The Tenderloin Trifecta

Trip day 1 - Unknown

"Fuckin' asshole motherfucker, I'm gonna beat the shit out of that pussy. Hahahah, no that wasn't yesterday that was today, sitting with his corn bread."

These were the first words that 14 year old Rafik heard as he took his first steps in the Tenderloin District in San Francisco. He was there with his High School youth group for a week long "mission" trip, "serving" the homeless. As he heard those words, fear climbed up his spine because he thought the lady was speaking to him. She was sitting on a flattened cardboard box, a black lady maybe in her 40's, smoking a cigarette, saying these things with no one sitting next to her, no one receiving the violent words she was transmitting. Who was she talking to if not me?

Fear quickly turned into uneasiness, turned to confusion, turned to curiosity.




Trip day 2 - Jim

"Do you kids know how to get to the bridge from here, I would like to take my wheelchair and myself and jump off it."

"Can I pray for you sir?"

"If I was younger and not in this wheel chair, I would beat the shit out of you and kick your ass, boy."

This exchange happened when Rafik was out with the youth group handing out hot chocolate to the inhabitants of the Tenderloin. The man, Jim, was a vietnam veteran and had lost the ability to walk and was slowly losing the will to live.

Curiosity quickly turned to compassion, turned into confusion, turned into uneasiness, turned into hopelessness.




Third: Trip day 3 - William

"You know what young man, I just wish that they would take some of those big buildings and just share it with the homeless of these streets, just a small place for us to do the things that we love and enjoy, every man should be able to do that at least?"

"I don't know why, but I would give up my life for you, young man"

"If I had a million dollars, I would give it to that young man over there"

The young man was Rafik Wahbi, me.

Hopelessness quickly turned into joy, turned into tears, turned into purpose.



These three people have forever and radically changed my life. It was through them that I began to hear the still voice of God calling me to something big. The first day brought to my attention the issue at hand and the spark of interest in the problem. The second day brought forth the difficulty of the task and the many issues involved. The last day brought hope and compassion.

For the past 9 years I have begun to pursue this calling. I have done it by serving my local community, attending community development conferences and through my education. I hope that through this blog I can create conversations, stimulate minds, educate and introduce you to philosophies and methodologies that I hope to implement myself in the future.

I will do this through primary research articles that will explore the brain and the deviation from the "normal" circuitry that happens in mental ill/drug addicted patients. I will do this through scriptures to show how Jesus implemented proper community development techniques in his own ministry and life. And finally, I will do this by sharing with you some of the pioneers of these fields and their faithfulness to the cause.

One must ask themselves, with a problem this big and complicated, is it even possible to do something of great significance? I think yes and I will prove it to you.