Life of the Unemployed

I FINALLY have received a job. I begin work at Tillys next Tuesday. However, I am still hunting for another part time job, because I have only been promised about 12 hours a week at Tillys. I feel that the job situation here on our project is really starting to take a toll on the project's moral. Stress levels are high and it seems as if people are really starting to begin to feel the burden of the unemployed life. Personally it is making being at project hard for me. While we are called to not worry and stress about tomorrow, it is a very hard thing not to do. The high cost of living here in California and phone bills are very real, and it often seems that my inability to completely rely on God to provide for me is negatively affecting my spiritual walk with Him. So in an attempt to be broken and humbled I am fasting today. I am allowing myself only bread and water, and will rely on Christ to carry me through till 12 a.m.

On a more uplifting note, this past Sunday my ministry team was able to attend John Teter's church, Fountain of Life. It was exactly as he described it, a multi ethnicity, multi class church focused on the community. They hold church in Hamilton Middle School and literally pull up with a loaded U-Haul truck, which has in it everything they need for an entire church. Traye and I were given the privilege of learning how to set up the sound equipment(every boys dream), and do most of the heavy lifting. Before the service started the six of us stood up in front of the congregation and were publicly recognized, I mention this not because of the attention we were given in front of everyone, but because of the open arms that we were drowned with during the meet and greet immediately after. So many hugs and so many handshakes that it made me feel like I had known these people for years. What a great community of loving believers. Monday we were able to meet with John again and assist them in moving roughly 20 thousands dollars of industrial kitchen equipment that had been donated to them. John and a member of his church "Chef Mike" are in the process of starting a catering company/cooking school aimed toward allowing the community around them to experience "fine" dining for special occasions that may never have been possible before. John told us that rarely ever if ever will the people in the "hoods" of his community ever experience "fine" dining, and yet they are certainly worthy of it. It is awesome to be constantly reminded just how many different ways we can show the lost Christ's love.

I just want to thank all of you again for your support and prayers. I certainly couldn't be here without you and I am beginning to realize that I wouldn't be able to make it all summer without your prayers.

Love Matthew