The underdog Eagles won what was certainly an exciting football game but that was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Super things that happened at the Iron Man Super Bowl party hosted by Pacific Coast Church and Deed and Truth!
Super Bowl Highlights:
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Over 50 men came from the Union Rescue Mission to worship together with their mentors and friends in San Clemente.
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Adult men got a chance to play some flag football away from the pressures of skid row.
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New friendships were built by having meaningful conversations sharing their journeys in life.
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One special story I’d like to share… Mike Morris invited a friend from his office to join us. His name is Mohamad and he brought a friend named Manny. They both have a Muslim background and we all had such a wonderful experience just getting to know and understand each other in a loving environment. Read Mohamad’s email to Mike that he wrote after the event…
Mike, Sunday was a unique experience for me. On one hand it was uplifting: one of the Ironmen members Manny and I were speaking to (I forget his name) made a point that really struck me: many religious organizations, charities, good will places- they donate money, wipe their hands, and move on. My community and I do the same exact thing. While all our intentions come from a good place, not many do the actually difficult deed – help people we have no affiliation with for the long haul, with time, effort, consistency. You guys bring them to your home, go out to LA. Monthly. You call every week. That’s dedication. That’s hard. That’s what I saw on Sunday. Man Mike- I tip my insignificant hat to you, Pastor Dan, Craig, Bruce, and all the Ironman brothers/families.
I have to also say, it was a bit difficult to see people my father’s age in these positions. I couldn’t imagine what his state of mind would be if he were in a similar situation. When they saw the food going in the bus, the comments I heard about how delighted other families back at the URM would be when they saw it made me pause.
What was more heartbreaking to see though were the younger guys. Guys my age.
The person who will stick with me is a mellow guy me and Manny were chatting with at our table- Christian. He is about my age, had a football scholarship up in Norcal but lost it due to some unfortunate events happening out in his neighborhood. He then worked at Huawei as a technician in the fabrication floor. He is now part of the Fellowship program and is actually quite intelligent.
I took his number down and intend on staying in touch.
Mike, I can’t emphasize enough how much I appreciate you bringing me to this. This and the last trip we made really make me rethink what’s important. And thank you for letting me bring Manny along as well.
Thank you Mike,
Mo
God did some amazing things at the Super Bowl party… these involved both experiencing fun and exploring and expanding faith. Please pray for all our new friendships including Mo and Manny.
Special thanks to Pacific Coast Church for hosting the 6th Annual event. Kudos to Ken, Gaby, Mike and Terry Morris, Craig and Kerrie, all the chaplains from the URM (every one of them attended) and so many more who volunteered their time or donated financially to Deed and Truth to provide a context for God to do His thing!
– Pastor Dan