Thanks Jonah!

Last week a good friend of our used his connections and blessed us with tickets to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Theme Park. We spent the entire day running around like little kids, going on great rides and enjoying all the Christmas decorations. Here are a few pictures from our day in the magical kingdom.

Thanksgiving!!!!

This year Cami and I decided to take a little road trip for Thanksgiving. Which really not all that unusual considering we generally travel to see family for the holidays. However, rather than the 3 hour drive north or south, we went 9 hours east!

Despite the fact that we no longer have any family close enough for a weekend trip, Cami and I were committed to spending our holiday weekend with loved ones. As a result we drove to Hereford, AZ. We had the wonderful privilege of spending the holiday with some very dear friends - Hannah and Jason Whaley (some of my closest friends from college).

We spent the weekend eating TONS of absolutely delicious food! Spent the evenings playing intense rounds Nerts and Settlers of Catan.

Drove around the little town they now call home and visited the military base Jason works at. In addition to that, we went on a beautiful hike in the mountains nearby. At the top you look over one side and see Arizona and the other side is Mexico. It was all so beautiful.


It was a really windy day, but the wind ceased while we were on the top, so we actually got to enjoy the view for a while.

What is even more amazing, by the time we got back to the Whaley's a storm started to roll in. We got the hike in just before the mountains received a crest of snow.

The whole weekend was a treat. Cami and I were spoiled by our dear friends. I needed the fellowship desperately, as I often get lonely here, and it was good to be with people I know and feel known by. We came home refreshed, which seems to rarely happen when you go on a vacation.

Our dear Lord, has given us so many things to be thankful for and this weekend was truly icing on the cake. I hope your Thanksgiving was a sweet as our's.

Exciting Weekend!

Our friend D'arcy flew down from Portland this weekend. We went on some fun adventures, rock climbing at the beach, repelling down 90ft cliffs and eating at some great local joints. But really the best part was just hanging out and enjoying one another's company. It is always good to reconnect with close friends. Here are a few pics from our day at the beach.





In addition to that, I was unofficially offered a new job. The Dream Center Academy (Cami's school) asked if I would be interested in taking over one of their classrooms. They would match Cami's salary as well as give us an apartment right next door rent free!!!!! There are some details that still need to be worked out, but it looks like we might be in another apartment before Christmas!! I will give more details when it all becomes official.

The Simple Things

Yesterday during lunch I was talking with one of my students about his birthday that just past. He is a community kid, so he lives at home with his family and was able to have areal party. He was telling me all about the gifts he got: money, clothes, games, etc. So I asked him if he had a favorite. He responded with much joy in his eyes, "A card! My dad sent me a card."
What a difference a simple card can make.

Today was the first time I had to say goodbye to one of my students. All week he has been telling us that he was going to get released. So he went to court this morning and came to school around 11am. He was beaming! And sure enough he was released from our program. I ran into him as he was gathering up his things and I told him that I was happy for him but that I was sad to see him go. A little later we walked up to me, gave me a hug and said he would never forget me or our talks.
What a difference a simple hug can make.

I must admit that I am scared for him. I am scared that being back in his 'hood with his gang affiliations will lead him to make stupid decisions. But I know many of us at Optimist spoke a different message than one he has ever heard before and I just hope that message continues to resound in his heart as he heads back to the 'hood.

I don't know why I choose to wait soo long between each post. My procrastination just results in tons of stuff to update you all on, which inevitably ends in really long posts. So I am sorry for the delay. I hope you can all make it through the many things I have to tell you.

Today at school was the one day a month we (the teachers in my classroom) meet with our students' social worker - the day we get a little glimpse into their backgrounds. First of all, I should explain that there are about 25-27 students in my homeroom and 6 teachers (nice ratio). Half of our students are "community kids" which means they do not live in the dorms on campus or one of our six group homes. They either live at home with family or in another organization's group home. These are the ones that we have no follow up with and are therefore more difficult to handle. Unfortunately, it is not their social workers we meet with.

So I have six students in my section, three from the community and three from the dorms. The dorm that is assigned to my homeroom is the dorm for students with anger management issues. As a result, my students all have a very short string. I have to be very careful in all of my interactions them. These boys are accustomed to using anger and intimidation to get through in life. Sometimes I am so amazed at how sensitive they are and at how easily they are angered. But then we have days like today. Days when I see that these boys have never had any structure in their lives. Their parents are raging alcoholics who are so consumed with their own addictions that they don't realize the addictions brewing in their children. No matter how much these boys act up, their parents take little notice. These boys live in the ghetto, without any structure or support from home. Who can blame them for turning to aggression and force to survive? My heart breaks at each glimpse I get into their stories.

And then there is, umm, we will call him Sam. Sam comes from a wealthy family. Both his parents are highly educated and have provided everything their son has ever wanted. Everything but boundaries. Sam is the result of what truly permissive parenting leads to. He reminds me of a character in a book I just finished, the spoiled princess in George MacDonald's "The Wise Woman" (great book by the way). Her parents gave her everything she ever wanted and neglected to give her anything she needed. MacDonald's character so perfectly depicts Sam. He refuses to do things he is told, simply because he is told to do it, and will go out of his way to make sure he does not do it, even to his own detriment. Additionally, Sam has no remorse for the extremely violent outburst of rage that landed him in juvi and now in placement. Just as "the princess never thought of telling herself now how naughty she was, though that would surely be reasonable. On the contrary, she thought she had a perfect right to be angry." Complacency, by those ravaged from poverty and addiction to those "blessed" with wealth and "success", strange how they can result in the same end. Now I know that we cannot lay all the blame on the parents for the child's actions. But one must wonder who these boys would be today if they had been parented differently.

The crazy thing about comparing Sam to Macdonald's spoiled princess, is that she is the character I identified with most. Over the last several days I have been confronted with my own wretchedness through this character. In the story, the princess's outer appearance is a reflection of her inner beauty. As the wise woman holds up a mirror to the little girl she sees "a child with dirty fat cheeks, greedy mouth, cowardly eyes . . . stooping shoulders, tangled hair, tattered clothes, and smears and stains everywhere. . . That is what she had made herself." Just as I daily make foolish decisions that result in a similar inner distortion. As the fairy tale developed, I was humbled by God's unconditional love for me. Thankful, the wise woman (like our Father) sees past the ugliness. I was most encouraged by this last exchange from the story that I will share with you: the young princess asks, "How could you love such an ugly, ill-tempered, rude, hateful wretch?" To which the wise woman responds, "I saw, through it all, what you were going to be. But remember you have yet only begun to be what I saw." So perhaps I am not that different from Sam. Although I have been parented by a perfect Father.


Speaking of our perfect Father, Cami and I have had the privilege of clearly seeing one of the ways He takes such perfect care of us. As many of you know, we are planning to raise support here soon, but the process has been stunted a little (lots, and lots and lots of paperwork). As a result, money is tight - REALLY tight! As the first of this month approach we began to feel the intense pressure of our finances' tight grip. I have picked up to full-time at the school and 3-4 nights a week at the restaurant, but it still wasn't gonna come together. And then I checked the mail. Cami had forgotten to pick up his last paycheck from restaurant he worked out this summer. Miraculously it found its way into our mailbox and we were $131 closer to meeting our bills. Two days later we got a refund check from our electricity company for $85, a check we had no idea was coming our way. Talk about perfect timing!!! But these two checks are not the most encouraging provisions we received. There is a third and it came to me on Wednesday, November 1st.

I was working at good ol' CPK waiting tables. One particular table was this very sweet older couple with their adult son. We did not talk much throughout their meal but just as they were finishing up the wife asked me what brought me to LA from Portland (my name tag says Portland on it). So I told her, "God told us to move." Her and her husband inquired further and it became clear that they know Jesus too. They were very familiar with the church we are attending and we excited to hear all about what Cami and I are doing. They paid for their dinner with a card and as I dropped it off the wife shook my hand and said, "here is a little pentecostal handshake for you." She had slipped me money and I put it in my back pocket. At that point her husband nearly made me cry. He looked me straight in the eye and told me, "Jesus is pleased with the work you are doing." Even now I am so blessed by those words that tears well up in my eyes! Anyway, they went about their way and as I bussed the table I realized that they had left me a 20% tip on the card. I was shocked, I thought the money she had handed me was the tip. So i pulled i tout of my pocket and discovered $60. They gave me $60!!! And at the very time that we needed it most. I know that my Jesus takes cares of me, but sometimes I forget how perfect His provision is. Even though we have not yet finished all the paperwork to be supported, He still surrounds us by people who give so generously to us (not to mention the jobs too). What a great God we serve.


So those are all the updates for now. There is much more I could say, but I will save it for another time. And hopefully it wont be as long as result. We love and miss you all sooooo much. Thank you for continuing to pour into our lives even though we are so far apart now.

And for your delight, a few pictures of our newest apartment (we move too much!).



Cami hard at work in our office/bedroom. He is almost done with his 4th out of five papers for this semester (yeah)!

LA is in the background, but it doesn't really show up in the picture. But it is still a pretty view from up on a mountain not far from our new home.

All the Happenings

Has it really been that long since our last post?! Some much has happened that I know it must have been six weeks, but they have been so full that they have just flown by. so here are the recent happenings . . .

1. The Move
We moved into our new apartment on Sept. 23rd, a much needed transition. Just last night I looked at our gas expenses for the month of September . . . over $300!!!! Thankful we are both much closer to work so we are saving money and time with our shortened commutes.

2. The Wedding
A couple days after the move we flew back home for my brother Andy's wedding. It was sooo beautiful. My brother is so in love and he has married a beautiful woman of God, I am really excited for the both of them. As come with weddings, most of the family was together. It was really nice to hang out with my brothers and get to know my new sister-in-law better. There have been so many weddings in our family lately, it is really exciting to watch our family grow. It reminds me of God's amazing grace and His restoration. We were a family full of broken lives, many of us scared of any kind of intimacy. But by God's strength my parents fought to make us a tight family and most of us have now been able to expand our hearts love others and invite them into our family and our hearts. It is more exciting than I can express with words.

3. The Masters
Cami has started his masters study a Prescott College and he is doing great! After long days at work he is diligent enough to come home and get a few hours of school work done before calling it a night. I am so proud of him and his dedication.

4. And finally The Teachers
Cami and I both love our new jobs!! It is so great to spend each day using our gifts as teachers and our passions for education to impact the lives of inner city youth. Just today I had the privilege of talking with a student about life and motivation. He told me that it was too late for him and there was no point in trying in school. But I did not hesitate to contradict that lie and talk with him about who he wants to be. I am amazed at how quickly these students want to give up, thinking who they are today is who they are always going to be. But then again I have to remember the streets they come from. Most of the boys in my school are considered men on their streets. There are not many men much loder than them around and they will be lucky if they make to age 23. Everyday they are faced with adult situation and decisions, choice they are not yet equipped to make but are forced to carry the responsibility for. No wonder they think its too late - according to their streets they have already reached maturity and are almost at the end of their life, there is not much time, nor room for change. Thank God He offers a different message and allows be the honor of carrying that hope to my students. Maybe one of them will head down a different path than the one their street is taking them on.

So that is us . . . oh yeah, we started attending a new church on Sunday. Cami's school is attached to a church close by so we decided to start going there. It is Angelus Temple - a mega churh here in LA. Neither Cami and I are really mega church kind of people, but we know this is where we need to be. On Sunday Cami and I were both impacted by the intimacy of our God through a specific song. It is a song that we sang at NECF and were both very blessed by. Since then, the churches we have gone to have all sung that same song on our first day there. It is like the Lord gives us a little taste of home everywhere we go. Additionally, the preaching seems to be solid and straight from the word. This is not only a place to be fed, but a place to serve - they have over 140 ministries serving the people of LA and are committed to empowering all of God's people to get out there and serve. So I admit I was skeptical at first, but I beleive this is going to be an awesome place for us.

It Is No Lie

As of this last week I (Deidre) am officially an employee of Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services. I will be working as a Teacher's Assistant at the organizations high school. Optimist High School (OHS) is a non-public school that offer specialized education to youth within one of its many programs as well as a select few referred to the school by LA Unified School district or other local districts.

As a TA I will be in a classroom with 12 students and two other teachers. OHS demands that it holds a 4-1 student teacher ratio at all times. At times I will simply be assisting students as they work through their self-study items and at other times I will be teaching my own class. That is all I really know right now. I spent the last week learning how to de-escalate aggressive situation without using any force, or touch for that matter (we are a strictly hands off organization), but my school training does not begin until Tuesday, Sept. 5th (two days before students return).

I cannot express how excited I am at this opportunity. All the students I will be working with are either neglected, abused and/or what's considered "at-risk". These are the students my heart breaks for, the ones I was put on this earth to love and I am so excited that I finally get to do it. Just earlier this week I was reading in Acts where Paul recounts his conversion before his accusers. He tells them of how Jesus instructed him to seek out Ananias that he might know his "assignment." I have found my assignment. It is to love and encourage these students. I believe that God has given me a very specific call - a call to give hope to children in hopeless situation, to believe in the ones many have given up on, and to help them reach their fullest potential, wildest dreams and hopeful equip them to lead self-sufficient lives.

Unfortunately, I will not get to do this full time quite yet. Due to financials, I asked for a part-time position so that I can still wait tables part-time. Being that it is a non-profit organization that demands such a high student teacher ratio, salaries are not too great. But by God's divine plan they just happened to have a part-time position (for a minute there it didn't look like they would). So I will be teaching half the day and serving pizza the other half. Oh the life! :)
The plan is to support raise soon. Cami's job pays half time and he is to raise the other half of his pay. Once we have raised what we need, I will be able to leave the restaurant industry and give myself fully to teaching. But until then, I believe this will be a good transition, allowing me opportunity to fulfill my "assignment", while still leaving space for me fulfill my higher calling of loving my husband well. I know that my wifely duties are about to increase now that he has begun his masters and will have less free time for household duties.

As you can see, many changes are in the works, and yet more are still to come. In addition to all the above it looks like we will be moving also. Both of our teaching jobs are rather close to one another and about 25 miles away from where we currently live and on the other side of downtown LA. So in the next month we will not only have started two new jobs and begun Cami's masters work, we will also be moving, quickly followed by the third brother's wedding in three months.

I am ready for the day when all the dust settles and normal, regular, even mundane life begins. . . but then, what's the fun in that ;)

School...

Let's see, where do I start....
This week has been an interesting one. This is my (Cami's) second week teaching in the school, and every day this week has been a new record for the amount of discipline that has been handed out in my classroom. Thus far, today has, by a long shot, been the worst. A boy was caught cheating, then cussed out the TA, then refused to do what he was told or go where he was supposed to go. Then, another boy got caught trying to steal markers from the classroom so that he could go sniff them latter. On top of that, my pencil holders full of pens and pencils disappeared today. Rough day.

Interestingly enough I found out today as well that one of the boys in the program (a 15 year old with a 2 month old son) has a hit out on his life, and had a rival gang member threaten to kill him at this upcoming Saturday's church outreach. As this guy, "John" we'll call him, was telling me about his gang and how proud he was to be part of it I couldn't help but feel really sad for him. This is his life. Not only that, but he is proud to be a gang member. This isn't a kid that wouldn't fit in anywhere else either, he's an intelligent, handsome, friendly guy that's quick to befriend others and be the mature one in the group. Breaks my heart.

Pray that, in His infinite mercy, God would grant me the wisdom to respond to kids that cheat. It was difficult not to fly off the handle with that boy today, something about cheating makes me feel taken advantage of...
Also, that I would have words to say in conversations about gangs that would show these kids the love and acceptance of Christ in a way that doesn't turn them off, or perpetuate the perception of Christ as a weeny and Christianity for suckers.

Some changes...

I apologize for the large span of time between this and the last informative post on this site. For a while it felt like nothing was happening in our lives, and now, all the sudden, it seems that nothing is the same.

As I am writing this I am in Prescott, Arizona, having just finished my graduate school orientation at Prescott College. I am currently equal parts terrified and excited to get started. Terrified because one of the other current students was telling us that in order to get her work done she would sleep from 12am -1am, then wake up and work till morning when she went off to work. Excited because this is a program that I get to design and follow my passions and study only things that I am interested in.

Other recent changes include:

Deidre getting a new job at Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services. She starts as a Teacher's Assistant on Sept. 5th. I'll let her tell you more about it when she gets a chance.

2 weeks ago I started teaching in the residential boys classroom at the Dream Center Academy. The boys are a bit of a handful, but I've discovered that I thrive on challenges, and LOVE having a job that keeps me on my toes. After years of working jobs just to pay the bills it is refreshing to have a job that is meaningful and stretching for me.

Along with both of our job changes our economic status has shifted as well. We are technically considered half-time missionaries at this point, as the position at the Dream Center is only paid half time, with the understanding that the rest will come from support. This has been (yet another) step of faith for Deidre and me, as we have already started working these jobs without the funding lined up. We just know that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing and that the Lord will take care of the rest.

Having said that, we are looking for a smaller apartment closer to our work in order to save on both rent and gas money. The idea of moving is not really appealing to either of us, but the shrinking budget makes cheaper cost of living a necessity. If you have any interest in supporting us let us know! We find ourselves in dire need of both prayer and financial support.

We will keep you updated as our lives progress in the coming months. It is good to be living in the reality that the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts, and that He actively leads us to where He has for us. Deidre and I both would never have imagined ourselves here a year ago, but we know that this is where we are supposed to be.
Thank you all for supporting us as we go.

Support Letter

We just finished our first support letter! It looks great! If you would like it e-mailed to you lemme know!

Dragons

For those of you that don't know me [Cami] well, and I mean really well, you may not guess that I love to read children's books. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and the occasional piece of childish sci-fi mind candy that my sister throws my direction. I'm not sure why exactly, but the simplicity of these kinds of books tend to really drive home good messages for me (the obvious reason, of course, is that I actually am a child, which is the most likely solution).
A while back I came across a poem written by A.A. Milne, the author of all the Winnie-the-Pooh books. This poem was in a collection titled, "Now we are Six", by which I can safely assume that he wrote the collection for six yr olds', which seems to be about my level. It goes like this:

KNIGHT IN ARMOUR

Whenever I'm a shining Knight,
I buckle on my armour tight;
And then I look about for things,
Like Rushings-Out, and Rescuings,
And fighting all the Dragons there.
And sometimes when our fights begin,
I think I'll let the Dragons win ...
And then I think perhaps I won't,
Because they're Dragons, and I don't.

A.A. Milne
Now We Are Six

Something about the brilliance and the simplicity of this poem echos in my soul. As a six year-old I had dragons that I would fight, and now as a 24 yr. old I still have dragons that I fight. And, on top of that, both then and now I have the occasional, or not-so-occasional, strong urge to give up fighting, and to let the "dragons" win. As I was re-reading this poem tonight I realized that I will admit to having dragons, but I have never really tried to sit down and think through what they actually are. What is it that I'm afraid of? What makes me insecure? What keeps me from pursuing the things that I want, and the things that the Lord wants me to be?

I realized that there is a lot of doubt in me. I doubt that I am up to the task the Lord has put before me. I doubt that I have the talent or the skill set needed to pull off any kind of outdoor ministry. I'm not confident that I am who YHWH says that I am.

This six yr. old poem also reminds me that I am not who I want to be. That I am not finished growing...and that after all, I can't let the dragons win because ...well...because they are dragons! "Childish" truths seem to be the purest form of truth, and the form that I need to be reminded of most often.

Inspired Toward Faithfulness

For the last couple of months I have found myself in a rather discouraged stage. Cami and I moved down here because we felt the Lord tell us it was time to pursue our dreams. But I am still just waiting tables. Now I am thankful for my job at the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) - it pays the bills, but it is not exactly what I would call my dream.

As many of you know I spent the last two years in Portland waiting tables. Although I really enjoyed the people I worked with (and miss them immensely), I did not really like my job. I mean, I am an educated woman with passions and a desire to transform the world. I have big dreams, dreams much bigger than being a waitress. But I knew that the Lord had me there for a reason and a time - I had a purpose to fulfill. Yet even with that peace, I was elated when the Lord released me from my time at Stanfords. He prompted Cami and I to move in to LA to pursue our dreams. Finally I was gonna impact lives and do what I long to - I was moving so that I could become a teacher in the inner city. Now as you know, we didn't have any jobs set in stone when we left, we were still waiting on some paperwork to come through before we could apply, but the need is great and everyone we talked to said we would be hired in no time.

No time . . . it has been some time now and still not even an interview. I have been amazed at the ways pursuing this dream has been hindered. Through it all I began to ask the Lord if I was ever gonna get to do what I was designed to do, or maybe my destiny is to be a waitress. In moments of defeat I almost believed that lie, but deep inside I knew that God created me for more. Through my wrestlings with the Lord I realized that I still had lessons to learn before I could step into the classroom, not sure what those lessons were, but sure that was part of the reason I was not yet teaching. And this last Tuesday the Lord opened my eyes to one of those lessons.

On my drive to work I called a dear friend of mine. Tuesday was a day of great transition for her so I was calling to check in, little did I know I would hang up the phone convicted and inspired. This friend of mine also waits tables. However, she will be leaving in less than three weeks. As we talked about life she told me of how the Lord has burdened her heart for the people she works with. They are bound by the enemy and at many times have treated her unfairly. Yet she is broken for them, even spending an hour weeping for these people because they are lost. My friend was living what the Psalmist wrote in 119:136, "My eyes shed streams of tears because people do not keep Your law." She recounted to me her ponderings of whether or nor her life has really made a difference with these people. She has faithfully prayed for her co-workers, purposefully pursued relationship with them, all in an effort to share the love of Christ with them, but she wonders, is it gonna last when she leaves. And she knows that it is the Lord who pursues people and transforms hearts and will continue to work in the lives of these people, drawing them to Himself once she is gone. She just wants to know, if she has been faithful and made a difference.

Well, I don't know what impact she has made on her co-workers (though I am sure it is great), but her heart sure impacted me. I too am a waitress, surrounded by people who do not live in the joy and freedom of life with Jesus. Yet not once have I prayed for the people as CPK. I spent all my time disappointed that I wasn't doing my dream, that I was 'blooming where I was planted.' God placed me in this specific restaurant for a specific purpose and time. I realized in that moment that if I am not intentional now, with the hearts of adults, what makes me think I am going to be intentional once I am a teacher. If I do not pray for my co-workers today, what makes me think I will pray for them once I am in a profession I desire. So clearly I saw that I have not been faithful in with the little God has given now, so there is no way He is going to entrust me with more. Thankfully, He softened my heart to receive this lesson and gave be such a great friend to be an inspiration to me.

I just thought you all might like to know what the Lord is doing in me in this period of waiting. Thank you again for you prayers and support. And thank you my dear friend for being faithful to our Saviour and allowing Him to use you to inspire those around you. I needed it.


A couple PS thoughts:

- Nothing is official yet, but the meeting with the Dream Center was phenomenal and there is potential for partnership soon :)

- Here is the website to the church we have been attending if any of you wanna check it out: http://folcov.org/

- Here is a link to our neighbor's blogspot. They are wonderful people with a beautiful baby girl and are definitely God's gift to us in this time of new beginnings: http://palmerspilgrimage.blogspot.com/

This could be interesting...or it could not be.

So I (Cami) just found out that the Dream Center wants to meet with me next week. I've been calling them and trying to get them to set up a time to meet, and they called me back and said, "How about next wednesday at 11?" Which is of course exciting, but also terrifying. They asked if I could e-mail them to give them an idea of what I was talking about before actually walking into the room. So basically, I'm going to try to walk into an executive office at the Dream Center and convince them that 1) They need an outdoor program and 2) They want me to run it. I feel like a true business man.
I'm glad that they decided that it should be a little more than a week away, hopefully I can work through a professional pitch by then. If you could join me in praying for this as well I would appriciate it. Pray that the Lord's will be obvious, and that I would diligently obey. Thanks!

What's go'in on?

What's go'in on? That's really the question that we've been asking ourselves. What is going on? Deidre and I moved down here about a month and a half ago and sometimes it seems like nothing has really happened. Of course, then we look at what has happened and it seems like a ton.
First the job situations:
Deidre now works for the California Pizza Kitchen, which is a pizza restaurant that feels a little like a step down from Stanford's, but it's really just a job to pay the bills. But hopefully it won't be for too much longer, only till we get set up substitute teaching, but I guess we'll see about that.
I now have 3 jobs- one EMT-ing for special events like Ice Hockey games and Eric Clapton concerts (I'm working the Long Beach Grand Prix this next weekend, I'm kinda excited about that) it is only occasional work, and pays $8/ hr. so it is kinda supplemental as well. I also work for a company called the Boojum Institute. This is a institute that does Outdoor Experiential Education and takes kids on backpacking trips and ropes courses and fun stuff like that. This job doesn't happen too often, so it's kinda part time as well...which is the reason for the last job. The last one is new, and I start training next week, it's at a restaurant down on the waterfront here in Long Beach. It seems like a really nice place, and the people are friendly.

Other than that, church has been really good recently. We were just over at the pastor's house for Easter earlier today and got to talking about starting a high school ministry at the High School that is (literally) across the street from us. Something like 4000+ 10-12 graders that are African American, Hispanic, or Samoan. Sounds perfect for Deidre and I, we'll see if anything works out with it though...

I guess, other than that we've kinda been hanging out seeing if all this stuff can come together somehow, knowing that the Lord is faithful, and He knows that getting hired on at the school districts as substitutes is taking forever - it's not an accident. Living that reality is tough for Deidre and me both right now. Thanks for supporting us as we follow Him!
C&D

Obsessive?

Well...for those of you that know my wife at all, you'll know that 1) she has brown hair and eyes and 2) LOVES to watch Law & Order. In our old apartment in Portland, we used a bent-up coat hanger as a TV antenna, which worked just fine. However, down here in the big city the 'ol coat hanger trick doesn't seem to be working quite as well. Last night, Law & Order was on, and Deidre is not one to take missing an episode lightly...so here is what our new and "improved" TV antenna looks like...

(click the picture to enlarge it)

It really does work better when you're hanging on to it too... This is reason enough for me never to get cable, not only does the TV entertain me, but my wife does now too!!

Our Address

Per the request of many of our friends I decided to post our new address.

6477 Atlantic Avenue Apt. S147
Long Beach, CA 90805

So now you can mail us real letters or find a satellite pic of our home on google maps, or whatever else you would do with such information.

Home

Here we are!! We made it to LA, found an apartment and got all settled in - well at least mostly, there are still some pictures to be hung a few boxes to be gone through.
Thanks again to all who helped us move out, it was nice to have you all around our last day in Portland.

Move in day was a little hard for me, not only were my arms overworked, but it was a little sobering to remember back to the previous Friday. We had so much help we didn't know what to do with it all, but on Wednesday it was just Cami and I. It wasn't that we minded the work, it was just a stark contrast to move out day. It became plain that we know no one in this city; there were no friends stopping by so ready to help, eager to get one last hug, no one to break for lunch with and we didn't even have anyone to call. Yet God is faithful to meet us in every moment.

As Cami and I were struggling down the hallway with our heaviest piece of furniture (a hide-a-bed couch) a neighbor came out his door with a toddler in tow. He offered to help (at which point my arms rejoiced!!) and then introduced himself as David with his daughter Lily. We quickly introduced our Lily (our cat) and although we think she is adorable, relinquished the fact that his Lily is cuter than ours. David offered to help some more, but we were mostly done and sure we could do it ourselves. As we walked away I turned to Cami in wonder at this man's spiritual destiny - my spirit sensed a similarity. My wonder was met with Cami's question, "Did you see his shirt?" "No, was it a Christian t-shirt," I asked. Sure enough, the Spirit had leapt inside me when I met this man. Just as we finished our last load David came by again to see if we needed anything. We were pretty set, but when he invited us over to meet his wife we jumped on the chance. Dave and Mini have been married four years, have one child and were previously missionaries to India. Their mission focuses on urban slums around the world, so when they returned to the States to have Lily they planted themselves in the inner city. Not even one box has been opened and we already have friends! God quickly met me in my lonely place and gave me neighbors who not only know and love Him, but have similar dreams and passions as Cami and I do. Not only that, but they invited us to their church (which is a couple of blocks from here), that is geared towards the inner city. It was just another little way that God confirmed we are in the midst of His sovereign plan.

Our apartment is in North Long Beach, about five blocks south of Compton. It is a little pricey, as is everything in this area, but we really like it. The building was originally built as a hotel in the 1940's and has about 300 units. Old hotel means there is a pool, hot tub, sauna, tennis courts, basketball court and work-out room (now that's incentive to come visit, as if Cami and I weren't already enough). Our apartment is in the back by the pool and courts, and it faces west so we have a view of the beautiful sunset every night. It has a nice kitchen, comfy living room, as well as two bedrooms and two bathrooms. So to all of you who promised to come visit, we have plenty of room for you although the extra room looks more like an office than a guest room.

Today was our first Sunday in town, which means the church hunting begins. This was the part of the move I was dreading the most - we loved NECF sooo much and the idea of not being there every Sunday is heartbreaking. I tried to have a good attitude today, but it is hard not to compare. I don't want to say NECF is better than another church, it is just home and nothing ever compares to home. The worship is different - outside of the one man dancing in the aisle, Cami and I probably moved more than anyone else in the whole place. It is also hard not to know anyone, to be the new person all over again. Luckily we met Dave and Mini so we visited the church plant they are helping with, but they were out of town this weekend. We went to their church anyway, Cami thought we would get a better taste of how they treat newcomers if we went knowing no one. It was a pleasant experience, the people were really friendly and the message was centered on the word, but Jerry wasn't leading our fabulous worship team and Pastor George didn't give the word. Like I said before nothing compares to home.

Tomorrow is the day we refine our resumes and then the job hunt begins. And for all of you who are wondering about Lily, she is doing well. She handled the drive really well for a cat, outside of the not eating very much and dry heaving a lot (poor kitty). She has become very acquainted with her new domain. It did take a little getting used to, but once we brought in furniture she recognized she made herself right at home.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. We love you lots and miss you tons!!
Here are some pics of our new home.

25, Homeless and Unemployed

Who would ever have guessed that on my 25th birthday I would sit here without a job and no place to live. It is true, yesterday (with the help of many loved ones) Cami and I packed up all of our belongings into a moving truck and hit the road. We are currently in my hometown (Redmond, OR) visiting my parents and then tomorrow we are off again. The hope is to arrive in Compton on Monday afternoon in time to view an apartment before its office closes and if it is right, have a home come Tuesday!

This is all such a new experience and my mind cannot quite grasp it - reality has not sunk in yet. For the first time in my life I will not be an Oregon resident, will live in a town where I am the minority and be surrounded by a culture I am only beginning to understand. Sometimes I ask God, "Are you sure I am the one you want to send? A small white girl from a tiny hick town in rural Central Oregon going to the inner city of Los Angeles? In addition to that, you want me to teach in the public schools! But I am not yet qualified and I have never taught in a high school classroom." Thankful my God is big, my God is powerful and my God accomplishes the impossible. So yes, He wants me to go. He chooses the foolish to shame the wise. It is not about who I am or who Cami is, it is about who God chooses and He chose us. So yesterday we said goodbye to Portland and tomorrow we will say goodbye to Oregon.

Our last week in Portland was emotional, full of excitement, adventure and heartbreak. It was perfect. The week started with an emotional last day at church. Walking into the classroom for the last time and having a handful of girls run up to give me a hug was enough to make me cry - man am I gonna miss those hugs. In service Pastor George called us to the front and had all the youth in the sanctuary come stand behind us. Then with sincere, passionate hearts a few prayed for us and the tears were flowing once again. At the end of service Pastor challenged the body to dig deep and bless us as we go. By the end of the week our church had given us more than one month's worth of our expenses. We were awe struck and fell to our faces thanking the Lord that He had allowed us to be His vessels in this family as their lives dually impacted ours. Thank you Northeast Community Fellowship - you will forever be a place we call home. After church we had a last lunch with family and that night some friends threw us a going away party.

Tuesday we hiked up Mt. Hood with our dear friend D'arcy. Although we did not summit, I was proud of how far we made it for my first time mount climbing. And besides, now we have a goal for this July. Mt. Hood, be afraid, D'arcy, Cami and I will conquer you soon. After the hike we had a wonderful dinner with the Bruce/Bell family (pictured above) before going home to crash for one of our last nights. Wednesday was the last day of youth group followed by a sleep over with some girls from church. The rest of the week was filled with packing and friends stopping by to send us off. And that is where we are now.

To some of you this decision may seem a little foolish, but it is a decision we did not make out of logic. This decision is one made in faith through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and nothing is going to keep us from pursuing it. God has given us too many confirmation to for us to be thwarted by simply things like no home and no job - those are just minor details that He will work out soon :)

And the adventure continues!!!

So, it turns out that it is pretty difficult to find a place to live when you don't live in the area. Deidre and I have been talking to some people down there and looking on the internet at apartments and we have now had 2 very interesting encounters in our quest for a place to live in Compton.

#1 Deidre called up a place that we had heard about and was talking to the manager about different amenities that are included in the apartment. The manager seemed a little flustered and after Deidre asked if there is a washer or dryer on the premises the manager seemed to lose it. She burst out, "Why are you asking all of these questions?" to which a somewhat flustered Deidre replied, "...because I'm interested in renting an apartment from you...?" This calmed the storm, but only for a moment. Deidre then asked if they had a pet policy and was promptly hung up on. Why...we don't know.

#2 Then there was this other apartment that we found on the internet. Looked good, sounded good, we talked to the manager and it seemed like it would work (with the exception that you have to provide your own refrigerator...never even heard of a place not having refrigerators before). So with this exciting lead I call a contact that we have in Compton to ask him about it. I describe where the apartments are located and he knows immediately where they are. He describes them as looking pretty good, looks like they're well taken care of. There's definitely not even one white person that lives in this 60 unit building. Lots of young people, right across the street from the swap meet - which makes it a pretty rough neighborhood. Blood territory - blood territory through and through (at which point this friend asked, "You guys are sure you don't have any crypt affiliation right?"). And then he said the doosy, "My wife would never let us live there...she would be too afraid". So...I guess the apartment search continues!