I made my way through the smoky air this morning from the hotel to the airport. It isn’t the kind of smoke that you can’t breathe in and see through (yet) where the NYWC is taking place. However, the smell of fires and the thought of the tens of thousands of people who have already been evacuated from their homes and the thought that many more may still be directed to leave all that they have and probably much of what they know, leaves my heart very heavy this morning.

I met some youth workers at the convention whose church (Mailbu Pres) burned down yesterday morning…

I am eager to see my wife and kids later today and mixed into my heart are two very different feelings. There is the joyful thought of the reunion I plan to have with my family when I land in Chicago and the anguishing thought that there are families and communities all over Southern California that are being dispersed not united.

You can pray for the families and communities more intelligibly by learning more about the fires HERE.