Homeless Fires

More than 6 major fires have occurred in the small, neglected area behind our home this past year. Irresponsible maintenance and burning practices have led to explosions, fires burning out of control, toxic fumes, and damaged property.

Our neighbors all got out our garden hoses to try to keep our property safe while we waited for the fire department to arrive. They can shoot water down from the freeway at the brush. 

The accumulation of trash behind our house.

In these pictures (above and below) you can see the part of 3 little homes and a fire burning at the homeless encampment. 

A few weeks ago, we gathered a group of neighbors together to clean-up the area behind our homes. This space has always been used by the homeless as it is a small, sheltered, green strip of land between the I-10 freeway and our homes, but since Covid-19 it has become a dangerous encampment full of human waste, rodents, drug paraphernalia and maybe most concerning fires. We have gotten to know some of our ‘neighbors’ with mostly positive interactions, but there is more and more traffic and harder to find ways to minister and still keep a healthy boundary for our family.

 

Over the last year you never know when you will have to run out and fight a fire…these fires burn down fences, trees, bushes, and garbage. We have had to go out with fire extinguishers and hoses to fight back the flames. The fire department knows us well.

 

We were part of an effort to get the local and state government representatives and other agencies response (i.e., the land belongs to Caltrans). We were able to get the local councilman to help and are working on more permanent solutions. We are very sympathetic to the needs of those without homes, but also want to make sure our homes are safe.

 

We had a workday to clean up some of the mess and quickly filled a large dumpster and 3 dump truck hauls. We had the LA Times out taking pictures and interviewing us. If you are interested in reading the article you can see it here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-12/surge-in-fires-at-la-homeless-encampments-growing-crisis (mention of our clean up and a small quote are at the very end of the article). 

The LA Times article paints the picture of the larger problem affecting all of Los Angeles. There are something like 24 fires a day caused by the homeless (usually for cooking or to stay warm). That smoke daily comes into our home. The article states that 54% of the fires the fire department responds to are caused by homeless. This article stirred up coverage both on our local TV news channels and public radio. 

L.A. Times reporter interviews some of the people at our clean-up.

L.A. Time photographer captures some of the clean-up effort as detailed in the article.

While we don't have any easy solutions, we are continuing to search for God's heart on how we can love our neighbors on 'both sides of the fence'. Helping to organize clean-up efforts blessed both those with and those without homes (and was a good opportunity to meet more of our neighbors). Now we ask you to join us in praying for continued safety, wisdom and favor as well as for creativity in ways we can truly help those without homes to find places for them to thrive and connect with our God who dearly loves them. 

Lastly, THANK YOU so much to those who have helped us with our children's tuition! They are all excited and humbled by the outpouring of help. We are almost halfway to our goal, so if you haven't given yet there is still a need and opportunity. Let us know. Thanks.

Spring 2021

We hope you are doing well as we begin to peek our heads out after such a crazy season. We wanted to share some ministry highlights and ask for some specific prayer and support (with a special letter from Justice at the end).

Highlights…

 

CHURCH PLANTING

 

Evangel School of Urban Church Planting: Training pastors, leaders and their teams to plant churches.

• We are currently leading 7 teams through a 5-week course to help them start new churches.
• We have 28 in attendance from all over Southern California and a group from Indianapolis. 

Dean School: Training ministry leaders how to use Evangel to train-up and send out more church planters.

 

While we love leading the Evangel School we can only run 2-4 or these school per year and so we are beginning to do more training of trainers.

 

·       We gathered 25 teams of movement and denominational leaders and trained them how to run their own church planting schools (so they can each run 2-4 schools per year).

 

It was inspiring to see all parts of the US represented. There are such diverse challenges in urban ministry related to poverty, racial injustices, political and social dynamics of city life, immigration issues and so much more that each city and ministry is learning to respond to in their own way. Our focus is the Bible and church planting which touch on all these issues in some way. It is great to ‘sit in the room’ with folks as they wrestle through practical and spiritual ways to transform communities and reach more people for Jesus. 

[Pictured some of the individuals and teams present at our last Dean School]

• There were also at least 6 countries represented (Bangladesh, Canada, Haiti, India, Kenya and Liberia).

This is especially exciting because while we responded to a call to the urban poor and the cities of the US twelve years ago when we moved to Los Angeles, we have never lost our heart and passion for the nations and still believe – and are starting to see this more and more – that we can reach the nations and make an impact on the world through this ministry. 

TRAUMA TRAINING

Healing Groups: Leading small groups of people through groups and even mini classes to help Biblically equip them to move through trauma to healing.

• We began leading these groups online during COVID and this has expanded our reach across state and national lines.
• We have led groups with people in at least 4 different countries recently.
• We have taken people from our children’s school, our church, pastors, and churches we know and people that have been referred to us all over the US.

Initial & Advanced Trainings: Training trainers to lead healing groups in their own context.

Expanding our efforts to help more people we continue to train the trainer.

Using this wonderful tool, we have trained:

·       ministry leaders,

·       pastors,

·       counselors,

·       therapists,

·       missionaries and

·       many others

helping them launch this powerful ministry in their church, ministry or practice.

It is so rewarding for me to cheer others on and provide support as they go through their process of training. For example, there are two ladies that I trained (from Los Angeles) a few months back that I was able to pair up with another lady from Pennsylvania so that they could put on their first Trauma Healing Group. I helped them prepare their materials, schedules, invitations, etc. and have been cheering them on this last month as they come back with great testimonies of what God is doing through them in this group. They now have people in their group that see the power and potential of these groups and want to be trained to be facilitators too.

FUENTE LOS ANGELES (our church)

Fabiola has been very busy and has started 5 community groups (Bible studies) reaching out to the families, youth and women of the church. From that we have seen several new decisions (salvations) and some baptisms that we celebrated on Easter. 

Financial Support Needs…

 

SCHOOLING

We are so thankful and excited that Justice will be joining his sister at her high school next year. This school has been so life giving for her and we know Justice will flourish there too. Scholarships and financial aid make this possible cutting the price way down, but they both need to make up another $3,270 to be fully funded for the year. Please let us know if God puts it on your heart to bless one or both of them.

 

Also, the school that Beniah (our youngest) goes to just became independent of World Impact so we will no longer get the same benefit that we have had all these years as missionaries. That additional and unplanned cost will be $2,795 for this coming school year.

 

Justice will be graduating from 8^th grade on June 10^th and is his classes valedictorian! We couldn’t be prouder. He has written you a letter below:

 

Dear Friends and Family, 

Hello! I wanted to thank those of you who have cheered me and my family on over the last 12 years we’ve been in Los Angeles helping people. I’m 13 now and almost ready to graduate from 8^th grade. I am excited that I got into my first choice high school which is pretty hard to get into. I had to go to a professional interview and answer tough questions. They were similar to the ones I practiced for a month and a half as I worked on getting ready. I also worked really hard on an essay and applied for a scholarship.

 

Even though I got some great help through the scholarship I have learned that it is good (but hard) to be willing to share my need with others to help complete the costs of my first year. My new school has so much more technology, a huge campus, exciting classes and many more opportunities than I have had before at my old school or throughout my life. Next year I can’t wait to try out some of the electives they offer. I am signing up for Drama and also Filmmaking this year. This high school is really focused on helping us get ready for college and beyond and will help me continue my Christian education. We learn New Testament in the first year and then Old Testament after that and then I’m not sure what happens yet.

 

So, maybe you can tell I’m excited. I’ll be on campus with my sister too so I can keep an eye on her. I wanted to let you know because some of you were praying, but also so you can celebrate and maybe give towards my education. Thank you!

 

With Care,

Justice

 

It does my heart good to hear and watch (and help) Justice grow up – especially as he now gets to experience new things and enter new places to expand his horizons and opportunities.

Would you be willing to give to help us off-set some of our extra schooling costs?

All of our children have maintained straight A’s through the last crazy year of online learning and hybrid school. We believe this would be a great investment into the future!

 Justice    $3,270

Rebecca  $3,270

Beniah   $2,795

 

If you would be willing to give any amount towards this extra cost to help us give Justice a great start to his high school and future or help Rebecca and Beniah continue their schooling, please send a check to:

 

Chad & Fabiola Wolyn

2001 S. Vermont Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90007

 

(Note that if giving for our schooling need this is not tax-deductible. If it is more convenient to give online through Venmo, Paypal or Zelle let us know. Thank you!) 

[Justice, when presented with balloons and the news that he was accepted to the high school of his choice.]

[Pictures of Beniah’s class coming back to school for in person learning and receiving Student of the Quarter at the awards ceremony online.]

Thank you for reading and walking with us. Please let us know if there are ways we can pray for you or expand our partnership. We want to continue empowering, teaching, training and raising up “the least of these” to make a lasting Kingdom impact on the world.

God’s richest blessings to you,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Angela, Justice and Beniah