I have always enjoyed writing prayers for worship services and found this practice to be particularly renewing these past two weeks. My pastor at the church I worked in in Arlington Virginia encouraged me to write them more, advice that has stayed with me though gone pretty much undone. Since I’ve been busy and unable to devote too much time to my blog I will share the corporate prayer I wrote for Echo Park this week:

God of hope, this week marked the two-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. We ask that you not forget your children there, and do not let us forget our brothers and sisters in Haiti. May we not forget their struggle to survive, their struggle to rebuild and return to a life of normalcy. Many are still living in tents, in deplorable conditions. Keep our Haitian brothers and sisters ever on our hearts and minds. May we not be satisfied until our Haitian brothers and sisters are satisfied. Keep your children ever on our mind wherever there is suffering in your world. Use us to be agents of your hope.

God of mercy, you know the struggles that we encounter in our everyday lives, struggles to survive, struggles to be content with our situations, yet work for change, struggles to fulfill your call in our lives. Give us hearts that yearn for a better life for ourselves and those around us, a life full of mercy. Open our ears to your call in our lives. Open our eyes to the path you desire us to lead. Give us the strength and courage to live out your call in our lives. Where we are called to hold people accountable grant us your courage. Where we are called to show love and mercy give us your loving arms and non-judgmental heart. Where we are called to do tasks that stretch us and challenge us give us your assurance that you are present with us, every step of the way. Where we are called to join a long struggle for justice grant us your patience, remind us that you call us to difficult things yet you are moving even when we are unable to feel it.

God of justice, as we as a country celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr may we be reminded that the work is not yet finished. Open our eyes to the injustice around us. Show us the places in our own lives where we need to change. Show us the places in our communities and world where discrimination creates barriers and makes us feel more comfortable exploiting our brothers and sisters. May we not rest until all of your children are equal in our own eyes. Grant us your strength to confront the systems we as humans have created to allow us to believe some are better than others. Remind us that you created each of us in your image and you call us to live as true brothers and sisters, neighbors who love each other as much as we love ourselves and you.

God of comfort, you know the prayers on our hearts, the people in our lives who are continually on our minds. You know our loved ones who we grieve for. You know our loved ones who are sick and in need of your care. You know the names of the people in our lives who we wish to reconcile with. Be ever-present with these people and the others who we care so deeply about. Grant us your peace to know that you are ever working in our lives and in the lives of those we love and care for.

In your name we pray, Amen

This past month has been hard, for a multitude of reasons including being homesick. Thanksgiving was my second time I was not able to spend the holiday with my family. This is my first Christmas not with my immediate family. I made the decision when I took the US-2 position to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas in my community.  I work with people who often cannot see their families for the holidays. For many it is not worth the risk and danger to cross borders to see loved ones for the holidays. For many the cost of traveling is too much, as well as luxury of having time off from one’s job if one is fortunate enough to have a job. While my decision was a choice not forced upon me by immigration laws or my economic situation, it does give me a glimpse of what many people go through during the holidays.

These past few weeks I’ve been reminded of what an amazing community I have here in LA. I live with wonderful people who have become family. The church I work in is full of wonderful people who care for my soul in amazing ways. The friends I’ve made already support me and care for me in ways I did not think were possible in such a short time. I am so lucky to be surrounded by people who give me the space and freedom to discern my call here in LA, to question my own beliefs and culture I come from, to wrestle with hard questions and to ask where God is. I have wonderful friends all over the country and world who are supporting me in wonderful ways, often ways I am not aware of, asking me how I am, and praying for me. I was talking to a good friend from seminary who recently moved to China and we were talking about how much those prayers mean to us. Before when someone said they were praying for me it meant a lot, but here, when I am struggling, those prayers carry me until I’m able to see the wonderful things God provides. Thank you for the prayers!

These past few weeks I’m also reminded of how amazing my family is. Today is the 17th anniversary of my grandfather Buck’s death. I remember seeing Buck take his last breaths and how powerful it was to be in the same room with someone you love and care for as they pass on from this world. I’m reminded of my aunt who recently lost her dad and the grieving she, my uncle, my cousins and their kids are all going through. I’m reminded of my uncle Jamo who passed away this summer and what an impact he was on my family. I come from a family who is incredibly supportive of me and my ministry, and my uncle Jamo always wanted to know how I was, what I was doing and talk theology and politics (two fun topics to me!). As I continue to grieve I am reminded of my cousins, their children, and my aunt, as this will be a difficult Christmas for them. Yet in the midst of my family grieving they continue to express their love in wonderful ways, to sending wonderful Christmas cards, pictures and flowers, phone calls and emails. I come from a family not afraid to show love abundantly!

As I spend my first Christmas not with my immediate family I am reminded that this is not a joyous time of the year for everyone. My prayers are with those who are grieving, those who cannot see their family for a variety of reasons, those who need others’ prayers to carry them through this season. May we not forget that Christ came into a worn down world. As we celebrate the birth of Christ may we also be reminded that the world is still worn down. May Christ fill us to be God’s hands and feet and beacons of hope. May we be God’s instruments as God slowly bring in the birth of a new world, where God’s love emanates from all of God’s creation and the walls we have created to separate us as brothers and sisters and broken down forever.

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

So I thought it would be good to stay busy today. I found out about a church nearby that was having a dinner for all. I went to go volunteer but instead found myself served. When I arrived I walked up and was greeted by many. I told them ‘Hi I’m here to help’ and was told oh that’s nice but we have plenty of volunteers just sit down and go eat. Now it was 10am and I had just had breakfast so I decided I don’t like turkey enough to have it multiple times today so I just went and sat down. The volunteers were all wearing these red shirts that said “Para Servir” or “To Serve”. One volunteer had a warm smile so I decided to sit at her table. As I think I was the only Caucasian there she had her son come over to see if I wanted food. I responded Oh no I’m fine gracias, to which she said, oh habla espanol! (or essentially Oh you speak spanish!). I spent the next hour listening and speaking primarily in Spanish. Several volunteers came over during the course of my visit and brought food and asked if I wanted a drink or just introduced themselves.

I was sitting next to a woman there with her two children, a nine year old daughter and a three year old son. The son and I were sitting next to each other. I adore children and often find the langauge barrier interesting with children. They love attention and love to play no matter what language you speak. However they also don’t quite understand why I can’t always understand what they’re saying. I look like an adult, why can’t I understand what words they are saying in Spanish. So essentially I think I understood like 4 words he said to me, but we had a great time taking on and off his coat and playing with his food. He had the most adorable smile and clearly was a boy who gets into trouble! As the hour passed that I was there the mother and I began to talk to each other. She asked me if I was cooking turkey to which I responded Oh no it’s way too much work, she agreed! She asked if I was spending time with my family today to which I responded no, my family lives in Virginia. Her family all lives in Mexico. She told me about how she wishes to go visit her family but alas cannot. It’s too hard and dangerous to take her young children so she and her husband stay here, in the US. She has an aunt and cousins here but we agreed, it’s not quite the same as your parents and siblings. Our conversation was a great reminder as to why I am here in Los Angeles. I am here because our current immigration laws are not fair to people, to our brothers and sisters. While I am sad to not be able to see my family it was mostly a choice I made. While it costs a lot of money I can afford it if I want to. This woman cannot go visit her family. It’s  not just a matter of money for her, it’s a matter of our immigration laws which do not allow her to freely cross borders. Our conversation was a reminder to me of the injustice that our immigration policies are for families. This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for churches that provide direct services to immigrants in their midst and who advocate for immigrants in their midst. I am thankful for people who are not satisfied until our immigration policies are changed and there is an end the detention and deportation of persons who have only committed a civil offense. I am thankful for the reminder that I am blessed in too many ways only because of where I was born.

I have been attending planning meetings for an AIDs Posada that occurs every year and includes the church. A Posada reenacts the journey Mary and Joseph took when they tried to find lodging. HIV is on the rise unfortunately. The free clinic that organizes the Posada shared some statistics this week. HIV is being diagnosed in alarming numbers in young adults ages 20-39. The area where I live has seen the largest rise in HIV positive patients in the last two years. Hopefully the Posada will help in bringing HIV information to the public and help reverse this unfortunate rise in numbers.

While I am in LA for two years and not three months, at times the transitional blues feel similar. I’m still adjusting to life in a new community and context. I have amazing roommates, however they’re not quite the same as the amazing housemates I had in DC. I’m adjusting to a new climate, a new job, a new community and new friends. I was talking to my friend who’s about to go to Sweden for 6 months, and she has also experienced the transitional blues from past travels and jobs. Yet these transitional blues don’t hold either of us back from traveling, from taking new adventures and new jobs. So I know I will get through these transitional blues and already things are looking up. I decided to sign up for a 10K run to keep me motivated and running. I’ve found that running helps me feel happier and less tired. When the transitional blues hit hard I tend to not want to run, but knowing I have to be ready for 6.2 miles by February keeps me running. And I keep hanging out with friends and deepening the friendships I have found. I also have been chatting with other young adult missionaries in the US and the world helps me to know the transitional blues are somewhat normal. So to others out there going through transitional blues, I’m praying for you! It’s a part of the process and I know on the other side comes acceptance and new perspective.

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.

On Monday I went to Pacific Palisades just off the Pacific Ocean for a conference on Refugees and Immigration. I had a chance to meet staff from Justice for Our Neighbors, which we would like for one day our Neighborhood Immigration Clinics to be, and to meet United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) staff. I met Bill Mefford from the General Board of Church and Society and Kristen Kumpf, both who will be helping to implement the Immigrant Welcoming Congregations model that I am working on. I also met Refugee and Immigration coordinators from all over the country. On Tuesday Claremont School of Theology had their DREAM Sabbath in which I was blessed to be given the opportunity to provide an introduction to the DREAM Act and DREAM Sabbath. A recent graduate from UCLA gave her moving testimony and then we shared lunch with some friends.  Afterward David, my supervisor, and I drove to Santa Monica to have dinner with Bill and Kristen and further discussed the Immigrant Welcoming Congregations model. I got to touch the West Coast sand while we were waiting for them to arrive and take in the ocean and Santa Monica pier. Wednesday and today have been less busy and catching up on emails and on my to-do list!

I am still walking to work every day that I don’t need my car and really enjoy interacting and observing my neighborhood along Sunset Boulevard. It’s interesting to me how easy it is to hide even in a city. It took me at least two weeks to notice an elevated yard where two men often are sleeping or at least leave their things. I’ve noticed now several times a man who sits in-between a bus hut and a brick wall lined with ivy. Now I am trying to figure out a non-intrusive way of interacting with these people and building a relationship so they too know that they are human.

As I become more acclimated to LA and feel more comfortable making my way in the city I find myself falling in love with LA! I pray this continues and I grow more and more comfortable here and really make this my home for the next two years. Thank you for all your prayers and support

I am also working with the Immigration Task Force of the California-Pacific Conference. This task force was created in 2008 to address issues of immigration. I am working directly with the chair of this task force and am really the only staff person assigned to the task force besides volunteer clergy and laity.  One of my responsibilities, and something I’m very excited about, is I will be helping to establish an Immigrant Welcoming Model for churches that desire to be seen as Immigrant Welcoming. I am in the process of going over some ideas for trainings and can’t wait to learn more about the vision and help see it come to reality.

My other responsibilities include assisting at Echo Park UMC. I’m eager to discover some of their ideas for their community of Shalom and the vision of the church. For now I’m attending Bible Studies and worship. Last week the church did a dedication for me and a nice fellowship after the service in my honor. This week I also attending the Spanish service and had the opportunity to give my testimony about who I am in Spanish, hopefully everyone got the gist of what I said! Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and loving.

I live in an intentional community that also houses the Center for the Working Poor. I live with labor organizers or former labor organizers and have enjoyed learning different terminology. They’ve been wonderful in welcoming me and orienting me to Los Angeles. This past Friday we had my welcome dinner in Koreatown as one of my housemates just spent a year living in Korea and they also took me out to a wonderful ice cream place near Hollywood. The ice cream place will definitely become a regular fixture in my life!

So in California one can do many DMV things at AAA, so I decided to use my membership to my advantage and on my day off on Friday went to AAA to register my car. Somehow it passed the Smog test and now my car is a Californian. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a driver’s license a AAA, so today I had an appointment at the great DMV. When I got there (15 minutes before they opened) there was already a huge line. I waited and once the doors opened I learned there was a separate line for people with appointments so I went to that line. Then we followed a DMV staffer inside and waited in another line. After 15 minutes we learned we were in the wrong line the whole time and finally got in the right line. After filling out forms and having my number called I found out I had a take a written test upstairs to finalize my license. It was probably better I didn’t know about the test before because I would have stressed over it (all who know me well know this is true). Thankfully I passed and get to wait for my real license in the mail!

But the good news about getting my temporary license is now I can get a library card. I work right beside a public library so I went during my lunch break and now have my library card! I even checked out some books. I now feel like a real Californian!

All in all I’m starting to love California. It’s hard for me to get used to how chilly it gets at night but my body is slowly adjusting. Now I’m just trying to make more friends, though I keep reminding myself I’ve only been here a few weeks! I was able to have brunch with a friend I made through a friend when I lived in Spain and it was great to catch up with her. I think we’ll become good friends! There are also some great young adults at my church who hopefully want a new friend!

Thanks for all your prayers!