Living, Communing, and Learning here in Portland!

Hey Everyone. Figured now would be a great time to throw up a new post. Well, the past two weeks here in Portland has been fantastic! This town ROCKS! Soo much life and beauty, the people are amazingly creative and passionate about so many wonderful resonating things that have long been close to my heart. Areas of social justice and environment are very important here. There is a vibe in this place that longs for originality and authenticity unlike anywhere I've been before. I can go on and on...

As for settling in, God has blessed me with a room I'm renting that's only 3 blocks from the seminary! It's only $330/month (utilities included)! It's a six bedroom house that I share with 5 undergrad students who all go to Multnomah's bible college. Next thing to tackle is a job, which I've been fervently searching for. I've put applications in to several places that I think would be a good fit, but it seems that everytime I submit my resume to them, they inform me that the process will take a week or so before I am to hear back from them. I'm just going to keep plugging away. I trust God's timing and his provision for me in the mean time. I praise Him for allowing me to be flat broke so that I'm learning lessons in hyper-sensitive frugile money management like never before. I can now make a dollar stretch longer that I ever have before! Sweet!

I've been connecting with Imago Dei Community church here in Portland as well. From hanging at a couple of home community groups, to checking out the service held at Franklin High School, I'm super pumped about a project I'll be investing into Sept 8th. It's called LOVE PORTLAND(http://www.loveportland.org/), and just about the whole church is in on it. We're focusing in on 7 different restoration projects: five schools, a transitional home for the homeless, and HollyWood Theater. Teams of 100 to 150 people will be working that Saturday at each location from 9a to 5p to bring new life in the name of Jesus to these areas. Our home community group has adopted the HollyWood Theater location to begin interior work, to use the facility for educational tuduring programs. Please keep Imago and the community we're serving in your prayers.

As for school, I went to my first 2 classes today, Christian Theology and Old Testiment. I'm so greatful to have awesome professors teaching me God's word and bringing new life to the scriptures. I know it's not going to be easy, especially as I looked over the amount of intense reading I'm about to step into, but it's going to be so worth it.

Thanks for reading and keeping in touch. Please continue to pray for my financial situation, that a job will find it's way to me soon. I'm also looking into the possiblity of moving to SE Portland to be in community with some guys from Imago as we look at what it really means to penetrate the lives of those who are poor and hurting, to walk beside them closely while showing Christs' unending love for them.

Love ya'll

check out the Imago's LovePortland Vid below (That's my friend Clark Blakeman who let me stay at his place while I was searching for a room to rent. Thanks Clark, You Da Man!):

Hello Portland!

That's right! I have arrived! After traveling almost 3500 miles (spending close to $400 on gasoline by the way) I have settled down here in northeast Portland. I'm staying at my good friend Clark Blakeman's house for the week while I scope out room's for rent in the neighborhood. Monday night when Carmel and I arrived we spent the evening eating a delicious picnic Chinese dinner by the river walk area downtown. We watched the sunset not only on the day, but also on our time together this summer. Precious moments... Yesterday morning I took her to the airport where we said our final tearful goodbyes. A peace came over me as I began walking away that I can't quite put into words. God has become so much bigger than I ever thought possible while being in a relationship with Carmel. I trust Him more and more with each passing day.

I ask for your prayers as I hit the ground running in search of a permenant place to live. Next will be the search for partime work once I get my class schedule during registration next Thursday. I would also love it if you could pray for some clarity and wisdom in a decision I need to make this week whether or not to cut back on the amount of hours I'll be taking this semister due to a lack of funds. Less time in class means more time I can work and enter into community activities. Maybe a lack of financial aid is God's way of balancing out the academics with the application. I'm cool with whatever His plan is. It's always so much better than the crazy one's I come up with.

Peace,

ben

PS. Here's my new mailing address for the next 3 years or so:

Ben Malick

8435 NE Glisan St #426

Portland OR 97220

Tubing in Eugene, OR - Day 9

If I asked you at what temperature water is bearable to swim in, what would you say? Maybe 65, possibly 50 degrees? Well, I just found out that it's all relative to what your accustomed to. Most folks in the northwest are cool with swimming in water that's a bit colder than what folks who live in the southeast part of the U.S. are used to.

Carmel and I spent the night here in Eugene, OR (about 2 hours south of Portland) with her lifelong friend Lorie. We just got done going tubing on the Willemette River. It was AWESOME! Lorie and Carmel have been friends since kindergarten. Lorie has been amazingly hospitable and kind to us. Even though I've only known her for a brief time, she strikes me as a genuine true person, unafraid of who she is, and free to let those around her see her just as she is. That type of honesty and transparency is rare. I can definately see why Carmel has remained close to her over the years even with the distance between them. She has impeccable taste in friends.

We're about to head up to Portland for our last dinner together. I can hardly believe this road trip is almost at it's end. Time flies when your having this much fun.

Jim Bob & Weed - Days 7 & 8 of the Portland Rd Trip

Nothing quite like a catchy title to grab one's attention, right? Just settling down here in Eugene, OR this beautiful Sunday night. Carmel and I are staying with one of her life long friends Lorie who grew up with her in Savannah and later moved out this way. Lorie is super sweet and took us out to experience a local northwestern favorite restaurant American burger chain called Red Robin. It was super delicious!

Earlier today we drove about 8 hours up the northern half of California from San Jose to get to Eugene (just 2 hours south of Portland). It was an absolutely breathtaking ride (I'll upload some of the pics later for you to check out). And yes...we passed through a town in California called "WEED". Let's just say they were really nice and mellow there. We also go some great photos of Mt Shasta when we stopped that I know your going to love.

Last night we got to San Jose to stay with my cousin Jim (who's middle name just so happens to be Bob). He treated us to a fabulous authentic Mexican dinner and we got to lounge in his super relaxing hot tub before retiring for the evening. During the day, before we met him, we went to a couple of really friendly wineries up around Montery and the Carmel Valley. Yes...that's right, my girlfriend Carmel and I just had to visit Carmel, CA. We stopped at one of the oldest mission Church's in northern California located there. It was very cool. A fryar named Junipero Serra came to American in 1700's to establish a church in San Diego and afterward traveled up to norther California just south of San Francisco in Carmel Valley to start this mission. He later died and was buried there on the grounds, but not until over 4000 people in the area accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Awesome stuff!

Tomorrow we'll hangout here in Eugene with Lorie to enjoy some Oregon river tubing before to take off for our final destination Portland! It's going to be my last night with Carmel for a while so I want it to be special. Please keep us in your prayers. Tuesday morning I'll be taking her to the airport to send her back to Savannah. I know it's not going to be easy to say good-bye but God is so strong in our relationship I trust in His perfect timing to bring us back together when it's meant to be (probably October for her brothers wedding). We'll see.

Days 5 & 6 in Cali Wine Country

Yesterday was fantastic! After Carmel I said our goodbyes with my bro and his family we headed out of L.A. on the Pacific Coast Highway touring through wine country. We stopped at Solvang (Danish Land) and San Ynez Valley for some incredible sights, smells, and (free)tastes. We settled down at beautiful Cachuma Lake Park Campgrounds ($6/night), where we blow up the air matress and laid out our sleeping bags. A toasty little fire and a starlit California sky was all we needed to slip away into a quiet slumber.

Friday morning I awoke to find Carmel already up and getting into her morning routine. I have been so impressed by how beautiful she is in everything she does. From all her little quarks I've witnessed while spending hours and hours in the long car ride, to her determination to keep the camp fire going, and her incredible spirit of life while climbing rock faces with me, she is absolutely amazing. After we took some quick pics by the lake, we headed out to Los Olivos to do some vineyard touring. What an awesome testament to God's beautiful creation! The extraordinary sight of the countless rows of grape vines, coupled with the enormity of the gigantic vats of fermenting juice at the winery were absolutely unforgettable.
After Los Olivos we went through Santa Luis Obiniso, and up to Paso, Robles. We've ended the night in King City, and plan on heading up through Montery to stay at my cousins place in San Jose tomorrow night.

Incase you're wondering why I mentioned (free)tasting and ($16 a night campsite), it's because funds are pretty tight right now. But it's OK. Actually, it's more than OK, the seminary in Portland called me today and said I was approved for an additional $1000 scholarship I applied for. I'm still about $3000 short on my tuition, but I know the LORD will provide. Please continue to pray for additional financial support to come in this week. God love you like crazy. Keep on a rockin'!
Life is good.

Check out some of the pics:

http://www.myspace.com/benmalick

Day 4 Road Trip - God's Beauty in AZ

Well, it's the morning of day 4 of our 8-day journey to Portland, OR and all is well. Carmel and I stayed in Phoenix last night after our friend, Preston Sparks, offered to host us for the night. (Check out his folks' house in the pic) Preston is a pretty cool dude. We knew him in Savannah from church there. He's moved back to his hometown of Phoenix last year after being accepted to med school, where he hopes to become a doctor in the mission field. Even though our time here was brief, God blessed me us with amazing conversation of His work being done through each of our lives. I have no doubt that God will use the willing heart of Preston for His glory in the years to come.

Before stopping here last night, we had the chance to go through the Arizona Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park along our route from Albuquerque, NM. We've been trying to take in the cheapest sights possible along our way due to our extremely tight budget. It only cost us $10 to take a drive through tour of the 28-mile stretch of petrified forest and beautiful painted dessert landscapes. (check out the pics I recently added to "Portland Road Trip" album) I was in awe of God's absolutely breathtaking majestic artistry that exists not only there, but through out our entire 9 hours of driving yesterday. We serve a God of amazing creativity and variety that is presently visible all around us today, if we simply open our eyes to Him.

Today, we get ready to drive about 7 hours to Torrence, CA, just west of Los Angeles, where my brother John lives with his amazing wife Ana and 2 children. I'm totally stoked about seeing them again, it's been far too long. I better get going…Preston's mom is cooking us breakfast and it smells heavenly. God is SO good!

Portland Rd Trip - L.A. Traffic is AWESOME!

Well, Carmel and I have just settled down for the night outside of L.A. in Torrence, CA at my brother John's house. His wife, Ana, fixed us a delicious dinner and we all have been hanging out and catching up on old times. It only took us about 8 hours to get here from Phoenix. It was a really beautiful drive. Some of the highlights were the gorgeous Arizona mountain and desert landscapes, the mezmorizing California windmills, and the massive traffic congestion of downtown L.A. during evening rush hour. Sweeet! You can't experience L.A. without diving into sufficating bumper to bumper traffic, right? We accidently missed our turn on the way to my brother's house and found ourselves at a recreational park overlooking the Pacific Ocean from a high above mountain view. It was spectacular. God continues to impress me with the magnificance of His creation everyday. I am in awe of the smallest details He attends to all for His glory. I thank Him for allowing me to share in that purpose.

Tomorrow we head out for the California Pacific Highway, traveling through wine country for a few samples and hopefully finding a cool campsite to sleep overnight and enjoy the majestic evening starlit sky under.

PS for more updates and pics check out: http://www.myspace.com/benmalick

Ya thats right, 5 minutes into the Portland trip the coppers get me... I thought he pulled me over for having my rear view obstructed, due to the fact that my car was completly packed to the max. However, when he came up to my window he said that I had "BLOWN" by him. I did infact pass him at a whopping speed of 59 in a 55 mile per hour zone. I asked him if 4 miles faster than him would constitute "BLOWING" by him and he quickly asked me for my drivers license. Long story short, he asked for and ran a computer check on every document I had to prove I was a licensed, registered, and insured safe driver and then let me off. My girlfriend,

Carmel and I praised God for his mercy and grace and headed toward Shreveport, LA to meet up with my friend Jeff Austin for church and lunch. It was a cool gathering and we got to check out a little of the Shreveport afternoon scene. (Thanks, Jeff, for your amazing gift of hospitality and generousity along our journey.) Afterthat, we headed toward Dallas, TX to have dinner with my Aunt Charly and Uncle Thane. They are amazing couple, full of sincere love. They not only treated us to a great TexMex dinner, but also generously took care of our hotel expenses at the hotel where I'm typing this blog. God's provision on this trip is already very apparent to me. I thank you for your continued prayers and hope to tell many other stories this week of God's blessings.

We head out for Albuquerque, NM early tomorrow morning, so I best get some sleep.