 'ethnic animosity' here...
SO, Day 4 of teaching in the YWAM School of Disaster Mgmnt and Urban Health Care. We're doing the Urban Health portion... when I say 'we, I mean both Lori and I. She taught on health educational methods and activities yesterday, and the students are currently making posters and activities for a public health fair here in the Tenderloin (one of the 'toughest' parts of SF) on Saturday. Time-consuming but valuable lessons in the process of doing urban healthcare education.
We've also started looking at the 'common health conditions' associated with urban healthcare ministries, both 'domestically' and 'internationally'... all focused on the situation of the poor, marginalized and those outside the reach of health-care delivery.
The trippy part of being here are the 100 'people who live in the street' (the new PC term for 'homeless')... the 100 who basically live in front of the SF YWAM base. Most of them with significant substance-abuse issues and mental health disorders, they are a constant presence and reminder of Jesus' heart for 'the least of these'.
SOOOO... will try to get some pics up soon... will be teaching all next week as well... will Blog more on the students next time
THANKS to all our praying peeps for the covering these two weeks.
Gotta go... can't think with the blasting boom-boxes and screeching police sirens as they bust a drug dealer...
Chris

Hard Row to hoe... 14 Sept

14 Sept 2010 Chris in Monroe, MI...
Hey, friends!
Fourth day of a (short) visit to Monroe, where there are still many, many friends and lot's of family... it's been great connecting with everybody... and hard at the same time...
The 'mission life' led us to 9.5 yrs of life in Mexico, then 11 yrs as San Diego being our 'jump point' while running all over the place, back-and-forth in Baja Mex and a dozen other places...
which meant leaving family (most in Michigan) and life-long friends (mostly in midwest as well) and live a life of constant movement, which has made relationship-building a bit hard for us in S Cal (and S Cal people are intrinsically relationship-phobes)... so, I'm reminded today about what a Hard Roe it is to hoe in missions, leaving family and friends to live out of a suitcase or in distant places.
(insert sad face here)
your bro, Chris

Hangin' with the MI saints... 12 Sept

12 Sept Chris writing in Monroe, MI...

Yeah, this town is where it all started for Lori and I... well, besides our being high-school sweethearts, getting married here, having 2 lovely daughters here and raising them in a pretty tight and loving community of family, friends and fellow travelers...

OK, this town was where the Lord birthed our Mission Call back in the late 1970's, honed it over the 1980's... then we were commissioned out of Redeemer church here in June of 1991... for what was supposed to be a 2-yr mission term, then return to this great town...

OK, that 2 yrs turned into 5 yrs that turned into... well, that was over 19 yrs ago. Ain't God funny??

SO I'm back here connecting with family and the majority of those that support and pray for us as mission workers. It's these guys who have made it possible for us to have served as long as we have...

Thanks 2 the Redeemer saints for such a warm welcome of fellowship and so many words of encouragement and love... I KNOW you guys stand with us in more ways than paying the bills!!

Some missionaries talk negatively about 'having to itinerate with supporting churches'... which is a bit of bunk to me... for me, it's more like telling the great GOD-stories of what we've been able, with the Grace and Provision of God, to do together towards the poor.... together as FRIENDS and FELLOW WORKERS...

[OK, let's not talk about the added benefit of enjoying a couple of White Castle hamburgers...] your bro, Chris