Christmas in Golden Hill

Colin, Derek and John, originally uploaded by hallywood.

A liturgical expression of 4th Sunday of Advent.
Christmas carols.
Tamales and Cuban black beans.
And a rousing white elephant gift exchange.

It was a good Christmas dinner with friends in Golden Hill.

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Nick, David and little Carlos

Nick, David and little Carlos, originally uploaded by hallywood.

The weekend before last, a group of us traveled 90 miles south of the border into Mexico to an area about 10 miles below Ensenada. There, we landed at Casa Esperanza (Hope House), a shelter for women who are victims of domestic abuse, and their children.

It was a dirty, wonderful, magical weekend, spent with new and old friends, serving, working, laughing, praying, and sharing lives with some of the least among those living in this border region of Mexico.

Shelters for women in Mexico are rare. The problem of domestic abuse goes largely ignored in this culture, but a deep culture wound it is. Women who manage to escape abusive relationships typically have no where to go. This makes Casa Esperanza more than a special place.

I've been to Casa Esperanza a number of times, and among the many things that stand out to me, are the children. Specifically, how the children react to men being at Esperanza.

Most of these kids have never had a positive male role model in their lives. Most don't know what's it's like to have a dad playing with them, having a catch, kicking the futbol around, or just hanging out. Many have been abused in unimaginable ways.

So when I see one of the guys in our group taking time out from a serving project or task to play with a kid, play tag with them, kick a ball, or hoist them up onto shoulders, I am warmed in ways beyond words.

Some kids embrace this attention immediately. Others seem to take time to warm up to the idea of a man who may be fun, playful or affectionate in honest, loving ways. Yet embrace they do. Their eyes light up. Hearts melt. And it is in these moments I feel I see the very expression of Jesus himself.

/jon

Prep for Sunday

U2 at the Rose Bowl

-We have read through the Gospel and now we want to reflect on what we read. Just like what Rob said on Sunday, we want to share when the kingdom came alive to you. You can share a passage or a story or something that we talked about on Sunday.

-It would be cool if you could share by having some type of creative expression such as a picture, song, poem, art piece, food, or anything you want.

-It would also be cool if everyone could share something so come prepared.

-We are also going to have the cover contest for the best Gospel cover. If you haven't done anything yet you still have time. There will be a prize for the winner!!!

Scan the entire Gospel for something to share about what you learned of the kingdom and it coming alive to you.

Here's an example for me about the kingdom coming alive. I am on a U2 kick so I decided to go with one of there songs.

Miracle Drug

Grupo Mexico

Grupo Mexico, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Shot through the back window of the van, as we were leaving the colonia of Grupo Mexico.

A day in Tijuana

Grupo Mexico, originally uploaded by hallywood.

A group of us spent the day earlier this week in Tijuana, learning about Tijuana's history, experiencing some of it's profound contrasts, and meeting some of its amazing people. Its border crossing with San Diego is the most-crssed border in the world (300,000 people a day), is 15 minutes from our community of Golden Hill, and is part of the 5 million person metro area of San Diego and Tijuana. There's so much more to Tijuana than the kitschy (and these days, ghostown-ish) Avenida de Revolucion. We spent the day just beginning to peek below the surface of this amazing city, which one resident called "the most evangelized city in the world."

More photos here.

Map of Golden Hill

View Golden Hill in a larger map

We've got a very preliminary map of our neighborhood, setup on Google Maps. Some of our homes, local eateries, bike shops and coffee shops are indicated. Lots more to be added.

/jon

Chris's 30th Piñata

Mop handle wouldn't work. Resorted to throwing a football to bust it open, then all mayhem broke lose, as friends, family and colleagues resorted to pile-on tactics. Oh, what people will do for some taffy and smarties.