Email: Stephanie Pashby

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
- Psalm 126:3

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Hollywood! I hope that the holiday season was a time of rest and relaxation for you all. I was able to enjoy some real snow at home in Midland, as well as connect with my parents and friends. I have been back for three weeks now and have enjoyed stepping back into ministry here in Hollywood.

Since coming back from Christmas break, I have started to read through C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Yesterday found me reading the chapter in which Lucy, Peter, Edmund, and Susan have all been transported into Narnia through the wardrobe for the very first time. As they are talking excitedly about this new wonderland they have found and where they would first like to explore, Susan suddenly asks, “Oughtn’t we turn back?” She then proceeds to explain that they are not wearing clothing warm enough for the winter weather in Narnia, they have not brought anything to eat, and they have no way of knowing where they are going. As I read further in the chapter, I realized that had the children turned back when Susan wanted to, they never would have had their adventures in Narnia, and their lives would not have been transformed.

There are moments during my time here when I have thought, “Oughtn’t I turn back?” At times I have felt inadequately prepared for what life in Hollywood has brought my way. I have had no experience prior to this point with teaching English, or convincing a homeless person that a shelter is better for them in the long run than staying out on the street.  And yet, amidst wanting to turn back to moments in my life that seemed more comfortable or which I felt more prepared for, I can’t help feeling like I am on the adventure of a lifetime.  Below are some highlights from this adventure of the past few months:

Won’t you be my neighbor?

One of the major parts of our program is to have a ministry of presence in our neighborhood. We live in apartments behind a community house that sits on our property. My roommates and I run programs for the neighborhood out of the community house. We hold two tutoring sessions a week, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday nights. Many of the kids in our neighborhood have parents who are not fluent in English and are unable to help them with their homework. On Friday afternoons we have an after-school hang-out time that allows the kids to come over and play, do arts and crafts, or just sit in a place that is not their home.

Tutoring times are stretching us, as we are only four, and the subjects in school are not always our favorites. (Who really remembers off the top of their head what the light and chemical reactions in photosynthesis are?) Yet these tutoring times have allowed us to build good relationships with the kids of our neighborhood, which I hope will continue to blossom throughout the next eight months.

Internship highlights

Before moving to Los Angeles, I did not realize how large the homeless population was here. I soon discovered that there are around 75,000 homeless people in the city. Los Angeles is considered the homeless capital of the nation, with only around 15,000 shelter beds available each night. This means that 60,000 people in the city are without beds every night. This was a staggering number for me to comprehend when I first moved here.

My internship experience at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) involves driving a van on an outreach team and passing out lunches to homeless people. When we pass out lunches, we ask if clients are interested in coming into our shelter. If we have a bed available and our clients want to come in, we are able to bring them into the shelter and off the streets. The idea is that they will come in to shelter not only for one night, but will become involved in programs that allow them to save their money. This will allow them some time to apply for and get into transitional and permanent housing.

English as a second language

This past December I had the pleasure of meeting a family who has only been in the United States for eight months, having traveled here from Mexico to work. I immediately connect with the mother, whom I’ll call Rachel. Rachel asked me point blank if I was a Christian. I replied that I was, and then asked her if she was Catholic, as many of our neighbors are. She said that she was attending a Baptist church in the area. Rachel then told me that before leaving Mexico, she was the youth pastor at a large evangelical church that had 500 children aged 3 through 9! Every Sunday she would prepare a short children’s message for them. I asked Rachel if she had the chance here to minister to children the way she was able to in Mexico, but she said she has not gotten involved in children’s ministry here, as she does not speak English.

The result of this conversation and is that I have started to teach this family English! We have already had two classes. Although I was a teaching assistant in college, I have never taught a language before and am quickly learning. (Who knows, I might yet go back to school for to learn Teaching English as a Second Language!) Rachel and her family have repeatedly told me, “God is going to bless you for teaching us.” I am always moved to tears when they tell me, first because God has already blessed me through knowing this beautiful family, and secondly because I feel like God will bless them for putting up with my teaching!

God has been teaching me and challenging me to expand my ideas of Him and place my trust in Him in all circumstances. I have felt your prayers from afar, and I thank every one of you for the support you have given me. In the midst of the chaotic city I have moved to, I have felt the resounding joy of God’s presence. I am also learning to place more fully my hope in Him, as the Psalmist states, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:1).  May we continue to seek the joy that comes from placing our full hope in Christ alone.

Peace and love,

Stephanie Pashby

For more little stories, visit my blog. For more information about homelessness, visit the Web site of People Assisting the Homeless.