Seasons...

So in a more normal part of the United States, when it is the season of Fall, the leaves change colors and it's really gorgeous and pretty! I normally do not get to experience this part of the "season", since in California, it was still a hot 84 degrees earlier this week! I was fortunate to see this as I was out in Cincinnati, Ohio for the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference in mid-October. It was a really neat time of being out there with ~10 other people from my church, and being among other Christian believers who are in the mindset of community development in the the neighborhoods where we live....and trying to live out what it means to be incarnational, like Jesus was, and to really love God and love our neighbors. I also got to attend a few different workshops that were focused on education, after school programs, and identifying with the poor...all were really neat and helpful! I also connected with a lady who is from the Pasadena area, that started an after school program through one of the churches there. She was such an encouragement to me throughout the conference as I kept bumping into her and conversing about the conference. One important message that I remember from the conference, is that Bart Compolo shared that if you are going to relocate to a differnet place, you need to go with people, or you need to go and be meeting people that are already in the place you are going to. This is important for the significance of community, and how that will be helpful in a venture to a new place, and being able to be in Christian community.

Right now I am still in a transitional phase in my workplace. My position recently changed to more of a supervisor/lead teacher position. This means that I am helping with more of the administration aspect at the after school program, helping with structures/programs, and helping to support the teachers. I am enjoying it in all the newness that it is, but still adjusting to the longer hours, getting to know more of the students, and learning different systems. Please pray for my adjustment, and for good mentorship and support from co-workers as I am new into this position.

Prayer Requests for the neighborhood: With my new work schedule, it seems that I am more on a time cruch now. Please pray for time opportunities of still being able to take care of personal tasks as well as things I'm working through with my Servant Partners development plan...AND...get to spend time in the neighborhood and connect with neighbors.

I want to share some highlights of these past few months:

My parents and me at the Lighthouse Run 5k/10k in East LA! :) This is us right after Dad and I ran the races.

My birthday celebration. We celebrated my 24th birthday at Exposition Park with neighbors, Servant Partners friends, church friends, and Fullerton friends. What a joy it was to be with everybody and celebrate together. God is good!

Who doesn't celelbrate their birthday with Superman?! Ha ha :-D Here is my boyfriend, Scott, and me, along with college friends - Mia and Jojo!

A [silly] picture of my roomates and me! Liz, Regina, Sierra, and me. Please continue to pray for us, as we have lived together for 1 year, and will be staying together for until June 2010 at least! Pray for our house dynamics, for love/service to one another, for us to have more time to hang out with one another (as our lives are all pretty busy and do not always match together to spend time with one another), and for a continual presence in this community!