Sir, do you have any change?

As I sit down I feel like I finally can breathe a sigh of relief. I'm actually blogging again! The world is not coming down around me, and life as I know it will continue.

These last few months have been a wonderful, chaotic, jump into the deep end of ministry experience. Not only have I fallen deeply in love with the work I do, but I have found a deeper understanding of who I am, and what God has called me to be.

In the last few months, God has been teaching me tons about faithfulness and call to ministry. When you find your call, wild dogs couldn't tear you away from the simple satisfaction of waking up each morning and knowing that your life is valued and is important. And nobody has taught me that more about how God's hand can make a difference than a small fellowship group from Torrance called, "Victory Fellowship"

V-Life came out to serve with us earlier this year, and I was assigned to host them. I was excited, because I hadn't hosting in a few weeks, and I was chomping at the bit to get back into some of our ministry sites. Now, when a group shows up for their first night, as a host, it's difficult to tell what kind of group they will be. A multitude of questions run through your mind. Are they big eaters? Will they talk a lot during debriefs? Are they more "active"? Will they care about what you have to say? and the one question that has a deep repeating cry in my soul is: Will they take home the love, compassion, and passion they learn this week to their friends, family, and forgotten in their world??

The weekend quickly ended with this group, and I came to really enjoy my time with them. I loved hanging out with the leaders & students, and at one point even got to draw on some of their faces with magic marker. That being said, Sunday came around, and they went home... and life continued... kinda. A few days later, I started hearing back from the group about changes. Changes in lifestyle, in attitude, and in perception of the world. One of the students was spending time with a family member that nobody had talked to in a long time, because she didn't want her to be alone; another decided to do an extensive report on homelessness, and what can be done to love the people more. And I gradually began to realize that GOD, had placed seeds in their hearts to begin to love the lost, love the hopeless, and love the forgotten in ways I never could understand.

Isaiah 26:8 reads, "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." We wait for YOU. YOUR name and renown are the desire of our hearts. I realized that there was nothing speical that I did in this group, but God worked something deeper, and really His name was glorified because of it. His renown echos in my heart because of the testimonies I hear.

I leave you with this poem, that someone from that trip wrote. I think it nicely sums up their trip.

The Forgotten

By Brittany J. Masai

The days are lonely and the nights are cold
This life I’m living is getting old

The streets are my only comfort and where I lay
Deliver me from this nightmare is what I pray
People look down on me for how I appear
It hurts to know that I am someone that they fear
I am a person, an individual, and have feelings too
Can’t you see I was once like you?
I had dreams, goals, and lived life to the fullest each day
Until everything went down the drain and I couldn’t find my way
This life has made me realize how cold hearted people can be
Many choose to just walk away and ignore me
They act like I am invisible and that I’m not there
Bless those who take the time to show that they care
I wish people would understand that it’s not all about material things
and money

Having God in your life is most important and going to the place that
overflows with milk and honey
Bless those who are poor on earth
For God loves them and knows how much they are worth