"Los Angeles has become one of the largest prostitutes-trafficking centers with an estimated 10,000 immigrant women are brought here and forced into prostitution each year, a city councilman said Thursday". Read Article
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.
"Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them take bribes and refuse to defend the orphans and the widows.
-Isaiah 1:17-23
Friday, April 23, 2004
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Growth...
I have had a lot of opportunities to grow recently. Being stretched is not fun, to say the least. I have been struggling under the weight of realizing the need for this growth. It's not easy continually realizing how in deficit you are!
We had a great staff prayer time today.
During that time I realized that this pressure I have been putting on myself to grow is exactly that, pressure that I have created, not God. So I remembered that He wants to be responsible for my growth! I can't do it.
So now I'm trying to walk in the knowledge that growth is His responsibility and my availability to His leading is mine.
We had a great staff prayer time today.
During that time I realized that this pressure I have been putting on myself to grow is exactly that, pressure that I have created, not God. So I remembered that He wants to be responsible for my growth! I can't do it.
So now I'm trying to walk in the knowledge that growth is His responsibility and my availability to His leading is mine.
Monday, April 12, 2004
Blogging in Compton...
I just blogrolled Ramiro Caldera, one of our main SAY Yes! student leaders. He is helping me test blogging as a discipleship tool. This can help him process his life and what's happening as he walks with God and be used to encourage, challenge and share the journey with others. Visit Living in Compton... and let us know your thoughts on discipleship blogging!
Friday, April 09, 2004
Downtown LA Urban Hike
Today I led some of our LA Campus Crusade staff on an all-day hike through downtown LA. What an amazing place. The contrasts are amazing. The dead ducks hanging in the window of Sam Woo's restrauant in Chinatown to the opulence of certain Little Tokyo shops, the suprisingly peaceful beauty of the Civic Center plaza and the Bonzai garden on top of the New Otani Hotel and the noise of the busiest retail street in the country, Broadway.
I love the Grand Central Market where a sheep head is going for $1.19 a pound and you can get a huge serving of Pad Thai for $3.00! Across the street from there is my favorite LA building, the Bradbury.
It is unbelievable inside. I love the 'ohhs and ahhs' of people seeing it for the first time. My other favorites are the Biltmore Hotel and Union Station. I fall in love with this city more and more each day!
I love the Grand Central Market where a sheep head is going for $1.19 a pound and you can get a huge serving of Pad Thai for $3.00! Across the street from there is my favorite LA building, the Bradbury.
It is unbelievable inside. I love the 'ohhs and ahhs' of people seeing it for the first time. My other favorites are the Biltmore Hotel and Union Station. I fall in love with this city more and more each day!
Los Angeles Leads U.S. Counties in Population Growth
Apr. 9 - Driven by immigration and new births, Los Angeles County's population swelled by 352,000 people from 2000 to 2003, the largest growth of any county in the nation in the period, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released Thursday.
L.A. County continued to be a major destination for immigrants, primarily from Mexico and Asia, gaining 335,000 foreign-born residents. At the same time, the county lost 286,990 residents to other counties in the United States.
Read entire Article
The world is coming to Los Angeles. What a great place to live and minister! If I didn't live here, I would move here.
L.A. County continued to be a major destination for immigrants, primarily from Mexico and Asia, gaining 335,000 foreign-born residents. At the same time, the county lost 286,990 residents to other counties in the United States.
Read entire Article
The world is coming to Los Angeles. What a great place to live and minister! If I didn't live here, I would move here.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
HIV/AIDS Links
"This generation will be remembered for three things: the internet, the war on terror, and how we let an entire continent go up in flames while we stood around with watering cans. Or not." -Christian rock singer Bono of U2, on his efforts to raise funds to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa - Christian Century (Dec 27, 2003)
HIV/AIDS is projected to wipe out half of Zambia's 10 million inhabitants. The disease has already resulted in more than a million deaths and created nearly 600,000 orphans. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)
Every single day, 9,500 African contract AIDS. The daily death toll is 6,500. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)
Understanding HIV/AIDS - Do you and your church understand the basics of HIV/AIDS? Before you can attack the global HIV/AIDS crisis, you'll need info on how the disease spreads, where the trouble spots are and what's being done elsewhere to combat the problem. This website is a good place to start.
HIV/AIDS Timeline - It has been 23 years since HIV/AIDS first received public attention in 1981. Here is a review of how the disease has spread around the world.
Tutorial on HIV/AIDS - Before your church members will get involved in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they need good information. On this website you'll find articles about the global HIV/AIDS fight, along with an interactive map and a moving photo essay on the subject.
MediaLink download - HIV/AIDS: Milita's Story - Free Video download - The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. But, Christ came to give life to the fullest. The thief is using HIV/AIDS to devastate vast regions of our world. Young orphans are left to survive on their own. But there is hope in Jesus Christ. As believers, we are responsible for sharing that plan with those hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. (Length: 1:10)
Jesus only answer to HIV/AIDS crisis, missionary tells youth - Sue Sprenkle
Abstinence one of five keys to battling global HIV/AIDS problem - Randall Tobias
Nightmare becomes sweet dream in Uganda's HIV/AIDS battle - Barbara Brake
I'm on our church's 'TeamSwazi', a committee to discover what we as a American church can do in light of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. We have partnered with WorldVision to adopt the Sithobela Area Development Project in Swaziland. So far our church has started sponsoring 120 of the 474 available child sponsorships from that area. We hope to make some trips there and build much awareness here in our church, community, area. I agree with Bono, we must act now, our lives literally depend upon it.
HIV/AIDS is projected to wipe out half of Zambia's 10 million inhabitants. The disease has already resulted in more than a million deaths and created nearly 600,000 orphans. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)
Every single day, 9,500 African contract AIDS. The daily death toll is 6,500. - Christian Reader (Sep/Oct 2003)
Understanding HIV/AIDS - Do you and your church understand the basics of HIV/AIDS? Before you can attack the global HIV/AIDS crisis, you'll need info on how the disease spreads, where the trouble spots are and what's being done elsewhere to combat the problem. This website is a good place to start.
HIV/AIDS Timeline - It has been 23 years since HIV/AIDS first received public attention in 1981. Here is a review of how the disease has spread around the world.
Tutorial on HIV/AIDS - Before your church members will get involved in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they need good information. On this website you'll find articles about the global HIV/AIDS fight, along with an interactive map and a moving photo essay on the subject.
MediaLink download - HIV/AIDS: Milita's Story - Free Video download - The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy. But, Christ came to give life to the fullest. The thief is using HIV/AIDS to devastate vast regions of our world. Young orphans are left to survive on their own. But there is hope in Jesus Christ. As believers, we are responsible for sharing that plan with those hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. (Length: 1:10)
Jesus only answer to HIV/AIDS crisis, missionary tells youth - Sue Sprenkle
Abstinence one of five keys to battling global HIV/AIDS problem - Randall Tobias
Nightmare becomes sweet dream in Uganda's HIV/AIDS battle - Barbara Brake
I'm on our church's 'TeamSwazi', a committee to discover what we as a American church can do in light of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. We have partnered with WorldVision to adopt the Sithobela Area Development Project in Swaziland. So far our church has started sponsoring 120 of the 474 available child sponsorships from that area. We hope to make some trips there and build much awareness here in our church, community, area. I agree with Bono, we must act now, our lives literally depend upon it.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Galaxy edge Revolution in opener
Go Galaxy!
Our new guy Andreas Herzog is amazing! We picked up Jose and Ramiro, met up with friends and had a great time. Fireworks were awesome as well.
Syd did cry when she found out Cobi Jones didn't play!
Our new guy Andreas Herzog is amazing! We picked up Jose and Ramiro, met up with friends and had a great time. Fireworks were awesome as well.
Syd did cry when she found out Cobi Jones didn't play!
8200 Easter Bags!
Just got home from our Easter Bag Packing Party. Hello Advil.
63 churches were involved and we sent out 8200 bags and a ton (probably 3 pallets) of bulk candy and Luna bars (not there not really just for women!).
Pray for these bags as they go out today and tomorrow. Pray that God will use these bags to touch peoples lives.
We had a great time. We did a bit of a vision pull-out session from a group of folk from some churches in the Inland Empire. Dave and Heidi are finishing raising their personal support to open an IE team and the brought almost 20 people to show them what can be done up there in the future! Go God!
Also spend a few good minutes with Craig from Kairos LA.
Now were napping and resting up for the LA Galaxy home opener tonight. We got tickets for all of us to go including Ramiro and Jose. We're all excited! Go Galaxy!
Hopefully we don't get so excited we forget to set the clocks back and get to church late!
63 churches were involved and we sent out 8200 bags and a ton (probably 3 pallets) of bulk candy and Luna bars (not there not really just for women!).
Pray for these bags as they go out today and tomorrow. Pray that God will use these bags to touch peoples lives.
We had a great time. We did a bit of a vision pull-out session from a group of folk from some churches in the Inland Empire. Dave and Heidi are finishing raising their personal support to open an IE team and the brought almost 20 people to show them what can be done up there in the future! Go God!
Also spend a few good minutes with Craig from Kairos LA.
Now were napping and resting up for the LA Galaxy home opener tonight. We got tickets for all of us to go including Ramiro and Jose. We're all excited! Go Galaxy!
Hopefully we don't get so excited we forget to set the clocks back and get to church late!
Friday, April 02, 2004
Easter Bag Packing Party
Today our staff, an Urban Imersion (spring break mission trip) team from Seattle and a Jr. High School class for Calvary Christian School in Pacific Palisades prepared for our 15th annual Easter Bag Packing Party tomorrow.
At 8 am about 400 volunteers and 40 ministries will decend on Downey First Baptist' gym to pack over 8000 evangelistic Easter Bags! These bags will be distributed by these inner city churches all across Los Angeles.
This packing party event is a great example of the body of Christ working together. People from all different racial backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and regions from LA will work shoulder to shoulder packing these Easter Bags.
This is a lot like our holiday evangelistic food outreach Boxes of Love, just a bit smaller!
At 8 am about 400 volunteers and 40 ministries will decend on Downey First Baptist' gym to pack over 8000 evangelistic Easter Bags! These bags will be distributed by these inner city churches all across Los Angeles.
This packing party event is a great example of the body of Christ working together. People from all different racial backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and regions from LA will work shoulder to shoulder packing these Easter Bags.
This is a lot like our holiday evangelistic food outreach Boxes of Love, just a bit smaller!
Los Angeles County's Poor Struggle with Hunger, Insecurity
Results from the recently released Los Angeles County Health Survey show an estimated 260,000 people in the county experienced food insecurity during 2002-03, and an estimated 141,000 experienced hunger. The survey was the largest ever conducted by the health department.
Read entire article
Read entire article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)