Veterans Day may be a week away, but it was at the heart of our work Sunday night. That's my father-in-law, Wil Sommer, a veteran, serving one of our regulars, Steve, also a veteran, last night in line. Steve was released from Veteran's Hospital in LA just Saturday morning, November 3, after having his prostate removed, Thursday, November 1. He wasn't complaining, he didn't ask for a special place in line- in fact I would have never known about his surgery had another friend not told me. When I talked to Steve about it he had no complaints. Said the hospital treated him like a king, the food was great and what could he expect of his body- he's 51. His life has been changed forever: he's not even able to wear the same old jeans yet. He walked to our line in the cold night air and walked away alone into the fog, one of our bags under his arm, a plate in his hand, a limp in his stride after thanking me for promising to keep him in my prayers. He was smiling- said he had no complaints -said what we're always saying on the streets: "God is good." I knew how to respond: "All the time." And off he went without asking for one bit of special favor. I couldn't help but think of all the flags that will be flown next Monday... while a couple of veterans, Dad serving in the line, in his late 70's and Steve, waiting in the line, life forever changed by surgery, happy to serve, happy to have a meal. God is Good... All the Time. Keep Steve, Wil and all our vets in your prayers in the week to come. Many are still serving, other's need someone to serve them... not one of them should be forgotten.

This guy showed up on the streets for the first time about a month ago. He'd lost his job, didn't know where to turn but had some family in Southern California and headed this way. First week was typical, he was clean, telling his story with outrage and scared to death. Second week he was asking for a ride out of town- to use the phone and reach out for help. Third week, he was drunk. The last couple of weeks he just fits right in. Skid row, poverty... it's a trap door people never expect to fall into and when they do, from the outside, it's a fairly predictable path so many go down. We've seen it too many times. He's far from the only man or woman who we saw and still remember their first night of fear on the streets. When I asked him how he was doing, he said he was still waiting for me to give him a ride to a family members home... didn't ask to use the phone to call them... I'm sure his trip to skid row has been many layered and getting back through them must seem next to impossible, each layer now another barrier, keeping him from the connections that can rescue him from falling even further from any sense of normalcy in his life. Every man, woman and child living in poverty has a story- each unique - each with similar steps along the way. So much of the work that needs to be done on skid row and with people fighting poverty everywhere, needs to be done before people fall so far that they begin to not only accept their conditions but to embrace them as reality with no way out. Since our work focuses on the chronically homeless, the extent of my advice to these guys is to "Leave now. Go anywhere else. Reach out to your family for help." Practical, just not all someone might need during the rest of the week. Pray not just for these folks new to poverty but also for those who are building ministries to get them out quickly, or better yet, make sure they never have to hit skid row.

It takes the whole team to get things done each Sunday. That's Jodi in a photo from last week and without her, so many would have never been fed. Sadly, her husband Chuck, who's also been an important part of Jackets for Jesus, as his health has allowed, fell Saturday night and broke his leg. Jodi spent Sunday in the hospital next to Chuck- he's fought cancer and a number of other life threatening conditions and his bones are frail to the point of barely able to hold him up- now he'll spend his recovery and physical therapy in a rehabilitation center. Jodi, true to form, already had dinner planned, chicken thawed and when she called Evelyn, Bart and the rest of the team, they stepped up to the bat and did an amazing job so Jodi could spend the evening at Chucks bedside. Please keep them both in your prayers. Their hearts are huge and they're both an inspiration to us all. Pray that they experience God's healing presence through these difficult days. Pray for the rest of the team that steps up to pick up the slack. It's been challenge enough living without a trailer... NO WAY can we figure out how to live without Jodi! Life intervenes but there's strength in the team. Thanksgiving is just days away, we already have over 300 reservations, easily on track to feed the over 2,000 we fed last year at Central Community. This is our 20th Thanksgiving dinner for the community. When one of us needs time to heal, we believe God's ready to lift the rest of us up with extra strength and whatever additional team workers may be necessary. People living in poverty need us now, more than ever, we're going to the streets this Sunday night, you're invited to join us.

for changing lives,

Eric

email: eric@centralcommunity.com

phone: 1-714-907-4263

web: http://www.centralcommunity.com