4/17/2008
San Francisco MAP Team
Engages the Homeless
The San Francisco MAP Team, made up of of 14 students and coordinated by Michael Saldivar, joined with others at the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) headquarters in San Francisco for a week that was at the same time emotionally draining and spiritually invigorating.
YWAM regularly leads teams into the heart of the homeless district in San Francisco, so the experience students and adults participated in was excellent. Among other activities, the group prayed with homeless people and gave out free hot chocolate. They went to "Hippie Hill" with an extra sack lunch in order to share and eat with a homeless person.
It was a "great opportunity to connect with people that are homeless doing a lot with ministries", says Michael about the trip.
One entire day was spent being homeless. The YWAM staff kicked the group out of the facility at 7:30 a.m. and told not to come back until 4:30. The students and adults had to find one of the local missions for breakfast and wait in line with everyone else. Their money was limited to $1.50 for adults and $.50 for students, just so they could ride the bus back to the YWAM facility.
There were challenges in finding restrooms, lunch at a soup kitchen, and even places to hang out. Some of the group were kicked out of places where they were sitting.
"The hard thing about being homeless was the boredom. There was no place to go. But when you're homeless, no one wants you, and there's no place for you to be. It's a very difficult thing," comments Michael.
The group also spent a day doing prayer walks in North Beach, the gay and lesbian district. They ran a "prayer station" by the wharf, posting a big sign that said "Prayer Station" and asking people if they could pray for them. "Most of us experienced more rejection that day then we've had our whole lives", observed Michael.
Rich Yauger, Youth Pastor of Grace Community, Goshen, Ind., and Michael Saldivar in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
Michael with a small part of the group
Everyone had jobs at the YWAM facilities during the week
On the streets of San Francisco
Engaging people on the streets
Waiting at a bus stop to go to downtown San Francisco to visit the corner of Haight and Ashbury Streets, where the hippie movement began in the 70s.
Michael and Rich, along with Katie and Jessica, on their way to "Hippie Hill." Michael and Rich led worship at the hill while students shared their faith
Students fan out along "Hippie Hill"
Markus, YWAM Adventure Team Facilitator, led the trip
Students decorated the tables where the homeless would eat. They then served the people that came in for the food.
The group was made up of people from many churches
The group did a high school prayer walk in Castro
Playing Foosball at the YWAM facility
