So Sorry!!!!!

I apologize for my lack of blog updating, and that it has taken me a little over a week to post. I was waiting on my laptop to arrive to Long Beach. All is sooooo well here in the city. It has only been a little over a week and I have already learned so much more about myself and what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ. First let me tell you all about the ministry that I have been plugged into for my time here in Long Beach. Myself and five others will be working with a man named John Teter and his church in an area just outside of Compton. John Teter is doing great great work with his community in trying to reach the "hood." In inner-city ministry, a young man is not recruited into God's "gang" by the age of around 15 he is likely to become a "gang-banger" out of pure survival. One way in which John is reaching the city is by a community center focused on tutoring kids, teaching them life skills, and through that showing them the love of Jesus Christ. We are simply going to be helping in the community center showing kids what they can aspire to be, and show them what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. I cannot wait!

The city has something here that I feel like I have never experienced before. There is a sense of community within so many different types of people here. People have within their heart a magnificent love for their city and the people within it. Of course this is a generalization, but its almost as if there is an unconditional love, regardless of origin, race, gender, or even sexual preferences for the citizens of Long Beach. A lot of people here are lost and separated from Christ, and yet I feel like we as followers of Christ could learn so much.

A big struggle that has seemed to affect almost everyone on project is finding jobs. Apparently last year the project as a whole had a much easier time finding and landing jobs than we are having. I have my second interview at Tilly's (a Pac Sun equivalent) tomorrow at 10:30 and have already gotten a job at the Long Beach Convention Center and Arena. I feel very blessed to have been given this much. My fear is that, the stress and struggle of job hunting will begin to strain relationships between people here on project. I pray that we can all have faith in the Lord to provide us with jobs and opportunities to minister to the locals here.

I am also so incredibly thankful for the staff here on our project. Already the project director Bruce Henderson, has imparted some things that have reached deep within my heart. The most notable thing he has instilled within our project, in my opinion, is to think about what our lives would be like if we lived under the notion of "nothing to gain, nothing to lose, and nothing to prove." How incredible!, nothing to gain for we have already been given the gift of eternal life, nothing to lose for our relationship with Christ is not based on a ladder system and through Christ we are promised our salvation, and I feel like the hardest, nothing to prove for we are simply beggars leading lost beggars to bread.

While being in California is probably as close to heaven as I will ever reach here on Earth. It has at times been a emotional roller-coaster. For example, myself and a few others volunteered at an after school program hosted by a local church near our hotel. It was there that I met Kayla, the cutest four year old girl I have ever seen. I wasn't there maybe ten minutes before she approached me and bluntly let it be known that her only desire was to be held. I immediately picked her up and held her for most of the entire time I was there. During the orientation before the kids arrived we were given some background information on the lives the kids might live outside of the after school program. I could only imagine what this innocent beautiful girl was being deprived of. My heart broke, and in the middle of 50 children it was everything I could do to refrain from crying. This poor girl will grow up with very little, if she's lucky the love of two parents, and I have been given the world three times over, I have not gone without anything I have needed, and most importantly have been blessed with a loving family. Yet, I feel as if this girl is far more worthy than I. My heart also broke again tonight, I was in the middle of writing this blog when I received a phone call from a staff intern here on project. There is a park between the coffee shop where we get our internet and the hotel, he was with two girls and they were in a conversation with a homeless man we found to be name Kevin. He was a little uneasy and wanted more men around so I grabbed Mark( a fellow student) and we walked to the park. There was Kevin, a white man roughly about fifty years old, battling aids, struggling with alcoholism, and obviously homeless. Off to the side I prayed with a few other students as a couple talked to him, and we were eventually given the opportunity to walk him to Rite Aid to buy him some chips and Gatorade. Outside the store we asked Kevin if it would be alright if we prayed over him. Mid prayer Kevin grabbed me looking for a hug, I turned to him and received the biggest bear hug I have ever been given. I knew what he was looking for, some sign that there is still hope for him, that he could still be loved, that he could still feel the warmth of another human. I gave it to him the best I could, and he began to weep uncontrollably on my shoulder. This is the second time my heart broke. A grown man so much physically bigger than me, so much older was crying on me. At this moment I wanted to do so much for this man, sell all my worldly possessions and simply rent him a place to stay. But I can't, there isn't much we can do for Kevin, except pray for him and direct him to the rescue. And as easy as that sounds, its such a hard thing to do. But I know that the Lord watches over his children, I have faith that the Lord will shield Kevin tonight and that with his new understanding of Jesus' love he will sleep like a baby knowing he is safe and sound.

I want to thank all of you for your hand in the beautiful things the Lord is going to be doing through us this summer. Thank you for your faith and your sacrifices. We as a project have already lead one young woman to Christ and how wonderful it is to be apart of that. Thanks thanks again for your love and prayers.

Love,

Matthew