The Tramels

Missing Portland

2010-03-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Tucson is a desert. However, it's a strange kind of desert. I always thought Phoenix was a desert but I discovered that it's really just a concrete island IN the desert. I like Phoenix but now that we live in Tucson, I don't know if I'd ever go back.

Tucson is a giant cacti garden (that's the plural form of "cactus" for those non-desert dwellers). It's a rather big city but it's spread out. There are patches of untouched desert all over the place and in these patches millions of all types of cacti flourish. I think Phoenix decorates with the cacti that grow down here in Tucson.

We are slowly falling in love with Tucson. Amazing sunsets, great weather, and at night I get dizzy looking up at the stars. Tucson has a light ordinance so there are very few street lights. The stars glow like blue and white neon. I don't know if we'll embrace the whole "cowboy" culture but I do own a pair of cowboy boots now and find myself increasingly interested in western novels and movies.

We do find ourselves missing Portland, though. What a great city. The weather is tough to handle but we miss our friends and our neighborhood. I don't understand how God works. We had a good thing going in Portland and then we were uprooted. Of course we can say God works through all that stuff but it still hurts. The last few months have been the hardest we've faced. The girls were depressed, we were depressed, and our life was in chaos. It's smoothing out now but often we are reminded of what we had in Portland and we miss it deeply.

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Arizona Winter Activities

2010-01-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Final Lifehouse Update From The Tramels

2010-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your commitment to pray for us and support us financially over the last two years. Although many of you never made it to Portland, you played an important role in the formation of Lifehouse. Your partnership allowed us to be significantly involved with the Lifehouse church staff and community as we worked to establish an authentic community of faith in the Woodstock and Brentwood Darlington neighborhoods. Because of Lifehouse Church, the kingdom of God is breaking into Southeast Portland - making it a better place to live! Here's a list I adapted from Joel Sommer (thanks Joel!)

If Lifehouse Church never existed:
- There are people going to church at Lifehouse who might not go to church anywhere else, many of them were our neighbors: students from Lane Middle School, working people, college students, people and families of all ages and from many different backgrounds who want their faith to make a tangible difference in the world and in their neighborhood. Some of the people who attend gatherings at Lifehouse are experiencing Jesus for the first time.
- There would be no annual Woodstock Neighborhood Picnic. 700 people attend each year.
- No annual Woodstock Halloween Party. Hundreds of children and their families attend this event that involves many people and businesses from the neighborhood.
- No annual Woodstock Easter Egg Hunt. This year there were 1000 people in attendance.
- The annual Woodstock Parade would have less volunteers and resources.
- There would be no annual Christmas Eve gatherings at the Woodstock Community Center and this year at Papaccino’s coffee shop.
- There would be less prayer and less revenue for Lewis Elementary School. The teachers would have fewer school supply donations and fewer class volunteers. There would be fewer cafeteria volunteers.
- Because many of the people of Lifehouse are committed to working and shopping locally, neighborhood small businesses and restaurants would have less revenue.
- First Cup and Papaccino’s coffee shops would sell a lot less coffee.
- The Woodstock Goodwill would have fewer donations.
- The Woodstock Library would have fewer volunteers.
- Impact Northwest would have fewer mentors and there would be no Impact Northwest dad’s playgroups.
- There would be fewer mom’s playgroups in the neighborhood.
- Compassion Southeast health clinic would have less volunteers and resources.
- The children and families of the neighborhood would have fewer positive opportunities for community life.
- The people of Lifehouse are reducing their carbon footprint by attending church and living the mission of Jesus close to home.
- Because of Lifehouse, people living in Southeast Portland are able to see, hear, and experience the life changing power of the story of Jesus.

Thank you for your generous support!

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Nativity Scene

2009-12-17T07:39:00.001-08:00

Ivy set up this nativity scene all by herself.

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Making Christmas Cookies

2009-12-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

The New Church

2009-12-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

Trip(s) To Tucson

2009-11-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

This place is very different from Portland...

Kite Flying

2009-11-14T12:26:00.001-08:00

Baby Number 3

2009-10-25T12:45:00.001-07:00

It's A Girl!

Last Home Community

2009-10-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

A night of communion, goodbyes, prayer, and tears.

Mark 3
Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

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Impact Northwest Carnival

2009-10-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Close Up

2009-10-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last Adventure At Mt. Scott Park

2009-10-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

It was a good day for climbing and taking risks!
Way to go girls!

Children's Museum

2009-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

McMennamins

2009-10-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Chair Spin

2009-09-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Photo by Joshua Johnsen

Crayon Organization

2009-09-26T11:48:00.001-07:00

Tap Shoes

2009-09-13T17:43:00.001-07:00

Ivy's 3rd Birthday

2009-09-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture

Ivy's 3rd Birthday

The Cart

2009-08-19T18:45:00.001-07:00

No Berries

2009-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Some Photos from 2009

2009-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture:

2009

Baby Number Three

2009-08-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Seen in Portland part 5

2009-08-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Responding to the recent heat wave, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church posted this on their marquee: "You think it's hot now..."

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Michael Jackson Hat

2009-08-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Seen in Portland part 4

2009-07-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

To survive the heat wave I saw a guy in a parked car roll down his window and stick his head out so that the sprinklers on the grass next to him would hit him in the face. Oh wait. That guy was me...

Seen in Portland part 3

2009-07-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was at Fred Meyer the other day. Walking down an aisle I heard a loud, angry cat fight - hissing, screeching, high pitched growling - the kind that takes place between stray cats late at night under our front porch. I looked around to see if I was in danger but I saw an older woman pulling a cellphone out of her purse! Her ringtone was angry cats fighting!

Vera falling asleep while eating

2009-07-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Tent

2009-07-08T22:01:00.001-07:00

Father's Day at the Farm

2009-06-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Break the Ice With Your Neighbors

2009-06-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite people, Lisa Smith, posted a very helpful blog about loving neighbors. Thanks, Lisa, for these great ideas and reminders.

10 Ways to Break the Ice with Your Neighbors

1. Take a walk: Exercise is good for you, right? So take a break from the gym and simply step out your front door and walk.

2. Move it to the front: Okay, so it feels a bit like living in a "fishbowl" whenever you spend time out in front of your house. But how else are the neighbors going to see that you're normal "safe?" Here are just a few things you can easily do in your front yard as well as the back:
-Grill
-Play in the sprinkler
-Garden
-Read
-Sit and relax

3. Clean up the street near your house :: If nothing else, it provides a simple conversation starter with those you see along the way.

4. Wave when you drive by and see a neighbor outside: This is a first step for the most introverted of us all. Hey, it counts.

5. Give away drinks on a hot day: I recommend carrying a small cooler and letting your neighbors pick out a drink they'd like.

6. Host an ice cream party: I mean, who doesn't like free ice cream? Besides lactose-intolerants and those allergic to milk? Truly, this is one of the easiest events to pull off.

7. Help neighbors move in or move out: Loading, unloading, providing snacks, hosting a pizza party, asking other neighbors to help...the list goes on.

8. Work together on a project: Look and ask around at what other neighbors might need help with. The elderly can often use assistance with yard work or other maintenance tasks. Or maybe there's a person without a job who could use some groceries you've collected from neighbors on your street?
9. Cook outside and invite others to share: You're already tormenting the neighbors with the fantastic smell of your dinner--why not let them sample some too? Potlucks are pretty snappy to put together.

10. Plan an end of school / back to school pizza party: The beginning or ending of summer is always a reason to celebrate. Get together with other families with kids and make it a party!

Videos

2009-06-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Click on a title below:

Tap Shoes

Vera Falling Asleep While Eating

The Girls Playing In A Tent

Merry Go Round

Multnomah Graduation

Lifehouse Launch Celebration

Little Miss Ivy

Lifehouse: Our Journey Thus Far

Lifehouse Update and Mad World Video

Meerkats At The Portland Zoo

Ivy In Mice Ears

Baby Vera: Hi Everyone!

Seals At The Portland Zoo

Dancing Like Michael Jackson

Ivy Pushing A Stroller

Ivy Learning To Walk

Family Camp

2009-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

We made it back from Colorado!
Full story coming soon. In the mean time, enjoy some pictures!

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PICTURES

Dads' Play Group

2009-06-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Every Guy Needs Backup! Here is the article about the Impact Northwest Dads' Play Group me and the girls are part of. In the picture is Ben, who works down at the docks, and his son Ephesian.

Graduation Celebration

2009-06-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

The Selvas and the Sommers, some of our favorite people, took us all out to dinner to celebrate graduation. It was our first time eating at the Greek Cusina downtown. Ivy and Vera loved the giant purple octopus on the building. Our friends secretly told the people I just graduated so at the end of the meal the owner comes out with a bottle of Ouzo and gives me a sample in the traditional Greek manner!

Out and About

2009-05-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hot Date

2009-05-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

Merry Go Round

2009-05-19T18:09:00.001-07:00

Multnomah Graduation

2009-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

Seen in Portland part 2

2009-05-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

A stop sign in our community located behind an old Presbyterian church building. Photo by our friend Josh Johnsen.

Vera's Birthday

2009-05-07T09:06:00.001-07:00

Vera at One

2009-05-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Park Again

2009-04-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

The Beach

2009-04-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our Neighborhood

2009-04-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hello! It’s me, Katie.
This afternoon a polite and sweet woman knocked on our door. She was a Jehovah’s Witness advertising their Good Friday service. We chatted for a few minutes and I thanked her and shut the door. “That was a very nice invitation”, I thought to myself. Yes nice, but she’s Jehovah’s Witness… uh-oh. I immediately started praying that people won’t go to their service and that God will use it to get people to start questioning and thinking about spiritual matters. It’s easy in the U.S. to avoid such topics.

Later in the day I went for a jog. The weather was nice enough to permit me to go outside for a change! On the run at 5:30pm I passed a woman hooked on crack. She was super skinny and had bruises on her face and dark, dark circles under her eyes that go along with drug abuse. Next, I came upon a group of 5 or 6 rough looking young guys with a HUGE dog with sharp spikes on its collar. The guys may or may not have been involved in a gang but they sent a clear message of “don’t mess with us”. As I jogged past, they had to stop walking and hold the leash with both hands to keep control of the dog. I was rather thankful they did.

Next I saw a few obviously impoverished people waiting for the bus and the last people who caught my attention were a man with a firm (not loving) grip on the woman who walked beside him. Whether they were just an unhealthy couple or he was her pimp, I don’t know, but neither looked happy. This neighborhood is broken! We are in a spiritual and physical war for souls and it has never been as apparent to me as it was today. That drug addict is a woman, someone’s daughter and maybe mother. She’s a person caught in a trap. We’re up against the impossible: drugs, alcohol, sex, gangs, and abuse. And we’re not the only ones who have noticed that our neighborhood is in need. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are pursuing these people and they’re not doing it subtly. We are small and weak in comparison but our God conquers all!! He loves each person I saw today and so we’re trying to love them as well.

We need prayer for guidance and direction and for favor with our neighbors. God can reclaim and transform this neighborhood! We don’t know what it will look like but maybe step one is us getting to know the brokenness that these people know as life.

Gardens

2009-04-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Living in the inner city, our family enjoys planting small “urban gardens”. Our city is beautiful in its own way but there is something unique about watching vegetables growing in the midst of concrete. This year we’ll hopefully have strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, and green beans. I am reminded of something God had the prophet Jeremiah say to the ancient Israelite people. The people had turned their backs on God and were no longer taking care of the poor. God punished them by sending an invading army to take them captive. Here’s what God tells them to do: plant gardens, build houses, get married, settle down. Rather than separating themselves from their enemies and this new, foreign society, God tells them to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile (Jeremiah 29:4-14).”

Katie and I are realizing that we are deeply connected to our neighbors, our community, and our city. If our city prospers, we prosper. If our city suffers, we suffer. We all are exiles in a foreign land as we wait for God to restore our broken world. God loves our city, our neighbors, and us so he calls all of us to be a transforming presence. This is why Lifehouse has chosen to settle down, to “plant gardens,” and to seek the peace and prosperity of the city from its inner areas.

Easter Dresses

2009-04-12T14:19:00.001-07:00

Easter: Lost and Found

2009-04-12T13:51:00.001-07:00

Our text for Easter was the story Jesus told about a father and his two lost sons in Luke chapter 15. I am again amazed and reminded that our God loves everyone! There is nothing we can do to make God love us less, and nothing we can do to make him love us more. God is like the father in the story who welcomes his lost son home and pleads with the son who "had it all together" to celebrate. God seeks the lost because he deeply loves and misses them, he joyfully celebrates and welcomes sinners, the “lost”, when they return to him.

Our hope for all of us this Easter season: that we would be reminded of God's extravagant love for us and that this world is not all there is – God is at work, his Kingdom is breaking into our broken world. We hope that you can take a moment to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus – his sacrifice is what allows us to come into God’s Kingdom as family, as children of God.

In our gathering we shared a traditional liturgy that Christians have repeated for hundreds of years:

He is Risen!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
He is Risen!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
He is Risen!
HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!

¿Quien vive?
¡CRISTO!
A su nombre—
¡GLORIA!
A su pueblo—
¡VICTORIA!

Translation from Spanish
Who lives? JESUS!
Unto his name—BE GLORY!
Unto his people—VICTORY!

Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Photos Taken by Ivy part 1

2009-04-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Seen In Portland part 1

2009-04-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work in the rain when I saw, traveling next to me, a fairly large, bearded man riding a Vespa scooter that was way too small for him. The man was wearing a kilt!

Carousel

2009-04-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

More from the Good Friday Liturgy

2009-04-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

These are some of the images I have been working on:

Religion? None of the Above

2009-03-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

I came across the results of a national survey released at the beginning of March. The survey asked people detailed questions about religion, faith, and God. These headings are from articles written in response to the March 9, 2009, release of the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS):

“Almost all denominations losing ground: Faith is shifting, drifting or vanishing outright”
(USA Today)

“We’re losing our religion” (Associated Press)

“America becoming less Christian" (CNN.com)

“US religion ID inching to ‘none’” (The Seattle Times)

“None of Thee Above” (The Religious News Service)

What was most interesting about the results was the increase in the category of “none.” The number jumped from 8% to 15%, making those who identify themselves with no religion the third largest group in the United States. Further, “nones” were the only group to have a rise in percentage in every state which means "none" is a real national trend.

The ARIS survey ends with this statement: “The challenge to Christianity does not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion." As Barak Obama became the first president to recognize people without faith in his inaugural speech, unbelief is slowly becoming an acceptable answer to the questions, “What about God?” and "What about church?"

The articles:
“Almost all denominations losing ground: Faith is shifting, drifting or vanishing outright,” Cathy Lee Grossman, Monday, March 9, 2009, USA Today, p. 1A and 6A.

“Survey: We’re losing our religion,” Rachel Zoll, Associated Press, Monday, March 9, 2009, as printed in the Charlotte Observer, Monday, March 9, 2009. P. 5A.

“America becoming less Christian, survey finds” CNN.com, as posted March 12, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/09/us.religion.less.christian/index.html

“U.S. religion ID inching to ‘none’,” Lance Dickie, The Seattle Times, as printed in the Charlotte Observer, Tuesday, March 24, 2009, p. 11A.

“None of Thee Above,” Adelle M. Banks, Religious News Service, as printed in the Charlotte Observer, p. 1E and 3E, Saturday, March 14, 2009.

Links to the full survey: http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/

I came across the survey and articles here: www.serioustimes.org

Good Friday Liturgy

2009-03-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

The cover for the Good Friday liturgy I am designing.

Double Digit Unemployment

2009-03-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

10.8% - Oregon's February jobless rate
8.1% - The national February jobless rate
775 - Oregon jobs lost per day in February
81,800 - Oregon jobs lost in the past 12 months

The state government's chief economist couldn't comment about these statistics because he is on an unpaid furlough.

Source: The Oregonian, 3/17/09

A Prayer for Peace

2009-03-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Lord Jesus Grant Us Peace

Grant us peace that will BREAK our silence in the midst of violence
then prophetic voices shall resonate

Grant us peace that will PULL US DOWN from the steeple of our pride
then we’ll learn to wash each other’s feet

Grant us peace that will EMPTY us of hate and intolerance
then we’ll turn guns into guitars and sing

Grant us peace that will SHUT our mouths up when we speak too much
then we’ll learn to listen and understand what others are saying

Grant us peace that will DISTURB us in our apathy
then we’ll dance together under the sun

Grant us peace that will BURN our lethargic hearts
then we’ll endure burning and let love and justice glow

(A prayer from the Philippines)

Church as Simply as Possible

2009-03-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

The economic downturn has affected us all. As a nation, we are currently reckoning with the possibility of a permanent alteration of the lifestyle to which we have grown accustomed. In the midst of these challenges, Lifehouse is attempting to carry on our church planting mission in Southeast Portland as simply as possible. This list is from Joel Sommer.

Lifehouse reduces expenses by:
-Not paying for office space by working out of homes and coffee shops that offer free wi-fi.
-Minimizing travel costs and commute expenses by engaging primarily in local, neighborhood ministry.
-Partnering with community organizations to provide tangible service rather than creating our own separate services.
-Reducing our technological expenses by using simple sound and visual equipment.
-Using free programs such as blogs and google rather than paying for websites and computer software.
-Relying on volunteers to carry on church ministry.
-Reducing ink costs by communicating electronically or printing in black and white.

One Sunny Day at the Park

2009-03-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Smores Night

2009-02-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

Our smores night was great fun! Josh and Gabi let us borrow their fire pit and a stack of folding chairs which we set up in our driveway. Earlier in the day, Katie went around to 16 of our neighbors to personally invite them. Bryce, Janaki, Josh, and Gabi came over for dinner and helped us with the event (thanks!). We set up a table full of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. About 7:30pm we all tried our best to recall our Boy Scout skills but we were not having any luck - the wood was from Fred Meyer so it's poor quality, super wet, and not good for burning.

As neighbors began to arrive I was feeling a little nervous because we were running out of newspaper to burn. Our neighbor Nick went home to get his hatchet to cut the wood into smaller pieces but that still wasn't helping the fire. By this time we had a large crowd and everyone was trying to figure out what to do. We had all the kids make paper balls to add to the wood but our neighbor Mark saved the day with lighter fluid! That's all we needed.

We had about 25 adults and kids come out. It was great to meet our neighbors but it was also fun to see them meeting each other. And of course it's always fun to watch kids devour gooey chocolate. A few of our neighbors have been unemployed for the last few months so it was heartbreaking to hear their stories. All our neighbors agreed that we should do more events like this together.

Lifehouse Pancake Breakfast 2/22/09

2009-02-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

10 Ideas For Helping a Homeless Person

2009-02-19T13:18:00.001-08:00

In our neighborhood, homelessness confronts us on a daily basis, it is a very visible need. There are many homeless people who stand on the street corners or frequent the many convenience stores and bars. It is so easy to become numb to the issue because of how often we see homeless people. If the Kingdom of God is about restoration then it is most certainly about alleviating the affects of poverty and homelessness.

Nathan, a really good guy from Lifehouse, works at the Portland Rescue Mission. He and his wife shared this list with us and I found it very helpful. For the past few weeks the kids of Lifehouse had us collecting items like socks, soap, toothbrushes, water bottles, and granola bars. The kids are sorting these items and putting them into large ziploc bags to hand back to us. The idea is that we keep the bags in our cars so that when we come across a homeless person at an intersection we will be able to give them something that meets their immediate tangible needs. The bags also contain vouchers and directions to the Portland Rescue Mission. The PRM works to take care of immediate physical needs as well as long term needs. They also work hard to address the spiritual and emotional needs of the homeless.

10 Ideas For Helping a Homeless Person
1. Anticipate the opportunity and be prepared.
2. Smile and actually say hello. Show respect. It gives dignity.
3. Engage the person. Don't ignore them. Ask what their greatest need is. If money, what will they do with it? Think creatively about how you can help.
4. Offer an alternative. Carry with you inexpensive, healthy food items like granola bars or fruit snacks (not candy).
5. Carry Tri-Met (public transportation) tickets and encourage them to get to Portland Rescue Mission (or a mission in your area) for food, shelter, and other immediate needs.
6. Keep water bottles in your car and offer a refreshing drink.
7. Go out of your way to approach them, rather than crossing the street to avoid them.
8. Afterward, be sure to pray for them... for both their physical needs and their spiritual hunger.
9. Be tender, ready to share hope and encouragement.
10. Don't assume: you know their story or why they are homeless, that they are lazy or incapable of work, that you know the best way to help them.

Lifehouse Launch Celebration

2009-02-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

Some Photos Taken By Ivy

2009-02-11T06:16:00.001-08:00

All Things New Again

2009-02-09T21:18:00.001-08:00

Living in Southeast Portland, we are reminded daily that this world is a beautiful mess. There are boarded-up houses, rusting cars, and permanent graffiti. But there are also parks and forest groves. As we meet more of our neighbors we are getting a sense of the pain and hardship that are a part of their lives. A guy I work with said to me yesterday, “I feel like life is out to get me. I just can’t get a break.” This same guy did not put up a Christmas tree or lights because he can barely afford electricity for his family. But, we also meet people who smile and are friendly. One of our neighbors saw us struggling to pull our Christmas tree into the house so he ran over to give us a hand. We are being reminded that sharing our lives with our neighbors requires us to enter in to their pain and their joy.

We are also being reminded that Jesus is the only answer for the mess. The good news of the kingdom of God is that God came to make all things new again – our relationship with him, our relationships with each other, and the harmony of the world. So Jesus died not simply that lost individuals could go to heaven but so that all of creation would be redeemed! And through Lifehouse, he is doing that right now in Southeast Portland!

One of our big focuses for the next few months is the Kingdom of God. As leaders, we are realizing how important and influential this idea is. We have all contributed to the mess of this world with our sins, mistakes, our selfishness. The world is an extremely dark place. Evil has a lot of freedom to destroy. When Jesus began his ministry he talked a lot about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom was now somehow present in the midst of the people. The people of the area had been living in darkness. They were oppressed, beat down, abused, and spiritually confused. They were looking for a "light," something to give direction and purpose to the broken world. Jesus said that he was that light, that we was inaugurating a new Kingdom that would overcome the current kingdom of darkness.

We are now living in that new Kingdom. The mystery is that it is here and now even when we don't sense it. Jesus is at work expanding his Kingdom. He is at work reclaiming the brokenness and restoring it to the glory God originally gave it. And so the gospel of Jesus, the good news he talked about, was that God was setting up his Kingdom right now, in our midst, and we can all have a part in it.

Matthew 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

This is a song Janaki sang for us at our Sunday gathering:

A King and a Kingdom, by Derek Webb

who's your brother, who's your sister
you just walked passed him
i think you missed her
as we're all migrating to the place where our father lives
'cause we married in to a family of immigrants

(chorus)
my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

there are two great lies that i’ve heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

(chorus)
my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

but nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we’ve got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think

oh no, he may not look like you think
oh no, he may not look like you think

Little Miss Ivy

2009-01-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

Our Journey Thus Far

2009-01-29T12:40:00.001-08:00

Late Christmas in Arizona

2009-01-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Snowed In

2008-12-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Joy of a Neighborhood Church

2008-12-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Portland was hit by a very intense snow and ice storm the last few days. Despite the snow, we walked around the neighborhood on Friday night singing Christmas carols. Ivy and Vera were bundled up and loved singing the songs with us. We sang on about 30 doorsteps before it began to snow too much for us. Afterward, we all met together for hot apple cider and Christmas cookies. What a great way to celebrate Christmas!

It snowed all day on Saturday and the night brought strong winds and freezing rain. We had about 6 inches of snow by Saturday afternoon and by Sunday morning we were up to 8 inches and the snow (and our car) was covered by an inch thick sheet of ice. The city has been shut down multiple days this past week and we knew that we would have to cancel our church gathering.

We decided to meet together anyways since most of us live in the neighborhood. Joel and Sabrina opened up their house to 20 of us. Tom went around in his van picking up people. He had to stop by our place because our car is frozen to our driveway. We sang and worshiped together, the kids read the Christmas story, we ate lunch, and Joel talked about the reality of Jesus coming into this dark world as the light of hope, peace, and love.

We talked as a group about the dark areas of our neighborhood where we would like to see the light of Jesus enter in. Some of our members are mentors for the youth in our community and they shared some stories of kids who have recently seen family members stabbed, overdosed on drugs, or taken away by the INS. Katie updated the group about our neighbor who has a 5 month old son but can't afford toys and clothes for him. Katie helped collect some things for her and was able to give them to her last week. We ended our gathering by asking God to allow us as a church community to bring the transforming light of Jesus into our neighborhood.

Please pray for our big Woodstock Candlelight Service happening this Wednesday at 6:00pm. We have heard from many people in the neighborhood that they will be joining us.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2008-12-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

Well God is good. Ivy's gastroenterologist's office called and said if we could get her there in an hour they had a cancellation and could see her! So we woke Ivy up from a nap rushed out the door and made it just in time. The doctor spent an hour with us going over all the tests we've had done, pulling up x-rays and listening to me tell her every detail I could think of in case it might be of some help. She ruled out some of our concers: tumors, disfigurement, spina bifida and while she didn't specify what it could be we make a plan. Ivy will go back in a month to have her growth monitored and we going to do an endoscopy. An endoscopy is where they put Ivy under and send a camera down her esophagus into her stomach to check things out. The good news is they're going to do some more elaborate allergy testing, including another test for celiac's disease while they're in there. The bad news is we have to ditch the diet for a month to be sure she's got the allergens in her system. While the diet is a hassle and expensive and annoying it makes life SO much easier for Ivy! Without it she's her little body is racked with discomfort and often pain. She gets sick more and whatever she catches turns into the worst form because her body is so busy dealing with the food that it doesn't have the energy to keep her immune system up to par. She had bronchitis like 7-10 times last winter alone. If we can get a positive test result for the allergies then we can rest at peace knowing what's causing the issues and how to treat it. .but is it worth it? We haven't decided. We could also wait until she's older. Ironically, since the day we saw the doctor she's been doing awesome. If things would stay like this I don't need positive results. However, we've had good streaks before and they've always come crashing to an end. If we do the endoscopy we have to ditch the diet by the 19th. Dustin and I will talk about it more and we'll probably bring the doctor in on it too to get her thoughts. Thanks for your support!

Living With Allergies

2008-12-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

Life For Ivy

Chronic Stomach Cramps
Expensive Specialized Food
Organic
Cannot Indulge at Parties, Potlucks, or Get-togethers
Diaper Rashes That Bleed
Difficult Dinner Guests
Everything From Scratch
Time Consuming
Exhausting
Bland (NO mayo, mustard, salad dressing, butter)
Always On Guard
Limiting
Not Much Fun to Eat Out
Never Ending
No Breaks

Finally, A Specialist

2008-12-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

We are finally going to see a pediatric gastroenterologist for all of Ivy's many issues. She is currently gluten soy and dairy free and still having problems. Yesterday was the breaking point when yet another test came back with negative results. You'd think clearing a test would be good, however, when you're searching for what's wrong it's rather disappointing. Especially after 6 months of tests and no improvements. Blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays, and other analysis that you don't want to hear about have all come back saying there's nothing wrong. This process has been exhausting and tearful and now we're on a 2 month waiting list to see a specialist. February better come quick because I'm starting to unravel.

Halloween in our New Home

2008-11-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

Winter Clothes

2008-11-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Dedication

2008-11-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

Relocation

2008-11-09T08:07:00.001-08:00

While we were working with Apartment Life, we were radically changed as we discovered that to be effective at sharing Jesus with people we had to live among those we were serving. We had to become one of them. Their needs had to become our needs. We learned that we had to be willing to relocate. The Apostle Paul explains it like this: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2:8). We can share our lives with people and they can become dear to us only if we have frequent contact with them. We must be with people on good days and on bad. We must laugh and cry together. We must open up our hearts and our home to them. This vision of ministry is what attracted us to Lifehouse. One of our church’s values is Life Together. We want to develop and experience healthy relationships that are authentic and full of grace and truth. We want to share our lives with people so that Lifehouse becomes part of the fabric of our neighborhood.

Looking Older

2008-11-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

Growing Slowly

2008-10-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

We are growing slowly but we are growing! At our gathering today we had one new family and three other people all from the immediate neighborhood. People from the neighborhood are becoming curious about Lifehouse! Praise God! We are really excited about the diversity that is forming in our church. We strongly believe that the Gospel of Jesus is for everyone and allows all people to come together as God's people. We have many races and ethnicities represented in our neighborhood and that is beginning to be reflected at Lifehouse. There were also tons of kids today which made our worship so much fun. We might bring some small instruments (maracas and shakers?) for the kids to play during worship at next month's gathering - wouldn't that be exciting! Josh, Gabi, and some others cooked a huge pancakes and eggs breakfast for everyone so overall it was a very fine day. I am reminded of how little control we have had over this process. God is the one at work bringing people back to himself. We are just humbled and thankful to have a small part in it.

Brentwood Here We Come!

2008-10-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

We have found our new home! And it happened much more quickly than we expected or planned for! Katie has been busy the last week searching craigslist for possible apartments and houses to rent. There have been many to choose from but they have not worked out for various reasons. At the beginning of the week she came across a duplex in the Brentwood neighborhood. I was able to look inside on Wednesday and really liked it! It's a lot smaller than we would like but it has new carpet, a new kitchen, and a one car garage! Plus, there is a gated front yard with lots of grass. The downside: no dishwasher or garbage disposal. Oh well. We've done all that before... The duplex is about a mile from where our church meets, a few steets away from where the women's group gathers, and is located in one of the neighborhoods where we are focusing our ministry. Thank you to all of you who have been praying specifically for this. Oh, and we are moving in two weeks... Yikes!

About Us

2008-10-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Dustin and Katie Tramel

Email: thetramels@gmail.com

Connect on Facebook:
Dustin Click Here
Katie Click Here

1 Thessalonians 2:8
"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

Lifehouse Update Middle October 2008

2008-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

We had our big Preview Gathering on Sunday. We had 45 adults join us and a ton of kids. Two of the adults were new people from the neighborhood who found us through posters and our website. Overall, the gathering went really well. We had a full band which Ivy loved! Her and I danced and sang through the worship set. Janaki, our worship leader, is doing an amazing job. She is new to the whole thing and has not officially been a church worship leader but she is learning fast.

Tom's message was from Matthew chapter 5, the Beatitudes. He introduced his sermon with a video clip collage showing disturbing images relating to the pain and brokenness of our world. Janaki sang a song called Mad World (originally by Tears for Fears) to accompany the video. Tom pointed out how the people who are a part of God's Kingdom are the broken, the neglected, the marginalized, the sinners, the slackers, the outcasts. God is not looking for people who have it all together, who never struggle, who are comfortable, who are perfect, who are religious. Instead, he is looking for people who honestly acknowledge the pain, brokenness, and the mess of their lives and turn to God for the strength to live and change. The Kingdom of God is available to everyone!

I led our time of communion and reminded everyone that the death and resurrection of Jesus have provided a way for all people to come to God. The communion is a symbol not only of Jesus' sacrifice for sins but of the unity we now experience as Children of God. The things that once divided us - race, economics, poltics, gender, etc. - no longer divide us. We all come to the communion table together and remember Jesus together. The Kingdom of God is available to everyone!

We had some new people join us on Friday night at our home community. A single mom and her son were there along with the mom's sister. We ate pizza together and then discussed 1 Corthinthians 5:17 - If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation. We came to the conclusion that if this is true then we have to change our perspective on people - we can no longer look at people the way the world does but we must look at people as God sees them. We also talked about the tension of living as people whose sins are forgiven but who are still broken and messy.

Here are the lyrics to "Mad World":

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

Fall

2008-10-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Meerkats at the Zoo

2008-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

Friends Are Good for the Soul

2008-10-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

By DT:
In September I unexpectedly found myself without a job. For three frantic weeks I applied for a total of 45 jobs and went to three interviews (one interview was for a job selling imitation designer colognes and perfumes from the trunk of my car. The job posting was very deceptive so it wasn't until I went to the interview and met "Tony" that I realized the job was so shady). My stress level was almost scary. I was angry, not sleeping well, and depressed. I realized that I don't handle stress well - it consumes me and turns me into a person I do not want to be. I had to wrestle deeply with my trust in God. During those weeks someone dropped off a large amount of cash for us. God was taking care of us. Eventually I found a temporary job working in the maintenance department of a retirement center.

In the midst of the stress I had four great experiences with friends. First, we went to dinner with our friends Richard and Pamela to celebrate Pamela's birthday. However, for whatever reason I was under the impression that it was RICH's birthday. I was so busy with work and everything else that I had no ability to think straight. So in a very awkward moment I gave Richard a present. I think it was Katie who first broke the silence by saying frankly: "Dustin, it's Pamela's birthday." The night turned into a great memory, though. We spent four hours enjoying great German food with gracious friends.

Our friend Jon had a birthday party. Jon and Lynette have been good friends for over a year and we look forward to their many parties. They love us and our girls well. They are very humble and forgiving when it comes to the chaos of hanging out with kids under 2. In the midst of conversation Jon let me know that he had a present for me - it was an old Nintendo 64 game that he had come across and knew I liked. I was so excited. Jon is always putting other people before himself.

Our neighbor Dave and I had a rare hour to hang out. We both are feeling like we are drowning. We have a family, both of us are in school, and both of us work a ton of hours. It was good to vent our frustrations and encourage each other. We both wish we had more time to relax and not be busy but our circumstances don't allow it. I was glad to know that someone else was going through similar things.

Our friends Rick and Faye came back from a year of living and serving in Uganda. Before moving to Ohio they spent a few hours with us. They shared some amazing stories of their church, faith, and life in Africa. We don't get to see a lot of Rick and Faye but they have always let us know that we are important to them. They have supported us and spent time with us (Ivy was excited because they brought her a stuffed elephant from Africa). They were some of the first people to visit Ivy when she was born. I realized how much Rick and Faye mean to us and how much I miss them.

From these experiences I have realized that a lot of the time I'm not a good friend. I get so wrapped up in my schedule, my stress, my needs, that I don't give myself the time or energy to hang out with friends. It was friends that helped me through these last few weeks. I know how important it is for my soul to be a part of a community but sometimes there is a difference between being in a community and sharing life with friends. I only hope that I can become a better friend and that I can develop friendships within our community as well.

Felony Flats: Part of our Church's Neighborhood

2008-10-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

A Brentwood-Darlington resident spoke out at a recent neighborhood meeting: "In my neighborhood, people go up and down the streets looking for opportunities to break in. It's a bunch of creeps that run around the neighborhood doing graffiti and trying to break into places." The neighborhoods of SE Portland, where our church is located, are known in the city as Felony Flats because of the consistently high crime levels. However, residents care deeply about their neighborhoods. Many are low income families who are working two and three jobs to make ends meet. On average, the household income here is 25% lower than the rest of the city. There are 63% more people living on public assistance. Two-thirds more high-school dropouts. Four times the number of trailer homes.

"This is an area that's been ignored forever," says City Commissioner Erik Sten, who compares the typical public meeting here to a pro-wrestling event. At one meeting a resident said, “I feel like nobody cares about us." Sgt. Preston of the Portland Police added, "I would not ride the MAX [light rail] at night and I'm armed all the time. There are massive fights, guns displayed, stabbings, people being threatened and bullied." Statistics for the precinct stretching from the Columbia River to the Clackamas County line show 11 homicides in 2006, compared with six in 2005, and a 15% increase in robbery. Living in the midst of these statistics are real people who want a better neighborhood and a better life - people who are curious about Jesus and need to experience his love and grace. They are the reason Lifehouse is here. There are great physical and spiritual needs in this area that we believe the Gospel of Jesus can address. Hope and restoration are possible!

Lifehouse Men's Hike

2008-09-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday I took a small group of fathers from Lifehouse out to the Multnomah Falls area. It was a crisp, cloudy day but we hiked a good two miles into the mountains. The fog was still floating through the trees when we arrived. With the drive out to the falls and lunch afterward we all had a good four hours together to share stories and enjoy the beauty of God's earth. I have had a very stressful week filled with manual labor, birthday parties, and a funeral so having a morning to be out hiking with some great men was good for my soul.

At The Beach

2008-09-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

At The Zoo

2008-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Lifehouse Update August 2008

2008-09-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our summer season came to a rainy end. Our last Sunday gathering of the summer took place in Woodstock Park. We ate BBQ together and worshiped in the rain. At least it wasn’t cold! We spent the summer meeting weekly at Lewis Elementary and ended each gathering with a delicious potluck! We met many new people and added a few to our list of members. Lifehouse took part in the annual Woodstock Neighborhood picnic and had quite a few people volunteer. Dustin spent the day picking up garbage and greeting people. Katie and the girls enjoyed fresh lemonade and face painting. It was a great opportunity to serve our neighbors and get to know people.

Dustin has created most of the postcards, flyers, and internet graphics this summer and is currently working on a church website and database. He also preached at two of our gatherings. Katie is part of a weekly Moms’ group and a women’s Bible study. It’s great to see that the members of Lifehouse are finally becoming comfortable around each other. We have had many deep conversations with people about God and life. As we approach our grand opening we will start weekly home Bible studies which we are looking forward to!

This summer also saw the end of Dustin's employment at Multnomah Bible College. As of the writing of this update he does not have another job. We have been busying applying and answering job postings but are finding it difficult to get hired (a college degree does not guarantee a job). As you can imagine we are stressed and worried. It is easy to trust God when there is financial stability but trust is more difficult when money is scarce. We are confident that God has called us to our position at Lifehouse and we wait on him to provide a second job. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!

No Day At The Beach

2008-08-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

It's August and at home the temperatures were awful. Even with a small window a/c we were feeling pretty yucky last Sunday. We decided to drive to the Oregon coast for the day. We checked the weather online - 73 degrees and slightly cloudy. So we piled the four of us into the car with snacks, toys, books, and the trusty ipod to make the 2 hour drive to Seaside and Cannon Beach. There was very little traffic (a good sign) but as we came up to Seaside we were sad to see fog, clouds, and sprinkling rain. The temperature was in the upper 50s. We didn't have jackets or warm clothes. What a disaster! We ended up looking at the ocean from a distance, buying some salt water taffy, and then piling back into the car to head home. At least we had some good conversation in the car and the taffy's not bad either.

Annual Woodstock Neighborhood Picnic

2008-08-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today Lifehouse volunteered at the annual Woodstock Neighborhood Association Picnic. This is a very big event for us because it gives us direct contact with much of the neighborhood - its leaders, families, businesses, and everyone else. Many people from Lifehouse volunteered to set-up, clean up, greet, and help out this huge event. There were hundreds of people who attended from 11am to 4pm. Local artists, businesses, and organizations set up tents. Local restaurants cooked food and there were performances by a Chinese dancing squad, an Irish jig team, local bands, and a children's puppet theater.

There were also groups giving free New Age demonstrations which is a very popular belief in the Portland area. I watched one booth where kids and adults took part in an exercise that would supposedly "connect them with the Universal Life Force Energy." I was reminded that people really do want to connect with God. We are all spiritual. We all reach out for something that is bigger than us. I hope Lifehouse can become a place where those seeking God and spirituality will be welcome.

Katie and the girls enjoyed face painting, music, and eating good food. I emptied garbage cans and collected the never ending watermelon rinds (the rinds will be turned into compost for a local community garden project).The day reminded us of the community events we used to put on during our time with Apartment Life.... we miss those days...

Tom, our pastor, was asked again to M.C. the event and about 15 people from Lifehouse volunteered their time. This event allows us to be an active part of the neighborhood and gives us a chance to have our lives overlap and become part of the area.

Center Stage

2008-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Vera Looking A Little Older

2008-08-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Mice Ears

2008-07-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Berry Picking At Krugers Farm

2008-07-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Lifehouse went to Krugers Farm to do some berry picking. We had a picnic out on a field while listening to a Blue's band and then rode a tractor out into the berry patches. We picked raspberries and blueberries (and we ate quite a few too). Evenings like this almost make the cloudy days worth it (almost).

Hi Everyone

2008-07-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Seals at the Portland Zoo

2008-07-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Lifehouse Summer Gatherings Part Two

2008-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00