Oakland Here We Go!

Orientation is finally over. 5 days of information overload can, in a tragically fun way, burn you out.

I learned a lot about InnerCHANGE, so much that I'm afraid I'll forget half of it by the end of the summer. And what a better way to start my internship in Oakland with a much needed day off?

To say that I'm excited about this opportunity is an understatement. This is in spite of (or perhaps because of it) there's no clear direction in this ministry.

I'm staying with a group that it's just starting out in Oakland. Are we going to minister to the youth or the homeless, or even better, both? Is God calling us to this neighborhood or another one? There are so many open questions, and it is exciting to be part of this new beginning.

And then there's the danger. Oakland is infamous for its dangerous streets. I even think I heard gunshots last night before going to bed. And this being an incarnational ministry, we normally move in to the worst neighborhoods to minister.

To say that I'm missing the ministry in San Francisco is also and understatement. I haven't been gone for a full day and  yet I find myself missing it.

One misses the immensity of transitions until we are taking that last step to them. As I was in a car last night, my things jam-packed in the trunk and back seat, with the Oakland skyline ahead of me, it suddenly dawned on me.

This is probably one of the biggest steps I have ever taken in my life, and to say that I'm excited is a gross understatement.

Photo Credit: gerbache.