join with me in prayer, please

Tonight, 9pm July 3rd- was my 2nd anniversary in City Heights.

I asked a few friends to come over celebrate. Although in the back of my mind it also felt like mourning OC.

Anyways, after my friends left, I was encouraged by the Lord to be about the harvest. Below is a message I wrote to the handful who came anniversary:

“Friends!

Thanks for coming over! After you left, I worked on stuff for this summer. I also watched an IV video support video (video they show potential supporters) and was inspired.

I thought back on last summer and this past 2010-2011 school year.

Last summer, I lead 2 high school interns to the Lord. During the school year, I lead 6 students to the Lord. (Obviously it is all the Lord and when I say, “I lead…” I recognize seeds have been planted by the labor of others and God’s grace allowed me to pick the fruit.)

As I think about this summer, I pray 4 students trust Jesus w/their lives. For the 2011-2012 school year, I pray 12 students will call Jesus Lord AND Savior.

The numbers aren’t for number-sake or Kathy the conversion factory but to keep my heart set on seeing teens’ lives changed! Changed for eternity.

I would appreciate you joining me in prayer to see Jesus show up in a miraculous way!”

God is on the move and I get to be part of it! Please join me:)

New Heights Project 2010 Wrap Up

New Heights Project: our last day together.

Dear Beloved Friends and Phamily!

I praise God for you!  From the depth of my heart, thank you so much for praying for this summer.  To tell of all the ways He showed up, it is simply countless!

Refugee Tutoring Camp

Chris Brewster, my boss:

Our summer interns, used to cultural and linguistic complexities of growing up in a community where 30+ languages are spoken, dived right in! On two days (one day another Harbor site took them to the Children Museum downtown) we had an educator design a lesson to help build language skills, that was group-oriented and tactile. After that, our team planned the rest of the day, filled with crafts and recreation.

I was really amazed by the energy, sensitivity, and patience the team had with the students. They bonded very quickly through simply playing with them and joining them in the activities. Some of the teachers that normally work with these students were amazed at how well our young people led this very complex group through one transition to the next.

VBS Summer Camp

Welcome to the Radical Rainforest!

Chris Brewster, my boss:
It just keeps growing! 75+ the first year, 115+ the next, and now this year 175+ campers!
Numerical growth alone does not indicate success, so let me provide other “success” indicators of this years camp.

1) Normally a 98% Hispanic population attends the camp. Our Refugee Tutoring Camp the week before brought 25+ refugee children to the camp. We have had limited success in breaking into this population, and now we are praying on how to continue to love some families/ children with whom we have really bonded.

2) This camp had some staff coordination/ support, but this camp was almost entirely planned and implemented by college students and teenagers. They ran recreation, they were counselors, they performed skits, they led songs…

3) A handful of teens responded to a challenge to form long-term mentoring relationships with children from camp.

4) The children in my van sang the camp songs on the way home every day. As incredible worship spilled over from the general sessions, most of even the “try very hard to be cool” kids found themselves doing hand motions with songs.

5) We were able to do this on the cheap! A short-term missions team from Alabama purchased all of our craft supplies, as well as led activities. They also purchased all of our food and snacks, as well as served them. Urban Life (I will talk more about them later) provided a free building, and many materials. A church from North County purchased all of our shirts, other materials, and helped to train us in how to run an effective VBS.

6) We had about 40 parents and 120 children show up for a post-camp Celebration Dinner. Our Spanish speaking congregation prepared and served an excellent meal.

7) We had 14+ high school/college students from the neighborhood, and staff members, from Urban Life (a like-minded ministry)jump in with us as counselors and coordinators for the week.  This is a truly amazing partnership in the making.

8 ) We had two non-Christian teen counselors become Christians and get baptized this past Sunday. These were last minute, take a risk and invite to intern, athletes from Hoover. One I coach on the cross country team, another is on the wrestling team, where another staff member coaches. OK…could keep going.
Amazing Camp = Amazing God who really loves this community

Testimony!

Steven and his small group. Top L to R: Steven, Kevin. Bottom L to R: Mallysa, Marianna

Remember my previous blog post about collaborations? Steven is a college student from UCSD’s InterVarsity.  During the New Heights Project, he lead our some interns in small group.  To clarify, when Steven mentions SDUP, he is talking about San Diego Urban Project- an InterVarsity Summer URBAN Missions trip.  4 SDUP students joined us, at our New Heights Project, in its entirety.

Steven Yuan:
By far, the most impacting event that happened over my time at SDUP would be experiencing Kevin’s conversion. Throughout the month, I lead Kevin in a small group, processing things we were learning about Jesus. It was crazy because I could track through the whole month how God was moving in his heart. Everything that he said pointed towards a reconciliation between him and God. I didn’t notice how ripe the harvest was, however, until Kathy had a texting conversation that led to her casually asking if he was ready to accept Christ in his heart. When I heard that I was taken aback because I thought it was so bold, but then I realized that he actually was at a point where the question was appropriate. So, I sat with him in McDonald’s with Kathy as he prayed for a life with Christ, and decided to get baptized. Then on Sunday, before the baptism, I heard him say that a large part of his conversion was hearing how I lived my life according to Christ. That almost made me cry. And so I learned two very important things from Kevin’s story. One, our unseen influences far out weight the influence we can observe, especially when we live following Christ. Second, don’t be afraid to reap the harvest. Kevin was ready for the harvest, yet my fear of being too forward kept me from seeing that. My witnessing life has no doubt been transformed by seeing Kevin come to Christ, and I can only praise God for that.

In general, I would say that SDUP was eye opening, but that sort of cliched phrase would in no way do the project justice. Learning about the injustices that happen in San Diego is eye opening. But living in the midst of all that happens, talking to the people that are directly involved in these injustices, that is life changing. I see how following Jesus is so inextricably connected with justice… there’s no such thing as being Christian and ignoring justice. However, with Christians, justice is not just bringing relief, bringing equality, and ending suffering, its about reconciling relationships with people, and more importantly reconciling relationships with God. Being at SDUP has really helped me see this reality more clearly, and start to take practical steps to live it out.

New Heights Project 2010 Video

My cousin, Thien Pham was part of SDUP and NHP.  Below is a video he created for us.

L to R: Say Reh, Mugisha, and Thien with his fancy camera that did the video below.

The beginning of the clip is a flash of all the fun the NHP team had together.  Notice all the smiling and laughter.   Frowning is bad for business;) Toward the end of the video, the rewind is the interview process each teenage went through to become our intern.  We wanted to give them true work experience so we had the “real life” process of application, reference letter, interviews, etc.

Sometimes the embedded video works, other times it doesn’t.  I’ve been trying to have it displayed consistently for hours.  I apologize if the video doesn’t appear.  Here is the link: New Heights Project 2010 YouTube clip

New Heights Project

Updated entry:

Greetings, Party People!

I hope this message finds you well!

We’ve got some exciting things we’re doing here in the month of July.  I would be a fool to not involved you and humbly ask for your intercession.  You and I both know we have an enemy who hates what I do and the ministries I am involved.  The enemy hates that you love and support me, so more reasons to pray:)  For example, I needed to do some printing and scanning this evening.  This should usually take no more than 30 mins.  It took a couple of hours due to technical difficulties.

What’s going on in July, you ask?
Answer: New Heights Project!

This is what’s going on, would appreciate your prayer:)

New Heights Project:

We believe that City Heights will be made “new,” when young servant leaders from our community trust and live into God’s vision of “making all things new” through Jesus Christ.

The summer internship is a chance for teens and college students to capture this vision as they realize their place in the Body of Christ, the continued presence of Jesus on earth, in and through his people.  We hope to participate in this ongoing work of renewal in our community, in the same posture as our Lord, as we kneel down to “wash the feet” of the community.

Our Interns –   Are teens are from City Heights. Currently, we are expecting 11 teens.  3 of those teens are not familiar with Jesus but are open to discovering more about Him.  3 other teens are on the fence and the last 5 are committed followers of Jesus.  The teens will be joined by college students from Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, who will function as teen mentors throughout the summer.  These college students have given up 6 weeks of their summer to serve in our inner city.  May they learn God’s heart for the poor.

Our Teachers – In addition to service-learning projects, kids clubs, and day camps, our high school and college interns will also participate in daily Leadership Training.     We are blessed to have a network of friends, local lay-leaders and gifted teachers who will teach on different topics related to “Servant Leadership.” Please pray for these 8-10 individuals who will be challenging and equipping our high school interns.

Our Kids – For 4 weeks, we will be running Bible Clubs with kids in apartment complexes in City Heights, and inviting them to a week long Summer Day Camp which consists of Vacation Bible School and recreational activities.  Also, we will be working with refugee kids, from a variety of faith traditions, teaching English through activities, games, and field trips. Pray that families and children would be woven into long term relationships, beyond our short-term efforts.

Our Funding –  We treat the internship “like a real job,” in order to prepare teens for the “real world.”  The teens went to the New Heights Project Info Session and Tips on Interviewing Workshop (I lead these sessions and memories of my college years flooded my brain!).  They filled out our applications, submitted reference forms and completed the formal interview process!  As they meet high expectations, and put in hours of work, they get paid!   We have committed to providing each student with a $300 stipend.  Please pray for our funding.  Please contact me if you are feel lead to give.

Our Ministry Partners- We firmly believe as followers of Christ, we are all one Body.  This summer, several organizations and churches are partnering with us. Much coordination is involved.  Please pray for extended grace and for new ways to see Jesus through serving others.
Below is the group and some of the ways they are involved:
Harbor Church- Mid City (where I serve, community groups donating dinner and hosting our de-brief nights)
Harbor Church- Carmel Valley (help with Refugee Camp)
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (leaders/mentors for our high school interns)
World Impact (coordinate Kids Klub and assist VBS/Summer Day Camp)
Spring Canyons Church (supplied curriculum, crafts, recreational  equipment, etc VBS/Summer Day Camp)
UrbanLife/Orange Ave. Church (facilities, manpower, t-shirt donations for camp)
Indian Hills Camp (free retreat facilities on campground)
San Diego Rescue Mission (snacks)
Church from Alabama (crafts for VBS, manpower)

Thanks for your prayers!

FormSpring Hate Mail

Greetings, All:)

I have a FormSpring account. www.formspring.me/kathybigfoot

On that site, anyone can anonymously write me a comment or question and I will respond.

Recently I received my first hate mail, here is the click and paste:

“okay heres the thing. first of all you are so fake, with you wanna be attitude. you think you are all that, you are not!!! sorry, not only do people think you are ugly but they believe you are not a girl!ewwww, i cant stand you….”

After personal reflection, prayer and time in God’s word, here is my response:

Greetings, Anonymous:)

Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry you feel this way. It seems like you’re upset with me. I am sorry I have hurt you. Please know that it is not my intention. I try not to be hurtful.
It breaks my heart for you to think I am fake. When asked to describe myself using three adjectives, one of the adjectives I use is “honest.” I know when I work with teens I have to wear different hats: parent, friend, mentor, shepherd/spiritual adviser, cheerleader, etc. Perhaps these different roles confuse you and you think I am fake. I am sorry for the confusion.
As for the “wanna be attitude,” the thing is, I really talk the way I talk. Some would classify it as “urban.” To speak otherwise would be “fake.” If I give off some sorta “gangsta” persona, well, I think we both know I am not a gangsta. I am a missionary and youth pastor and more importantly the daughter of the Most High. My identity is in Christ, I am His Beloved and He is mine. Perhaps my confidence in Christ as be misunderstood as being a “wanna be”? I apologize to you and to Christ if I have done anything to let me shine instead of letting Christ shine.

“you think you are all that, you are not!!! sorry, not only do people think you are ugly but they believe you are not a girl!ewwww, i cant stand you….”

Let me now address the statement above. I appreciate the reminder of why I have not pursued a career as a super model:) Every time someone gives me feedback, I process it. I consider what the person is saying and from what angle do they speak. I don’t automatically write off what someone says, nor do I let their words define me. I also consider what is God’s truth. For me, God’s truth is His words in the Bible. Here are God’s truths:

2 Samuel 16:7– But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Psalm 139:13-15
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth

So God knows my heart, He is not consumed by my outsider appearance. He made me. If you look at Psalm 139:14, God made me DOPE! He made you dope! He made those with physical limitations dope. How awesome is God, right? So when I give you the feeling of me thinking I am “all that.” Believe me, I am and I am not! I am all that because God doesn’t make mistakes. God loved me so much that His beloved Son died for me and for this I rejoice! God loves you that much too! I am super critical, especially of myself. I will list you reasons of why I am not all that: I am selfish, judgmental, bias, superficial, materialistic, a glutton, I lack discipline, etc. I can go on and on. It is in my weakness that Christ becomes my strength.

I encourage you to not definite yourself to what others have said about you too. God made you beautiful! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Now, please give me a moment to address you. Believe it out not, I care about you and your heart. When I read your note, I was sadden not just by what you said, but by where your heart must be to say such words.

Luke 6:45– The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

What a great time to do a heart check! I am a sinful person, often times the things that come out of my mouth are disgusting. Thank you for reminding me to check my heart. I strongly encourage you to check your heart also.
On the top of my mind, some questions for us to ask ourselves:

How am I doing?
How do I feel? Why do I feel the way I do?
What are the positive influences in my life?
What are the negative influences, how am I dealing with these negative influences?

It is too easy to treat the symptom. Like when you or I say nasty things, it is too easy to just stop speaking. The challenge and goal is to address our heart. WHAT REALLY IS GOING ON?

I say this in all honesty; my heart breaks as I consider what you may be going through to say such things to me. Things must not be okay. How’s school going? Work? Your relationships with friends, with your family, your girlfriend or boyfriend… How are things going? I pray that you allow God to heal your hurts.
Thank you for taking the time to read my response to your message. You may not believe this and I may not have shown it, but I do truly care for you. That is why I took the time to write this response. I have been praying that God would let me know how I should respond. It would be too easy to just write it off as “hate mail.”

If you are willing, let’s talk. Let’s make right however I have wronged you.

May you be encouraged to know God is so in love with you. He made you beautifully. Live in that.
_____________________________

I share this in hope that it may encourage you. I also ask for your prayer, would you join me as we pray for the author of this message?

Also, would you please pray for me.  The week I receive the comment, I was bummed to say the least.  After writing my response, I’ve noticed that I have been more distant from teens.  When I interact with a teen, I wonder if the teen I am speaking to is the author of the comment.  Now, I haven’t completely moved on, but it definitely isn’t a distraction.

Thank you.

A Letter to a Non-Believer

From a click and paste from Esquire (magazine):

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn’s Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn’t quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don’t know Jesus.

Some folks snickered. Some told him to shut the hell up. A couple of teenagers tried to steal the dead body in the coffin. All I could do was think to myself, I want to jump up on a box beside him and yell at the top of my lungs, “God is not a monster.” Maybe next time I will.

The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have given the atheists less and less to disbelieve. And the sort of Christianity many of us have seen on TV and heard on the radio looks less and less like Jesus.

At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, “I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ.” A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That’s the ugly stuff. And that’s why I begin by saying that I’m sorry.

Now for the good news.

I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it’s that you can have great answers and still be mean… and that just as important as being right is being nice.)

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it… it was because “God so loved the world.” That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven… but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our “Gospel” is the message that Jesus came “not [for] the healthy… but the sick.” And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe in the afterlife, but too often all the church has done is promise the world that there is life after death and use it as a ticket to ignore the hells around us. I am convinced that the Christian Gospel has as much to do with this life as the next, and that the message of that Gospel is not just about going up when we die but about bringing God’s Kingdom down. It was Jesus who taught us to pray that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” On earth.

One of Jesus’ most scandalous stories is the story of the Good Samaritan. As sentimental as we may have made it, the original story was about a man who gets beat up and left on the side of the road. A priest passes by. A Levite, the quintessential religious guy, also passes by on the other side (perhaps late for a meeting at church). And then comes the Samaritan… you can almost imagine a snicker in the Jewish crowd. Jews did not talk to Samaritans, or even walk through Samaria. But the Samaritan stops and takes care of the guy in the ditch and is lifted up as the hero of the story. I’m sure some of the listeners were ticked. According to the religious elite, Samaritans did not keep the right rules, and they did not have sound doctrine… but Jesus shows that true faith has to work itself out in a way that is Good News to the most bruised and broken person lying in the ditch.

It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a Samaritan or a prostitute. In fact the Scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute named Rahab, an adulterous king named David… at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey. Some say God spoke to Balaam through his ass and has been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to use us, then we should be grateful but not think too highly of ourselves. And if upon meeting someone we think God could never use, we should think again.

After all, Jesus says to the religious elite who looked down on everybody else: “The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of you.” And we wonder what got him killed?

I have a friend in the UK who talks about “dirty theology” — that we have a God who is always using dirt to bring life and healing and redemption, a God who shows up in the most unlikely and scandalous ways. After all, the whole story begins with God reaching down from heaven, picking up some dirt, and breathing life into it. At one point, Jesus takes some mud, spits in it, and wipes it on a blind man’s eyes to heal him. (The priests and producers of anointing oil were not happy that day.)

In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay “out there” but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, “Nothing good could come.” It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society’s rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.

It is this Jesus who was born in a stank manger in the middle of a genocide. That is the God that we are just as likely to find in the streets as in the sanctuary, who can redeem revolutionaries and tax collectors, the oppressed and the oppressors… a God who is saving some of us from the ghettos of poverty, and some of us from the ghettos of wealth.

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, “I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you.” If those of us who believe in God do not believe God’s grace is big enough to save the whole world… well, we should at least pray that it is.

Your brother,

Shane Claiborne

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209#ixzz0hC9ZziJB

Kathy, here.  I clicked and pasted the above because that is the essences of me, our ministry and the story I want to share.  As I read the article above, I heard my boss, Chris’ voice echoing Shane’s voice.  I am learning so much about God’s heart for the poor and Jesus’ movement toward social justice and “heaven on Earth.”  Being saved is fantastic, really.  But WHAT ARE WE SAVED FOR?  A comfortable life?  Tunnel vision and absent-mindedness from the poor in our own backyard? (Or the county below Orange County).  Lots to think about, huh?  May we seek God and be about what Jesus is about…

As I continue to learn, grow and fail- I will share and invite you into my journey.  Good times ahead:)

On to other updates…

Today was an emotionally heavy day.  God has granted me crazy favor with the teens.  God has also created me with heighten emotional intelligence and strong people skills.   I sense something was up…  Today, through God’s grace and trust established, I heard two stories of rape.   For the sake of confidentiality, I will refrain from the specifics.  I ask for your prayer.  One of the two stories is on the path of healing and loves Jesus.  The other is just starting out, brand-spanking new and young.

Please pray for the following and anything else the Spirit leads:
-God’s healing and restoration
-God’s redemption, many their pains draw them closer to Jesus and may they be the Wounded Healer
-Surrender to God, daily even and may they be sensitive to God as He show up as they seek Him
-For me… for God to guide and lead me as I lead, learn legal issues, find resources, etc.    Please pray God will bless me with His wisdom.  May I also be a good friend.

Thanks for your continuous prayers, your prayers sustain me.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and Love,

Kathy

Roller Coaster Journey

Greetings, Readers!

Lately, I’ve been experiencing my life as a roller coaster. I’m on a ride of highs and lows. Highs of hearing my students pray, depth with new friends, kick a double s workouts, meeting new teens and them wanting Jesus, etc. Then there are the lows. Lows of teens getting locked up, teens getting jumped, feelings of being unknown and not having community, challenges of fund-raising, etc.

While on this roller coaster, I’ve been asking God for more stability. I don’t want my life to be a roller coaster or to live in reaction to the things around me.

Currently, I’m at the gym, on a stationary bike pedaling and pedaling but heading no way (joke). I’m thinking about this roller coaster life and God gave me insight:

My God is constant. He is the same today, yesterday, and forevs!

He is with me, along for the ride and hopefully driving.

Also, in this journey with God, it is exactly that- a journey.  I’m in the roller coaster season and I’m seeking God. If it was all chill, I would be less engaged.

God knows me so well.

Who’s the baddest!?!  (God.)

Blog written on: Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 9:37 AM

IOB FASTING

Greetings Dear Readers!

I hope this letter finds you well:)  As you are well aware, this week starts the season of Lent.

Recently, I rather the teens for a lesson on fasting.  Several IOB teens have decided to practice the spiritual discipline of fasting!   I am so excited to lead and join them in this new adventure:)  Our goal to be more prayerful in this season.   Since our Winter Retreat, we have been studying prayer.  Our focus is to seek Christ in the mist of our physically desires: food, junk food!

The teens are giving up chips, soda and candy.  This past Tuesday night, while I was driving them home, we ran low on gas.  I made a quick pit stop to get gas and we had a Mardi Gras-type-a-binge.  I know, I know… so awful.    Below is the picture of some teens and their “last meal.”  Under that is the receipt so you can get an idea on our craziness.  I love Youth Ministry!

My personal fasting list:

dining out only twice a week
no to the following:
chinese fast food
mexican fast food
fried foods
desserts, including ice cream
candy
chips
alcohol

Major prayer focuses are:
-Fund-raising
-Community/Friends I can hang out with in SD (I am a hanger outter)
-”Let go, Let God”

Mardi Gras Junk Binge

Fasting Pre-Party

Our AM PM cashier was bewildered by our purchase.  I explained to her what we were doing and she smiled.  Good times!

Food for Thought from my daily devotional:

1. During this season of Lent, focus on the knowledge of your own brokenness, yearning for healing, desire for transformation, and dependence upon Jesus. Reflect on the areas of your life that need transformation.

2. What are those areas in your life that get in the way of you being who Jesus wants you to be?

Thanks for reading.

Thanks for your prayer supporter!

Peace and Love,

Kathy

Happy New Year!

the harvest is ready!

Winter Retreat Re-Cap!

Greetings, All!

Happy New Year!  I have mailed out or have personally given you a New Year picture greeting card.  My hope is that I will be on your fridge and every time you want to feed your physically body, you will give a spiritual shout out to God on my behalf.  Thank you for your prayers and remembering me and the mission field of City Heights!

Winter Retreat:  Thank you for your prayers!  I know your supplication on our behalf added to God’s power throughout the retreat.  Your continual prayers and support encourages my spirit.

For example, I am confident that when I could have snapped at teens for violating “LIGHTS OUT!” it was the power of your prayers that gave me patience.

I am confident that your prayers of community building, vulnerability, and prayers of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit were what made our retreat so special.  (Respectfully, God is powerful and has great plans for us… the retreat was a manifestation of such.)

God moved.
Community was built.
God was worshiped.
Life-stories were shared, burdens were carried.

The retreat’s outline was as follows:

Devotionals/Quiet Time:
I made a retreat packet for the teens which included our covenant, activity time schedules, and daily devotionals.  The devotionals were about learning how to pray based on the A.C.T.S. model, from the Matthew 6 passage.  I gave each teen a journal as a Christmas present, so they journal’ed too.  Twice a day, teens engaged God on their own.  They embraced the awkwardness, newness and took steps of faith to encounter God.  I feel like a parent seeing my baby walk for the first time!  Do you remember when you first started hanging out with God on your own? 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Worship:
My cousin Thien who leads worship in Orange County and my cousin Kha who leads worship in Arizona came to serve us as worship leaders.  They are extremely gifted and talented in leading God’s people into engaging and responding to God through Worship.  WOOOO!  “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.   Praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6

A picture of Kha, taken by Thien

Thien taking a picture, taken by Kha

Leaders’ Life Stories:
IOB’s first youth meeting was held at the end of Sept.  We are new!  I wanted the teens to know who their leaders are and why we lead and where is God in all of this…  We shared our past, our brokenness, God’s redemption and healing, etc.  What a wonderful way to model transparency and authenticity!

I will not die but live and proclaim what the Lord has done. Psalm 118:17

Small Groups:
After hearing a leader’s life story, we got into small groups.  In our small groups, we processed and responded to what we heard.  We answered questions such as, “Who has influenced your faith life?”  “How did hearing his life story give you a new perspective on your life story?”  “How has Jesus shown up in your life?” etc.

Family Chores:
The teens were split into small groups and were given daily responsibilities: lunch prep, dinner clean-up, setting the tables, cleaning toilets, etc.  Giving teens responsibilities, expectations and standards is a beautiful thing!  They have an opportunity to take pride in their work, learning how to be respectful and of course how to serve!

Making homemade spread for the garlic bread (and rhyming!)

meatball sammies!

Community Building:
We were all given a “mailbox” (brown lunch bag) to decorate and personalize.  Throughout the retreat, we can all give each other mail.  As we had words of encouragements, or random thoughts to share, we would write it out and drop it in each others’ mailboxes.

Personalizing Our Mailboxes

We also built community through sharing laughter and participating in games!

We are a funny bunch!

Apples to Apples!

Enjoying God’s Beauty at Coronado:
One afternoon, we dragged the reluctant teens out of the home to see God through His beautiful creation.  God blessed us with a beautiful day!  (It rained the day after.  So God really hooked it up!)  My cousins who lead worship are also photographers.  Here are some moments they captured:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Check out the sky! Another declaration of God's creation...

Of Course We JUMPED!

We chilled

We also FIST PUMPED!

Teens Shared Their Stories:
So moving.  So powerful.  So heart breaking.
The Holy Spirit is within us and gives us boldness, boldness to risk and share our pains and past.  On the last night and last morning, the teens shared their life stories.  They individually worked on a project to help them organize their thoughts.
I am glad God used the leaders’ model of rawness to pave the way for the teens to share.  My heart broke and continues to break as I heard and remember their stories.  I want to take a bat and beat a tree!  Majority of my girls have been sexually abused, all the teens come from broken families filled with alcohol and drug abuse.

I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. Psalm 118:13

Post retreat feedback from teens:
I asked one of my girls what were her favorite things from the retreat.  She said she loved worship and the quiet times.  She then asked for more quiet time material!  Praise God!
A text transcript between me and a teen… this teen is the newest teen to IOB.  Teens love to text, me too! (Of course “in person” is better)
ME: Hey.  What did you think of the retreat?
TEEN: It was really cool.  I had so much fun.
ME: What were your favorite memories?
TEEN: Everything actually.
ME: Haha.  Cool.  Yet, can you specify?
TEEN: When we went into groups and talked about our lives.  And hearing everyone’s stories.

My thoughts, post-retreat:

-The Shalom of Jesus
The next morning, after a night of hearing most of the teens’ stories, God gave me encouragement and purpose as a leader.  During my time with Him, He brought Mark 5 to my attention.  It is the story of the lady who had been bleeding for 12 years.  She desperately sought  Jesus for His healing power.  In verse 34, Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from suffering.”  The Hebrew word for “peace” is “Shalom.”  Shalom is a strong and powerful word!  Shalom is about wholeness, holistic restoration, and FREEDOM.
My teens.  My beloved teens.  Please join with me as we pray for God’s Shalom in their lives.  May they desperately seek Jesus with full knowledge and confidence that He heals.

My Future:
Jesus is my Great Shepherd and He is equipping me to be my teens’ shepherd.  He gives me verses, like the above and a heart and passion for the teens.  I am to lead them to Christ for healing, restoration and growth in Jesus.  The teens did not have to share their life stories.  They did not have to be vulnerable.  God is moving in their lives and they are breaking the shackles of the past that bind them.  They could have been guarded with walls, just like all other teens.

I shared with some dear friends and talked to Thien who witnessed the retreat and they spoke affirmation into my life.  This is my calling, to lead these teens.    Please continue to lift us up in your prayers!

In order for me to lead and to be present in their lives, I need partners to join with me because I can not do it alone.  Please continue to pray for my fund-raising.  Currently, I am at approximately 50% of my goal.  Please let me know if you know of others who many be interesting in investing in the kingdom, in teens, in changing America’s ghetto, in supporting a sister in Christ who is being obedient to God… all of this breaks me and leads me tearfully humbled before God.  I know He has called and and will back up His call with His provision.  Please join with me in prayer for God’s manna to rain from the heavens.

Sidebar: Do know that this is not a one way partnership.  I am praying with you. I praise God for you!  I love it when I am involved in your lives.  I love hearing your stories, and carrying your burdens to the foot of the Cross.   Our God is omnipresent and He unites us, me in City Heights and you, where ever you are…. Orange County, San Jose, Arizona, New York, Texas, Boston, etc.  Our God is BIG:)

Praying with you,

Kathy

Winter Retreat Prayer Request

From an email you may have received…. (if you didn’t receive this email, let me know and I will add you to my email list.  Thanks.)

Good Morning, Lovely Friends and Phamily!

In a few hours, we will be off to our First Annual I.O.B. Winter Retreat!

We’ve been praying for God to bless us with free lodging for our retreat, being a Wonderful Provider that He is, He hooked us with a lady named Kaye.  Kaye offered us her home in Coronado, CA for free.  (Please don’t mistake Coronado for Corona.  Coronado is a nice island that is connected to San Diego by Coronado Bridge).

Please remember us in your prayers.

Prayer Requests:

-Safe Travels
Transportation to and from the retreat.  My 2 cousins, who are worship leaders in their respective churches are leading worship for our retreat, may God bless their commute too.
-Personal Health and Safety
I’m fighting this cough/congestion I received from my recent East Coast trip.  Also, teen/leaders to be healthy and safe… from food and environment (especially since I am cooking)
-Spiritual Awakening
This is the very first retreat for all but 2 of the teens.  We will be learning about spending time with God through prayer and reading the Bible and worship.  May God rock AND roll!
-Community Building
May we enjoy each other’s presence, be authentic and loving.  I am already hearing lip, “OMG, SHE is going… aaahhh…”  (followed by the “Adolescence Eye Roll” and an exhale, true story!)
-Logistics
May I have wisdom to either be flexible on the schedule and/or  know when to be strict and in both cases may the teens see Christ.  God’s grace is sufficient!
(Funny, as I was typing this, my phone alarm reminder just said, “Pull it together!  Pray:) )
-Teen and Leaders
Y’all, just pray for us.  The headcount is up in the air (which makes making a retreat tricky… but that’s the joy of urban ministry)…. current count: 11 teens.  Also, each leader (including me) will be sharing their full length testimony.  May God empower the leaders, and strengthen the teens.
-Good times!
It is a retreat!  We should retreat away from the daily grind and chill with God and others.  (I am giving myself a talk, obviously)  May we be filled with joy!  Sometimes I forget to have fun (I know, right… me…. forget… its madness).  Jesus chilled and slept on the boat during the storm.  May all the attendees, including staff chill:)

Thanks for praying!  Retreat is from the 28th-30th.  Please continue to pray.  I will update on my Facebook’s status, during the free time at the retreat, if appropriate.

Will also send a quick re-cap email post-retreat and blog/pic the rest.

From my notes from this Summer, may it encourage you and me: “Leadership is not about trying harder and getting it right, its about Jesus and what He can do.”

And boy (girl), my God is AH-MAZ-ZING!

Blessings, Beloved.  I Love you!

iob retreat flyer