small thing. But on that exact day the Woolsey bags and she was ready to go. But she was sadness, you know? But it takes a while for all
fire started and the community was launched exhausted so I told her to go to sleep, and I that stuff to sink in.
into a whole other chapter of loss and hardship. stayed up that night. During the course of the It’s been pretty real for our community. night embers started flying through the sky, the When people asked me how I was doing
wind was picking up and starting to get high. my only response for at least the first month,
[WM] You lost your own personal home Bella, our eldest, was sleeping at a friend’s probably the first two months, was just, “Man,
as well. house also in Malibu, and I was like, I need to it’s a lot to take in.” It’s just a huge amount to
get the family together. So I woke the girls up at take in. You’re kind of recalibrating your to-do
[Brenton] Yeah, we did, we lost our home of 7am and we headed out with as much as we list. But it also affects your understanding of
thirteen years. I was leading worship on that could put in the truck. And that was that. That what the world is like, your experience of the
Thursday night for a Bible translation group was goodbye, we didn’t know it at the time, but universe. I love nature. That’s why we live here. I
called the Seed Company in Newport. Jude that was goodbye. I’ve been back there, the love being in creation, I think it’s incredible. I love
texted me just before I was about to go up and fire burned so hot that it turned stone travertine the ocean and the mountains. While I’m talking
lead worship and said, “Hey there’s a fire, just tiles to powder. They reckon two thousand to you I’m parked up at a scenic view just so I
wanted you to know. I’m sure it’s fine.” You degrees Fahrenheit is how hot it was burning can look at the sea while we talk. But when you
know, because we’re in Southern California, at the property. see fire and the destructive, indifferent side of
we’ve had plenty of fires, so I didn’t worry.
nature, for me it made an impact on how I view
We just kept an eye on it. But then one of my [WM] What was it like leading worship to the world. So a lot of these bigger questions
buddies - we have a large community out here those in your community that first weekend on the nature of the world are quietly burning,
- texted and said, “Hey, I don’t have a good after the fire? - maybe that’s the word - through all the days
feeling about this fire. It doesn’t feel good. I’ve
that have followed the fire. And at the same
been watching, I’ve been watching the wind.” [Brenton] It’s been an interesting journey. I time, for as many questions as are raised by
So as soon as I finished leading worship I got was talking about it with my buddy Ger Jones this fire, the presence of God is still undeniable
in my truck and I high-tailed it out of Newport who leads the church. I think you break faith and still so close.
and headed straight back here into the fire with the Lord, and really with yourself in the zone. In the meantime Jude had packed our end, if you try to ignore these feeling of loss and
18
March 2019
Anyway, I got up to lead worship that weekend
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