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
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