It's a Beautiful Day in San Diego..

...I got the top down, windows low, and bumper scraping the ground...

I got to spend last week in community with Campus Outreach as we invaded San Diego State University's campus to gage the culture on the West Coast. This trip was designed to gain an idea of the potential ground for CO in the future as well and to open doors for personal development in the students that went and thats really what it did for me. This was great and prepared me for my trip to Australia by means of a schedule as well as an agenda and a "know how" of what the summer will look like/

So a basic run down of the days activities are these: on Saturday we flew of out Birmingham and arrived in LA where we met up with the U. of West Georgia and drove to San Diego. On the way we stopped at Laguna and saw Orange Beach. So fun!

On Sunday, we attended Harbor Church where they had a beautiful Bilingual service in English and Spanish. What a picture of Heaven this will be! As San Diego is the most culturally diverse city in the nation, we saw billboard in several languages and enjoyed the idea of the tribes, tongues, and nations coming together in the glory of the Lord! In this service they invited the children to come and join in the worship and it was so beautiful! We got to participate in Communion and it was so sweet to break the bread of the Body of Christ with these people. In the afternoon, we got to paint over gang graffiti in the streets. It was really cool getting to help bring hope to the suffering community. The evening we got to spend sometime with Pastor Steven and hear of his vision for Harbor Church and the city of San Diego, to see gospel centered change in the lives of residents and love on them, gain their trust, and serve them as Christ.

On Monday, we headed to campus at the San Diego State University! We got to meet students and just have conversations to gage where they stood culturally and spiritually. We got to see a variety of people who we saw were open to things but very hesitant to admit that there is one truth and adopt anyone else's belief outside of their own experiences. That afternoon, we got to go to an elementary school and help tutor Somalian refugees learn English. So humbling! That evening, we rested and tried to catch up with the time difference and get ready for the week!

On Tuesday, we went back to campus and tried for round 2! We saw more today that they really idolize their independence and freedom and their own culture that is to fit in is to be different and they are unwilling to conform to anyone's beliefs. We stayed on campus all day today and tried to share the gospel more, but conversations this day were tough and we were really humbled by realizing that we are not relying on the Lord. That evening, we headed out to the local favorite, Pacific Beach and found the best tacos in the world at Moondoggies..and they were super cheap for taco tuesdays!

On Wednesday, we headed out the the San Diego Zoo! Well, we certainly couldn't not go..we spent 5 hours in awe of God's wonder. That afternoon we found these enormous cliffs and saw the grandeur of the Pacific Ocean! We decided to make the dangerous trek down to the bottom of them to realize that we had indeed found a nude beach. Yes, the Lord has a sense of humor. That night we ate the most legit Mexican food at a taco stand complete with bullet holes before going back to campus to hang out with their student ministry and meet their key students and gather their burden for their own campus.

On Thursday, we went to a popular beach called Mission Beach. It was chilly, but it was great weather. There were roller coasters there and some of the guys managed to find and pizza a full yard in diameter! As they chowed on this man-meal, they challenged Seth, our director, to get a tattoo. For what, where, and if its true, just email me :) That night we spent on campus at a Christian Fraternity's house meeting more students and teaching them how we have learned to do evangelism.

On Friday, we drove back to Los Angeles and found our Motel 6 in Hollywood. It was great actually. We took lots of pictures as we walked up and down and back up Hollywood Blvd. I got to see my old Hollywood stars, that no one knew by the way, and it was awesome. I loved seeing the Rat Pack, Carol Burnette, Tim Conwey, and Lucille Ball. Hollywood today just isn't the same...That night we spent on Santa Monica Pier! We got to ride the carousel and it was a bit chilly. We ate at an amazing restaurant and concluded the trip with another trip to get 'FroYo' aka Frozen Yogurt...the Cali craze!

On Saturday we departed and I was very fortunate to get to spend some much needed reflection and practical discussion time with the guys from UNA to think for our campus and friends a bit better. It was a great way to fly home in prayer and thinking for our groups.

So what did I bring back?

Basically, it was all summed by Pastor Scott in Florence at Redeemer on Sunday Morning. What a sweet blessing. We were talking about Joseph, which is my favorite Old Testament story, and in Genesis 42, his family comes to Egypt for grain to eat and live and the Lord points out that their need for food brings them to Egypt which reminds them of their sin. He uses needs in our lives to make us look deeply into our hearts. Secondly, joseph puts them in prison for a few days and this solitude that they experience also is from God to show them their sin. What a picture of Gods grace to let us see our sin!

Evangelism is necessary and it is a no-lose situation. Its commanded and ordained by the Lord and He is going to will it the way that He pleases and I am called to be obedient.

I am unable to rely on my skill set. Just because I am a communications major does not make me the grand communicator, My security must come from the Lord alone and He will push me forward and keep all conversations going. He is merciful and deserving of all glory. The greatest way to love Him is to proclaim His name!

For me this trip sat me down, humbled me, and revealed a lot of idols in my life. The Lord pointed out to me more than ever how important it is to deal with my problems and let Him sheer away the dead branches in my life. Its by His grace that we see our sin and in our times of trouble and sorrow is just as much of a time to praise Him than when He gives us a huge blessing or a fun Spring Break.

He is glorious and He is moving! He is certainly doing a work in California and in the hearts of those sweet people that went on the trip with us.

It was so encouraging to be in fellowship of people I have never met but who love the Lord and spreading the good news that He saves because He is the only way into heaven. I cannot wait to be in Australia doing His work and reaching students in a culture that is apathetic but in such need of the gospel just as much as i need it!

I know this one was a long one, thanks a lot for all of your support.
Proverbs 2:6-11

Savvi