San Diego County Edition Vol. 31, No. 4 April 2013 www.christianexaminer.com Mark Larson Eric Metaxas Community Did you hear? Sunsets Facing opposition: Ministry shares clothes, FREE and meteors speak to us Let’s be disliked for love, the gospel the right reasons page 4 page 5 page 7 When healing doesn’t come Carol Garlow clings to Christ and family in protracted cancer battle By Lori Arnold this doctor was telling my family. … He felt like my body was shutting down, or beginning to. I ne year ago, while Carol Garlow was came into the emergency room with some prob- sedated after a fi fth hospital visit in four lems, but I didn’t feel like I was close to death,” Omonths due to complications from che- she added, chuckling at the prognosis. motherapy, the doctor told her pastor husband, When she awoke in the mid afternoon, she was Jim Garlow from Skyline Church, that his wife’s confused by the group that had gathered around condition had deteriorated and she only had three her bedside and was wondering what was going to six months to live. on. Garlow called in the troops: their immediate “All of a sudden they heard from me, ‘Did I family, extended family and several close friends miss something?’” who had been their support system for her then Later she learned that while she was under se- fi ve-year battle with ovarian cancer. They all gath- dation her husband “just fell apart.” ered around her bedside awaiting the doctor to “If I had been awake I could have fought them fi ll them in on what was next. on it. ‘No I’m not. I am not dying. I have longer “I had no idea this was going on,” Carol Garlow PHOTO BY ERICACA SCHNEIDER/SCHNEIDER/ said about the experience. “I had no idea what See GARLOW, page 8 ACRES OF HOPEE PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTOGRAPHY San Diego ministry provides food, clothes and hope to Baja’s poor By Lori Arnold CHULA VISTA — After a while, sometimes brightly colored pack- ages are not enough to quench a soul bent on giving. “I think most ministries start with an ‘aha’ moment, and ours is certainly no exception,” said Judd Wheeler, co-founder of Hilarious Audrea Taylor, 17, is co-founder and president of im2moro, a young-adult led Givers, an outreach ministry to Baja organization that espouses constitutional principles. California. Wheeler’s came after two years of casual outreach south of the bor- Future voices der. “We would pass out brightly col- ored gifts and hang out with the Im2moro teens spawn conservative kids and put a little loving on the dialog through social media orphans down there,” said Judd, who served with his wife, Debra. By Lori Arnold there was a huge need right now “That’s all well and good.” for this message to get out there.” Then came a close encounter EL CAJON — At age 15, when While their Christian faith helps with 7-year-old boy. most teens are focusing on gaining to shape their worldview, the minis- “His little feet were bare,” he independence through their motor try operates as a secular, non-parti- said. “I put him up on the tailgate vehicle license, Audrea Taylor was san entity, which opened doors for of my pickup and washed his feet driven by something else: Indepen- im2moro’s college video campaign and put the shoes on. The whole dence born by America’s Constitu- to be featured on 20 swing-state time he wasn’t watching what I was tion. campuses ahead of last year’s presi- doing. He was looking in my face. So in 2010 she, her older broth- dential election. The look on his face—once he real- A child peers into the outside world from her dilapidated home in Baja. The er Caleb and two of their friends, “One of the reasons why these ized he got this brand new pair of shelter was pieced together with scraps of wood. brothers Blake and Luke Ander- campuses were willing to partner shoes—just absolutely touched my sen, founded im2moro, a national with us is because we are nonparti- heart and Debra’s as well.” somehow fasten that to spreading “Most translations, says God loves organization that promotes consti- san,” she said. “We were able to talk Suddenly, trinkets seemed insig- the Good Word of the gospels, then a cheerful giver. But in the original tutional principles among young about principles like free market nifi cant. it’s absolutely priceless.” Paul says God loves a hilarious giv- people. and that sort of thing without nam- “What they have is what they That encounter initiated Hi- er. The idea is that one should give “We know our Founding Fathers ing a party. The idea is that people were able to carry up from Chiapas larious Givers, which the Wheelers and serve, not out of a sense of duty founded them in biblical truth,” become informed on the princi- or Oaxaca or wherever they came founded in 2008. or not grudgingly, but should really said Audrea, who serves as im- ples, and they can make their own from,” he said. “The kids work in “I can thank the apostle Paul for rejoice in the act of giving. 2moro’s president. educated decisions.” the fi elds for a few dollars a day. the name of the ministry,” he said, “(It’s a) topic of conversation “We just realized that there was a Their credibility is fostered, Audrea Whatever we do to help them genu- adding that it comes from an origi- big disconnect with my generation nd inely changes their lives. If we can nal version of 2 Corinthians 9. See GIVERS, page 2 understanding principles. We felt See im2moro, page 3 For information about advertising, subscriptions, or bulk delivery, please call 1-800-326-0795 2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • April 2013SD www.christianexaminer.com Prop. 8 in the hands of the GIVERS… Supreme Court justices Continued from page 1 and I welcome that. It gives me an By Lori Arnold TV or any other prized hobby or opportunity, like today, to be able entertainment. to tell you what our mission is about WASHINGTON — With dozens of just by quoting a Bible reference.” legal briefs submitted, oral arguments Pulpit Freedom Sunday presented and thousands of traditional Noting the signifi cance of the pend- Filling a void marriage marchers heading from the ing ruling, organizers of the annual The ministry operates out of a nation’s capital, the fate of marriage Pulpit Freedom Sunday have moved the temporary building in Miramar rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme event from the fall to June 9 and are after losing donated warehouse Court. asking pastors to preach the “biblical space in Chula Vista when that do- The nation’s highest court will de- truth about God’s design for marriage.” nor needed the space for rental cide, probably in June, whether Califor- “Marriage—it is the basic building income. On Saturdays, volunteers nia’s Proposition 8, the constitutional block of society. Yet it is under attack from Hilarious Givers pack and sort amendment declaring that marriage is like never before,” said the website, thousands of donations from across only between one man and one woman, sponsored by Alliance Defending the country, including a nutritional is legal. It will also decide the legality Freedom. mix that comes from Minnesota, of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, Pulpit Freedom Sunday is an an- reclaimed food from the Central which does not recognize same-sex nual protest action that encourages Valley and canned goods from the marriage for taxpayer-funded benefi ts. pastors to preach boldly about issues Bay Area. It also allows states to decide whether and candidates and send copies of the Once the goods are sorted, they to recognize same-sex marriage. taped sermons to the IRS to challenge are packed for distribution to as While most of the pre-activities have its restrictions on pulpit topics. many as 60 different church and died down, there are several prayer and “We know that the pulpit must be missions groups working in Baja. fasting efforts that will continue until free to convey biblical truth on the great In all, Hilarious Givers serves 5,000 the decision is made. moral and social issues confronting our children annually, providing food, “The preparation for this brief, half culture,” it says. clothing, shoes, backpacks and hour before the nine justices has been school supplies, primarily at urban exhaustive, not to mention the thou- Salt & Light Council orphanages, hostels and rest homes sands of pages of written argument,” Another effort, coordinated by San in Tijuana and a migrant farm com- said Ron Prentice, executive director Diego-based Salt & Light Council, is munity south of Ensenada. of Protect Marriage, the coalition a national, 30-minute, live prayer line “In Mexico, among the really des- behind Proposition 8. “Now we call six days a week through its Repentance perately poor, it’s not uncommon Volunteers with Chula Vista-based Hilarious Givers unpack supplies at the upon people to seek God’s direct in- and Restoration website. to fi nd families who will just leave ministry’s headquarters. All of the supplies head south to Baja where they are tervention in this critical decision for Each day the call includes a guest their children with an orphanage distributed to orphanages, migrant communities and rest homes. children and culture.” speaker from a variety of organi- because they can’t care take of their Prentice also serves as CEO of zation, including the American kids,” Wheeler said.