Archive for September, 2007
September 27, 2007 10:22 am | Written by Phil
On Sept 1st we hit the nine-month mark in our adventure in East Hollywood. This was a critical month for us to reflect on success, and how one even measures that in God’s kingdom. Many churchy people still look for old “tangibles” to measure success. I’m going to touch on some of these old tangibles. And then I will offer up some new (ancient?) tangibles that we are seeing in East Hollywood that indicate the field is ripe for harvest.
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September 20, 2007 3:57 pm | Written by Phil
September 19, 2007 7:06 pm | Written by Phil
In the neighborhood I have a friend who is a Laos-born, Hollywood-raised, nominally Buddhist, former gangster-turned-family-man, who shares my interest in shooting pool (even though he’s good at it and I’m not!) and talking about parenting and spiritual matters. Yesterday he surprised us with this special gift: His homemade California Rolls, a type of sushi, and wasabi, a spicy green paste that cleared my sinuses! Very tasty!!!
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September 14, 2007 11:00 am | Written by Phil
For those who would like to become more acquainted with East Hollywood, here is an excerpt from http://www.easthollywood.net, published by our friends with the newly certified East Hollywood Neighborhood Council. Please visit their website for photos and a brief history of this extremely diverse, dynamic and unique neighborhood of LA!
(When looking at the map, we live in the subcommunity designated as Virgil Village.)
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Where in the world is East Hollywood?
With a population of 51,000 residents, East Hollywood is a 1.8 square-mile community in the city of Los Angeles surrounded by central Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Koreatown. One of the most culturally diverse communities — if not the most culturally diverse community — in Los Angeles, it is home to the city’s main Armenian (Little Armenia district), Thai (Thai Town district) and El Salvadoran communities. It is also home to many Mexican, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Eastern European and Middle Eastern residents and businesses.
Because of the cultural diversity, East Hollywood offers a veritable food paradise comprising of countless ethnic restaurants, bakeries and other eateries, including the original Zankou Chicken, the original Cha Cha Cha, the Zagat-acclaimed Marouch, Sanamluang Cafe, Thailand Plaza and Paru’s Indian Vegetarian, just to name but a few.
East Hollywood’s institutions include three major medical centers (the “Bed Pan Alley” trifecta of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center), Los Angeles City College, five Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools (Ramona, Lockwood, Lexington, Dayton Heights and Kingsley), Barnsdall Park, Madison West Park and numerous small businesses.
This community also comprises of a youthful community where 64% of its residents are under the age of 40, as well as a heavy renter population of 88%.
It is bordered by Hollywood and Sunset boulevards to the north, Hoover St to the east, the 101 Freeway to the south and Western Ave to the west.
Area Map
Demographics
|
Population
|
| Total Population |
50,566 |
| Latino |
55% |
| White (includes Armenian) |
22% |
| Asian |
15% |
| Other |
5% |
| African American |
3% |
|
Gender
|
| Male |
50% |
| Female |
50% |
|
Households
|
| Total Households |
16,571 |
| Renter-Occupied |
88% |
| Owner-Occupied |
8% |
| Other |
4% |
|
Age
|
| 17 Years & Under |
26% |
| 18-29 Years |
20% |
| 30-39 Years |
18% |
| 40-49 Years |
14% |
| 50-64 Years |
12% |
| 65 Years & Over |
10% |
Categories: culture
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September 13, 2007 5:00 am | Written by Phil
On Tuesday evening Meri and I had the privilege of hosting in our apartment a small forum on education. A Pepperdine University Education professor and her eleven college students (who are taking her course on culture and language study as preparation for becoming grade school teachers) met in our home and ate Thai food with ten of my neighbors who attend school or have kids in school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The teachers-in-training humbly asked these parents and students of LAUSD to educate them on what life is really like living in the city of Los Angeles and going to schools in LAUSD. They asked the families to be brutally honest about their experiences, to share what they want for their kids and grandkids, and what they are looking for in a good teacher. One of my neighbors did the translating, as there were non-English speakers in the group. One of the college students grew up in East Hollywood and another went to grade school in South Central LA, but for most of them this was a cross-cultural experience! It was so fun to watch different worlds merge in a spirit of mutual respect.
What a wonderful idea this professor had to bring these eleven students into the hood to sit at the feet of kids, parents and grandparents! And this is not all. This professor is calling Tuesday’s experience the First Encounter for her college students this semester. Second Encounter will be with a church children’s program, and Third Encounter will be an overnight stay with a family and a school visit with their elementary school child.
I wonder what would schools look like in East Hollywood/Los Angeles (and in our nation’s other big cities) if more parents and students actually got to help shape the training and idealogies of their community’s future teachers? To this professor I say, “Way to go!”
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September 12, 2007 5:00 am | Written by Phil
We usually write about way of life in East Hollywood, but I want to share about California churches that have helped shape who I am today.
On Sunday Ed, Katie, Meri and I visited with our brothers and sisters of the Hollywood Church of Christ (one of our supporting congregations) and told them stories and testimonies about what God is doing through us and in us so far in East Hollywood. What a loving family! It was during our ten years (and Ed and Katie’s seven years) journeying with the Hollywood Church of Christ that we fell more madly in love with Jesus and his simple, counter-cultural and dangerous ways of living. God used the Hollywood church to show us we are “blessed to be a blessing” and (to quote a famous song) that Jesus had “friends in low places.”
Being back at this Hollywood congregation reminded me of an observation I often hear when I visit some other States or converse with transplants from other States. After all these years I still hear Americans cracking jokes about Californians (I know, I know, Californians make fun of other States too). But what’s sadder is that I still notice many Christians in America look down on Californian churches, like we’ve sold our souls to the devil by nature of being Californians. Add to this the weirdness of telling people I live and worship in Hollywood, and you can imagine the looks I get in return. To all who look down on your California sister churches I want to say, come and see!
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September 8, 2007 6:00 am | Written by Phil
I am thankful for the encouraging visits we recently received from some of our supporters of the Westside Church of Christ in Bakersfield, CA: David and Faye, Rod and Nancy, Jeff and Cheryl, Terry and Jamie, and my parents Steve and Candace. Thank you for your words of love. For worshiping God whole-heartedly with our children. For walking the streets of East Hollywood with us. For listening to and praying with our neighbors - working poor parents struggling to make ends meet and kids caught up in the gangsta life. And thank you for doing this in ways that demonstrate Jesus Christ’s bold love and uphold my neighbors’ dignity as real people just like you and me.
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