The One with Evil.

Lately I've been really angry about death.
The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get.
          I hate how our loved ones leave this planet.
             I hate the pain and brokenness we experience when one dies.
     I hate the hole the deceased leave in a person.
         I hate how broken my heart is over this.

This causes me to think about the root cause of death, sin.
                          evil.
   I am angry I listen to the devil and go against God.
             I am upset I can't just say no.
   I hate that I desire darkness over the light.
      My soul is troubled by evil.
 
   I am constantly realizing how naive I am.
          There is so much evil and pain in this world.

There are serial killers, there are people selling other human lives into a slavery, there is genocide, there is rape, there is abuse, there are human sacrifices, and a million more evil deeds to be added to this list.

I sit here in America, in my comfortable house in southern California with pure freedom when there are people in this world who have never had a day where they don't have to wonder if they'll live to see tomorrow.

I hate this.
     I am bitter towards God right now.
            I am bitter because I can't achieve world peace.
    I am bitter because so many people have lost their innocence.
I am bitter because He gave us free will and we follow the devil instead of Him.
       I am bitter the devil roams this world.
                  I am bitter because I am evil and have no self-control.
    

The Screams of my Soul

I'm in the middle of writing my senior thesis, which means I shouldn't be blogging. But I can't write this paper right now because of the passion burning deep within my soul is way too overwhelming right now. My thesis is on Hollywood. It's on the need for Jesus to reign there. It's on our Missions Conference theme, which I will explain at some point (I've been meaning to), SET US ABLAZE! It's an intercessory prayer taken from Isaiah 63-66, specifically 64:1-2. It's a prayer for Biola, for LA, for the world! This passion the Lord has given me for Hollywood connects with this theme. 

Hollywood is in a state of desperation and they have a great influence on this world. They need to be shouting the name of Jesus from mountaintops. People will listen. Hollywood is so broken. It's breaking my heart. God is breaking my heart for them. (trust me, I've been trying to run from it, maybe I'm Jonah...) My soul is screaming out to Him. My soul is screaming for this industry, my soul is screaming with passion, my soul is screaming with hope. 

Sorry I'm rambling and this probably makes no sense but I'm so overwhelmed by His love and glory and the desire to see His name spread like wildfire through Hollywood and to the ends of the earth, I can't really make clear statements. Hence, taking a break form my thesis. 

 

I long to see Him declared King by all! 

JESUS REIGNS! He is so good! 

(I decided pictures makes blogging more exciting. I think I'm going to start trying to add one to each blog)

 

Break My Heart for what Breaks Yours.

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my Heart for what breaks yours

Some of you may recognize these lyrics (it’s a song by Hillsong).

The past few months, I’ve been asking Jesus to break my heart for His nations.

I want to see with eyes of love.

He’s been doing just that.

Jesus has been showing me a bit of His heart.

There is so much pain and suffering in this world, in my own backyard.

This past weekend, I had 2 very different experiences.

Friday night, I went down to skid row.

Of course, I’ve seen this brokenness before and there is a sense of comfort I find in it,

I think that’s because I feel close to Jesus when I’m with the homeless,

perhaps it’s because Jesus was homeless.

Saturday night I went into Hollywood.

This is a very different [yet similar] brokenness I saw.

I’d never been to a place like this before in America.

My friends wanted to dance and I wasn’t about to miss out.

While we were “good Christian girls,” I couldn’t help but observe everyone around us.

The longer we stayed, the more everyone around us drank.

By the end of the night, I could no longer be in the club.

My heart was crying for these precious children of God.

My spirit became so heavy, I could barely breathe.

At one point I thought I was going to throw up from the heaviness in my chest.

I walked outside to wait, to search my heart, and to pray. [And to take off my heels]

My heart was breaking.

I was overwhelmed and couldn’t comprehend what just happened.

A little while later we went home.

The next morning at church, my pastor spoke about reaching our local community

and taking seriously the privilege we have in being apart of the body of Christ.

I was still so broken about what I saw the night before.

While I knew that people go “clubbing,”

It wasn’t until I stepped into their world did I understand what this entails.

It breaks my heart this is what many do on a weekly basis, sometimes several times a week.

I was shown another piece of darkness, but the spirit was with me and protected me [my friends too].

The torment in my soul was the battle of good and evil.

Jesus protected me. Jesus brought me closer to him. Jesus showed me more of His heart.

As the message closed and worship began, I couldn’t get the faces of those made in the image of God from the night before out of my head.

I began to cry for them.

I cried because they need to meet Jesus.

I cried because they are seeking truth and haven’t found it.

I cried because Jesus’ heart breaks for these souls.

I cried because my heart was broken for them.

And then as I sat in the presence of God, I cried more because of the cross.

It hit me hard.

God had to turn His back on His only son while Jesus hung on the cross bearing the sin of the world.

I’ve known this, but it never broke me like this before.

I can’t imagine the pain and emptiness Christ felt.

He did this for me.

He did this for those precious children in the club.

He did this for Jackie Chan.

He did this for Osama bin Laden.  

God is Love. 

The One with the Beginning of the End.

I've been back in Los Angeles for a week already. School begins in the morning and my schedule has already been full. It's going to be an interesting year with everything I have, especially Missions Conference. I am honoured to have been chosen as the MC co-director and to be in SMU. I have loved connecting with my co-workers this past week. I look forward to a year of great friends, classes, work, and even relying on God for strength to make it through the stressful times.

I live in a house near campus with 5 other girls. They are a wonderful group of girls pursuing a more intimate relationship with Christ. I have truly been blessed. We have a great house for entertaining and I can't wait to have Biola appropriate parties :).

Another chapter has begun in my life and I look forward to living it, but it's going to be a challenge to balance now and planing for the future. I want to live in the present but I already find myself thinking a lot about the end of next May -- graduation. I hope I don't forget to live now and take full advantage of my last year at such a wonderful place.

The One with the Mid-West.

I love the mid-west.

It's so so so good to be back here!

I've missed it.

It's relaxing. It's a blast. It's wonderful!

Life is beautiful! 

The One with a Blessing.

This fell out of my Bible tonight. It's a blessing someone gave me a year ago. So encouraging! 

'May God give Michelle plans that fill her heart with joy and then fulfill them. May she comprehend God's grace, love, and beauty in greater ways through incredible experiences. May she feel accepted and loved by many close friends and family.'

The One with Hello Goodbye

My time in New York is coming to a close.

The past week, all I wanted to do was leave.

The City that once seemed so huge was shrinking in around me.

The buildings were moving closer together.

The streets were getting tighter.

The people were multiplying.

What once seemed like a long walk 

became a quick stride down the street.

         My world was getting smaller here.

             I was getting claustrophobic. 

   

But last night, I started to get sad. 

I was on the streets in a nasty storm with my good friend.

I love rain and thunder. 

I love New York at night. 

I love Kjirsten.

       I didn’t want to leave.

Tonight, as I walked through Central Park and through the streets of the city, I got sad again. 

             I can’t seem to make up my mind.

I’ve always been a person who gets unsettled when I’ve been somewhere too long.

          Maybe that’s what my problem is.

          Maybe I’ve explored NY so much that it’s no longer a mystery to me.

          Maybe I’m just restless.

Being here isn’t so much an adventure anymore; it’s just everyday life now.

As I contemplate my feelings about this now, I just get confused. 

       All week I was dreaming of sweet summer in Iowa aka leaving NYC.

              But now, I am sad to leave.

      Perhaps I am allowing myself to be sad because I know I’m leaving

But now I am also thinking of leaving everyone (KJ, Laura, Martha, Etc.)

I’ve never been very good at making decisions, 

this could have something to do with that. 

      Or maybe I’m thinking too much.

I don’t know anymore.

But as I sit here I do know something for sure:

              I need my fields.

              I need my fresh air.

              I need my space.

              I need my breath.

              I need quiet.

              I need to not be able to touch the person next to me.

I never knew until this week how much I love the country and open-space.

Once I’ve been away from home for a while, it’s such a wonderful place to go back to.

Although to be honest, I know I could never live in Iowa again.

It’s just a great place to visit; it’s my childhood.

I can’t wait for summer in Iowa.

There is something sweet about it…

            Whitey’s Ice Cream

            Bike Rides along the Mississippi

            Late Night Runs with Bentley (my dog)

            Going to the Drive-in

            Home-made Ice Cream

            Late nights at Old Chicago for Happy Hour

            The Storms

            Happy Joe’s Taco Pizza

            My Mother’s German meal

            Spending the day in Scott County Park

            Walking to the dog park

            Unplanned trips to Chicago

            Driving across Iowa to Grandma’s farm in Nebraska

            Random Outings with my mother

            Visiting with old friends

After all the places I go, there is no place like home.

And that’s Bettendorf, Iowa :)

Although I do have some time before I get there…But at least I will be in places that are like home & I know just as well.

My Schedule for the rest of summer::

            --Thursday 2am, Train from NYC to Boston (Meeting my friend Joel)

            --Friday, Flight from Boston to Chicago 

            --In Chicago with loved ones for cousin’s wedding until Sunday

            --To Bettendorf Sunday night

            --Monday, Road trip with my best friend Jenny to Nebraska

            --Thursday, Drive to Wisconsin to Jenny’s new house

            --Saturday/Sunday, Drive home to Iowa :)

            --10 days HOME cramming my days full of those ^ & appointments

            --Aug 18, back to LA.

It’s gonna be a bit crazy, but I wouldn’t have anything less.

The One with Love.

I love sitting in Central Park.
    I love taking my Ukulele with me as I try to learn how to play it.
  I love reading my Bible hidden among the trees in the midst of the big city.
                  I love walking through Central Park with my dear friend Kjirsten.
     I love relaxing in the middle of a city that never sleeps.
I love love walking through the streets of the hustle and bustle.
       I love people watching.
     I love the fact that Jesus knows every person better then they know themselves.
I love the fact that we all share so much in common yet they are a stranger on the streets.
   I love watching the sun set in between the buildings.
I love the sun.
   I love thunderstorms.

I love my days with nothing to do but wander.
   I love chatting away with God, no matter the subject.
                I love my God, the God of Jacob.
       I love the fact that He is always with me.
            I love that He is my constant companion.
        I love that He brought me to NYC to grow close with Him.
   I love what He is doing in my heart.
I love that I am more confused then ever about my life.
      I love putting all faith in Him.
                  I love how God takes care of me.
              I love the bizarre things that God bestows upon me.
        I love how funny He is.
    I love how much He loves me.

The One when the Welke Parents Visit NYC

My parents came to visit this past weekend.

            I thoroughly enjoyed their visit.

       I took them to see some of the sights of the city.

               We played tourist a lot. 

                  They weren’t here very long so we didn’t get to do everything, 

but I showed them a lot considering the amount of time they were here.

                       We went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. 

                              It was quite awesome!

          Showed them time square ( I still don’t understand the point of that place)

             Took them to some yummy Thai food and the UN.

             We also went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

We went around the World Trade Center and visited a couple memorials.

                       Ventured off to Central Park and showed them around a little of it.

And finally took them to the church and clinic I came to New York to serve.  

 

                                                   

It was a busy weekend, but quite fun!

The One with God of this City.

The other day as I walked through Central Park, a butterfly landed on my arm.
                  It didn't stay too long, but it was enough to excite me.
 I walked to the other side of the park and sat down on a bench to read a book.
            As soon as I opened it, the same looking butterfly landed on the book.
   I didn't even know what to think or do.
              I was far from where it had landed on my arm before.
     I just stared at it in awe until someone walked by and it flew away.
                                  I sat there over an hour.
Throughout the hour, the butterfly would come and land on the book,
     when someone walked by it would fly away until the coast was clear.

It just kept coming back! 

I texted my mutti asking her what it means. 

She thought I should just ask it.
                        Feeling a little silly, I did.
All it did was flap its wing and then it spread them all the way out onto the book staring at me.

It was beautiful. 

        Sadly, I don't speak butterfly so I have no idea what it means.
I've been praying God will reveal this to me.
He hasn't yet, but as I told my dear friend Candice about this, she told me God will reveal it to me in due time.
                 And I think HE will. I just need to practice patience.

                As I mentioned before, I get on the subway with no place to be.
                       So I ride until I get off and wander around. Pretending to be a local.
                 The other day, I landed near the World Trade Center.
                        As I walked around the site, my stomach felt sad.
                                                    Which is to be expected.
              Sometime while I was there, the song "God of this City" came on my iPod
 At first, I didn't realize the significance of this or the fact that Jesus played it for me.

And honestly, I wasn't paying much attention to the music playing in my ears. 

I was texting, walking, thinking about the evil in the hearts of many people, and looking at a location where thousands of people lost their lives.

My iPod was just background noise. 

                           All the sudden the lyrics,
"Greater things have yet to come and Greater things are still to be done in this city"
sang loudly into my ears, catching my attention, my heart.

I stopped my thoughts, my text, my feet. 

                 I just stood there in awe.
God is in control and He is working among the people.
         Lives are transforming for His glory.
And He's not done working here.
I could ramble on and on about this moment & all the things He shared with me,
but I think it's better I keep that as a tender moment between me and God.


Peace.

The One with A New Best Friend.

Jesus is working on me this summer.

        He is showing me things about me, His love, His heart, His plans, His grace.

                        I am in New York to be transformed for His glory.

 Here, it is just Him and me 

I am here with little distractions

By this I mean, no school, no 3 jobs, no friends
I have an internship here,  

but they generously give me time to explore the city.

I have a lot of open time to be with Jesus.

                                  Just Him and me.

He is becoming my constant companion,
                    my best friend.

I know this should already be so,

but I’ve always had so many distractions around me

that I compromised my relationship with Him.

And now, I am here to spend time in His presence.

                                  And grow a tremendous amount for His glory.

   I know now this is why I have been called to this big city. 

                  I am in NYC for me- for my relationship with God.

         I am so grateful.

            He gets all the glory!

He is transforming me to be more like Him.

                I’ve been praying to live more faithfully.

                             Why is it so difficult to have faith?

                This is something I am constantly struggling with.

      Maybe it's because I'm scared.
    
      Maybe it's because I'm selfish. 

 Or maybe it's because it's hard to listen to honest truth I don't always want to hear. 

  

Through His Word, 

                          I am learning more and more about the importance of faith,

                                                                   even in the littlest and mundane things.

             I’m learning to listen to the whisper He so often speaks with.

To have faith in this whisper.

A couple weeks ago, I felt the spirit telling me to give a homeless man $20.

  To be honest, I didn’t really want to,

     but I did because I knew it was what I was being called to do.

The next day,

                    I was coming home and there was $20 lying on the subway platform. 

                         Everyone walked right by it.

                                    I picked it up.

                  I know He gave me this $20 to show me what faith is.

                                                                             To confirm His ways.

On my free days,

                        I usually end up walking around Manhattan and Central Park.

                              I’ve started only going the directions the whisper tells me to go.

                                                It’s a time to learn how to listen to Him.
         I find that when I start to stop listening I walk in circles or have to back track.
       It reminds me of life.
     In times when I don't listen to his will for me, I always end up having to go back. 

Today, as I sat in Central Park, 

        God showed me how much our relationship has grown, 

        has transformed in just a few weeeks
       It seems like I am constantly praying.

       I am constantly in dialogue with Him.

           I am spending a lot of my day in the Bible too.

Never before have I spent this much time one-on-one with Him.

It’s actually pretty sweet.

     I am learning so much.

                         He has revealed so much to me of what is to come.

        Of who He is.

                     Of where I am headed.

                     Of His love and glory.

          I have been greatly changed in such a short time.

                                It’s amazing how He is at work in me.

   I am so excited to see His plan be unveiled in time.

           I know there are some things coming that are going to be beautiful

           And only the redeeming blood of Jesus will deserve the glory! 

The One with the Love of a Mama Rat

The other day as I stood on the subway platform, 

     I watched a mama rat with her 3 babies for a good 15 minutes. 

She was constantly running after her babies, 

        trying to keep them together. 

When one would run off, she chased it down and brought it back to the others.  

   As I stood there watching, I couldn't help but be grateful for my parents. 

                                   The mama rat desired to keep her children on track,

                      even risking her life as a train came to find her child. 

My mother and father raised 3 children too. 

                (I guess I'm comparing my parents to this rat... no offense mutti and daddy)

    This rat showed me something about the love of parents. 

We may not get along all the time, but I know they want the best for us.  

          I also noticed the energy the mama rat used chasing her babies around. 

   My brothers and I have always been everywhere, 

            as kids, one at soccer, one at boy scouts, the other at swim practice. 

to more recently, traveling the world. one in Iraq, one hiking Machu Picchu, one hanging out in Africa. 

 to one living in California, one in North Carolina, and the other in Virginia Beach. 

Between the 3 of us, one of us always seems to be going somewhere or doing something. 

                         It's been this way since I can remember. 

My mother was always behind us, supporting us, and running in all directions. 

                     She still is. 

                                      And my father too. 

This rat family, living in the subways of New York City,

                                   made me grateful and showed me what a blessing my parents are. 

SO thank you Daddy and Mutti

                     for everything throughout my 21 years. 

I am so honoured you love us the way you do and 

     I find great joy in the way you brought us up to love Christ and 

                                                                       live for the one who shed HIs blood. 

          When one of us strayed the other way,

                    you guys always ran after us like that mama rat, trying to bring us back. 

If it weren't for the love you guys have for us and more importantly for Christ, 

          None of us would be were we are today. 

                                                               Thank you! 

Oh, and we love you! 

It's funny the things God can use to show us something. Even Rats. 

 I guess I should pay more attention to the little things around me. 

For it is with a small voice God tends to teach us, show us, and communicate with us. 

The One with a Running Life

        Life is an Adventure.
                         And God is good.

          This semester was a whirlwind.
       It passed so fast, yet so slow.
                             In that time, a lot happened.


        I worked 3 jobs the majority of the semester
            while trying to be a full time student.
     It was most definitely challenging.

Hawaii.
             However, God blessed me with a 2-week trip to Hawaii.
   It was the Sabbath I needed and kept forgetting to take.
          I went to Hawaii to visit a dear friend of mine.
                 We got to go on many adventures-
They involved::
        Hitchhiking.
        Running from wild boars.
        Walking around lost in the rain. Yes, LOST on an island ;)
        Biking through the jungles & beaches of Kauai.
        Paddle boarding.
        Snorkeling (makes me upset I’m not a mermaid).
        Doing the tourist thing (Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, etc)
        Camping on the beach.
        Hiking.
        Getting sun burnt.
        And more.
                                     I must say, it was a blast!
                         And exactly what I needed.
  It was a time of renewal and finding myself in God again.
                And for this, I know Christ sent me to Hawaii.


Missions Conference (MC).
                  Every spring semester, Biola halts classes
    and has a 3-day conference put on completely by the students.
            This past year,
                      I had the privilege of being a coordinator.
This means another girl and I were
                          in charge of the interactions department.
        We had 14 girls in the department
                                    who did an outstanding job!!

A couple weeks after the conference,
        I turned in an application to be next year’s co-Director of MC.
             Only a day after an interview with the SMU president,
I received a call informing me I got the position.
    My co-director and I will be the leaders of the
                largest student-run missions conference
(about 4,000-6,000 attendees coming and going).
          I am honoured God selected me to be a tool used for His glory.
         I look forward to the challenges and miracles I will experience.
                               I will learn and grow as a leader
               but more importantly, as a follower of Christ.


New York City.
                  I am currently living in NYC for the summer.
    I am an intern with New Life Community Health Center in Queens.
                            The clinic is connected to a church.
                                   It is completely free to the beneficiaries.
                                      It is run by donators and volunteers.
Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, EMT’s, Social Workers, Secretaries, etc.
          It caters to mostly immigrants and
                                      those with no form of health insurance.
But we will take anybody that walks through the door.
                                  So far, I’m enjoying it here.
                 I’m quickly getting acquainted with the subway system.
The clinic wants me to have time to explore the city
                                                   so they give me 3 days off a week.
                         I’ve already been on some great adventures.
            The first 5 or so days I was here,
                                             I felt so dizzy and a little nauseous.
I eventually told one of my friends who is here from Biola
                          for a couple weeks and he had the same issue.
He had determined it was from the constant movement
                                  of the subways that live underneath us.
                                                          I think he is right.
Fortunately, I am getting used to it b/c I no longer feel dizzy :).
 
 I have so much more I want to say,
    but there is no more time right now.
    
 I’ll try to update this more often now that I’m interning in NYC.

The One with fame, beauty, money, and lies

  I have been on many adventures lately (just around LA)

They range from running into Johnny Depp, 

         to sitting at the train tracks for 2 hours, 

   to lovely days at the beach,

 to the Dream Center, 

to fashion shows, 

          to late nights at McClain's (coffeehouse), 

and the latest was for work= the Oscars. 

I have spent the last week going like crazy--

Working 54 hours. 

Sleeping 5 hours. 

Skipping classes. 

Not writing papers. 

Finally finishing a paper and sending it in exactly at midnight, the last minute late papers are excepted. 

Much of this week was spent down on Hollywood Blvd. guarding the red carpet. 

           Yes, I walked the red carpet. 

       Yes, I saw it all. 

And yet, something was wrong. 

Watching them put this one event together was quite intriguing and a little disgusting. 

          They closed down the street. 

They had more security then the president. 

    ((300 guards, 200 police, 100 Marines, & the bomb squad)) --guesstimating 

   They spent a quarter of a billion dollars. --not guesstimating 

  And now, it's all over. 

It all seems so pointless.

            I couldn't help but think about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as all these people rode into a dirty town in fancy cars, in their expensive clothes, to be greeted by the world. 

I started imagining the world covered in a red carpet for Jesus when He comes back a second time. and everyone bowing to HIm. AWESOME!!

As I stood guard tonight, something came over me that was building over the week. 

Anger. 

          It just blew up. 

          I was ticking all week and I didn't even know it. 

    I was angry at the celebrities. 

       I was angry at the production people. 

         I was angry at the general public. 

                                 I was angry at Hollywood. 

                                                             I was angry at it all. 

                               This anger turned to bitterness. 

It seeped. 

It got too deep for comfort. 

                     I  was unsettled. 

I was so mad. 

      I was mad that so much money, time, and life went into this one event. 

           Then I became mad that so much money, time, and life went into Hollywood. 

                 I was made at the lies this town has told. 

              I was mad so many people fall for them--including myself. 

      I was mad how much influence they have on the world. 

       I was especially mad about the money. 

            so many people are hurting in this world. 

     so many people are in desperate need for a meal to survive until tomorrow. 

so many people are broken. 

   

This bitterness started making me vengeful. 

I started to scare myself. 

     That's when I decided I needed to calm down. 

    I began praying. 

        By the end of the night. 

 My heart had changed. 

I no longer felt bitter or angry. 

     I felt sad. 

I felt broken hearted. 

I was shown something tonight that I never thought about. 

                        Hollywood is in trouble. 

They need to see the light. 

They need Jesus. 

             They need to realize their glamor, fame, and money is NOTHING. 

                         They need to see that Christ is ALL. 

               We were all made in the image of God. 

                                 For one town to tell the world what is beautiful and what isn't is wrong.

              They have no authority over me, over you, over anyone. Only our Saviour does. 

Hollywood is a town of beauty and glitz, yet it is so dark. 

It is corrupt. 

It is evil. 

The sin we have brought upon ourselves is clear in this town. 

They (we) have lost sight of truth. 

                  Honestly, Skid Row has more light then Hollywood. 

                                     That mission field seems way easier then Hollywood. 

But really, I realized Hollywood needs missionaries. 

    They need Christians who are strong and won't compromise anything. ((I'm sure there are a few))

They need Love.

                                        They NEED Jesus. 

They need what they came to Tinsel Town looking for=

 They need to fill that gap.

They need to find their hope and joy. 

They need to see it was already bought for them with the blood of our saviour. 

                   My heart is breaking for them. 

And it's not because I wanted it to. 

It's because Christ broke me in order to pray for them. 

This town is not one many people think of when they decide to go live incarnationally.

This isn't a town they think of when they chose to do ministry. 

This isn't a town people think to send missionaries too. 

                                                        This isn't a town people think of when we think of the suffering. 

But they are suffering. 

Just not in the ways we think of. 

Hurting, dejected, poor, broken, afflicted. 

In reality, this town is poor.
They are lacking Christ. 

     They need the CHRISTians as much as Skid Row, Thailand, Haiti, etc. 

    Why is that our hearts break for the suffering in 3rd world countries and not for those suffering in our own backyard? 

       Don't misunderstand me, my heart breaks for the socially, financially, physically, afflicted in underdeveloped countries, but why didn't my heart break for Hollywood until tonight? 

                                                      I may not see their pain physically, but it's there. 

They lack the on thing all in this world desire: Hope, joy, peace.

 They lack Christ. 

It's easy to get caught up in Hollywood. What was the first thing I said when I went on many adventures? Running into Johnny Depp.                             His life is in that town. He is that town. 

This is a huge challenge that lies in front of us, but anything is possible with Christ who strengthens me! 

This town will be tougher to reach then Skid Row or the people of Malawi. 

                   It's in this town that the rejection to the Christian is strong and influential to the world. 

                     I think that's why we as Christians are so afraid to get involved, to try and bring them Jesus. 

    I think we are afraid of rejection. Of people making fun of us. Of our reputation. 

But really, we need to be brave because He is our rock! He is all that matter!

And in the end, all that matters are the choices you made here on earth--did you choose to believe in God, in Christ's blood spilling for you?

                   The land of Hollywood was originally owned by a church. 

       Now it's time we pray for it to be brought back to the kingdom of Christ for His glory. 

                  I pray to see it belong to the church again. 

Please pray with me.