Your Justice Flows Like the Ocean's Tide: January 2009

Looks good huh....that 1st image is a picture of a tamale, and the 2nd picture is champurrado, a "warm and thick Mexican" drink. :) And why am I posting these pictures...let me explain.

In the mornings I go running at the Expo Park/USC area. As I was leaving from my run on the way back to my apartment on Thursday morning, I notice that there is a lady with a shopping cart, and so I ask her what she is selling. She tells me that she is selling champurrado. I ask "Cuantos" <--How much in Spanish. She says "1 dollar". I try to ask in my broken Spanish if she will be there 'manana' so that I can buy some the following day...she says yes and proceeds to get me a drink. I say "Oh no....it's okay...Esta bien." But she still continues and hands me the cup of champurrado. Then I ask her what is in the ice chest, and she says Tamales.. "Quantos", "$1". "Okay, manana." But she insists on getting me a tamale right away. Quite generous. Then I am trying to ask what time she will be back the following day... I hear "Cinco"...I'm thinking "She gets here at 5:00 in the morning?! YIKES!" So I explain to her that I will bring money to her tomorrow morning.

I continue to walk back to my apartment with my champurrado and tamale in my hand...quite delcious. And the only words I can think of to say delicious are "Masarap" <--from the Tagalog (Filippino) language....no where close to Spanish. Hee hee. Anyways....as I keep walking, I start to hear the shopping cart behind me and I see that the lady is walking behind me. So I go back and ask "Donde viven?" She lives close to me, as we figure out through my broken Spanish and her broken English that is more advanced than my broken Spanish. And we continue to have a conversation through our broken-ness of different languagues...but we are able to have a conversation...Praise God! :) And then we eventually separate ways....but I just thought it was definitely an amazing opportunity from God to meet this lady who lives and works in my neighborhood and talk with her, get my morning breakfast, and practice my Spanish. Ha ha.

Please pray for Iliana, as this is what her job is...and she is raising 3 children by herself! Pray that God continues to provide enough resources and income for her....and that her family is well taken care of. Pray that I will get to see her again and continue to have conversations as we are both growing more in learning Spanish/English. And pray that Iliana will be curious to know more about Jesus Christ, if she does not already have faith in Him in her own life. :-D

I have been blessed! I have a job that I was able to have 2 weeks off since I work at a school...that lined up perfectly with our Christmas break for Servant Partners...and I also had many of those days at paid holidays, which is awesome! :) Praise God!

So because of my break, I was able to go home for 2 weeks to spend time with my family, spend time with high school friends, and also get to spend some time in Fullerton for a few days! It was really good to spend time with my family...Joel flew in from Seattle and was here for a week...so it was everybody here for the Christmas (except for Chris since he's in Korea cause he's in the Air Force)...and it was really joyful and fun to spend time with everybody. I had some pretty awesome hangout times and conversations with all of my family members...especially tonight when my Dad shared more about how and my Mom met and how they dated and then eventually were engaged and married! :-D I thought it was really precious when my Dad said "I love our mom more today than I did when I married her." AWW!

I got to spend some time with high school friends...including a few that I've known since elementary school which is way awesome. It's been cool to see how God is at work among all of us and it was great that we can all still get together, despite all the different places we are living and such.

I also got to spend some time in the Fullerton area for a few days and get to spend some time with friends from the dorms, Intervarsity friends, Newsong friends, and visit my old work at the Boys and Girls Club! A huge part of my heart is in the Fullerton area...because of how God shaped/molded me while I was there...and because of the people there.

For me during my time off, I would say the most restful part of everything was just getting to spend time in God's word (which is difficult for me when I go home....I just get distracted), I was able to read some devotionals every morning as well as reading from Leviticus and Psalms...and a little bit of 2 Kings to prep for my sermon that I will be giving in February with Servant Partners (please be praying for that...eeck!). I also enjoyed getting to spend time reading my journals from when I was in the Philippines, as well as my journal from different bible studies during these past few months with Servant Partners. It's neat to see what God has been doing since I moved to LA. A couple of things that really stand out to me are that I've beeen growing of just being more culturally aware of different things and I'm learning what it means to anticipate needs and serve others .... and I'm learning more of what it looks like to be open to when God is leading me to have a conversation with a neighbor or co-worker, while not worrying about the time factor (as most of you know, I'm a big stickler for time...but God and some friends have been helping me to be more loose in this area for the sake of furthering God's kingdom). And God is definitely growing me more in compassion and patience with my 6th grade students that I work with in the after school program. My constant prayer everyday when I go to work is that as how God grants us, his children, with new mercies every morning...that I will have new mercies every morning with the students I work with. I need to not hold grudges or see the wrong that they did the previous day and hold it over their head. It's been a good prayer...and good for me to open my heart in that way...definitely difficult on certain days....but I'm just learning to see my students in the same way that God sees us as His children! And it's a beautiful picture :-D

Well...that's been my 2 weeks! Tomorrow I'm going back to Los Angeles...my new home, not just a place that I visit anymore. Here are some prayer requests for while I go back:
-These newt few months is when we will be starting our ministry project in the neighborhood...so please pray for our time in the community to be filled with good conversations and for people to be open to sharing about their lives and about the needs of the community...in order that God's work that is already existing in the neighborhood to be furthered more to meet community needs
-Pray that my apartment complex will learn to love each other and grow with one another more....not just that my roomates and I are the only ones that are trying to reach out, but that our apartment complex will come together and be a true community that God speaks about in scriptures...one that takes care of all needs!
-Pray for my work at the after school program that I can continue to build relationships with the students, that the students will seek education as something that they desire and are passionate about, and pray for my Spanish to keep improving! Also, I will be needing to make a decision about helping out with Physical Education in the mornings...so pray that God is leading that decision. Also pray for continual conversations about the Bible, faith, and ministry with my co-workers :)
-Pray for my whole team as we will finally be regularly attending Church of the Redeemer (yeah!) a local church in the area where we live, that we will be partnering with for our ministry projects
-Pray for my family: Daniel is job searching and has been having a difficult time...so guidance with that....Joel is seeking more of learning about what religion can be in his own life, so just that we can continue to have good conversations....Mom: continual patience with her work since she works with students in special education classes and for healing as she has been having pain throughout different parts of her body....Dad: he is thinking of going back to work part-time at his old work (he's been retired this past year) so just a lot of patience with that, and for him to not stress out so much...Chris: for him to come back safely from Korea and to settle in Vegas for the last 4 1/2 years of his service

And here are some lovely pictures from the 2 weeks :-D

One of my favorite streets in Fullerton during Christmas time...you can't really tell, but there are all these global lights that are hanging from the trees :-D