Flying Triathletes!

This is our triathlon team that competed on September 13th at Zuma Beach. As you can see, we are not only great at swimming, biking and running but also at flying.

Returning from Sacramento

It has been almost a year since my last post and of course there is too much to post here.

The past few days and weeks have been incredible which is why I'm posting now. I'm in the airport returning from Sacramento after a week of the Women's Policy Institute. It is a public policy training program and we have been learning all about how bills are drafted, heard in policy committees and (hopefully) signed into law by the governor. The other fellows are all ages and backgrounds, some run their own organizations in domestic violence, elder services, environmental policy and reproductive justice to name a few. In only a 4 short days, I've bonded with my team over sushi and laughter and I can't wait to continue working together on our policy project. Our team will select an issue related to elders and will shepherd it through the legislative process in hopes of creating an effective law. Over the next three retreats, I know all 24 fellows will grow closer and I'm sure many may become life-long friends.

Another really incredible adventure began this past Sunday at 3:40am. I awoke groggily to pile my bike into the car and drive to Malibu to compete in the team triathlon with Children's Hospital LA. Our relay team consisted of Scott swimming 1/2 mile, me biking 18 miles and Gerardo running the final 4 miles. I felt really nervous leading up to the event, but once I got on my bike my anxieties melted away and I loved the sensation of flying down the open road. The sense of accomplishment and the joy of doing something together is addictive, so hopefully I'll get to race again soon. I'll post pictures in a later post.

Both these experiences were about overcoming fear and learning to trust God. There is nothing like going out on a limb for focusing the mind. I'm so grateful to God for providing these opportunities and can't wait for the next adventure.

Christmas is Coming!

I get to go home to Georgia in about two weeks! I've posted this picutre of my adorable DJ wearing his santa hat because I am really excited about this Christmas. Thanksgiving was only yesterday but I am already looking forward to being with my family.

I've tried to resist the urge to buy all kinds of Christmas gifts for friends and family now that I have a stable job. Last Christmas, I gave hardly any presents because I had no money. But it is very tempting now and I'm trying to figure out how to steward money well. What types of gifts will endure and are actually worth giving? I've thought about supporting World Vision or Advent Conspiracy to provide farm animals and drinking water to poorer countries, but I guess a part of me likes receiving a gift I can use or cherish myself. Is that selfish? Sigh...

I just received a really cool gift from my Aunt, it was a clear plastic container with 5 types of beans, a seasoning bag and a recipe for bean soup. The container is reusable, the soup will be yummy and clearly the gift isn't just something she bought. She knows I like to cook and it really made me pause and be grateful for her thoughfulness. Now if only I could come up with great ideas like that for all the people I'd like to bless this Christmas.

On Sunday, I'm going to go down to Skid Row with my church, Christian Assembly to distribute blankets, socks, and clothes to the homeless. Every year we bring a hot meal and offer prayer to anyone who will accept it. I used to go every week back when I lived in Highland Park and it really helped me to see and understand what Jesus meant when he said to love the least of these. The most amazing thing is how far a little love can go...we witnessed people on skid row coming to faith and even those who had spent years there, breaking down crying as they heard that Jesus still loved them no matter what mistakes they had made in the past. The transformation isn't just limited to those we sought to serve, but many of the volunteers say that their faith has been deepened by seeing God manifest himself unmistakably. Please keep this ministry in prayer.

Merry Christmas and may the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified by all the nations!

Retreat! Retreat!

I turn 24 this Sunday. How crazy is that? If I haven't told you already and you're reading this, please come to a BIRTHDAY PARTY that we're having at 1pm on Saturday (Sept 27th) for cool Oxy people, born at the end of September, whose names begin with "J" The music, spoken word, food and fun will be held at Jess, Sharon, and Jess' house on Budlong. Call me if you need directions...

I have great hopes for this year as I am entering my 2nd year in Servant Partners. This past year has really gone by quickly but God has been so good through it all. We taught ESL classes to our neighbors, prayed and fasted for our community and I have seen so many amazing things come to pass.

This past weekend I took a weekend to just get away from the lunacy that is Los Angeles. Sharon, Jenny, Dia and I fled the city to a monastery in Riverside where we took a day and a half to just rest, pray and listen to God about this upcoming year in the internship. The nuns have opened their house up to visitors and they have beautiful gardens and a stone labyrinth. The labyrinth is a walkway partitioned with brick that winds back and forth until you reach the center. It is an incredible devotional practice to pray and walk because it symbolizes how God leads us perfectly and how we cannot rely on our own understanding. While I was there, I also saw a coyote, hummingbirds, and a black woodpecker and it reminds me of how beautiful creation is. We ended the weekend by doing Lectio Devina on Isaiah 42: 1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;he will not falter of be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.

This is what God the LORD says-he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

"I the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you to be a convenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

What a beautiful promise to hold on to...I pray that I this scripture would really inform how I see the world and interact with people.

This is my internship class at our Palomar Retreat in Mid-May. As you can see we take each other very seriously. The retreat was an incredible time of bonding with community and taking some time to rest and stop worrying about life so much. I really loved the time to reflect on the year and how God has been teaching me to care for my neighbors and grow in community. We got to shoot rifles and ride horses and of course just enjoy being out of the city. One thing that came out of the retreat for me was the need to communicate with my roommates better and share more vulnerably because I can't do this alone. Lately we've been able to pray more together and really trust each other which has been great.

After a long absence...

So, I know I've been away from my blog for a while but I'm back now. Life has been absolutely crazy, but it a good way because I love my new job and it challenges me daily. Right now is a really exciting time to be in the health policy field because the healthcare system in LA County is really under a lot of pressure because of budget cuts. Many hospitals and ERs are closing or at risk of closing and it is scary to think of our healthcare system going into a complete meltdown. Our work consists of gathering the data and synthesizing it into a clear message that people can understand and take a stand on. Every day I'm learning something new and it is so gratifying to feel like I can work for my community in SouthLA both from the policy side at work and at the community level with Servant Partners.

Our ministry projects are underway and our team is pioneering an ESL class for local spanish speakers. We average about 4-5 people a week and focus on speaking and comprehension of English. Our students are moms, construction workers, and are all very enthusiastic about getting one-on-one help with learning English. It has been great to partner with Iva as she teaches and to learn how to delegate tasks, cooperate, and come up with innovative ideas for the class. In the meantime, we are also beginning our "gifts project" which involves reading a book and soliciting advice from others on what our natural and acquired gifts are. In other words, we are trying to figure out what we excel at and how to focus our energy on honing those skills while also strengthening those that are not as strong.

Please pray for me during this time because life can get extremely hectic and full and at times it is difficult to remember to pray and maintain healthy relationships. Yet, God is awesome even in the midst of busyness. My roommates and I are growing closer through learning to share our lives more fully it has been incredible to see how we can each be a part of each other's healing and growth. I'd be happy to elaborate in person on this so please write to me if you'd like more details. Thanks!