Epic Camping Trip

So, these pictures were from the Epic Camping trip a couple of weeks ago, and I know its a little bit late, actually really late, and I just remembered that Chris had asked me to post these a while back (Sorry everyone!). Anyway, these are just a few of the pictures I was able to take of the trip. Most of them are from the first and last day and for some reason I apparently decided not to take any of the second day. Although it was a little rainy we still had plenty of fun. If you went on the trip then you know what I'm talking about, so get more people to come. And if you didn't get to go you're definitely invited to come next year. Its a really awesome time that you can just spend to hang out (or do homework...) and relax by the beach, catch up with old friends, AND make new ones. Playing Mafia and football, eating amazing food, and I really do mean amazing(thanks Mr. Sata!), and just fellowship with each other, all of which the Lord made possible, always, always makes for a great trip. Anyway, here are a few of the pictures. Enjoy!

grace hayashi on the open mic

One of the difficulties in working with college-age students is trying to minister to the wide variety of people at different faith stages and geographical places who are somehow still connected to our community.  It's not always easy because we recognize that God is not calling all of you to be a part of our community here on a regular basis but we do want you to feel connected whenever you're around.  For this reason, I [chris] really appreciated the chance to catch up with Grace Hayashi during her spring break and hear about what's it's like for her to come back "home" [if that's what you want to call it].  I asked her to write down some of what we talked about and i think it's a refreshingly honest read that some of you students who are away can relate to, but, it's also an eye-opening read for the students who are local.

So without further ado, read on and see life through the eyes of Grace Hayashi [she's the one on the right].

Coming back home is getting progressively more and more weird. The more connected I feel at Westmont College, the less connected I feel to Torrance/Gardena.

God has been doing so much in my life at Westmont. I went from almost certainly a Chemistry major planning to go to medical school to a Religious Studies major with no plans at all. God has constantly been challenging me to set aside my pride and to rid myself of insecurities about how others will view me. Turning down UCLA for a private Christian school in Santa Barbara that few have heard of was just the start.

Better late than never!

Our 3rd annual EPIC camping trip is just around the corner [3/18-20] so we decided it's time to post some memories of our 1st and 2nd trips [compliments of Naomi Chen's YouTube channel and Facebook pics]!  Let's step into the DeLorean for a nice trip back in time... 

Here is a video of our first EPIC camping trip for your enjoyment -

And then some pics from our 2nd EPIC camping trip -

This year's trip promises to be more of the same.  It's just a time to get away for a weekend and unwind.  We'll sit around the campfire at night and just catch up with one another.  We'll play co-ed football at the beach, board games, and ninja during the day.  And all of this is topped off by some gourmet meals cooked by the master chef Dennis Sata.  $30 buys you a weekend of fun, food, and good company!  Space is limited so be sure to sign up ASAP!

Tortilla Chips and Jesus

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... I Peter 3:15

I was snacking on tortilla chips late last night, which is completely out of character for me, and so got me thinking about why I was doing it. Typical of most of my late-night thinking, my introspection produced a straightforward and unadorned conclusion:

"Ohhhhhhh. Salt tastes so good right now!"

The next thought was about as deep as the first.

"I think I'm thirsty now."

Then it dawned on me - Jesus might have thought the same thing at some point. I doubt he was eating tortilla chips, but certainly salt was a precious commodity back in the day, before sugar and spices were so easily available to make things taste good. He told his followers they are "the salt of the earth." Why salt? Because it makes people thirsty, and thirsty people need a drink. What better drink is there to offer than the Living Water.

Question: Are we interacting with our friends in a way that makes them thirsty for Jesus? What would that look like? Does your attitude toward your life make others want whatever it is you have?

The next time you eat a salty snack or get thirsty, wait a few minutes before getting a glass of water, and pray for your friends. The more that people hang out with us, the more they should acquire an uncomfortable, unshakable feeling that they need refreshment. Pray that that feeling will produce questions, and that when those questions come, you'll be ready to give an answer.

Coming Home

August, September, October, and November are now strewn across the end table, torn off our large wall calendar and bearing the scribbles and colors of our resident Pebble. After spending those four months learning that tenuity is not such a bad companion for our calendars, it seems a bit of a joke to put it back up on the wall with all our appointments and plans. As Solomon once said, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Coming home after four months is nice, don’t get me wrong, but it also feels… tenuous.

80s & Udon Preview!!!

Location: Toy's House
26938 Diamondhead Ln
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Time: 5:00pm - 7:30pm

80s attire recommended! (Prize awarded to best dressed)

big drew on the open mic

If you've been with us at EPIC, you know that we've been making our way through the book of James.  Last night we found ourselves in the passage of James 2:14-26 where James basically says that faith without deeds is not true faith at all.  It's a challenging passage and our creative elements team decided that instead of spending time breaking down this passage and discussing it together, let's just provide opportunities to get out of the church and apply it.

Tommy Morse organized three projects for people to participate in - a visit to a local convalescent home [which turned into a neighborhood prayer walk], an outreach to the homeless at Alondra Park, and cooking a homemade dinner and delivering it to a family which consisted of a single mom and her five kids.

Instead of me [chris] telling you about it, I'd like to introduce Big Drew to tell you about his experience last night.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Andrew Terrel Abram.  People call me “Big Drew”.  I grew up in Gardena all my life.  Roosevelt told me about this church.  I’ve been coming to this church for 5 months.  I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

What do you like about being part of the family we call EPIC?

I like being around people my own age, people I can relate to.  I live not too far from the church so this is my community.  I’m a part of the worship team so when I sing, that’s part of my outlet.  There’s still some people I don’t know but it’ll come in time.

So what did you do as part of our service project opportunities last night?

I went to Alondra park to reach out to some homeless people.  The group I was with [Teagan, Lainel, and Josiah] gave out some blankets, and fed them a hot meal.  We talked to a guy named Norman.  He’s been homeless since 2004.  He used to work as a dispatcher at LAX, and then he became a construction worker.  He wanted to work but he got laid off and never found another job.  After the unemployment checks stopped coming, he couldn’t pay rent and was forced to make the streets his home.  It’s not what he wanted for himself but it just happened.

He said it’s hard sometimes, especially when it gets really, really cold.  He makes his rounds through different parks to elude the cops.

We also met a guy named Antonio who also used to be construction worker as well and he’s been homeless for 2 years now.  Him and a couple of his friends sleep under the parking structure.

After spending some time with them, giving them some blankets, and buying them a hot meal, it just felt right to treat the homeless as people and not statistics. 

What did you come away with from the overall experience last night?

That if you don’t put your faith into works, it makes your faith useless.  Also, if you do works for recognition, there’s no worth in that either.  It's just good for us to get out of the church building and be the church.

Any last words you want to say?

If you don’t know me, come up and talk to me and we can get to know each other cause we’re family.