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job in communicating and supporting our little band of merry men, and on this particular morning Anna’s darlingness superseded our expectations entirely.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