(Pastor Mike spoofing Doug and his addiction for Eggnog)
The famous political figure and Christian author Chuck Colson coined a phrase that I want to lift from. He defined paradox as truth turned upside-down. For many of our students serving the homeless and indigent population these past two months has been just that - a paradox.

I thought I’d mix it up a little. Instead of reading developments from my perspective, it seemed rather appropriate to hear from our students.  Since our arrival in Santa Cruz in early October, we’ve scattered students along an area called Pacific Avenue each Wednesday and Saturday nights where tons of homeless seem to congregate and […]

Good evening from Mount Hermon.
Presently I’m typing from my in-laws lazy-boy near the fireplace downstairs. Sure is warm and comfortable. Wish I could say that about the dorms in Porvenir. I bet the students are huddled around the one piece of coal we provide to keep them warm each night!

Perhaps I missed the boat on this one.
I’ve witnessed high school students ‘cutting’ to express their emotional trauma. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing nose piercings. I’ve accepted the tatoo thing. But I encountered something this week that I frankly was at a loss of words. I met a guy who intentionally split his tongue to […]

Did I ever mention that Santa Cruz is weird?
Every Monday and Friday nights we find ourselves immersed in the smell of urine, alcohol, and sweat.  While serving at Elm Street Mission in Santa Cruz, California we rub shoulders, sit beside, give hugs, and offer prayer with people whom society has labeled as discards.

Did I mention that Santa Cruz is weird?
By now students have been living, serving, and sight-seeing thru most of the ‘Cruz.’ We’ve established some traditions which brings me to Sunday’s at Ventana.
On a given Sunday you’d find all of the students growing beneath the insightful and creative teaching

So you think you want to visit Surftown, USA?  Think again valley-boy!
Here’s a head up: don’t paddle into the lineup until you know what you’re doing. Novice surfers are regularly vibed out of the water by locals who think they own the waves. With the temperature gauge still reading 80 degree afternoons and a long overdue swell pounding […]

We arrived two weeks ago to mid-80 degree heat, pleasant evenings, and surf that is firing!  A far cry of Hume Lake with frost-biten mornings, parka wearin’ evenings, and pond algae between the teeth (don’t ask).
Weird people live in Santa Cruz. 
There’s the guy that walks very slowly around downtown, carrying an umbrella and smiling incessantly. There’s […]