We received another update from Jesse today on how things are going for him at the Dream Center. Here is his report:
Here at the Dream Center, everyday is a miracle. Whether it is feeding 100 people with one pan of food designed for 50 people, seeing a sprained ankle healed in a day, or merely being able to work another day for God.
I simply love being here. The people I’ve met have shown me things I had never noticed before. I am able to be an example of God and able to see examples of God in each and every day.
On Mondays, I go out and pick up food from a local grocery store chain Albertsons. Every Month, I pick up about 4,000 pounds of food products. I love waking up earlier and watching the sunrise as I load crates into a refrigerated truck.
Tuesdays are spent sleeping in and spending a little extra time with God and friends. Sometimes I go out and enjoy walking in LA. Other times, I just stay in my room and sleep, since sleep is sometimes a rare thing here.
Wednesdays through Fridays, I work in one of the most anointed places of the Dream Center, the kitchen. Often called the DC Dinner or Cafeteria, the kitchen is one of the most vital areas of the Dream Center. Whether it be men, women, or teens in the discipleship recovery program, or those that attend the free food chapel who do not have a means of providing for themselves: we serve them every day in the kitchen.
When I work in the kitchen, God always moves in wonderful ways. Most of the men that work there are in the recovery program and leave the kitchen with their entire lives changed.
Every Saturday I get to enjoy feeding the homeless and often oppressed in Skid Row and neighboring locations. We serve food to about 100-150 people each meal. That’s 300-450 lives changed that day with the nourishment we provide and gladly give.
On Sundays, I am a helper in the 4-5 year old class in the Kid’s Dream Zone at Angelus Temple. The kids affectionately call me the monster, as I provide a fun game for them inside the bounce house we have for them. I love being a positive influence in their lives and being blessed by their often smiling faces.
It is an honor that I get to see a glimpse of all that God is doing in the lives here at the Dream Center. God has certainly changed me as He has for so many that come to the Dream Center. I certainly pray that I may be of more use for all the miracles that are happening here to the glory of God.
With love and thankfulness,
Jesse Zeliff
Jesse plans to stay and work through the holidays as they are always some of the most needy times for families touched by the Dream Center. If you would like to support him in his ministry, he has put together a sponsorship letter explaining how you may contribute to the great work he is doing. We will continue to update you on his many exploits going forward and ask your prayers for him.
Download: Jesse’s Dream Center Sponsorship Letter
January: Challenges may come, but we can overcome them.
January 10th, 2012Well the holidays came and went at our home pretty quietly. Renee and I spent the holiday as a couple minus our son for the first time in his life. He stayed at the LA Dream Center to allow many of the other interns a chance to visit their families. We missed him, but did call him later in the day. It is always good to talk to him on the phone as we are usually exchanging brief e-mails. He still loves what he is doing there. So much so that he applied for and was accepted into the one year internship program which will start at the end of his 4 month internship the last week of January. He was granted a $600 scholarship, but still needs to raise the remaining $900 to cover his room and board for the year. Several family members and friends have already donated to help him. If you want to help, just contact us and we can make sure he gets any donations.
On New Year’s Eve, my truck refused to start when we were headed to church. We had it taken to the shop the next day to have a fuse and relay replaced. The following Friday, it refused to start again and had it taken back to the shop. They determined that the PCM(Power Control Module) had a short and needed to be replaced. Due to it being a special order part, it is still in the shop as of this writing. Monday morning there was some seepage coming out of the trap in the back yard. I ran a snake up into the house and down into the septic tank to no avail. My next thought was to check to see if the line had disconnected from the tank as this occurred when we first moved in due to settling of the dirt around the tank. After digging down to the line and following it to the tank, I discovered no leakage or disconnection. So I set to digging up the tank. I found the first of two covers immediately as it was just past the junction. I unearthed it and called for a truck to come pump the tank. While waiting for the truck, Renee and I attempted to unearth the second cover. Three hours and a twelve foot trench later we gave up finding it. We decided to let the septic guys dig it up and pay the extra charge. They used a probe and found that the tank was installed at a 15 degree angle meaning we missed finding it by a mere 3 feet. The guys took care of the tank and we proceeded to fill in the hole/trench we had dug since they filled in the one they dug.
I hope your year hasn’t had as interesting a start as ours has. If so, don’t lose heart. The greater the opposition, the greater the victory. Challenges may come, but they don’t determine the final outcome. Hope each of you have a great 2012 and that you overcome any and every challenge that comes your way.
Tags: commentary, family, Jesse, news, update
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