Welcome ben adam, Britney, Eva, Isaiah, Jenn, Nathan, & Tyler

Serving at Project Angel Food

 Hailing from Oregon, Maryland, Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania, Burkina Faso, North Carolina, and Tennessee, meet Tyler, ben adam, Jenn, Nathan, Britney, Isaiah, and Eva, who've settled into Hollywood and their new Los Angeles existence these past two weeks.  DOOR Hollywood invites you to get to know them, through photos on our facebook pages, and through individual blogs from each Dweller as they tell the story of God working in their and through their lives in our city.

Painting the roof of Union Rescue Mission

From Jenn's blog, Faithfully Scared: Tuesday morning we WALKED to Project Angel Food that provides meals to people who are homebound or disabled by HIV/AIDS or other serious illnesses.  I spent a lot of time chopping, mushrooms, carrots, and parsley.  Who know you could get a nasty blister chopping?  They fed us a wonderful lunch and you could really tell that this is a ministry of meaning to everyone involved. 


From Into the Mind of Nathan Mast: The first speaker, Jason, talked about evangelism and how to do it. He was saying how presbyterians tend to dread the "E" word. Some of the reasons he gave were because of the stereotypes. Like saying things like "Repent, the end is near!" He doesn't think that way of evangelism is necessarily the way to do it. I don't think so either. I've always felt strongly about that.          

From Britney's Blog, A Journal into the Seemingly Mundane: The program recommends we explore the Spanish language and to help ease our transition into a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood. So, I did what anyone would do to find help; I searched Craigslist. I ended up finding this wonderful woman named Charlesia to tutor me. She grew up with her grandmother, who is originally from Mexico. Charlie has been helping me familiarize myself with the basics. While I don’t expect to become fluent before arriving in L.A., I do hope my attempt to learn will ease the introduction to process to a new home and new community.               

From ben adam's blog, messes of ben: 

Much of this part of the ride stuck out to me due to the relationships we built. As short as it was, I keenly remember the awesome nights we had with new friends around fires, on beaches, and in little grocery shops. This on-the-road community became a source of much discussion for Tyler and me. What we began to realize were the effects of the medium of our transportation. Bicycling constitutes a relational-style of travel. Most often, people treat vacation or travel as consumption. They go someplace to consume. They imbibe roller coasters, sunny beaches, skiing, ancient ruins, forests, and whole long lists of “tourist” spots. Consequently, how people get to their vacation location acts strictly as a connecting line between consumption at home and consumption at their destination. Unlike this, cycling is both the mode of transportation and the experience. Cars and planes enable people to plug in to ipods, laptops, Gameboys, and cell phones. Disconnected from those around them, the people traveling alongside people in a car or plane become insignificant. However, when reduced to bare necessities, when faced with days and nights born of physical exercise, eating, and rest, those people sharing in the journey can make all the difference.

From Tyler's blog, Thinking, Reflecting, Seeking...Questioning: We began to get in the habit of our daily routine.Wake up somewhere around 7:30. Teardown camp. Eat breakfast (on good days we would get to go to a grocery store or small café). Stretch. Leave around 9 to 9:30. Ride 30 miles. Stretch. Stop for lunch. Stretch. Ride 30 miles. Find a campsite. Set up camp. Shower. Eat Dinner. Hang out with people we meet at the campsite. Read (sometimes). Go to Bed. Do it again in the morning. This is roughly what we did every day for 21 days.

From Isaiah's blog, Codename:Gregory:  We ate outside- some community friends had come and joined us and we had a great time laughing together and sharing stories. It's been nice to speak some real Spanish with Latinos again. It actually feels like I am an Latin America- a mix of the culture, language, people, and the way the buildings look! It's like I'm in a Spanish novela on Telemundo and I am loving every moment of it.  Some of the things I've learned today:

1) I might be a vegeterian by the end of the year with some help- let's see how this goes.
2) I might not be a germophobe by the end of the year with the help of my roommates- again, lets see how this goes.
3) Just because I can dance doesn't mean that I can play "Just dance" on the Wii and ever win.
4) God is testing me.
5) It's going to be an amazing year.

         

 

Everything is West of Here?

"But seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33- NIV

This week, the Dwellers and I went on a silent prayer walk down Hollywood Boulevard.  We started at the Kodak Theater, walked slowly eastward past desperate star-tour peddlers ("I ask for half of what all the people on that block charge"), windows with "surgically-augmented" dominatrix-clad mannequins, past wide-eyed tourists looking up at the lights, down at the stars.  

Upon reaching the famed Hollywood and Vine corner, one sidewalk-seller says to me, "everything you're looking for is west of here."  Of course, she assumed I was a tourist as I'm sure I looked rather aimless.  Indeed, I had no real agenda or direction, just observing, praying, listening.

After all, west of that intersection is the Chinese Theater, Michael Jackson's star, El Capitan.  There's Hollywood & Highland, the West Coast wanna-be Times Square. Slightly further is ground zero for the Oscar's, where miles of red carpet has rolled over the sidewalks and streets.  A bedazzling attraction, where love looks like paparazzi flashes and sounds like the chatter of entertainment reporters.  But is that everything I'm looking for?  

South of that intersection is Gregory Avenue, a street where everyone knows your name, home of our Dwellers, of la Casa de la Comunidad, a house that leans over to love you, even if you're a teenager who tries to prove yourself unlovable.  There's a tree down in that garden which sometimes produces lemons, sometimes limes (it's either grafting, or some cyclical miracle.) North of that intersection is the University of Montana, where 9 college kids decided to sacrifice vacation time and drive down as a Discover group, trekking through snowy mountains to meet and delight in the tales of homeless folks, walk in their shoes for a minute, make use of their hands for greeting and giving and open their hearts for listening and receiving.  (More photos here.)  East of that intersection is Homeboy Industries, where they hire gangsters & ex-cons to bake cookies and breads, run restaurants, run businesses, encourage their peers, stop bullets with jobs.

Tom and Josh make new friends at Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row. 

And east of that intersection is Hollywood Presbyterian Church, where we were headed. That's the spot that God had smacked me upside-the-head when I was seeking rock-star fame, treasure that fades and dims like flash bulbs, dies down like applause.  On this prayer walk, at this intersection, a familiar old crossroads feeling swells up.  I'm deeply involved in a new search as our home flirts with foreclosure and our nerves fray over discerning what's best for us and our 15-month-old baby girl.  I recognize that I've been grasping for security and stability in finances and real-estate.  I see how I'm spinning myself into something that can be, sadly, rather unlovable.  

Be still.  Seek first the Kingdom.  It's the same search this time as it was years ago.  Only the props are different.

Nothing like one of Emma's home-cooked meals after a long service day.  

We continued eastward.  I continue to wrestle my focus towards treasure that lasts.  I suspect it sounds something like out-of-town college guys laughing when a middle-school girl from the neighborhood schools them in HORSE.  I'm hoping it smells like warm chicken tostadas after a day sorting donated winter coats alongside formerly homeless folks for currently homeless children.  I know it looks like the smile from my daughter, from my wife, when I walk in the door after this long, hard day.

Thank God that we're designed to encourage and redirect one another, especially when we start losing our way  - Matthew

Meeting our new homeless friend RD, hearing about how social media is changing the dialogue on homelessness.  She tweets here: Lost Awareness

Together Because of Me

Kyle, from Tennessee, Dweller 2010-2011

"When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." - Matthew 18:19-20, The Message

Robert, from North Carolina, Dweller 2010-2011

Dwell is, literally, all about coming together in service and community in the name of Jesus. Trusting in the Word, all Dwellers can celebrate that if they surround their coming together in prayer, God will also be there. God is already here, and God will be here for these new young people when they arrive in the fall.

Our current Dwell unit is adjusting to the early departure of Curtis, and we are united in prayer for the new possibilities in his life. Alex, Will, Wendy, Kenna and I also prayed for Kyle, Robert, Alex, Alayna, & Brady, and the potential others who still might join this upcoming unit. It was a profound moment for me, as it was last year with Alison, Sara, Steph, and Mary, to envision this growing family of recent and current Dwellers united in prayer for one another. That God might be present for each group, and will also be present as a bridgebuilder from one team to another. It really enhances my understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.

Alex, from Pennsylvania, Dweller 2010-2011

So we ask for your prayers for all Dwellers, for God to be molding and shaping them whether they be in preparation to step out of this life of service on 5486 Gregory or in preparation to step up and into it.

Alayna, from South Dakota, Dweller 2010-2011

If you would like to find out how you can be more involved in prayer and other support, please click on any of the photos here.

Blessings and thanksgiving. May God continually bless these young people and this neighborhood through what it means to come together.

-Matthew

Brady, from Indiana, Dweller 2010-2011

Reunion, Again

"Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4: 17-18, The Message

Three "generations" of Dwellers: Alison, 08-09; Steph 07-08; and Kenna 09-10

Reunions can be exciting, strange, encouraging, and discouraging all at once. We come back together for a time, just a time, and reconnect, share stories, see how much we've grown, (or haven't). But really, earthly reunions are just small glimpses of the true re-unification that God promises to us all, if we devote our lives and trust to God.

The second half of May brought Alison, Mary, Sara, & Steph, our Dwellers from last year, back to visit Hollywood. From what they told me, all of these feelings were present at one point during their stays. It was a reunion, in that they got to reconnect with one another, the neighborhood families and children and the place they called home for a full year. It was also a chance to meet Alex, Wendy, Curtis, Kenna, & Will, our current Dwellers. Reconnecting and making new connections.

And it was, no doubt, painful and complicated to depart from Hollywood once again, reminding us that the best we can do with reunions are long weekends, or sometimes full weeks. But last night, as Mary, Sara, & Steph cooked dinner for everyone, I heard hope in the laughter and the joy of the evening. I caught an image of heaven: the ultimate reunion, with God and one another. I caught myself doing something I rarely find space to do: imagining all of us as the eternal beings that we are. It's so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day struggles, wishing for relief, wishing to "move on." But every once in a while, moments happen that seem frozen in time, just sitting there and glowing. Joking, storytelling, making fun of one another, and breaking bread together seemed, to me, like a slice of eternity.

It allowed for a reunion within my heart and a reminder of why this work, why reaching out in fellowship, love, and service, is so very important. Indeed, it is what we were created to do.

Blessings and peace,

Matthew

Death into Light

“Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you?” – Matthew 5:14-16, The Message

On Saturday, or some would say Holy Saturday, I came upon a History Channel presentation on the supposed “real” face of Jesus. To be fair, they never claimed full accuracy, but the hour-long show featured the physicists, chemists, and other scientists using cutting-edge technology to 3-dimensionalize the image on the shroud of Turin and other alleged cloths used to wrap his body. What struck me most was not the “final” image, though it was indeed profound and poignantly beautiful. Rather, on this quest and throughout the program, they repeatedly displayed holographic images of Christ’s body in the tomb, complete with all the markings of torture and crucifixion. Holy Saturday has always troubled me with this strange emptiness. The idea that for a day in history, God (or I should technically say, a third of the trinity) was dead. Dead. Knowing that he would rise the next day always got me off the hook from actually accepting his death. Like, he was just “playing dead.”

But the images of a body in a tomb, whether it’s authentic to how it truly looked or not, finally hit home in my soul. There he was, wrapped in bloody cloths, lifeless and cold. I felt it: the pain, the emptiness, and the tragedy like I never had before. And all this from a History Channel show! What’s more, to see these scientists feel similar gravity along their journey was really incredible. After accounting for the fabric’s stretch and distortion from 2D to 3D, pointing out that the shroud is stained in a way that suggests light burned it from within (how cool is that?!, kind of literalizing Matthew 5:15), and matching blood stains to corresponding wounds, one scientist took the image in and held back tears, “it looks like a body after an horrific car accident.” He had to cut the taping of his segment short, overwhelmed with emotion.

Here’s what I trust: when you look for the face of God, you find it. Maybe not the literal image of God, but you find God’s countenance looking at you with love, grace, encouragement, and conviction. You find that God is indeed, facing you.

5846 Gregory is a wonderful and challenging place. It was built by various professionals and volunteers throughout the years, so there is not a sense of unifying design by most construction standards. What it lacks for in overall structural integrity (there are some light switches in the oddest of places, light fixtures that are really finicky, floorboards that are beginning to bend and bow), it makes up for in spiritual strength. On Thursday night, Alex, Will, Kenna, and I played games with neighborhood kids whose families hail from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Guatemala. Shila, a PATH intern from Denmark, joined us, so it was literally an international gathering. For too long that evening, I got lost in fretting details like, “oh, we really need to repaint some of the windows; and, we need to get some help fixing the toilets, sinks, and lights….” But the laughter from the kids reminded me that the house is still alive, even in it’s less-than-glorious state. It’s a light in the neighborhood. It’s not a pot of gold, it’s not the answer to everything that plagues Hollywood, it’s not the Savior. But it’s an un-shrouded light, a place of loud fun, a place of basketball and soccer and card-games and gardening, a place of sweaty and dirty hope.

If scientists are discovering that Jesus’ cold and lifeless body miraculously leapt out of death in a blaze of light, then surely this little house with it’s many issues can still be transformed into a loving and nurturing place, even for the brief collection of moments our Dwellers are here every year. And surely we can see God’s face alive and well in that scene, this collective and growing body of servants, and that the searing light of new life is still shining and glowing.

Curtis comes back today. The community has been hurting without him, and is somewhat anxious about what it will mean when he comes back after such a long absence. I am hopeful that God can use it to teach us, stretch us, and help us eke out even more light upon each other and our neighbors. That’s what this Easter brought to me. Death is not the end of the story.

Matthew

Sunrise

"When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth." - 2 Samuel 24:3-4, NIV

At 5:50am this morning, the Dwellers and I met at the Griffith Observatory. A community day sunrise hike has been on Alex’s heart for quite some time now, and today it finally came together. Tired as I was from a long night with a 6-month-old and our new “experiment” with her sleep habits, (needless to say, it didn’t resound with success), I was thankful to not be in charge, but to be led. A full and huge orange moon hung low on the horizon in the western sky, and we set out on the mile-and-a-half trek up the peak that is higher than the observatory, higher than the Hollywood sign, and the highest point one can achieve by foot in this city, I’m pretty sure. Nonetheless, it was the highest point I’d ever been.

What an interesting journey it was: we found ourselves amidst an apparent community of regular sunrise hikers, primarily older Asian couples. Some of them just strolling in the early moonlight, some of them engaging in intense exercise, some of them even walking backwards, hand in hand. Though Alex had intended the walk to be silent, he rescinded that as the urge for the Dwellers to talk was brimming over and he also felt that steady conversation might better keep the coyotes away. I mostly listened, posing questions and sharing when appropriate, but I really was struck by how much of a character they have developed amongst themselves. There are moments of eye-rolling that are not hurtful anymore, there are internal jokes that are unifying and not divisive, there are spaces for spiritual and life-choice questioning as well as goofiness and laughter.

Upon reaching the summit and awash in the dawn glow before sunrise, Alex opened in prayer and two stories. One was about an epiphany of Tony Campolo’s, that after “buying” three 12-year-old girls in Haiti who had offered themselves as prostitutes, he surprised them instead by renting Disney movies and ordering room-service ice cream sundaes. Campolo realized that he had not even scratched the surface in changing these girls’ lives. But he was able to rest on the idea that he had, in the midst of a bleak existence, offered a glimpse of surprising hope. Alex linked this to a concept he had acquired from his regular pastor in Peru, that the Kingdom of God on Earth is very much like the light of dawn before the sun arrives. We trust that God is turning the world and that the sun is indeed on the way, but we get to be that ever-strengthening light before the moment of arrival. What a profound lesson to learn, especially in the setting of the very metaphor at play. A great posture to rest on as a young adult volunteer, and as a Christian in general: to recognize that it is God’s business to transform and change the world, but we can certainly encourage people to trust that God is doing and will do just that. We can light the way for people to come to that trust.

What followed was a heartfelt and honest conversation. It is hard to understand what “just a year” living in Hollywood means. But in the early sunlight, we could see that being agents of spreading hope is pretty awesome. We prayed for the kids in the neighborhood who are struggling with the draw towards gangs; we prayed for Curtis’ health and his return to Hollywood after being gone for so long; we prayed for each other and reveled in the struggle of how different each Dweller is, yet how great God is in constantly providing opportunities for fellowship and bonding, even when there is disagreement.

I learned of a new place in my own city this morning. I got to see the Hollywood sign at such an angle that it read: OLLYOO. I learned of a new way to be Christian as well. I thank God for our Dwellers: lights of their own even during their quest to find more and more light. Amen. - Matthew

2 1/2 Hours, By Curtis

"Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything!" - Psalm 46:10, The Message

4 days a week I spend a total of 2 1/2 hours a day riding on the bus. The 780 Metro Rapid is the exact one, Hollywood and Vine to Colorado and Los Robles. You would think that riding on the bus that long would get really old and boring, but it has been a time that I almost catch myself looking forward to. I ride my bike up the street a little over a mile and begin to wait for the bus. I have waited on buses anywhere from 2 seconds to an hour, but usually around 10 minutes. I put my bike on the front of the bus, tap my TAP card (prepaid card each month) on the machine, and head to find a seat. I usually head to the back and hope for a corner seat in the back row because that gives me a little more leg room and a window to lean on, but sometimes I just have to sit where I can find a spot. Friday afternoons are the most crowded on my way home from work for whatever reason, it's usually standing room only, but most of the time there are several seats available at my stop. Most days I have my headphones in listening to either some soft Christian music or some country songs to make me feel at home. I choose that music because I try to read and listen at the same time. I typically read a chapter or so and then try to spend some time in prayer and just being silent in the midst of the busy traffic. I have found this time to be exactly what I was missing in my relationship with God over the last four years. I didn't take very much time in college to really just be still and quiet with God.

If you'd like to learn more about Dwell, a year of intentional Christian community, service, and simple living, please click here.

Everything as it Should Be....

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"But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him." - Philippians 3:20-21, The Message

Last weekend, the Dwellers and I, (Alex, Will, Matthew, Curtis, Kenna, and Wendy above, (click on colored names for personal blogs)) joined Hollywood Presbyterian Church's annual All-Church camp at Forest Home in the San Bernardino Mountains. It would just so happen that the theme of the sermon series was "Transformation!" How topical it was for all of us: the Dwellers, a month into their year of service and community in the dense urban landscape of Hollywood, and me, a brand new father. The speaker brilliantly wove together Scriptural nods to how following Christ provides and requires transformation with moments from the Wizard of Oz, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Little Mermaid, The Velveteen Rabbit, and other well known tales. He was juxtaposing the Hollywood notion of "happily ever after," with the Biblical promise of paradise, or "everything as it should be."

For me, Forest Home has always served as a touchstone in my faith. It was there I first began to argue my complications with Christianity, and there I learned that while following Christ can be hard and painful at times, there is room for fun and celebration. What a blessing it was, then, for me to just observe these 5 newly arrived missionaries undergo a piece of transformation during the weekend. As we concluded our testimonial sharing, God came shining through in surprising and powerful ways, completely catching us all off guard. But isn't that what we always long for? Isn't that, in part, what we hope 'happily ever after' is all about? Isn't that a piece of heaven on earth, that when the road is rocky or the climb is steep, that God provides us the strength and the courage to keep going, to press on towards the place he calls us back to? And, wow, the joy that can be felt in the climb once you feel God cheering you on:

Now I know that whenever I try to make everything "as it should be," it fails miserably. (Case in point: attempting to develop a schedule for our 3-week old daughter! Ha! She has literally thrown up and wailed through every moment we think we've got her all figured out. Oh well, :) ) But when I step out of the way and trust that this Transformation business is God's and God's alone, and all I have to do, all anyone has to do, is yield to that and trust in the glory of the change, true miracles result. This weekend proved that: what once was lost was suddenly found; what once was confusing was suddenly clear; what once was frightening was suddenly relief; what once was tension was sliding into grace and laughter. Amen.

God is so good. And as we stood around that campfire on the final night, I was washed again in the feeling I found years ago: that there is indeed far more to life for us, and there is so much warmth and glow and encouragement in that realization.

Many blessings and prayers for your own campfires and for good friends to link arms with and revel in God's love,

Matthew

God Among Us

“So don't be intimidated by them. God, your God, is among you—God majestic, God awesome.” –Deuteronomy 7:21, The Message

Today, I picked up a dear young friend and took him to the Project Y!MBY (Yes! In My Backyard) Homeless Connect Day. Studying Torah for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, Sam wanted to come and serve in preparation for his bridge to adulthood. He shared with me that he will be reading out of Deuteronomy on his big day, so we turned to it before heading over to the event.

It was an amazing day. Some of our current Dwellers and Discern-ers were also there helping too, and we were instructed to escort homeless individuals from table to table to make sure they had the opportunity to have all of their needs met. For some, this was legal assistance, others health, others emergency shelter and many others needed help with getting proper identification. I thought the verses from Deuteronomy above were particularly pertinent, as this day was about seeing the goodness and awesome face of God amongst one another. There was plenty to be intimidated about: bringing my young Jewish friend to our Presbyterian Church; taking him to a huge event with a variety of homeless peoples; reaching out and getting to know those people and their stories; even more. And yet, God is so awesome, so majestic, so powerful. Sam connected with a young mother who recently lost custody of her children but was determined to get her papers in order and her health concerns squared away so that her family could reunite. Sam stayed with her all afternoon, and it was a delight to learn that the two of them shared the same birthday. This mother also enthusiastically offered many tips for my upcoming fatherhood, placing distinct emphasis on reminding me that my wife should avoid salt as much as possible so her feet don’t hurt and swell in the third trimester. An exchange of humanity, of grace, the image of God. Building bridges through service and through relationship, the power of God. Reaching across faith backgrounds, across age differences, across economic and racial differences, God helped us all shake hands and share stories. What a day. Amen.

And then we learn about Michael Jackson’s sudden death, ironically, as we are helping folks along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sam and I had already spoken of how there are so many homeless teens in Hollywood, due, in large part, to the flocks of kids who come for fame and fortune and are overwhelmed by the competition. Michael Jackson, world famous before his age hit double digits, symbolized so much of what inspires that pilgrimage. Yet the superstar’s constant lament was that he never was able to have true friends, never able to truly trust. He wanted to remain in that youthfulness, that moment in his life when it was all glory and innocent joy. A man who had many houses, but did Michael Jackson have a home? Praying that he found some joy and love in his last years here on earth. And praying that this large crowd of “house-less” people were able, at least in some small but important way, to find a sense of home in the safety and compassion offered by the many volunteers today.

I’ll close with some recent photos from the garden, taken by Dweller Alison. Again, many said this garden might not work because of issues with shade or soil or sun. But prayer and community have a great way of working around the concerns that might intimidate and hinder us. And better are we for finding that kind of trust and willingness to try.

Blessings to you all, and if “you wanna be startin’ something,” may I humbly suggest you first take a look around you and see all the many ways good things are already in motion, how God is already at work.

Matthew

Provision

"But even then he didn't leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing." -Acts 14:17, The Message

We have a Lord that provides.   Amen!  Last Sunday, the Hollywood Presbyterian Church Young Adults and the Dweller’s hosted an open house and garden work day at 5846 Gregory.  Not only did the weather remain merciful and mild, the work was joyous and productive.  Many neighborhood kids turned out to help too!  We finished laying the basic brick path design in the garden, planted new flowers, new tomato plants, and citrus, and removed the nasty poison tree!  Brandon, our self-proclaimed DOOR-door repairman, also took it upon himself to fix several doors within the houses and begin the work to bringing light to our sign.  “Let there be light,” said he.  We say, amen to the amazing ways the Lord provides!

Last winter, our current Dwellers prayed that more men might be called to come serve in Hollywood.  Again, the Lord is listening and acting!  Curtis and Alex are already on board to come serve in Los Angeles as Dwellers this fall, and several other men and women have expressed interest and are currently in discernment processes.  How great is our God!

      

Next week we really begin to prepare for our summer Discover groups, which will start heading our way in June.  There is still some availability, so please click here if you’re interested to come see all the amazing ways God is working and providing here in California!

Amen!

Matthew

Gardens

     

"The LORD will guide you always; 
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 
       and will strengthen your frame. 
       You will be like a well-watered garden, 
       like a spring whose waters never fail." - Isaiah 58:11 NIV

According to Scripture, literally, all hell broke loose in the first garden.  What a blessing it's been to see so many people coming together, from the Dwellers to the neighborhood kids to the out-of-town Discover groups, to create this one.  God is certainly present again, here, and please, come help and check it out when you can!  Also, pray that we can indeed grow okra in Southern California.  This gumbo lover would be very happy.  

For more gardening photos, check out our Facebook photos, and for more ways you can help with this garden ministry, which, to date, the Dwellers have not spent a dime on,  please visit our Cause page.

Rooting and blossoming in the foundation of God,

Matthew 

Family

"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." Matthew 18:18-20, The Message

I've been contemplating family, what it means, what it doesn't mean.  This week, Sara and Alison's families were in town visiting for the first time, and there was a strong sense of togetherness: in the laughter, in the stories, in the sharing of the awesome work that's being done in Hollywood and Los Angeles in the name of our Lord.  The picture above was from a community day cookout where we all spent time staying warm, staying well fed, and staying thankful.

A sense of family also seems to be growing amidst the Dwellers.  They are developing nick-names for each other and truly checking in and working towards intentionality, even as they develop new relationships in the city or work to maintain old ones from the past.  I truly believe in the truth of the verses from Matthew, as I am so blessed to be bearing witness to watching God's presence in glorious action this year.

Expanding the definition of family and gathering together in the name of God, it dawned on me last week that there is significant connectedness to the Discover groups coming into the city and serving agencies and individuals in Hollywood.  I felt like I was selfishly absorbing all that connection, so, thank God for Facebook, we created a page for all the DOOR Hollywood participants, past and present, to share stories, share photos, and share in the glory witnessing God here in our city.  You can connect in too, just click here.

Personally, my family is expanding.  Both physically and spiritually.  We are learning that yes does mean yes, and no should mean no as we are working to heal from a lack of spiritual boundaries in our past.  We are also planning on the addition of someone new, in about, say, 5 months.  In the spirit of several gathering together in petition to God, I ask for your prayers for our wisdom, our strength, and our joy to be part of God's creation in a new and exciting way.  

Blessings to you all!

Matthew

Gathering Together

"I'll bring you back home—a great family gathering! You'll be famous and honored all over the world. You'll see it with your own eyes— all those painful partings turned into reunions! God's Promise." - Zephaniah 3:20, The Message

Last night, our former Hollywood City Dwellers hosted a dinner for our current Dwellers. Shelton and Kristina traveled from far across the country for the reunion, and it was a joyful occasion!

Earlier this week, Stephanie, Sara, Mary, and Alison began the process of testifying the amazing ways they've seen the face of God this year in Hollywood. The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood hosted our presentation for the Missions Committee. Even for those of us who knew of the trials and triumphs that the Dwellers have experienced thus far, it was profoundly moving and encouraging to hear the stories told in a continuous fashion, to feel the moving of God's spirit through the telling.

DOOR Hollywood Board members and I shared the story of the transition from the Hollywood Urban Project into DOOR Hollywood, as well as the many ways people can become involved in this ministry, both near and far. Most importantly, keep us in your prayers. The work our Dwellers are doing is hard and quite emotionally taxing, so please pray for their strength and that they continually find ways to encourage each other in their work. We also could always use the financial support of those willing to sponsor our Dwellers, covering the food and housing costs that are necessary to keep the mission afloat from year to year. Within the realm of short-term missions (Discover), please consider traveling to Hollywood with your church, synagogue, college group, or school, and let us host you towards finding new hope and new opportunities to see the face of God here through service.

If you're in Hollywood already, there's plenty of ways to volunteer in whatever capacity you can. Swing on by 5846 Gregory this Sunday for the kick-off of the garden project!

Next week, we are hosting a group of young volunteers from Arizona. They will be learning of the many faces of homelessness and how it's edifying for all involved to focus on building relationships centered on mutual recognition of dignity and respect.

May any painful partings you have recently sustained turn into the hope of a joyful reunion this week!

Matthew