Christmas Festivities

Although I spent my Christmas many miles away from my awesome family, it was still a good one! On Christmas Eve I went hiking with my roommate Stephanie and her parents at Griffith Park (around the Hollywood sign). And then that evening we went to the candlelight service at a big church in Pasadena - Lake Avenue. On Christmas, my roommate Grace and another teammate Kyle and I drove down to San Diego. We enjoyed a multi-course Asian themed progressive lunch in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood. Then we drove over to La Jolla to gawk at the funny seals lounging on the beach and and the amazingly beautiful landscape. For an alternate explanation of the festivities, check out Grace's blog here.) When we got back to L.A., Stephanie and her parents had prepared a full turkey and fixings Christmas dinner for us to enjoy with them! It was quite delicious and fun to enjoy a little family feel. And then we opened Christmas presents! Steph's parents even made sure that each of us had a couple of gifts to open! And they got our household a whole basket full of delicious organic edibles to fill our cabinets. What a blessing! Enjoy the pics! I hope your Christmas was fabulous and special too! What did you do?

Merry Christmas from Servant Partners

SP Fall 2010 Quarter Reflection

We are all required to write a reflection on the first quarter of our internship with SP. I finally knocked it out today. It's kinda personal and might be a little repetitive from previous posts, but if you're interested in getting the summary, check it out. I encourage you to remind me of God's faithfulness and keep me accountable to growing in the coming months. Thanks!

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While this first quarter of the internship has felt like an extended period of transition, it has also been a season of preparation and foundation building. A spirit of learning and flexibility has been required to take in all of the new things that this season has included – such as moving to a new state, city, and neighborhood, getting to know and share intimacy within a brand new community, learning new bible study methods, learning to grow in unnatural ministry areas (teaching and evangelism), and moving into a season of seeking out God’s long term call on my life. While there have been many challenges, there have also been incredible joys and a growing understanding of the Lord’s constant presence and provision. He has begun to break ground on the new foundations he is establishing in my life, and I pray the next quarter will be a further realization of strong and deep foundations to support whatever God calls me to and to withstand the coming floods of life.

Probably the biggest trial in this first quarter has been unemployment. Being without work has caused me to question my value, my calling to this place, my future, and my overall purpose. It has been a roller coaster ride of discouragement, confusion, and short-lived glimpses of hope. The lack of routine has made it difficult to say motivated and productive. I’m one of those people that seem to be much more productive and effective when I am sufficiently busy and pulled in a number of directions, so looking back on my relatively empty and apparent-wasted days has been tough. But the extra time has been helpful in terms of practicing and establishing new spiritual disciplines. In addition, having a roommate that is also unemployed has been helpful in terms of keeping each other accountable and encouraging each other when all seems hopeless. Also, it’s been difficult to start this internship well since I seem to have the ongoing mindset of transition – almost as if the internship won’t really start until I am working a regular job. It seems to have been a season about learning to trust God completely. Nothing about my future is guaranteed and I am learning to put my confidence in the Lord’s care and concern for me. I have never been without, so it’s sad to see how easily I can become anxious about my future. Even now, I have savings built up and a community of believers that loves me and has committed to take care of me if things get tight. I hope to come out of this season of unemployment with a heightened level of perseverance and character as I know this will not be the only time of uncertainty in my life. It’s interesting that I am living this reality right alongside my parents who are also seeking the Lord’s plan anew for their own futures. Just goes to show that the process never really ends and this is the time when I should really focus on building up my character. While it has been full of questions and anxiety, I pray that this season will produce in me endurance and trust to carry with me for the rest of my life.

The other challenge for me, which has also been one of the blessings, has been learning to live well in community. I spent the last 8 months before moving to Los Angeles living in a studio apartment by myself. I was involved with my church and a great small group and had lots of good friends from all sorts of different social circles, but after all that stuff I could come home to my little studio – where everything was just how I left it and I had complete rule and control. My minor OCD tendencies loved having a space that was completely my own, an escape from everything that I couldn’t control in the rest of my life. Although I really liked this set-up, I was also well aware of the unhealthy habits that it might be building up in my personality – selfishness, control issues, escapism, and a lack of community accountability and mutual sharpening. With all of these characteristics beginning to materialize, I moved into community of strangers. It has been a challenge to set aside my own preferences, OCD tendencies, and issues of control. I want things in their place, relatively clean, and just as I left them or prefer them. Obviously, my unreasonable expectations have not been met, leaving me with the temptation to fall into attitudes of criticism and bitterness. To make matters worse, my avoidance method of conflict resolution only perpetuates the problem. I know this is an area of sin and struggle for me and I need to work on improving my attitude and resolving legitimate issues well. When I lived in Bolivia for 6 months in 2006, I struggled with similar community conflict issues within our team and did not embrace the opportunity to grow in this area. I want this experience in SP to be new and different. I have recently begun memorizing scripture to combat my critical spirit and have brought up a couple very small conflicts within my house. I’m praying for growth in this area and mercy from my roommates to overlook my immaturity and help me get better. I also acknowledge the necessity of community. Despite the challenges, I desperately need community to encourage, support, challenge, and sharpen me. I am very weak on my own and cannot survive without a loving community around me. I believe community is where God’s purposes are lived out and I want to learn more about the heart of God and how to love God and my neighbor well, all of which can only be accomplished if I learn to get over my attitudes of selfishness and timidity.

In regards to practicing healthy, holy habits in this season, I feel like I have been somewhat successful. I have been exercising several times a week with teammates and church friends, eating reasonably healthy within our household, establishing a good rhythm with communal spiritual disciplines, and holding to a somewhat regular routine in my own spiritual practices. The community factor has really helped to establish good habits – physical, financial, and spiritual. It has been a huge blessing to be surrounded by people that lovingly challenge me in my own spiritual walk and live as an example in their own disciplines. Establishing a firm and vibrant personal spirituality has always been a challenge for me. It has continued to be a challenge in this season, but by learning to experiment with new and different prayer and meditation methods, I am starting to see growth in my own relationship with Christ – especially in the way of making space to listen and hear from God, but there is still plenty of room to grow. I’m also excited to have begun an accountability partner relationship with one of my teammates. It’s still very new to me, but I definitely see the potential for healthy challenge and growth. I look forward to the next quarter of this internship with anticipation for continued growth in the ways of teaching and owning my personal spiritual journey.

I’m really excited for the upcoming ministry project next quarter. While I have no idea what the ministry project will entail, I am looking forward to meeting more people in the neighborhood and learning more about the characteristics and challenges of the neighborhood. I expect that having an outreach agenda will help me to be proactive about meeting people and starting up conversations. Meeting neighbors has been difficult so far. We have done pretty well within our own apartment building, but haven’t ventured much further than that. We keep talking about going door to door to meet more neighbors, but haven’t made it out yet. It’s pretty intimidating to think about – especially since there are so many gates on our street and everyone seems to keep to themselves. So, I’m excited to meet more people in the area and maybe by building a rapport with some of the neighbors, I’ll gain more confidence in talking with other neighbors. I am also looking forward to learning more about the personality and challenges of our neighborhood. I definitely don’t yet feel like I belong in this neighborhood, but I’m hoping as I build more relationships and hear more of people’s stories that I’ll start to feel more deeply connected. I desire to have a better understanding of my neighbors and gain an ownership and sense of pride for my new neighborhood. Other aspects of the upcoming ministry project make me nervous – such as reaching out to new people, sharing my story, evangelizing, and teaching. All of these aspects will definitely serve to stretch me in all kinds of ways. I’m praying for an extra measure of God’s grace as I seek to gain more confidence in some of these extroverted areas. As we move closer to the ministry project, I suspect I’ll have to be more intentional about limiting my unnecessary internet time, getting to bed earlier, and establishing a good and steady routine. Even if I’m still unemployed during the ministry project, I know it will be important for me to set up some structure to my days. I need to focus especially on prioritizing and scheduling regular personal and communal times with the Lord. For all of these reasons, I look onto the next quarter with anticipation, excited about what the Lord will do and how I might come out different on the other side.

This sums up my first quarter with SP in South Los Angeles. Looking past the various trials, it’s cool to remember all the ways that the Lord was proved faithful and powerful. He has provided a great community of friends, a great place to live, and small mercies to get me through each day. After an especially discouraging week a couple of weeks ago, God provided a whole pile of small encouragements that really served to lift my spirits. And when I had to tackle the dreaded devotional this quarter, the Lord came through in the nick of time to give me His words and the assurance that he was right there with me. I am overwhelmed by the goodness of my God. Looking back on this quarter I can remember and rest assured that the Lord provides, that He is always present with me, and that He can do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine, according to His power. To Him be the glory!

Some Light!

I'm sorry about my last blog. I was at a difficult place and starting to lose hope. But I have no reason to lose hope... because I belong to Christ, and he reigns victorious! The Lord was faithful to pull me up from the pit and set my feet on solid ground.

This past week has been full of joy, hope, and new things. Praise God! Last Saturday we had our SP Quarter Close ceremony. We spent some time reflecting on the first 3 months of our internship here in South LA and the many ways in which God proved faithful. One of our teammates, Kyle, spoke about how important it is to reflect on the many ways in the past that the Lord has been faithful and powerful so that we can remember these examples in times of trial and hopelessness. Just like in the story of David getting ready to fight Goliath. 'And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”' (I Sam 17:37) Even though this season has been difficult, the Lord has been incredibly faithful to provide for my daily needs and encourage me with a community of friends and prayer partners. And I look to the future with hope, knowing that God is growing my character and faith in this uncertain time. It's in seasons of difficulty that we can more fully rely on God and experience tremendous growth. Excited to see what the next quarter will bring. :)

And since remembering the Lord's faithfulness and repenting of my unbelief, God has provided some very tangible nuggets of encouragement. On Saturday I enjoyed an afternoon in Venice - exploring the canals and watching the sunset on the beach. On Monday I received a call from a tutoring company interested in bringing me on under the No Child Left Behind program. I will attend orientation over the next couple of weeks and possibly start tutoring kids in January! On Tuesday some teammates and I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. John M. Perkins and hear him reflect on the American church and the hope that lies in the coming "post-racism" generation - that is, if we can get outside of ourselves and become truly passionate about the injustices of our day. On Wednesday I had a fruitful prayer time with one of my teammates and enjoyed a delicious burger and beer with one of my brother's childhood best friends. It was fun to catch up and be around some family-ish people. On Thursday it finally worked out for me to volunteer with a cool after-school outreach program in the skid row (homeless) community. It was their last day of the semester and their Christmas celebration, so things were pretty crazy and the kids quite rambunctious, but I was so encouraged to have the opportunity to use some of my free time to bless this ministry and identify more with the skid row community. And finally, last night, we got to know our new neighbors and their friends a little better as we watched them film a music video behind our building. (They're rap artists and have produced a CD or two.) It was fun to get a little bit of a glimpse into their world... and who knows - maybe we'll see the video on TV some day!

So, thanks for your prayers! Praise God for his faithfulness! He always seems to provide exactly what I need when I need it. Please continue to pray for encouragement in the next few weeks. I'll be staying around LA for Christmas to save some money and immerse myself more in the community. But it will be the first time EVER that I will be away from my parents on Christmas, so please pray for me and for them, that we would be surrounded by our family in Christ and filled with gratitude this Christmas!

Enjoy some pictures from my week!

Perseverance in the Desert

As the SP quarter comes to a close, I am feeling unmotivated, lazy, and direction-less. The better part of the last 3 months since moving to L.A. has been spent looking for a job. In a lot of ways it has felt like an extended time of transition. Like the internship hasn't really started since I have yet to find a day job. Being unemployed is tough... especially being in a new place, and one in which my main purpose is intended to be growing in faith and ministry. I'm struggling to find my place and my purpose here. There is a continual battle between what I should be doing, what I want to be doing, and whether or not I'm being sensitive to God's leading in the day-to-day. I often think being unemployed wouldn't be so bad if I just knew when the unemployment would end... a little light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it's 3 more months down the road, at least I would feel better equipped to spend my money and my time wisely.

Last night I dreamed about running the Bolder Boulder 10k (a really fun race in Colorado that I've enjoyed running several times). But the race didn't look as it usually looks. I was running along the course, but no one else was around, there was no one to set the pace or to follow down the route. I kept getting lost and questioning where I was supposed to turn to stay on the course. And each time I stopped to question I was getting more and more frustrated and stressed out because the delays were cutting into my precious finish time.

I'm not really sure why I dreamed about the Bolder Boulder, but it does seem to go along with the many emotions and anxieties that I've been feeling over the last couple of weeks. I'm beginning to lose focus and motivation in the race. It's difficult for me to stay the course because I'm not sure where I'm going or how I'm supposed to proceed. I've often felt like I'm aimlessly wandering and I'm beginning to panic about the complete lack of control that I seem to have over the situation.

A verse from the bible comes to mind:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Cor 9:24-27)

I really want to run the race well. To run with a purpose, focused on the eternal prize at the end. It seems like a challenge right now. I guess, despite the dryness and the failed expectations of what I thought this season would look like, I must press on towards the finish. Even though I don't feel all that motivated or excited about life right now, I must persevere. I must trust in God's plan and believe his promise to be faithful. Though at times it feels like I'm wandering through the desert, I rejoice knowing that the Lord is with me and shaping me for the future.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5

Sorry for the rambling downer of a blog... it's just some of what's going on in my mind right now. Praying for God's grace to rain down anew tomorrow. Pushing on, learning to trust, and hoping to come out new and different.

Foundations to Withstand the FLOOD

My internship class has been studying the book of Luke over the course of this first quarter. We are finishing up the quarter in about a week, and it's cool to look back at what the Lord has been teaching each of us through the study of his word.

Last night, we wrapped up our study of Jesus' famous "sermon on the plain" (Luke 6:20-49). Jesus talks about some pretty radical ideas in the sermon... i.e. blessed are the poor and the hungry, rejoice in rejection and exclusion, love your enemies, give to everyone that asks you, take the plank out of your own eye before pointing out the speck in your brother's eye, etc. It's good stuff and ideas that we should all be taking to heart and applying in our everyday lives! Easier said than done, of course.

Jesus wraps up this epic sermon with a parable about the wise and foolish builders. Give it a read if you're not familiar:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."

As you may or may not know, my last job was at an engineering firm, working under a contract with FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program. So, naturally, it was difficult not to throw out some nerdy engineer talk while we were discussing this passage. ;) This parable is cool because it provides such a vivid image, and in terms to which I can very easily relate. So what's different about these 2 builders? They both built a house next to a river and they were both hit by the flood. They both put in some major work to construct a house, but the wise builder put in even MORE work. He planned, thought things through, and prepared for the worst. He built his house with a large factor of safety, well within the building code requirements, and probably bought a hefty flood insurance policy! (haha, sorry) When the flood came, the house with deep foundations reaching down to solid rock was unshaken, while the other house met utter destruction!

So what does it mean to build your house on the rock? Well, right at the beginning of the parable, Jesus tells us. The wise builder is he who comes to Jesus, hears his words, and ACTS on them. It's cool that Jesus puts this parable at the very end of his sermon.... seeming to say, "Alright, you've heard everything that I just told you, now go and do it! Then your foundations will be deep and your house will withstand whatever crap that is sure to come in the future. Although I've heard this parable many times, I've always seemed to miss the emphasis on physical action. Your foundation won't withstand the flood if you simply come to Jesus and hear his commands; your life with be left in complete ruin. Only if you live a life of action, following Jesus' radical commands, will your faith, relationships and life stand a chance against the hardship that is guaranteed to come in this world!

Our staff then challenged us to look back through the entire sermon on the plain and pull out a few things that we feel God is calling us to act on. Here are the 3 that came to my mind: 1 - live simply and get comfortable in poverty 2 - let go of your pride and accept criticism with joy, knowing your reward is great 3 - do not be a judgmental hypocrite, but love with humility, knowing God has done the same for you.

I'm so thankful to have this time in the SP internship to really grow and develop in my faith. I'm excited to continue to work on digging deep foundations. I know the flood will come, sooner or later, whether I work in a cube or live in an international slum. I will become a woman of action because I want to survive the flood!

Update Letter - November 2010

November 15, 2010

Hello!

How are you? I can’t believe how fast the last couple of months have passed! How is it Thanksgiving already? Well I’m excited to give you an update on the first 2 months of my internship here in Los Angeles, and there sure is a lot to be thankful for in this season! In just 2 days I’ll be hopping on a plane back to Denver to be in my friend Stephanie’s wedding! And then I’ll stick around to spend Thanksgiving Day with my family! It should be a wonderful and enjoyable time!

SP Los Angeles Class of 2012

After getting settled into my apartment with my 2 roommates here in the neighborhood and getting a brief orientation into the intern program, we jumped on a plane to the Philippines! My team of 12 interns stayed in a small slum community in Manila called Botocan. We lived with local families and spent our days getting to know the people and the lifestyle of the community. I was overwhelmed with the incredible work God has been doing in his beloved of Botocan. A Servant Partners staff couple moved into the community about 2 years ago and officially launched the church about 1 year ago. There is no question that lives have been transformed and impacted by the incarnational ministry of this obedient missionary couple. The community knows that they are committed to staying and understanding the daily struggles of life in the slum. We were fortunate enough to attend the first baptism service of the church. Six young men publicly dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. God is doing an awesome work in Botocan and it gives me hope that he can do similar work in impoverished communities all over the globe. Jesus proved that he rules supreme and is in complete control of this broken and scarred world. Thank you, Father, for your love!

Since returning from Manila, our main objective has been adjusting to and putting down roots in our South L.A. neighborhood. God did an incredible work of team bonding through our experience abroad, and it has been fun to continue growing in those relationships. I have really enjoyed studying the Word and praying with my teammates and discussing sensitive issues like community finances and what it looks like to live like a family in Christ. My roommates and I have also been blessed by the relationships we’ve made with neighbors in our building. Our new goal is to expand the reach of our relationships with other neighbors on our street. It’s exciting to become a part of this neighborhood and it’s slowing starting to feel like home.

Me and my roommates (Grace and Steph) at the beach!

Our internship term is getting into full swing here. We meet twice a week as a team to study the book of Luke. We have also begun learning how to effectively work with our words by each writing and presenting a short devotional to the team. (Visit my blog for a more detailed account of my first devotional.) Visiting many churches in the area and reading various books on world missions also fill our time. Over half of our team is working full time to support themselves, but 5 of us are still spending our days searching for work in the area. The internship so far has been joyful and challenging, but I’m very excited to see how the Lord will grow and develop our faith and gifts over the next 2 years!

Thank you again for your partnership in this new endeavor! Your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated!

Many Blessings,

Ali Fraze

Walking through a rice paddy just outside the Manila slum

Prayer Requests:

A job!

Relationships and boldness with neighbors

Continued team bonding

Diligence and growth in spiritual disciplines

Manila Photos!!!

Sorry it's taken a while to get these posted! Please enjoy the pictures and comment away! Let me know if you have any questions!

Change is in the air.

It's the end of an era. Or at least a break in the era. Margarita (my car) has officially become a Cali girl! Now, the new look may not be as bad ass or rugged, but it's cute. And I think she's really starting to like it here. She at least appreciates the warmer weather! ;)

It's quite sad to relinquish all ties to my beloved Colorado. The guy at the DMV took my old plates and threw them in the trash before I had time to realize what was happening. Looking back, I have a hint of regret about not asking to keep my cute Colorado "NeRD" plates. How could I have been so thoughtless?

Anyways... Margarita and I are embracing the new California look and are excited to put down some roots in our new home. I hope California offers us as much fun, adventure, excitement, and beauty as good ole' Colorado. We miss you, Centennial State. We'll be back to visit again soon! (Or at least I will, and I'll take some pictures for Margarita!) Haha :)

SP Devotional #1

A significant part of this internship with Servant Partners is learning how to better use our words to lead and teach devotionals, sermons, etc. I hate public speaking, always have. But I am very excited to grow in this department. I can't be very effective in ministry if I never use my words to encourage, teach, exhort, and comfort those around me. I'm praying that God will do a miracle in me over the next 2 years by developing my confidence in public speaking.

Last night I gave my first devotional to the team. Yeah, I was nervous, but I did it, and survived! I am so thankful for my team for giving me a safe place to develop as a teacher of God's word. Unfortunately, I'm definitely turning into my mom (& dad). Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my mom and dad, and would be lucky to grow up to be so loving and wise and supportive. BUT... they're both a couple of criers! Haha... I started to tear up a bit toward the end of my talk, and then completely lost it during the critique time at the end. But it wasn't a bad critique. Our intern leader Daniel looked me straight in the eyes and told me, "You did a great job! Let God use your words! God has given you authority to speak!" Thank you, Lord, for speaking through me, for being strong in my weakness, and for being my comfort in the midst of fear.

I'll go ahead and paste my written devotional below, if you're interested in giving it a read:

It seems that one of the most common questions in the human experience, especially in the Christian experience is: What is God’s plan for my life??

It’s easy to get trapped in the never-ending questioning: Am I on the right path? When is God going to reveal the mighty plans he has for my life? Is God calling me to this particular place/job/ministry? What if I just completely miss the boat and miss out on God’s perfect plan for me?

I know I struggle to discern God’s call and will in my life. I have certain desires and passions, but do they align with God’s work in my life and the world? How do I figure out if this particular path is the path I should take?

When I was deciding whether or not to pursue the SP internship, all of these questions were swirling around in my head! One night while I was working my way through the Old Testament, I stumbled across this one passage that completely stopped me in my tracks. It’s at the very end of Exodus. “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” (Exodus 40:36-38)

When I read that passage, I was like Man! That’s so cool. All the Israelites had to do to determine the Lord’s plan was to look to the cloud over the tabernacle. If it was just chillin’ at the tabernacle, they knew to stay put. But if the cloud lifted, they knew to pick up their things and follow the path of the cloud for God’s next step in their journey. I wish discerning God’s will today was so simple! Give me a cloud, Lord! Though it may not look exactly the same in our lives, I do think we can pull some relevant applications out of this passage. Just as the Israelites had to keep their eyes on the cloud to know the Lord’s plan, we too have to look to the Lord each day to live fully within his will. It’s not quite as tangible. We don’t have a literal cloud or column of fire to decide our path. Instead, we fix our eyes on the Lord by staying in his word, by staying connected to him through prayer, and by receiving wise counsel from other Christians around us.

Each new day of unemployment, more fears and questions start to invade my mind. What opportunities do you want me to pursue? How can I best use my resources and the network of people that you’ve placed around me? If you open a particular door, does that mean you want me to walk through it? How long will I be unemployed? Will you provide for my financial and physical needs if money gets tight? How exactly can I know your plan and will for my life??

Well I don’t know that I’ll ever have complete confidence in all the decisions that I’m forced to make each day. All I can really do is to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33) and trust that the small worldly necessities of life will follow. I know that my main purpose in this life is to seek Jesus with all my heart. And as a natural consequence, I will learn to “trust in the LORD with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways I will learn to acknowledge him, and he will make my paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

Maybe some of you are wrestling with similar questions. Especially being in this internship, it seems like many of us are at a crossroads wondering what God might have for us a little further down the road. I encourage you all to entertain these questions, meditate on them, but don’t let them overwhelm you. Instead, let’s focus on giving all our energy to the Lord and trusting him to lead us down the right path when we come to it.

Some questions to consider:

1 - Am I anxious about the unknown direction of my future? Whether it be money? Job? Career path? Spouse? Devotional topic?

2 - Do I sincerely trust God to guide me daily and lead me down the right path?

3 - How can I more fully submit my plans and anxieties to the LORD?

To close I just want you all to listen and reflect on a passage of scripture. So, I think most of you know that public speaking is not my favorite thing in the world. Yesterday I was feeling super anxious about this devotional. I was feeling very unqualified to talk on this topic and felt like I couldn’t pull all my thoughts together. I cried out to God to help me, to give me a word. I’m not one that very often feels like the Lord speaks to me. But yesterday, he very tangibly answered my cry. He gave me this scripture and after reading it, I felt so much more at peace and I was so thankful for the very real way in which he met me in my fear and anxiety. David wrote this Psalm during the time that Saul was pursuing him and trying to kill him. When he arrived in the Philistine city of Gath, he was afraid that the king would kill him, so he decided to act like a crazy man to avoid being killed. He escaped from the city and ran to a nearby cave to hide out. David did not trust in the plan of the Lord. He allowed his fear to take over and determine his behavior. Later he realized his mistake and praised the Lord for saving him despite his lack of trust. Psalm 34 really gives us some promises to hold onto when we’re tempted to act out of fear rather than trust.

Psalm 34:

1 I will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Grasshopper Mentality

On Sunday, the General Director of Servant Partners, Derek Engdahl, came to talk to our class about "The Facts of Poverty". It was a great opportunity to hear from someone with extensive experience working with and for the poor, in L.A. and all over the world. It was also cool to hear that Servant Partners was born out of a bunch of college students, who were moved by the scriptures about living for justice... asking the question, "What does it mean to follow Jesus? With poverty in our backyard?"

We spent several minutes brainstorming the various contributors to urban poverty: Lack of education, employment injustices, financial near-sightedness, addition - alcohol, drugs, and gambling, generational sin, violence, abuse, lack of health care, governmental injustices, inefficient justice systems, destruction of slum communities, HUGE influxes into major city centers, lack of jobs, racism, classism, gender issues, presence of the occult - spiritual darkness and oppression. The list could go on and on. Poverty, especially urban poverty, is complex and cannot be described or solved in simple terms.

Derek brought up another interesting contributor to poverty - the grasshopper mentality. The term is coined from chapter 13 of the book of Numbers in which the 12 Israelite spies are sent into Canaan - the promise land - to scope out the land and the enemies that they would have to defeat in order to occupy it. One spy is chosen from each of the 12 tribes of Israel and they spend 40 days exploring the land in order to bring back a report to the people.

When the 12 reported back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community, they shared fruit that they had collected from Canaan and shared their report. The land was incredible and all they ever imagined, but they also relayed frightening news of huge, fortified cities, strong and powerful inhabitants, and huge giants. In regards to the giants, the men told the community, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

Only Caleb and Joshua encouraged the community to believe in the Lord's promise to give them this land. They pleaded with the assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them."

But their decision was already made. The Lord was disgusted by their fear and unbelief. He killed off all of the spies that had come back with a bad report and sent the Israelites into the desert to wander for 40 years, until every man over 20 years old was dead. Only Caleb and Joshua were spared and allowed to see the promise land.

At the end of the 40 years, Joshua sent 2 spies into the land. They met a prostitute named Rahab in Jericho who took them in and protected them from the guards. Rahab relayed some very surprising news, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."

Not only did the "powerful enemies" NOT see them as grasshoppers, but they were utterly terrified by their incredible power and amazing successes with the Lord on their side. The first set of spies had simply projected their own perceptions onto the giants, without considering the promises and faithfulness of their God.

Many people in poverty have this same perception - the grasshopper mentality. While there are some obvious obstacles and strongholds for those in poverty, the Lord desires to set them free from oppression and give them victory over their enemies. Anything is possible with the Lord and doubting his strength and ability to save is sin. Part of the work of urban ministry as well as community organizing and advocacy is encouraging the people to step out in power, with confidence. You are NOT grasshoppers and the world does not think you are grasshoppers! Change the mindset, get rid of the fear. YOU are worthy of God's power.

New Life

During our last full day in Manila, we got to attend the first ever baptism service of the young church in Botocan. What an honor. The church has been around for about a year now. They started off with only a sunday school for the kids until they launched their full service a little over a year ago. The church now has a sunday service, a youth service, a boys and girls fellowship, and small groups. The congregation is still very young, but so vibrant! On baptism Sunday, 6 young men (13-23 years old) stepped up to share their testimony. While my Tagalog is not quite up to speed enough to understand what they were saying, it was clear through their expressions and emotions that Jesus has really transformed their lives. Almost all of the young men cried through their testimony... which of course made me tear up and praise God for their new life! It's clear that God is raising up some incredible young leaders in the church and I am so excited to see how they will transform their community!

After the testimonies at the church we all gathered up with our pool supplies and walked about 30 minutes to a private pool in a nearby neighborhood that the church had rented for the day. The six young men were invited into the water and Pastor Aaron baptized each of them as an outward display of their decision to follow Christ and leave their old lives behind. Praise God! (I'm sure it was a really emotional and exciting baptism... unfortunately, I happened to be in the bathroom when all of the baptisms were done. I came out right when everyone was applauding and cheering. Oops... )

We spent the rest of the day eating delicious food and playing in the pool! So many of the youth were there and it was so fun to play with everyone! Toward the end of the day, one of the youth leaders, Cherice, gathered everyone up at one end of the pool and all of the kids proceeded to dedicate and sing a song to all of us Americans. It was really beautiful and a moment that I won't soon forget. She then asked for Filipinos and Americans to share what this experience has meant to them. Some really nice words and lots of tears were shared. I really will miss the community there in Botocan. They received us with so much love and really taught us what it means to accept and encourage each other and really live with passion for the gospel. I am confident that God with work in and through each of them to bring amazing redemption to their small community. We love you, Botocan Bible Christian Fellowship!

Jennifer

On Thursday night, half of our intern team had the opportunity to prayer walk through the red light district in downtown Manila. I was a little nervous and scared about what I might see and experience down there. One of the SP staff here, Cora, guided us through the crowded streets. We took a jeepney and then walked for about 30 minutes. We walked up and down a few streets that were dotted with clubs and hotels. Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines. But there are several clubs where women dance around in bikinis and then get to know their guests. The clubs are often 'conveniently' located next door to an hourly hotel. This gives the girls an opportunity to make arrangements and get some more money on the side. I guess it's not unusual for one of these hourly hotels to rake in around $25,000 per night! A very lucrative business opportunity.
I really didn't see anything out of the ordinary walking up and down the streets. The clubs just looked like innocent karaoke bars from the street. We then walked up and over some of the pedestrian walkways in the area where a lot of the girls and their pimps hang out to find customers. We tried to talk to a couple of the girls, but they were not really interested in sharing their lives with a random group of Christians. But then we walked up to Jennifer. It seemed pretty awkward at first... all 7 of us nervously crowding around her, not really sure what to do next. She seemed a bit confused and overwhelmed, but nice and open to talking. Cora asked her a bunch of questions in Tagalog about her life and her job as a prostitute. She shared with us that she was 20 years old and had a young son that lived with his grandparents out in the country. She would like to have a real job, but doesn't know how or what to do to make more money than she does in her current arrangement. She tells us that she usually has about 1 to 3 clients each night, each paying around 300 pesos (about $7). She's out here every night, trying to make enough money to get by and send to her son. She dreams of a day when she can return to see him. We each ask her a question or two... she's starting to seem a little more comfortable with us. We ask if we can pray for her and then surround her right there on the overpass to lift up her prayers to God. It feels overwhelming and a little scary... but I feel honored to be able to pray for our new friend.
She seems so young. As we say goodbye and walk away to find a jeepney home, I am completely overwhelmed with sadness and anger and confusion. I wish I could just save her! Why does she have to feel forced to earn money this way? Why does this 'profession' even have to exist? Why, God? Please save Jennifer, Lord... pull her from the darkness! I feel completely helpless. All I can do is pray. Lord, I trust that you will bring redemption to this broken world. Thanks for letting me meet your precious daughter, Jennifer.

Outbreak!

Last week one of my roommates, Stephanie, threw out some very dangerous words. After talking and praying about all of our teams various sicknesses and pains, Stephanie had the audacity to say, "I'm feeling very lucky that I'm not sick or anything!" I told her not to worry, there was still plenty of time... Well, she definitely should have been knocking on any one of the many wooden surfaces in our little room. The very next morning when she woke up... her eyes were swollen shut! PINK EYE! aka - Sore Eyes here in Manila. Since Thursday morning, the nasty 'sore eyes' have spread to another one of our roommates, Janelle... then 2 days later to ME! Thankfully, I was able to start administering the eye drop drugs pretty immediately, so the redness in my eyes hasn't gotten out of control, but they still sting and I've pulled out some pretty gnarly eye boogers! EW.
I am grateful to be in a country where the eye drops can be found in any drug store, for about $6. I might try to stock up here... cuz there's no doubt the drops are at least 10 times that much in the States! I really hope to beat this nasty sickness quick! PLEASE pray that the outbreak would stop at me. Pray for the health and safely of our team. We are feeling super blessed to be here... I can't believe there's only one more week until we board a plane back to L.A.

Sticky Love

We've been in Manila for almost 1 week now. Today is our sabbath, so we are spending the day in the air conditioning bliss of a huge mall in the city. We are really starting to settle into life in the Botocan slum community, though not sure if the heat will ever become comfortable.

Three other girls and I are staying with a very nice family that is on the wealthier end of the neighborhood. They have a daughter that is about our age that speaks perfect English and is really nice. She is the leader for the youth group of one of the 2 churches in the neighborhood. The four of us are sharing a room - 1 on the bed and 3 on the floor. We've had a few unwanted visitors, but really not many. We are so grateful for the luxuries of our host family's home - a toilet seat and a shower head, which none of the other interns have.

We spent the last two days visiting with different families in the neighborhood in intern pairs. Kyle and I visited with a very large family, which includes parents, 10 grown kids, and several grandkids. Not all of the 10 grown kids live there, but LOTS of people live in this house. They have the second and third floors on this structure and looks and feels like a tree house. The floors and wooden and connected by very step wooden stairs. We chatted with a few of the sisters using our VERY limited Tagalog and their slightly less limited English. We also played LOTS of games - which drew in at least a dozen of the neighborhood kids, and we also ate lunch and dinner with the family on the floor of the tree house. At one point, I was legitimately afraid that the structure was going to collapse with the chaotic jumping of 15+ kids and adults!

We have felt very welcome in the Botocan community. We know several of the families and ALL of the kids! Everyone is super friendly and loving and they really make us feel like family. We are doing our best to learn the language! The neighborhood guys finally got our 6'5" intern Dan on the basketball court last night! Basketball is huge here and it was so fun to watch and cheer on the teams!

Please pray for energy to continue to engage with the community! Also... the heat is really crazy and I'm breaking out in all kinds of nasty rashes from the heat and constant touching and grabbing of all the kiddos. Thanks for your prayers and support! I feel so blessed to be here! :)

Manila Bound!

Hey friends!

My fellow interns and I are running around making the final preparations for our trip to Manila! We will be boarding the plane around 10:30 tonight (Tuesday) and arriving in Manila around 5am on Thursday morning! So much for Wednesday, eh? We'll be meeting up with the Servant Partners staff in Manila (Aaron, Emma, and Cora) and hanging out with them and their neighbors in a slum community called Botocan. The trip has been termed a "slum retreat". We won't have a specific work project, but we'll just be getting to know the slum community and experiencing what life is like for our friends there. We'll also have lots of time to pray, read, and reflect on our thoughts and experiences. We would really love your prayers as we fly out tonight. Please pray for safety, good health, team unity, and good time with the Lord. See you again soon!

We're being invaded!

Our bathroom is being overtaken by ants! They seem to have entered through small openings around the power outlet and have developed colonies inside the lid of the toilet tank! We've been fighting back with force... disassembling their colonies again each day and killing as many of their queens and infintry as we can! So far... their forces seem to be dwindling, but not yet defeated! The survivors seem confused and discouraged, but holding onto the mission at hand. Also - it seems that some of the survivors have relocated to the other bathroom and have set up camp inside the toilet lid! How do they do it? Their leadership and training must be exceptional to be able to conquer a second kingdom with similar tactics and strategy. We will continue to fight the good fight and keep our optimism strong. We leave for Manila tomorrow evening and hope to have them defeated by then! If we are unsuccessful, who knows what kind of scary reality we could come home to! Please pray for endurance and strength for the battle! Thanks. ;)

Introducing... South LA!

I'm sitting here in the USC library, doing some job searching (since our place doesn't have internet yet). I know you all are so anxious to hear about my new apartment and the neighborhood here in LA! I took a few pictures this morning that I will share with you so you can get an idea of what it's like here!

Our apartment is really great. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's actually really cute on the inside. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment in a 4-unit building. I have my own room and my other 2 roommates are sharing a room, and then we have an extra room for guests, relaxing, doing art, praying, etc. So come on out for a visit, please! We have found a bunch of cheap/free furniture on craig's list and from some friends in the area. Our place is starting to come together and really feel like home!

Here's my room:

And here's some more of the place:

And here's the outside and our block:

I haven't had much of a chance to really do any exploring of the area. But we have gone to a couple different grocery stores, the hardware store, and walked around a bit. So far, it really just seems like a pretty regular neighborhood. It's usually pretty quiet, except for the occasional partying from the USC frat house 2-doors down. :) We've gotten to know a bunch of the neighbor kids and they are super fun and friendly. I look forward to getting more settled and meeting more people in the neighborhood!

Despite the first impression of the neighborhood, I have to remember that this isn't my old quiet Denver neighborhood that I would feel totally safe walking around by myself at any hour. This is a totally new and different place all together. Last night I got my first glimpse into the somewhat typical happenings in this neighborhood. I was woken up by loud and repetitive helicopter sounds. I finally got out of bed to see if I could see anything. A police helicopter seemed to be circling over a house just a few blocks south of us. They had their spotlight shining down on the house and continued to circle for about 20 minutes. I've never seen anything like it in my quiet Wash Park neighborhood. I half-expected to hear an officer come over the loud speaker... "Come out with your hands up!", just like you see in the movies. Thankfully, I didn't see anything besides the circling helicopter and was eventually able to get back to sleep after a bathroom break and some reading.

This is definitely a new experience. Please pray that I would be wise and aware of my surroundings as I make my home here in South LA. I'm not always the best at following a bunch of rules and curfews, etc. Please pray that I would submit to the rules and realize that they are all meant to keep me safe. Thanks so much for your love and prayers!

Farewell, Colorado!

I have arrived in Los Angeles! Thank you so much for your prayers! Please pray for my parents on their return journey tomorrow! I'm enjoying getting to know my new city, settling into our apartment, and getting to know my fellow housemates and interns. I'll update with more details soon!

My last couple weeks in Denver were so great! I spent countless lunches, dinners, dances, pedicures, etc with so many wonderful friends! I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life! I will miss you all SOOO much! But we shall meet again soon! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last couple weeks. Enjoy. :)

Update Letter - Sept 2010

Greetings!

I’m writing to you in my last week here in Denver! I can’t believe how fast the summer has passed and now I’m just days away from picking up and moving to Los Angeles! So many changes and unknowns loom in the distance which bring unpredictable bouts of excitement, sadness, thankfulness, anxiety, worry, and joy! There are so many emotions running through my body right now, but I need to remember to breathe and trust that God will take care of the future, one day at a time.

My last day of work was almost 2 weeks ago now, and I’ve spent my days since then moving out of my lovely studio apartment and spending lots of time with family and friends. My parents and I all moved down to my brother’s house during this season of transition and it’s been fun and interesting to all be in the same house again – with a few welcome additions of course! :) I was hoping this would be a time of rest and preparation, but it has proved to be very full, chaotic, and exhausting. Please pray that I would find time within the chaos to pursue the Lord and prepare my heart and mind for the season ahead.

There are so many updates and praises in regards to my upcoming internship with Servant Partners in L.A. since my last official letter. First, thanks to many wonderfully supportive friends, including my church here in Denver, I can joyfully report that I am fully funded for the 2-year internship costs with SP! What a blessing! Thanks to all of you! Also, my 2 roommates (Stephanie and Grace) and I have secured an apartment in L.A.! It’s a 3 bedroom place in a 4-unit apartment building right in the heart of our ministry neighborhood. We feel very blessed that the Lord provided this place for us and look forward to all the times ahead in the neighborhood. We have already run into a few hiccups as the first roommate has begun to move in. Please pray that all the details are worked out immediately and that this place would be a safe and fun home and a place of refuge for all 3 of us in this next season of life! Finally, I have not yet been able to secure a regular day job to cover my daily expenses. Please pray that I would be diligent in searching for a job and that the Lord would provide the right opportunity at the right time.

My schedule over the upcoming few weeks should be exciting and a bit crazy. I am planning to arrive in L.A. with my parents on September 10, then start official SP meetings and orientation on September 14, then jump on a plane to Manila on September 21 for our 3-week international introduction to slum ministry! I am really looking forward to all of these events and can’t wait to report back to you soon! Be sure to check my blog and look for another update letter sometime after my return from the Philippines.

I am utterly grateful for all of your love and support throughout this journey! I look forward to your continued partnership over the next 2 years of this internship. Please partner with me in prayer for the Servant Partners ministry in L.A. and around the world, for our new community in South L.A., and for my walk with the Lord and His calling on my life. Please visit my blog (address below) often and show your encouragement by commenting as much as possible! Love you!

MANY Blessings on your Life,
Ali Fraze

Blog: www.AliFraze.blogspot.com

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:2-3

We have an apartment!

My 2 roommates and I have secured an apartment in LA! Woohoo!!! It feels so good to have at least one thing figured out! It's a 3 bedroom apartment in a 4 unit building. It's right in the middle of the 'target' neighborhood and right across the street from an elementary school. Check it out!

We're planning to have one single room (mine I think) and one double room (Grace & Stephanie) so that we can devote the extra room to other puposes. Stephanie has a cool vision to set the room up as a retreat/prayer room. Not sure what it will look like yet... but we want to have a space for us, the other interns, maybe people in the community to come and experience rest and retreat.... a place to hang out with God and cry out to him. This extra room also means room for guests! So come on out and visit when you get the chance! :)

I'm very excited to move in to our place, to make it feel like home, and to meet all of our neighbors. Please pray that this apartment will be a safe and comfortable home, that we will be diligent and intentional about building relationships with our neighbors, and that God would do an amazing work in our hearts and minds through our community in LA.

FEAR NOT

Isaiah 43

Israel's Only Savior

1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.

9 All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of them foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, "It is true."

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is NO savior.

12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.

13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?"


Thank you, Lord, for loving me, for choosing me, and for always being by my side. I fear not, knowing that you are God, my Savior. I believe your promises and exalt you as the Holy One of Israel. What you do, no one can reverse. Give me courage, Lord, in the presence of uncertainty. Give me peace, knowing that you are God and you are always with me.

You did WHAT???

I quit my job! (Or gave notice, that is.) In this economy? Yeah, I know... weird, huh? Or maybe dumb? But this is when I step out and learn to TRUST. God will provide, he has a plan. Lord, what is your plan? :)

Yikes... this all just became VERY real. I'm really doing this. On Wednesday I broke the news to my boss that I would be moving to L.A. at the end of August for the Servant Partners internship. It was surreal. But the last 2 years (almost) working at Michael Baker have been great! I've met some really amazing people, learned quite a bit about hydrology and hydraulics, became a Certified Floodplain Manager (oh yeah!), lost every single game on our office softball team, and survived MANY hours in a cubicle! But seriously, I'm so thankful for these last 2 years and will be very sad to leave Baker behind.

It was quite a rush quitting my job. I felt... excited, anxious, nervous, emotional, not sure what! But as I was leaving work that day, a song lyric came on the radio that really struck home, made me tear up, and gave me some much needed comfort.

♪♪ You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms ♪♪

Amen to that. Thank you, Lord. I'm stepping out in faith, knowing that I am safe in your arms.

God is Good... ALL the time!

Over the last year and a half here in Denver, I have been blessed to be able to be a part of a great church - Denver Community Church (http://www.denverchurch.org/). The people are amazing, the teaching and leadership are incredible, and the community and fellowship that I've gained have been life-changing! Growing up, I never really understood the point of church. I mean why can't I just have my own personal relationship with God, do it by myself, keep it to myself, and forget about wasting so much time going to church. Well, fortunately, the Lord has completely changed my view of church over the last several years. I know now that I am completely powerless in my own strength and willpower to walk this journey alone. I need the love and support and community of other believers to encourage me on my walk and pick me up when I fall. I've also learned that I grow and develop most in my relationship with the Lord when I am committed to a small group. This group setting allows me to be challenged and keeps me accountable in my daily walk with the Lord. I have been so richly blessed by an incredible, eclectic, amazing small group of women during my time here with DCC. God is good!

Anyway... I spoke with the outreach pastor at my church a couple months ago about my plans to move to L.A. for this internship. He invited me to fill out a Mission Opportunity request form and meet with the Missiology Team to tell them more about this opportunity, more about myself and my heart, where I am at with fundraising/preparations, and how they might be a part of this journey with me. After meeting with the Missiology Team at DCC, I was completely encouraged! These people share my heart for reaching out to the poor and completely understood my call and vision for this next phase of my life! A few days later they emailed me to let me know that they would like to cover the rest of my expenses for the internship!!! I was blown away and nearly started crying in my cubicle... :) I praise God for his continual provision and constant faithfulness! FEELS GREAT TO BE FULLY FUNDED!

I feel so blessed to have found the amazing community of DCC. I am so excited that they want to partner with me in this journey and can't wait to see what it will look like to keep them involved in these next 2 years with Servant Partners in L.A. (I even got a little blurb on their website. Check it out!) Thank you, DCC, for your enouragement and love!

This whole post makes me think of a song. It's the one song that I usually sing to my little nephew, Caleb. It's a really simple, but beautiful spanish praise song. (Good thing it's only 4 lines, because my horrible memory can't handle any more than that!)

Tu fidelidad es grande,
Tu fidelidad incomparable es,
Nadie como tu, bendito Dios,
Grande es tu fidelidad

Your faithfulness is big,
Your faithfulness is incomparable,
There is no one like you, holy God,
Big is your faithfulness

So true. Are are SO faithful, Lord. Thank you for your love and provision! I am overwhelmed.

Support/Update Letter - May 2010

In case you missed it... here is the support/update letter that I sent out in May. I plan to send out another update letter before heading to L.A., so keep an eye out for the next one. Enjoy.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends and Family,

Hello! ¡Les envio saludos desde Colorado! I pray you are doing well and are excited for the upcoming summer! I am definitely anxious to enjoy the beautiful Colorado sun with lots of camping, hiking, and sports… that is if the cold and rain ever let up!

The last couple of years of my life here in Denver have been filled with challenges and successes as I’ve begun to settle into my young career in Civil Engineering. I’ve learned so much and have really grown personally, professionally, and spiritually. I’ve been incredibly blessed by a great church and small group, a good job, and fun times with my family. It’s been especially amazing to be a new “Tia” (Aunt) to my awesome nephew, Caleb (smelling flowers in the above picture :)).

While all of these things have been so wonderful, the Lord continues to tug at my heart to be more involved with advancing His Kingdom in a ministry setting. God has really shaped my heart through my experiences serving abroad in Bolivia and Costa Rica, as well as here in Denver, and has truly given me a passion to live and serve among the ‘least of these’(Matt 25:40). Several months ago I attended a huge Christian missions conference in St. Louis and learned about an exciting urban ministry organization called Servant Partners. The last couple of months have been a whirlwind, but I have since applied to, interviewed for, and been accepted into the Servant Partners 2-year internship program in Los Angeles, CA! The internship will be an intense experience of pursuing what it means to serve the poor in the city. It will include a short-term trip to an international urban slum community (most likely Manila, Philippines), in-depth study of the Bible as well as other ministry-oriented books, living in a poor community in LA and building relationships with my neighbors, learning how to effectively write devotionals and sermons, pioneering a ministry project in the community, and exploring and developing my spiritual gifts and individual talents. I will also work a full or part time job to pay for my day-to-day expenses.

Your love throughout the years has been a constant encouragement in my life! As I embark on this new adventure, there are several ways I would deeply appreciate your support.
1. Prayer - I will need a lot of prayer as this will be an intense and challenging next 2 years!
2. Financial Contribution - I need to raise $4,000 to cover program expenses. This amount will cover the international trip and the urban ministry training for the next two years.
3. Job Leads - If you are aware of any Civil Engineering related career opportunities in the LA area, please let me know. I would also be open to other fields of work if you feel they might complement my heart and skill set.

If you would like to support me financially, I would be incredibly blessed! I need to have a significant chunk of my support raised by June 15 and the entire sum by August 10. If you’d like to write a check, please make it out to “Servant Partners” and mail it to: P.O. Box 92493, Pasadena, CA, 91109. In the memo line of your check, please be sure to write “Intern-Fraze” (you will be sent a tax-deductible receipt for you contribution). If you’d prefer to give online, visit the Servant Partners website (see link below), click on the “Donate Now” link at the bottom of the page and designate your donation “Other: Intern-Fraze”. Feel free to contact me if you want to know more details!

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my excitement with you about what the Lord is calling me to do and for considering how you can be involved in this journey with me! Your continual partnership with me in the work of His Kingdom is such a blessing!



In Christ,
Ali Fraze

http://www.servantpartners.org/

“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Seeking the Lord's plan... aka Following the Cloud

Shortly after learning about the internship opportunity with Servant Partners, the Lord really spoke to me through this incredible passage of scripture. I'd been somewhat trudging through the Old Testament books, seeking to learn more about God's amazing faithfulness toward the Israelites, His chosen people. I was anxious to be wrapping up another book, when this passage at the end of Exodus really grabbed my attention.

"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out - until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and the fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." Exodus 40:36-38

How awesome is that! The Lord led every move the Israelites made; all they had to do was look toward the cloud and they would know His will. Seems so simple. While it might not be as easy to know God's leading today... I do believe that we can know His will by constantly seeking His face. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:33

Thus the title of this blog… :) I aspire to seek the Lord every single day and know His good and perfect will. I pray that I would be faithful in seeking the Lord's face and looking to Him for guidance before stetting out. He is so good and faithful!