Culture and Conflict

Last Saturday at the picnic there was almost a big fight between some dear street friends of ours. I can't describe the shift in the atmosphere, but it was definitely noticeable. I felt like everything else was suspended while a few guys stood yelling at each other and they and others prepared to fight. It scared me because I didn't want anybody to get hurt and I really thought there was going to be violence. Fortunately, George and Robbie helped diffuse the controversy and everything died down after the people involved talked it out; although, I still think there may be some remaining hostility, but I'm not positive. But all of this made me think about how different the street culture is from the culture I come from. I can't imagine what it would be like to demonstrate my loyalty to my friends by fighting alongside them (FYI: that's not necessarily the way they show they're on someone's side, but it seems to be one of them). Anyway, all this to say that I'm realizing that 2 months seems like no time at all to understand a completely different culture and to make really meaningful friendships. I feel like my relationships here are just getting to that point of real friendships, and I'm going to have to leave in 2 short weeks. I hope I will be able to somehow maintain at least a few of these relationships through email and whatnot.

Texas Lovin'

After a week in the blistering 104° heat of Duncanville, Texas, I am now safely back in Lakewood, Colorado. What a ride that hot week was! The youth group at Duncanville Church of Christ is absolutely amazing and I know God wants to use them in that city. The reason Robbie and I went was to help them see the hurting places of their city, recognize the places of hope, and to connect with kids who are, for the most part, in hard situations. I was also quite surprised to find that the group had also organized a 24/7 house of prayer week in the church, and in the evenings a group of them prayed over people who needed healing or encouragement. It was amazing to see them pour out love within the church building and then go out into heat that makes you woozy to play baseball or dominoes with a bunch of younger kids at an apartment complex down the road. What two very different sides of the coin we call church! I was so struck by the gifts and talents and passion of these young people and I know that their potential is limitless. Being the only intern with them last week (and being with them literally 24 hours a day, except for about 12 hours when one of their moms invited me to sleep at their house - and all I did was sleep, and it was glorious), I got to know them pretty well and they are seriously really cool kids. I'm really excited to hear about what God has in store for them.

Ascent and Descent: That's My Summer

I apologize for being lazy and not writing for almost two weeks. Now it's my week off and I don't really have anything planned, so I figured I should post something instead of doing nothing.

Last week was really great. The youth group was from Alabama and they were a bunch of fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with them and am continually fascinated by all the connections, however small or insignificant, we are able to make with high schoolers from around the country, and they with the street kids. We interns talked last week about the story of our lives and how the different experiences each person has fits into every other person's life experience. It's interesting to note that although our stories may be very different, many of our basic motivations and desires are the same. I think we all want to be loved, wanted, accepted, and valued, and we operate out of that desire. To realize that this life purpose is relational and can only be satisfied through relationships and communication of some sort or another makes me more sensitive to the people around me. I hope to be a clear channel of God's love, grace, and mercy at all times, and it is my constant prayer that He would work through any word or action I am able to offer... because I know that He makes anyone loved, wanted, accepted, and valued - but it's sometimes hard to see that.

This Monday and Tuesday I spent hiking and camping. Along with 5 other interns and friends, I went on an epic climb to the summit of a fourteen-thousand-foot mountain called Mt. Belford. Not being a naturally athletic or outdoorsy person, I barely made it; I survived. Four of my companions continued on to summit Mt. Oxford, but Liz and I hiked back down to camp and met them there. I must say that although the hike up was incredibly hard, the hike down was absolutely agonizing, as my toes kept jamming into the front of my boot. I got a blister and a black toenail out of that. Anyway, it was a beautiful trek and a great experience, although I do not believe I'll be climbing any more fourteeners in the near future.

It always amazes me how photos can never fully capture the majesty of creation.