Rev. Andy's Blog

What Real Love Means

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:01:00 +0000

Deconstructing Skid Row

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:55:00 +0000

As I stood speaking next to an LAPD Patrol Officer, a gentleman lay still on the sidewalk, covered in a sheet. He had not awakened that morning due to what appeared to be an overdose of heroin. Other folks in the same dire straits walked past and made signs of the cross, respectfully prayed, or blessed the man now departed.

The officer asked, "What is it going to take to change this area?" I shared the usual answers: the difference and improvement the LAPD has made through the Safer Cities Initiative, the increased outreach, the building of permanent supportive housing and the plans to build more. But then I said what I believe needs to be said, "This plan to corral/contain homelessness in the 50 square block area known as Skid Row over the past several decades has created, what I describe as, the worst human made disaster in the United States. Dropping off, dumping, and gathering all of our County's most challenged, struggling, and, sometimes, desperate folks into one dense area has done the area and those individuals undue harm."

My friends who are homeless would be best served if they could regularly connect with other healthy people in a community surrounded and filled with Hope. This is the reason why Union Rescue Mission founded Hope Gardens Family Center, far from the mean streets of Skid Row. The transformational locale and community has done wonders for the spirit of our moms and children. We moved ahead with the plan for Hope Gardens because of our own convictions, but also do to a study by University of Southern California which stated that our friends who are homeless would best be served in their own regions, in smaller facilities, away from the mean streets of Skid Row.

As CEO of one of the largest Mission's of its kind west of the Mississippi river and as President of the Los Angeles Central Providers Collaborative on Skid Row, I now truly believe we need 100 facilities like Hope Gardens for each of our men, women, and children homeless in our communities. Skid Row, as we know it, and the policies of containment and corralling need to be deconstructed and disestablished for the good of our community and the good of the individuals we are trying to assist, encourage, and provide a hand up and out of homelessness.

Thankful Man

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:07:00 +0000

This past Sunday was my birthday - my 50th birthday! I never thought I would make it to 40! In fact, I almost did not.

I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 36 years and had a heart attack at 37 and survived. Not only did I make it to 40, but now I am 50 and feeling pretty strong, walking and working out regularly, even with a permanently broken foot in 5 places. In a matter of 6 weeks, I became a Grandpa and turned 50. I feel a bit, actually, like I have finally arrived!

For my birthday, I went out to Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center and climbed to the top of one of the surrounding hills to look at the 30,000 acres burned by a wildfire on Sunday, Oct. 12th. The area around Hope Gardens was completely burned and destroyed. Fire had burned to the western edge of Hope Gardens. Fire had burned the area to the eastern edge, even burned all around our water tank. Our southern most wooden bridge and our northern most bridge burnt up, but God’s hand, good planning, and the Herculean efforts of our area fire departments miraculously saved Hope Gardens. Our alert staff, security and the Sheriff evacuated everyone safely that Sunday and all were taken care of by our loving staff at Union Rescue Mission downtown.

While at Hope Gardens on Sunday, I visited our Senior Ladies living in permanent supportive housing at Sequoia Lodge. I thanked the Lord that their lives had been saved from the fire and they did not find themselves homeless once again. I discovered that the fire had burned right up to within 5 feet of the Sequoia Lodge building. Thank you, Lord!

I also said “Hi” to our moms and children living in transitional housing at Hope Gardens and watched the children play. Again, I was so thankful that these precious little ones did not have to face homelessness again- thanks to God’s goodness and grace and the community’s efforts to provide and protect. I heard last night that my little 5 year-old buddy, Guy, dreadlocks and all (I call him the honorary Mayor of Hope Gardens), was praying with the group who returned to Hope Gardens and said, “Thank you, God, for not burning the trees!” Then he and the group shouted, “Praise be to God!” I echo that sentiment.

We at URM are facing extremely difficult financial times. More folks, especially families, are coming to us in need at this time. We’ve even added another floor to house families devastated by the economic downturn, at a time when giving is way down, but the Lord has orchestrated the sale of one of our adjacent properties right on time. It will provide some much needed funds that will help carry URM and Hope Gardens for a time while, hopefully, the economy gets a chance to recover and we gear up to raise sufficient funds to operate both facilities. The timing could not have been better or closer!

Thank you, Lord. You are too good to me. You are too good to URM. I am an extremely thankful man. Blessings, Rev. Andy B.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season?

How URM Responds to Depression/Recession

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Launched 117 years ago, Union Rescue Mission faced a challenge similar to what it appears we are facing right about 79 years ago, as the Great Depression hit the US and Los Angeles. During those tough years, URM actually expanded its services to meet the need - one point in time URM was feeding 50% of the hungry people in the City of Los Angeles. When we weren’t feeding people, our job training program was actively working to find employment for hundreds of desperate people hoping for work and a little money each day. This is what happens when the rest of the economic world seems to crumble around us. We can’t cut back on programs or services because the rest of the world and our fellow human beings need us more than ever.

I lied awake the entire night last Wednesday contemplating URM’s response to what appears to be coming our way. Calls to the Los Angeles County hotline from families losing their homes have doubled in recent months. The sheriff in Chicago, Illinois has put a moratorium on any further evictions after foreclosures or failure to pay rent because as he says, “there are just too many families on the streets already!”

After this sleepless night, I came in with the resolve that we will prepare for more families and not less. We have reorganized and opened up our 5th floor for families, in addition to the 4th floor of our building so that we can house double of the number of two parent families, single moms with children, and single dads with children who are coming our way in droves. We have prepared ourselves for the long haul by cutting costs where we can but increasing services and we realize that these desperate families will be staying with us for longer periods than they have in the past. We are at our normal capacity in our men’s and women’s guest areas, but we are creatively strategizing on ways that we can increase our capacity so that we don’t turn anyone in need away.

We want to live up to URM’s reputation and history of stepping up to the need during the most desperate of times. We can do this because our Hope is in the LORD and we know we can rely on our generous and faithful donors who give to others no matter how difficult things become in their own life.

Thanks to all who are helping us through this challenging time. Bless you! Andy B.

A Precious Man Known Only as John

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:27:00 +0000

The hearts of URM staff and guests are going out to a gentleman known as John, or Grimley, who was homeless and brutally doused with gasoline and lit on fire, causing his death this past Thursday evening in the Mid-Wilshire area of downtown. Our hearts also go out to the wonderful people who looked out for him each day, and to those who tried to save him from the fire.

Safer Cities Initiative - 2nd Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:20:00 +0000

As we sort through all of the commentary and controversy regarding the Safer City Initiative, the Los Angeles Central Providers Collaborative (LACPC) paused to reflect on the program with unique perspective. The LACPC is made up of many of the missions and homeless service providers in the Central City region of downtown – an area commonly referred to as “Skid Row”. We have long-standing relationships with both the housed and un-housed people most affected by Safer City Initiative efforts. We have partnered with LAPD, the Mayor’s office, City Council and the City Attorney’s office to make sure this effort fits the unique character of our community.

With the incredible growth that the downtown area has experienced, the problems and potential of the area have been magnified - the residential population has increased by 20% since 2005. Some estimates suggest that over 40,000 people will be living in this area by the end of 2008.

The good news is that in the past two years violent crime has decreased 33% and “sidewalk” deaths, which include those people who died sleeping on the sidewalks, under freeway off ramps, under bridges, and in the street generally from overdoses or neglect, is down a startling 41% as compared to 2005/2006.

The streets are cleaner, trees are trimmed, drug dealers no longer stake claim on our corners and the residents (housed and un-housed) feel safer. Today there are no drug-infested porta-potties being used for prostitution and it has been a long time since we pulled one of our neighbors out of the stench and filth only to find them dead from an overdose. There are fewer people dying from traffic deaths because jaywalking has been reduced.

Central Division is the only LAPD Division that has a pre-filing diversion program – called “Streets or Services” (SOS). This effort, initiated by social service providers, elected officials, the City Attorney, LAPD and others, recognizes that the problems that perpetuate homelessness and poverty are not addressed by incarceration. Instead, programs that encourage people to recognize and address underlying issues provide a higher level of benefit for both that individual and the community. Out of all of the narcotics arrests made in the City of Los Angeles, historically 20% have been made in the downtown area. Five LACPC partners are collaborating on a grant from the City of Los Angeles to provide beds and services for the SOS program in order to try to give some of our chronically homeless guests a way off of the streets for good.

Services are still insufficient for all who need them. We still experience more need than available resources. However, we envision a day where we have the increase in services, and specifically dollars, to support that need. The economy has hit all non-profits hard and while we are suffering to make ends meet – our clientele is growing. The City of Los Angeles needs to continue to invest in our community which is home to people who have some of the most severe mental health and addiction issues you will find anywhere.

A few years ago we all realized it was imperative that this community make changes in order to provide safety and an environment that promotes community pride and ownership.

The efforts of the entire community have resulted in an improvement in quality of life. Is it perfect? Not yet. But a clear line has been drawn in the sand. We are a community of people that deserve the opportunity to live, work, recover and play in a safe and clean environment. There is a new pride in the neighborhood. There is still more work to be done. More resources have to be committed, but clearly we have made significant strides in our quest to end lawlessness and foster an environment that encourages respect, responsibility and personal and community prosperity. We are an example of a community that believes change can happen and we are willing to invest ourselves to make it happen. I am going to see if I can organize my neighbors to take this kind of action in my own home community! - Andy B.

What can you do to create an environment that promotes community pride and ownership in your neighborhood?

Do you think this will make a difference?

Here is a list of Union Rescue Mission’s local officials, if you’d like to thank them for their support.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Councilwoman Jan Perry
County Supervisor Gloria Molina

Faithful Friends Bringing Us Through

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:01:00 +0000

I received a call from the Los Angeles Business Journal asking about the effect of the current financial turmoil and impending disaster is having on our fundraising and our Mission. I’d like to share my answers with you.

The need and demand for our services is up with more single people, more two parent families, single fathers with children, and, in a couple of cases, even former donors, coming to Union Rescue Mission and appearing at our doors in need of help. At the same time, giving to our Mission has dropped, about 17% so far this year compared to last year, and dropped off even more significantly in the last 10 days. More need with fewer resources is a very challenging combination. Each day we are meeting to strategize on cost cutting in order to make it through this difficult time while still stepping up to meet the extra need.

The reasons we have made it this far vary but we do believe there are two categories of faithful friends out there who sustain us during this tough time. We have a group of donors (1,450 in number) who give regularly each week or month, in gift amounts between $14.00 to $25.00, even $100 up to $500. I believe these people are not giving from their excess, but are faithfully giving despite the pain and challenge it brings to their own lifestyle. They believe so strongly in caring for the “least of these” that Jesus Christ spoke of and offering hope to people who have run out of hope that they are willing to sacrificially give despite the hardship it brings on them. It is hard for me to describe the appreciation that I feel for these 1,450 faithful friends of Union Rescue Mission.

The next group of donors helping us through this hard season is a constant surprise and gives us the opportunity to be astonished from time to time. These are precious folks from the “Greatest Generation”, who remembered our guests when they wrote out their wills and estates. This group usually comes out of the first group that I described above. They often faithfully gave a regular, though not an extraordinary total amount, throughout their lifetime, and yet, shortly after they have left this world, Union Rescue Mission is notified that they remembered us, and we are alerted to the fact that a large gift, possibly greater than $100,000, is on its way. When it arrives, as one did yesterday, we gather around as a team, ring a wonderful bell made for the Mission by a dear friend, and remember this generous, loving person, pray as a group and thank our Lord for the provision that allows us to carry on with this needed work and ministry. Yesterday, we received two of these gifts. These gifts are literally carrying us through difficult times when we seriously are wondering if we will make it through. These friends planned ahead and now are unaffected by these tough financial times, but they are making a huge difference in our lives and more importantly in the lives of our guests.

I plan on joining this group of difference makers. I have placed URM in my estate plans. If you would like to be this kind of difference maker please contact dhutson@urm.org. Keep us in your prayers! Andy B.

Grandpa Andy is Back at URM

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:24:00 +0000

Although it was hard to leave my new grandson, Elijah Solomon Bales, behind in Iowa, I am glad to be back at the Mission and back to work! I am now rescheduling my life and my vacation times around a little 7 lb. 5 ounce handsome miracle – my life will never be the same! Likewise, my bank account will never be the same! As my friend Warren Currie jokingly says, “My 26 or so grandchildren cause me to nearly go bankrupt each Christmas!”

Despite all of the challenges facing our world (after 48 hours in my car listening to CNN on XM radio, I am up on current events – believe me), I am excited to be back because we have lots of exciting things happening in the days ahead at Union Rescue Mission.

Union Rescue Mission is preparing once again to open the winter shelters in Burbank, West LA, Culver City, and here in downtown through added cots in our facility, and we have our biggest Thanksgiving event ever coming up with some surprises. I will inform everyone more on these surprises as the big event approaches.

Thanks to a wonderful open house and fundraiser by the Friends of Hope Gardens Family Center this last Saturday evening, we are preparing to complete the renovation of Hope Gardens Family Center’s kitchen and then take on the final two complex building renovations so that we can house 20 more families and many more children in the months ahead.

This next week we also launch a new Hospitality and Guest Services Department to better serve our men and women guests. We have hired Rev. Brenda Mitchell, former Pastor of Congregational Care at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, to lead our staff in living out our mission statement “…embrace our guests with the compassion of Christ” more fully. We want to greet our guests as they are - the princes and princesses, sons and daughters of the King of Kings.

Thank you for your continued support of this tremendous work and ministry at Union Rescue Mission!

Chevy's Roberto Clemente Award

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Union Rescue Mission was honored last night to be the charity of choice for James Loney, star 1st Baseman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he received the team’s Roberto Clemente Award, sponsored by Chevrolet. I have provided excerpts from MLB.com below to explain this honor.

The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to a player who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others. Each club nominated a player.

Roberto Clemente was a legendary figure both on and off the field. In baseball, he was labeled "complete" for his incredible offensive and defensive skills. But it was his compassion off the field that redefined the term.

Clemente once said, "Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth."

On September 30, 1972, Roberto Clemente hit a double to earn his 3,000th Major League hit, placing him in an elite group of baseball greats. No one knew it at the time, but that two-bagger would represent the last regular season hit for Roberto Clemente. That New Year's Eve, Roberto and four others boarded a plane to deliver relief supplies to earthquake-striken Nicaragua. Shortly after takeoff the plane exploded and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. There were no survivors.

"Roberto Clemente played the game of baseball with a great passion that could only be matched by his unrelenting commitment to making a difference in the lives of those in need. People saw him as a great ballplayer and humanitarian."

Manny Sanguillen
friend and former Pirates teammate

Roberto was my favorite ballplayer growing up, as I even used to swing at high pitches and try to “tomahawk” line drives and run the bases with the passion of Roberto Clemente.

When our Chairman of the Board David Dow, an avid baseball fan, heard of this honor, he wrote to me;

“Wow, where do I start! Whom do I congratulate first? That is one coveted award, made more coveted in my heart by virtue of Clemente being my late son's favorite ballplayer (Mark wore a Pittsburgh Pirate hat until it was grimy and smelly.) Clemente died being the kind of humanitarian to which we all should aspire.”

I met James Loney during his rookie year, on Christian Day at Dodger Stadium, and he was very friendly and outgoing that day as he had his picture taken with those of us from KKLA Radio. He and his wonderful teammate, Andre Ethier, have taken an active interest in URM. Andre has even grilled hot dogs on the roof with us and James Loney has a wonderful outreach with young people in Los Angeles through Loney’s Lounge.

Last night James honored us by handing us a check for $7,500 as the designee of his award. But, if you, our friends, go to this website

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fan_forum/chevyclemente/index.jsp

or www.chevy.com/clemente

and vote for James Loney of the Dodgers for the MLB Overall Roberto Clemente Award, and he wins, URM will receive a gift of $30,000!

Meeting Greater Challenges with Fewer Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:30:00 +0000

It has been an interesting last few days at Union Rescue Mission. We are seeing things and taking on challenges that we have not faced in my 3 and ½ years here.

Another local shelter lost a great deal of their funding and had to reduce their beds by over 200. This put 200 more people on the streets of Skid Row and South LA. As their leadership shared their heartbreak with me regarding reducing their beds, they delivered some shocking news: 150 of their regular guests are either full-time students (some at USC and UCLA) or employed people who, if they put in their time at school or stay for their full shift of work, can’t line up early enough for a bed in their emergency shelter and end up not getting a cot for the night. We have welcomed many of their folks into our community, adding cots on our 2nd floor and in our 1st floor guest area, but at this moment I am wishing that we had 150 more beds for these folks dedicated to working so hard in school and work to get ahead. It pains me that they are being held back from making significant personal progress because of homelessness and near hopelessness.

We also found that one of our newest guests, a 77 year-old, was swindled out of her house by a reverse mortgage scam. This is the report I received from our Chaplain Tracy:

While interviewing for the Second Step women’s program, we heard one of the most heart-breaking stories yesterday from two of our homeless guests, Eva S and Genevieve S.

Ms. S, who is a recent widow, had owned her home for 44 years. One day two men whom Ms. S thought were nice, helpful loan brokers came to her front door, asking if she needed help with repairs on her home… After a while, they convinced her that they could help her to get a reverse mortgage. Long story short, they swindled her out of her home by instructing her to sign blank documents, which resulted in her unknowingly selling her home. She and her daughter are now homeless. Her daughter, Genevieve, is a dialysis patient and depends upon Eva (who is 77 years old) to drive her 3 days a week to the Dialysis center for treatment. Ms. S must have her daughter at the center at 4 a.m., which means they must get up at 3 a.m. to drive to the Dialysis center.

Ms. S and Genevieve have met with police officers, a legal aid clinic, and other lawyers who told them that they have a strong case due to the fraudulent activity, which involves finding the crooks who ran off with the proceeds from her home, but they need money in order to pursue the matter legally. Both Ms. S. and her daughter are on fixed incomes so they quite simply cannot afford the legal bills to bring about justice.

It saddens me to know that this kind of elder abuse is becoming so prevalent in our community. I would like to suggest that (with their consent) we publicize their story with the hope of some kind of advocacy on her behalf, and on behalf of helpless seniors like her who have ended up homeless and heart-broken.

We have turned this over to the City Attorney and the LA Times with hopes that Ms. S and her daughter may find eventually find their way back to their home.

Another recent challenge is the number of single dads with children showing up at our door. It is extremely challenging to find a place for dads with children in Los Angeles - there isn’t even enough emergency and transitional housing in the County for single moms with children, the reason our Hope Gardens facility was established. We were able to recently accommodate one single father and 2 boys on our floor where we normally house volunteers who come to spend time sharing their talents at URM.

Reflecting on all of these new challenges, we can’t help but see much more of this ahead. As families, who have been foreclosed on, expend everything they have to bounce back, some families will not bounce back but will come our way. With the current state of the economy, we realize that we will have to assist more people with fewer resources. The only way we can respond to more need with fewer resources is through creativity, partnerships and prayer. –Rev. Andy B.

Will you join me in prayer, creating partnerships, and thinking out of the box?

Will you let others know about elder abuse?

Loving, Broken People

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:36:00 +0000

I just returned from a short visit to La Canada Presbyterian Church’s family camp. They invited me to enjoy the full week and although my schedule would not allow one week, I did find time to stay one day and night before assisting with a Homeless Family Simulation project. We divided everyone into five groups with five different outcomes as I presented the groups with a common challenge for our homeless friends. Each group needed to raise enough money in a short time period of time to move from living in a car to getting a motel room, a shower, and a good night’s rest, for a change. I was supposed to arrive and teach, but I learned more than I taught.

During the first evening, I shared the story of Irvin, a man who has gone from living on the streets near death for 7 years, to being a healthy, strong, tremendous member of our maintenance department at Union Rescue Mission. I shared how a simple cold bottle of water and Christ’s compassion made a big difference in Irvin’s life. I shared that our mission and my opportunity here is to love the folks that the rest of the world has given up on. After I finished my short talk, Bill Robinson, the President of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington spoke.

Bill delivered a powerful message and one that I needed to hear. He told the audience that it was not just Irvin who needed the compassion of Christ, but that everyone we meet has hurts and brokenness, even if they don’t appear to, and that each encounter we have presents an opportunity to share the compassion and love of Christ. In fact, Bill eloquently shared that it is not proof of the Gospel or apologetics that will win doubters to Christ, but that a combination of proclaiming the Gospel and sharing the compassion of Christ that will have the most powerful effect. I have to admit that it is a easy and a natural tendency of mine to quickly share compassion with hurting folks on the streets, while I sometimes struggle to show that same compassion to folks who appear to have it all together. I’ve determined in my heart to love each and every person I meet with the compassion of Christ. Andy B.

Who do you find it easy to show compassion?

Who do you find it is difficult to show compassion to?

Moments on the Street

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Interesting, heartbreaking, and encouraging moments can happen on the streets of Skid Row within minutes of each other. Yesterday, our water walk was put in jeopardy for a moment when a woman pushed another woman in front of a passing bus at 5th and San Pedro. The woman was injured and we have no status report as of yet, but this brought lots of police activity and closed the block off for a bit.

As we went out the back door of Union Rescue Mission, I saw a young man who looked out of place. A big, strapping young man, with piercing blue eyes, Hollywood good looks, and a great smile, full of life. He introduced himself to me this week as a young man with a very good job, but a deadly crack cocaine and newly found heroin addiction that has nearly killed him by overdosing several times in the last few weeks. My heart went out to him as I looked into his striking eyes and I told him, “You need to stay here and save your life!” Tears flowed down both of our eyes. He is still here. Pray for him!

Another man in a wheelchair grabbed my hand and yelled, “You are the unsung heroes! You are saving lives out here!”

As we walked, precious human beings lay in the corners of buildings, appearing to be near death. It was quite an experience for our young people visiting with us from Virginia on our Urban Experience. On the walk the day before, a drug crazed, very large and athletic man began jumping straight up into the air and kicking our boxes of bottles on the cart, telling the young people from Virginia that if anyone hurt them, he would take care of them. Our security person asked the man to calm down and he went off! We never know what to expect.
As we closed our walk yesterday, a tiny, quiet and very wrinkled lady walked up to me in front of the young people and gave me a theological lesson in God’s goodness. She said, “God provides! I needed a shower and clothes and He provided me with just what I needed at Union Rescue Mission just now. Now I am thirsty, and you have come along with a cold bottle of water, right on time. God always looks out for me, when I don’t try to run from Him!” She began trying to convert me until I let her know that Jesus was the reason that I was delivering the cold water. Jesus is the reason that we do what we do here at URM. Thanks for your support!

Update on Betty!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:12:00 +0000

Many of you may have been following the story of precious Betty and I wanted to update you.
Betty is a wonderful mom who has done what only a mom or Jesus might do – she left all else behind to come to America and rescue her daughter from the streets by assuming herself the homeless plight of her daughter. I met Betty at the Burbank Winter Shelter on her 86th Birthday.

Watch the video at: http://www.urm.org/betty

Please read this wonderfully written piece by her case manager, Olivia.

Good afternoon,

I wanted to update you on the good news! As you know Scott and I took Ms. Betty on a tour of Hope Gardens and Sequoia Lodge. She was very quiet on the way there but as we got closer to the mountains she started to relax and began talking. By the time we arrived and she stepped foot on the grounds she was quite reluctant. She was already expressing concern about being alone and feeling isolated. She was also very worried about her being new and whether or not anyone was going to like her.

By the time we approached the main lodge, Betty lit up when she finally took a moment and began to look around, seeing where she was and what she was surrounded by. She just stopped in her tracks, falling in love with the flowers and all the greenery. When we approached the door to the lodge, there were a few mothers outside with their children. They all greeted her and were so welcoming. Scott took us on a tour of the main lodge and the family area, where he stopped to show Betty a room and explained that this was where she would most likely be staying until something else opens up. She was still a bit reluctant to be by her self. We continued with the tour.

As we continued driving, Betty kept saying how “romantic” and “beautiful” it was there. When we arrived at Sequoia Lodge, the staff was there to greet Betty and she loved it. Of course, when Ms. Johnnie arrived she took over and Betty was drawn to her immediately. Ms. Johnnie has a knack for making people feel so welcome. Ms. Johnnie introduced Betty to everyone and then showed us to the dining area, where we all took a minute to sit down to have lunch. This definitely helped Betty relax and open up more. Once we finished lunch, the tour was on.

When Betty started to see everything there was to do there, she just fell in love. I learned so much more about Betty during that tour, she really opened up. It seemed everything they had there she wanted to do, learn and try. She was shown the rooms, library, piano room, garden, and so much more. She was so excited when Ms. Johnnie asked Betty to help her with the garden. Betty said she would love to teach a sewing class. She said she wants to exercise and learn to speak Spanish. She played the piano for us and it was so sweet. After all was said and done, Ms. Johnnie and I spoke with Betty about visiting Sequoia Lodge until she feels comfortable with the idea of being there with out her daughter. It seemed like Betty liked that.
However, by the time we got in the car to leave Betty said, “I am ready. As soon as possible, I will go.” Scott and I joked with Betty about what sealed the deal with her. We think it was the freedom to shower whenever she wants and she agreed!

I am pleased to say that I received a call from Scott Chamberlain this afternoon with the good news that Betty is being asked to be a part of the Sequoia Lodge and Hope Gardens family starting Monday.

As everyone knows, Betty has made a lot of sacrifices and left a lot behind in Indonesia to stay true to her husband’s last wish that she go to their daughter, get her off of the streets and make sure she is ok. She is definitely staying true to this promise, no matter how hard it has been.

As you also know, Betty’s daughter has mental health issues and requires a lot of attention, sometimes on a daily basis. There has been a lot of stress on her and her daughter over the last month or so. It seems her daughter’s housing situation along with several recent mental episodes have caused her daughter to take out her frustrations and emotions on Betty and this was neither good for Betty nor her daughter. Understanding how close they were, regardless of the pain they cause one another, I knew going into it was going to be hard to separate her and her daughter. Well, let me say that everyone involved in this has made the two of them feel so comfortable and safe, that they are so excited. With Betty at Union Rescue Mission’s Sequoia Lodge and her daughter here in our downtown shelter for single women, this will give me so much more of an opportunity to really focus on her daughter while Betty can feel at peace taking care of her own self. Now, Betty’s daughter will no longer use her mother as an excuse and can see the potential in herself to take care of the things she needs to on a daily basis.

Again, I can’t thank everyone enough for this opportunity to take a woman who has been through so much in her life and give her some peace of mind, while I do everything I can to help her daughter get focused, and learn to help her own self get her life back in order.

Olivia

Please keep Betty and her daughter in your prayers, and continue to support URM as we rescue precious people from the mean streets! Andy B.

What a Difference a Year Makes Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:50:00 +0000

On Monday evening, we had the opportunity to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of moving our women and children to the safety of Hope Gardens Family Center. Many of the churches, volunteers, and donors, who have been the keys to success of Hope Gardens and responsible for creating an environment for change in the lives of our precious moms and children, came to celebrate the anniversary and witness a special graduation. 10 moms completed our 10 class program and some moms have achieved all of their goals and even moved into permanent housing!

Two things touched my heart the most.

Each child was exuding pride in their mom’s accomplishments, showing incredible behavior and peacefulness as they celebrated their moms! I was incredibly proud of the moms and their children.

But what made me the most satisfied and honored was the presence of our neighbors who once vigorously opposed Hope Gardens Family Center, now attended the celebration, congratulated our moms, and greeted us with thanks and warm hugs. Something special has happened in their hearts and ours!

Here is a sample of the attitude change from one of our neighbors who previously strongly opposed Hope Gardens. I hope it touches your heart like it touched mine.

Dear Andy,
Your Hope Garden yesterday was such a special day that I will remember it fondly forever. The pride I felt for your families and the joy shining from each of them for their individual and group accomplishments is so very apparent that many a moment I had tears come to my eyes.
Thank you for letting me join in your celebrations. What a splendid afternoon for all. It was lovely to see you although it is too bad you weren’t able to participate there in person for the entire festivity but you will enjoy it on video soon I’m certain.I thanked Scott Johnson a few times and told him how happy I was for all of you and I asked Scott Johnson to relay my special thanks to you and to Scott Chamberlain who did a quick disappearing act when his moment was done there. I had so wanted to express my feelings to him as well. Please let Scott C. know that I applaud you all very much.
Bravo all!

What a difference a year, hard work by staff and moms, resources provided by donors and volunteers, open hearts by our neighbors and God’s amazing grace makes in our hearts and lives. What an honor to serve at Union Rescue Mission. Blessings, Andy B.

What a Difference 1 Year Makes!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Union Rescue Mission is celebrating our very own Hope Gardens Family Center’s first anniversary. What a difference a year makes! Last year, in this season, we had just won a very challenging battle and began moving a few moms and children from the dangerous streets of Skid Row, to the safety and peace of Hope Gardens Family Center. Now, 30 moms, 55 children, including 10 precious babies, live in very supportive transitional housing, and 22 senior ladies live in permanent supportive housing, all surrounded by coastal redwoods, shady oak trees, beautiful flowers, and walking paths - all amidst tranquility and beauty.

We have established a Boy Scout troop, a Girl Scout troop, along with a Cub Scout troop, and our walls are plastered with pictures of children whose lives have been changed and are now on the honor roll in their respective schools.

Just this week, the neighbors somewhat near Hope Gardens, who had opposed us very effectively one year ago, asked us to come to their neighborhood meeting and team up on an issue that may affect their safety as well as ours. What a joy it was to walk into the Kagel Canyon/Dexter Park Community Building and feel a welcome and peace – I was humbled as this was not the case one year ago. I attribute this welcoming experience to their willingness to give us a chance, and our fantastic Hope Gardens team, led by Scott Chamberlain and Scott Johnson, managing this great challenge in a way that kept all of our promises to the neighbors and set up a fantastic environment in which our moms, children and precious senior ladies could prosper. This was difficult and courageous work - I applaud our team.

This welcome was also made possible by our donors, who stretched themselves and gave sacrificially to provide the needed resources so that we could hire staff and produce an environment that was conducive to positive life transformation - they helped us keep our promises. What a difference one year and a multitude of faith and courage can make in the lives of our women and children! Blessings, Andy B.

Never Too Late

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:57:00 +0000

This week was an especially encouraging week despite all of the challenges. In our Tuesday morning chapel, we heard the stories of 5 men who are graduating from our intense, 1 year training program here at Union Rescue Mission. These were 5 men with 5 powerful stories of transformation. All of the stories were amazing, but I will only share two:

Antonio shared the struggle of having a son who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, at only a few months old! On shaky ground already, Antonio dealt with the pain by falling deeper into drug and alcohol abuse until he lost everything, including almost losing his family. But his wife directed him to the Christian Life Discipleship Program here at Union Rescue Mission. For the first time, Antonio read the Bible and experienced a change in his heart through accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior. After completing the program, Antonio shared that he now has his family, his sobriety, and a job! He has committed to living a pure life, so that his son, now 6 years old, will be able to accept a healthy lung transplant from Antonio when his son reaches age 18. Antonio has important reasons to stay alive and to live a healthy life. We were all brought to tears by his story and his commitment to save the life of his son.

Irvin then began to share his journey. He kidded that he started a camping trip in the year 2000 and it didn’t end until 2007. “Nobody goes camping for 7 years!” he said. Then Irvin got serious. He shared how he had run from God and for 7 years he was trapped by a cocaine addiction on San Julian, the mean street just behind our Mission. He said that one day, he was lying out there on the sidewalk, starving to death, thirsty in the heat, and he decided to come into the Mission. Irvin said that he came in with a commitment for 3 months only, but after arriving decided to give his whole self and heart to God. Irvin has now completed a year, works all over the Mission with our Maintenance department, and is looking forward to coming on staff at Union Rescue Mission. When Irvin mentioned that he was starving to death on the street behind the Mission in 2007, I suddenly saw the face and body of a man who I had handed a cold bottle of water to late last year. I remembered Irvin in red gym shorts, unable to stand up, a wisp of a man, ribs showing. I remembered calling my friend, Sergeant Deon Joseph of the LAPD, and telling him that a man was dying on the street on San Julian. After chapel, I asked Irvin if he remembered a big, strong, African American police officer coming to his aid on the streets. Irvin said, “Yes, he gave me your card and told me to get off the street and into URM’s program, but I wasn’t ready quite yet.” But Irvin didn’t forget. He came in and experienced a complete life change, when most experts and the world would have said it was too late. That shriveled up, dying man, lost in addiction is now a strong, hard working, friendly ambassador of life changing power.

I had a renewed strength and passion to go out onto the streets this week with cold water. Last night, as I joined a monthly neighborhood walk with several dignitaries, a young man approached me and said he needed help. He said he had been homeless in Portland for 10 years and had just arrived in town. I shared with him about our programs and opportunities at URM. I thought about waiting until after the walk to take him back to the Mission, but I looked at him and said, “I think you have done enough walking.” As we left the dignitaries and the walk behind, he was startled by the violence, behavior and smell of Skid Row. We only walked one block back to the Mission, but this young man asked me, “You walked all the way out here alone?” We walked into the Mission and were quickly met by staff members who are former program graduates. They welcomed Ray and after a tour of URM, he joined our program. What a joy it is to work at the Mission and get to be a part of bringing life changing hope to people who are struggling. Andy B.

Summer Heat

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:58:00 +0000

We realized summer had arrived this week and it was not just the scorching Southern California heat that let us know.

On Tuesday, a gentleman who had just been transferred from our extended winter shelter beds to our emergency guest services beds, was standing outside of Union Rescue Mission on San Julian Street, when a group of young men attacked him, even going so far as to punch him in the face. Our guest fell, his head struck the pavement, and he was gone. Immediately, we all began grieving this tragic loss and for his family. There was no mention of his life or death in the news, but he was a valuable human being and very precious in our sight.

The next day one of our little boys at the Mission stepped onto the bus and was punched right in the face, leaving a big gash and a great need for stitches. The bus driver dropped him off at the curb and drove on to school. I comforted this little guy and his struggling mom and younger brother as they stepped into the ambulance.

We knew summer had arrived - our efforts to cool folks off and cool folks down with heightened care and security had started.

We delivered nearly 1,000 cold bottles of water out on the streets 4 out of the 5 weekday afternoons and we were greeted mostly with extreme thanks, to us and to the Lord. Some folks on the street were so troubled that they cursed at and threw the bottles back toward us. One troubled man even poured the cold water out in front of us despite the 97 degree weather and his extreme thirst. My most encouraging moment came when, after receiving a cold cup of water, one elderly lady moved from distress to dancing with joy!

On these days we know that we have the opportunity to lift spirits, extend the love of Jesus Christ, and possibly even save lives. Please keep our TEAM IN YOUR PRAYERS or even come and join us on any afternoon when the temperature is above 85 degrees. Blessings, Andy B

How are you beating the heat this summer?

Are there folks near you in need of cold water?

Keeping It Together To Help Others Pick Up The Pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:45:00 +0000

I appreciate friends and prayer warriors very much. One of those friends and prayer warriors encouraged me greatly last month. Union Rescue Mission was short on funds - it was weighing on me heavily. At 11 in the morning my friend called and said with confidence, “God knows your needs and won’t desert you or the Mission, Andy.” Due to my friend’s track record, I took his encouragement seriously.

I was on my way to a speaking engagement at a luncheon with a great group of friends in their seventies and eighties, one of my favorite groups. On my way back to Union Rescue Mission, I received a call that a $130,000 bequest had come in that met even more than our needs. I called my faithful friend to let him know what had happened. “Andy, that is good news,” he said. “I would like you to consider joining me at the fitness center 3 times a week. It is going to be important for you to stay healthy and strong for God to use you in the days and years ahead.” Again, because of my friend’s track record, I listened and joined him 3 times to work out. Then my wife and I joined the 24 Hour Fitness Center near our home.

I have been lifting weights regularly 3 days a week for 1 month, and am feeling so strong and healthy that I have set a goal to reach my peak bench press weight when I turn 50 this October -315 lbs. This means I will lift the same weight that I lifted at 25 years old!

That weight goal would not be remarkable, except that I have had Type 1 diabetes for 36 years, had a heart attack and surgery 12 years ago, and have been battling kidney (renal) insufficiency (25-30%) function for the last 9 years or so. These are only some of the health challenges I face, but you get the picture.

My body has always responded well to working out, but this time, for my advancing age, I am responding exceedingly well and feeling very good.

It is a good thing I listened to my friend. Last night I tried to get to sleep. A man who is homeless had written me earlier in the week from the library via email, “The nights I was able to use the bed in the Seed of Hope area at URM were nights that I was able to rest. I am hoping I can be placed in this area again.

Mr Bales between you and I, my spirit is shattered in a major way. Not being able to rest only makes it worse. It isn't broken, but it is shattered.

I hope to hear from you soon.”

This man’s life resembles the life of Job - everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong. He later shared with me that all he has left is his faith. Well, last night he called me at 11 PM to say that he was having difficulty getting a bed at Union Rescue Mission. He was low on patience, and by the time I sorted things out and made sure he had a bed, he had left angrily. I knew that I would not sleep unless I made sure that he was safe and not on the mean streets. So, I tried through a series of phone calls and text messages to track him down, and convince him to let me drive out, pick him up, and return him to the Mission to a bed for some much needed rest. While texting and calling this friend who is homeless, another close good friend, a wealthy friend of mine and a donor to URM, was also texting me very late at night, struggling with his own life, asking for prayer. So, here I am near midnight, pretty tired, texting two friends, worlds apart, but both experiencing shattered spirits.

As I laid there, fretting over both of these friends, feeling my concern and blood pressure rise, I remembered my faithful friend’s words, “It is important for you to stay healthy and strong, so God can use you in the days and years ahead.” I was then reminded, “This is why you need to stay strong, why God put you here, and why you need to keep it together, because shattered friends need help in putting the pieces back together.”

I drug myself out of bed, changed my clothes, and drove out to find my friend who is homeless, all the while praying for my other friend. I found my friend near the UCLA campus, delivered him back to URM, and secured a bed and safety for him so he could get some much needed rest. It is nice to know what my purpose is and to be healthy and strong enough to carry it out. Blessings, Andy B.

Energized in Dallas

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:27:00 +0000

I came back about a week ago from a wonderful conference in Dallas, Texas, as people from all over the country and world came together to discuss our work in Rescue Missions. The conference is put on by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, or AGRM, and is designed to bring folks together to learn best practices from each other in the areas of Rescue Mission operations, fundraising, hospitality, outreach, and more.

This was one of the best conferences that I have attended, of any kind. The general sessions were lively. The new Executive Director, John Ashmen, came from a camping background, and he made the general sessions seem like a dynamic evening camp meeting, with lots of fun and great worship, along with the excellent speakers. We heard from Mike Yankoski, a young man who left college to travel with a friend as a couple of people who were homeless, experiencing the trauma of homelessness in several cities in the US. Mike gave us a young person’s perspective on the practice of hospitality and welcoming people as Jesus would. It was encouraging to get his dose of energy, passion and idealism.

My friend, Dave Raley, and I taught a well received seminar on transforming a website. We reported a 121 % increase in giving through our website and folks staying a bit longer at our website after making some changes to cause it to be more interactive, telling stories through video, and creating this blog.

At the conference, Union Rescue Mission received honors for our website (3rd Place), YouTube videos (2nd place), and this blog (1st place). This was very encouraging, but what encouraged me the most was the direction that the AGRM is moving. I can best describe that by sharing their Mission and Vision statements.

This is their new Mission Statement:

AGRM exists to proclaim the passion of Jesus toward the hungry, homeless, abused and addicted; and to accelerate quality and effectiveness in member missions.

I really like the “…proclaim the passion of Jesus…” part of this statement and the “…accelerate the quality and effectiveness…” emphasis. I don’t like the part that describes people by stating their condition and would prefer that the statement read “toward people who are hungry, homeless, abused, and addicted”, as people are much more than their condition and should not be described only with their condition.

Here is the Vision Statement:

AGRM will foster and feed a movement of diverse, energetic disciples who will see the practice of hospitality to the destitute as both a catalyst for life transformation in Jesus and a fundamental expression of their Christian faith, thus propelling the church into the lead role in society’s quest to alleviate homelessness.

I love this Vision Statement! “Diverse, energetic disciples who will see the practice of hospitality ...as both a catalyst of life transformation in Jesus and a fundamental expression of their faith…..in society’s quest to alleviate homelessness.”

This is powerful. At Union Rescue Mission, we have always recognized the power that welcoming and hospitality brings to our preached words of the Gospel. We have had a long practice of caring for people and then inviting them to hear the good news, rather than making them hear the good news before being able to have their needs met. People are much more receptive when they voluntarily attend our worship meetings after having their immediate needs taken care of.

I have also always believed that some of my greatest opportunities of worship, my greatest expression of my faith and love for God, are my opportunities to give someone who is hurting and hungry a meal, a fresh cup of cold water, and my love and attention.

I am proud to be a member of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions! Keep going John and TEAM!

What associations/affiliations are you connected with in your hopes to alleviate challenges in our society?

How is the association changing to keep up with the changing times?

Persevere

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:54:00 +0000

Special thanks to all who have responded to our plea for help as we face tremendous challenges.

As you know, we have taken on the great challenge of opening up Hope Gardens Family Center this past year. Though it has been a tough year to open up a new facility and program, we are thankful that 42 women and their children, representing over 100 individuals, have had their lives positively impacted forever. Since its opening in June last year, 6 families have successfully moved on to permanent supportive housing and, currently, 27 moms, 56 children, and 23 elderly women are living a life of hope at Hope Gardens Family Center. One graduate told me that the smiles have returned to her sons’ faces – making the struggle worth it all!

We have the opportunity now to complete two more buildings, and then we will nearly double the capacity at Hope Gardens Family Center, bringing smiles to the faces of nearly 100 more precious people.

We not only opened up Hope Gardens Family Center, but we also kept Union Rescue Mission home base strong - graduating more men this year from our Christian Life Discipleship Program than we have in recent years. Our women’s program has grown and improved by leaps and bounds, and we graduated our first 14 ladies in caps and gowns in a joy and tear-filled event. We continue to welcome guest men, women, and women with children, feed over 2300 meals per day, and assist folks in transitioning from the streets and prisons to working as productive members of society.

This year we took on the winter shelters when others did not want to take the challenge on. Through, EIMAGO, our own public benefits charity, we were funded by the City/County partnership, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, to open up armories in West LA, Culver City, and Burbank, and assist 570 more Los Angeles folks in getting off the streets and out of the winter weather.

I am amazed that all of this has been accomplished in a year where we have been on a financial mountain climb, to say the least. Gas prices, food prices, and the unfortunate fires in neighborhoods across Los Angeles have all had an impact on our donors and our own expenses here at Union Rescue Mission.

Lately, I have faced many sleepless nights, wondering where our next dollar will come from, concerned about keeping our staff employed and paid, and our God-given guests fed. We are so fortunate to have friends who listen to God’s heart and then respond with gifts just in time to keep this work going. I feel blessed to have friends like former URM CEO Warren Currie, who sends me messages to PERSEVERE, and our own Board Chairman David Dow, who reminds me of how bleak things looked last Spring when we were down to our last dollar and faced with even tougher circumstances while we fought for the right to move our moms and children to a life of hope at Hope Gardens Family Center. I am encouraged to persevere and I hope you are too. Please keep us in your prayers! Andy B.

Breaking News: No More Hospital Drop-offs in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:21:00 +0000

The Los Angeles City Council voted this morning to make the dropping off of a homeless patient a misdemeanor crime in the City of Los Angeles.

We have had a long history of distressed, confused, and very ill patients dropped off on the streets of Skid Row and at our Mission.

Four years ago, a woman was dropped off by a hospital with an IV in her arm and, 10 minutes later, passed away in our guest area from pneumonia. This caused Union Rescue Mission to place cameras on our front entrance so we could document these hospital drop-offs.

Then, in March of 2006, an elderly woman, Carol Reyes, was dropped off by a cab to wander the streets in front of our Mission, and we rescued her from the great danger that she faced. This was all caught on tape. The video of that ordeal was sent all over the world by the news media and played on CNN, 60 Minutes, Dateline, and in the movie SICKO, to name a few.

Just last week a confused gentleman, struggling with mental health issues, was driven 42 miles from a hospital in Orange County and dropped off around the corner from our Mission, on these mean streets of Skid Row. He was lost for a time but, thankfully, was reunited with his family and is now safe in a Board and Care home.

A State law against “hospital dumping” was proposed and made it through committee and the California Assembly only to be vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, much to my disappointment.

We have worked long and hard in this advocacy for our homeless friends, and I am thankful that this law finally passed in the City of Los Angeles.

Special thanks to Commander Andy Smith of the LAPD, Rocky Delgadillo, Jeff Isaacs, Mike Dundas, Gordon Turner and others from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office for their diligent work on this issue. I am honored and URM is blessed to be represented by the Honorable Jan Perry, City Councilwoman for this District, who passionately spoke up for this ordinance and who always speaks with courage, passion and wisdom on behalf of her constituents.

We are very happy that the City of Los Angeles lived up to its title - City of Angels - today! Andy B.

What issues are you concerned about in our city?

What can you do to address them?

Tribute to Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:50:00 +0000

This week we celebrate one of God's greatest gifts - moms! I don’t know about you, but my mom had a significant impact on me.

She instilled much of the self-confidence that I have, as she woke me up each morning to the words, “Good morning, Sunshine!” She drew me close whenever my heart was wounded or broken, prayed for healing, cared for me through many sicknesses and injuries, believed in me and cheered me on when others did not. Today, she is taking care of my precious dad, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, after he suffered a devastating stroke. What an example and hero my mom has been to me!

Not only is my mom a hero, but also my mom's older sister, my precious Aunt Dena. She helped educate and spoil me throughout my life, introducing me to Pepsi and Diet Pepsi for the first time, taking me to Florida for summer vacations, and never forgetting my birthday. I call her each Mother’s Day to give her my love and thank her for her investment into my life, as she lost her only son.

These are the moms and ladies I have in mind as I meet with the young moms and older ladies here at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center.

Last Saturday, I went out and assisted and encouraged the courageous young moms at Hope Gardens who are raising their children alone and doing their best to bless their children. I attempted to run off some of the children’s energy so the moms could have a good day, but I quickly wore out and retreated home to rest!

On Monday, I had the opportunity to spend time with Betty, an 86 year old mom who I met at the Burbank winter shelter this season. She had shared with me then that she had come to check on her daughter, but found her own daughter struggling in homelessness and with mental illness. Betty took on her daughter’s homelessness in order to be by her side and watch out for her. Only a mom’s love would bring her to that point. Betty’s life goal is to stand beside her daughter, until she is in her own place, back in college, and doing well. Betty thanked me for assisting her in coming to Union Rescue Mission and I have adopted her as my mom in California! Our picture here:

On Friday, we will celebrate our moms and ladies here at Union Rescue Mission with a special party. I hope you take time to celebrate and honor the special mom and ladies who have shaped your life! They are indeed one of God’s greatest gifts to us. --Rev. Andy B.

Would you like to add a comment/compliment about your own mom or a special "mom" in your life?

This Just In...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:31:00 +0000

Friends,

I was so excited to receive this report about our Boy Scout troop at Hope Gardens Family Center, that I had to post it on my blog!

Hello team, the kids and I had a wonderful time on our Boy Scout camping trip. There were 200 Boy Scouts at this event and our Hope Gardens Troop 2911 Wolf Pack Patrol came in 3rd place for over-all activities. We also received a ribbon for having the most spirit at that time giving our troop call.

The boys represented Hope Gardens very well and most of the patrol leaders verbally acknowledge that to me and our kids. It was amazing watching the boys work together to reach goals and finish the activities. Our boys also encouraged each other and respected each team member for their strengths and short comings and helped when another need help. I am so proud of all of the 7 boys I took.

Gabriel: He led our troop in points scored by knowing and tying 4 knots in 2 minutes.
Eric: He lead us in points by scoring very good on marksmanship hitting his target 4 out of 5 times. Also, for showing leadership and accepting the responsibility of being Troop 2911 Senior Patrol Leader. He was responsible for getting the boys up, and helping me out in many ways.
Malik: He proved to everybody that no matter what problems a person might suffer from he can be just as competitive. I’m very proud of Malik because he tried every activity and he always gave it his all. Malik has SPIRIT.
Michael: He led us in archery by hitting the bulls eye scoring pretty good for his first time shooting bow and arrow.
Marcus: I want to thank him for always staying positive and for cooking me some chicken. YES, all the boys had to prepare and cook their own meals and Marcus cooked and fixed my plate for me.
Tamir: He led our team in identifying different plants and animals. Thanks because I didn’t have a clue.
Joseph: He helped out by getting all the boys together and helped coordinate our play that we performed for the other 200 Boy Scouts.
Me - well I was just there to supervise and guide but they did everything. Well, except for FEAR FACTOR!!! I won this years Boy Scout Camp fire award because the kids signed me up for FEAR FACTOR. I had to eat cow HEART<>

It was wonderful sleeping in sleeping bags inside tents enjoying God’s creations together.
We all had a fun time and we learned so much about the outdoors, Boy Scouts, ourselves and each other. The kids really believe that they can accomplish goals that they set for themselves, but they also got a chance to set goals and accomplish them together as a team. I believe this has brought our boys together and our kids will get a lot out of being a Boy Scout, an experience they share with others. In fact, many other troop leaders have invited us to other activities with their troops! We have also been invited to an Eagle Scout (Highest Rank) Ceremony Sunday. God is Good.

Keep this impressionable young men in your prayers as Chris and other mentors impact their lives! Andy B.

China Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Friends,

I had a wonderful, challenging time while I was in China. One of our speakers told us that on your first day in China you think you are an expert. On your second day, you are a student, and on your third day, you are confused! That was certainly true for me. I went with a class to study the growth of Christianity in China. I read books about China before I left, but I was not prepared for what I would see and experience.

We visited a 7th Century Christian Pagoda (tower) in Xian. We visited the Temple of Heaven where Shong-Di (the God of Heaven) was worshipped by the Emperor. We walked on Tiananmen Square where students were killed by Tanks in 1989-our group picture was even dispersed by a police truck that resembled a tank.

We also had opportunity to hear from many church leaders and visited a number and variety of churches throughout China. My wife and I rode a tandem bike on top of a 10 mile ancient city wall that circled the city and reminded us of Jericho! We probably set a record covering the distance in 38 minutes and outrunning many Chinese teenagers who raced us to no avail, laughing as we passed them. I also climbed a challenging hill and then a ladder to scale to the top of the Christian Pagoda so that I could see an ancient Nativity scene inside.

Wherever I went in China, just like at home, I was drawn to the folks who were homeless on the sidewalks. My heart and my yuan (¥) went out to them. I tried to invite them into restaurants for meals, but they did not feel welcome to enter, so I went against my own advice and gave them enough for their next meal. I would have rather had them join me for a meal so I knew that the money went to feed them and not a bad habit.

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting with a top government official. He shared that China is moving bit by bit to a market economy, and, much like in the US, he shared that their top social issues were not enough housing, not enough jobs, and a growing number of elderly who have no social security system, causing a great deal of homelessness among the elderly, and not enough medical services for elderly citizens. I met with another official who shared that non-profits and churches will be the key to adding heart and love to China and bringing about the harmonious society which they are seeking. I offered my help and Union Rescue Mission’s help in the area of homelessness. We will see what happens.

Another highlight was being with my classmates from all over the world and hearing their perspectives. Before I left, my classmate from Myanmar asked me to help him solve a hunger problem. It seems that even though they have so many rats, 1 Million people went hungry in his country last year, as the rats were eating all of the crops. I am going to see if we can send them some stray wild cats. Another classmate from Ghana shared that while we were in China, floods came into his house and took out the local bridge. He asked me to bring a team to rebuild the bridge. There is a lot of work to do in Christ’s name in this world.

Please keep China in your prayers. If you are fortunate enough to attend the Beijing games, go expecting to be surprised. I hope you will take God’s grace and love with you, and set a wonderful example of kindness and warmth for the people in China.

Transformed Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Bales) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:39:00 +0000

This last Easter weekend, or Resurrection weekend, as we call it, was a time to focus not only on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also on the “resurrected”, changed lives that we get to witness at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center every day.

Our new video just up on our website features a young man who is a walking miracle. Like his father before him, he entered Union Rescue Mission as a hurting, homeless man, entered our one year, intense Christian Life Discipleship program, graduated proudly in cap and gown (as our men do each quarter), and became an apprentice in our Volunteer Office.

Now after some years of working as an employee (30% of our staff are former program graduates), Alex is now the Manager and leader of Union Rescue Mission’s Volunteer Office. Please take some time to view the story of Alex’s life and ministry and see him in action on our new video.

There are other transformations taking place through Union Rescue Mission and those happen in the lives of our donors. As donors give to others through their donations to Union Rescue Mission and other ministries, something happens in their lives. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) As folks give, their heart becomes connected not only with those who are struggling with homelessness, but with Jesus himself. When their heart is touched, they become powerful instruments of the love of Christ. 90 years young URM donor Robert Lucas says it better than I can in a poem that he recently sent me:

God, You're So Good

God, you're so good,

You really do care

You watch every sparrow,

You count every hair.

You're so great,

And I'm so small.

I really wonder God,

Why you care at all.

You came and died,

That I might live.

Please tell me God,

What can I give?

You want me?

How can that be?

I'm nothing special,

As you can see.

What's that You say?

You can use me?

If I come childlike -

On bended knee?

Then take me God,

Do what You will.

Make me yielded,

Sensitive and still

What is your reaction to Alex’s story?

Are you interested in getting involved in a place like URM that witnesses these kinds of transformations regularly?

Will you consider joining Robert and putting your treasure and your heart to work at Union Rescue Mission?

My next blog will be from China or at least about my experience studying Christianity in China from April 1-11. Please pray for URM, my wife and I during these next days that I am away. God bless you. -Andy B.