Well it's official---Time flies! I am always amazed at how fast the weeks go by, I'm sure you are too.

We are doing great in SC. We just had our first annual formal Christmas dinner & it was a blast. There were about 25 people up here who we have met through various ways in SC. It was cool. Everyone was dressed up, guys in ties & girls in dresses. I was praying & talking to God because there is so much need around the world & most of that need is financial (like clean water). I was absorbed in this because we possess so much material wealth. But, anthropologists have long known of the West’s relational poverty. The majority of people in the West identify themselves with what they do, not who they belong to; it’s interesting. I think we have a pretty cool “to belong to.”

It's fun having people who don't know Jesus up here (& some who go to church). Most people are intrigued by our way of life. People who don't know Jesus ask about Jesus, since our lives look different than what they categorize as “Christian.” & those who are Christians are interested by our devotion to Jesus. I did get to have a wonderful conversation with a gal who went to UCSC & came as a guest of Alana. She was really curious about our faith & we talked for some time. I don't know where it will lead, but I got to say some pretty plain things about who we are & why we do what we do. Life without Jesus is, well, not life; & I know first hand she isn't happy. Why? Cuz' you can't be happy if you're not healthy, & only Jesus can heal what's been broken. Once again we all had to chuckle because of all the Asians we had up here. Our Korean friends brought more Korean friends & it's always a hoot. Laben & I just looked at each other & smiled because we wouldn’t have pictured being surrounded by Korean’s in the mtns. of SC.

After talking with many of our Christian guests you do find they know Jesus, but what place he holds in their life is uncertain. Too, I’ve found that “Christians” are very skilled at talking to “Christians.” Most “Christians” know enough jargon to keep them afloat through a surface level conversation. One guest was speaking to me & our love for Jesus was mutual; however, later he was speaking to someone else & their conversation rendered ours difficult to work out. One of my recent sermons had this as a main, & repeated point: “Jesus never intended to be a part of your life, he has always intended that you be a part of his.”

I've been talking with the YWAM base in Mazatlan. We're thinking about using this as our yearly short-term missions trip. The cost is realistic & YWAM does some pretty cool stuff in the cities they're located in. We'll build houses, reach out to surfers, & do dramas downtown, etc, with young people who want to follow Jesus. It sound like a good fit for us. It’s our hope this will be another point in the path for our people surrendering all to Jesus & his commission. We’ll see.

Family Photo