Road Trip: Part Two, Service with a Smile

On Sunday we took the troops to a Cambodian American church in Long Beach to help clean their facility by window washing, gardening, cleaning, and all the other various things 20 year olds can be entrusted to do without leaving permanent damage to the property.

I really treasured our time here because not only did the students get to give their time and energy to helping out fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but they were exposed to the nations, right here in America. When we arrived we were able to listen to a few stories of the difficult and tragic journey Cambodians have been traveling for the past thirty years. Lukina, a church member, said that most Cambodians have been exposed to at least 13 tragedies in their lifetime including death, starvation, rape, murder, prison, labor camps, and more. Many Cambodians escaped to the United States to begin new lives, but only if they were fortunate enough to get a sponsor to pay for their way over. And Cambodians are so hungry for good news, and respond quickly to the Gospel message.




Here were are, post work, in front of the Cambodian American church!


The next morning we were out the door before the sun woke up and headed to downtown Los Angeles to help Project Angel Food in the kitchen. Project Angel Food cooks meals and serves 1500 clients in the LA area who cannot afford proper nutrition and have medical problems.

After dressing up in the fashionable kitchen attire including, hair net, apron, and gloves (unfortunately no booties), we jumped right in making gravy, packaging meals, and slicing up anything they put in front of us.

After we sliced and diced and packaged and at some snacks, we went out and delivered the very meals we made! Our students were able to meet face to face people who relied on the love of others.
Here I am slicing up a honeydew. Gotta love the hair net!

We're about to go out into the community with our food!!

Road Trip: Part One, Escape to LA

Tomorrow at 4:30am I will be playing the ultimate game of tetris, as I try to fit and eventually cram everyone's luggage into three rental vans. My teammates, Jamie and Derrik, and myself will be driving 17 UCCS students to sunny California for their spring break. I hope I survive.

This year's trip is really unique. Our theme is "Super-Cali-Fellowship," with an emphasis on the fellowship. 1 John 1:7 says, "If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin." Over the next seven days we will learn what real fellowship is through devotionals, service projects, and playing on the beach.

This entire trip has been bathed in prayer and the students are thinking about more than coming back with a tan. I really believe they are excited to take Jesus into Los Angeles and take steps forward in their personal fellowship with God and with others. I can only imagine our love for each other will be tested by the first brave soul who nervously asks, "Can we stop? I have to go to the bathroom." I hope we don't have an casualties due to small bladders. What a sad way to go.

I found this website designated to praying for L.A. I printed out some of their prayer points to give to students, because, well, shoot, I bet people in L.A. have a better idea of what to pray for! I'd love for you to join me in praying some of these things in addition to things like safety driving, unity, and well, sanity.

Pray for L.A.

1. A revival in Los Angeles

Pockets of people seek God as best they can, yet the majority of the city sleeps. We need to wake up! We need to be revived! We need to have the sleep rubbed from our eyes.

2. Pray for "prodigals" to return home

Prodigal people are recklessly extravagant. They leave wisdom behind and expend all their resources wastefully. Many in Los Angeles have become a prodigal generation. Many have left God to pursue the things of this world.

3. Conquering spiritual strongholds

A stronghold is a place of security. There are strongholds for both Christ and Satan. In Los Angeles, many strongholds are obvious and many are hidden. Therein lies much danger. Since Los Angeles impacts the world, the strongholds here are indeed strong and massive.

(These were taken from http://www.prayforla.org/ visit me for more info!)

I'm excited to spend time with the students, especially some of the girls in the ministry that I really want to invest in, but, alas, I lack the time. I'm sure a 20hour road trip will do wonders for our relationships.

Cactus garden at The Getty Center overing looking a smoggy day in Los Angeles.

No Tripping Allowed

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. . ." I enthusiastically waved my hands around in exaggerated motions to symbolize a great cloud. That summer of 2004 I remember flapping my arms and making funny motions to help kids learn the camp memory verses, Hebrews 12:1-2. It continues, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. . ."

I've always loved those verses. I can so clearly picture a runner, shoes rhythmically hitting the pavement, one after another, expending every last ounce of energy to get to the finish line. This past weekend, I was the runner, in real life, completing my first 5k; insignificant to the elite runner's world, but an accomplishment for me, the lay jogger.

My friend, Meredith, who serves with The Navigators at The University of Colorado (CU-Boulder), came down to run with me. She's experienced, fast, and full of energy. She was my cloud of witnesses on Saturday, keeping me on pace and heading toward the goal. We prepped our race with some "running" passages and Hebrews 12:1-2 came up, reminding me that when I run, I have to persevere. And believe me, that moment came, when Meredith looked at me and said, "less than a mile!" And I turned to her and through my pants said, "Yay!" even though I secretly wanted to trip myself and lie in the street to catch my breath.

But I finished (without tripping myself) and we drank our water and ate the celebratory bagels and oranges as we walked around the park waiting for the St. Patrick's Day parade to start.

What a great physical reminder to run the race of life with perseverance. The Spring semester at UCCS is in full swing with a host of activities, one on ones, and lots of Bible study. I'm exhausted at times, but those moments are when I need to fix my eyes on the goal, Jesus, and look at my cloud of witnesses to cheer me on.

Meredith and I after persevering the 5k on St. Patrick's Day in Colorado Springs.