Art Processing

On the last day of FUI we had a retreat of silence (yes that is 3 hours of intentional silence). That is when I created this - the words are from Psalm 46. I was deciding to embrace my artistic side of life. I then put this on my FUI wall right above my dresser. Some of my favorite FUI pictures from both 2007 and 2010 border my artwork.

FUI Ignite Reunion

Every Ignite conference is the joyful reunion of all summer projects. I also had my camera back so I was anxiously taking pictures. Here we have the wonderful Lissah (lee-saw).

Then Amanda.

And Marissa (with Alex in the background). How I miss all of these people.

I Miss My Twin

I miss Sol so much.

El Rey Del Mar

This is an amazing find - I don't even know where to begin. Well, in Fresno there was this giant yellow building that marked the street right before Todd's house so I always knew where to turn. It was a Mexican place that has been "Opening Soon" for two years.

It's name: El Rey Del Mar.

But what a fortunate find to see that this restaurant is open in Reseda. Yes it is the same color, same look, and same shape. It is basically like copied version of the one in Fresno - that is actually functioning.

Stolen Sombrero

I "borrowed" Julie's sombrero for a little while. I was hoping she wouldn't notice that I had it on, or think that she already packed it. I really liked it and it fit my head really well. But she did notice that I had it on (I thought I was being discreet) and she did take it back to Baskerfield with me. I will miss that hat... and I'll miss the whole FUI team too.

Minturn Family Shirts

Yes - they have family shirts. And tie-dye rainbow ones at that. You can't see it from this picture - but Carrie and Bryce have them too. It is pretty epic if I do say so myself...

Goodbyes

Instead of going to our site today - we had a thank you lunch for the agencies that we worked with all summer long. This was our team from Light and Life - they were an amazing group of people. It was sad to part ways for the summer. I never noticed it before - but poor Kevin was the only guy working with us. Well he never complained.

Milk Gives you Strength

This should be a new milk campaign - see little Alys (pronounced Alice) kicking away Steve, thanks to the power of milk. Gives you strong bones and muscles my friends.

Blackbeards!

During the last week of our site, Kevin and I took the kids to as many cool places as we could. Yesterday we took them to a movie in Riverpark and today all of Light and Life went to Blackbeards. It is a mini golf/ go carts/ water slide/ arcade family fun center. This was after many trips down the water slides that me and some of my girls wanted to go the bumper boats. As you can see they are so happy to do so.

FIRM Family Festival

Carolyn and Jaret who work with FIRM (Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Mission) invited us to go to the FIRM family festival where they have crafts and hang out time with the refugee families in Fresno. We brought sidewalk chalk and drew with the kids. We also were encouraged to participate in other activities, which included face painting for many of us. It was a great day, not only to see another person's site, but to play with these kids.

Monte and Wang Productions

So last night we did a Talent Show - it was great. And I performed a rap of epic proportions with my partner in crime - Joyce Wang. Jason beat-boxed for us. We are the coolest. I will now put my rap below for you to read.

Jason: FUI 2010! Word. This is a rap about all ya’ll

M: Here in Fresno it’s hot

J: Cool is something it’s not

M: Unless you live at Stone Pine

J: Where we have air conditioning all the time

M: Or live in the house of Pink

J: With swamp coolers on the brink

M: These are the peeps

J: You should meet

M: Inside both these cribs

J: We don’t tell no fibs

M: Hey Danae

J: Got money, money, money, mon-ey

M: Mack, Mack

Watch out for Lauren’s knee attack

J: Maybe you should be a ninja

M: Watch out Kevin may getchya

J: Unless you’re Jaret or Shannon Baker

M: You best be ready to meet your maker 

J: I think that’s really

M: RUE

Jason: Hey that’s my word!

J: Overused

M: If you’re a fly watch out for ALiu

J: He’ll beat you with a shoe

M: Eric can’t shut the door

J: Eric, door! Eric, door!

M: We have to tell him some more

J: Eric, door! Eric, door!

M: Vivian may think you’re crazy

J: And Betty says don’t be lazy

M: Maybe if you give Matt a cookie

J: He’ll shout just like a wookie

M: Glenda’s eyes stay open when she sleeps

J: That gives me the creeps

M: Sol would say don’t be scared

J: You best be aware

M: Because if Tramaine wasn’t saved

J: She’d cut you just the same

M: Tracey listens to heavy metal

J: I know! I know!

M: But Sarah plays the piano

J: I know! I know!

M: Lawrence sings all the time

J: Amanda writes up her own rhymes

M: They should collaborate

J: They will, just you wait

M: Sarah kidnaps her process group

J: (spoken) trust me, I know

M: (spoken) Oh, how long do you guys really meet?

J: (spoken) Monte – we are in the middle of rap – let’s continue or we’ll be here til midnight

M: (spoken) Rue!

J: Cameron’s foot is cursed

M: Only if a hammer hits it first

J: Shayne should be a model like Tyra

M: And maybe so should Lissah

J: Josth has a ‘T’ in his name

M: It sounds just the same

J: Krista makes good green beans

M: Zoe may sound mean

J: When she says “Get out, get get, get out of my house”

M: We could make a rap about that

J: (spoken) I know, right?

M: Shout out to Marissa Guzman!

J: And Marissa Newman

M: Don’t get in a fight with Bryson

J: He’s got muscles like Mike Tyson

M: Mariah likes to donate blood

J: It’s something that she loves

M: Maybe Julie can use a ton

J: Because falling down isn’t fun

M: Opera is Carolyn’s thing

J: It’s what she loves to sing

M: Michael had a fowhawk yesterday

J: After ten minutes it went away

M: Meghan does flips in the pool

J: I think that’s really cool

M: And that is all our interns

J: Can’t forget about Todd Minturn

Both: We say Todd, you say Minturn

Both: Todd!

Audience: Minturn

Both: Todd!

Audience: Minturn

M: This is FUI 2010!

J: What! What!..... What! What!

M: This is FUI 2010!

J: What! What!..... What! What!

Jason: Monte and Wang productions

M: Featuring Rue beats

J: What it do 

Process Group

Isn't my process group cute? Oh don't let them fool you, they are stubborn and difficult, and rarely want to process during actual process group time. But they can be cute sometimes. :)

From left to right you have Meghan, Michael, myself, Lauren, and Glenda, and we are holding Lissah.

The Honolulu

The Honolulu. I have waited for about four and a half weeks to come to Teazers. It is my favorite place in Fresno (well to drink tea that is) but it is on the expensive side. So I knew that I would take my mom here for Visitor's Day so I didn't have to pay with my stipend. Seriously - I love this place. I just wish they had one in SLO or Pasadena...

A.Liu With a Shoe

Sounds like a Dr. Seuss book right?

There was a boy named A.Liu
He had a really large shoe
Then he saw a fly
And thought: "It must die!"
Oh now, spare the fly my friend!
Do not send it to its end
But kill the fly A.Liu said he must
And the window he did also bust.

Park Playtime

This is my site: Light and Life Urban Ministries. Here we are at the park we serve the free lunches for the kids. We play with all these kids (who enjoy climbing on to of us, making fun of us, and splashing us in the pool) every day of the week. They are a crazy bunch of kids - but I love them just the same.

Chalk Days

The pink house sidewalk is now covered in chalk. Need I say more?

Adventures

So there are bonuses to starting your site at 8 am - it means you can be done by 1:30 and go on crazy adventures around Fresno. See Marissa and Shayne right now - trying to climb into the artwork. I think they are trying to pull the same trick Bert did in Marry Poppins. Do you think it will work?

Mafia de Agua

If you are going to get in a water fight - you best have these women on your side. They will get your enemies as wet as the ocean.

Ah, just another day in Pink House living - where crazy becomes normal and insanity breeds reason.

Balcony

This was my spot three years ago. Since I lived in an upstairs apartment, I would come out here all the time to talk, to think, or just to be.

This time around at FUI - I've spent very little time up here. Not that I don't want to (ok maybe I'm a little grossed out by some of the furniture) but I just don't need to be here all the time. But it still manages to be a great place to take pictures.

Habakkuk

Where is God and why is he taking so long?

This is the theme of Habakkuk. It's about a man who cries to God at why he cannot see the injustices that Habakkuk himself sees. And when he feels God does see the pain of his people - he will not do what Habakkuk believe should happen.

This is the book we manuscript as a part of our Intro to Urban ministry class. While I enjoyed the study, it was not one of my favorites because I don't really identify with Habakkuk. I know that God sees injustice and I know he does something about it. It's me that often doesn't see or want to see it.