San Diego and "Miles" Later

So this is another post that is behind the times... we are actually in Santa Cruz at the moment in a Seattle's Best Coffee shop catching up.  So back to San Diego.  We could not get a hold of the folks we had planned to stay with in that sunny city the Wednesday we got in so as my wife and I sat in a Borders bookstore in La Mesa I called an old college bud named Andrew Griffen.  It so happened that he lived 5 minutes away from where we were and was preparing a message for a mid week Bible Study at his church.  We met him and he treated us to dinner at a taco shop (the California burrito is awesome!) and then went to the Wednesday night service with him.  We heard a wonderful class on living a life that is joyful despite circumstances.  We hope that this message will catch on at his church and others because Christianity wasn't ever meant to be boring.  After class we mentioned we were on the road and needed a place to stay and a few girls willingly opened their homes to us.  We ended up staying the night with Ema who's fiance was out of town because he was deployed to Korea with the military.  Thanks Andrew and Ema both for your hospitality!  The next morning we got up and visited the famous San Diego Zoo and discovered that even the animals detested the sweltering heat we experienced that day (at least most of the big critters were nowhere to be seen!)  At this point we had made contact with the original person we had planned on visiting with in San Diego.  She went by Winnie and she is the grandmother of one of our Iraqw teammates, Deborah Strasser.  She was so gracious to us, taking us out to Olive Garden for dinner and opening up a beautiful room to us that contained a cozy king-size bed.  After staying one night with Winnie and her eldest daughter, Caren, Kristen and I decided to hit the beach the next morning.  The weather was the exact opposite of what we had experienced at the zoo.  The wind blew so hard that it was extremely difficult for us to keep from freezing as we attempted to relax and read.  Neither of us got in the water that day but we did head up the sidewalk for some frozen yogurt where we ran into some other disciples of Jesus who encouraged us very much.  When we got back to the beach I overheard a few guys sitting behind us talking about using drugs on girls at parties so that they might sleep with them.  These are one of those moments when you feel like saying something but not in the most compassionate way.  I turned around and told them how lame it was that they would try to get girls that way.  I know that maybe I could have started by getting to know them and share Jesus or something but I just felt like maybe these guys who already knew in their own head that it was lame just needed another guy to straight up tell them how lame it was.  Anyways, if you have suggestions about how I should go about it if I ever have another chance let me know.  I know at times Jesus spoke compassionately and unbiasedly and at others he spoke challenging conviction into people's lives.  So after our cold beach day we returned to Winnie's for Lasagna and salad and a nice evening of sharing life's stories with her.  The next morning, after a long rest and a scurry to pack up all of our belongings once more, Winnie took us on a drive up to Mt. Helix.  Actually we drove separately so that after walking around the top we could head on to Los Angeles.  Mt. Helix gave us a beautiful panoramic view on all sides of the San Diego valley area.  There was a tall white cross at the pinnacle which sat above an amphitheater which accommodates community events and concerts as well as Easter services yearly.  Here we took pictures with Winnie and parted ways with her and Caren.  We were so warmed to be in their company.  Seeing that it was a beautiful, sunny morning, Kristen and I decided to sit in the amphitheater and read out of the gospel of Matthew.  This transitioned us into a truly amazing Christ experience.  After we finished a few chapters we got up and while walking to our car ran into Miles Brannan.  He walked up with his own Bible and a copy of a devotional book by Oswald Chambers.  He asked us what we had been reading and where we were from.  We told him our story and almost immediately he invited us to lunch at his home with his wife and son.  Kristen and I left Mt. Helix beaming, excited about this encounter in the Spirit.  We met Miles and his wife Raina at an apartment complex where they happened to be the tenants.  We also watched as their two year old, Daniel, ran around like a wild beast : ) as he pulled down blinds and stuck his hand in the toilet.  he was definitely a boy.  Raina prepared a traditional Iraqi breakfast for us as her background was Greek Orthodox and she had formerly lived in Iraq.  It was entirely delicious and consisted of pita, olives, corned beef, sausages, cheeses, and  chick peas (they may have been beans).  The entire time we were there we became very acquainted with this beautiful family and it felt as if we were long lost brothers and sisters (spiritually we are).  Miles is a commercial pilot who recently discovered that he is color blind, which is an amazing feat considering that this disability keeps others from ever being able to fly.  He has developed other ways of discerning certain patterns which do not require interpreting colors.  Still, he desires complete healing so that he may be allowed to continue deeper training and so that he may fly at night.  Raina is currently studying English so that she may teach and she is already fluent in Arabic, Syriac and Aramaic.  Knowing that Kristen and I were headed to Los Angeles that same day, Miles helped us find campsites in the Simi Valley area and even secretly handed me gas money.  This was a couple that lived a open-handed lifestyle.  They have even since called us to see how we are doing and eagerly desire to reunite with us someday in the future.  If you know our God, thank him on our behalf, for the many hospitable people he has put in our path.  If you do not know Him yet, there really are people out their who are pickled in His love and love to love on others through opening their doors and hearts.  Just because the religious people you have known all your life talk about Jesus but don't live this sort of love out, don't let their lukewarm mush discourage you from finding true faith.  Hopefully we will catch up soon and be telling you all about Los Angeles, Sequoia National Park and Santa Cruz!

--Taylor