Thoughts on LA

Sorry that this post has been so long in coming, but the weekend has been hectic... We got back from LA and it was really good to be back. The trip was fun and I really enjoyed being back at the Dream Center, but I was happy to be back (being in a van for 12 hours will do that to you). We got to do a lot of stuff on the trip and it was all really good. I had to fight the urge to be over the top controlling and frustrated for a lot of the trip, but I got through it and God was even able to show me some things.

For me, the best part of the trip was being in Redding, CA at Bethel Christian Center. I love being in their prayer room and just being a part of the church down there. I am not jealous of them, PSCC is definitely my home, but I enjoy visiting there and seeing what God is doing through a church that is seeking God with everything and then taking what He gives them out into their community. We spent Saturday helping them with their food outreach to the homeless people in Redding and before we went out we spent a good 1/2 hour soaking in prayer and then another 45 minutes worshiping. The outreach leader asked me to lead worhsip (probably because I was the only person with a guitar) and the Spirit just fell. I even played a song the Lord had given me while I was worshiping in the garden around the prayer house just an hour before I played it! I have never played my songs in front of more than 2 people, just due to fear and lack of confidence, but it was really cool. The outreach leader then asked me if I would head up one of the sites where they hand out food, because they were shorthanded and I had done the outreach once before. I felt so useful and accepted there, it was really fun. After we got back from the outreach, I got a text message from Em. Hockert saying that God told her that I was not the leader of the trip and He wanted me to know that.

We got to see Chad, Michelle and Rees on the trip because we stopped in Fresno, CA to visit them and their new church. Peoples Church in Fresno is HUGE!!! It is easily the biggest church that I have ever seen, even bigger than Angelus Temple in LA. Us guys got to stay at the McGill house, a family in Peoples church that have a son in the High School group, and that was a real blessing. Talk about a Christian family, they have something figured out that I wish my family knew about! After church on Sunday, we drove to LA and then the fun started!

I got really sick on Monday, I was in the bathroom about every 5-10 minutes... Monday is the day off for the Dream Center, but the team was able to help out with some of the kids on campus there with their school work and some people went out and picked up trash on the street. I stayed behind in bed and slept! I felt better after that and I was able to eat some real food later.

We got to be a part of the outreaches the next two days and that was a lot of fun... We got to go out on the food truck this year, which we didn't get to do last year. That was a blast going out and providing groceries for an entire week to poor families. They had arranged a deal with someof the local grocers to get food that was about to expire and that is what is distributed out to the people. I got to speak Spanish with some of the people and I really want to learn more and get better and conversation with people, maybe I will start going to a spanish church...

We also went to the beach on Tuesday night and spent some time in worship, while the jet planes from LAX flew overhead as they were taking off. I have never seen a fire light so fast as the one we lit on the beach did, I dunno if it was the stiff ocean breeze or the fire starter logs, but it took off hot and fast! That was a lot of fun, as was worship... people just connected with God, there is something about being on the beach in front of the ocean that takes my breath away and really ministers to my heart. I can't think of a better place to worship than on the beach in front of a fire!

Wednesday was fun because we got to go out and be apart of Metro Kidz and their Sidewalk Sunday School. I learned lots of new phrases and Eddie had to endure the phrase she dislikes (with me laughing at her the whole time!)... One of the guys who was leading our group, Alfred, asked us to continue in prayer for the South Central LA neighborhood that we visited that day, so if you want to join in that... After Metro Kidz we got to go out to Skid Row like last year. It was tough seeing all those people bound in the chains of their addictions, but I know that God is the God of chain breaking so there is hope for the people. The lesson that I learned from Skid Row was that people have to be ready to hear the message of God's love. I could stand and tell everyone about it until I am blue in the face, but if they are not ready to receive it I don't think that it would do any good. I hope that seeds got planted and that I helped water other seeds, but they won't be harvested until it is the proper time.

The drive home was long and the best part about it was talking to everyone about different stuff and finding out that Jennifer had Dramamine, which I took and felt a million times better. We all got home safe and we all got changed a little bit.

We got back on Friday night and I got to go and hang out with Anna vB a little, which was fun. Anna, I will miss you in Belgium, but I am glad that you came and are going back to where your heart is.

Do you want to hear about the two weddings on Saturday??? Maybe later...

Sorry for the length, but I love all of you...