lincoln heights
we hit the mean streets of lincoln heights again this past weekend after a two week hiatus, courtesy of servant partners spring break. the last time i was there we celebrated Easter with local families in lincoln park, some of whom we had met before, some of whom we came to know that afternoon. a good time was had by all. by the way, if you just so happened to be planting a church in the inner-city of a family-oriented, predominantly latino community, keep this in mind: a lot of free chinese food and a big ole' jumper for the kids can do a lot in the way of attracting attention. mix in a little pick-up soccer and a festive religious holiday, and you'll be needing Jesus himself to multiply your beef and broccoli stir-fry.
it seems that after just a few weeks of canvassing the neighborhood, fruit is bearing in lincoln heights. that is to say that our meager once-a-week attempts at building friendships and slightly-higher frequency of prayer and reflection (hopefully) have been met with a disproportionate measure of God's faithfulness and grace. for me and lauren, this has come in the way of a forty year-old woman named denise and her two elementary school age daughters. we met the first weekend after an awkward encounter outside the house with her teenage son, and now, each week we visit lincoln heights, we stop at their modest home filled to the brim with family, nuclear and otherwise.
this past week, we visited again and, before we knew it, 45 minutes flashed by. tiny bits and pieces of this woman's life and the life of her two younger daughters fell into our lap. here's a sampling: she plays in a softball league with her 5 sisters and has done so for the past 4 years; she used to commute four hours round trip from hemet to los angeles for a job that paid "good money"; she was a varsity baller at lincoln high before a bum knee and motherhood ended her career; she regularly cooks 5 course meals because daughters in the 3rd and 4th grade are picky with food and uniquely picky at that; the father of her children has a sizable gut, so much so that the children call him volkswagen (think of the voluptuously curved beetle).
daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers...
denise's home is a home of women - daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers. though this home of women houses vibrant notions of love and family, i pray that things will change. though this house welcomes and opens its doors to strangers, with each visit my heart ails. love and family does not equal hope and truth. a house that has been home to this family for generation upon generation, cannot hide the brokenness of sin - fatherless children, husbandless wives, brotherless sisters. their's is a lineage of men leaving women. Lord, have mercy.
"Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea,
only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous." - Isaiah 10:22.
it seems that after just a few weeks of canvassing the neighborhood, fruit is bearing in lincoln heights. that is to say that our meager once-a-week attempts at building friendships and slightly-higher frequency of prayer and reflection (hopefully) have been met with a disproportionate measure of God's faithfulness and grace. for me and lauren, this has come in the way of a forty year-old woman named denise and her two elementary school age daughters. we met the first weekend after an awkward encounter outside the house with her teenage son, and now, each week we visit lincoln heights, we stop at their modest home filled to the brim with family, nuclear and otherwise.
this past week, we visited again and, before we knew it, 45 minutes flashed by. tiny bits and pieces of this woman's life and the life of her two younger daughters fell into our lap. here's a sampling: she plays in a softball league with her 5 sisters and has done so for the past 4 years; she used to commute four hours round trip from hemet to los angeles for a job that paid "good money"; she was a varsity baller at lincoln high before a bum knee and motherhood ended her career; she regularly cooks 5 course meals because daughters in the 3rd and 4th grade are picky with food and uniquely picky at that; the father of her children has a sizable gut, so much so that the children call him volkswagen (think of the voluptuously curved beetle).
daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers...
denise's home is a home of women - daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers. though this home of women houses vibrant notions of love and family, i pray that things will change. though this house welcomes and opens its doors to strangers, with each visit my heart ails. love and family does not equal hope and truth. a house that has been home to this family for generation upon generation, cannot hide the brokenness of sin - fatherless children, husbandless wives, brotherless sisters. their's is a lineage of men leaving women. Lord, have mercy.
"Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea,
only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous." - Isaiah 10:22.
posted by Elliot Ling @ 4:36 PM
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