one of my favorite musicians, Amos Lee, wrote this awesome song called Freedom....the back story i believe, goes like this: Amos Lee used to be a teacher, and he was having problems with some of his students fighting...so he was wrote the song about tryingto get them to see that basically, when ya break it down, fighting and hurting other people doesn't really make you feel better...and on a personal note, i wanna add that things and statuses and beliefs don't make one person better than the next. or just because you're strong enough to beat someone down doesn't make you better than them...so here's some of the lyrics-
"Don't wanna blame the rich for what they got
Don't point a finger at the poor for what they have not
Though the politician and the priest
Live in the belly of the beast because we fed it
Freedom is seldom found
By beating someone to the ground
Telling them how everything is gonna be now"
i think the man might be on to something.....
Friday, December 19, 2008
shout out loud
the people walking through the breakfast line at Midnight Mission have so much to be seen in their faces. what's superficial - dirt, glass eyes, mangled mouths, contorted kind smiles, bruises, scars, ugliness...then there's what's underneath - wisdom, fear, beauty, greed, abuse, sacrifice, addiction, confusion, warmth, evidence of grace, embarassment and gratitude. there's a roughness about these people that is difficult to describe without a tangible vision.
still, each of these emotions and attributes looked at individually seem easy enough to deal with. but for most of the people at the mission, one comes with another more twisted and hard to confront. they may each have that hardness about them that can only come from being so morbidly courageous and desperately weak, but they still have a story; one that is complex yet broken down to a simple theme -humanness. their stories bring some people to fear or hate, and others to tears and forward motion. but no matter what the outsiders looking in think, we cannot deny their humanity. setting religous beliefs aside, put away creation vs. evolution, people of the streets -dwelling in tents or sidewalks, under bridges or in shelters or cars....they are still validly human and deserve to be treated as such. just as much as you or i. but even more, for the Church, we ought to be believing that....no, living that.
last year my baby sister was treated with disrespect and unfairly ignored. no matter if she provoked the treatment, as a person she is worth being treated well. [the Beattitudes anyone?] random strangers, our closest friends or enemies....what separates us? more importantly, what makes us the same? what is the binding factor?
Saturday morning at Midnight Mission, it was undeniably obvious the similarities between all the people in the room. we all woke up early, we were all hungry and ready for breakfast, and we all were grateful for a warm place to be out of the rain for a moment...all simple human desires all felt by real people with basic needs.
i wonder sometimes why i care so much. why i am so passionately drawn to people who are lonely and desprate, ignored. i really don't know. but there is something deeply rooted in my being - i can feel it in my gut- that is like a magnet. pulling me to them, driving me to love them without reservations is this need to love...to recklessly abandon my other senses and just love. i'm probably crazy. but i am a lover and a fighter. and i will fight for broken people. for people without a voice, i love you. i believe in a good and perfect God for you. and i believe He is redeeming your story...and sometimes, He uses His people to do it....
still, each of these emotions and attributes looked at individually seem easy enough to deal with. but for most of the people at the mission, one comes with another more twisted and hard to confront. they may each have that hardness about them that can only come from being so morbidly courageous and desperately weak, but they still have a story; one that is complex yet broken down to a simple theme -humanness. their stories bring some people to fear or hate, and others to tears and forward motion. but no matter what the outsiders looking in think, we cannot deny their humanity. setting religous beliefs aside, put away creation vs. evolution, people of the streets -dwelling in tents or sidewalks, under bridges or in shelters or cars....they are still validly human and deserve to be treated as such. just as much as you or i. but even more, for the Church, we ought to be believing that....no, living that.
last year my baby sister was treated with disrespect and unfairly ignored. no matter if she provoked the treatment, as a person she is worth being treated well. [the Beattitudes anyone?] random strangers, our closest friends or enemies....what separates us? more importantly, what makes us the same? what is the binding factor?
Saturday morning at Midnight Mission, it was undeniably obvious the similarities between all the people in the room. we all woke up early, we were all hungry and ready for breakfast, and we all were grateful for a warm place to be out of the rain for a moment...all simple human desires all felt by real people with basic needs.
i wonder sometimes why i care so much. why i am so passionately drawn to people who are lonely and desprate, ignored. i really don't know. but there is something deeply rooted in my being - i can feel it in my gut- that is like a magnet. pulling me to them, driving me to love them without reservations is this need to love...to recklessly abandon my other senses and just love. i'm probably crazy. but i am a lover and a fighter. and i will fight for broken people. for people without a voice, i love you. i believe in a good and perfect God for you. and i believe He is redeeming your story...and sometimes, He uses His people to do it....
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
sure as i'm sittin here
dangit....i definitely just wrote a really long rockin post. aaaand then the INTERNET wouldn't work fast enough....blehhhh.
so probably i'm going to go find something to eat here at the good ol' houston airport. and then maybe i'll muster up the writing juices again to rewrite all of that.
dangit it was good too...;) haha.
so probably i'm going to go find something to eat here at the good ol' houston airport. and then maybe i'll muster up the writing juices again to rewrite all of that.
dangit it was good too...;) haha.
Monday, December 1, 2008
we.are.family
ahhhhh thanksgiving.
this special day of the year has long been a favorite of mine. probably because it meant getting away from school and work, just to relax and eat....a lot. :) but this year, it held special significance. because, this year was the first one on my own.....so when i walked down the makeshift road between Aunt Angie's and Gma Margie's to see my little sister Kristin running for me, my cup was flowing over. sure, i've spent months away from home before, but never with independence and adultliness (hahaha i'm well aware that this is not an actual word...but i just don't really know what word to use to describe this weird world of adulthood). so the look on my brother Peyton's face when he saw me climbing through the woods to hug him made the 3 day drive suddenly worth it. when i walked into Aunt Angie's kitchen and my dad turned around, my eyes were filled with tears and my heart filled with gratitude.
there's something really special about going home to my roots and seeing my big crazy family. each face, each hug and each smile took me by surprise and helped me to see the significance of this great love between us.
they each mean so much to me....and it's so important to me to make that journey down there every year.....i got to hear about Brandon's first year at UGA; to see Jordan still crazy about his high school sweetheart; watch Thomas, Caleb, Jordan, Dakota, Peyton, Cody, Tyler, and Bradley build their campsite in the middle of the gorgeous Georgia woods; laugh with Christiana, Kristin, Mandy, Brooklyn and Briana; hug Rebecca and Joanna a million times; read Bible stories to little Jackson; see Sam taking his ginormous dog Toby for a walk in the fog; giggle at Aunt Bo while she's giving directions; talk with Uncle Shane, Uncle Lane, Aunt Teresa, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Angie and Daddy about things that matter; hug my Papa and know that I love him anyway; sit with Grandma and hear about her buddy Jack and how much he loves her; laugh with Tyler and Josh about Jack's 3 bowls of peanuts for dessert....talk with Aunt Lisa and Caleb about prop 8, psychology and loving people; watch John and Ruth laugh at each other as fierce competetors and loving spouses; bounce on the trampoline with Jennifer and Jessica; solve the problems of the word's depressed teenagers with Bri; talk about nonsense with Bryan and Clark; kiss Kristin on the forhead enough the leave a mark; wait for Mom to call 15 times a day; laugh till my head hurts with Jaime, Dan, Jim, Harley and Hunter on the drive down; talk about my new life and what the Lord is doing in it with whoever will listen; watch Aaron and James playing soccer together in the dark; throwing citrus in the fire with Caroline and Jessica; remembering Uncle Mike with Ashley and Aunt Kealey.....alllllllll these things.
all these things make made my life more rich over the last week.
this special day of the year has long been a favorite of mine. probably because it meant getting away from school and work, just to relax and eat....a lot. :) but this year, it held special significance. because, this year was the first one on my own.....so when i walked down the makeshift road between Aunt Angie's and Gma Margie's to see my little sister Kristin running for me, my cup was flowing over. sure, i've spent months away from home before, but never with independence and adultliness (hahaha i'm well aware that this is not an actual word...but i just don't really know what word to use to describe this weird world of adulthood). so the look on my brother Peyton's face when he saw me climbing through the woods to hug him made the 3 day drive suddenly worth it. when i walked into Aunt Angie's kitchen and my dad turned around, my eyes were filled with tears and my heart filled with gratitude.
there's something really special about going home to my roots and seeing my big crazy family. each face, each hug and each smile took me by surprise and helped me to see the significance of this great love between us.
they each mean so much to me....and it's so important to me to make that journey down there every year.....i got to hear about Brandon's first year at UGA; to see Jordan still crazy about his high school sweetheart; watch Thomas, Caleb, Jordan, Dakota, Peyton, Cody, Tyler, and Bradley build their campsite in the middle of the gorgeous Georgia woods; laugh with Christiana, Kristin, Mandy, Brooklyn and Briana; hug Rebecca and Joanna a million times; read Bible stories to little Jackson; see Sam taking his ginormous dog Toby for a walk in the fog; giggle at Aunt Bo while she's giving directions; talk with Uncle Shane, Uncle Lane, Aunt Teresa, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Angie and Daddy about things that matter; hug my Papa and know that I love him anyway; sit with Grandma and hear about her buddy Jack and how much he loves her; laugh with Tyler and Josh about Jack's 3 bowls of peanuts for dessert....talk with Aunt Lisa and Caleb about prop 8, psychology and loving people; watch John and Ruth laugh at each other as fierce competetors and loving spouses; bounce on the trampoline with Jennifer and Jessica; solve the problems of the word's depressed teenagers with Bri; talk about nonsense with Bryan and Clark; kiss Kristin on the forhead enough the leave a mark; wait for Mom to call 15 times a day; laugh till my head hurts with Jaime, Dan, Jim, Harley and Hunter on the drive down; talk about my new life and what the Lord is doing in it with whoever will listen; watch Aaron and James playing soccer together in the dark; throwing citrus in the fire with Caroline and Jessica; remembering Uncle Mike with Ashley and Aunt Kealey.....alllllllll these things.
all these things make made my life more rich over the last week.
come together
the guys at work and i have been reading through this book, With Justice for All by.....John Perkins. it's essentially about community development and living out the Gospel of Christ in our immediate communities...and challenging the Body to live in the midst of the desloation of our country, not just to look at it from the outside, in. anyway, he's got some pretty powerful words and has really inspired me to be unafraid of the neighborhood that surrounds me and to look at my neighbors as simply human, like me.
what's really been intriguing for me though, is this idea that the Church has a call to the world. that we as the Church are called by Christ to work toward reconciliation and healing....we should not be relying on government or just good people. we are called as the Body to get our hands and feet dirty loving, feeding and clothing people. and we've got to turn our dreams and ideals into actual progress, sweat and hard work. for so long, i've been a dreamer....i mean that will never change, but i've only dreamed of ideas for reaching out to people and haven't really had any clue how to do it. and maybe i'll never know exactly the most practical, realistic way to do anything for God's children. but, i know that when i wake up in the morning, i'm gonna go unlock the gate and walk to the train station down the street....and i'm going to smile at people and talk to them.....and maybe the next day see the same people and eventually maybe i'll know someone well enough to invite them over for supper. and we'll share a meal together....ya know? it's just gotta start somewhere. anyway, the following quote is by Howard Snyder, and Perkins quotes him in the book.....i think he's got a point. read it through a couple times and really think about what that means for you personally. it's good stuff.
"Reconciliation with God must be demonstrated by genuine reconciliation within the Christian community and by a continuing ministry of reconciliation in the world. This means that in each local Christian assembly, reconciliation must be more than a theory and more than an invisible spiritual stransaction. Reconciliation must be real and visible. Racial and economic exploitation and all forms of elitism must be challenged biblically. Unholy divisions of the body of Christ must be seen as sin and worldliness."
what's really been intriguing for me though, is this idea that the Church has a call to the world. that we as the Church are called by Christ to work toward reconciliation and healing....we should not be relying on government or just good people. we are called as the Body to get our hands and feet dirty loving, feeding and clothing people. and we've got to turn our dreams and ideals into actual progress, sweat and hard work. for so long, i've been a dreamer....i mean that will never change, but i've only dreamed of ideas for reaching out to people and haven't really had any clue how to do it. and maybe i'll never know exactly the most practical, realistic way to do anything for God's children. but, i know that when i wake up in the morning, i'm gonna go unlock the gate and walk to the train station down the street....and i'm going to smile at people and talk to them.....and maybe the next day see the same people and eventually maybe i'll know someone well enough to invite them over for supper. and we'll share a meal together....ya know? it's just gotta start somewhere. anyway, the following quote is by Howard Snyder, and Perkins quotes him in the book.....i think he's got a point. read it through a couple times and really think about what that means for you personally. it's good stuff.
"Reconciliation with God must be demonstrated by genuine reconciliation within the Christian community and by a continuing ministry of reconciliation in the world. This means that in each local Christian assembly, reconciliation must be more than a theory and more than an invisible spiritual stransaction. Reconciliation must be real and visible. Racial and economic exploitation and all forms of elitism must be challenged biblically. Unholy divisions of the body of Christ must be seen as sin and worldliness."
feels like hope
so during our evening debriefs with the groups, we do this excercise.....i saw, i felt, i learned. and with my group from San Clemente a couple weeks ago, it went better than i ever could've dreamed. the students just really responded to the idea, and gave some incredible feedback. so here are the lovely Jenna's thoughts.....
"I saw...a woman excited from a bing prize....a man blessed by a smile...joy. contrast...love....a school with every kind of wall....a drug deal....Christ being the bridge....a park with the deepest congrast...a child's smile. a dumpster full of cardboard...beautiful people...work...a home. peace in the face of greed...a man with no home. a tent as a palace...brokenness....I felt...touched. pain...joy...privileged...the cold concrete...the thick air....the tenderness of a lonely heart...the tears of the people...unworthy of my wealth...ashamed....and a need of compassion....I learned...that brokenness looks like many things...a smile is God's compassion....the nonwealthy are worthy.....to forget myself....to focus on the things inside....to look past dirt, grime, poverty, cardboard, darkness and to see the light."
when Jenna read those words, my heart was moved beyond belief. it was like in that moment, the Lord was reaching into my soul and audibly saying, "Child, I have brought you here for this reason."
reading through their evaluations week after week, listening to their words of encouragement and affirmation, seeing their hearts transforming before my eyes...makes all this worth it. it redeems all the homesickness and loneliness that i've felt the last two months. knowing that Christ is doing a good work in and through me is more than i can ever ask for. and it's what has brought me to the decision to stay for a while longer....i've officially decided to stay for the spring term.....and then i guess we'll go from there :) thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
"I saw...a woman excited from a bing prize....a man blessed by a smile...joy. contrast...love....a school with every kind of wall....a drug deal....Christ being the bridge....a park with the deepest congrast...a child's smile. a dumpster full of cardboard...beautiful people...work...a home. peace in the face of greed...a man with no home. a tent as a palace...brokenness....I felt...touched. pain...joy...privileged...the cold concrete...the thick air....the tenderness of a lonely heart...the tears of the people...unworthy of my wealth...ashamed....and a need of compassion....I learned...that brokenness looks like many things...a smile is God's compassion....the nonwealthy are worthy.....to forget myself....to focus on the things inside....to look past dirt, grime, poverty, cardboard, darkness and to see the light."
when Jenna read those words, my heart was moved beyond belief. it was like in that moment, the Lord was reaching into my soul and audibly saying, "Child, I have brought you here for this reason."
reading through their evaluations week after week, listening to their words of encouragement and affirmation, seeing their hearts transforming before my eyes...makes all this worth it. it redeems all the homesickness and loneliness that i've felt the last two months. knowing that Christ is doing a good work in and through me is more than i can ever ask for. and it's what has brought me to the decision to stay for a while longer....i've officially decided to stay for the spring term.....and then i guess we'll go from there :) thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
23
i would just like to take a moment to thank my wonderful parents, Mark and Lori, for being incredible. and for loving each other so much that it poured out into and over the four of us. you've been the most supportive and loving people i could've asked to raise me. you taught me discipline, honesty, integrity, perseverance, joy, how to poop in the woods, how to love my siblings more, how to be stubborn -or just really determined, and how to be a leader. mom, thanks for suffering through those excrutiating 46 hours of labor, and daddy, thanks for holding her holding her hand. and then, thanks for doing it all over again three more times; i have the best brother and sisters in the world.
i owe you a lot. i mean really, a looooooooot. so thank you. espcecially for my college education and experience. it's in large part because of you. and thanks for being so wonderful about letting me make decisions, even when they're bad and even when they're hard. THANK YOU for supporting me in this new season and adventure that the Lord has led me to here in LA. thanks for raising me in the church, and for asking tough questions and giving tough answers. i'm a better thinker because of it. and i love Christ more for it too. anyway, it may be my birthday in an hour and 20 minutes, but the celebration is for you too. 23 years with children, congratulations guys :)
with love and respect,
britani leah
i owe you a lot. i mean really, a looooooooot. so thank you. espcecially for my college education and experience. it's in large part because of you. and thanks for being so wonderful about letting me make decisions, even when they're bad and even when they're hard. THANK YOU for supporting me in this new season and adventure that the Lord has led me to here in LA. thanks for raising me in the church, and for asking tough questions and giving tough answers. i'm a better thinker because of it. and i love Christ more for it too. anyway, it may be my birthday in an hour and 20 minutes, but the celebration is for you too. 23 years with children, congratulations guys :)
with love and respect,
britani leah
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Center for Student Missions
soooo my lovely friend, Ellen, brought it to my attention that i have yet to actually say on here what i'm doing.......aaaaand i haven't actually read back through my posts to see if she's right. maybe because i'm a little wordy ;)
anyway, here's the down low on CSM, Los Angeles.
i am currently, the fall "host" for CSM LA. what does that mean...well, mostly on the weekends in the fall (more week-long for spring and summer) i host youth groups and college groups of students who are coming to the city for a mission trip of sorts. i'm the facilitator and liason between the groups and the places we serve. for example, last weekend, i hosted a lovely group of 15 high schoolers from Bakersfield, CA. after they came in on friday evening, i took them to supper -or dinner as californians say- at Honduras Kitchen and then we went on the Prayer Tour. [LA's prayer tour is anywhere from 2-3 hours long, and it's essentially a driving tour of the city. we get out and stop at several key spots of different areas and discuss some of the issues as they apply. all the while, we pray for whatever it is we see, and we look for ways that the Lord is in the city working.] at the end of each day, we debrief and kind of process through what we've seen, heard and experienced. let me just say that debriefs are often my favorite treasures of these trips. some of these kids are absolutely brilliant. some are broken and the Lord restores them in front of my eyes...for some, a dissonant chord is struck in their hearts and they leave passionate about something new.
after that first day, we typically serve at two different places each day, followed by supper at an ethnic place and debriefing again. my bakersfield group served at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in the morning and then we split into two groups for the afternoon. my half of the group did a Meet-a-Need which is something that may be unique to LA? not really sure, but they don't do it in H-town. anyhow, the students go through a designated downtown area, trying to meet someone, learn their story and meet a particular need. we try to stress creativity :) after that, we served at Sharon Care which is a convelescent home. usually at places like this, we play the world renowned game of BINGO. buuut flexibility is key with CSM, so the group was AMAZING and just spent a couple hours getting to know the people livin there, and also went through the rooms "caroling". pretty sweet stuff :) you never, never know how much a song or a smile or a handshake means to someone else. sooooooo after that, we had supper at Zankou chicken; armenian food = bliss. that's all i have to say about that. love it :)
sunday mornings, we typically go to a culturally diverse worship service...and that's essentially a weekend in the life of Britani :) week long trips are my fave, because i really do love hosting. buuut those kids from bakersfield changed my mind about weekend groups. they encouraged and affirmed me more than they will ever know.
it's easy to doubt the good things that the Lord gives us....who knows why. but He used those students to remind me that i'm here for a reason, and that He's gifted me perfectly for this particular job.
thanks for your love and support. and prayer of course. it honestly has been harder than i expected, but better than i expected too. i'm finally getting settled and makin friends and connections. and i'm challenged to be more bold every day. i know, who would think it would be hard for me to talk to strangers........welllllll california is COMPLETELY different than kansas. but i'm getting better. God's still good and He's still taking care of me.
okayyyyyyy i know it's gettin really long now, BUT. the beach. wow. incredible. the ocean is blue here. who knew? ;) and the wavesssssssss. man those waves rock. and the sand. k well i love all of it.
also. I LOVE VISITORS. so iffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff i happen to decide to stay for longer than december, please PLEASE somebody come visit me for the love of Peter. i would love to share this new adventure with anyone who wants to see :)
anyway, here's the down low on CSM, Los Angeles.
i am currently, the fall "host" for CSM LA. what does that mean...well, mostly on the weekends in the fall (more week-long for spring and summer) i host youth groups and college groups of students who are coming to the city for a mission trip of sorts. i'm the facilitator and liason between the groups and the places we serve. for example, last weekend, i hosted a lovely group of 15 high schoolers from Bakersfield, CA. after they came in on friday evening, i took them to supper -or dinner as californians say- at Honduras Kitchen and then we went on the Prayer Tour. [LA's prayer tour is anywhere from 2-3 hours long, and it's essentially a driving tour of the city. we get out and stop at several key spots of different areas and discuss some of the issues as they apply. all the while, we pray for whatever it is we see, and we look for ways that the Lord is in the city working.] at the end of each day, we debrief and kind of process through what we've seen, heard and experienced. let me just say that debriefs are often my favorite treasures of these trips. some of these kids are absolutely brilliant. some are broken and the Lord restores them in front of my eyes...for some, a dissonant chord is struck in their hearts and they leave passionate about something new.
after that first day, we typically serve at two different places each day, followed by supper at an ethnic place and debriefing again. my bakersfield group served at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in the morning and then we split into two groups for the afternoon. my half of the group did a Meet-a-Need which is something that may be unique to LA? not really sure, but they don't do it in H-town. anyhow, the students go through a designated downtown area, trying to meet someone, learn their story and meet a particular need. we try to stress creativity :) after that, we served at Sharon Care which is a convelescent home. usually at places like this, we play the world renowned game of BINGO. buuut flexibility is key with CSM, so the group was AMAZING and just spent a couple hours getting to know the people livin there, and also went through the rooms "caroling". pretty sweet stuff :) you never, never know how much a song or a smile or a handshake means to someone else. sooooooo after that, we had supper at Zankou chicken; armenian food = bliss. that's all i have to say about that. love it :)
sunday mornings, we typically go to a culturally diverse worship service...and that's essentially a weekend in the life of Britani :) week long trips are my fave, because i really do love hosting. buuut those kids from bakersfield changed my mind about weekend groups. they encouraged and affirmed me more than they will ever know.
it's easy to doubt the good things that the Lord gives us....who knows why. but He used those students to remind me that i'm here for a reason, and that He's gifted me perfectly for this particular job.
thanks for your love and support. and prayer of course. it honestly has been harder than i expected, but better than i expected too. i'm finally getting settled and makin friends and connections. and i'm challenged to be more bold every day. i know, who would think it would be hard for me to talk to strangers........welllllll california is COMPLETELY different than kansas. but i'm getting better. God's still good and He's still taking care of me.
okayyyyyyy i know it's gettin really long now, BUT. the beach. wow. incredible. the ocean is blue here. who knew? ;) and the wavesssssssss. man those waves rock. and the sand. k well i love all of it.
also. I LOVE VISITORS. so iffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff i happen to decide to stay for longer than december, please PLEASE somebody come visit me for the love of Peter. i would love to share this new adventure with anyone who wants to see :)
at the end of the day you're another day older.
so the other day, i was listening to one of my favorite musicals, Les Misérables....nearly every single time i listen to it, the lyrics and the movement of the music moves me to tears. yeaaaaa sure i am an emotional wonder, but still. anyway, one of the underlying themes of the story is that a group of poor or working class {of frace} band together. they're fighting and dying for one another, working to end opression and gain social justice. they inspire and empower themselves to fight for a change that they believe in.
i wish i had that courage, that motivation to really make a difference. i'm not talking about killing people obviously, but just about being radical enough to inspire someone -namely myself- to want to do something about this sick and broken world we live in. and do to it together. we can't be divided to function properly.
the body of Christ is made up of unique parts and each member must work with the rest. there are a million things that we disagree on, but there is common ground that's worth standing up for. the Kingdom of God is here and now. we are His children, called to love God and neighbor. now each of us will live that out in a different way, some will be mothers, some will be teachers, doctors, architects, artists, event planners, construction workers, missionaries, pastors, lawyers, general managers and pianists. we all have something different that we DO but we all have a similar thing that we ARE. soooooooo we should act like it. and as my man michael jackson says, "i'm starting with the man in the mirror". or woman.
i wish i had that courage, that motivation to really make a difference. i'm not talking about killing people obviously, but just about being radical enough to inspire someone -namely myself- to want to do something about this sick and broken world we live in. and do to it together. we can't be divided to function properly.
the body of Christ is made up of unique parts and each member must work with the rest. there are a million things that we disagree on, but there is common ground that's worth standing up for. the Kingdom of God is here and now. we are His children, called to love God and neighbor. now each of us will live that out in a different way, some will be mothers, some will be teachers, doctors, architects, artists, event planners, construction workers, missionaries, pastors, lawyers, general managers and pianists. we all have something different that we DO but we all have a similar thing that we ARE. soooooooo we should act like it. and as my man michael jackson says, "i'm starting with the man in the mirror". or woman.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
we the people
if you're worried by the title, i'm not going to talk about the election or politics:)
just the people.
so last sunday night, i went to Mosaic, this trendy church in downtown. it was different than any service i've ever been to, but the message spoke to my heart. the sermon was about taking chances and following the dreams the Lord has given us. so i felt very affirmed in that the Lord gave me this intense desire to come and love his people here.....and even though it's so hard to be away from the people that i love, i still want to be here. anyway, i was also inspired because since i've been here, i haven't really done much....i mean, i've been hosting which is incredible. but other than that, i've not really done a lot to get to know the city and the people.
so this week, i've just been trying to love on some people. my new friend alex needed help moving, so i went to Rosemead to help him. i met his cousins Jeremy and Christian, his mom Martha and his aunt Belinda. Christian's 6. not exactly an angel, but he's the cutest thing i've seen in awhile ;)
Vales and I went to see Rachel -the city director who's having a baby soooon, and i got to play with her beautiful daughter Jane. she was perfectly content to twirl around her bedroom and jingle my necklace.
I met some of the people at Project Angel Food, Kris and Vesna. They work every day, supporting the people that make and deliver meals to people suffering from HIV and AIDS.
Today, I got to meet Lauren, who heads up Adventures Ahead, an after school tutoring program that caters to students in the Pico Union area. A little background on Pico....the Pico Union neighborhood is home to more than 120,000 people in a two mile area. That basically breaks down to 550 people per block. If you've seen the area, you know that the area isn't exactly residential....lots of shops, tiny restaurants and tinier houses. The average person in PU makes $4,800/year compared to $16,150 avg. for the rest of LA county. But it's not about stats. :)
so i'm finally meeting people and finally learning what else i can do here....other than hosting on the weekends. even though that's incredible.
i know this post is getting kinda lengthy so i'll try to finish.....with this. my group last weekend was one of my favorite groups ever. we talked a lot about being the body of Christ to our immediate community, then to our neighboring community and eventually the world. they had an opportunity at the end of the weekend to put those ideas into action. one of the guys met this man outside Walgreens and just randomly wanted to buy him some socks and a sweatshirt. which was amazing. he wanted to know the dude's name and then he just bought him stuff that he needed. but the really amazing display of the body was when the students found out that their youth pastor was having an affair. they wanted more than anything to be at home in church when the announcement was made -so that they could support their church family, but especially support him. i wish that we all got life like that.....that we could forgive each other and just love. i know that was an awful, terrible thing to happen and i'm not condoning it at all. but we have to learn to get past that....somehow to get past it and forgive each other. and we just gotta love a little more.
just the people.
so last sunday night, i went to Mosaic, this trendy church in downtown. it was different than any service i've ever been to, but the message spoke to my heart. the sermon was about taking chances and following the dreams the Lord has given us. so i felt very affirmed in that the Lord gave me this intense desire to come and love his people here.....and even though it's so hard to be away from the people that i love, i still want to be here. anyway, i was also inspired because since i've been here, i haven't really done much....i mean, i've been hosting which is incredible. but other than that, i've not really done a lot to get to know the city and the people.
so this week, i've just been trying to love on some people. my new friend alex needed help moving, so i went to Rosemead to help him. i met his cousins Jeremy and Christian, his mom Martha and his aunt Belinda. Christian's 6. not exactly an angel, but he's the cutest thing i've seen in awhile ;)
Vales and I went to see Rachel -the city director who's having a baby soooon, and i got to play with her beautiful daughter Jane. she was perfectly content to twirl around her bedroom and jingle my necklace.
I met some of the people at Project Angel Food, Kris and Vesna. They work every day, supporting the people that make and deliver meals to people suffering from HIV and AIDS.
Today, I got to meet Lauren, who heads up Adventures Ahead, an after school tutoring program that caters to students in the Pico Union area. A little background on Pico....the Pico Union neighborhood is home to more than 120,000 people in a two mile area. That basically breaks down to 550 people per block. If you've seen the area, you know that the area isn't exactly residential....lots of shops, tiny restaurants and tinier houses. The average person in PU makes $4,800/year compared to $16,150 avg. for the rest of LA county. But it's not about stats. :)
so i'm finally meeting people and finally learning what else i can do here....other than hosting on the weekends. even though that's incredible.
i know this post is getting kinda lengthy so i'll try to finish.....with this. my group last weekend was one of my favorite groups ever. we talked a lot about being the body of Christ to our immediate community, then to our neighboring community and eventually the world. they had an opportunity at the end of the weekend to put those ideas into action. one of the guys met this man outside Walgreens and just randomly wanted to buy him some socks and a sweatshirt. which was amazing. he wanted to know the dude's name and then he just bought him stuff that he needed. but the really amazing display of the body was when the students found out that their youth pastor was having an affair. they wanted more than anything to be at home in church when the announcement was made -so that they could support their church family, but especially support him. i wish that we all got life like that.....that we could forgive each other and just love. i know that was an awful, terrible thing to happen and i'm not condoning it at all. but we have to learn to get past that....somehow to get past it and forgive each other. and we just gotta love a little more.
Friday, October 24, 2008
persperation station
it's another scorcher in south central....:) i'm INSIDE the air conditioned warehouse and sweating. a lot.
so we're preparing for our next weekend of groupssss!!! i'm hosting a group of 18 high schoolers which is awesome. love high schoolers. ;)
so yesterday, my cousin Jaime and i, and a friend of his named Chris went to Santa Barbara. i have to say, it was a beautiful little drive down the coast. and it's a super cute little place. very quaint. and the viewwwwww oh man the view.
annnnyway, that's all for now, because our little groupies should be here soon :) but the purpose of saying anything was just to ask for prayer. i'm a little tired, and not really feeling well....so i just need energy and enthusiasm....and if not that, transparency that the Lord could speak through me and use me anyway, despite the way i feel. thanks, and much love :)
Grace and Peace!
so we're preparing for our next weekend of groupssss!!! i'm hosting a group of 18 high schoolers which is awesome. love high schoolers. ;)
so yesterday, my cousin Jaime and i, and a friend of his named Chris went to Santa Barbara. i have to say, it was a beautiful little drive down the coast. and it's a super cute little place. very quaint. and the viewwwwww oh man the view.
annnnyway, that's all for now, because our little groupies should be here soon :) but the purpose of saying anything was just to ask for prayer. i'm a little tired, and not really feeling well....so i just need energy and enthusiasm....and if not that, transparency that the Lord could speak through me and use me anyway, despite the way i feel. thanks, and much love :)
Grace and Peace!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
wishing well
10.22.08
sorry it's been so long :) i was writing more when i didn't have the internet....haha. so, this past weekend, i hosted my first group! they were from the LA area, and a college group, so that was fantastic. hopefully i've made some friends :) my first prayer tour went well...for me, it's the most intense 2 hours of the weekend, but i love it. i've already said before, that the Lord shows me something new each time i go on it/give it. this time, we were driving through skid row and on the street corner, there were 5 men all gathered around djembe drums, and a couple trash cans just jammin. i think in that moment, the Lord really spoke to me through those men about making the best....and that joy is not about your position i.e. what you do, where you are, the outside things that are effecting you...but about the condition of your heart; who you are, and the way that you react to those outside sources.
so often, we as humans place our worth and our source of happiness on what we're doing and the success that we're having or not having. but what's it really about? maybe if we come to know who we are and are allowing the Lord and his people to change our hearts, then naturally what we do will be an outpouring of our hearts. a couple months before i left my job at Friends, i was basically miserable. really confused as to what my purpose was, because i knew that my heart was longing for something more. but one of my mentors told me that he thought i might need to try to start asking the Lord for ways to have purpose at work. to share my heart for loving people in that place. so that's what i did....i just kept asking God to give me a reason to go to work....and ya know, when this opportunity in LA presented itself, though i didn't really hesitate to say yes, it was still really hard to leave. because the Lord had shown me how to make the best of it. i tried really hard to pour into my co-workers and especially my student workers. though some days were better than others, i tried....and He has made me better for it. i mean, not for the things that i've done, but for the way that He changed my heart, changed my outlook and ultimately the condition of my heart.
anyway....we went hiking this weekend too. this lovely little trail that led to a uhhh "waterfall" that's mostly dried up at this point in the season. but a few of the guys and i went up a little further on the trail and saw the most spectacular view! all around us were green, lush mountains...to the left we could see Los Angeles and to the right was the ocean...big and blue and full of God...and through the clouds was Catalina Island. way cool.
sooooooooo all this rambling to say, be encouraged my sweet brothers and sisters :) find a way to live out something that you're passionate about wherever you are. check out the view and take a djembe to work :)
sorry it's been so long :) i was writing more when i didn't have the internet....haha. so, this past weekend, i hosted my first group! they were from the LA area, and a college group, so that was fantastic. hopefully i've made some friends :) my first prayer tour went well...for me, it's the most intense 2 hours of the weekend, but i love it. i've already said before, that the Lord shows me something new each time i go on it/give it. this time, we were driving through skid row and on the street corner, there were 5 men all gathered around djembe drums, and a couple trash cans just jammin. i think in that moment, the Lord really spoke to me through those men about making the best....and that joy is not about your position i.e. what you do, where you are, the outside things that are effecting you...but about the condition of your heart; who you are, and the way that you react to those outside sources.
so often, we as humans place our worth and our source of happiness on what we're doing and the success that we're having or not having. but what's it really about? maybe if we come to know who we are and are allowing the Lord and his people to change our hearts, then naturally what we do will be an outpouring of our hearts. a couple months before i left my job at Friends, i was basically miserable. really confused as to what my purpose was, because i knew that my heart was longing for something more. but one of my mentors told me that he thought i might need to try to start asking the Lord for ways to have purpose at work. to share my heart for loving people in that place. so that's what i did....i just kept asking God to give me a reason to go to work....and ya know, when this opportunity in LA presented itself, though i didn't really hesitate to say yes, it was still really hard to leave. because the Lord had shown me how to make the best of it. i tried really hard to pour into my co-workers and especially my student workers. though some days were better than others, i tried....and He has made me better for it. i mean, not for the things that i've done, but for the way that He changed my heart, changed my outlook and ultimately the condition of my heart.
anyway....we went hiking this weekend too. this lovely little trail that led to a uhhh "waterfall" that's mostly dried up at this point in the season. but a few of the guys and i went up a little further on the trail and saw the most spectacular view! all around us were green, lush mountains...to the left we could see Los Angeles and to the right was the ocean...big and blue and full of God...and through the clouds was Catalina Island. way cool.
sooooooooo all this rambling to say, be encouraged my sweet brothers and sisters :) find a way to live out something that you're passionate about wherever you are. check out the view and take a djembe to work :)
Thursday, October 16, 2008
minty green tea
20 minutes later….
Note to self: Please Please PLEASE never again drink Green Tea…much less with mint…right before bed. Or even two hours before. Or at this point three hours before…I’m pretty sure. No wait, I KNOW that I didn’t have that tea before 9:00. And it’s nearly midnight. Can’t sleep. Not even tired really. And of course no internet so I can’t even waste my time on facebook. Lameeeeeeeee. Well I’m going to read. Yep. K. maybe sleep will find me sometime before 1:00. Please God.
Note to self: Please Please PLEASE never again drink Green Tea…much less with mint…right before bed. Or even two hours before. Or at this point three hours before…I’m pretty sure. No wait, I KNOW that I didn’t have that tea before 9:00. And it’s nearly midnight. Can’t sleep. Not even tired really. And of course no internet so I can’t even waste my time on facebook. Lameeeeeeeee. Well I’m going to read. Yep. K. maybe sleep will find me sometime before 1:00. Please God.
opportunities
10.15.08
I was introduced to another organization that may be good to volunteer with this fall. It’ll take some effort on my part to get there because they’re located in Hollywood…but hopefully it’ll work out. They’re called Project Angel Food and they’re non-faith based which I actually think is a really cool opportunity for me as a follower of Jesus to minister to them with who I am versus what my labels are. Or rather who Jesus is in me. Anyway, I guess they cook food and stuff all day for people who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. But it's just another option....hopefully I'll find something SOON. I need human contact :) I love my warehouse but really....i need people :)
Man my keyboard is being ridiculous. Ok so lets see… anyway, Project Angel Food. The Lord has been really challenging me since I got here to not only love the poor but also the wealthy because there seems to be such a huge gap between rich and poor here. And also because it’s uncomfortable for me. I’m learning that it’s difficult for me to interact with people who believe differently from me and I wanna be stretched and grown as much as possible so maybe it’ll be good to be around someone else. I think I’ve already said that but it’s so true. I could talk about how we need to love the homeless and not ignore them all day long but when you put me in a room with a rich girl, I’ll turn the other way and judge her for being rich or pretty. And that’s not what I want to be about…I don’t want be that kind of person. Anyway.
Oh yea. Yesterday, my cousin Jaime and I were driving through Beverly Hills and saw Fabio ;) haha…so funny and kinda cool. He was driving a black Lamborghini with his long flowy hair sailing behind him. Yea he checked us out ;) Also, I went on this urban plunge thing all by myself! Yes sir. I think I could navigate alright through the metro system. It’s really fairly small compared to other cities. But it’ll do. Definitely needs work tho. Ummm….man I have to do the laundry tomorrow. So I’m going to walk a mile or so to this Laundromat here in SC on Compton…maybe I’ll sit at Starbucks for a while and actually post this sucker. Sorry it’s been so long, we’ve been w/o internet for several days. I’ve resorted to playing soccer by myself in the commons room. Hahah. True. Equally sad ;) I’m really excited for my group this weekend…they’re a college group!!! Hopefully they’re like upper classman so they’ll be close to my age. No, I shouldn’t have expectations. But they’ll be 20!!! Yesssssssssss Mkay. Enough for now. Much Love, Grace and Peace.
I was introduced to another organization that may be good to volunteer with this fall. It’ll take some effort on my part to get there because they’re located in Hollywood…but hopefully it’ll work out. They’re called Project Angel Food and they’re non-faith based which I actually think is a really cool opportunity for me as a follower of Jesus to minister to them with who I am versus what my labels are. Or rather who Jesus is in me. Anyway, I guess they cook food and stuff all day for people who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. But it's just another option....hopefully I'll find something SOON. I need human contact :) I love my warehouse but really....i need people :)
Man my keyboard is being ridiculous. Ok so lets see… anyway, Project Angel Food. The Lord has been really challenging me since I got here to not only love the poor but also the wealthy because there seems to be such a huge gap between rich and poor here. And also because it’s uncomfortable for me. I’m learning that it’s difficult for me to interact with people who believe differently from me and I wanna be stretched and grown as much as possible so maybe it’ll be good to be around someone else. I think I’ve already said that but it’s so true. I could talk about how we need to love the homeless and not ignore them all day long but when you put me in a room with a rich girl, I’ll turn the other way and judge her for being rich or pretty. And that’s not what I want to be about…I don’t want be that kind of person. Anyway.
Oh yea. Yesterday, my cousin Jaime and I were driving through Beverly Hills and saw Fabio ;) haha…so funny and kinda cool. He was driving a black Lamborghini with his long flowy hair sailing behind him. Yea he checked us out ;) Also, I went on this urban plunge thing all by myself! Yes sir. I think I could navigate alright through the metro system. It’s really fairly small compared to other cities. But it’ll do. Definitely needs work tho. Ummm….man I have to do the laundry tomorrow. So I’m going to walk a mile or so to this Laundromat here in SC on Compton…maybe I’ll sit at Starbucks for a while and actually post this sucker. Sorry it’s been so long, we’ve been w/o internet for several days. I’ve resorted to playing soccer by myself in the commons room. Hahah. True. Equally sad ;) I’m really excited for my group this weekend…they’re a college group!!! Hopefully they’re like upper classman so they’ll be close to my age. No, I shouldn’t have expectations. But they’ll be 20!!! Yesssssssssss Mkay. Enough for now. Much Love, Grace and Peace.
questions and answers and questions
10.13.08
Relief.
I wonder how a person ever has relief when living in the midst of homelessness. I try to imagine those first few days on the street…cold, damp, lonely. I like to think I would still pray; more like cry out and beg the Lord for rescue. Maybe then, once the night is over and the dangers of the dark are gone, relief comes with the morning. Hope wakes up with dawn.
Fred was his name. We met my first Saturday morning at Faith in Christ ministries. The Santa Ana’s had blown in over the night, so that particular morning was cool and crisp. Smiling at each other, we shook hands. He wore a thick black coat, a black and red knit beanie with blue jeans and dirty shoes. He wore deep blue colored contacts; I wondered where he got them from. He has a daughter; she just graduated from nursing school. Such a proud daddy. His warm voice echoed his surprisingly confident demeanor. Fred was glad that I had followed the Lord to L.A. How did he end up homeless? How does he keep going? Deep in his eyes was real Joy. That’s all there is I guess…it’s all about perspective.
I hope we make a difference. That the Lord uses my hands for good…that deliverance can come for one person. But I’m starting to wonder if that matters at all. It’s beginning to seem that all there truly is….all there ever has been, is Christ. The condition of our souls is more important….I want to know what is more important; basic needs, or being treated like a human. If I was homeless; ignored, putrid smelling, knotted, trampled on and starving, what would I care about more? Being looked in the face, or having a drink of clean water….? Or should I have to choose…shouldn’t both those things be in the same basic needs category? Food, water, shelter, humanness. That’s what I’m doing here. I’m here to treat people like people, and then to meet their needs. I’m here to inspire youth to learn how to really live the message of Jesus. To love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. My prayer is that it would stick. People would start GETTING IT. I will spread that message until I’m blue in the face; I will never tire of trying my damnedest to treat people well and encourage others to do the same. And if one person smiles at someone who is homeless because of something I did or said or tried…well then my job is complete. My next prayer is that they would go on and spread the goodness. Maybe we can start to live like Christ…and maybe it’s really easier than we make it out to be. It’s possible that it begins with something simple like a smile. And then that smile builds into a “Hello”. Piled on top of that word is maybe a free lunch and listening ears. Maybe we can start to collectively get it. And Christ can reclaim the “Christian” label and we won’t be ashamed to say that’s what we are.
I usually hate saying that I’m a Christian. Only because I know that the stereotype is negative and usually it’s something I’m not associated with. Or at least I try not to be. Yea I should say that now…I DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. Usually, I’m wrong actually. But I really think that about this….I might be closer to the better end of right. Man wouldn’t it be a beautiful day if the Church welcomed and loved alcoholics and crack addicts? Then maybe Jesus can be the healer of those addictions and the Church can be the encouraging body behind the recovery. And maybe God’s timing is perfect and He will heal his children when the time is right. ????
And you know….for that matter. We should probably learn to embrace people of all (ALL ALL ALL) socio-economic backgrounds. That means rich and poor. Black, White, Latino,Asian….everyone. Rich people have broken pieces too. Afterall, we were ALL created in God’s image. Each of his children. Instead of treating wealthy or famous people like they’re a commodity, maybe we should treat them like people too. Smile at them on the street, and leave it be. You wouldn’t walk up to a complete (non-famous) stranger and take pictures of them would you? Yea Ok that’s good for now.
Relief.
I wonder how a person ever has relief when living in the midst of homelessness. I try to imagine those first few days on the street…cold, damp, lonely. I like to think I would still pray; more like cry out and beg the Lord for rescue. Maybe then, once the night is over and the dangers of the dark are gone, relief comes with the morning. Hope wakes up with dawn.
Fred was his name. We met my first Saturday morning at Faith in Christ ministries. The Santa Ana’s had blown in over the night, so that particular morning was cool and crisp. Smiling at each other, we shook hands. He wore a thick black coat, a black and red knit beanie with blue jeans and dirty shoes. He wore deep blue colored contacts; I wondered where he got them from. He has a daughter; she just graduated from nursing school. Such a proud daddy. His warm voice echoed his surprisingly confident demeanor. Fred was glad that I had followed the Lord to L.A. How did he end up homeless? How does he keep going? Deep in his eyes was real Joy. That’s all there is I guess…it’s all about perspective.
I hope we make a difference. That the Lord uses my hands for good…that deliverance can come for one person. But I’m starting to wonder if that matters at all. It’s beginning to seem that all there truly is….all there ever has been, is Christ. The condition of our souls is more important….I want to know what is more important; basic needs, or being treated like a human. If I was homeless; ignored, putrid smelling, knotted, trampled on and starving, what would I care about more? Being looked in the face, or having a drink of clean water….? Or should I have to choose…shouldn’t both those things be in the same basic needs category? Food, water, shelter, humanness. That’s what I’m doing here. I’m here to treat people like people, and then to meet their needs. I’m here to inspire youth to learn how to really live the message of Jesus. To love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. My prayer is that it would stick. People would start GETTING IT. I will spread that message until I’m blue in the face; I will never tire of trying my damnedest to treat people well and encourage others to do the same. And if one person smiles at someone who is homeless because of something I did or said or tried…well then my job is complete. My next prayer is that they would go on and spread the goodness. Maybe we can start to live like Christ…and maybe it’s really easier than we make it out to be. It’s possible that it begins with something simple like a smile. And then that smile builds into a “Hello”. Piled on top of that word is maybe a free lunch and listening ears. Maybe we can start to collectively get it. And Christ can reclaim the “Christian” label and we won’t be ashamed to say that’s what we are.
I usually hate saying that I’m a Christian. Only because I know that the stereotype is negative and usually it’s something I’m not associated with. Or at least I try not to be. Yea I should say that now…I DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. Usually, I’m wrong actually. But I really think that about this….I might be closer to the better end of right. Man wouldn’t it be a beautiful day if the Church welcomed and loved alcoholics and crack addicts? Then maybe Jesus can be the healer of those addictions and the Church can be the encouraging body behind the recovery. And maybe God’s timing is perfect and He will heal his children when the time is right. ????
And you know….for that matter. We should probably learn to embrace people of all (ALL ALL ALL) socio-economic backgrounds. That means rich and poor. Black, White, Latino,Asian….everyone. Rich people have broken pieces too. Afterall, we were ALL created in God’s image. Each of his children. Instead of treating wealthy or famous people like they’re a commodity, maybe we should treat them like people too. Smile at them on the street, and leave it be. You wouldn’t walk up to a complete (non-famous) stranger and take pictures of them would you? Yea Ok that’s good for now.
George
“I never won at Bingo,” an old black man with gold rimmed glasses droned to me one October afternoon. We came to the Grandview Retirement Hotel to play games with elderly people; many with no family, most suffering some kind of mental disease or cancer. Walking up to the old Southern style front porch, a breeze of marijuana wafted my way…. “Oh you’ve never won at Bingo?” I sympathetically asked. “Well maybe today’ll be your lucky day.” Sure enough, that gold rimmed glasses wearing man with the black paisley shirt sitting in a wheelchair won Bingo five times that crisp October day. When we left, my bingo partner was relaxing on the front porch, drinking a Sprite and smoking a joint. It seemed, however, that the marijuana wasn’t the only pain reliever in his day.
shopping carts
10.12.08
Shopping Carts.
Red silver and gray,
Colors of distress, ownership, pain, and hope.
Colors of a loner.
Parked outside.
Overflowing with possessions. All he owns. All he has.
Dreadlocks and curls. Green shirt and the shakes.
Shopping Carts.
Red silver and gray,
Colors of distress, ownership, pain, and hope.
Colors of a loner.
Parked outside.
Overflowing with possessions. All he owns. All he has.
Dreadlocks and curls. Green shirt and the shakes.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
On The Way
well folks,
i promised a blog :) here it is.
i'm on the way to Los Angeles...to serve this fall with CSM (Center for Student Missions). the next week or so will just be training/getting to know L.A. and then the following couple months i'll be hosting groups on the weekends. we'll be serving at all kinds of different inner city organizations and eating at cool ethnic restaurants. basically can't wait.
this is a beautiful testament to the faithfulness of God and His provision and perfect timing. :) more to come....i'm tired if sitting still ;)
i promised a blog :) here it is.
i'm on the way to Los Angeles...to serve this fall with CSM (Center for Student Missions). the next week or so will just be training/getting to know L.A. and then the following couple months i'll be hosting groups on the weekends. we'll be serving at all kinds of different inner city organizations and eating at cool ethnic restaurants. basically can't wait.
this is a beautiful testament to the faithfulness of God and His provision and perfect timing. :) more to come....i'm tired if sitting still ;)
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