Los Angeles mission trip story: Each afternoon, we would sit down to debrief after serving meals with Serve LA. This was one of our favorite experiences because it gave us an opportunity to get to know the other volunteers. One volunteer shared a story that deeply touched us. She recounted how, ten years prior, she had been in the same situation as the families we were serving. As a homeless mother, she had humbly walked into the Hope Center with her children to receive a meal. Through Serve LA, she found God, forgiveness, and hope, which transformed her life. Now, she is passionate about giving back to families in similar situations. She sat with one family and guided them to resources through her workplace to help them get off the streets.
This story particularly moved Jackson, especially after a little boy from the family approached him and asked if he could help with the dishes. The volunteer explained that the boy wanted to help because he was so grateful and wanted to give back in some way. The family kept referring to the food as “God Food” because they felt so blessed to receive a meal.
This experience reminds me of Matthew 25:35-40, where Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” The righteous ask when they did these things, and Jesus replies, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
This verse encapsulates the spirit of Serve LA and the impact it has on both the volunteers and the families they serve. By providing meals and support, they are living out the teachings of Jesus, offering love and hope to those in need.
- written by Lauren Strickland