the heart of the city always looks beautiful at night... from a distance... last night- all those lights... seemed to be people coming home from spring break, Easter with family or just having enjoyed the absolutely perfect southern California day... and every single one of them shared the freeway- just ahead of us -as we crawled our way into the city. Rush hour traffic is a pain in the neck- but end of the holiday traffic - jockeying for a spot in the lane with a bunch of folks who are exhausted from too much time away, too much partying and food, too much family... too much... and every one of them tired and wanting nothing more than to be home- late Easter night -well that's a completely different kind of driving. Add to that a van full of people- jacked up on Easter candy and tired from a full day -a trailer hooked to the back of our 15 passenger van and you begin to imagine what it was like for Bart as he hauled us all to the heart of the city. And then there was the black out... no kidding... Katie was waiting for us at McDonald's- no way we were going to be there by 9pm we would be lucky to pass by it at 10pm -Katie called from her cell phone, concerned for our safety when we didn't show up- and as we were speaking, the lights went out, for miles around, a total blackout... no clue what caused it or how it happened... but after spending 20 or 30 minutes in total darkness, in a neighborhood that can get sketchy, Katie decided to get back on the freeway and head for home. We couldn't even pull off for a stop at McDonald's- could barely see the off ramp, much less the Golden Arches... every Sunday night's a new adventure. Then Jodi realized she'd forgotten the plates... to serve the meal on! We'd already spent 20 minutes searching for van seats before leaving the church- (the van and trailer had been used for Easter set-up) -we'd packed the drink igloos before Jodi had time to get ice in them... you get the picture... and of course we'd misplaced keys for the trailer. The prospect of finding a store open in East LA after 10pm on Easter Sunday seemed slim at best. Pulling into a McDonald's just outside the city, I went in and begged for plates... offered to buy plates... they refused. Someone finally said, "By the time we get to our corner no one will be left anyway- we can serve the meal in cups!" So we rejoined traffic- tail between our legs - and headed into skid row. What a start... or end... to a very full day.

The line was waiting... It never ceases to amaze me- on the few nights we've been very late, that people wait for us. Nearly a hundred people, all with the same statement of faith: "We knew you guys would be here." Other's said: "Some people left- but we told them you'd be coming." An old friend on the streets, one of our regulars who's been battling sobriety... was losing his battle Easter Sunday... just the same, he held me- stench of alcohol washing over me... and said: "Some of us got together and prayed. We knew you were on your way. We just prayed that you were all safe!" Easter Sunday, each of us with a dozen good reasons not to go into the city- just to take a break -every roadblock conceivable out ahead of us- nothing but brake lights -literally- all the way into the city... and no one- not one person in the van - said: "Let's just turn around and go home." Everyone was focused on the task ahead, on the people we serve, on what we might have missed in the craziness of the day... I work with the most amazing people in the world. Please keep all those who serve with Jackets for Jesus in your prayers. So many in the heart of our city... the heart of poverty... depend on our work together.

Jodi found some plates- not enough, but some, while setting up. I walked the line- greeting people, hugging friends, sharing Easter greetings and discussing our day- telling the story of our long ride in - and when the food line was ready, I announced that Jodi was serving, Chicken, beans and salad- a great dessert, there would be colored eggs and Easter candy for all and that we had more than enough jackets and clothes for everyone... applause shattered the darkness... and we bowed our heads in prayer, thanking God for the miracle He's given us in the heart of what the world considers darkness, on skidrow. Everyone tired and ready to eat- the line moved like clock work and needed very little supervision. Watching the team at play, our regulars sit down to eat, I quietly thanked God as the hour went well past 11 and I realized few of us would make it home before 1am... to say that we're an eclectic crew of workers would be putting it mildly... but God's put us together in a way that gets the job done week in and week out, year in and year out, decade in and decade out... He's too good. Watching it all happen- after so much frustration -felt like celebrating a resurrection... so I started to sing. That kind of stuff happens on the streets. I'm sure people driving by must think we're crazy... but in the middle of the night it felt like Christ breaking through with a good kind of crazy at the end of the day. People clapped their hands, I handed out jackets and all was right with the world. Another Sunday night on the streets. God is too good.

Not my poverty... God's blessed me from the time I was born with more than most people on the planet can imagine. I don't begin to know what it means to "go without." Most times I go with way too much... overwhelmed with all I have. However, God's given me the opportunity to serve with some amazing people with a heart for the poor: people like our Jackets for Jesus team- we don't even have a good team photo, no roster of workers, just the faithful who continue to serve and give, thankful for the opportunity. Working along side these great people has changed me for the better... and I'm forever thankful. It happens in simple ways: the phone just rang- a good friend of a lifetime- a man I've always looked up to, said: "Eric, I've got some more clothes to bring by... can we have breakfast in the morning?" He'll stop by the church and drop off whatever the donation is and we'll head out for breakfast... and I'll be blessed. Later in the morning our women's Bible study will meet and afterwards a number of the ladies will get together to sort clothes for the streets- they don't come to the streets... but they'll gather in one of our rooms and sort clothes for Jackets for Jesus and Siempre- carefully marking each bag... Wednesday we'll head for Siempre and take the best of whatever they sort- we "cherry pick" our donations giving the rest to other needs... and I'll look like a hero... Sunday night we'll walk into a well ordered room with bags neatly marked: men's jackets, women's jackets, pants, etc... and hand them out on the streets and look like we did something special... and in the background, where no one but God alone sees, so many good people like you will have cleaned your closets before summer, donated money to help pay for the meals, taken time to pray for our work... and because you've prayed and remained faithful: people will wait in the darkness for us to drive up and complete the task that started in hundreds, if not thousands of households where good people prayed and lifted us up. It humbles Jodi and the team as they prepare the meal, Bart and his team as they ready the trailer and van... it humbles each of us that we're entrusted to sit on the tip of the spear that pierces the darkness with Light. Thank you for trusting us. Thank's so much for your prayers... we really needed them last night. Know that we continue to pray for you and your family. Every week we're reminded how much poverty's changed our lives... and we thank God for the opportunity to share. The darkness is never far from the heart of our cities... never far from our families... from us. We closed our night on the streets with Easter communion. As the homeless from across skidrow gathered into the circle- bowing heads, whispering prayers, crossing themselves... I was reminded of just how much people are hurting, hungry for fellowship, communion... waiting for someone to help them... someone to care... we're going this Sunday night... God willing- and I'm pretty confident He is -you're invited, you're needed... now, more than ever. Come let poverty change your heart and life.

for changing lives,

Eric M. Denton