Heartbreak at the Door of Hope

“What are these pictures for?” the 9 year-old boy asked me this morning. An innocent enough question…until I slowly took in the layers of meaning behind it.

I spent Friday morning visiting LAUP students working with urban children in the Northwest Pasadena area. I began at Door of Hope, a ministry that helps homeless families and children get off the streets, gives them a safe and healthy place to live, trains and helps them find jobs, and eases them into stable living over the period of a year. The six LAUP interns spend each day taking care and running programs for a dozen homeless youth in the program.

As I was leaving breakfast with the LAUP team there, I thought, “Hey, I should get some photos of the LAUP interns working with the youth.” As I raised my phone and took my first picture, I was met by the previously mentioned question. “I want these guys’ friends to see what they’re doing this summer.” After snapping a couple more pictures, one of the LAUP interns pulled me aside. “You know you can’t post those anywhere on the web or for public viewing, right? These kids need to be protected.” Embarrassed, I told him I didn’t know that. I thanked the team for letting me visit and walked out the door.

As I walked to my car, I took in the unspoken history that came from this cute 9 year-old. These kids’ lives have been a study of abuse, brokenness, and violence. Most of them have been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused. Some may have been taken from parents who are a threat to them. For this 9 year-old boy, someone pointing a camera at him—as well-meaning as my intentions may have been—represented a threat, a danger, a reminder that life is not safe.

I deleted the photos on the spot.

Sitting in my car, I couldn’t drive, layers of my own emotion rising to the surface. I was startled by my own naiveté and punched in the gut by coming face-to-face with the realities of violence, brokenness, and evil already too familiar to a 9 year-old child.

This is where Jesus would be. This is where six college students are pouring out their energy, time, and hearts for the summer. This is where the power, peace, and purpose of God will become real, both to the youth at Door of Hope and to the college students ministering to them.

When you give to, pray for, volunteer with, or offer support to LAUP in any way, this is where you are investing: you are stepping outside of yourself, acknowledging that our world is not as it should be, and asking what part you are to play in healing it. Thank you for your partnership...we need each other in this daunting but worthy task.

If you would like more information about how become involved or give to LAUP, please email me at Scott_Hall@ivstaff.org