Swiftly Shifting Perspectives

It's nice to be hit with a dose of reality and varying circumstances every once in a while, especially in the midst of the excitement and the glitz a big city has to offer.

All of the ASP and WJC students were divided into groups and given service projects around the city. Some groups helped with childcare and food prep, but I ended up going to a drug rehab center sponsored through Gospel Rescue Missions. I honestly could not have been more excited about a service project! I have always had a heart for people who have gotten mixed up in drugs and such dangerous lifestyles because of how quickly they can deteriorate a life and how utterly difficult it is to change paths once involved. In the last week and a half, my group went to the rehab center three times, the last of which being this past Thursday. I spent most of my time doing one-on-one tutoring in math and reading with the residents there, and each person made such a different impact on me.

Fifty-year-old Bruce looked so gruff on the outside and although I could definitely tell that he had a shadier past (and that he still seemed to be in the middle of conflict), he was such a fun, boisterous person who was really fun to joke around with. And he was sharp -- he picked up on concepts very quickly. Then there was Marsha (50), by far the biggest personality in the room. She talked quickly and loudly -- quite the match for me -- and we were laughing and teasing each other back-and-forth the entire time I was helping her with math ... we were definitely the loudest in the room and despite all of our ruckus, we got a lot done.

Barry (about 40) was much quieter and serious, and he struggled quite a bit with reading, but I could tell that he was trying so hard. And a friend of his who was also being tutored asked about his progress in a brotherly way as we were working, and Barry was quick to affirm me that this friend had been a lot of help and support since he had gotten there. Finally, David and I helped elderly Palo with his resume, and it shocked me how much management experience he had from different jobs. It's shocking how much of a downward spiral one's life can take when drugs are involved. It was such an enriching experience to immerse myself with people who have felt such extreme harshness and are struggling to climb that upward slope. I'm hoping that I will be able to go back to the rehab center on my own a few times throughout the semester.

On the other side, my friends and I had quite the experience the other night. We went to the opening of the CCCU conference at the Hyatt, and heard David Kinnaman, the author of "unChristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity ... and Why it Matters." He was a Biola grad and much younger than I expected, and I was thoroughly impressed with what he had to say. He discussed the increasing negative views about evangelicals among my generation and why this was. Kinnaman provided insight into how this generation must be reached in different ways and mediums, and literally everything he said resonated.

After his talk, Rachelle, Shanley and I journied through the mass of CCCU presidents and found Dr. Barry Corey and his wife. We spent about 30 minutes talking with them about their trip here and what they thought about Kinnaman's talk. In the last year-and-a-half that Corey's been at Biola, I've found myself accumulating respect for him, and I was struck two nights ago by how personal and insightful he was. And his wife is just adorable. We then went and joined the other WJC'ers who were talking with Kinnaman and asked questions about some clarifications, and he provided even further thought about the subjects.

When we walked out of the Hyatt, it was pretty late, probably 9:30 or 10, and we went to the bus stop to wait for the next bus. It was freezing, and we waited for about 15 minutes with still no bus. All of a sudden a black stretch limo pulled up to the curb, and the driver rolled down his window. "Where are you all headed?" he asked. Rachelle told him, and he then told us, "Get in, you've got a free limo ride!"

I realize how sketch this sounds, but there were 11 of us, including a couple of guys, and this was just too amazing of an opportunity to pass up! So we all piled into the limo, with the two guys and one of the girls voicing how this was a bad idea and we were all going to end up murdered somewhere, but the rest of us were ecstatic. Honestly, when do you get offered a free limo ride? Never! And sure enough, our limo driver did not pull a gun on us, take us to his gangster friends, or attempt to kidnap and ransom us. Instead he stopped across the street from our apartments, got out, and held the door open for us as we all got out. What a fun, crazy way to end a wonderful night!

We had class all day yesterday, and in the evening all of us in WJC watched the movie "Shattered Glass" over a burrito dinner. The film, starring Hayden Christensen, was about Stephen Glass who got away with fabricating 27 out of his 41 stories with The New Republic. It was pretty interesting, and I would definitely recommend it to any of you who haven't seen it! But then again, it probably was more interesting due to the fact that we were all journalism nerds :)

Then last night a bunch of us from WJC and ASP braved the cold to view the monuments at night. Rachelle, Zack, Mark, Jeremy and I left a little bit later, but we met up with the larger group at the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite!) and then continued on to the FDR monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the WWII memorial. I have to say, they are all so much more breathtaking at night, illuminated and free of the crowds. I still keep having the mentality that I need to cram in all these sights, and then I'm struck with the fact that I'm not visiting ... I'm living here until May! I have all the time in the world, and I can take everything in slowly.

I'm still in disbelief that I'm here, and I feel so utterly blessed to have this opportunity. I really want to be a good steward of this time, and let God use me to the fullest. I don't think this will be too difficult considering that I wake up every morning so excited for a new day with new experiences in a new city ... wow, I'm blessed.