Friend dates and DREAM Sabbaths October 17, 2011

I’ve now been here over a month and a half and find myself falling in love with Los Angeles. It’s only rained once since I’ve been here and people really are happier when it’s sunny out!  I think my body is mostly adjusted to the crazy desert climate though it helps that its been 80s during the day and mid-60s at night!

I find myself feeling more and more comfortable with what I’m doing and why I’m here. I was recently telling someone all I had done since arriving and he said wow you’ve done all that in just a month! I am feeling more comfortable with my responsibilities and more knowledgeable.  I feel very much a part of the church community. Earlier this month a long-time beloved church member passed away and I count myself blessed to be able to grieve with the family and support the family and congregation with my presence. During our coffee fellowship the congregation has been very interested in what I’m doing and how I’m adjusting.

I feel like I’m making more friends and feeling like Los Angeles is my home. This past weekend I had three ‘friend dates’ as I call them. On Friday night I went to see a movie with two women who are a part of the centering prayer group that meets at my house on Monday nights. We went to an independent theatre in Pasadena and saw My Afternoons with Margaritte.  It was a good film and I felt like a good Los Angelino going to see a movie! Saturday I met up with my friend Holly who’s part of the Episcopal Volunteers here in LA. She and I went Malibu and hiked and then went to a pie festival. The hike was great, you park down by the highway and then walk at least a mile in a residential neighborhood to the trail head.  The houses we walked by where huge, they all had elaborate landscaping and at least a few had full-size basketball and tennis courts. One had a slide going from the roof of the house into the pool. The trail itself was in a canyon and we crossed a creek several time until we came to a beautiful waterfall. I’m used to rushing waterfalls on the East Coast, this was more of a trickling one but still beautiful. Then we went to a pie festival at Malibu United Methodist. I was wearing my Wesley shirt and a woman who’s a pastor in Richmond Virginia who is from Malibu stopped me and we chatted for a few minutes. Sunday a young adult couple from the church invited me over for dinner. We had wonderful conversation from everything to Methodism and the Trinity to our favorite books and TV shows we grew up watching.

Part of my job has been coordinating DREAM Sabbaths to recognize the injustice of our immigration system and to hear from DREAM students so the DREAM Act takes on a face. I’ve been blessed to be a part of 3 services. Claremont School of Theology had theirs during their Tuesday Chapel worship. A recent graduate from UCLA Imelda shared her heartbreaking story that included bad legal advice that almost kept her from her family. It was a beautiful service. Echo Park United Methodist had their service last week and a UCLA student who lives in our neighborhood Sophia shared her story and the sacrifices her family has made. Her family actually used to come to Echo Park United Methodist Church for a warm or cool place and a full meal, as it may be their only full meal that week. A few years ago her dad was hurt on the job and fired because the company knew he was undocumented. Thankfully he was able to take legal action and gave Sophia the money from the lawsuit so she could attend school. He wanted so badly to provide for his family. Yesterday UCLA’s Wesley Foundation held theirs and it was such a moving service. The service was small but everyone attending were either DREAM students or allies. The service remembered two DREAM students who were killed a few years ago in a car accident. These two students were known activist on campus and were known for being Undocumented and Unafraid. One student actual had her licensed plate personalized to ilegal. It was so moving to hear how these two young women had affected so many, even students who had never met them. Students also shared their own struggles with being undocumented or being allies. One shared how his entire family has been deported, yet he keeps faith. He’s found the importance of community and how the undocumented student group IDEAS has become his family. One student who’s an ally shared how his family has asked him why he’s so passionate about this when it doesn’t affect him, and he said but it does affect me, it affects the people I love and care about so it affects me. Several students shared poems they had written. The entire service was so moving and I felt so blessed to be allowed into such a sacred time and space in these students lives. They continually amaze me with their courage and persistence.  I feel so blessed to be allowed to walk beside them in this struggle for justice.

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