Dear Family and Friends,
The interns graduated last month! WE MADE IT! Haha. During our commissioning ceremony, some of the interns shared about their internship experience. Here is an excerpt of a spoken word piece that Kelci performed:
Twenty-two months
Living life together, facing strife together, learning conflict resolution,
trying to live out solutions to racism and sexism and classism.
Twenty-two months
Doing life together, doing laundry at the lavanderia together, exploring the local pupuseria,
trying to love our roommates and teammates day by day.
Twenty-two months
Finding life together, losing teammates and roommates, piecing life together
after they’ve gone, trying to heal the rift, pressing forward with little left.
(Mike and Kelci performing an original song they wrote)
(Internship Class of 2018 and internship staff)
In reflecting on this class of interns, I’ve been thinking about these verses:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
I’ve been meditating on the truth that our faith is tested by various trials, and this testing reveals how our genuine our faith is and how real our faith is. Peter compares the trials we go through to gold being tested and refined in the fire. As you may know, the process of purifying gold involves putting it in the fire and melting it. The impurities in the gold rise to the top, which you skim off the surface. In the end, you are left with pure gold.
Through the trials we face, our faith is refined and purified. And if we persevere, we emerge with a more genuine faith, which results in praise and glory and honor to God.
Our interns experienced a fair amount of trials, suffering, and failure the past two years. In the midst of this, they saw how God used those painful events to make them more mature, self-aware, and humble. Similarly, I feel like I’ve been in the fire, and my faith is being tested. If any of you feel like you are in a trial right now, and if you feel like your faith is being tested, I pray that God gives you the strength to persevere. I also pray that your faith emerges purified from the fire.
(Image of gold being refined in the fire)
In other news… happy summer! This summer I’ve been preparing for the new interns that start in September and focusing on fundraising. Currently, I am trying to raise an additional $700/ month. If you are interested in giving or increasing your giving, please contact me!
Lastly, here are some fun things I’ve done this summer:
I spent the past two weeks in the Bay and got to attend my dear friend Tammy’s wedding.
I went out for brunch with my Auntie Rhoda and got this amazing latte here! Usually I’m disappointed by gimmicky foods like this, but this latte was beautiful and delicious.
Speaking of gimmicky foods – yes, that is a bucket of boba. 😛 I got to check out the 626 Night Market with friends!
I finally got to peruse the Salvadoran Corridor! This section of Vermont Ave. has a bunch of street vendors, and it was so much fun exploring and eating pupusas and celebrating my friend’s birthday.
Go Dodgers!
Janelle Look 