Reaching Back #3

Let me reach back once again into my memory of the past two weeks.

My work has consisted of many meetings. I meet with three mentors, Pastor Bonny, Pastor Dan, and Ryan. Pastor Dan is the funny and passionate senior pastor. Pastor Bonny is the hard-working, hospitable family ministries pastor. Ryan is the director of a local non-profit that specializes in community development. I am learning so much from each of them. In order to fill my days with even more meetings, I have been attending meetings for various comittees and for the staff. I serve as a tiny voice with no voting powers on each of these comittees, much like Pastor Bruce for Fifth Reformed's leadership meetings, or like Guam's representative in U.S. Congress. But really, I enjoy it.

I spend time between meetings organizing and leading various worship services, hanging out with sick people and homeless people, tutoring, getting ready for various church events, and secretly checking the scores of the world cup matches.

Basically, my life is pretty sweet. I went to Hungtington Beach with Cousin Tyler and his lady-friend last Monday. We saw dolphins, napped in the sun, and then went body surfing. Unfortunately, we got called in from the waves on two separate occasions due to riptides developing in the swimming area. Those lifeguards are killjoys.

At church, I'm beginning to see that my role might be aptly described as the Official Office Utility Player. I do everything from data entry to worship leading, from teaching 6^th grade Sunday school to preaching at a nursing home.

Yesterday, I visited a very sick woman named Nadine. She is only about 40 years old, but she has spent the last ten years or so in a hospital bed set up in her living room. She used to have a great voice, but now she is barely audible due to her tracheotomy. She has such spirit, though. She is a passionate Christ follower, and the movement of the Holy Spirit was more tangible during that visit than it has been for me for weeks.

Praises:

-a great host family
-the presence of God
-that I'm learning so much

Requests:

-that I continue to abide in Christ
-for Nadine
-for the ministry of Rosewood Church
-for the ministry of Kingdom Causes

Peace.

-chris