George Caywood

I have studied the New Testament all my life. In my early days it was because even though I had only a slight understanding of what I was reading, the New Testament relieved the suffocating feeling I had trying to deal with the abuse I had suffered

Later I added the !2 Steps to my study. When I first tasted the 12 Step waters by taking men on the recovery program to AA meetings. Our guys were always welcome but in away not noticed. To the meetings we attended our men were just another bunch of fellow sufferers.

Then I discovered a large Recovery Program at a Presbyterian Church. I attended that program meeting, It was really good and they announce everyone was welcome.

I took them at their word and brought about ten orderly, clean gentle men from the mission’s program to the meeting. The group did not include in their welcome mission men

A number of people at that meeting belonged to the local Episcopal church. When the Presbyterians blocked the mission people the Episcopalians then welcomed us to their church. They started a meeting with the church members mixed with the program men. We had the enthusiastic support of the churches rector.

That meeting lasted a few years and it was wonderful. One meeting I still remember had as it topic “Fun”. We all learned together that fun was often things we loved doing as a child but were self conscious about doing as adults.

Some of the church people were living through a horrible crises in their own home. They gladly received the help and comfort of the mission men. When I became CEO of the mission the meeting ultimately closed because I no longer had the time to keep the mission end active.

In time a new Church started up in La Mirada, CA. As the members formed the church they prayed for God’s vision for the Church. God spoke. God wanted them to minister to the poor. One of the women of the church thought of phoning the mission to see what door we could open to their desire to help.

I never answered my own phone. If my wonderful assistant Carolyn was to be away from her desk calls to me were switched to someone else. That is except for one phone call. The call from this new church.

When the church woman called some how I answered my own phone. God wanted me to take this call. We had a wonderful talk and I volunteered to come out and preach for them during the time they were just getting started. What a great time we had for a few years. That is another story and deserves it’s own telling. They ended up doing wonderful things for mission men.