Goodbye Will, Kenna, & Alex

Another Dwell year comes to a close. Thanks to the generosity of the Schiess and Barbour families, we were able to wind down high above San Bernardino. From a year on Gregory Avenue to a goodbye near Lake Gregory and Lake Arrowhead, we celebrated the many ways God moved through and blessed these Dwellers all year.

Time for quiet, rest, reconnection, and praying for the arrivals of Kyle, Robert, Alex, Josh, Alayna, and Brady.

The Great Composter in the Sky

"Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit." -1 Corinthians 6:11, The Message

If you’ve ever seen the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, you’re well aware that Murphy’s Law (or that everything that could go wrong, would go wrong) can be very funny to watch from the comfort of your theater seat or couch. We laugh when luggage spills open during a futile chase after a taxi because we’ve all been there at some point, and, we’re relieved it’s not our predicament at the moment!

Click on any photo to see more from the week!

Well, this week was our “planes, trains, and automobiles" week, in that, quite literally, we had moments where each mode of transportation held us back. One of our Discover groups, from the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, became drastically delayed as tornadoes ripped through the center of the country, causing their flight to be re-routed through Houston. Upon finally arriving to LAX, they would find themselves delayed even further by a slower-than-molasses rental car desk clerk and car accidents on the 405. Holding to a tight schedule, I attempted to bounce around town on Tuesday, from food banks to skid row missions, and found myself completely boxed into south central LA between two trains that had literally stopped on the tracks for about 40 minutes. And that was only the beginning: pots and rags were misplaced, tires would go completely flat, a cell phone went missing, a toilet exploded, I forgot how to count, and on and on and on….

However, Pastor Cal, leading a group from northwestern Illinois, made a witty observation that lingered and encouraged me all week. As Alex, Kenna, Lou-Trice and I worked alongside his team in the Dweller’s community garden, we discussed the design of the path and how it was meant to represent a chapel door. That is, with the exception of one small off-shoot that leads to the compost pile (within what once was a baby crib!). Cal pointed out that the little path reaches up “to the great composter in the sky.”

Hmmm, I thought. Yes. God’s promise is a bit like composting. We can wholeheartedly step into the kingdom as broken, rotten, run-down, hurting, spent, used-up, and exhausted as we are and still experience transformation. We can be changed into something fertile, nourishing, healthy, rich, beautiful. It truly is beautiful: that deep, black, soil on your knees, in your fingernails, brushed on your sweaty cheeks. And, of course, what can spring forth from that dark richness is nothing short of miraculous. From small seeds to lime trees, strawberry patches, morning glory vines. Incredible.

So it may have been an exhausting week with smatterings of drawbacks and disappointments. But as I watched the two groups climb up the mountain to Griffith Observatory, carrying and caring for one another in more ways than one, I reveled in how God took this imperfect week, distilled it down to its most important elements, and ultimately allowed it to blossom.

Blessings to these Midwesterners, to Christi, Blain, Mark, Cal and the young people they guided: they gardened, packaged tons of food, sorted clothing distribution spaces, and served many, many folks living on the streets. All with a smile, all with joy, all with cheer.

I am grateful for this week.

Amen,

Matthew

Why "Tiny Advantage", by Kenna

Today I was playing basketball with one of the boys who came over to hangout. We were playing a fun game of him trying to make baskets as I was running after him trying to steal the ball. As we were playing, Wendy, one of my roommates, came running by and got the ball just as he was about to shoot it and stated, “I got the height advantage”. Soon after, the ball got knocked and Wendy and him went running for it and he proclaimed, “I got the speed advantage” as he got to the ball before Wendy. As we were playing, he was coming up with all different kinds of “advantages” that he had and the one he was most proud of was his “tiny advantage”. Later on that night I was reflecting on the day and that phrase, “tiny advantage” kept coming to mind. In a game of basketball, having the tiny advantage helps to get in the tight places and steal the ball almost unnoticed. Living where the community house is on Gregory Street, is also a “tiny advantage”. The community house to the neighborhood is a place for the kids to go and feel safe. It's a place where there are people who are interested in talking with you and playing games. It's a space to run around and you don’t have to be quiet. It's a place that older kids can go to and hang out without being questioned by the police. The community house is a place that the neighborhood comes together for holidays and parties. It is a place to connect. By being a dweller and being associated with the community house I have the “tiny advantage” of trust. By fostering this trust and showing that I am worthy of it, I am able to build connections and friendships with the kids and the neighbors and for this I am blessed.

To hear more from Kenna throughout her year of service, visit her blog, "Tiny Advantage," at www.kennakoch.blogspot.com

Emotional Kaleidoscope, by Wendy

This week's blog entry comes from Dweller Wendy, (pictured below on the left, with City Director Matthew and fellow Dweller Kenna), who's complete blog can be found athttp://roadsidetamales.blogspot.com/

I have a definite case of the warm and fuzzies and yet all I want to do at the moment is curl up and cry. I am overjoyed and overwhelmed and so confused by the sudden and intense alternating highs and lows here.

The week is over, the weekend has arrived, and as I suddently have the time to stop about what has happened in the past two weeks (last weekend I didn't have a chance to stop and breathe) all the emotions are crashing upon me simultaneously.

First and foremost, our house has felt the pain of another family loss. Kenna is back in Arizona for over a week and we have all felt the grief and the love that spills from her heart this week.

We have come together in prayer as a household to lift her up and her family - which is a joy because in the midst of this tragedy, our house feels more like a home than it has so far . . . I don't know how I feel in the midst of all of it. I am dismayed by the intensity of my own sense of loss.

This past weekend we went as a house to a seminar as a house, one on the Song of Solomon. Granted, none of us are getting ready to enter into a marital relationship, but this was another chance for us to all worship together, of which we have taken very few. This also was a joy, and we spent the day with Matthew and Darcie and Charlotte as well - it was so incredible to hear their take as well!

On outreach on Wednesday we dealt with one of our problem clients - I say problem client not because he is so bad in himself, but when we first brought him in there was some miscommunication and he did not have a TB test. Before we even got a chance to get it taken care of, he ended up back in Cedars Sinai hospital. On Monday he was discharged, but the bed that we had for him was no longer available - and nobody was working because it was President's Day . . . so we had to tell him that we couldn't still take him in.

This Wednesday I played cello in the Ash Wednesday service - which came off quite nicely, but required a good amount of preparation . . .

. . . and on Wednesday I left work at 9am to spend the day with Kenna up until her flight home. The service was quite emotional for me.

Afterward I recorded some things (don't tell Dad (: It's a surprise . . . actually I think I told him last night).

Thursday . . . was a long day. And then came today. Today we did data entry at the office until around 2pm and then took one of our clients who finally moving into his own home grocery shopping and then to his apartment. The furniture is set up already and he has all of his linens and his pots and pans . . . I am soo soo happy to see this finally happening. It has been almost 5 months since he finally agreed to come into shelter. It has been over a year since he began the process of getting a section 8 apartment. This is his first home as I understand it in 13 years. He is 68 and in so many ways reminds me of my own dad. It will be weird not seeing him around the shelter. My only hope is that he finds a way and a reason to stay active.

And then when we got back to the shelter, there were the girl scout cookies that I ordered *finally*

I am just so tired after all of it. I don't really want to take a nap, but I don't particularly want to stay up either.

My time here has been amazing beyond all of my expectations and I have no doubt that it will take me years to understand all of the things that I have seen here so far. As I was riding my bike home tonight, I couldn't help but think back to the first Tuesday here, I think it was our second day overall? When the tamale man raised his voice in our alleyway, that is when I realized that this place really was different from Kansas.

On the way home there is always a fruit vendor with mangoes and strawberries on the street corner by a couple of schools and along the streets there is always someone selling chips and ice cream from a push cart and in the large white box trucks that seem to live in our neighborhood there is always fresh produce.

Sometimes I forget that this place isn't the one that I grew up in. It is so easy to become accustomed to the sights and sounds around us and almost become comfortable. This week there have been reminders of the discomforts in this neighborhood as well. I have about three posts worth of things in my mind that could use sharing.

Truly this neighborhood is ministering to us as much as we are to it, if not infinitely more. I have so much to learn here, if I remember half of it, it will all have been worth it.

Putting Things Right

"God's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye." -Psalm 11:7, The Message

A new Dwell year has begun! Curtis, Alex, and Wendy arrived on Monday and have already been meeting and hanging out with the neighborhood children, re-discovering the painful truth that okra is not edible once it reaches a certain growth, and giving the basketball hoop a good workout! This house is meant to be alive and lively, and everything is feeling "right" again, setting us straight on the path of witnessing God in new and exciting ways here in Hollywood.

Kenna and Will are on their way this weekend.....please keep this entire new group in your thoughts and prayers as they come together from Kansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Arizona, and Ohio!

Blessings!

Matthew

Click on the photos to learn more:

We Can WORK It Out!

"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell them - work it out between the two of you. If they listen, you've made a friend." -Matthew 18:15, The Message

Amidst a week of many conflicts, the face of God shone brightly through many acts of grace and forgiveness. The Oasis Youth Group from Tucson, Arizona came with incredibly huge hearts to serve, seek, and understand. And they were stretched in every single direction! Not only did we see conflicts arise at some of the worksites in the form of theological and, arguably, ethical differences and issues, this Discover group came amidst a very busy week for Dwell and Discern, and in that they were caught in some of the logistical conflicts that produced. These verses were beating strongly in my heart, that the best way to deal with issues is to handle them directly, and with trust that God will help guide the resolution. With each and every problem that arose, members of the Oasis Youth group came to us and shared the stories with courage and conviction, and a large dose of grace. And through all this, I believe we've truly made some new friends. Our last night was quite joyous!

And the amount of work that these 22 folks accomplished is astounding. Many phone calls and emails from agencies truly thankful for these energetic and helpful kids. Amen! Los Angeles was truly blessed to have you here.

In Dwell news, we are thrilled to announce this week that Kenna Koch from Arizona, (and, as God would have it, a former member of the very youth group that was serving this week!) and Will Quay, from Ohio!

Please keep these two, along with Curtis Monts and Alex Cornell who accepted several months ago, lifted up in prayer as they prepare for their year in Hollywood!

Hallelujah and Good Night!

Matthew