Today is Sunday, September 4, 2022. I’m down in LA and currently at the Wongs’ residence and staying the night. Anson didn’t come down since he doesn’t care to travel as much. I just wanted to come down to see parents and friends. My parents got me from the Burbank Airport last night at 5:30pm. Southwest had a good deal on flights and it was less than 1900 points for this Saturday flight ($19!). My mom brought home food from the breakfast at the deacon’s meeting and Newcomer lunch, so we were set for dinner. I’m happy when I don’t have to go out to get food after my flight. I had drink coupons from Char, but didn’t end up using them since I would have received the drink late and I was the one who would be driving back to San Gabriel. My dad has been not feeling well (like for years), and I don’t always know how to help him. I need to have more patience with him and show him love rather than anger. I’m not…worried or anxious, per say, but maybe that’s also just cuz I don’t see the effects as much as my mom, and hanging out with him, I just attribute some of his behavior to short term forgetfulness. I take after him a lot more than my mom, and I think we both have some mental health problems that we struggle with.
I went to New Life for church today. I ate lunch with Aaron and Lauren…for like 10 mins lol. New Life has church lunch on the first of the month (kind of like how RBF has it on the 2nd of the month). They had KFC chicken with mashed potatoes, garlic bread, salad, and fruit/ice cream for only $3. Very economical! Aaron and Lauren had to leave early since Jacob was acting up, but it was a blessing in disguise as it gave me time to talk to Coli (seminary student who will be going back to Estonia in January and whose wife just gave birth to their 3rd child) and Debbie (middle aged woman who’s had much experience and feels like she has to fight for certain things in life and has different questions about the Bible…it was very truthful and I appreciate her struggles with belief and acceptance). Later, I went to Target to buy my parents a tower fan since I would like to use it tomorrow and also got an AHA sparkling water for the overpriced amount of $2.19 (CUZ IT’S 115 DEGREES!!!), then headed over to Boba Snow House (which according to Google, I visited here with Crescentia 5 years ago…no recollection whatsoever :). Caught up with C for 3 hours until 5pm, then headed over to the Wongs’ house and had dinner (Corner Kabob…recommend!) Tomorrow, I’ll be having breakfast with Gina and Cindy at Porto’s (finally gonna visit the Northridge location!), and then go back to my parents’ condo and have lunch with Jo-Ann.
I like being in LA. I do have more closer relationships with some people down here, but I also know that I don’t try as much in the Bay Area. Maybe I have a sense that I don’t fit there? That the dynamics of people in NorCal are different? That the make up of the church is either couples with young kids so that their lives revolve around them or younger couples that I don’t have as much in common with. I know that I can love all peoples and we are the family of God. I just wish I had some one that I was closer to there. I don’t want to feel sorry for myself, and I hope to try to love on those that are around me (find a need or reach out to a person and show love? Care and participate in Family Fellowship, Hang out with some ladies and try to develop deeper relationships) and serve in a capacity that helps the church (church lunch: bean counter and check provider of Venmo…we’ll see what the tax situation come next year, finance ministry: sometimes a little hard to remember what to do when this is once a month and only a few times a year, worship: think we’re not the best players and are just grandfathered into the teams…should evaluate this at some point).