HI!
As you all know, I fell down out of the shower last week. Just a quick update, I am officially NOT sore any more and feel comfortable standing while bathing now (thanks to the shower mat).
This morning started quite early for Josh and I. Around 5:30 this morning we woke up in order to get my new friend Amber back to the airport. Oh yeah and Sara...she was leaving too (thank goodness). No I'm kidding, they are both great people and devoted blog-readers of the LA Parachute Project. I am lucky to have met them and they are certainly part of the team now. I am actually Facebook friends with both of them now, which I take pride in. They'll probably want to hang out with me again once school starts back in the Fall. I could probably spare some time out of my busy schedule to see them again...
Upon our return from LAX Josh and I got about another hour of sleep before waking up to breakfast burritos via Lupita. They were "violently" delicious as Luke would say. After the meal, the team sat down together to do a few pages of the devotion that Bob gave us. Before I go any further I want to give you all something to think about from the packet.
Someone once remarked:
"I was going to ask God why He allows so much suffering and injustice
to continue in the world. But I decided not to because I was afraid He
might ask me the same question"
That was the first thing in the devotion that we read this morning, and it has been running through my mind all day. I won't dive into that right now because of all there is to say about it, but I will say that Bob's devotion is teaching me a lot of things that I thought I knew but is vividly reminding me of. I think that sometimes we forget that we are here on earth to LOVE one another. We often get caught up in satisfying ourselves and our selfish desires. I am definitely guilty of this myself, but Romans 12:10 says "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
After our devotion we set out to our first day on the field since last week when we started making the changes to our strategy. Kelsey and Storm walked over and spent the day hanging around Santa Monica College. They told us of some interesting people they saw on campus and the hangouts at which people spend their time in between classes. Tomorrow they are both actually going to do some volunteer work in the inland area of Venice. You will hear more about that in tomorrow's blog.
Luke and Thomas spent the day in Venice Beach. They got to talk to a few people that they were hoping to have conversation with, including the artist that Josh felt pulled towards. Turns out he is a pretty cool guy and is looking forward to seeing Thomas and Luke in the near future. They also had some good conversations including an Egyptian man that was actually a believer and went to a local church. This is definitely some exciting and encouraging news.
Josh and I hung out on Montana Ave here in Santa Monica. This is where a lot of the locals spend their time away from the tourists. We've discovered that coffee shops are THE place to be. We'll be spending a lot of time there for the next couple of weeks, and the funny thing is...I came into this trip hating coffee. I still hate coffee, but I have found ways to get around it. Such as getting a 10,000 calorie frapuccino (for the glory of God of course). I gotta fit in, ya know? We spent the morning in Starbucks and after lunch we walked a couple of blocks up towards Peet's Coffee and Tea Company. But on the way I stopped by the Barber Shop to get a quick haircut. It is there where I met June, a very petite Asian lady who has been cutting hair for fifteen years. I am not sure how long she has been living in the US, but she probably told me and I just couldn't understand. She seems like an awesome old lady, but her accent was pretty bad. You see, she kept asking me how long I have been here in LA and I kept telling her almost a month. I had no idea why she kept asking me the same thing over and over so I also kept replying the same. As she turned me around towards the mirror and yelled a bit louder "do you comb your hair to the side?", I then realized that she really didn't care how long I have been in LA, but only which way I part my hair...
Josh and I left Peet's a bit early because we were both physically drained, and the people there were a bit more interested in their Macbooks and iPods than anything we had to offer. So we came back and took a much needed nap. After an awesome dinner most of us went out to get a few groceries and a little piece of home, Krispy Kreme donuts. The rest of the night included our team time and a game of Spades between Kelsey/Josh and Luke/Myself. Luke and I won of course.
Well it is 1:04 in the am here, and we have another big day tomorrow. The room is lit only by the backlight of my PC and the air conditioning is making its low humming noise that puts me to sleep every night. I need to get up and work some of these donuts off in the morning but before I go, I will leave you with some things to pray about.
1. That God continues to bless our team with excitement and good spirits. I think I speak for the whole team when I say that I look forward to what He has planned for us in the next few weeks.
2. That He provides us with good opportunities to love other people and conversation in the areas that we are working in, and that we have the boldness and wisdom to find and jump on those opportunities.
3. For June, the lady who cut my hair in the barber shop. I know I joked a bit about her, but she really seems to be a kind old lady. I don't know her story or where she stands spiritually. I don't know if I will ever see her again, but I pray that God blesses her in her life.
4. Finally, for us Christians to put other's needs before our own, especially non-believers. And that we show the same love for someone that we do not know, as the love that we would show our own brother.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers.
God Bless,
Bruce
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
An Expensive Lifestyle.
These past few days have been especially intense, blessed and amazing. We, the team, have grown a lot and are refocused on what we came out to accomplish here, which is to love in LA. We're all really excited about the future and what it holds for us these next several weeks.
Today started off with another awesome meal via Lupita. I'm sure you're all expecting us to say something about how amazing breakfast is, so here's my input once again. It was basically like a host of angels doing the Cha Cha Cha Slide on my tongue palate. Yeah, it was that good. It's actually one of my favorite meals she cooks: spinach & pepper omelets, hashbrowns, sausage, bread and fresh fruit.
After breakfast the team started the day off with doing this new devotional packet that Ken and Beb left us. So far it is all about the love of Christ. We only did the intro, so I'm sure some more interesting stuff is coming down the barrel on it. After the devo the team went prayer walking at the Venice boardwalk and then over to Montana St. in Santa Monica. This was a unique PW experience for a couple reasons. First, we had two new members with us. Sara Nichalson and Amber McKenzie joined us out here in LA for a few days to come visit and see what LA had to offer. They went on the prayer walk this morning with us which I thought was pretty awesome. I'm sure (actually, I know since we talked about it) that it was a culture shock for them, and you'll have to ask them about what their thoughts were, especially on the Venice area. It was especially awesome for me to have those two people with us. They came out to visit here with me and it was a neat experience having them join our team. Our team definitely felt encouraged by their presence and excited to see other ASU faces. Also, they two of them are in my prayer group of close friends and relatives and having been praying for our team on a regular basis. So, I think it was a neat opportunity for us and for them because not often do members of a prayer team get to go and experience the mission they've been praying for over the past 3 weeks and have committed to over the next 5 weeks. I also truly think it was a blessing for me to see how they reacted and responded to the ministry our team has going on out here. One of the most difficult things our team has discovered over the past few weeks is how to explain what we're doing out here to people back at home. Surprisingly, not many respond well to "Loving people in LA." But, once Sara and Amber got to stay with us for the past few days, I'm convinced they know more about what I mean when I try to describe what's going on out here.
Anyways, thanks Sara and Amber for coming out here! Also, our prayer walk was different because 3 of our bikes are broken, so we walked the whole way. This may seem trivial, but for me as I've processed the day I think the Lord was at work. We've been talking lately about what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ and how to love people with the love of Christ. We've come to the conclusion that it may lead us to some pretty dark and dirty paths, and we must faithfully choose what we would do. One day recently when discussing this, we talked about the African pastor who wrote an eloquent last journal entry of what it means for him to be a disciple. In it, he quotes: I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. The part that has rung like a bell in my ears over the past few days was the "smooth knees" part. It hits me because it's like God is continually showing me just how dedicated my life must be in order to be a disciple of Christ and lover of Him and all people around me. I must sacrifice my comfort, my pride, my well-being (financially, emotionally, and physically if need be) in order to love boldly, live loudly, live holy, and follow Christ. When I'm forced to see just how rough I've made my knees and just how little I've put myself in the way of harm (spiritual attacks, failure, etc.) I see how far I've got to go to live as Christ.
The lifestyle of a Christ and people lover is not one that is cheap. No, it comes with a cost...and an expensive one at that. We're to love at all costs. When Ken asked me to explain that saying, all that came to my mind was loving boldly and loudly so that I would move beyond the fear for myself. In order to make these next 5 weeks to be as successful as could be, I must love harder, more passionately, more intentionally, intently and deeper than ever before and the ONLY way to love that hard is to hide in the shadow of the cross of Christ. For in fact, love doesn't lead us to green pastures and daisies, no it leads us to the same path it lead Christ...the cross, death and fortunately...resurrection in the image of Christ!!
So anyways, all that had a point to our prayer walking. As I've been thinking about the costs I've paid (which are pretty shallow at this point) I've been wondering when the Lord would bless me with an opportunity to be blessed with the blood, tears and blisters of our Lord. So, today as our bikes were broken and we went prayer walking...we walked a lot. And, I being the planner-aheader kind of guy *NOT* decided to wear some sandals, at which point my feet now have blisters and are ever so sore and tender. Each step I take now hurts, but I'm not frustrated about it. Instead, I find myself being reminded of the brokenness I saw in Venice, of the Money God I continued to see in Santa Monica, and of the freedom of the Lord that was promised to these people here in Venice and Santa Monica. So, my knees may still be smooth as before, but my feet are my reminders of what it takes to be a little faithful in prayer, even when it gets physically demanding (walking isn't too bad...but I'll be honest, I was used to biking the whole way).
Finally, prayer walking was especially interesting this morning because as I was pouring in the Spirit while walking through the areas, He opened my eyes to some new things. First, there was a vendor in Venice who was an artist and selling to raise funds for Support the Local Venice Artists. I'm not sure if it was a foundation, organization or what...but this man caught my heart. I felt this tug to be in prayer for him and to think about possibilities for anyone on our team to approach him one day. Secondly, a new shop opened up in the Venice boardwalk. In fact, it's going to be a huge hit. It'll attract lots of customers, lots of people who are lost, and lots of people who are looking for a good time. It'll also attract people struggling with addiction and with no source of visible hope. Yes, another medicinal marijuana house was celebrating its 'grand' opening today on the strip. All I could think about was just how much of a hold Satan has on this place. It's deafening. Finally, the Lord opened my eyes to some more of Montana street. As Luke told you yesterday, Bruce, Kelsey and I found a new spot in Santa Monica. It's pretty much the first 14 or so blocks on Montana St. and all of the locals seem to hang out here. Just days ago I was frustrated we hadn't seen the local hang out spots, but today and yesterday the Lord blessed us with this street. There are several coffee shops, cafes, bakeries, and restaurants that the locals frequent. So, I'm pumped about the upcoming days of ministry on Montana St.
After prayer walking Luke, Thomas and Storm took half a day to recuperate from their intense Kung Fu/Chi Kung lessons they've been taking. Bruce, Kelsey, Sara, Amber and I went site-seeing for the last half of the day. We went to the Beverly Hills area, Rodeo Drive, saw the Hollywood sign, saw the two famous theaters for movie premiers, went to downtown Hollywood to walk the Star Walk and saw a flock of people still lining up to see Michael Jackson's star. We got the chance to pass by his star and we saw his star surrounded by a four foot deep pile of crap (sorry, but it was...flowers, cards, posters, etc.). It's amazing how many people love him, but didn't know him. If only the streets of LA would cry out for a man named Jesus Christ the same way they did for Michael Jackson!!!!!!
After getting back from sight seeing, we had another delish dinner. Then we had team time which went really well. We debriefed the day and talked some about how to connect the gospel and normal conversations. Then we just hung out for the rest of the night, which by the way included a sick-nasty-awesome dance party lead by Bruce Bentley III. Thanks B-ruce!
So, thanks for making it this far. We love and appreciate all of your prayers. Here's some specifics to pray for:
1 - Venice. Satan's grasp got bigger today as another house of addiction opened up. Pray for freedom from those addictions and pray that the team members ministering there would be able to help people find that freedom in Christ!
2 - Montana St. - Kelsey, Bruce and I are going to try going around to these local hang outs in the upcoming days. Pray that through God's love and grace we would be able to minister to the people where they are and increase the Kingdom in a mighty way.
3 - Random Guy - For some reason the Lord wants me to pray and think about this guy in Venice, so pray that the Lord would work in his life and in any opportunities to speak to him.
4 - Tattoo Guy - I've been to a Starbuck's on Montana a few times, and two of the 3 times there I've seen a gut with tattoos. Immediately the first time I saw him, I knew the Lord was calling me to talk to this guy. I know this because I thought of tons of questions, things to say and ask, and felt completely at peace about this man. He seemed to know a lot of people around him, had a fun dog and was an open personality. Yet, I wasn't obedient the first time nor the second time I saw him and felt the Lord calling me to talk to him. So, pray for opportunities and pray for boldness in me that I might seize the next opportunity at all costs, especially the cost of myself.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bloody Knuckles For Christ! =)
Eventually I'll explain the title, but for now I'm just gonna let you know that mine were the bloodiest and I've resisted uploading a picture of it. =) Also, for more fun Chi Kung/Kung Fu stories, read the very bottom of this. Today was awesome for both teams and in case someone hasn't informed you of this yet, God is da bomb diggidy! (yes I just said that)
So I'll start with the Santa Monica team. Today they went to a new part of Santa Monica and discovered somethin awesome. I think they almost could have had a Steve Erwin moment(God rest his soul) when they pulled up to Montana Rd. "Cricky! We've lost the tourists and found the locals! Be careful now, we don't know 'ow friendly they ah just yet." Basically they left the prominad and hung out at coffee shop central. Bruce, Kelsey and Josh went to different places and got to observe and talk with people and all three of the are totally STOKED about it. They've been brainstorming all day about fun ways to get to hang out with people and talking about the encounters they had today. God is definately using them!
The Venice Beach Team had a BALLER day. We got to our Chi Kung lesson a little early and Master Chen definately gave us the family treatment. Peter was there hanging out with Tony's wife and daughter and Tony had tea and "Chinese cakes" waiting for us when we got there. Some 12 people were their for lesson which meant we had alot of new connections to make! We may even have and in with one of the medical marijuana places. How sick would it be to have a marijuana house turned into a church smack dab in the middle of Venice Beach!?!?!?!?!?! In between the Chi Kung lesson and our Kung Fu lesson we had an awesome 30 min conversation with Tony about his life and why he's teaching us the way that he is. He's taken the three of us and made us his special students. We are basically the teachers pets of the class BUT it's because we understand his heart for what Kung Fu is and he knows it. Most people just want their cheap self defence lesson. God is definately using us there. Then once that was done we went and spent 30 min with Peter walking and talking about his life and his views on religious and cultural things. HOW SICK NASTY IS JESUS?!?!?!?! Two awesome convo's in one day!!!!!
While we were in our Kung Fu lesson, the Santa Monica team was having church with one of the church planters out here. Everyone was encouraged to share a gift (bible story, verse, random story, etc...) with the group and to divuldge personal details, followed by group prayer. They said it was awesome, and we had that in our team time tonight. I loved it.
Later in the day we went out to a nice Italian restaurant to celebrate Kelseys Birthday. They even brought her out a cake! Afterward we went and hung out on the pier and took a ride on a ferris wheel! Yay for my fear of heights! It's ok, I'm a big fan of doing things you hate or eating things you hate so that you get over it. By the third time around I didn't care anymore. =)
So I'm gonna us random numbers and stuff for my bullets points of prayer because organization freaks me out sometimes.
8) Pray for our relationships in Venice Beach (and those to come)
#) Pray for the relationships in Santa Monica (and those to come)
T) Pray for us to grow, recharge, charge(w/ the gospel), repeat
*) Above all, pray for the advancement of the kingdom.
If you skipped to this part, you're a real man. So what's with the bloody knuckles title?
Story 1:
Tony made Thomas, Storm and I each do three oh so fun exercises to help build our bodies into Kung Fu machines. First, there was this stick that had a four foot string with a 2 1/2 pound weight on it. We had to hold it up at arms length and roll it up and down. It sort of works your fore arms but mostly a random muscle on the side that we use to block punches and bow staff blows. Second is a ladder that we have to kick our legs up on and stretch ourselves on. This ladder is my nemisis. He makes me do it way more because he says "You're body tight. You need to practice mo and mo. Soon you be better." It hurts like crap but it's working. I touched my toes today for the first time in my life!!!!! Last is the bloody knuckles deal. He has us punch sand for about 10 min so that it causes controled fractures in our knuckles that will heal and become stronger. That way when we punch it will have more pow to it. He told us "If it hurt, don't stop. Keep doing." So we did. Storm stopped shortly after she felt pain, but me and Thomas just kept going. Basically we did it till we bled and that was not what he'd intended. Apparently you shouldn't do it till you bleed. Just until your knuckles are neon pink. It's ok though, he has this chinese medicine that works like magic. AMAZING!!!
Story 2:
So yesterday we learned five out of eight steps of a fight sequence that you can't get out of. Basically at the end of it the person will have the wind knocked out of him, will have been punched in the face twice, one knee kicked in backwards(yes broken), and we will land in a stance that is ready to take on a second attacker from behind. Yeah, it's beast.
Story 3:
Today we learned how to block a kick with our bare hands, retaliate with rib breaking punches, and then take on two other attackers with similar blows.
Story 4:
My favorite quote from Tony is "You watch Kung Fu movies, they fight 30 minutes, no one die. That's Bull $#@&!(which I have to admit is funny to hear through a chinese accent) I teach you, 1, 2, 3, over!" However, today he explained that to us further with my second favorite Tony quote. "I don't want you to be a hero. Heros die. But I want you to know that you are not a coward." Which translates into this: don't take what I teach you and go looking for a fight. You don't need to go willingly into battle when it can be avoided. But you also can't wimp out. If a loved one needs protection, or if you are stuck in a corner, defend yourself and win.
Tony is the jam. I'm fortunate to have him as a master. Please pray for his salvation.
So I'll start with the Santa Monica team. Today they went to a new part of Santa Monica and discovered somethin awesome. I think they almost could have had a Steve Erwin moment(God rest his soul) when they pulled up to Montana Rd. "Cricky! We've lost the tourists and found the locals! Be careful now, we don't know 'ow friendly they ah just yet." Basically they left the prominad and hung out at coffee shop central. Bruce, Kelsey and Josh went to different places and got to observe and talk with people and all three of the are totally STOKED about it. They've been brainstorming all day about fun ways to get to hang out with people and talking about the encounters they had today. God is definately using them!
The Venice Beach Team had a BALLER day. We got to our Chi Kung lesson a little early and Master Chen definately gave us the family treatment. Peter was there hanging out with Tony's wife and daughter and Tony had tea and "Chinese cakes" waiting for us when we got there. Some 12 people were their for lesson which meant we had alot of new connections to make! We may even have and in with one of the medical marijuana places. How sick would it be to have a marijuana house turned into a church smack dab in the middle of Venice Beach!?!?!?!?!?! In between the Chi Kung lesson and our Kung Fu lesson we had an awesome 30 min conversation with Tony about his life and why he's teaching us the way that he is. He's taken the three of us and made us his special students. We are basically the teachers pets of the class BUT it's because we understand his heart for what Kung Fu is and he knows it. Most people just want their cheap self defence lesson. God is definately using us there. Then once that was done we went and spent 30 min with Peter walking and talking about his life and his views on religious and cultural things. HOW SICK NASTY IS JESUS?!?!?!?! Two awesome convo's in one day!!!!!
While we were in our Kung Fu lesson, the Santa Monica team was having church with one of the church planters out here. Everyone was encouraged to share a gift (bible story, verse, random story, etc...) with the group and to divuldge personal details, followed by group prayer. They said it was awesome, and we had that in our team time tonight. I loved it.
Later in the day we went out to a nice Italian restaurant to celebrate Kelseys Birthday. They even brought her out a cake! Afterward we went and hung out on the pier and took a ride on a ferris wheel! Yay for my fear of heights! It's ok, I'm a big fan of doing things you hate or eating things you hate so that you get over it. By the third time around I didn't care anymore. =)
So I'm gonna us random numbers and stuff for my bullets points of prayer because organization freaks me out sometimes.
8) Pray for our relationships in Venice Beach (and those to come)
#) Pray for the relationships in Santa Monica (and those to come)
T) Pray for us to grow, recharge, charge(w/ the gospel), repeat
*) Above all, pray for the advancement of the kingdom.
If you skipped to this part, you're a real man. So what's with the bloody knuckles title?
Story 1:
Tony made Thomas, Storm and I each do three oh so fun exercises to help build our bodies into Kung Fu machines. First, there was this stick that had a four foot string with a 2 1/2 pound weight on it. We had to hold it up at arms length and roll it up and down. It sort of works your fore arms but mostly a random muscle on the side that we use to block punches and bow staff blows. Second is a ladder that we have to kick our legs up on and stretch ourselves on. This ladder is my nemisis. He makes me do it way more because he says "You're body tight. You need to practice mo and mo. Soon you be better." It hurts like crap but it's working. I touched my toes today for the first time in my life!!!!! Last is the bloody knuckles deal. He has us punch sand for about 10 min so that it causes controled fractures in our knuckles that will heal and become stronger. That way when we punch it will have more pow to it. He told us "If it hurt, don't stop. Keep doing." So we did. Storm stopped shortly after she felt pain, but me and Thomas just kept going. Basically we did it till we bled and that was not what he'd intended. Apparently you shouldn't do it till you bleed. Just until your knuckles are neon pink. It's ok though, he has this chinese medicine that works like magic. AMAZING!!!
Story 2:
So yesterday we learned five out of eight steps of a fight sequence that you can't get out of. Basically at the end of it the person will have the wind knocked out of him, will have been punched in the face twice, one knee kicked in backwards(yes broken), and we will land in a stance that is ready to take on a second attacker from behind. Yeah, it's beast.
Story 3:
Today we learned how to block a kick with our bare hands, retaliate with rib breaking punches, and then take on two other attackers with similar blows.
Story 4:
My favorite quote from Tony is "You watch Kung Fu movies, they fight 30 minutes, no one die. That's Bull $#@&!(which I have to admit is funny to hear through a chinese accent) I teach you, 1, 2, 3, over!" However, today he explained that to us further with my second favorite Tony quote. "I don't want you to be a hero. Heros die. But I want you to know that you are not a coward." Which translates into this: don't take what I teach you and go looking for a fight. You don't need to go willingly into battle when it can be avoided. But you also can't wimp out. If a loved one needs protection, or if you are stuck in a corner, defend yourself and win.
Tony is the jam. I'm fortunate to have him as a master. Please pray for his salvation.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
He who forgets, Will be destined to remember
Heyheyheyheyheyhey!! Saturday!! We had Chi Kung lessons today and they were amazing!! There was a class of about six there. Peter was there and today we got to get another conversation with him, he has told us that he loves other cultures and people groups, I have noticed that he seems intrigued by eastern culture so i asked him about that. Convo went pretty well but got sidetracked a little but it was a good step to maybe a more spiritually led conversation. Tony knows we only have 5 weeks left so he is giving us 1 hour extra lessons for free!!! Which means three believers with Tony and sometimes Peter :) Pray for those opportunities. So we learned actual Kung Fu and when Tony told us that it was hard I kinda blew it off cause Im 18 and he's in his late 50's. If you want something else to pray about, pray that our bodies dont break in half doing this training, Im pretty sore.
Today is Santa Monica's 4th of July celebration called Celebrate America and there was 10,000+ at the event and we agreed to help with the Church at Pearl's stand where they gave out free glow sticks and invited people to church, which worked out pretty well, I hope that more people will show at his church. We watched a fireworks display and talked to some campus crusade people from ASU!!!! I know what you are thinking, App......NOT!! They are from Arizona State, but App is the real ASU. Anyways we hung out and also celebrated Kelsey's 19th birthday which is pretty amazing that she was able to make it this far. Her parents were nice enough to supply us with party gear.
Anyways, we have had a week full of God speaking to us and giving us new directions and new perspectives, pray for that to continue and also for us to continue to listen. Pray that whatever happens in the next week that to God be the glory, Amen
Grace and Peace
Happy Birthday Kelsey
God is love...
After a wonderful breakfast, we waited on Ken and Bob, two house church planter specialist in LA. I believe it is safe to say that the group felt unanimously encouraged after the meeting this morning.
We started out talking about how the church is not a building but rather it is a body of believers. The church planting they do is based out of the book of Acts. The churches they have planted are in homes. Everyone in the church participates in every service by bringing something to talk about with them. They have interactive discussions so that everyone is involved and learning. Rather than telling someone what to believe they talk it out and it is all about the interaction.
Bob told us a story about a weekend retreat he went on to learn about sharing his faith. After showing up on the second day they were given an assignment. The assignment was for the participants in groups of two to go take a car drive 150 miles away where they knew no one in the area, take no money or means with them, and to bless at least one person in this area, spend the night and drive back the next day. The idea was for them to go up to people they meet and show them they cared by asking them about their stories. By showing God’s love to people and investing time in people’s lives spiritual conversations were started and people were blessed. When we first came to LA we knew that we were here to share God’s love with the people here but sometime in the midst of all the different expectations we lost sight of that. It was freeing to be reminded that we are here to love on people, something we can all do. God is love and we have been called to share his love. I think that we all needed to hear this. It is so great to know that we all have strengths that God has given us to be used by him.
After the past few days we all needed some processing time. We went to different places coffee shops, parks, etc. to think about what we had just talked about. Storm and I took a tour of Santa Monica College with Anuhea, our new friend, to see the opportunities in this area that is right across the street from the church we are staying at. After dinner, it was cool to come back together at team time and talk about how we felt about today to find out that we all felt encouraged by today.
We finished off the night having some group bonding time watching a movie called “Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus” which some might say it was "epic" if they made it until the end without crashing (You would have to ask someone else).
So please be praying for us…
1) Pray for us as we share God’s love with the people of LA.
2) Pray for opportunities as they continue to come about and that God will lead us where he wants us to be.
3) Pray for Anahea as we continue to build that relationship.
4) For the Celebrate America event tomorrow where we will be helping out the Church on Pearl but also hanging out with people in the community.
With love,
Kelsey
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mission In Progress
Team: Parachute Project LA
Assignment (Day 18): Alone Time, Self and Team Analysis, Realistic Application in Near Future
Status: In Progress - Step One Complete!
So today was all about quiet time with the Lord. In the last few days I feel as though we have been hit hard with some challenges, tough topics, and realizations. As we have just hit the 2 week point in our mission, it has been necessary to reflect on the things we have been doing here, their effectiveness, and compile a mental list of the people and resources we have here (which are many - I am sure I have mentioned the bonfires and the moon bounce...oh and the amazing people :.D hehe). This way we will be able to refine and narrow the focus of our group to the areas that are working best and allow each team member to work to their strengths.
So, after losing Kelsey for 30 mins (no joke - we looked everywhere before finding her in the unfinished 2nd story of the church we are staying in), everyone set out in different directions. Josh took the other four group members to find spots on the beach, he went to a coffee shop to hang for a while, and I stayed back at the church for the afternoon. To be honest, I was at a loss of where to start this morning - I didn't know what to pray for or where to open my Bible. So I spent a few minutes checking my e-mail and responding to some messages I had, but still no booming voice of God telling me something clearly, such as "lead the people of Egypt across the desert for 40 years!" or "go eat PB&J!" so I was stuck. Then I thought about how Luke, Thomas, and I have made a plan to read 2 Corinthians, so I turned there and was surprised to find that my bookmark was there. I had already begun reading it a long time ago before life and second semester got difficult and busy.
I began reading where I had left off: Chapter 4, verse 1, which says,
"God, with his mercy, gave us this work to do, so we don't give up."
Woah, there God! - could you be any clearer? I just don't get it.....
So, basically, I was dumbfounded to have found the most applicable verse for the present situation, and it kept me reading on into the next couple of chapters with insight after insight of perseverence in the face of non-believers. That gave me the confidence to look at a list of volunteer opportunities Josh had sent out, and I found a website I overlooked for an Art Therapy group that helps women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. I called them and can't wait for a callback or a trip to the place itself!
The group soon joined together for team time again and, after showing off the fun tan lines that some of us will have come fall semester, we discussed our individual days and defined some of our personality traits, strengths, and passions. This has allowed us to make some decisions on where are hearts truly lie for the rest of the 6 weeks here.
For example, (and this is by no means complete or fully accurate), some of our thoughts for the future are:
1. Luke - Venice Beach 6 days a week
2. Thomas - Venice Beach 6 days a week
3. Josh - coffee shops, hangouts, help in individual areas, leader responsibilities
4. Bruce - Santa Monica, UCLA (possibly), other college campuses, or volunteering
5. Kelsey -volunteering
6. Storm - volunteering during weekdays, Venice Beach weekends (Qigong baby! :.D )
We are still looking at many uncertainties, but the team is enthusiastic to put these plans into action.
To celebrate the end of these intense few days, we had a great time cooking shish kabobs, hot dogs and s'mores with the wonderful people of Church on Pearl and went to the movies for a fun night on the promenade.
We can't think everyone enough for the prayers, but they are gratefully received!
Until,
Storm
Assignment (Day 18): Alone Time, Self and Team Analysis, Realistic Application in Near Future
Status: In Progress - Step One Complete!
So today was all about quiet time with the Lord. In the last few days I feel as though we have been hit hard with some challenges, tough topics, and realizations. As we have just hit the 2 week point in our mission, it has been necessary to reflect on the things we have been doing here, their effectiveness, and compile a mental list of the people and resources we have here (which are many - I am sure I have mentioned the bonfires and the moon bounce...oh and the amazing people :.D hehe). This way we will be able to refine and narrow the focus of our group to the areas that are working best and allow each team member to work to their strengths.
So, after losing Kelsey for 30 mins (no joke - we looked everywhere before finding her in the unfinished 2nd story of the church we are staying in), everyone set out in different directions. Josh took the other four group members to find spots on the beach, he went to a coffee shop to hang for a while, and I stayed back at the church for the afternoon. To be honest, I was at a loss of where to start this morning - I didn't know what to pray for or where to open my Bible. So I spent a few minutes checking my e-mail and responding to some messages I had, but still no booming voice of God telling me something clearly, such as "lead the people of Egypt across the desert for 40 years!" or "go eat PB&J!" so I was stuck. Then I thought about how Luke, Thomas, and I have made a plan to read 2 Corinthians, so I turned there and was surprised to find that my bookmark was there. I had already begun reading it a long time ago before life and second semester got difficult and busy.
I began reading where I had left off: Chapter 4, verse 1, which says,
"God, with his mercy, gave us this work to do, so we don't give up."
Woah, there God! - could you be any clearer? I just don't get it.....
So, basically, I was dumbfounded to have found the most applicable verse for the present situation, and it kept me reading on into the next couple of chapters with insight after insight of perseverence in the face of non-believers. That gave me the confidence to look at a list of volunteer opportunities Josh had sent out, and I found a website I overlooked for an Art Therapy group that helps women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. I called them and can't wait for a callback or a trip to the place itself!
The group soon joined together for team time again and, after showing off the fun tan lines that some of us will have come fall semester, we discussed our individual days and defined some of our personality traits, strengths, and passions. This has allowed us to make some decisions on where are hearts truly lie for the rest of the 6 weeks here.
For example, (and this is by no means complete or fully accurate), some of our thoughts for the future are:
1. Luke - Venice Beach 6 days a week
2. Thomas - Venice Beach 6 days a week
3. Josh - coffee shops, hangouts, help in individual areas, leader responsibilities
4. Bruce - Santa Monica, UCLA (possibly), other college campuses, or volunteering
5. Kelsey -volunteering
6. Storm - volunteering during weekdays, Venice Beach weekends (Qigong baby! :.D )
We are still looking at many uncertainties, but the team is enthusiastic to put these plans into action.
To celebrate the end of these intense few days, we had a great time cooking shish kabobs, hot dogs and s'mores with the wonderful people of Church on Pearl and went to the movies for a fun night on the promenade.
We can't think everyone enough for the prayers, but they are gratefully received!
Until,
Storm
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Just as I got in bed and was ready to see what dreams I had in store for me tonight, Luke informed me that today was Tuesday...my blog day. So here we are haha. This morning I did NOT want to get up. Partly because I had stayed up with Thomas playing online hold 'em poker until almost 3 am, but also because my body was aching...
***The following paragraph contains explicit detail and slightly disturbing yet hilarious images.***
Last night around, I dunno, 12:30 am I decided it would be a great time to take a shower. Little did I know what awaited me. Two fellow teammates had gone before me earlier in the evening upon returning from a beach volleyball game. As I stepped into the shower and closed the curtain I noticed that the surface was unusually slipperier that usual. This was due to the fair amounts of sand mixed with water. I of course thought nothing of it and proceeded with my bathing activities. As I turn around to get the bottle of shampoo, my foot loses traction and I reach for the walls for stability. Just as I thought I had saved my own life, my other foot slipped away and backwards I went, into the shower curtain held only by plastic rings. Many thoughts went through my mind as I was falling, most of which I will not share with you all, but one thing in particular was racing through my thoughts. "Will these rings hold my weight?" For those of you who do not know me, I am quite a large fellow. Plastic rings are not something someone of my size would want protecting them from life and certain death. To my surprise the rings held, yet the bar that the rings were attached to did not. There I am falling back-first wrapped in a plastic curtain into a bathroom floor that is MAYBE 3.5 feet wide. As I hit the floor I realized what had just happened and as I gathered myself I noticed that my head missed the toilet by about an inch (thank The Lord). As I lay there in my soak and wet birthday suit, I realize that I am closer to God at THAT point, than I have been any other time on this trip. I will spare you the details on how I fixed this predicament (ask me later if you like), but I will tell you all that the first thing out of my mouth after about 30 seconds of laying there was "I'm okay". This was to insure that Stephen (whose bathroom I was in) did not stumble upon a sight that he would NOT want to see after a loud booming noise.
I realize that story doesn't seem relevant to the parachute project and what we are doing here in LA, and let me assure you that it doesn't. But I certainly thank God for getting my out alive. And I now I will never take a fall-free shower for granted, neither should you.
Today Jonathan Stockstill visited us for our weekly meeting. We just discussed some things that were going on with what we have been doing. We basically decided what things are working and what things are not. We also discussed being where we need to be at this point in time, and planning ahead so that we can leave them with something when we leave. A large part of conversation was about obeying God and trusting him with everything instead of relying on ourselves (which is something we should all think about). After a lunch at Taco Bell, Luke, Thomas, Kelsey and Storm took our laundry to a laundromat while Josh and I ran some errands and came back to the church to help with some landscaping that Scott (our friend from Jimmy's church that is from Tennessee) was working on. I personally feel that the least we could do for these great people here at the church is help out doing what we can. They are trying to spruce up the place by doing a bit here and there which can really go a long way in the church's image.
After finishing up we had some much needed down time and an awesome dinner. The rest of the night was kind of chill, and included a trip to the 3rd St Promenade with Josh, Storm and Kelsey so that I could get some t-shirts and we could just enjoy the evening out. Upon returning, we had our team time which was a lot more than I expected.
Our conversation tonight was pretty deep, and to sum it up for you, we are going to kind of rework the way we are doing things. Our strict schedule of 2 teams being in Venice and Santa Monica will change. We do not know how yet, but we are going to focus on how we can truly apply ourselves and utilize our potential the way we feel God wants us to. Updates will come later, and tomorrow we are taking the day to process our discussion and establish what changes need to be made.
I ask that you pray specifically for these changes that will be made. This is a pretty big turning point in this project and hopefully it will better glorify God and His Kingdom. I just ask that you pray for God to open our minds and hearts to let him guide us in the right direction. I also ask that you pray for Josh specifically. Him being the understood leader of our team, a lot of pressure is put on him. He has been doing an awesome job and we couldn't ask for a better cheif.
Thank you all for your support and prayers. Though we may not see all of what God is doing, He is definitely working here in Los Angeles.
Until next time, take care and safe showering.
God Bless
-Bruce
***The following paragraph contains explicit detail and slightly disturbing yet hilarious images.***
Last night around, I dunno, 12:30 am I decided it would be a great time to take a shower. Little did I know what awaited me. Two fellow teammates had gone before me earlier in the evening upon returning from a beach volleyball game. As I stepped into the shower and closed the curtain I noticed that the surface was unusually slipperier that usual. This was due to the fair amounts of sand mixed with water. I of course thought nothing of it and proceeded with my bathing activities. As I turn around to get the bottle of shampoo, my foot loses traction and I reach for the walls for stability. Just as I thought I had saved my own life, my other foot slipped away and backwards I went, into the shower curtain held only by plastic rings. Many thoughts went through my mind as I was falling, most of which I will not share with you all, but one thing in particular was racing through my thoughts. "Will these rings hold my weight?" For those of you who do not know me, I am quite a large fellow. Plastic rings are not something someone of my size would want protecting them from life and certain death. To my surprise the rings held, yet the bar that the rings were attached to did not. There I am falling back-first wrapped in a plastic curtain into a bathroom floor that is MAYBE 3.5 feet wide. As I hit the floor I realized what had just happened and as I gathered myself I noticed that my head missed the toilet by about an inch (thank The Lord). As I lay there in my soak and wet birthday suit, I realize that I am closer to God at THAT point, than I have been any other time on this trip. I will spare you the details on how I fixed this predicament (ask me later if you like), but I will tell you all that the first thing out of my mouth after about 30 seconds of laying there was "I'm okay". This was to insure that Stephen (whose bathroom I was in) did not stumble upon a sight that he would NOT want to see after a loud booming noise.
I realize that story doesn't seem relevant to the parachute project and what we are doing here in LA, and let me assure you that it doesn't. But I certainly thank God for getting my out alive. And I now I will never take a fall-free shower for granted, neither should you.
Today Jonathan Stockstill visited us for our weekly meeting. We just discussed some things that were going on with what we have been doing. We basically decided what things are working and what things are not. We also discussed being where we need to be at this point in time, and planning ahead so that we can leave them with something when we leave. A large part of conversation was about obeying God and trusting him with everything instead of relying on ourselves (which is something we should all think about). After a lunch at Taco Bell, Luke, Thomas, Kelsey and Storm took our laundry to a laundromat while Josh and I ran some errands and came back to the church to help with some landscaping that Scott (our friend from Jimmy's church that is from Tennessee) was working on. I personally feel that the least we could do for these great people here at the church is help out doing what we can. They are trying to spruce up the place by doing a bit here and there which can really go a long way in the church's image.
After finishing up we had some much needed down time and an awesome dinner. The rest of the night was kind of chill, and included a trip to the 3rd St Promenade with Josh, Storm and Kelsey so that I could get some t-shirts and we could just enjoy the evening out. Upon returning, we had our team time which was a lot more than I expected.
Our conversation tonight was pretty deep, and to sum it up for you, we are going to kind of rework the way we are doing things. Our strict schedule of 2 teams being in Venice and Santa Monica will change. We do not know how yet, but we are going to focus on how we can truly apply ourselves and utilize our potential the way we feel God wants us to. Updates will come later, and tomorrow we are taking the day to process our discussion and establish what changes need to be made.
I ask that you pray specifically for these changes that will be made. This is a pretty big turning point in this project and hopefully it will better glorify God and His Kingdom. I just ask that you pray for God to open our minds and hearts to let him guide us in the right direction. I also ask that you pray for Josh specifically. Him being the understood leader of our team, a lot of pressure is put on him. He has been doing an awesome job and we couldn't ask for a better cheif.
Thank you all for your support and prayers. Though we may not see all of what God is doing, He is definitely working here in Los Angeles.
Until next time, take care and safe showering.
God Bless
-Bruce
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