POST by JED: California Dreamin (Part 8)

Capital on the Edge's Yader at the House, San Carlos

Today was just sensational! I know every day is sensational, but today was just a “step up” from greatness. We dragged our feet in the morning. For me the “slow” was a combination of no sleep and not knowing where to begin. We were meant to meet Pastor Joel by midday at 24th Street & Mission, in San Francisco’s CBD, but didn’t make it until nearly 3pm. “No surprises there” I hear you mutter. Well shoosh please, this is MY story!!!

We had been given the honour of a tour guide whilst at “the House” Church: San Carlos, in San Francisco (extension campus of Modesto – every “good” Church needs an “extension” don’tcha reckon?!).

Anna is the Youth Pastor at “the House.” She’s a gorgeous African American gal, adopted by Caucasian missionaries, who went on to spend many years serving in South America. Needless to say, this lass did a marvelous job in communicating and supporting our little band of merry men, and on this particular morning Anna’s darlingness superseded our expectations entirely. The princess ferried us back-and-forth to the bus terminal on this crazy morning (1pm) and then surprised us completely by jumping on the bus with us.

Anna is the Youth Group Leader at the House - what a bundle of fun is THIS girl...

 

I was in a chatty mood on this cold San Friscan morning (1:30pm) and just couldn’t stop myself from spreading a little Yuletide cheer (in April). A seemingly delightful young fellow, whose name I can’t recall, boarded the busking-bound-bus and before he knew it we’d signed him up for a day with Capital on the Edge!

From the bus we switched to the train – yikes, expensive! The bus only cost us $32, however the train demanded a whopping $80… Eeeek, one day out in the Golden City was going to cost us more than two hundred Golden Coins! On the shinier side, we managed to make it to our destination before the sun began to dip. 

Fran & Raffy on the bendy-bus... Please notice the difference between childhood and teenage years - my oh my...

The boys were a wee bit shocked upon our arrival in Baghdad by the Bay. The hospital had apparently released their psychiatric ward’s patients. Some of Everybody’s FAVOURITE City’s most fruitiest of loops were meandering around the town square. 

The Capital on the Edge boys having a bite to eat before the performance

Elizabeth and I weren’t at all shocked. The last time we’d arrived via the BART (Bay Area Rail Transit), we’d encountered a fight between a couple of old winos, clearly bent on killing each other with smashed bottles. Mental problems, it’s a tough one for inner cities and it’s no different in the City That Knows How. These people clearly needed medical help and God, only one of which we could deliver…

Now our precious son, Sezzy… I don’t want to labour the point but he left the one thing he was meant to bring for our street theatre production – his stick! However, no problems for Pastor Joel Roman of South San Francisco’s Casa de Oracion (he’s my age), he went right ahead and made friends with the scary looking Copper who just happened to have a MASSIVE stick strapped to his moto.

Pastor Joel of Casa De Oracion, working with the Police - AWESOME men...

We asked him for a lend of his riot control instrument, clearly and understandably expecting the response “no.” However, the reply was nothing but positivity and support – he willingly handed over the bat, looking suspiciously around whilst he did so. Hooray!!! Sezni would be able to deliver a truly rousing evil act for our production after all (praise the Lord!!!). The Policeman? He also gave us a $20 donation – cool as, aye?

Capital on the Edge performing "Created" at the Mission, in San Francisco...

We gave our first EVER live street theatre performance (actually on the street!) the best go at it we could. Yordy, at the very last minute, refused to go on. All the eye balling, ice cream buying, “I’ll give you a knuckle sandwich if you don’t” type gestures/promises/threats did nothing to persuade the stubborn chap. However, it turned out to be a good thing. After the performance Yordy said “it’s a pretty cool play!”

Yordy watching our Production "Created" for the very first time...

Liz, in true Lizzie form, raced around the crowd giving out the local Church of God’s contact information, chatted with onlookers and offered to pray with people. It was a great time – success in fact. We were able to spread a LOT of Jesus sunshine amongst a deeply disturbed population. “Viva the City of Freedom & Fog!” 

Capital on the Edge performing "Created" for the first time on the street

After performing the production we went back to our local Church of God’s building for some pizza. It was a great time. Yet still, it was here that we had another confrontation with Yordy. We were in an upper room of this inner city building and were at another impasse. Yordy would not help clean up. This was something that became a theme with Yordy, his laziness. 

Francesca enjoying a FUN peice of wall in San Francisco

The friend from our bus ride into the city, what’s his name, finally said goodbye and it was then that we headed home to the beauty of San Carlos. Another answered prayer, Pastor Joel organised to drive us home. What can I say? The man is a giver. In addition to the ride, he also brought with him some scrumptious-didly-dumptious Nica-Cuisine. The boys were SO grateful. They love trying new food, but never feel full until they’ve eaten rice & beans. It’s not so bad… Keeps you regular…

Praying over our pizza

The very next day we were up and at it by sometime o’clock. We needed to promote the evening’s service. We went and met the principal of the local school, who looked a smidge nervous at the sight of us (me and 8 Nicaraguans, all in their black uniforms). Upon learning of our reason for being there she couldn’t have been more helpful.

We danced in front of the House (Church), causing a spectacle and hence drawing attention to our advertising. We danced on the sidewalks in downtown San Carlos, where a policeman drove by offering me nothing but a friendly wave. We danced on the streets and in the intersections, the boys doing flairs and double backflips, only halting traffic momentarily. Golly-Gosh you should have seen the people’s reactions! I felt like Whoopy Goldberg in Sister ACT 2 (Back in the Habit) – “Give me some of that money!!!”

We talked to people at the traffic lights, and I even left flyers on people’s cars (advertising the evening’s service at the House). Some people were enthusiastic, others less receptive. One lady I spoke to was talking to me in what sounded like a whisper, but through her wound up car window. I asked her to repeat what she’d said and she did so, but still with her window up!

Then I prodded Rene to speak with a young lady who was sitting on the Church steps (no less) and she completely ignored him and kept texting on her phone. I called out to her and said “Hey, someone’s trying to talk to you!” She looked up, shrugged her shoulders at me and went back to texting. Renes big eyes… It took everything within me to NOT stomp up to the child, rip the phone from her, toss it over my shoulder into the dumpster, and ram a flyer down her throat. But… Alas… In all things God must be glorified, and from whatever angle, I couldn’t work that bit in. We walked away…

Then there was the woman who screamed abuse at a chap who was propping a flyer behind her windscreen wipers. The car was parked and the windows were tinted. He walked up to the car, unaware of a looming presence, raised one of the wipers, and immediately felt the piercing spray of water to his eyes. And all the while… the wipers on the bus went swish, swish, swish! The sophisticated sergeantess had clearly had a gutful and undressed poor Yader, with her berating words.  

All you can do is laugh. This kind of activity is humbling AND makes you stronger. The boys looked to me for support in these moments and all I had in me was “ha ha haaaaaaaaaar!” Hilarious…

Well, it came time for us to do our performance and it was about the worst to-date. Rene was still in the toilet (bathroom) when it was time to go on. Eliezer looked like he was constipated when he was meant to be “loving God.“ God (Beycker) did his usual double back flip and instead of landing on his feet, landed on Jonny’s back instead. Grrrr! I sang “Let Creation Sing” like I was singing “I’m in Chains” and vice versa.

Capital on the Edge performing "Created" at the House: San Carlos

However, the Senior Pastors applauded the boys and with emotion shared that the Church currently doesn’t have missionaries that they support, and that we are to be the first! Wow! I felt humbled. Even when we’re at our worst God can still use us to move people. We went to sleep, deeply contented…

The House in San Carlos filled our cups to overflowing. The day after our constipated “Created” concert, the Church folk organised to buy us all a couple of hours of fun at trampoline-world (I made that name up! Not sure what the real name is… But basically, trampoline everything... Trampolines with foam pits, trampolines with basket balls and hoops, trampolines and dodge balls, you name it, they had it!)

Well the boys went NUTS! In fact, so nutty were their antics that one of the fellas, Eliezer, had an accident and snapped/sprained his BIG toe… He was crying like a baby but a couple of panadol, an icy pole, and lots of loo paper later, he was still crying like a baby. These hard “men” from Nicaragua – not so tough all the time... I think I actually recall him asking for his mummy. When asked for a pain-gauge out of ten, 1 being the least and ten being the most pain you’ve ever experienced in your life, he came back with “ten.”

The rest of our time at Trampoline World was a hoot. My most FAVOURITE memory was watching Pastor Deanna cutting into the queue, running as fast as she could so that she wouldn’t get told off, and flinging herself into the foam pit. 

Yader "helping" Pastor Deanna of the House: San Carlos, out of the foam pit

Deep, deep, ever so deep into the foam pit did she fall. Eventually a little hand was found and we knew that she was okay. But she wasn’t okay… She couldn’t get out! Is it even possible to drown in a foam pit?

Yader "helping" Pastor Deanna of the House: San Carlos, out of the foam pit

The “pool” staff didn’t seem too concerned. No, they didn’t let any more kids jump in, but no they didn’t throw her a lifesaving ring either. Yader-the-GREAT went to Pastor Deanna’s aid. He pulled, which was horrifying, but when he started pushing, well that was just terrifying!!!

Yader "helping" Pastor Deanna of the House: San Carlos, out of the foam pit

She eventually made it out okay, and the rest of the day was filled with fun and hilarity without any more injuries or people making fools of themselves. Got to LOVE Pastor Deanna! 

Yader "helping" Pastor Deanna of the House: San Carlos, out of the foam pit

The very next day… We got our computers back!!! For those of you who don’t recall from my last blog post, we lost our computers when Francesca put her computer into our computer bag, along with two other computers, and then walked confidently off the train, leaving the computer bag behind! Well, we all make mistakes – but THAT??? Ridiculous…

We were telephoned by Cal-Trains at midday to say that our computers were in the rail network’s lost property office – which was located just down the road from where we were staying in San Carlos. Yippee!!! I jumped in the ol’ car and toot-sweet, was able to clutch our computer bag, with all the previous contents still snuggly sitting inside.

Still, with the victories there are also the battles. On this day in San Carlos we had a wee bit of a struggle and a fight with Beycker. Long story short, his Father did/does NOT want him travelling the World with us, and blames Beycker for his family’s lack of nourishment and poor educational discipline.

Beycker’s father has two wives, two families, a girlfriend and visits prostitutes regularly. Even within the words of the last sentence, are so many other factors too heart wrenching and problematic to punch into a paragraph.

Before we left Nicaragua I had a confrontation with this fellow and was SO MAD I had to walk away. Shameful fact is, he regularly attends a church within my own denomination – the largest Church in Nicaragua. He is a poor example of Christianity, charging his second wife (Beycker’s mum) rent (FOR HIS OWN BLINKIN CHILDREN!!!).

In any case, Beycker believes he is different from his Dad. He believes his flirting with every girl he meets is something that will instantly stop when he becomes committed to a permanent relationship. When looking around Nicaragua, you’ll see that this is a thought pattern that is prevalent amongst the population. It fails 90% of the time. There are never any fathers - they all leave. The country is a fatherless land, with basically nobody raising children from a paternal perspective.

Beycker’s behavior began to escalate in San Carlos. He was consistently rude and he began to have “unhealthy discussions” with girls on facebook. Basically he adopted a bad attitude. We saw notes from Beycker’s proud father on facebook, telling the lad not to trust us, and that we’re not his true family, etc…

Well, the problems still exist with Beycker, even now that he is back in Nicaragua. We are praying for this chap, but have suspended him from touring until his heart can be restored to a place of repentance. It can’t be about us, it has to be about Jesus We continue to disciple this precious young man in Nicaragua and believe that he can make it, if he decides to look upwards…

If you would like to learn more about who our Nica-Youths are, or to support them, please visit their page, SUPPORT Nica-Talent

To learn more about our street theatre production, "CREATED", please visit our page, NICAVANGELISTS: "CREATED", North American Tour (2013)

If you would like to see a video of some of our Nica-Youths practicing, please CLICK HERE. 

We are not up to budget, and travelling with 14 people is very expensive. We need an investment from Christian people for our next evangelism tour to the Midwest. To support us or make a once off donation, please visit our page, Contemplating SUPPORTING something significant?

To learn more about Casa de Oracion, please CLICK HERE

 

To learn more about the House: San Carlos, please CLICK HERE 

POST by JED: California Dreamin (Part 7)

Pastor Jeff, telling it how it is... (New Life Community Church & Capital on the Edge)

We had no way of getting there and time was not on our side. It had been a jam-packed week with the New Life Church in Fair Oakes (Sacramento) and if anything the theme for our week in Sacramento came straight out of Matthew 25:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me,

I was sick and you looked after me,

I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Pastor Jeff of New Life Community Church and Capital on the Edge

“Then the righteous will answer him,

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,

or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Jonny walking through a homeless person's home (Capital on the Edge in Sacramento)

That was it! But the program of “IT” was to continue… Because amongst our ranks were the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the poor, the sick and the imprisoned (if not physically, well certainly emotionally and spiritually).

We were due to be in San Francisco the following day with our brothers and sisters at the Casa De Oracion, but had no way of getting there. We had no money either. AMTRAK (God Love!) & Greyhound prices were through the roof. I investigated hire car, but may have well bought a new vehicle on account of the prices. I chatted with one of my heroes, New Life Community Church Youth Pastor, Jeff Pitnikoff.

Pastor Jeff asked around and before long we had 2 drivers, Jamie and Carl. Jeff also shot me one of his Hollywood smiles as he jingle-jangled another set of keys in front of me. Glenn and Andrietta, a phenomenal pair, had offered the loan of a car. Well, this thing was being pieced together, all thanks and glory to God above. 

And so in carefree glee we cruised on down the freeway, along the flat and tranquil plain between salubrious Sacramento and scandalous San Francisco.

Of course, Sezni, our never-a-dull-moment son, had saved his entire day’s toileting urges for the first five minutes of our extraordinarily grand voyage to the West Coast. “WHY DIDN’T YA GO BEFORE WE LEFT!?!?!?” I screamed hoarsely, nearly scaring poor Carl to death on account of my dulcet missionary tones.  

“Go in a cup” I huffily howled, not even agreeing with my own absurd order. I started to shake my head painfully, “gaaaaaaaaaooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Pull off at the next exit and get straight back onto the freeway. He can skedaddle behind a tree at the entrance to the freeway.”

Our plan worked, and although we’d lost our old wagon train, we hadn’t lost much time. “Go West!” I ordered. “Life is peaceful there…”

We arrived at the beautiful Casa de Oracion in South San Francisco with hours to spare. Pastors Joel and Flor, a good looking Latino couple, came out with their kids to greet us. Now Casa de Oracion, from the outset, has held a special place in our hearts because of the ethnicity of many of their congregation – they’re Nicaraguan.

After we’d been brought inside the Church building, a little old lady from Nicaragua announced the names of delicious food dishes she’d prepared earlier for us all to eat. Upon hearing the names of these delicacies, our Nicaraguan lads fell, cross-eyed to the floor and made groaning noises of gratitude from deep inside their guts. (Flor’s eyes glanced awkwardly away from the boys… And slightly upwards…)  

They called out, as if they’d just saved a drowning infant child from the fate of death “O gracias a dios!” (THANK YOU GOD!) This moment I will treasure forever. Culture is culture and it doesn’t matter where you are from, some things are just irreplaceable.

Let me be clear by way of example… Trying to take fried cheese away from a Nicaraguan boy is like trying to take chocolate away from Elizabeth Brien. Yes, it may be done, but not with all of your fingers intact!

Now I must be fair to American fare. The boys have loved American food, and why not – it’s delicious! However, the regular complaint that each Nica-lad has had, is that they never feel “full.” Why? Because for a Nicaraguan to be truly satisfied, they need to eat heaps of steaming Gallo Pinto (the Nicaraguan name for rice and beans). Now tell me AM I right or AM I right? Claro que si!

And so we chatted, laughed and enjoyed our culture and theirs. After dinner the boys crossed the road and played basketball in the park, whilst I received the low-down from Pastor Joel and helped to organise the evening service. Time ticked by and before we knew it the show had to go on.

Performing Created, at Casa de Oracion was BRILLIANT! The Nicaraguan congregation were right behind our troupe, though many of the invited did not attend due to the “dancing” in our production. We’ve come across this issue in Nicaragua, and it is the reason we struggled to find a Church who would commission our boys as “missionaries.” 

The opening number and Beycker performs some "Tricking" moves

Nicaraguan Christians DO NOT DANCE. In Nicaragua, even rehearsed dances are not permissible, except for when little girls perform in gaudy pink dresses with either banners or ribbons. Our boys shake their groove thing/tail feather. It’s a big, wiggly finger “no, no” in Nicaragua.

In fact, last year I was blessed to speak at another Nicaraguan Church in downtown San Francisco and was welcomed back to preach, but not to perform our street theatre production, “Created.” Yes, Nicaraguan Christians understand the logic behind what we’re doing, but no – they will have NONE of it! I just thank the Lord for the vision Pastors Joel and Flor have. They’re being a bit “Jesus”, to their community, thinking outside of the box and giving the Kingdom a “go.”

Capital on the Edge, dancing the Nicaraguan Atlantic Coast dance, the "Palo de Mayo"

In addition to the dancing, is the “Palo de Mayo” factor. Yikes!!! Now the “Palo de Mayo” is an Atlantic Coastal dance, frowned upon by Nicaraguan Christians. We use the dance in our street theatre production, minus hip thrusting, to convey sin and our need for a savior.

It’s very possible that our dance might come across as offensive to some Nicaraguan non-Christians, because we are making the dance out to be “sinful”, but that is not our intention. We’re trying to show that only God can be the center of a culture, and not us, nor anything else….

Capital on the Edge, performing "Created"

Well, whatever the case, God used our simplistic, beginner production to minister to nearly every person at the Casa de Oracion on that Saturday night (myself included).  

After the performance everyone was in a state of shock. The people watching gave tearful expressions of “what the???”and the boys mirrored those sentiments. There was a wee bit of confusion but then the wise ol’ Pastor Joel took to the microphone and preached/prayed up a storm! 

Pastor Joel, of Casa de Oracion, preaching up a storm with Capital on the Edge

Practically every member of the congregation responded emotionally to the alter call, and by the end there was not a dry eye in the house!

We drove home (HELLO NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH!) in a state of silent contentment. In fact, I was so happy that Sez could’ve whizzed out the window of our speeding auto, and I wouldn’t have cared less.

We arrived at Steve & Pam’s house and it was time for everyone to bathe. The line only seemed to grow longer and I didn’t find my bod in a bed until 3am…

We were meant to be at New Life Community Church by 8am. However, as can sometimes occur on groundbreaking tours, we overslept (hush to you naysayers!) and didn’t hear the gentle rat-a-tat-tat of Carl’s clonking knuckle on the front door.

At 8:35am I was awoken by a frightening Francesca, who informed me that Carl was actually on the blower. He sergeant majored my weary butt out of bed and toot-sweet I was standing breathless by my good friend, Jeff, the youth pastor, at 9am.

Easter Sunday! New Life Community Church ran not one, but TWO phenomenal services, with great use of audio visual, an awesome sermon, singers who sang angelically (to say the least), and our very own Capital on the Edge!

We introduced our group, what we’re about, and what we’re going to be doing, and performed a routine we’ve thrown together against the song “Te Doy Gloria.” The Church supported us and applauded loudly. So terrific that God has us on this path – encouraging the Church to grab a hold of the Great Commission, and to get a bit excited about Jesus…

And so we bid New Life Community Church farewell for the second, but not the final time (sigh).

We caught a Greyhound Coach right into the very heart of downtown San Francisco and walked for half an hour with ALL of our bags/kids/youths to the Cal-Train (which heads for San Jose, but our stop took only 30 minutes - San Carlos). 

Elizabeth & Rafael, walking the streets of San Francisco

This travel day, and specifically the walk from one point in downtown Frisco to another, was the birthplace of bazaar events on our tour. I am deadly serious when I tell you that somebody, a complete stranger, earnestly protested against Liz for making Rafael walk so far with his small wheelie bag. We were told we smell like dogs. People spat at us. We saw nudity, violent fighting, beggers, winos. I had told our team “don’t worry, they won’t bite!” By the end of this walk I was telling the group to “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! SAVE YOURSELVES!!!” 

Capital on the Edge, navigating the streets of San Francisco

And so we feverishly boarded our train for San Carlos, heaping our bags in the bicycle-only section.  I nearly assaulted the rail conductor when he protested our bag positioning. Well actually no, that’s not quite true. He asked me to move the bags into another car and I threatened to let Yordy of his leash and barked a hearty argument for keeping the bags where they were. The conductor laughed and let us be as we were.

In fact, with the chug-chug-toot-toot of the train we actually became great ol’ friends, the conductor and I. So where we’d started the ride as fierce opponents (from my side only, I guess…), by the end we were like ol’ sailin buddies sitting atop a wine barrel (pile of suitcases), swigging rum (Coca Cola) and singin New-World pirate-tunes (talking American politics). Aaaah the Land of the Free!

In the bicycle car of the Caltrain

Now I usually do a check of planes, trains and automobiles when we disembark a transporting machine, however today, when getting off of the Cal-Train in San Carlos, I jumped out first so as to direct everyone - It’s not only Lizzie that has a pair of “bossy boots.”

Of course, when I told everyone to prepare for going ashore, one of the Brien children put her computer into our laptop sack, but left the darned thing on the train. Yes, and how many computers did this bag allegedly contain? 3! Three!! Iii!!! What a sorry bunch we were after that. Miss Lizzy did NOT do well…

Still, what more could go wrong after Franny’s faux pah?

Well… Whilst waiting for the pastoral staff to arrive from the House, San Carlos (one of the coolest south San Francisco Churches you’ll ever visit), Sezni - the blessed little chap, decided to call 911 and had a rather nice little chat with the folks on the other end.

Sezni on the phone in San Carlos - CAN YOU BELIEVE WE TOOK A PICTURE OF IT!!!?

So… Whilst we were having a scintillating little meet & greet chat with the pastoral staff, our newest hosts - not one, but TWO copper cars screamed into the train station car park, with lights and sirens afire, causing quite the terrible scene.

“Good gracious, someone’s in trouble” I scoffed in my mind. Of course at this point Sezni went as white as a sheet. The police officers walked past us and I followed them with my eyes. My broad smile turned to a grin, and then to a state of small satisfaction, slightly downwards into disappointment and then further south to all-out-fury…

I watched the Police Officers as they walked over to where Sezni cowered. I looked on in horror. What could I do?! I offered genuine assistance to the law enforcement officers as they took our little Sezzy into custody. Sez turned from white, to grey, to purple, to red, to black, to blue… Poor lad, learnt a valuable lesson that day.

Still, things picked up. We arrived at the House, San Carlos and what a myriad of blessings to follow. Although it felt like Egyptians were chasing us out of the city, the sea opened wide and we walked through onto dry ground! Our only request being… Lord, please don’t let it be 40 years of wandering around in the desert!

If you would like to learn more about who our Nica-Youths are, or to support them, please visit their page, SUPPORT Nica-Talent

To learn more about our street theatre production, "CREATED", please visit our page, NICAVANGELISTS: "CREATED", North American Tour (2013)

If you would like to see a video of some of our Nica-Youths practicing, please CLICK HERE. 

We are not up to budget, and travelling with 14 people is very expensive. We need an investment from Christian people for our next evangelism tour to the Midwest. To support us or make a once off donation, please visit our page, Contemplating SUPPORTING something significant?

To learn more about New Life Community Church, please CLICK HERE

 

To learn more about Casa de Oracion, please CLICK HERE

 

To learn more about the House: San Carlos, please CLICK HERE