This week we had some strange weather in LA. I’ve been hoping to experience the Santa Ana winds and this week I did! Normally the weather in the US goes from West to East, however during the late fall/early winter the Santa Ana winds come from the East to West. This means we experience a lot more wind. On Wednesday I was on my way home from UCLA where I delivered a short message at the campus worship service when the wind hit. We had strong gusts that brought down parts of palm trees. On my drive home several intersections had non-working signals. Thankfully California drivers are much better with traffic laws than other areas where I have lived and treated them as a 4-way stop. When I got home the wind was still strong. I did not sleep well as I could hear the wind through my windows and the patio furniture at my house kept moving about! On Thursday when I went to work there were parts of trees everywhere. Today, almost a week later, there are still trees down that have yet to be cleared. Also several signs on Sunset Boulevard suffered damage. Prayers for the areas that suffered from the high winds.
This Saturday we had our Neighborhood Immigration Clinic. We partnered with some students from UCLA who were interning at CHIRLA (Coalition for Human Immigration Reform in LA) to provide the Know Your Rights part of the clinic. They also helped us bring in clients. We had 28 people attend! All received free legal consultations and lunch. It was a learning experience of partnering with another organization and was not without hiccups. However I think it was a great experience for how we can expand the clinics and work with organizations providing similar services. I’m excited about the possibilities that can come from partnering.
On Friday I experienced my first Posada, an event that follows Mary and Joseph as they seek shelter on Christmas Eve. My church partners with the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic to put on an annual AIDS Posada, which helps bring to light the AIDS epidemic. Unfortunately AIDS is on the rise, especially in the metro area of LA where I live. There has been an increase in young people ages 15-30 who test HIV+. Prayers that education is spread about these diseases and current trends in the increase in those affected are reversed. May my generation see an end to this disease
