Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

404 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

studied, given consideration of the personal encounters experienced with the community residents by our surveys as well. This data and the conclusions made from it led us to choose an area in the 90029 zip code, and centered in the 1911.20 census tract, geocentric and within easy walking distance (5 blocks or less) to LeConte MS, Ramona Street ES, the Tropicana, and Lemon Grove Park. It also led us to focus on one particular apartment complex, and two men of peace. These two men are named Lamar and Rolando, African-American and Hispanic, respectively. Both Christian, one walking closer with God than the other, and more mature, these men were very open and friendly in the initial dealings with us, and seemed to indicate a desire to pursue friendship. From March until now, these conclusions have been verified by deeper and deeper relationships being formed with both of them, and with even extremely vulnerable accountability and prayer with Rolando, and regular prayerwalking around the Tropicana building, which we have now dubbed “The House of Prayer.” In addition to these two men, during the course of our prayerwalking, Susie and I have met a network of homeless individuals, men and women, upwards of 10 or so, with one particular man named Carl who knew Stacy Waddle, mentioned above. This man showed a lot of promise early on, and walked with the Lord at some point in his life, but in the last few months he has been increasingly sporadic and absent, and relationship with him has been at a stall. Lastly, through a series of false starts and delays, and another friendship and great connection in the community to Rene, the apartment manager of the complex we had been focusing our interest and attention on, I was about to move in to the very apartment we had our eyes on, which would have put me in the most poor, multicultural, and strategically located apartment in the area (in our vision). With the late addition of a new roommate for me though, for accountability and emotional support purposes, I had to forgo this one-bedroom apartment option in the quest for a two-bedroom apartment. God blessed this search though, because within two weeks of looking, my roommate, John Comfort, and I, both found one, built a relationship with the manager, and secured the apartment. We actually found and were approved for two different 2-bedroom apartments, both of them financially reasonable, both strategic in location, and both to our liking, but the apartment complex of the one we eventually chose, on Lexington (almost exactly right between where Lamar and Rolando live), was much more community-feeling, and friendly, with a warmer atmosphere and look.