The "Scientific" Method

A loud, animated voice drew my attention towards the entrance. A Christian student was listening attentively while a well-dressed peer explained in a loud voice how Christiainty was all wrong and his version of scientific agnosticism was correct.

He was the kind of person who already has a lot to say and when he's had a few beers, there's no getting a word in edgewise.

So I cut in.  It was time to get personal.

I introduced myself and my friends, then found out his name was Andrew.

"You're a science guy, right?" I said.

"Yes, absolutely!" he said. "I totally respect that what you guys are doing and the faith you have, though."

"Okay," I said, "right now we've been talking pretty philosophically, so let's bring this into the realm of science. Let's do an experiment--you know, scientific method, observation..."

Andrew's face lit up. "That's awesome. I would love that. I totally appreciate that."

"Okay, we'll all close our eyes and say a quick prayer for God to reveal himself to you in a way that is specific and relevant--a way that makes sense to you personally. At the same time, the three of us will be concentrating and listening to see if God might show us something about you or give us some words of encouragement for you."

He was completely open to the experiment and even bowed his head and put his palms up like I directed him.

 I prayed, waited for about 30 seconds, and then broke the silence. He reported that nothing happened, but rushed in with a speech that he still appreciated us. And then he even apologized! That was amusing and sweet because of course we weren't upset.

"Wait just a sec," I said, making sure he didn't dismiss the entire exercise. "Part of the experiment was that we would listen to God on your behalf. Let's check if anyone has something to share."

The three of us took turns sharing the words and pictures we had received. Andrew was interested, listened intently, and thanked us repeatedly. It was nothing too profound or specific, but we presented what we had with humility and love.

He was touched.

"I really appreciate how you would come to my level and relate to me on the way I can understand it best." He looked around at the line for Jesus Burgers. "I think it's wonderful what you guys are doing."

After shaking each of our hands, I offered him a hug and he accepted it gladly, thanking us again.  What a relief to go from stranger to friend in under 10 minutes.   Praise God for heavenly strategies!

Halloween In Isla Vista

Please join us in prayer this week as we prepare for our annual Halloween outreach.

And, for those of you who have never been out to Jesus Burgers, here is some of what we do to show the love of Christ:

--provide a unified Christian presence in the epicenter of the street party
--take a stand against the darkness through prayer and worship
--love one another as a living witness of Christ
--offer hospitality in the form of free food (hamburgers)
--give water + general assistance to those suffering from intoxication
--provide a warm fire and place to sit and rest or hang out with friends
--give direction to out-of-towners who have become lost or separated from friends
--listen, make friends, and share the gospel with the lost

A Montana Miracle

When I graduated high school, I left Montana's Flathead Valley and came to Santa Barbara, California.  Four years later, I helped plant a ministry in Isla Vista that brings the message of God's love to partiers.

This year, a young man named Joseph graduated from high school in the Flathead Valley.  He left Montana and came to Santa Barbara.  He began to drink and party in Isla Vista...until he met some believers from our church.

Even as God was leading me here at the tender age of 17, he knew I would help prepare the way for this teenager from my home state.

To all of my readers in Montana--thank you so much for your prayers and support.  Your faith, hope, and love are bearing fruit in California, Montana, and beyond.

Praying For An Open Door

I take out my camera to snap a photo of the barbeque where Jessica had been adding condiments to each set of buns.  To my surprise and delight, she had drawn hearts out of the ketchup and crosses out of the mustard.

A voice to my right cuts in:  "Why don't you take a picture of me?"

I turn to see a smiling, albeit partially intoxicated young man.  We snapped a group photo and he introduced himself as Vinny.  

Here's some of his story: A few years before he had been arrested in Isla Vista once on an outstanding warrant (no, I didn't ask).  He did his time at the local juvenile prison camp for boys and successfully graduated their GED program.  Cool.

He told me he was in search of a job--no small task for a young Latino man with a criminal record. 

"I would love to pray for you about that," I said.  "Would that be okay?"  

He paused, gave a good-natured What the heck? shrug and nod and then bowed his head with me--his three friends waiting in the wings.  I prayed boldly that God would open a door for him and that he would find favor and opportunity.  His friends quickly got into it, nodding and adding their un-churched version of "Amen." 

They all seemed pretty stoked.  Vinny gave me a hug and thanked me and they disappeared back into the street.

Pray for the young Latinos of Isla Vista--that God would transform their lives and give them a hope and future through Christ.

Meeting God On Del Playa Drive

My old friend Chris came to town the other day.  He is a pilot in the United States Air Force and had been stationed several states away. 

I had the privilege of living with Chris during his senior year at UC Santa Barbara.  He was as honest and hardworking as a housemate as he was as a student.  Our ministry house was blessed to have him.

Sunday afternoon he came to our church service in Jason's backyard.  As the saints worshipped, he surveyed the crowd, eyes filling.  Chris has a very compassionate spirit, and I knew when he observed something profound, he felt it very deeply.

Later, Nate and I joined him on a walk down to Del Playa Drive and the ocean.  He was quiet as memories came flooding back: partying on that same street numerous times and then encountering God in a way that changed his life.

Chris let us record his testimony for JesusLovesIV.com.  He choked up a few times and we were interrupted by a polite skateboarder, but the experience was beautiful.  For that moment, we all stood on holy ground.    

New Website Launches!

Go to JesusLovesIV.com to find a sampling of video testimonies, sermon and worship excerpts, and general news and updates about God's work in Isla Vista.

For Nate and me, these videos represent hundreds of hours of filming, importing, editing, and processing. We are excited to share them with you and praise God for the opportunity to contribute our time and skills to this cause.

Here's a sampling of one of the testimonies we did:

Leave of Absence

I have taken a leave of absence from blogging due to travel, filmmaking, getting married, and lack of consistent internet access.

The good news is that my husband and I are working on a series of testimony videos that will be featured on a new website called JESUS LOVES ISLA VISTA, set to launch September 2011!

Now those of you who have been reading stories from this blog will be able to hear/watch them straight from the mouths of the students whose lives have been transformed.

In the meantime, feel free to peruse the archives, shoot me an email or leave positive feedback.

Also, anyone who is interested in contributing financially to our film ministry can do so at this address: Nathanael + Derika Sims, PO Box 8716, Goleta, CA, 93118.

Thanks, everyone!
Derika [Brendsel] Sims

Photo caption: Nate and I walk through Isla Vista on our way to the reception site.   Photo by Josh Morton

Calming the Storm

I had taken to greeting people at the front entrance when I found myself chatting with an old co-worker of mine who had been around the IV party scene for years. 

His friend Ben--a collegiate rugby player with a thick South African accent--was scarfing down his Jesus burger while spewing rancor against "the church." 

Using the most profane words possible, he railed against the Pope who "knew of abuses" in the Roman Catholic Church and took no action to protect children. He wrote off the validity of the Bible as being penned by "men who thought the world was flat." And on and on he ranted.

I assured him that he was correct about many of his accusations; the atrocities committed by people in the name of God were wrong and not condoned by Christ. If he would have stopped shouting for a minute he would have heard me encourage him to pursue Christ the man; to study his life and teachings and not allow the evil of humanity to distract from Christ's pure love.

But Ben had been cut deep by his experience of church, and he did not have an ear to hear.

After a few heated minutes, Ben and his companion left, and I fled to the prayer shed to recover. Later in the night, I saw the duo had returned to our property, this time in engaged in discussion with another believer. I did not know what was said, but at least now he seemed to be containing his volume.

I took a seat by the fire to rest and pray. To my surprise, Ben came and sat down next to me. Now completely calm, he began to hang out as if nothing had happened, drawn to our home and hearth by the unseen tug of the God who pursues him in love.

Redirected

On the Sunday after Christmas my effort to check out a new church service was thwarted.  Evidently the evening service had been cancelled for the holidays.  I was bummed and slightly annoyed.  On the way back to the parking garage, I spotted a used bookstore.  Nate and I stopped in to browse.

It was quite large and featured a blue chandelier that was probably six feet wide.  It had neat shelves of books organized into all kinds of topics like art, history, religion, fiction, politics and the like.

After about twenty minutes of taking in hundreds of titles, I felt drawn to return to the religion section for a second pass.  I prayed and asked the Lord to show me any books he wanted me to purchase. 

A moment later, I fell upon Moments Together For Couples, a devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. I grabbed it up.  Each page of daily readings had a discussion question at the bottom followed by a topic for prayer. 

January is the perfect time to start a daily devotional.  Even though I missed out on the church service, God directed me to a book that will be a blessing all year long!  

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps."  ~Prov. 16:9

Sweet Serenade

It all started one night last spring when a high school senior got up on one of the picnic tables at Jesus Burgers and sang The Star Spangled Banner to all assembled.

It was memorable, partially because we don't often get serenaded at Jesus Burgers, partially because her voice was so beautiful, and also because she and her friends were so young.  (Although some high school students do join the college party scene, it is much less common.)

Fast forward months later to the fall.  I walk out into the front yard for Jesus Burgers and before the grill is even warm, I am recognized by a college freshmen sitting near the fire pit. 

She reminds me of that night and tells me that she is one of the girls who had come up from San Diego to party.  She was very excited to see me and to connect me to her roommate that she classified as "very religious."

After a while her friends encouraged her to move on with them to a party down the street.  She told them she'd rather stay and talk to me.  I was surprised and excited.  We spent the whole evening together talking about God and Isla Vista Church, reading Scripture, and even sitting in on some intercession and worship in the prayer shed.

The next day, she brought her friend and roommate to the family dinner we have after each church gathering.  Thanksgiving break came and went and then two became four when she brought her other roommates to church.

I am so excited to welcome these four beautiful young women into our circle of friends.  Pray for the freshmen class, that many more would find a supportive Christian community and live out their college years in service to Christ.

The Isaiah Scroll

Today, I had the privilege of viewing the Isaiah scroll, discovered in the caves of Qumran near the Dead Sea.  One of only three replicas in the world, this amazing document holds some of the most powerful words and prophecies ever written.

Had I been able to study those beautiful words in Isaiah's native Hebrew tongue, I would have read this:

"The Lord himself will give you a sign: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." ~ Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

And this:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."  ~ Isaiah 9:6,7 (NIV)

What an incredible heritage we have as sons and daughters of the kingdom!  Praise God for the living witness of Scripture and the prophetic fulfillment of all God's promises in Christ.

Inspired By TOMS

I came upon this TOMS Shoes van today and it made me smile. 

It's one thing for a business to donate to charity; it's quite another to give away 50% of their product year after year. (For those of you who aren't familiar with TOMS, they have a "one for one" policy; for every one pair of shoes purchased, one free pair is given to a child in need.)

Christian entrepreneurs should be inspired when they see this type of business model.  You don't have to start a non-profit or be a foreign missionary to help the poor.   With the amount of talent, energy, passion and resources represented in the little beach town of Isla Vista, I know we can change the world!

"Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them will receive many curses."   -Prov. 28:27 (NIV)

God bless and inspire the business majors with kingdom creativity.  Amen.

Preaching to Jesus

"False Messiah at ten o'clock.  Red alert." 

I flashed Nate a smile as he followed my gaze towards the street.  An Asian 20-something with a fake beard and loin cloth had stationed himself in front of our wooden cross and was "preaching" to the multitudes.

"My children, my children: come to me and I will bless you for all of your sins."  Raising his arms in grand display, he beckoned the multitudes to come.   "I love all my children.  Come to me, come to me, my children."

We tried unsuccessfully to strike up a conversation, complimenting him on his crown of thorns and interjecting small talk.  After about three minutes of preaching over our heads, he suddenly stopped, turned to us, and said in a normal voice, "Hey, sorry if you guys are offended.  I didn't mean any disrespect."

We talked back and forth for the next 20 minutes with the Asian Jesus aka Mitchell.  He was a bio/chem major who didn't believe in God because he couldn't prove his existence using science.

Oddly enough, Mitchell appeared totally sober and open-minded.  He listened carefully as we shared about our faith in Jesus and the mystery of human beings entering a relationship with the God of the universe.

"Think about it like this," Nate said, fusing the perfect blend of logic and spirituality: "What if it's as simple as us trying to 'prove' or 'measure' God using the wrong tools?  If God is spirit and we humans have a spirit inside of us, perhaps the only true way to know that God exists is to connect with him from inside ourselves." 

Mitchell nodded, interested.  "Have you both had an experience of God?"

"Absolutely," I said.  He seemed impressed and interested.  We continued our discussion, learning that he does not often find people in IV who will listen and respect him when they disagree.  I thanked him for his honesty and assured him of our respect for him and his views.  I offered to pray for him.  He agreed, which I was thankful for, considering the revelry swirling around us.  

I can't remember all that I asked God for on Mitchell's behalf; there was so much commotion around us that it was hard to concentrate.  I do know that I spoke blessing, purpose and identity over him and that I meant it with all my heart.  When I finally said "Amen," he pulled me into his arms, hugging me tight.  

"I have to go now because I'm getting emotional" he said, turning away so we wouldn't see his face.  He walked away to join a friend and I watched him go, smiling.  It's not every day you get to share the gospel with Jesus.

IV Church Settles Into New Location

After a wonderful year of meeting together for worship in the back of Jason and Holly's backyard, it was evident that our growing congregation needed more space.  After prayerful consideration, Jason approached the leadership of the Korean Methodist Church on Camino Del Sur--less than a block away.  They gave their approval for our 4pm service and the Lord provided funds for rent.

Mac and the team leading worship.

The congregation intercedes for Isla Vista.

With lots of natural light, a large stage and plenty of room for worshippers, the move is proving to be a timely blessing as the weather starts to cool.

A Question of Evolution

A group of believers stood around an 8-ft tall wooden cross that had been brought out for the evening.  No street preaching, just a silent witness.  Some partiers took the time to stop and talk, others walked quickly by, eyes forward, still others shouted remarks from a safe distance.

One young man yelled "It's called evolution!" clapping his hands and applauding our 'stupidity.'  He didn't stop to elaborate, but continued on his way, chest puffed out, heart hard. 

I don't know enough about evolution to satisfy a 19-year-old atheist who takes college courses on the matter, but I do know that the creation is groaning; waiting in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. (Rom. 8)