Jan 09 News 2

YWAM SF January 2009

Email News... Footprints Across the City. Proposition K. The food Pantry. Arts @ Hippie hill. James the Strip Club Bouncer.

LOVING SAN FRANCISCO..FOOTPRINTS ACROSS THE CITY Footprints on Prop K

As the Discipleship Training School students came from 4 nations around the world to this city as diverse as them, we knew that God had an exciting adventure

Proposition K made its way onto the San Francisco

in store. They rolled in with their bags of luggage and

ballot this election which was a proposition to

hearts full of hope for what Jesus was going to do.

decriminalize prostitution. Our staff and students

How would He change their lives? Would people

joined others from the Bay Area in raising awareness

come to know Him? What is the calling on their life?

of this proposition. Talking with voters and handing out information, as well as hosting an event to inform local

They brought dreams to San Francisco, and we have

faith based groups about this issue were some of the

seen the footprints they have left on our city…

work our group was involved in. San Francisco responded by voting ‘No on K.’

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SF GALLERY

footprints @ the food pantry

culture groups like gutter punks

One elderly Russian woman who

such creativity and expression in

could barely speak English,

these people and wanted to share

befriended one of our Swiss

in it. They went every week with

students at our weekly food pantry.

canvases, paint, djembes and

and street kids. Our students saw

This lady had served in the war and guitars in hand. By recognizing since moving to America was quite and sharing the gifts of their new lonely. They both spoke German,

friends they offered prayer, and

and our Swiss student helped her

hope, encouraging them that they

to carry her groceries and

have so much to offer this world

continued to visit regularly. Each

with their creativity.

time they met, gifts and tears were exchanged in this unlikely, but

Footprints from our Discipleship

beautiful friendship. Sharing God’s Training School students are all love and care with her in this lonely over our city. And now they are in time has been powerful.

SE Asia as you read this leaving more footprints throughout the

Footprints @ Hippie Hill

world.

Hippie Hill, near the famous Haight Street is filled with many counter-

Top Photo: The Transamerica Building in downtown San Francisco. Middle Photo: Haight Asbury the birthplace of the Hippie Movement.

Our Food Pantry serves 150 + people weekly

Bottom Photo: The Haight. Photo on the Right: The YWAM food pantry is held every Thursday.

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The Story of James* the strip club bouncer

After church one of the men took him for coffee and he was able to make a good connection. While we

Part of our ministry as Because Justice Matters is to

were talking to him there were two other bouncers

spend time with women on the streets who are

nearby, a couple of costumers, and one of the strippers

prostituting, stripping or exploited in some other way.

in the door way. A customer asked, “Are these girls

We try to offer them hope and encouragement to

looking for a job?” James confidently replied, “No,

change their lives. Recently, in our search for these

they’re out here praying for people, do you want them

ladies we met James, a strip club bouncer.

to pray for you?” The man laughed but James was

James, in his mid-twenties, works on Broadway St., a block of San Francisco with door to door strip clubs and erotic shops. As we approached a small huddle of strippers taking their smoke break and asked if they

would like prayer, James overheard us. He began to talk to us and explained that he has been encountering

quite serious. One of the girls in our group happened to have her pocket sized Message Bible with her, she felt like she should give it to him so she explained that it was a modern language Bible, more like reading a story and thought he might like to have it. He gratefully and happily accepted it.

Christians one after the other for the past week.

After two years working as a bouncer James is

James talked about his life; he had grown up going to

seeking God and diligently searching for a different job.

youth group and knew God, but like many, turned away

It’s our hope that the next time we meet James, he will

as a teenager.

no longer be working as a bouncer, but in a better

Two weeks later, we met James again out on Broadway. He told us the Sunday after talking to us

place. *Real name has been withheld for privacy.

he walked past a church and felt the urge to go in.

PRAYER NEEDS Strip Clubs on Broadway in San Francisco

Pray for the following: that the homeless who frequent our building every weekday will be touched with God’s love. for favor with our landlord as we renegogiate the lease on our property. for the women trapped in sex trafficking in San Francisco and that our staff can reach out to them.

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