Life on the road

So I'm not sure if all the Moisheniks know but Lee and I are working on the road filming a skateboard lifestyle dvd as well as web content. (quick plug......www.andaleposse.com) A big shoutout to our Moishe House roommate Nate Dogg for keeping the Los Angeles House alive while away. Anyways, our tour so far has taken us across the southern part of the country from Florida to Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. It really hasn't been so much fun and games....more like work, eat, travel, and sleep but we're still enjoying the experienes along the way.
One characteristic of this part of the country that I've noticed the most is how much Christianity is part of the landscape. In each town we traveled past it seemed there were more and more churches, many of which seemed to be the cleanest structures in the town especially in poorer neighborhoods. It really got me thinking about how important religion is to people in this part of the country and how immersed it is in the people's decisions. It appeared that many of the problems in life that everybody has were trying to be answered by the church. For example, "Marriage Problems? Ask Jesus for Help" or "Questioning Homosexuality? Change is Possible; Discover Jesus". As a reform Jew, I had never felt so out of place spiritually. I don't think I ever felt attacked on my own thoughts and beliefs but more shocked that another religion was influential unto the thought process of it's followers. It's odd looking at a billboard expecting to see an ad for the next McDonalds and seeing a religious ideology instead.
I'm starting to realize that feeling so religiously out of place is the true spirit of what the Moishe House is; a place where you can truly feel welcome with other Jews. Being from Los Angeles, a place with a high Jewish population, I never feel out of place or estranged from my heritage. However, being in such a highly religiously idealized part of the country has opened my eyes to how small a percentage of the world Jews really are.....which I believe is 1/3 of 1%. The Moishe Houses in Montevideo, Nigeria, and South Africa must be extremely important to Jews in the area as an outlet to recognizing other Jews in the area.
So thats my thought from the road........hope all are doing well in the MH!!!!!!!
~Dave MHLA