Dispatch from the FOL Food Pantry
FOL has a weekly Food Pantry across the street from Cabrillo High School and Admiral Kidd Park in West Long Beach. Here are a few snapshots from last Thursday.
Clemencia is a neighborhood grandma who helps us out at the Food Pantry and she loves to pray. At a few minutes before 9:00 am, we all grasp gloved hands, and say a prayer in Spanish, then in English. Clemencia prays for those who are affected by war or sick with COVID. She always thanks God for the food that he has given us to give to others.
*****
Bing Bing looks extra chipper today as we assemble the vegetable bags. Her son and husband are traveling and she has the house to herself! Clemencia doesn’t speak English, and my Spanish is limited, so I ask her how she would describe Bing’s feelings based on my description of what she said. “Una gran emocíon,” she says.
*****
Lisa (not her real name) and Connie are talking by the canned goods and before you know it, Connie is laying on hands and praying for her. People are looking at donated clothes, picking up food boxes, and looking at the vegetable bags. There’s a hole in the roof and music is blaring from Zumba next door, but I promise you, this is sacred space.
Lisa comes back later for hand sanitizer. “I almost went to jail yesterday, so please keep me in your prayers.” She struggles with anger. “And it’s not good when I’m angry.”
*****
A young woman with a husky on a leash comes to the door. I ask how she’s doing today. She smiles sweetly and says, “I’m really hungry.” I look back at her and something like a smile comes to my face, but I have nothing to say. I turn away to grab a bag of veggies and a box of food until the words return.
*****
Arturo (not his real name) doesn’t need clothes today, but he needs some extra food. I give him a box, but we’re out of vegetables so I put a few cans in a bag. “Do you have a can opener?” he asks. I don’t, but I hand him my Swiss Army knife and show him the can opener tool. I do a bad job explaining what John says in Luke 3: “You know, in the Bible it says if you have two coats, give one away? Well, this is kind of like that. I have an extra knife at home.” He tries to refuse, but eventually says yes. “If you need it back, just ask me,” he says.
*****
Pastor Mateo walks by and asks what we’re doing today. He remembers Emily's work at the Food Pantry, compliments me on my shirt, “Kingdom Workers,” and the work that we are doing in the community. He stands at the door, greeting people and, when they leave, asks me questions. After a few moments, he invites himself inside, sits down, and proceeds to ask many more questions about our denomination, what we believe about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, baptism. At some point, I open up the Covenant website and read him the statement of faith. In between questions, he tells me about his family and shows me a video of his 4-year-old grandson drumming at church. “And what do you believe about the return of Jesus? Do you believe, like 1 Thessalonians 4, that he’s going to descend from heaven and we will meet him in the clouds?” Yes, Pastor. I don't know the details, but I believe it.
Clemencia is a neighborhood grandma who helps us out at the Food Pantry and she loves to pray. At a few minutes before 9:00 am, we all grasp gloved hands, and say a prayer in Spanish, then in English. Clemencia prays for those who are affected by war or sick with COVID. She always thanks God for the food that he has given us to give to others.
*****
Bing Bing looks extra chipper today as we assemble the vegetable bags. Her son and husband are traveling and she has the house to herself! Clemencia doesn’t speak English, and my Spanish is limited, so I ask her how she would describe Bing’s feelings based on my description of what she said. “Una gran emocíon,” she says.
*****
Lisa (not her real name) and Connie are talking by the canned goods and before you know it, Connie is laying on hands and praying for her. People are looking at donated clothes, picking up food boxes, and looking at the vegetable bags. There’s a hole in the roof and music is blaring from Zumba next door, but I promise you, this is sacred space.
Lisa comes back later for hand sanitizer. “I almost went to jail yesterday, so please keep me in your prayers.” She struggles with anger. “And it’s not good when I’m angry.”
*****
A young woman with a husky on a leash comes to the door. I ask how she’s doing today. She smiles sweetly and says, “I’m really hungry.” I look back at her and something like a smile comes to my face, but I have nothing to say. I turn away to grab a bag of veggies and a box of food until the words return.
*****
Arturo (not his real name) doesn’t need clothes today, but he needs some extra food. I give him a box, but we’re out of vegetables so I put a few cans in a bag. “Do you have a can opener?” he asks. I don’t, but I hand him my Swiss Army knife and show him the can opener tool. I do a bad job explaining what John says in Luke 3: “You know, in the Bible it says if you have two coats, give one away? Well, this is kind of like that. I have an extra knife at home.” He tries to refuse, but eventually says yes. “If you need it back, just ask me,” he says.
*****
Pastor Mateo walks by and asks what we’re doing today. He remembers Emily's work at the Food Pantry, compliments me on my shirt, “Kingdom Workers,” and the work that we are doing in the community. He stands at the door, greeting people and, when they leave, asks me questions. After a few moments, he invites himself inside, sits down, and proceeds to ask many more questions about our denomination, what we believe about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, baptism. At some point, I open up the Covenant website and read him the statement of faith. In between questions, he tells me about his family and shows me a video of his 4-year-old grandson drumming at church. “And what do you believe about the return of Jesus? Do you believe, like 1 Thessalonians 4, that he’s going to descend from heaven and we will meet him in the clouds?” Yes, Pastor. I don't know the details, but I believe it.
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