Planting, Growing...

We're getting ready for Costa Rica! Yes... Julz and I have prayed and talked about doing this since we first got married (five years in August!). This will be an immersion/Mission project. We leave this coming thursday - 6am. We're very stoked. We have about half of the money raised, and are trusting the rest to come in. I hope to be posting from there, as we'll have internet.

Spring has Sprung - and Life is moving along... This is more of an update than usual... in the sense that we've been bizzy-bees... Love this photo above, at our community garden we have been harvesting our first crops, and this seems appropriate - as we are in the midst of Church planting in South Los Angeles... we have seen some first fruits... And it feels like we're always on Adventure...
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This past week I spent a day and a half hiking "the last damned river" in southern Cali - with two incredible guys; Ben and Jeff. Jeff just graduated from USC and will be taking a job in San Diego. He has been a 'groundbreaking' disciple - always serving, hosting, practicing hospitality to our incredibly diverse neighborhood - His BBQs would be a third Indian and Chinese, respectively, and the third third, a mix of anglo, latino and other minorities. He will be greatly missed. This trip was a great time to connect and was a great challenge.
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The new "Art of Living" organization moved into the neighborhood last month. Its something to note, as USC has the largest per capita population of Indians on an American campus. This building is quite historic, as well. For a number of decades it was the largest dome west of the missippi. In the neighborhood, we also have a significant Mosque in LA county, two Mormon wards, three large Catholic churches... This diversity is very rare. The place where I see the most migling? On the soccer field. It is World Cup time, and this doesn't surprise me. This is a reason for prayer and engagement on multiple levels.

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I'll leave you with PROM! Yes, Julie finished her 7th year of teaching - and we chaperoned Prom... whew... from high up in a downtown building... you can see above with some reflection of the dancers in the window. Julie loves to see the impact on her students, and she works so hard. Here I'm with Daniel, a senior. He has been a part of our mentoring program - and has really taken steps forward in leadership this past year. One being, he started volunteering with our Bread outreach to the neighborhood. He is helping bake, and is really learning a lot about what it means to engage your neighbors and share the Love of Christ!