We Shall Reap...

I find myself today in the office - with not a whole lot to do this afternoon...this is a first. I have found that I like to get in here and get my work done...once I'm in the zone, don't even mess with me. The internet on my laptop is currently not working - so the blog has suffered just a little bit. Hopefully I will find time to get all that worked out soon.

This morning I had a short term missions group...we actually had about 50 people assigned to our ministry, but I had a group of about 15 from Louisianna - it was a group from their church's young adult ministry. Several LSU students and even a girl who just recently graduated from UT. We worked on a local block @ Echo Park which is located directly across from the church. We picked up trash and talked with a few people in the park...yes, serving the community in practical ways is not always glamorous, in fact - most of the time it isn't. Either way, I love it and I enjoyed getting to interact with some of these short term people. In the process of it all, we had to dodge video cameras...they are filming a new TV series out here. These short term groups bring a new and zealous spirit to the team each week.

Adopt-a-Block last Saturday went well. I was in a primarily Hispanic community (50% of LA is Hispanic) and I was wishing I had kept up with my Spanish after high school. Suprisingly I could communicate better than what I thought I would be able to. At our site there was a food truck as well. Food Truck is another ministry here that goes out daily to multiple sites to provide basic groceries to families...usually fruits, veggies, bread, etc. I played some soccer with some little boys - they were super cute. Following Adopt-a-Block all the teenagers from the inner city are bused back to the Dream Center for an afternoon of planned activities (a lot of Dodge Ball goes on around these parts), a free dinner, and the opportunity for the students to shower. They are then taken over to the church service at 5pm. Saturday evenings are geared for students, or as they put it "the young at heart". I wish you could experience one of these services...they are so fun, and you just never know what to expect, ever. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom...

Saturday night after church the young adult ministry headed out to the beach for a bonfire, hotdogs (nasty), smores, Cliff Bars (everywhere I look there are Cliff Bars) and some dangerous games of Red Rover. I cannot tell you how much I love the beach, especially when the sun is setting. I rode with a sweet couple from the church out to the beach - what a blessing. (First of all, they had the sweetest jeep ever, brand new, no top, so California)...but for real, it has been so fun for me to throw myself into the arms of the Kingdom of God. When you up and leave everything that you know for the sake of the gospel and the will of our Jesus - you have to rely on His church, the body - and it's a beautiful thing (I think I have mentioned this before). This is how the Kingdom was designed to operate...in love.

Sunday morning began early - 2 hours before the service was to begin I was on a bus headed to the projects to pick up kids and families. They send out about 10-12 buses and let me tell you - they come rolling back to church jam packed - it's incredible. I really don't know how we get the kids to kids church and then back on the bus without losing any - I was a nervous wreck, but these people know what they're doing. I must add - who knew there was some major traffic on Sunday mornings, what's that about? The projects in LA are just tad bit different from the projects in College Station. There a ton of them. They kept going and going...and one other slight difference - the big, heavy, black bars that cover all the doors and windows. It overwhelms my spirit - to pick up all these smiling faces who are so excited to go to church. Amen, that's a new idea, excited about church!! Somewhere in the process of it all, after church there were several people who got these ears of corn on sticks...covered in butter and hot sauce and sugar -- I thought I was going to throw up, the bus smelled like death...but it was so worth it.

I am settling in here well...I now have 3 roommates...yes, that makes 4 of us in a 12 x 12 room...glory. It is hilarious and flexibility is key. I feel like I share about 10% of what is actually going on here - and usually when I look back on these blogs I feel like it is a really random 10% - but oh well. I am learning so much about my Maker, myself, the beauty of brokeness, the reality of honesty, the joy of relationships, the interesting facets of office dynamics, the value of unity, and the danger of uniformity. More to come on all of these...

I leave you with this - live it out this week...wherever you are, whatever you are doing. This has been one of my repetitive prayers since I have been out in LA...
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, let us do good to ALL, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Galatians 6:9-10