Five Questions with...Monica Watkins

How did you get connected with Beautiful Day?
We received a call from Jon Talbert last May. Given the fact that we (my husband Ken and me) have a hard time saying, "No," plus the fact that we were vacationing, it was easy to say, "Sure...sign us up, we'll help!" In all honesty, Ken and I were Project Managers for the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital BD project two-plus years ago and were really blessed by the experience. We were excited when Jon asked us to be part of the BD Core Team -- not really knowing what that meant -- so we could again serve Beautiful Day, but at a whole new level (Literally!).

What projects do you oversee?
SuperDance for SuperHeroes; Room Refresh; InnVision Revision (sort of - Vicki Field gets most of the credit for InnVision).

What does your role entail?
I'm mostly coordinating with the different organizations (Young Life Capernaum, Protecting Our Elders, Santa Clara County Mental Health Department). I have learned a lot about red tape during this experience!
Plus, I'm in regular contact with all my awesome project managers -- Holly Holland, Lori Dabak, Fran and Joel Linscott, Mike and Jehn Buchanan and Kirk Fayard -- who are leading each of the three projects. I help them understand what they need to do, who they need to contact and assist in getting them what they need, when they need it.

Tell us what it's like being a part of the Core Team.
So much fun! Our first monthly meeting was last September. Starting in January, we began meeting on a weekly basis. We always meet at someones home and share a meal together - it gives us time to unwind from our "day jobs." There's always lots of laughter (a "given" with Jon Talbert in the room).
Throughout the months, we've shared ideas with each other. We've supported and encouraged each other. We've bonded in a way that I wasn't expecting. The people on this team are truly amazing -- such a blessing in so many ways.

Going forward, what you like to see happen in our community as a result of Beautiful Day?
I would love to see more people from our community embrace our Six40 discipleship by "loving our neighbor" -- regardless if they are part of Westgate, a believer or non-believer. Beautiful Day is already contagious. My hope is that Beautiful Day will grow exponentially in the coming years as we continue to share God's love.

Monica Watkins is a Bay Area transplant from a town halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi called Victoria, Texas. A confessed neat freak, she breaks her favorite musicians down by category, such as "Favorite Band That Goes by an Acronym" (Dave Matthews Band/DMB) and "Favorite British Artist" (David Gray). A fan of Tex-Mex food, she's the better looking half of a married couple affectionately known as "MoniKen."

Four Questions with...Wendy Laugesen

Who connected you with Beautiful Day?
My dear friend Marissa Moran introduced me to Joanne Glen. Apparently, Joanne already had me on her radar as an event planner, and as soon as I was Six40 disciple and baptized, I was recruited.

What project do you head up?
I oversee the Beautiful Day Celebration at the end of our amazing week. I get to help all the staff, volunteers and some recipients celebrate the amazing work God will do for Beautiful Day week. My role entails managing a team of event planners, reaching out to vendors for donations, managing our budget and working with the Beautiful Day Core Team weekly to make this Beautiful Day the best yet!

How do you feel about being a part of the Core Team?
Words can't describe how highly I think of this team. Commiting one night a week on top of everything else they all do, including raising families, is above and beyond. They take Beautiful Day seriously and want to see it succeed and have a great impact on our valley. On top of them being great at their project direction, they are also a WHOLE lot of fun.

Going forward, what you like to see happen in our community as a result of Beautiful Day?
More community and church involvement. I'd like to see the 2012 Beautiful Day Week double the number of churches and businesses invovled in the planning. I'd love to see a positive impact on the lives of those we help and hope that God SHINES through each of us as we go out into the community in the next week.

Wendy Laugesen grew up in Los Gatos and went to high school in Campbell, not far from WestGate Church. She loves a good steak and, conversely, a good salad. ("NO weeds.") Her diverse music interest tends to focus on tunes from the '80s, though she has a soft spot for Neil Diamond, the greatest singer/songwriter of this or any generation.

Three Questions for...Steve Clifford

You recently delivered a message to the congregation about being sent by God to do His work in the world. How does Beautiful Day fit in with that?
Well, it's not the only way and doesn't completely fulfill it, but it is one of the primary expressions of this belief that says, "We ought to get out into the city and it ought to matter to people that don't go here know we're here." We hope that at least 1500 people will go out and next weekend and show it.

Services are cancelled, but you'll still be working Beautiful Day weekend. Tell us which project you're involved in.
I'm going to be on the Camp Coyote project with my Boot Camp group of men. There's going to be at least 15 of us serving. I'll probably show up at several more, probably doing the blood drive, too.

Going forward, what you like to see happen in our community as a result of Beautiful Day?
Ultimately what I want to see is people introduced to the hope and love of God through Jesus Christ, but that's not really our part. Our part is to be witnesses of that and allow God to change their hearts. Like I said over the weekend, when we are sent we preach. People will hear, some will believe, be called and be saved.

Steve Clifford is the Lead Pastor at WestGate Church, where he shares his quirks and the saintly patience of his wife, Dana, as he teaches the gospel each week. Despite all outward appearances, he was not born in Texas. (His family moved there when he was three months old.) His favorite movie is The Quiet Man with John Wayne and, though he calls Mexican food his favorite, he admitted he just "wanted to say 'cooked,' because I like it all."

Five Questions with...Holly Holland

How did you get involved with Beautiful Day?
Well, this is my first experience with Beautiful Day. My hubby Cody and I just started coming to WestGate a few months ago when Beautiful Day was beginning to get advertised. We're both so ready to meet people and get into a community this seemed like a perfect fit!

Tell us about your project.
I'm working with Monica Watkins on Room Refresh and doing home makeovers for special seniors in the area that have problems within the home they are unable to tend to for whatever reason.
I'm working on a little government housing project where we're completely redesigning a 300-square-foot house. We've gotten permission from the property managers to go in and do anything we wish. We've met with our special senior, Patty, and we're working on achieving her wish list as well.

What attracted you to Room Refresh?
This project in particular strikes a chord because I'm an Interior Design Student. I love blessing people to begin with, but if I'm able to help with my creative design, even better!

You got a team together pretty quick. Talk about them.
There are two designers, a general contractor for hanging shelves and building some furniture as well as a few extra pairs of hands for cleaning and organizing to pull it all together!

If you could look into the future, what is the ideal result of your project?
Patty will end up with a whole new living space! These 300 square feet are all she has and some of the furnishings belong to the government, so ideally we're hoping to set her up with everything of her own: basics like a bed, mattress, bookshelves, microwave, and some bonus things like photo frames, trash cans, organizational storage bins and some new linens in her favorite color.

Holly Holland is a stay-at-home mom of a six-month-old doberman puppy. She calls both Bend, Oregon and Dallas, Texas home, though she's lived in four countries. She refuses to name a favorite food, but admits she does "love a good bean burrito and coming in close for a tie would have to be sushi."

Three Answers from...Lori Dabak

What drew you to Beautiful Day?
I have heart to serve those who are in need and love to use the gifts that God has given me to bless others. It's so true, if you work in the area that you love, you will never work another day in your life.

Talk about your Room Refresh project.
We will be serving an elderly woman by cleaning and refreshing her home with some aesthetic projects and hopefully providing some new storage that will be easy for her to reach.

What are some goals you have in mind?
We would like to provide her with a rolling storage cabinet and a small table with 2 chairs for dining. I will be serving with my Life Group in this project. I hope to see our group grow closer together and enjoy blessing someone with the love of Jesus.

Lori Dabak is a self-employed interior decorator in San Jose, where she lives with her husband Alex. They will soon welcome their first child, whom they will certainly raise to love southern-style barbecue as much as they do.

Five Questions with...Drew Froese

What attracts you to Beautiful Day?
The idea of being the church. I love the fact that WestGate doesn’t just talk about serving others and showing Christ’s love through service, they follow it up by placing something on the schedule that says, "This is not just something we talk about, this is something we live.”

Which project are you a part of?
We will be cleaning up a homeless encampment, blessing the homeless with some necessities as well as giving them something extra special as we celebrate their birthdays. It’s a great opportunity to both provide for needs and express our love by giving them a party they probably don’t often experience.

What about Camp Coyote, in particular, draws you in?
My wife and I started serving the homeless breakfast on Christmas Day two years ago and have found it such a joy to serve those in need. When this opportunity came along to continue to serve the homeless, I joined.

Anything special you're looking for in terms of volunteers?
We are looking for high school age and above to help clean up the encampment, distribute food and serve in the celebration for the homeless, including people willing to barbecue.

Look into your crystal ball and talk about your ideal outcomes
Not only to bless the people of this encampment now, but to work with the city and those who serve this population on a regular basis and connect people to serving the homeless continually.

Drew Froese leads the Junior High Ministry at WestGate Church. He grew up in San Jose and is a big fan of pizza. He and his wife Amy recently welcomed their second daughter, meaning he's a fan of sleep and boy-proof security systems, too.

Five Questions with...Joel and Fran Linscott

What drew you to Beautiful Day?
Beautiful Day is a call to be Christ in our community. First-century Christians (and even into the Third or Fourth Century) were known in the Roman Empire as people who worshipped illegally, but also as the only people who cared for others (which was apparently a novel concept at the time). They were the only ones who would go into plague-stricken areas and care for the sick, etc., because they were being Christ to those people. Beautiful Day is our opportunity to do the same, to reach out to the people around us and help them for the sake of helping them, because it's what Jesus would do.

Tell us about your project.
Our project centers around doing home make-overs for senior citizens that are in low-income housing because they were victimized by elder-abuse. We're helping them spruce up the place, hang pictures, and find a way to fit their life and memories into the space that is provided for them.

What attracts you to this one in particular?
These people don't have the wherewithal to make their domocile a nice place to live, they don't have the strength to hang their pictures, they don't know how to make their home fit the memories they've collected over their lifetimes. I think of my own grandparents and how they have needed help just to do things that I take for granted everyday, and then I think of these senior citizens that are somebody's gramma and grampa, but they don't have anybody to help them to do these things.

What sorts of volunteers would you like or special needs do you have?
We just need a few people, maybe 3-5, that have an eye for decorating, a mind for innovating, and a heart for the elderly.

If you could look into the future, what is the ideal result of your project?
We would love to see the lady who we are helping be comfortable in her home, able to display all her memories, and feeling blessed and loved.

Joel and Fran Linscott are the husband-wife team leading a Beautiful Day Room Refresh. They enjoy good ethnic food and mind-bending movies like Johnny Mnemonic and Inception. During this year's event, they will also set the record for greatest height disparity between project co-leaders.