The Path Update - May 30

Well, summer is here, and most of you have probably gone home for the summer. It has been a while since I have e-mailed everyone, mostly because there hasn't been much to inform anyone about. But I do have a few snippets that I should send out; here you go:

Potential for work: Are any of you in need of a job in the Arcata area, especially right now? Keiko Ranta, one of the members of our church, runs Restaurant Hana in Eureka. She needs people for several positions there ASAP. The restaurant is a small establishment at the very north end of town; as soon as you enter Eureka from the Arcata side, it's on the left. Keiko needs people who can continue working through this next school year. Just mention my name - she'll be glad to have you.

Need a Bible study? Most of the campus ministries in the area have closed shop for the summer, but there are still some possibilities for Christian fellowship. If you still want to hang out with Christians before the end of the summer, send me an e-mail; the Monday night Bible study at Robin's house is still going on through the summer, and I would love to hook you up.

Interested in starting up a student-led cell group? The following is an excerpt from a newsletter I receive weekly. If you think this is something you'd like to do (and it's feasible for you to get over there), I might be able to connect you with reimbursement for the registration fee; just notify me before June 4th (the next council meeting) so I can present it to council.
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Clear Promise is sponsoring a seminar called "Student Led Cell Groups". Presenting will be Ted Stump, founder and director of High Impact Ministries who says: "There is a dynamic, life- changing movement amount youth that's impacting the very foundation of youth ministries around the world: students reaching their friends for Christ through student-led cell groups. Student-led cell groups are a powerful style of ministry that equips students to reach their peers for Christ through a format that incorporates the sharing of real life issues and Biblical truths."
When: June 16 - 17
Time: 6:30 P.M (Friday, June 16) thru 4:30 P.M. (Saturday, June 17)
Where: Lompoc Valley Community Center, 1501 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc, CA 93436
Who should attend: Student Leaders, Youth Workers, Youth Pastors
Cost: $100 per church, $20 per person
Registration Deadline: June 12
To find out more about this event, you may phone them at: 805-698-9846 (John) or 805-451-9527 (Sue).
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Junior Counselors Needed: If you would be interested in being a junior counselor at a youth camp this summer, our church is sponsoring Blue Slide Youth Camp, July 9-14. If you are interested in helping, e-mail me for more information.

Farmers Market: Don't forget to try out the Farmers Market every Saturday morning in the Arcata Plaza. There are fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, and other wares available, so come check it out!

If you have anything of interest regarding this summer, feel free to let me know so I can post it to the listserve. Oh, and I will be switching to my regular e-mail address in July; if you want to reach me after that, you can e-mail me at LCMSPastor@gmail.com. Thanks, and God's blessings on your week.

--Jason Moreno
Coordinator, The Path
(707) 822-5117

The Path Update - May 4

Whew! Just for the record, if anyone ever offers you an infection around your eye, turn them down - it's not fun. By the way, my apologies for having to miss Ask The Vicar Night, but I believe y'all had a great night of brainstorming for next year; good use of the evening. Now, if you would like to have fun (without having an infection around your eye), here are some better ideas:

GOJA (Girls Overthrowing Jason's Apartment): All right, I believe the girls are taking over my apartment Saturday, May 6, for some sort of sleepover. Assuming that's correct, everyone can then go to church together on Sunday, May 7. (I will still be in Sacramento for the District Convention.) If all this goes according to plan, I'll just give my spare key to Ashlee, and y'all can use the apartment. If you are interested in this endeavor, you can contact Lindsey (lcm34@humboldt.edu), Ashton (bbalg87@yahoo.com), or Ashlee (alz2@humboldt.edu). (Isn't it great how I volunteered them without asking first? Not like I have much choice - I don't know anything myself.) But that leads us to Sunday night....

Correction to Dinner at the Duncans': Crissy Duncan has kindly offered to feed The Path on Sunday, May 7, at their place in Eureka. Here's the deal: I will be getting back from Sacramento that afternoon, so tomorrow, I will call up Crissy and ask her to pick y'all up in front of the J at 4:45 PM (this is different from what was previously announced). David, I hope you wouldn't mind helping out in driving everyone out to Eureka; if you can't, call me so we can get someone else to help. Dinner should be at 6:00 PM; the earlier meeting time is so the Duncans can get to know you guys before dinner begins (it helps with indigestion). I will then meet up with y'all at the Duncans'. Hope you can make it - this will be the last Path gathering of the year! (Tears are forming as we speak... sniff sniff!)

Letters to servicemen: Whatever your views may be on the current War in Iraq, there are a lot of people in the military who are risking their lives, and they need to be shown love and concern from civilians like us. One of the members of our congregation, Ann Suchanek, has a grandson, Andrew, in one of the Army's Mountain Divisions. I think that our project for the summer should be writing to him to let him know about ourselves and how things are in Humboldt County. If you would like to write to him as a group, you can give me your letter, and we can put together a package for him; if you would like to write individually, his address is:
Spc Suchanek, Andrew
C co 1/87 IN
(1/10 MTN Div)
APO AE 09376
In fact, if everyone is interested, The Path should write to him on a regular basis through next year as well. Anyway, it's just a thought. If you'd like to know whether the soldiers appreciate receiving letters, just ask Ashlee: she writes to two of them.

Camp info: If anyone needs anything to do in July, I do have an opportunity for you. The Lutheran Church of Arcata is hosting Blue Slide Camp (not too far from Humboldt County), which is a combination of family camp and youth camp, and they need junior counselors - that means you! From July 4-6, there will be counselor training. Then, July 7-9 is family camp. Then, July 9-14 is youth camp. If you have time this summer, consider helping out - junior counseling is probably the easiest job they have there (or so they claim).

FYI: I was told that there was a guy on the quad today (Wednesday) who was making a point of offending anyone and everyone who passed by, Christian and non-Christian alike. There was a guy like that at Texas A&M, too; I don't know if it's the same guy or not, but they sound similar. Some people who claim the name of Christian go around telling everyone that they're going to Hell. Sometimes, they don't even focus on non-Christians; they condemn other Christians who do things differently than they do. While Christians do believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, it does not do any good to spend a day on the quad of a public university telling everyone that they belong in Hell. For those who are secure in themselves and do not believe that they need Jesus, that sort of speech drives them further away. For those who know they are sinners (as we all are), that sort of speech drives them further into despair or into behavior that might hurt them or others. In a world that is suffering from fear and despair, we must be beacons of light, shining for the world to see. If you really want to reach the world for Jesus, try doing something good, like holding discussion nights, feeding the homeless, and loving your neighbor in whatever way is needed. The truth of sin and evil must never be sugar-coated, but it certainly isn't the way to reach out to a world that already faces sin and evil everyday. That truth will come eventually; but remember: a conversation starts more easily with a smile than with a scowl.

Oh, and if anyone wants to hang out sometime between now and the end of the school year, just let me know, especially during finals, when you may need time to get away from campus either for studying or for NOT studying. It's sad to see the end of the year approaching. Things may get less stressful, but it correlates to my friends leaving; so I am sad when I should be happy.

Thus far, I know Mike will be around into June, and Ashton and David will be back by mid-July. Jonathan will be around to keep me company through the summer as well. Besides that, I don't know of anyone sticking around. So I will send out a few more updates, and then I'll be passing things on to Megan.

Okay, I'm rambling again. Later!

--Jason Moreno
Coordinator, The Path
(707) 822-5117
http://www.humboldtlutherans.org