i have officially been in San Francisco for two weeks! the picture here is my team that I am living with, making community with, and serving with. They are neat people that love Jesus and have loved me well I am so thankful for them. the time has gone fast and i have experience a lot of neat and very hard things since I have been here. yesterday we went to an area of the city called the Tenderloin, there are different stories for how it got its name, but this is a huge area in the city where hard drugs exist and a lot of homeless people live. We got a tour of this neighborhood from a friend of ours. it is right in the downtown area there were people living all over the sidewalks. i don't know their stories but many of them have probably been homeless for years and are very strung out on drugs. it is one of the saddest places i have ever been. Ironically enough there is every service offered in this neighborhood. It is possible to receive health care, 3 warm meals a day, and a place to stay. Even with all of these services present the need was still huge. i have never seen the affects of substance addiction so clearly before. these services do not cure the addiction problem that is destroying so many people's lives in the TL. even in a place where these things are available people are suffering and being tormented by addiction. something is still missing form the picture and that is Jesus. Jesus is the one that brings freedom and healing to wounded hearts. this causes me to reflect on my own life and the things that God has saved me from and is sparing me from. i not have been laying next to them or passed out in the gutter with the same addictions eating away at my life. there may still be suffering in this life but he offers freedom and hope that this destruction will end someday. this brings me great hope and joy.

today (Monday) we had our weekly pancakes party in golden gate park. every Monday morning we bring coffee and make pancakes for our friends and those that are hungry in the park. it was neat today it was my first time being there and it was fun to see people gather to eat and come together for conversation. it has been a little overwhelming meeting a ton of new people but this was very relaxing and enjoyable. I learned the wonderful art of playing chess, it was fun! hopefully i can remember so i can play again with a little more strategy! there is more transitioning for me to do and a lot for me to learn but i am excited that God will teach me in the process and that i can be a part of what he is doing in San Francisco! I am learning that the process of building a friendship does not change with context and that my soon to be friends have stories and lives that I want to be a part of as i invite them to be a part of mine. thanks for reading, supporting, and praying for me and this year in the city!