You said
You knit me together
in my mother’s womb-
Steady hands,
agile fingers
pulling every part
perfectly, precisely
into place
Your mind conceived things
too lofty for mine-
grandeur of places, peoples
histories coming together;
different cords, carefully colored,
coordinated in even rows,
unified strands
Strands of
BYA kids and their heelies
CWOW families with their baby strollers
UC Berkeley students and their hoodies
brought close and tightly woven
like rows of Brianna’s braids
Threads of love and hope
Pain and loss
Present and future
Interwoven in connections
Smooth, like Naomi’s skin
The clash of
young and old
black and white
rich and poor
erased
if momentarily
through the common experiences
joining us together
And as I stand
outside 2110 9th street
I marvel at this tapestry of life
hanging so simply
in balance-
Your masterpiece.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Loving to the End
"Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." (John 13:1)
We only have three days left at our sites. Four in our neighborhood.
Today at site, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness at just how little time we have left with the kids. As I watch them throughout the day, I began to feel overwhelmed thinking about all of the brokenness and the pain that I continue to see here at BYA. There were quite a few fights that broke out today, and a few boys even had to be sent home. Towards the end of the day, there were some girl fights that also broke out, and it made me really sad to see just how much pain and abuse some of the girls have to face. Some of the words that they used made me want to cry for the lack of respect they have for themselves and for each other.
In the midst of thrown punches, angry words, name-calling, cussing, shouting, pushing, and threats, I was reminded today of how Jesus loved his disciples to the very end, even washing the feet of Judas (his betrayer!) just days before he was going to be crucified. With his time on earth almost up, Jesus wasn't busy going around trying to work 24/7 or fix every problem he solved, but He loved. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his time left one earth was short. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his disciples would betray, deny, and leave him. Jesus continued to love by serving and humbling himself
In some ways, I think that Jesus’ confidence and ability to love to the end came from doing only what the Father called him to. He was not only secure in His own identity and purpose, but also confident that the work left behind on earth would continue to be carried out to completion through the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope and pray that this week, I would feel the freedom to trust in God’s will for us and to be faithful in loving to the end rather than trying to solve all the problems I see around me in one week.
Rather than trying to figure out how to say the right things or "teach" the kids the right lessons, I'm being reminded of the importance of just loving these kids. Perhaps love will speak more loudly than any harsh word or discipline they get.
We only have three days left at our sites. Four in our neighborhood.
Today at site, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness at just how little time we have left with the kids. As I watch them throughout the day, I began to feel overwhelmed thinking about all of the brokenness and the pain that I continue to see here at BYA. There were quite a few fights that broke out today, and a few boys even had to be sent home. Towards the end of the day, there were some girl fights that also broke out, and it made me really sad to see just how much pain and abuse some of the girls have to face. Some of the words that they used made me want to cry for the lack of respect they have for themselves and for each other.
In the midst of thrown punches, angry words, name-calling, cussing, shouting, pushing, and threats, I was reminded today of how Jesus loved his disciples to the very end, even washing the feet of Judas (his betrayer!) just days before he was going to be crucified. With his time on earth almost up, Jesus wasn't busy going around trying to work 24/7 or fix every problem he solved, but He loved. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his time left one earth was short. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his disciples would betray, deny, and leave him. Jesus continued to love by serving and humbling himself
In some ways, I think that Jesus’ confidence and ability to love to the end came from doing only what the Father called him to. He was not only secure in His own identity and purpose, but also confident that the work left behind on earth would continue to be carried out to completion through the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope and pray that this week, I would feel the freedom to trust in God’s will for us and to be faithful in loving to the end rather than trying to solve all the problems I see around me in one week.
Rather than trying to figure out how to say the right things or "teach" the kids the right lessons, I'm being reminded of the importance of just loving these kids. Perhaps love will speak more loudly than any harsh word or discipline they get.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Questions
This past week felt a little bit like miles 16-20 in a marathon. Our team hit a few walls, as the original excitement and adrenaline of beginning BAyUP had faded, but the end still seemed too far off in sight. Throughout this past week, God has been raising up a lot of questions in me and among our team, through various tensions and struggles we’ve faced, about the fine line between necessities and privileges. Thanks be to God that He has enabled us to continue pushing through, and that He has been faithfully meeting us in the midst of all our unanswered questions.
Health care
Last week, most of our team got sick. Our 3-year old neighbor (Noah) upstairs managed to cough on Sarah while he was sick, and it spread to her and to the rest of the team. Praise God that none of us were seriously sick, but it definitely was a bit scary for me as a team leader. It was also pretty interesting to wrestle as a team with the issue of medicine, and whether or not we wanted to use our food money to buy medicine. Our neighbor had given us some Airborne that we had used up, and to replace it would cost at least $6-7, nearly half of one person’s budget for a week. On top of that, we needed some type of cold medicine, which would cost at least $4-5 as well.
Struggling to pay $10 for medicine at Walgreens made me realize just how costly health care can be, and how much I take it for granted. When we were charged $4.99 for an item that was actually $3.99, I actually fought for and persist in my argument, even when a whole line of people were waiting behind us and visibly irritated. I recall feeling a mixture of shame/embarrassment and stubbornness at the same time, and I realize that I've never before fought so hard just to save $1.08.
All this made me wonder: How often do the poor just continue to go sick because of their lack of money, health insurance, and access to treatment? How many people die unnecessary deaths or remain sick for too long, simply because they don’t have the resources that so many others take for granted?
A Dirty Mess
Another interesting thing that happened this past week was that our apartment experienced a total breakdown of our plumbing system. Somehow, our drains had gotten so clogged up that any time somebody in our entire apartment complex used the water, it would come back up from the drains and flood into our toilet and into the shower tub. For almost 24 hours, our shower was constantly being filled with brownish, yellow, clumpy water, complete with shredded toilet paper bits, and our toilet bowl would unpredictably bubble up with the same brownish/yellow water.
We were super lucky to have Matt Crocker (associate pastor of CWOW) upstairs take charge and get a plumber within a day to come and fix it. But the whole experience made me realize how hard it must be for the poor to deal with unexpected emergencies, like broken plumbing.
What would we have done without Matt to advocate for us? What would happened if we didn’t have a good apartment manager, who came and actually paid for the plumbers? What would we have done if we had no money and our landlord refused to fix it?
These are the realities that so many people in poverty face.
Cows of Bashan
Then, this past weekend, we had an Amos manuscript study with all of BAyUP. For those of you who haven’t read through Amos, I highly recommend it. Through Amos, it becomes very clear just how angry, serious, frustrated, and heartbroken God is when His people do not pursue right relationships- with Him and with each other. God is constantly judging and calling out the Israelites for the ways that they did not pursue justice for all people, and His wrath is severe.
While studying a section in which God condemns the “cows of Bashan,” we learned that college students across America possess $10.5 billion worth of electronic equipment. Despite claims that they are “poor,” college students spend about $36.6 billion a year, with over $6 billion being spent on entertainment alone. Christians are no exception to this mass culture of spending, consumerism, and materialism that keeps us from the true worship God longs for.
How often do we (sometimes directly, but most often indirectly) act as these cows of Bashan? How easy is it for us to put our own comfort, security, prosperity, and pleasure over the needs and the cries of others? How often do we come into the house of God, singing songs and praying prayers that God hates and abhors because we do them while continually exploiting and oppressing our neighbors? And who will stand up as prophets and nazirites in the midst of all our sin and complacency to teach His people what it means to love good, hate evil, and seek justice in the gate?
Last Words from Amos
"You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph."
-Amos 5:11-15
Health care
Last week, most of our team got sick. Our 3-year old neighbor (Noah) upstairs managed to cough on Sarah while he was sick, and it spread to her and to the rest of the team. Praise God that none of us were seriously sick, but it definitely was a bit scary for me as a team leader. It was also pretty interesting to wrestle as a team with the issue of medicine, and whether or not we wanted to use our food money to buy medicine. Our neighbor had given us some Airborne that we had used up, and to replace it would cost at least $6-7, nearly half of one person’s budget for a week. On top of that, we needed some type of cold medicine, which would cost at least $4-5 as well.
Struggling to pay $10 for medicine at Walgreens made me realize just how costly health care can be, and how much I take it for granted. When we were charged $4.99 for an item that was actually $3.99, I actually fought for and persist in my argument, even when a whole line of people were waiting behind us and visibly irritated. I recall feeling a mixture of shame/embarrassment and stubbornness at the same time, and I realize that I've never before fought so hard just to save $1.08.
All this made me wonder: How often do the poor just continue to go sick because of their lack of money, health insurance, and access to treatment? How many people die unnecessary deaths or remain sick for too long, simply because they don’t have the resources that so many others take for granted?
A Dirty Mess
Another interesting thing that happened this past week was that our apartment experienced a total breakdown of our plumbing system. Somehow, our drains had gotten so clogged up that any time somebody in our entire apartment complex used the water, it would come back up from the drains and flood into our toilet and into the shower tub. For almost 24 hours, our shower was constantly being filled with brownish, yellow, clumpy water, complete with shredded toilet paper bits, and our toilet bowl would unpredictably bubble up with the same brownish/yellow water.
We were super lucky to have Matt Crocker (associate pastor of CWOW) upstairs take charge and get a plumber within a day to come and fix it. But the whole experience made me realize how hard it must be for the poor to deal with unexpected emergencies, like broken plumbing.
What would we have done without Matt to advocate for us? What would happened if we didn’t have a good apartment manager, who came and actually paid for the plumbers? What would we have done if we had no money and our landlord refused to fix it?
These are the realities that so many people in poverty face.
Cows of Bashan
Then, this past weekend, we had an Amos manuscript study with all of BAyUP. For those of you who haven’t read through Amos, I highly recommend it. Through Amos, it becomes very clear just how angry, serious, frustrated, and heartbroken God is when His people do not pursue right relationships- with Him and with each other. God is constantly judging and calling out the Israelites for the ways that they did not pursue justice for all people, and His wrath is severe.
While studying a section in which God condemns the “cows of Bashan,” we learned that college students across America possess $10.5 billion worth of electronic equipment. Despite claims that they are “poor,” college students spend about $36.6 billion a year, with over $6 billion being spent on entertainment alone. Christians are no exception to this mass culture of spending, consumerism, and materialism that keeps us from the true worship God longs for.
How often do we (sometimes directly, but most often indirectly) act as these cows of Bashan? How easy is it for us to put our own comfort, security, prosperity, and pleasure over the needs and the cries of others? How often do we come into the house of God, singing songs and praying prayers that God hates and abhors because we do them while continually exploiting and oppressing our neighbors? And who will stand up as prophets and nazirites in the midst of all our sin and complacency to teach His people what it means to love good, hate evil, and seek justice in the gate?
Last Words from Amos
"You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph."
-Amos 5:11-15
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thank You!
Thanks to all of you who made it out to our open house! =)
It was such a huge encouragement to see all of you, and our team is so grateful for all of your goodies, your kind words, your prayers, your questions, and your support.
Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone.
Thank you for reminding us that the fruits that we bear this summer are not just for us, but for an entire community of faith to celebrate.
Thank you for believing in us.
You have been tangible expressions of God's grace and mercy in our lives.
It was such a huge encouragement to see all of you, and our team is so grateful for all of your goodies, your kind words, your prayers, your questions, and your support.
Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone.
Thank you for reminding us that the fruits that we bear this summer are not just for us, but for an entire community of faith to celebrate.
Thank you for believing in us.
You have been tangible expressions of God's grace and mercy in our lives.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Learning to be Human
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Our first week at BYA (Berkeley Youth Alternatives) was a total challenge. Somehow, I had these grand dreams and hopes of joining the program, having really transformative experiences, impacting the kids, gaining trust and respect, and “making a difference.” Yet after about a week of being there, it was hard not to feel invisible. The kids regularly ignored us, the group leaders barely talked to us, and the director still didn’t know our names. It seemed like everyone was constantly fighting with each other, breaking rules, pushing limits, and disrespecting us. I had been told on multiple occasions things such as “shut up,” “leave me alone,” “you’re doing too much” or “I don’t have to listen to you.” Many times when I actually tried to intervene and discipline the kids, they seem surprised and tell me that it’s “not the BYA way.” Every day felt like a struggle to make it through til 3:00.
Yet as I have been reflecting on Hebrews 12:1-3 the past few days, God has reminded me of the pain, the rejection, and the shame that Jesus endured on the cross- how Jesus was able to consider it a “joy set before him.” It totally boggled my mind- that the God of the universe would become flesh, dwell among our neighborhood, and face pain, rejection, opposition, and shame. The God of the universe was whipped, mocked, beaten, spit upon, insulted, and publicly humiliated, but still considered it joy- not because it was easy or because it was painless, but because he loved. He knew that the suffering of the cross was not the end, and that the force of love is greater than all of the forces of darkness that try to come and throw you down.
And as I thought about the cross, I realized that I am not far away from many of the kids that I work with, get frustrated by, and sometimes want to give up on. How many times have I rejected, disrespected, insulted, ignored, and even secretly hated my God in my heart, just as the kids do to me? How often do I let the pain and the brokenness in my life keep me from receiving both the love and the discipline of God, just as these kids?
Most days, we are lucky to just have one good moment with the kids. Other days, we might not even have any. The truth is, we are just one person among many who will influence one year among many, that shape who these kids become. But every day, I’m trying to understand a little bit more about the humanity of these kids and see them with Jesus’ eyes. I’m searching a bit harder for the dignity and the vulnerability hidden underneath layers of pain and defensiveness.
Through a smile in the midst of all the scowling and pouting, through a kind word in the midst of all the insults, through an affectionate embrace in the midst of all the invisibility, I am being reminded that these kids are human- human beings who are created in the image of God and carry His fingerprints within their stories, their laughter, and their tears.
So in the words and the actions of kids who I'm struggling to understand, I am learning to see glimpses of myself.
In the midst of all the chaos, the fighting, the talking back, and disrespecting, I’m learning what it means to take up my cross and lay my life down with joy, just as Jesus did.
In the midst of loving kids who sometimes feel impossible to love, we are learning also to love ourselves, in the midst of all our failures, our imperfections, and our human limitations.
And they are the ones teaching us to be more human.
-Erina (July 12, 2007)
Our first week at BYA (Berkeley Youth Alternatives) was a total challenge. Somehow, I had these grand dreams and hopes of joining the program, having really transformative experiences, impacting the kids, gaining trust and respect, and “making a difference.” Yet after about a week of being there, it was hard not to feel invisible. The kids regularly ignored us, the group leaders barely talked to us, and the director still didn’t know our names. It seemed like everyone was constantly fighting with each other, breaking rules, pushing limits, and disrespecting us. I had been told on multiple occasions things such as “shut up,” “leave me alone,” “you’re doing too much” or “I don’t have to listen to you.” Many times when I actually tried to intervene and discipline the kids, they seem surprised and tell me that it’s “not the BYA way.” Every day felt like a struggle to make it through til 3:00.
Yet as I have been reflecting on Hebrews 12:1-3 the past few days, God has reminded me of the pain, the rejection, and the shame that Jesus endured on the cross- how Jesus was able to consider it a “joy set before him.” It totally boggled my mind- that the God of the universe would become flesh, dwell among our neighborhood, and face pain, rejection, opposition, and shame. The God of the universe was whipped, mocked, beaten, spit upon, insulted, and publicly humiliated, but still considered it joy- not because it was easy or because it was painless, but because he loved. He knew that the suffering of the cross was not the end, and that the force of love is greater than all of the forces of darkness that try to come and throw you down.
And as I thought about the cross, I realized that I am not far away from many of the kids that I work with, get frustrated by, and sometimes want to give up on. How many times have I rejected, disrespected, insulted, ignored, and even secretly hated my God in my heart, just as the kids do to me? How often do I let the pain and the brokenness in my life keep me from receiving both the love and the discipline of God, just as these kids?
Most days, we are lucky to just have one good moment with the kids. Other days, we might not even have any. The truth is, we are just one person among many who will influence one year among many, that shape who these kids become. But every day, I’m trying to understand a little bit more about the humanity of these kids and see them with Jesus’ eyes. I’m searching a bit harder for the dignity and the vulnerability hidden underneath layers of pain and defensiveness.
Through a smile in the midst of all the scowling and pouting, through a kind word in the midst of all the insults, through an affectionate embrace in the midst of all the invisibility, I am being reminded that these kids are human- human beings who are created in the image of God and carry His fingerprints within their stories, their laughter, and their tears.
So in the words and the actions of kids who I'm struggling to understand, I am learning to see glimpses of myself.
In the midst of all the chaos, the fighting, the talking back, and disrespecting, I’m learning what it means to take up my cross and lay my life down with joy, just as Jesus did.
In the midst of loving kids who sometimes feel impossible to love, we are learning also to love ourselves, in the midst of all our failures, our imperfections, and our human limitations.
And they are the ones teaching us to be more human.
-Erina (July 12, 2007)
Monday, July 9, 2007
Harmonies
I was leading worship for our Race/Ethnicity weekend and as I was planning out the final worship set that would follow our racial reconiliation time, I had this grand idea of singing “Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory”- a song whose 3 part harmonies could be a beautiful metaphor for the unity of diverse voices that symbolize reconciliation. I had plans of encouraging students to identify that their voices are all different, and to sing their part proudly.
But from the moment I started playing the song, things were terribly wrong. My fingers couldn’t seem to hit the right notes on the keyboard at all, and I totally got distracted. Then, as I was singing the song, I realized that my co-leader (who was a student from another school) and I hadn’t talked at all about how we were going to go through the song and were totally singing different parts. As the song went on, it just got worse and worse- people singing different things, people unsure of what they were supposed to sing, people unclear about their own parts, people singing parts that weren’t their own. The perfect harmony I imagined was more like an uncomfortable dissonance.
Yet in the midst of all those mistakes, the awkward laughter, and singing both off-key and disunited, God reminded me that this was in fact a more accurate picture of our journeys. In the same way that perfect choir harmonies don’t come on the first try or without practice, true racial reconciliation comes through many awkward experiences, chaotic moments, confusion and miscommunication, and tons of mistakes. Things don’t always get tied up into neat little packages. Conflicts don’t always get resolved the way we want them to. Conversations are hard and awkward.
Somehow, we get through.
Somehow, God is in those moments.
And we are continually arriving, but never fully arrived.
And that is still an act of worship unto God.
It's funny how God is still speaking even when things go terribly wrong.
-Erina (July 8, 2007)
Second Week Update
Hello friends! Our team is alive, healthy, and doing well!
After I sent out our last update, it seemed that many of you were praying for us, and God has definitely answered your prayers! God has been nourishing us, both physically and spiritually, so I’m really grateful for your prayers and support. Everything has been going really smoothly.
Some updates/prayer requests
Our Site: Our team is entering into the second week of volunteering at our sites- Rosa Parks Elementary and Berkeley Youth Alternatives. The kids at Rosa Parks range from about 4-9 years old while at BYA it ranges from 4-14. Our days usually include some reading or educational lessons, a lot of free play outside, sports and fitness, dancing, arts, and other activities. We even got to go swimming last week!
Despite all the “fun” activities, our sites have been one of the most challenging parts of our program. All of my team members are trying to get adjusted to working with such large groups of youth, and it has definitely been a really stretching experience for all of us. The large majority of kids we work with at these sites are African-American youth from Berkeley, Oakland, or Richmond, so it’s been a very cross-cultural experience for us. Kids are constantly fighting with each other, yelling ugly things to each other, and ignoring what we say to them, so it has definitely been interesting for us to try to gain trust and build relationships with the youth. It’s very clear that there’s a lot of pain and brokenness in these kids lives.
In the midst of all the chaos, there have been some really beautiful moments and healing interactions with the kids. I even was able to have a mini “reconciliation” with one of the girls today, and she actually told me that she “forgave me.” Please pray for God to grant us more love and patience with our kids and for us to have the eyes to see the kids as He does.
Relationships in the Community: After moving in last weekend, we’ve been getting to know some of the kids in our neighborhood a little bit better. A highlight of last week was getting to celebrate the 14th birthday of one of the kids in the community named Jabrille. We got to throw Jabrille a birthday party in our backyard, and then got to celebrate the 4th of July by going to the Berkeley Marina with a bunch of our neighbors and community members to see fireworks.
I’ve never been in Berkeley during the 4th of July, and it was really amazing to go to the Marina. There were literally thousands of people there- of all ages, all ethnic backgrounds, all social classes and cultural groups- all celebrating together. At one point during the fireworks show, I looked back and just saw a sea of faces looking up at the sky in awe and amazement, and was given a glimpse of what worship in heaven might look like- with masses of people from so many different backgrounds all standing in awe and wonder of God’s beauty and majesty.
We’re trying to get to know our neighbors more and our team hopes to host a game night for some of the teenagers this Thursday. Please pray that our neighbors would come and that we might be able to deepen trust and friendship with the people in our neighborhood.
Race/Ethnicity Weekend: From Friday-Saturday, all the BAyUP teams got together for a weekend conference on ethnic identity and racial reconciliation. While it was an intense and long weekend for most people, God was stirring up a lot of good (and hard) things in my team and I. The conference evoked a lot of emotions, brought up a lot of memories from our families and from our past, and allowed us to heart the stories of communities different from our own. We even wrote poems about our ethnic identity and where we “come from,” which were really powerful. It was an amazing team-building experience to hear each other’s poems and stories.
Please pray for God to continue working in our hearts as we wrestle with our own ethnic identity and what our role is in the broader journey towards racial reconciliation.
Open House this SUNDAY (July 15th): You are all invited to join us for our open house on Sunday. It will begin at 5pm at our apartment in West Berkeley, located at 2110 9th Street. Our team will begin by sharing stories, testimonies, and art from our BAyUP experience so far, and then there will be an opportunity for us to go out for a celebration dinner afterwards. Please call Erina if you have any questions!
Thanks for reading!
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Longest Week Ever
Hello everyone! I can't believe that it's only been a week!
This past week has felt like a month, and I think our team is all feeling pretty drained- physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. Please pray for us to have the strength to continue engaging with this project.
Some details:
From last Sunday evening until Friday morning, my team and I were staying at Patten college, a tiny Christian college hidden away in the heart of East Oakland. Throughout that time, our students heard from a myriad of speakers and urban ministry leaders on a variety of topics, such as drug addictions, youth violence, contemplative prayer, intercession, community, and systemic inequality. We also went through various simulations to learn more about the effects of poverty and systemic racism on our society and we got to visit different ministry sites in Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose.
On Friday, my team and I moved into a quaint 2-bedroom apartment on 9th Street in West Berkeley, located between Addison and Allston. We spent much of the weekend getting acquainted with the neighborhood, running errands, and walking around our community, trying to learn more about the place we'll be living in this summer. We also were able to take a community Sabbath after our long week of orientation and then visited The Way Christian Center on Sunday. Sunday night we had a movie night with 2 other teams in West Oakland (Campfire and World Impact), where we got to watch "Freedom Writers" and talk about working with youth in urban contexts.
Our team has been blessed to meet some of our neighbors. Upstairs from us live Matt and Rena Crocker, who both attend Church Without Walls, as well as their kids Naomi (10 months) and Noah (3 years). Next door to them are an Eritrean family with 3 kids- 2 girls and a boy. Downstairs from them is Rosa, as well as her two daughters (Jennifer and Jessica) and their two dogs (Paco and Brownie). We've even met one of our neighbors in the apartment building next to us- Stan.
What We've Been learning:
Our team has already gone through some pretty interesting and tough experiences. On Tuesday, during our drive to San Jose, we witnessed a pretty terrible car accident on the 880- a crash that happened right next to our car. We were pretty shaken up by it. We also have gone through some tough experiences within our team, including a conflict that needed some group resolution and confrontation. Through these things, we are learning what it means to take joy in our suffering and to know that it produces perseverance and maturity (James 1).
Food has also been on our minds a lot. We all have a budget of $15/week for food, which comes out to less than a $1/meal for an entire week. While God has been sufficient in providing for our team, many of us are trying to learn what it means to have to ration food and eat just enough. God has definitely been challenging us about what true "Hunger" is and what it means to spend our money and labor on what can truly satisfy and to delight in the "richest of fare" (Isaiah 55).
Seeing Berkeley With New Eyes:
I think it has also been hard for our team to believe that God can really show us a different side of Berkeley. Living in West Berkeley makes it more difficult for us to really feel like we're in a "new" environment, and that is definitely something we must pray for. However, I think through looking closely enough, there are many new and unfamiliar sights in the midst of many familiar ones.
There are a lot of strange juxtapositions in Berkeley. Just like the physical fences that divide and separate many of the houses and apartment buildings in our community, there are many invisible fences that seem to separate the different communities in Berkeley. You can walk down one street lined with huge trees and beautiful homes, and then walk down the next block that has no trees and only apartment buildings. Look closely and you might see boarded up homes and empty lots next to newly renovated buildings. Observe the skyline and you notice that one street is lined with large telephone poles and electric wires while another street has none. Drive on San Pablo and you might see Mexican grocery stores standing right next to Indian grocery stores. Our team even came across a lawn bowling center (filled with mostly old, white men) located just around the corner for Berkeley Youth Alternatives, a center for mostly African-American youth.
Somehow, I think we're trying to learn how we fit into this picture, and what it means for God's shalom to come to this neighborhood filled with so many spiritual and relational fences.
Prayer Requests
-Please pray for God to continue opening our eyes to the spiritual realities of this city that we might know on a physical level.
-Pray that God helps us to go deeper with each other and with this project, and not be afraid of being challenged and uncomfortable.
-Please pray for opportunities for our team to hang out with our neighbors and deepen relationships with them
-Pray that God would give us patience and love for the kids we work with. Pray that they would learn to trust us and that we would learn to trust them.
-Pray for our stomachs, as we learn how to go through life on less food than we're used to. Pray that God would give us deepened insight into the hunger that we're feeling.
-Pray for our upcoming weekend retreat on Race and Ethnicity, that we would be open to what God might teach us- about ourselves and about each other.
Thank you all!
This past week has felt like a month, and I think our team is all feeling pretty drained- physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. Please pray for us to have the strength to continue engaging with this project.
Some details:
From last Sunday evening until Friday morning, my team and I were staying at Patten college, a tiny Christian college hidden away in the heart of East Oakland. Throughout that time, our students heard from a myriad of speakers and urban ministry leaders on a variety of topics, such as drug addictions, youth violence, contemplative prayer, intercession, community, and systemic inequality. We also went through various simulations to learn more about the effects of poverty and systemic racism on our society and we got to visit different ministry sites in Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose.
On Friday, my team and I moved into a quaint 2-bedroom apartment on 9th Street in West Berkeley, located between Addison and Allston. We spent much of the weekend getting acquainted with the neighborhood, running errands, and walking around our community, trying to learn more about the place we'll be living in this summer. We also were able to take a community Sabbath after our long week of orientation and then visited The Way Christian Center on Sunday. Sunday night we had a movie night with 2 other teams in West Oakland (Campfire and World Impact), where we got to watch "Freedom Writers" and talk about working with youth in urban contexts.
Our team has been blessed to meet some of our neighbors. Upstairs from us live Matt and Rena Crocker, who both attend Church Without Walls, as well as their kids Naomi (10 months) and Noah (3 years). Next door to them are an Eritrean family with 3 kids- 2 girls and a boy. Downstairs from them is Rosa, as well as her two daughters (Jennifer and Jessica) and their two dogs (Paco and Brownie). We've even met one of our neighbors in the apartment building next to us- Stan.
What We've Been learning:
Our team has already gone through some pretty interesting and tough experiences. On Tuesday, during our drive to San Jose, we witnessed a pretty terrible car accident on the 880- a crash that happened right next to our car. We were pretty shaken up by it. We also have gone through some tough experiences within our team, including a conflict that needed some group resolution and confrontation. Through these things, we are learning what it means to take joy in our suffering and to know that it produces perseverance and maturity (James 1).
Food has also been on our minds a lot. We all have a budget of $15/week for food, which comes out to less than a $1/meal for an entire week. While God has been sufficient in providing for our team, many of us are trying to learn what it means to have to ration food and eat just enough. God has definitely been challenging us about what true "Hunger" is and what it means to spend our money and labor on what can truly satisfy and to delight in the "richest of fare" (Isaiah 55).
Seeing Berkeley With New Eyes:
I think it has also been hard for our team to believe that God can really show us a different side of Berkeley. Living in West Berkeley makes it more difficult for us to really feel like we're in a "new" environment, and that is definitely something we must pray for. However, I think through looking closely enough, there are many new and unfamiliar sights in the midst of many familiar ones.
There are a lot of strange juxtapositions in Berkeley. Just like the physical fences that divide and separate many of the houses and apartment buildings in our community, there are many invisible fences that seem to separate the different communities in Berkeley. You can walk down one street lined with huge trees and beautiful homes, and then walk down the next block that has no trees and only apartment buildings. Look closely and you might see boarded up homes and empty lots next to newly renovated buildings. Observe the skyline and you notice that one street is lined with large telephone poles and electric wires while another street has none. Drive on San Pablo and you might see Mexican grocery stores standing right next to Indian grocery stores. Our team even came across a lawn bowling center (filled with mostly old, white men) located just around the corner for Berkeley Youth Alternatives, a center for mostly African-American youth.
Somehow, I think we're trying to learn how we fit into this picture, and what it means for God's shalom to come to this neighborhood filled with so many spiritual and relational fences.
Prayer Requests
-Please pray for God to continue opening our eyes to the spiritual realities of this city that we might know on a physical level.
-Pray that God helps us to go deeper with each other and with this project, and not be afraid of being challenged and uncomfortable.
-Please pray for opportunities for our team to hang out with our neighbors and deepen relationships with them
-Pray that God would give us patience and love for the kids we work with. Pray that they would learn to trust us and that we would learn to trust them.
-Pray for our stomachs, as we learn how to go through life on less food than we're used to. Pray that God would give us deepened insight into the hunger that we're feeling.
-Pray for our upcoming weekend retreat on Race and Ethnicity, that we would be open to what God might teach us- about ourselves and about each other.
Thank you all!
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