Day 9. Friday 13th. San Fran to Santa Cruz

Day 9. Friday 13th June.
Despite it being Friday the 13th, our appointment to bless the Reddit office went without hitch. The crew were most gracious & the holy water was received without manifestation or blown circuits.
From the office we headed to the street. Hayte Street, San Francisco.
A shoot out was inevitable.

Haytte St Shootout from paulsanchez on Vimeo.
Holy water can be lethal in the wrong hands.
Interestingly, of all the places we’ve been, our robes were mocked & questioned most in an area famous for it’s alternative & unusual people & accepting lifestyles. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was due to frustrations caused by other well meaning people who represent the same God, coming to that area with the intention of changing those who don’t wish to be changed, without taking time to understand, value & listen first.
We did meet some who were accepting however & I had the privilege of helping a man who had just had eye surgery put drops in his eyes. He told me how excited he was now his eyes were coming right, as it would allow him to work & generate a better income to help support his teenage child. He told us the kind of work he was looking to do & how he not only wanted to get something from his work, but to be able to give something back as well. He was hoping to work at a retirement home. We prayed with him that just such an opportunity would open up quickly.
We headed to The Golden Gate Bride for a stumbling photo.
(Paul’s taking photos of me stumbling around the States.)



This shot caused a little controversy but we managed to leave the bridge unnoticed as police & bridge patrol cars pulled on with lights flashing. (Personally, I think they were looking for speeding drivers, or possibly a suspected culprit for the fires burning down the coast, but those with me beg to differ.)

Nate & Wee Pam took us from San Fran to Santa Cruz. The sky & smoky sunset were striking, but concern furrowed our large hearted companion’s brows as they discussed the homes & lives being affected by the fires.
We were booked to visit Intel, but time is a respector of no monk & we were unable to make the appointment. Paul’s tears streaked clean lines in his sad sooty face.
All sorrow was forgotten however once we arrived in Santa Cruz, ate gourmet, organic food at Charlie Hong Kong

& hit a bar quickly,then on to the back yard bonfire.

Ben & Miguel hosted us with great alacrity. Drinks were abundant, as was entertainment, even to point of setting their heads on fire.


I met a fascinating young man Jonathan, who told me he was inspired by our documenting the good will of men. He had become disheartened with the goodness of people. The more we spoke, the more intrigued I became with the mind of this young man. Not only did Jonathan have profound understandings & insight on life, but his conviction ran so deep that he was documenting what he had discovered though living & was intending to share what he had learned by leaving his writings out for others to take & read. He hoped they in turn would pass on his discoveries & thus spread the understandings ‘viral style’.
I envy the chosen ones who discover his paper bound treasure.

When we finally slept, there was a tent in the yard, bodies strewn throughout the house & the echoes of a night’s laughter & singing.