Our city is definitely one of diverse culture. The skyline is dotted with mosques, and yet I just returned from coffee with kids that belong on the beach in Cali. They cruise around in an old Volkswagen van, surf the days away, and smoke herb like it's candy. What a paradox, right? So it goes in this place. My compadre has been able to share Christ with them in the past, and we're scheduled to rendezvous tomorrow. Pray that we will be able to effectively communicate what the scriptures call "of first importance" and display it with our lives. 

Lately I've been experiencing problems with my back, and I will more than likely be forced to return home at the halfway point of the summer. Most of you know that I had surgery over spring break, and now there are complications that have worsened since my arrival here. As you can imagine, this is extremely frustrating for me. We planned and planned, raised all of our support, finally arrived and now it will all have to be cut short. (at least for me) 

I'll be honest. It feels as though I'm letting all those who have supported me down. The plan was not for me to be here for a month; it was to be here for the entire summer. However, for whatever reason God has seen fit to cause this situation to occur. He is sovereign. I really can't question the twists and turns of my life, because I know that God has a higher purpose in every situation. 

Hopefully you guys all understand my heart; I absolutely do not want to leave. I came here with a plan, and leaving early was not a part of it. My understanding was that my back would improve with time, but it has deteriorated. As I said before, God is sovereign over all things. 

My plan now is to make the most of the time that I have left. I've been able to share the gospel with several people, but you can pray that I will have many more opportunities. That reminds me, pray for a guy that works here in our office, Mbark. (Mu-bar-ak) Believe it or not - he's a postmodern agnostic. I was able to share my testimony with him the other day and many others have done the same. Basically, his god is his mind. Pray that God shatters his confidence in his own wisdom and allows him to know Jesus. 

That's all for tonight. Cease not your prayers. B-salama...goodbye.