1. Tuesday we launched "CREW", a weekly youth gathering. I'm excited to dive back into the youth ministry world. Despite the rainy weather, we had a great turn out. This year is going to be quite the adventure as I discover how to best communicate to this group of students.
2. I have made some new relationships with moms in the neighborhood. A couple times this week a lady in the neighborhood came to use our computer. The time on the computer turns into a couple hours of just talking about life. I am blessed by our time together. I find myself looking forward to our quick trips to the store and conversations over text. Along with this lady, I have had in depth conversations with others. I'm so thankful they have allowed me to be part of their lives. I have learned so much simply by listening to their stories.
3. God's provision has been overwhelming. Raising support is so difficult (I know I've hit on this a couple of times in the past, but it's just so "real life" to us). Even in this time when finances are scary and there is a lot of unknown, we have felt so much peace. God has provided for every need. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but it's just...one thing to be in a financial place where you can say, "God will supply for our every need" and quite another when you're in the place of "God, we need you to provide. You alone are the supply".
4. David is...pretty much amazing. Several times this week I noticed David taking lead in moments of ministry. God is shaping his heart and giving him so much courage. Even today, a mom in the neighborhood told me that she would allow her son to come with us on a trip because of her conversations with David. He does so much from breaking up fights, to walking children home to talk with parents, to helping me cook dinner for the neighborhood kids. I'm so grateful I get to minister alongside him. God clearly has a hold of David's heart and is shaping him into exactly who He needs him to be.
5. A tough reality of the neighborhood is that many of the children do not have a father in their lives. This truth made this unforgettable moment all the more unforgettable. On Monday after homework club, David was taking a couple kids in his truck to our house for dinner. David said that the two kids, one girl and one boy, asked to both sit in the front so he raised the arm rest and let them sit beside him. The boy(let's call him Tommy) asked to be in the middle. Tommy is a boy who has really captured our hearts. He spends a lot of time in our home and often goes with us on trips. We really love him. He...justs....feels like part of us. While David was driving, Tommy looked at the girl next to him and said, "See, I told you David was my daddy". That night, David and I spent a lot of time talking (and crying) about how great of a mission field is before us. We're in this for the long haul.
6. Today we took a group of kids to my mom's for a Fall party. We had a great time!
Some much good went on this week, and yet, when I look back, the moment that stuck out the most was not happy at all. Here is the story....
One night after an event at that church, some teens and children were hanging around outside. The children had been asked to leave several times, but they just wanted to be where everyone was. As everyone was milling around on the sidewalk, I began to clean up the food we had served to the group. For some reason, something caught my eye outside. As I looked up, I saw Tommy being held by two teenage boys, one had his arms and the other his feet...his pants were down. A third boy was hitting Tommy in the chest. I ran out the door, yelling for them to stop. The boys dropped him and dispersed. Just as quickly as it stopped, the kids took off down the road after someone else yelled "fight". I went back into the church, shaken up yet thankful it was over. A few minutes passed and I once again heard a noise outside. I quit vacuuming and went to see what was going on. At the door, a couple girls were frantically trying to tell me what happened and Tommy was crying and shaking. His breathing was heavy and sweat was dripping from him. All I could make out was that the teens had followed Tommy to the end of the street and jumped him again. As I look up, I saw David jump in his truck and drive away in search of the teens. Everything was moving so fast. Tommy came inside the church and we sat until he could tell me what had taken place. My heart was broken. I couldn't bare the thought of what had happened to him. I know that the city is hard and that the kids have to be tough, but as he sat in the chair by Stella, I couldn't make sense of it all. It felt as if my own child had been beat up. As David came upon the group down the road, the teens were circling around another boy. David was able to break up the group and took the other boy home.
That rest of the night was really emotional. I had a difficult time controlling my tears. We love the kids so much, but the reality that we will not be able to always protect them became ever too real. That night I desperately wanted to tuck Tommy into bed and tell him that nothing like that would ever happen again. Unfortunately, I cannot make that promise.
All and all, this will be a week that I will not soon forget. God is teaching us new realities each day and I am thankful for the time we have in Keller Park.
Tonight, I'm not the same person I was on this day last week. I'm thankful for that.
