Keep Portland Weird.

You see it on bumper sticks. You see it on the sides of buildings. It’s everywhere. “Keep Portland Weird.”

This city is a city of transplants. I was at a party of maybe 35. Of those 35, only two were from Oregon. The rest of us were from all over – Ohio, Kansas, Jersey, Philly, Wisconsin. No wonder Portlandians are urging everyone to keep their town weird. They’re being invaded.

Well, I’m definitely doing my part in keeping the weirdness. And not just because I’m weird (out here, I’m actually pretty plain and boring). But I’m keeping the weirdness in my living situation alone.

Jerod and I live in a neighborhood called Woodstock in SE Portland. (For those of you who were concerned I’d starve, there’s a Mexican restaurant less than two blocks from me.) I enjoy Woodstock Blvd – between about 57th and 39th (all walking distance) are bars, restaurants, a grocery store, a hardware store, banks. Basically we could never leave and still survive. But here’s where it gets weird.

There’s an Arby’s on 52nd and Woodstock. Just a couple blocks down from there is Duke (which is a block or two from our house.) Upon that entrance into our neighborhood is a giant billboard that reads “Jesus is the Light.” This billboard was put up by the Apostolic Faith Church that literally is right across the street from our house. As in, we sit on our front porch, and instead of seeing a house, we see a church.

The church is beautiful, but this isn’t just any church. It’s the WORLD headquarters for the Apostolic faith. For those of you unfamiliar with Apostolicism, it is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Jerod and I have been watching the habits of these churchgoers. It’s very interesting – the gates are open all week, until come the weekend, when people actually attend service, then they close and lock them. I think they’re trying to keep the people in. I am yet to see any snakes though, dang it.

But it gets better.

Around the corner from the church is an honest-to-God (pun intended) Jesus Camp. Remember the documentary “Jesus Camp” that created so much hype? Yeah, it’s like that. With little white huts and all. The Apostolics from all over the world congregate at this camp the last two weeks in July. I’m sad we missed it this year. (My mom hung through the bars on the fence of the Jesus Camp to get this picture.)

And if that weren’t enough to make our living situation weird – this is my favorite part – there are people that live in our backyard. Within the fence. They rent out the garage – not from us, but from our landlord. Every time I pull my car into the driveway, my headlights shine into their living room.

Only in weird Weird Portland.