It's been a while since I've posted. But I'm still here, still love TechMission (what a cool name - ever thought about that? tech plus mission, techmission... ah whatever), and still diggin UrbanMinistry.org.

A squad drawn together in ad-hoc circumstances from all parts of the Gulf, and with its players straddling the bitter and violent ethnic divides, somehow conjured an historic triumph against the odds.
And it was no lucky win. Iraq dominated the final against a heavily favored Saudi Arabia, a three-time Asian Cup champion.

At the final whistle, captain and goal scorer Younis Mahmoud sprinted across the pitch with his elated teammates in pursuit before they collapsed into a pile, overwhelmed with their achievement.

There was a shooting tonight across the street from my house. It happened around 1 a.m. We heard these loud BOOMS, about 3-4 of them (I thought) or 5-7 of them (Kafi thinks). People blow up a lot of @*$%# in my neighborhood, lots of firecrackers, and I just thought it was another exotic street explosive, so I went right back to sleep. But then Kafi told me there were a bunch of fire trucks and ambulances on the street. I got up to check. I went outside. The paramedics were carting a guy into one ambulance. My neighbors said that two guys had been shot, one in the head, one in the thigh. They wheeled out a second guy. Apparently they were doing steady CPR on the first guy. There are still police out on the street, and it's now almost 4 a.m. Officers came to my front door to question us in detail, given that our home is so close to the shooting. They talked to me, then to my wife, then to two other adults living in my home. Then they asked to speak to Sam, to see what he heard. I hesitated - this is not the kind of life we want for him, dealing with shootings and giving interviews to the police. But Kafi checked on him and he seemed fine with it. So he stepped outside the front door with the four adults and two officers. He stood upright, almost confident. He said the little he had to say - "I heard three shots" - and then went back into the house. Micah slept through everything.

UPDATE: The two men who were shot have died: PASADENA STAR NEWS: Fight escalates into double homicide

UPDATE 2: Los Angeles Times Homicide Blog:

Pasadena Double Homicide

Pasadena: Two men, Joseph Vargas, 31, and Sergio Mendes, 34, both Latino, were shot in the 1500 block of Navarro Avenue in Pasadena at about 1:50 a.m. this morning, Friday, July 27. They were transported to a local hospital where they died.

Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Givens said police got word of an argument that escalated into a fight. A suspect or suspects shot the men, then fled. Detectives later arrested three people in Covina: Jonathan Warren, 22, Diana Reyes, 20, and a youth or boy whose name was not released. Investigators said gang concerns were at issue in the attack. More to come.

...I ask instead that you help a youth named Ernie to get a new start in life.

My 40th birthday is this Saturday. We've got a nice day planned, including a trip to the beach with the kids and some BBQ to munch on while we are there. In terms of gifts, I have had, and continue to have, a great life. There are some things I want. But I would much rather help this youth I know, Ernie.

Ernie has been admitted to a private Christian school in Washington state. It's a wonderful opportunity for him. This school specializes in helping young males who are one step away from getting caught up in the justice system. He needs $1,100 by this Sunday (July 29) to enter the school.

Here are two shots of Ernie. The first is with his sister. The second is with me.





Ernie's family is large and very poor. For a period of time they lived in a garage. As I write, his youngest siblings still do. Ernie, of late (about the past half a year), has not been attending school at all. He just turned 15. When he was 13 he was in a court-ordered boot camp for teens at-risk. He went through a period where he ran the streets. Lately he has tried to stay out of trouble. His entire plan to stay out of trouble, however, involves staying in his grandmother's house and doing nothing. That, my friends, is a recipe for failure. Eventually he will tire of the house and re-enter the streets. The police are well aware of him: While I was walking down the street with Ernie three weeks ago, an officer drove by and called out his name. Ernie said that officer harassed him recently, saying, "You are just like your brother, and I'm going to take you to jail just like your brother." Ernie is very aware that he is on the precipice of serious trouble. As a result, he has shown remarkable initiative in filling out the application to attend this private Christian school. He has called me frequently, usually twice a day, asking first if he was accepted, then asking when he can leave. He is eager to get out of Pasadena and get a fresh start at this school.

I've known Ernie since 2000. He is listening to everything I tell him. I told him to work hard to make some of the $1,100 he needs, because why should anyone offer assistance if he doesn't care enough to work hard? He volunteered at my church, setting up sound equipment and breaking down after service. He will volunteer at Harambee during this week, as he prepares to leave.

The $1,100 breaks down this way: $150 for application fee - $250 for intake fee - $400 for damage deposit. All these go directly to the school. Then his transportation will be $125. He will need to acquire clothing and supplies. Between donations and items he must purchase, I estimate the clothes/supplies at $175. The total is $1,100.

As you read this blogpost, I ask that you consider making a gift to help Ernie. Anything you can contribute would be much appreciated. To contribute online, go here. If you would like to send a check, write it to "Harambee Ministries" and send it to Harambee, 1609 Navarro Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103.

Got questions? Just email me. Thanks!

God's tentative return to Europe has scholars and theologians debating a hot question: Why? Part of the reason, pretty much everyone agrees, is an influx of devout immigrants. Christian and Muslim newcomers have revived questions relating to faith that Europe thought it had banished with the 18th-century Enlightenment. At the same time, anxiety over immigration, globalization and cutbacks to social-welfare systems has eroded people's contentment in the here-and-now, prodding some to seek firmer ground in the spiritual.

Some scholars and Christian activists, however, are pushing a more controversial explanation: the laws of economics. As centuries-old churches long favored by the state lose their monopoly grip, Europe's highly regulated market for religion is opening up to leaner, more-aggressive religious "firms." The result, they say, is a supply-side stimulus to faith.

"Monopoly churches get lazy," says Eva Hamberg, a professor at Lund University's Centre for Theology and Religious Studies and co-author of academic articles that, based on Swedish data, suggest a correlation between an increase in religious competition and a rise in church-going. Europeans are deserting established churches, she says, "but this does not mean they are not religious."

Upstarts are now plugging new spiritual services across Europe, from U.S.-influenced evangelical churches to a Christian sect that uses a hallucinogenic herbal brew as a stand-in for sacramental wine. Niklas Piensoho, chief preacher at Stockholm's biggest Pentecostal church, says even sometimes oddball, quasi-religious fads "tell me you can sell spirituality." His own career suggests that a free market in faith is taking root. He was poached by the Pentecostals late last year after he boosted church attendance for a rival Protestant congregation.

Here's a shot of Sam, Shelby & Kalonji jumping into the pool at The Venetian. It's about 100 degrees. I love this photo. I think of all that time that Sam spent in the hospital and then I see him leaping in the pool - it makes me feel good.