This is my internship class at our Palomar Retreat in Mid-May. As you can see we take each other very seriously. The retreat was an incredible time of bonding with community and taking some time to rest and stop worrying about life so much. I really loved the time to reflect on the year and how God has been teaching me to care for my neighbors and grow in community. We got to shoot rifles and ride horses and of course just enjoy being out of the city. One thing that came out of the retreat for me was the need to communicate with my roommates better and share more vulnerably because I can't do this alone. Lately we've been able to pray more together and really trust each other which has been great.

After a long absence...

So, I know I've been away from my blog for a while but I'm back now. Life has been absolutely crazy, but it a good way because I love my new job and it challenges me daily. Right now is a really exciting time to be in the health policy field because the healthcare system in LA County is really under a lot of pressure because of budget cuts. Many hospitals and ERs are closing or at risk of closing and it is scary to think of our healthcare system going into a complete meltdown. Our work consists of gathering the data and synthesizing it into a clear message that people can understand and take a stand on. Every day I'm learning something new and it is so gratifying to feel like I can work for my community in SouthLA both from the policy side at work and at the community level with Servant Partners.

Our ministry projects are underway and our team is pioneering an ESL class for local spanish speakers. We average about 4-5 people a week and focus on speaking and comprehension of English. Our students are moms, construction workers, and are all very enthusiastic about getting one-on-one help with learning English. It has been great to partner with Iva as she teaches and to learn how to delegate tasks, cooperate, and come up with innovative ideas for the class. In the meantime, we are also beginning our "gifts project" which involves reading a book and soliciting advice from others on what our natural and acquired gifts are. In other words, we are trying to figure out what we excel at and how to focus our energy on honing those skills while also strengthening those that are not as strong.

Please pray for me during this time because life can get extremely hectic and full and at times it is difficult to remember to pray and maintain healthy relationships. Yet, God is awesome even in the midst of busyness. My roommates and I are growing closer through learning to share our lives more fully it has been incredible to see how we can each be a part of each other's healing and growth. I'd be happy to elaborate in person on this so please write to me if you'd like more details. Thanks!