Food for Thought

Internet is back!!! Sometimes working for a non profit means that things break and do not get fixed for a while. So it pleases me to say that after a few hours of working on the internet with my director Bre we at CSMLA now are back in the online world!

It has been a while since my last blog thats been due to lack of internet, as well as the number of groups that have come through. We finished up training and orientation and I have lead five groups so far. Over the next 21 days I will lead four more! Prayers for energy are welcomed!

Groups consist of students middle through college who come to CSM LA where we lead them on short term urban mission trips. Each group is different and stays for around a week. We take them to our various ministry sites through out the city as well as different ethnic restaurants. We believe that it is important to not only give our students opportunities to serve and learn from people of different ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, and different walks of life, but also give them a chance to experience different cultures. I think that food is a universal thing and in every culture the importance of sharing a meal breaks down all sorts of walls. I have seen that not only do the people who own these fine eating establishments want to share their food with these random groups of mainly white middle/ upperclass students but they also want to share what their culture means to them. We have been invited to dance, sing, and hear beautiful stories from people that our students may never have met outside of their trip. For that I thank God for diversity, for creating us to need food, and for the open heartedness of not only our students but of the people we are so blessed to meet while sharing a meal.

In my free time here in LA I have picked up a new hobby! GARDENING! We had an overgrown small wooden garden box and after working at SIFAT and learning so much about Leaf for Life and the easiness of having your own garden I decided to plant our very own CSM LA urban garden! It was a long process but each morning I enjoy so much getting so see the aw in how God has grown the plants more and more! Here are some pictures of the gardening process! Were hoping to have a great meal with our neighbors when we harvest what grows! (and maybe a little of what we have to buy at the store) 

Much thanks goes to John the amazing gardner at SIFAT who gave me my first sprig of mint and helped inspire me to learn more about plants! He is the greatest, smartest, funniest plant man I have ever met! Thanks John!!!

This is before I went to work. Full of weeds, poison, and undiscovered ANTS!

Before

Before

After I pulled out all the weeds, I soon discovered that my soil was infested with ants. I soon found out the only way to eleminate this problem would be to shovel out all the dirt.  This is a great example of what my afternoon looked like. Scooping dirt out and spraying raid! I have never seen so many ants in my life!

I then found out I only had enough good soil left for half of the container so this is after day one of gardening! I planted chocolate mint, red and green bell peppers and some jalapenos!


  

After about two and half weeks of the first plant! I also added the other side filled with actual seeds not plants that were already started like the fist time! From actual seeds i planted cucumbers, and some mexican Sunflowers!

The mint is growing so much! Its the big cluster in the top left!

You can sort of tell how tall the bell peppers are getting!

These are little mexican sunflower sprouts! They will be beautiful! My favorite flower is a sunflower and I love the Hispanic culture all around me!

A cucumber sprout a week and a half after I planted it! FROM A SEED!!! God is so neat!

The Flowers

As I settle in, adjusting more and more to life on the west coast God continues to open my eyes to things, food, and experiences that growing up in a suburban neighborhood in Alabama I have never gotten to view. In Los Angeles culture is everywhere. There is so many different countries in the world being represented and for most of them LA is home to the largest amount of those people with the exception of their home countries. Meaning that LA has more Koreans then any where else in the world besides Korea. Needless to say being a white southern girl I stick out. 

Although traveling around all the different parts of Los Angeles gives me new perspective on the world, and not just the world but our nation I find my thoughts continuing to go back to one place...Skid Row. 

Skid Row, which is more like Skid Blocks, is a place in downtown LA where nearly 8,000 homeless people live. It has the highest concentrated amount of homeless people in our Nation. While working on Skid Row over the past week my heart was sadden to learn that the average age of a homeless person in the United States is age nine, and on Skid Row only one shelter accepts families.

I have been able to have many opportunities in my life to go to different parts of our country as well as different parts of the world. In most of the opportunities I have seen a lot of "poverty", a lot of physical lack of material things. I have seen hurting families in Africa, poor schooling in Jamaica, a tent city in Mexico, but never in my life have I seen people pushing shopping carts with their entire life packed tightly inside, while literally directly above them the rich sleep in lofts costing 2,000$ a month. Never in my life have I seen tents, umbrellas, tarps, all set up as make shift houses, everyones whole life all in one bin or box. People of all kinds doing life in a way most of America would consider painful, and maybe these people would agree. The image of these people pained my heart, and unlike traveling through the rest of LA where Gods glory was found even in the poverty, here it seemed to be almost no where to be found. As we drove out of Skid Row, literally one block over we entered into the flower district where millions of flowers are sold every day. At first I found this very ironic, almost painfully ironic, how could such beauty be found so close to hurt, pain, broken dirt. God then opened my eyes to the thought of "how could it not be so close together?" What a perfect example of God in us! Dirt is found in all of our lives not just in homelesness.That even through the worst, the ugliest, most dirt filled versions of us, there he is pushing through the dirt... a flower pushing through the dirt.

After all, every flower, even the most beautiful need dirt to push through, to grow out of, to be displayed on. 

"Heaven and Earth are full, full of your glory, my soul it over flows full of your glory, your glory, blessed is he who reigns, your glory, your glory my cup it cant contain all of your glory, your glory."

                                                                  -David Crowder Band 

A Change of Scenery

Things in my life have changed in big awesome ways over the past few days. I recently took a job in Las Angeles California working for an organization called Center for Student Missions. This job, like most ministry jobs, encompass a variety of roles. I will be mostly working with youth groups who come to CSM LA to serve in the city. CSM works along other non profits in the city to serve the people of LA. I can not wait to explain later this week all of the different ministries, experiences and first impressions I have of LA.

For now I have taken a few pictures to document a little packing before hand, my new house, and few glimpse of the city this far. More to come! (after all I've only been here for two days)

Packing was one of my biggest challenges before leaving, along with saying bye to my friends, and hugging my mom good bye at the air port. I took one suit case, a backpack, and guitar. As you can see here I had to make the most of my packing room. Believe it or not its really hard to fit your life in a suit case, mission minded or not.

I live in a revamped ware house in the middle of South Central LA.
I have three girl roommates and one boy .
This is our hang out room! Perfect for movie watching!

Graffiti is a major staple around the city, you see it on nearly every street. Some represents gang territory, other represents art and the feelings of the people who live in that area. These two pieces of art are on the group room walls. The group room is where students get to hang out during free time, and a place to build community while not at their different cites. 

This mural was done by one of the former CSM staff members.
It depicts the different iconic city images, different culture, as well as the vibrant color of LA! 

This is our wonderful staff kitchen. It's a little different then our kitchen at SIFAT...
 It's inside, it has a working oven, it has cabnets. Not better just different :) 

The first morning I woke up in the city, it was 78 and sunny.
This is a picture from right out our front door.
The gate is for safety, however it has not stopped CSM staff from building relationships with the neighbors that are surrounding us. I can not wait to learn, love, and be loved by the neighbors God has given around us!

Again art is a plays a major role in city life. Above is the outside wall of our house.
 It faces the street and hopefully gives off a message of hope and freedom. Not being very artistic by any means, I love the fact that art is surrounding me all the time. I also love that people view this as art and not destruction.

Maybe a little glimpse of how God sees our hearts with different eyes, even when they may seem to look like destruction to the untrained eye. 

This is Compton Ave, a street pretty well known to those of us who don't know much about California.
"Straight out of Compton" Will Smith used to say in his Gettin' Jiggy with It stage of life.

The other edge of our graffiti wall. 

These are two views of the down town area sky line from a near by park. If I have learned anything so far its that the city for many represents hopes and dreams. But it also for many represents oppression and injustice. I look forward to seeing the ways God chooses to use me during my time here.
I continue to pray, and ask that you pray for me:
For God to give my team and I his eyes, heart, and vision for this place.
That we can adequately BE LOVE to all the people we serve. 

"If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. 

To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."Mother Teresa

"I'll be doing fine... I made it to the cost line."

Earlier this afternoon while sitting, no... standing, no... moving all around to pack, the overwhelming, nerve shaking, finger trembling, feeling of one million tiny butterflies flapping two million wings (yes, two million because if there were one million butterflies each has two wings, therefore that makes two million wings) inside my belly hit me like never before. This wasn't like I ate some bad chicken, or I was trying to get out of a test kind of tummy ache. This was deeper inside of me then most feelings, it was hidden so far down inside that light had only barley glimpsed over this place one before, but not for long, and now it was like someone took a giant spot light and was shinning it directly into this place down in the pits of my inner self. And it scared me, because at first I didn't know what this strange feeling could be.

So I went on with my gathering of stuff, trying to pack to move to a place that I have never been before. And it's not like Im going for week so if I forget something its ok...nope I have a one way ticket to California, I can take one suit case, a back pack and a guitar. Some how I have to squeeze my entire life (not to mention clothes) in just that!

As I started folding and putting pictures aside that I wanted to take with me, it came again... the feeling. The more pictures I looked at the larger the feeling grew. What the heck could it be. It finally got to the point where I had to break down stop packing and cry out to the only person who can see deeper inside of my soul then anyone else. While laying on my face...

not so much out of reverence (although I wish I was that devout) more out of the fact that when I felt the need to cry out to God I was in the middle of reaching for something under my bed that required the full flat stomached stretch...

God reminded me of a quote I had read not too long ago.

"The spiritual life is first of all life,

it is not merely something

to be known and studied, it is to be lived."

- Thomas Merton-

I believe the deep feeling inside my inner most self was the eruption of change. Not only is my location about to change but my entire life is going to change. The people, my day to day activity, even the time zone. And not only is my life about to change but most of my friends lives are about to change as well. As people graduate, move to their own cities, pursue their own dreams, a generation of my friends are about to fly towards their dreams of changing the world! The more and more I thought about that fact the more the feeling of change switched from fear, terror, and sickly to joy, excitement, celebration and pure happiness! My friends, my peers, people my age are about to all head into this big big world and do something to impact it in ways that will undoubtedly change the face of this earth for ever!

Some will get married, some have children, others will move to cities to pursue dreams of music and acting. A couple will become doctors, physical therapist, even high powered lawyers. Many will inspire another generation to do something with this gift of life, and a few will move to the ends of the earth to BE love to people different from them. But one thing rings true through each souls dream...CHANGE. Their change now will cause an effect of change on this world that will then in turn cause a change on another soul and then inevitably cause a change to the future.

I got really happy thinking about the idea of this chain reaction happening all over the nations, but still one thing was so unsettling. I have had numerous conversations with each one of my friends searching to figure out their dreams and each ends in the sentence... "But how do we know what God wants?" And then as clear as the rain dripping down my window pain it hit me. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOD! WHAT WONDER IS IT THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND? IF WE UNDERSTAND THEN IT'S NOT GOD.

God may be a mystery in many aspects of who He is but one thing we can take tremendous hope in is that through all of our inevitable change, God remains the same...Faithful, love, mercy, power, holy, true, king, father, grace, righteous, joy, patient, bold, zealous, justice, glory, perfect, refuge, teacher, light, good, hope, peace, comfort and the list goes on and on, forever and ever...Because He is God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0IDiVQxZYg

Turning a Page

Three months, six new best friends, gained knowledge, renewed spirit, mended heart, and a brand new adventure ahead.

The last three months have flown by! From groups staying over night, to random tours through out the day, meeting international community leaders, learning new skills, cooking group dinners, playing music and gathering around a wood burning stove, I could not have asked for a better place to grow during this time of seeking in my life.

God has used SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology) to grow me, teach me, and refuel me to head out into the world and love people with a new vision. A vision of connecting people together on a much deeper level then just lending a helping hand. God has opened my eyes to see that poverty is not a lack of something physical, its a broken relationship that has not been mended, and that what the world is in desperate need of are people desiring to connect with one another with the mind set that we are all struggling in this world and that God has placed us all together to figure out the best way to bring love to this earth.

As I wrapped up my time at SIFAT some other staff members surprised me and my fellow intern with a trip to the Island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. We partnered with an amazing organization called Bahamas Methodist Habitat, who work on the islands doing home repair and community development. It was a great way to end my time at SIFAT and spend some great time with people I love with all my heart!

Thank you Addison, Mary, Laura, Dave, Becca and Nate. Also thank you Cameron, Steve, Abe, and John who made our time down there so special!

On this trip we learned so much about how to love people with simply a ministry of presence. So many times we go on short term mission trips with the expectation to do something for others. On this trip God allowed us to meet people, see beauty in his creation, and learn that its not just about doing something for others, but going into a new culture and letting them teach us. I am so thankful for the time of bonding for good friends, for vacation, and for building new relationships with awesome ministry partners.

I am looking forward to seeing where God is going to lead me next, maybe it will be back to the Islands! For now Im back at home resting, spending time with my family and friends, and trying to figure out what adventure Im going to pursue next! Its scary to not know whats coming up but Im hopeful because I know that what ever I do, where ever I go, I can serve God.

Thank you God for SIFAT, for what you taught me and for what I will take and use in my future!

To see more awesome pictures from out trip to the Bahamas check out Laura Paulk's blog here:

http://livinggratitude.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-bahamas.html

on the trampoline

If as a kid you never spent the entire day on the trampoline with your friends let me apologize for two things. First Im sorry you never got this amazing childhood experience, second Im sorry that this post might not resinate as deep as those of us who have scars from trampoline burns still to this day.

When I was a kid my best friend down the road had a trampoline and we literally spent every day on it during the summer. Not only did we have fun but our friendship grew stronger and I would like to give that credit to our old pal the trampoline.

Never in a million years did I think that at age 21a trampoline would teach me how to grow friendships again, but again my old pal came to my rescue and showed me just how easy it is to bond with some one so different.

Above is a picture of some our new friends. Every Thursday we spend our afternoons playing on this trampoline with all of these beautiful kids. We laugh and joke, make monster noises, and do flips, and on crazy days there are even a few tears. These boys and girls have a fire for life that keeps things exciting. Each week is different in the since that you can never be to prepared to go out and play that Thursday, you never know what kind of mood kids will be in or even who is going to be home that day. Some afternoons we go on adventures, play soccer, or just sit in color. But it never fails that we will some how find our way to this trusty trampoline. I sometimes wonder how many little feet have bounced on the black service of this giant toy, or how many different voices its ears have heard. The two holes in its surface provide an accurate representation of just how much this worn out trampoline means to the ones who enjoy jumping on it daily. And just like the trampoline each child is special, each is different, and each has a story to tell.

Below is a video of a family that is near and dear to place we play each Thursday. They are a family of five children who through many trials and obstacles still maintain joy and innocence. At first glance you would notice that the place they live doesn't look like most of ours. If you talk to some of the other kids you would hear that their dad is out of the picture and that there are problems at home. Yet it never fails the mother of these five children donates an old bag of clothes, or a bag of toys and books, to our ministry each week.

This small act of giving reminds me of the story in the bible where the widow gives all the money she has even though she knows she will not have enough for the week. I love the trailer park because each week God is faithful in showing me the beauty of one of his children, young or old, in a way that I would never get to see anywhere else.

I am so thankful for this place, for the joy that is found in coloring, for the refueling that is found in the laughter of an 8 year old boy, and for the friendship that is found on a trampoline.

Gratitude

I know there is poor and hideous suffering, and I've seen the hungry and the guns that go to war. I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks.

To give thanks for early light dappled through leaves, and the heavy perfume of the changing seasons, for the melody of rain falling on a tin roof, and for the rivers that run, and the stars that rise, and the rain that falls, and all the good things that a good God gives. Why would the world need more anger more outrage.

How does it save the world to reject unabashed joy, when it is joy that saves us? Rejecting solidarity with the suffering doesn't rescue the suffering...the converse does.

The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world.

When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows.

How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us? The clouds open when we mouth gratitude.