Guest Bloggers Part Deux

Nothing says Christian youth group more than a  large white van filled with teens. What an experience riding in a van with teens.  One benefit of traveling in a high van was the ride over the bay bridge.  We could see over the guard rail so we saw the Embarcadero, all the piers, Coit Tower and the cruise ship from the vehicle.  We really get to know each other so much better during our time in the vans.  Music is the biggest way these kids express themselves.  I have gotten to know their personalities through their music choices.   Gone are the days that you turn on the radio and listen to what the DJ selects.  Maybe change stations to find a DJ you like better.  Today they can select anything they want from Spotify plugged into the van radio.  The DJ, usually Krisi, is tethered from the middle seat to the front console by a cable.  Then everyone yells what they want to hear.  I rarely have ever heard of any of the music.  There is a lot of screamo singing.  Sometimes they actually know the lyrics they are singing.  We have found Disney songs to be the common ground between the various age groups.  Everyone  knows all the words to those songs.  I have to say Mitchell has the most bizarre selections with Austin J.  a close second.  You have to check out the songs Nuggets in a Biscuit plus Violin (the most random song).  I don't even know where they find these songs.  I wracked my brain to think of the most unusually funny song I knew and remembered Tie me Kangaroo Down.  When we played it I was amazed that Mitchell knew all the words to that song too.     -Sue

I woke up this morning feeling well rested and energetic.  I got to sleep in another hour.  We also found bagels in the kitchen this morning. So turn up.

-Austin Jungers

MEET A NEED for a "No Name, Vet"
All morning we were trying to find someone to help.  It wasn't coming to us so easily.  We came across this "No Name, Vet" sitting on the ground in front of Popeye's Chicken on Mission.  As Sue and I approached the door to go in a use the restroom, he yelled at us that he could use a piece of chicken and a biscuit.  Of course we would buy that for him.  When we came out to give him the chicken, he was cussing and yelling at someone I didn't see.  We gave him the chicken, but we could tell he was embarrassed by his behavior and tried to give us the chicken back.  He explained that she was treating him horrible as a vet and that she spit on him.  With his head lowered, he tried to explain how he served our country and gets treated horribly.  He was so upset, and tried so hard to control himself in front of us, but was having a difficult time.  When we insisted he take the food, he took it  out of respect, but with the box of chicken in hand an his head lowered, he proceeded to cross the street in the crosswalk and stopped in the middle as the walk light began to count down 3 - 2 - 1....Perhaps he saw the rest of our team on the other side waiting for us.  Sue & I immediately went in the street and put our hands out to the cars to stop as to not hit him while we tried to coerce him to continue crossing so he wouldn't get hit.  He told me it didn't matter.  We begged him to cross and finally he did, but he put the box of chicken on the curb and continued walking fast with his head down in the street for a bit, then on the sidewalk until finally out of site.

I was crushed.  My heart was burdened for this man.  I could hardly talk as a lump grew in my throat and tears welt up in my eyes. Why God?  We picked up the box and began walking again quietly.  We tried to wait for God to show us who we might offer the food to.  We saw a girl on the street sitting against the building and Krisi was going to approach her, but she had an urging that this wasn't what we were supposed to do, so we continued walking.  I walked ahead of the group and all of a sudden this "No name, Vet" came up from behind and began walking next to me with his head down explaining to me again why he got upset with the lady who spit on him that he was so hurt because he has served our country and saw so much...women and children killed and he doesn't deserve it.  He was concerned about what our group thought about him.  I told him we were thankful that he served our country.  (I just wanted to comfort this man.)  I asked him his name and he said his name doesn't matter.  I told him his name matters to God.  He said he knew that.  I asked him if he would please take the chicken and take care of himself.  He nodded that he would.  I turned around and the team was quietly walking about 5 steps behind me...praying (I'm sure) and handed me the box of food to give to him.   He took it and continued to walk, but when I went back to the group, I turned around and he came back and gave me a hug.  That hug was the hug of Jesus. He met both our needs.

-Tammy Sawyer