Youth Pastor
July 2018
Covering over 30 blocks and with more than 25 languages spoken among over 30,000 people in one of the most diverse communities in the United States, the Tenderloin is nestled between Union Square and San Francisco City Hall. The Tenderloin is known for its high crime rate, availability of drugs, and widespread poverty.
I am so proud of our youth, who attended our first urban missions outreach trip with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The purpose of our mission trip was to expose our VIBE youth group to social justice issues in our "backyard." Sometimes we can forget that our mission field is also in our community.
The youth served
faithfully with little sleep, long days, and their comfort zone stretched in so
many ways. Ayla, Kevin, Kristina, Rey,
Shim, youth mentor Allison, and Pastor Jonathan were launched into a
challenging three-day outreach schedule that YWAM designed for us.
The YWAM staff carefully equipped us for safety and protocol on the street.
The mission statement for YWAM is "Engaging a city with a loving God." We were exposed to an abundance of homelessness, drug use, and poverty. We learned to have compassion and to treat people with respect and love. Our team was rooted in prayer and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide us.
We engaged in two prayer walks around historical landmarks within the neighborhood, and visited various massage parlors to connect with the people there. We hosted a spaghetti community lunch, where we ate with the homeless; participated in a neighborhood cleanup by cleaning local markets; passed out hot chocolate; and prayed over people on the street. We were also blessed by living and serving with two other youth groups from Santa Barbara and Oxnard.
Our prayers for unity, protection, and more compassion were answered faithfully by the Lord. I am hopeful that more youth and adults will join and serve with us next year.
"Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young." 1 Timothy 4:12