People: Eddy Monge

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a Salvadorian, Eddy Monge. Eddy, I remember when I first met you at a destino main meeting near the beginning of sophomore year. I had been going pretty consistently freshmen year, but meeting you there my sophomore year was a real treat. You always made me feel welcomed even though I am not Hispanic and you provided me with something so invaluable: friendship. You are and have been a friend to me, Eddy, with the way that you have been open with letting me into your life and how you feel about things. You are one of the most unique individuals that I know, but I mean that in the best way. I have seen you grow so much throughout these years, and it has really been sweet for me to see you grow and evolve into a man. I have seen you mature so much through these years, going from a very baby Christian into a man in many senses of the word. You have let Christ transform you and I have had the grace of being a witness to that. You have always Loved me, Eddy, no matter how often our paths cross, you always get such a big smile when you see me, and it is clear to me that you get joy from seeing me. That is something that I am often unsure of in people, but I cherish it with all of me. You were someone that I also got to share a couple of classes with, and you always freaked out more than I did, but it was still so sweet having someone that loved me so much to study with. I really have a lot of love for you, Eddy, going back to our days of eating and enjoying destino together, evidenced by the picture in this post. I had to include you in this project because I can honestly say about you that I do not know how I would have gotten through college without you. You have been if nothing else kind to me and I am so very appreciative for that. Thank you for being such a brother to me throughout these years, Eddy, and for loving me in a way that only you can, in a way that made me feel honestly cherished. I cherish you and our friendship and it has been so crucial to me to walk and grow with you. You are someone whom I feel like I have not grown in front of or behind but honestly alongside. Ultimately Eddy, I am simply very thankful for your friendship in my life and the way that you have always loved me. I pray that God continues to strengthen you and bring you closer into His presence. I pray also that you flourish and thrive in LA next year as you continue to grow as a Jesus lover and as a man. Something that I have never told you: Most of the above. But also there was a period when I wondered why you walked away from leadership in Destino, but I understand it a lot better now.

People: Hank Stoeckmann

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a lovely little freshmen, Hank Stoeckmann. Hank, I first met you at a starbucks social earlier at the beginning of this year. You were a freshmen from FT and I was a senior trying to meet freshmen. We have had a long and illustrious relationship ever since then and I have plenty to say to you. You are a stud. I have seen you grow and change throughout this year, from when I saw you at the corner store buying candy at the beginning of this year, to just this week of hanging out and watching you be kidnapped. You have been a force in my life most notably in the area of encouragement. You have often informed me that I have contributed to you feeling Loved this year, at times when I have needed to hear it the most. You have showed me a lot of what encouragement actually is by giving it to me generously and freely, and I do not readily forget that. Additionally, our relationship has a distinct arc that I can follow very readily, and I have seen our relationship grow and twist with time, but always resulting in something ultimately beautiful. I like to think that I have helped you and loved you through your first year of college and have been a good friend to you but in all honesty I feel very insecure that that is actually the case. Nonetheless, it has been a joy to me to see your heart see that you have your values at least preliminarily in the right place. You have passed me into the dinning commons a couple times, one of the easiest ways to show Love to me. I thoroughly enjoyed our pillow talk at men's retreat and how long it lasted. I always enjoy seeing you, hugging you, and just talking life with you. You are not perfect, Hank, and I appreciate that you understand that and do not profess to be perfect but you adamantly try to be closer to Jesus. Do not ever lose that spirit about you, my boy. You are a man whom I have had the grace of witnessing grow, but what is more, I have had the joy of growing with you and experiencing life with you. You have been a grace to the movement that I have such a passion for as well, and have through this first year, endured through the tough and the easy. You endured through trying to figure out housing, through experiencing the stress of being a BotA captain, through suffering and internal struggles. But I have alwso seen you enjoy the little moments; continue to do so. I pray that God gives you a heart radically on fire for Him and a personality that does not take life too seriously. I pray also that you press into Him, all the time, do not ever stop, and the out of that He gives you a sweet balance. Something that I have never told you: I honestly wish that I could have done more for you this year. I do hope that I can do so next year though.

People: Ian Amunrund

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a man who Loves the attention, Ian Amunrund. Ian, you are a man that I am more than glad to be able to call my brother and my friend. Freshmen year and sophomore year you showed so much Love to me than I could ever say. I remember at sophomore retreat you were my saving grace and I hung out with you for much of it. I have seen distinct growth in you throughout these past four years and it has been so exciting. I have witnessed passion but also perseverance from you, commitment, but also an unwillingness to quit. You are an undeniably silly man, but your silliness has brought so much joy to me. You have taught me a lot as well. You taught me so much about what Loving God looks like and also about what making disciples, and being faithful therein looks like. I went through a period last year when, because of my own sin, I did not really want to be around you, but I am so thankful that you approached me one day at reality about it and we were able to reconcile. At the time, I did not realize what was happening but I am so thankful for that day and how it repaired our relationship and gave back to me a good friend and brother. Since then I have again been able to enjoy the person that you are, I got to lead on the same team as you last summer and then again on lead team this year and in doing so I was able to witness your leadership style and they exact way in which you chase after people. Please, never stop doing that. I want to continue to see you grow and be shaped by God but if there is one thing that I have seen in you, Ian, it is an utter willingness to allow God to shape you, to allow Him to tweeze out all of the ugly parts in you and replace them with beautiful parts. I know that this year has not been entirely easy for you and by my own admittance, I have not been a brother to you in the ilk that you have needed, but at least I have been given the grace of spending some time with you as a neighbor. I am so thankful that you have been a part of my college experience, Ian, and especially my first two years I am at a loss as to what I would have done without you. Who knows if I would have even ever gotten involved with a community that has embraced me, because I always felt so comfortable with you, and that I am so thankful for. I pray that God continues to guide your steps and leads you with His right hand. I pray that He aligns your desires with His and then grants you those desires. Something that I have never told you: I used to be intimidated by how passionately you worshiped. Now it is something beautiful that I enjoy.

People: Danny Philips

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about another tall man I Love, Danny Philips. Danny, I first met you our freshmen year while taking the freshmen class BotA pic, not sure if you remember that or not. Ever since then, I have been able to see first hand your character and the type of man that you are. Most of all, when I think of you the word that comes to mind is caring. You are an extremely caring person, who seeks out others' good above your own and it is a beautiful thing to see. I feel like so much of what you have done over the past few years, Danny, has been to bring people together and cultivate relationships, that is just how you think. I have Loved every single one of our times on the basketball court together, but I have Loved every single one of our times off of the court as well. You are a man that I respect because you have proved yourself respectable. You are beautiful, Danny because of the way that earthly things are just tools to you, tools that can bless others, not worth pursuing in their own right. That is, I believe, the total and correct attitude to have in life. You are also an engineer so the fact that you have been able to do al of this and the fact that, so far as I can tell from the conversations that we have had, you are not wrapped up completely in money. You have also always given me someone with whom to discuss basketball and cultivate my passion, and I really appreciate that. To me you have been a brother over the past few years and it is not like we have been best friends, but you have shown that caring about people, and I am among them, and that has been grace in my life. It is enjoyable your outlook on life, the way that you do not take life too seriously, but you enjoy life so much. That has rubbed off on me in more ways than you could know. You have a silliness that has occasionally gotten on my nerves, like when you insist on playing knockout instead of basketball, but there is such beauty in how you use that silliness as well. You have such a bright future in front of you and it has been such a sweet thing having a friend throughout college who is so tall and that I can relate with so well. I also am a fan about how you are selfless with your things and about how you manage to plan events for people. I Pray that God continues to grow your heart for the things that break His, that He leads you down sweet, euphoric paths in your life. I pray that no matter when you would draw closer to Him through any and every situation that you go through in life. Something that I have never told you: I really do see you as a brother and look up yoyou in the way that you spend your time.

People: Charyse Betts

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. Don't get this post twisted, Charyse Betts. Charyse, your name means grace and that is exactly what you were and are in my life. I met you on project and you had an immediate impact in my life, constantly encouraging me and always making me laugh. At a time when I still very heavily struggled with who I was and my identity, you were a constant source of light in my life. The thing is, that continued even after we left project and has continued up until today. We do not talk often but when we do it brings me so much joy. A lot of people here in Santa Barbara encouraged me and have encouraged me a lot and on summer project I began to wonder if I was simply a product of the system, but I met you and you encouraged me on so much that it convinced me that I was worthy of the words that people gave to me, the little and the large. You are a woman who Loves well and a woman who is able to stand on her own two feet, a rare occurrence at any rate. That is one thing that I think of when I think of you, that you are truly a woman, and one who loves Christ and really does so much for Him at all times. I do not expect that life is always going to be easy, it often is not, but you made my life significantly better while I was on project and even ever since. I always said that you were one of the people that impacted me the most that summer and that has bled over into you being one of the people that have impacted me the most throughout college over the past four years. Your laugh simply brought so much joy to me and made me enjoy life so much more. I was able to make you laugh and I was incredibly thankful for that. The thing that I really liked about you is that it seemed that the longer that project went on, the closer it seemed that we became. You have so many good and beautiful traits within you, Charyse, that I do not have the time to fully go into. You are a woman that I would hope would be in my life no matter what stage of life I was at because you exuded a certain grace that you gave to others with a striking constancy. Ultimately, Charyse, I am so very thankful to have met you over the last four years and I am certain that God knew what He was doing when He put us both on that porject together because you were always someone that it was so easy to talk with about anything and everything. I pray that God uses you no matter what your next stage of life is, that He continues to take care of and provide for you, and that you experience a depth of His presence that you never have before. Something that I never told you: For some reason because of my own sin when I first met you on project I did not have the highest opinion of you. That quickly changed.

People: Jessica Williams

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about Smiley, Jessica Williams. Jess, I first met you on summer project, obviously. You were a delight to be friends with during those weeks. You are this passionate, small girl who always had energy and always Loved well. You continually pointed me back to Jesus and reminded me that my insecurities, worries, and fears have already been conquered. You were the first and mostly only person to partner with me in feeding homeless people, evidence of your heart. And that is the thing about you that really stuck out to me, Jessica, your heart. You Love weak people who have no voice, you are passionate about reaching out to people who would not otherwise be reached out to, you Love the meek. You showed me a good deal about what it actually looks like to truly Love God, truly step out in faith, truly chase after God with everything that I possibly could give to Him. These things have stuck with me and even as I sit down writing this, trying to think through all of the things that you have taught me, it occurs to me how much of pursuing Jesus, Loving and giving everything to Him you taught me, not just through your words, although that was part of it, but through your devotion, your personality, and just the way that you acted. These things were and continue to be groundbreaking for me. Even your excitement, evidence of the joy of Christ in you, was an example of the way that you selflessly let God work through you to bless others. As for our relationship, you showed a lot of Love to me, Jessica, more than I ever did or could tell you. I made a lot of mistakes on project, but you were lovingly willing to look past all of those to be friends with me and always Love me. We have similar hearts, and I could tell that from the beginning, and you always took care of me when i had bum ankles, which was the beginning of our friendship. You took extra care, showing extra doses of Love and I always felt close to you after that. I was just a shy kid back then who was being sanctified into a leader but who was not one yet. You showed me a good deal of what being a leader actually looks like. You taught me so much on project and showed so much to me Jessica, not just lessons, but Love. Smiley is the perfect name for you because you were always a ray of light to me in a time when I needed light in my life. You showed me what that looks like. Thank you so much. I pray that God gives me the grace of continuing our friendship as you return from overseas. I also pray that God shows you the depth of His Love and presence and that you experience those things so much more so than you ever have before. Something that I have never told you: You give really great hugs.

People: Cori Stritzel

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about the happiest person I know, Cori Stritzel. Cori,you are one of the most loving people that I have ever met. I first met you at terrible movie thursday and I really did not know your spiritual background at all. You were just a girl who had given up sweets for lent. However, in the time since, God has given me the grace of getting to know someone who truly displays God's light. You pursue people, people feel Loved because of you and your sister. Whenever I knew that a female was going to come to Real Life main meeting, I did not have to worry about if they would feel Loved because I knew that you two would be there. You always say hi to me and genuinely care about how I am doing and the person that I am. Santa Barbara, Real Life, and everyone that you have met are significantly better off because you are around. You are joyful and Loving to anyone and everyone. Cori, nobody else that I have ever met has such unconditional joy as you and your sister. It is incredibly enjoyable to be around you all the time and it is a treat to know someone who so unashamedly pursues Christ. You have been busy in your college years, but I can say honestly that California now has a leg up on Chicago because you are here and not there. Everyone that you know would agree with me in these things, Cori; ask and find out. People just feel Loved from you being around by very nature of your personality. There has never been any doubt as to whether or not you honestly care about me. Cori, the way that you live your life is inspiring to me in every aspect. For one, you are a woman who is unwilling to compromise what you believe; you honestly just want more of God in your life and that is so encouraging for me to see and so very rare. Secondly, you are a woman of such uncompromising joy and commitment and devotion to people. I have seen in you a willingness to die to yourself that the name of Christ may be made higher and the way that you use what God has given you to further His kingdom in the people and the place around you. I really cannot hope to say enough about you, Cori. You are a one of a kind woman who has a bright future and who gives people around you hope. I pray that God continues to grow you where you are weak as He has so clearly done with already in the time that I have known you. I pray also for a continued heart of devotion and commitment within you. Something that I have never told you: You have always helped me to feel Loved. I do not feel Loved easily, so I very much appreciate that.

People: Ariel Bournes

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a man who is always open, Ariel Bournes. Ariel, I first really got to know you last year after the summer and I have really enjoyed every minute of our friendship. You have always been exceptionally loving to me for no real reason. You are a man who teaches: you teach other people explicitly as well as implicitly, through your actions as well as through your words. You and I have more similar hearts, I am starting to notice, than either of us really quite understands, I think; we both have real hearts to reach the lost and the poor and the broken and the needy. I see that in you, and I have seen how God has given that to you in increasing measure. It has been real grace having you in my life over the past two years to play ball with, to laugh with, to talk ball with, to talk Jesus with, and just to have around. There are many times that I can think of that are indicative of the type of friendship that we have: playing ball over thanksgiving break last year against some little kids, watching 'The Other Guys' really randomly one day at the Love dungeon and talking about girls afterward, having a conversation this year on the court about cheating on your wife and all that that entails. Our conversations, no matter what the content or duration, frequently make me think and perpetuate my Love for Jesus. It has been exciting being your friend and you have helped me a long at several crucial junctures and introduced me to several people that I have cherished as well. I am a huge fan of how dedicated you are to so many things-Jesus, basketball, impact, pursuing people, growing closer in your knowledge of God. I hope that my relationship with you only ever continues because there has been a lot of grace in it over the years. People can say what they want about you, but God has given me the ability to discern your heart and that has been coool. We've also been able to work out our differences, although they have been few, strikingly well, and that example has set for me what it looks like to pursue reconciliation. I aso really enjoyed being a groomsmen with you in Jake's wedding this year; having you there to talk with helped a lot. Ultimately, although we are not the best of friends, you are a man that I am proud to call a friend, and I do not hesitate to do so. You are and have been a friend to me, Ariel and have showed me more Love the more I think about it. I am increasingly thankful for that. I pray that God continues to take you closer into His presence, teaches you more about Him and His heart, and continues to align your heart with His. Something that I have never told you: Your consistent Love last year came at a very crucial time for me and I am so very thankful for that. I never really told you, but I cherish your friendship.

People: Philippe Lazaro

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a true vagabond, Philippe Lazaro. Philippe, we have never been incredibly close but that alone fails to capture accurately the influence you have had in my life. You have a spirit and passions that are so similar to mine, with a fire and a desire to bless people that is so strong that it cannot be extinguished. I have seen you go above and beyond for the sake of blessing people, and that is an inspiration to me to do the same, or at least attempt to do so. You are a man who has a passion for the lost and for the needy, which is true of God as well. That all being said, I think one of the most beautiful qualities about you is that you do not take life too seriously. I mean that in the best possible way: you eat more slowly than most, content to live and thrive at your own pace; you insist that life conform to your pace and your passions, not the other way around, and it has been an outlet through which you have done some truly beautiful things. I am always excited to hear about your life because I see the beautiful things that you do, the way that you serve God and Love people in your own unique way. You are an extremely unique person and someone who has not only inspired me from afar through the actions that you do, but has also poured into me personally on a one-to-one basis. That has taken many different forms: tea time, which was always so beautiful and so needed. making flower tea and encouraging me to try some, having lunch with me on a come-what may walk. You always had this odd, unusual, yet oh so effective way about you of the way that you Love. You definitely do not conform to the pattern that this world insists you do, but in a most beautiful way. Philippe, I am a big fan of you, for your heart for international students, the way that you sacrificed to pursue and Love them, for your heart for the lost throughout the world, and for the way that you were and always are so intentional with people. It is so cool to see someone who knows what he believes, knows what he needs to do, and does it unashamedly. I pray that God continues to guide your passions and desires, and gives you the ability to follow through with these passions in your own unique way the way that He always has. I pray also that people the world over would be influenced by your unique brand of Loving people and really be transformed by how powerful it is. Something that I have never told you: I always thought that we could have been closer based on how similar our passions and hearts are. It is always encouraging to see you whenever, wherever.

People: Amanda Chiang

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a real baller, Amanda Chiang. Amanda, this is one of the most difficult of these that I have had to do. I only have tons of respect for you, for the way that you Love and pursue people constantly, always giving yourself over to them. It is an encouragement to me to do the same. I have seen you endure through difficult times and through smooth, easy times and all the same you do not stop Loving, trusting in God. I felt so much Love from you freshmen year in the way that you actually paid attention to me and showed an interest in my life. That is something that I am not soon to forget. I had the grace this year of getting to know you much better than I had ever prior, and it is one of the reasons that I just think that Christ has blessed you with a beautiful soul and I see the way that you pour that outward from yourself. It is crazy to see how much you have grown and even blossomed over the past four years and the way that you have let God just shape and mold the woman that you are becoming. I am being honest when I say that I thank God for our friendship, I do. it has always been really cool to me the way that we can bond over basketball and Jesus. You have taught me a lot in four years here and shaped the way that I see several things. You Love people very well, and people look up to you and Love you so much. You are one of the most Loved people that I know, Amanda and that is evidenced in your facebook and the way that people Love you therein as well as the interactions that people have about you and the way that people talk about you. From these things it is clear that you have really had a deep impact on so many people here in SB. It is an encouragement to see someone who is just simply seeking to live the way that Jesus lives, and out of that having your life reflect it in the impact that you have had. You are a very beautiful spirit and you have this certain silliness about you, and I mean that in the best sense, not at all any offense meant by it in the least. It adds to who you are, showing that you do not take life too seriously. In the end, I am very thankful for the friendship that I have with you and the friendship that God has given me with you over the past four years. You have always been there for me, especially freshmen year when I really desperately needed to feel Loved. I pray that God so powerfully and wonderfully uses you while you are in Hawaii like He has while you have been here. I pray also that He is gracious to you in your support raising endeavors, and brings by people in your life who Love you for you. Something that I have never told you: I have frequently wondered why you are so dang Loved, especially freshmen year. This year, God has answered a small part of that question, but it still really sticks out to me.

People: Kevin Thompson

I'm a senior, my last quarter in college. There are a lot of people who have made a major impact in my life over the past four years and I want to make sure that I tell them how much I Love them. This space is for that, to tell people what I really think, how much I really Love them, while holding nothing back. I'm going to try and do two a day this quarter, making sure to get at least 100 people in. This post is about a man who cares a lot about a lot, Kevin Thompson. KT, I was the first person you met when you moved to IV, and it was totally Jesus. I followed God's call in walking down dp, simply carrying my bible, and you followed God's call to approach me about it. You are a man who Loves Jesus, and I can say that with more confidence than I can with almost anybody else. I can say that with a good degree of certainty because I see that you Love not just the people easy to Love but you Love those on the outskirts, you are understanding as any man I know, gentle as a dove and yet joyful as a bee. You have this unique combination of traits that I when I really sit down and analyze things, it all equates to you looking quite a bit like Jesus, my friend. I think that I really cannot say enough about you and every time I get the joy and grace of spending time with you it reminds me of just how wonderful you are. You and I really pursued each other practically over the summer and since you have been back and in more ways than I could hope to tell you, KT, you are a man that I look up to and respect. You Love people far better than I love people and you pursue people with such a vigor and a constancy that I wish that I had. You are also very respectful and polite towards the people around you and that has spread so much the Love of Christ in this community. I've said it before and I will say it again: I Love the way that you pursue not just the popular but the unpopular. You have showed me what that looks like on a practical level, KT. I remember once going downtown with you and Lindsey to drop him off and just getting to spend some quality time with you. You are someone whom it is just very easy and enjoyable to be with and the way that you have embraced this community from the moment that you got here has been just beautiful and such a practical example of God' grace in my life and in the lives of many others as well. It also really impacted me when you wrote me a letter when you were leaving for summer. The kind words that you said still ring encouragement for me today. You have always been such a huge encouragement for me all the time, Kevin, and I will never forget the way that you live your life. One of my favorite nights this entire year was the last night before Christmas when I got to hang out with you on your first night back. You are a lovely individual. I pray that God continues to bless this community with your presence because it needs you here. I pray also that He continues to give you adequate pleasure and pursuits and I really thank my God that you will be here next year. Something that I have never told you: I really needed to see God that first summer day when we met and you approaching me was such a big part of that that day. Those few first moments with you will probably do a lot more for me than you or I will ever fully understand and it is beautiful in my memory.