Adventures in Highland Park

Resurrection Sunday

2010-04-05T16:11:00.003-04:00

For the first time since moving to Highland Park, I was in town this year for Easter. It ended up being a good, but very busy day. I decided to take one of our families to church with me in the morning. This meant bringing 10 kids! With almost any other group of kids this would have been impossible. However, the kids in this family (though highly energetic!) are so well behaved. They have got to be the sweetest group of kids I've ever met. Thankfully, I also had one of my teen girls Ashley to help me. She ended up being a huge blessing! We loaded up the van and drove to Revival Tabernacle here in Highland Park. the younger kids were able to attend worship with us and then go upstairs for children's church. (Where they told me they learned Easter isn't about candy and the Easter bunny but Christ's sacrifice for us:) ). The two teen girls, Ashley & I enjoyed an illustrated sermon that focused on Peter's view of the crucifixion and resurrection.

After church, we picked up some "Hot-n-ready" pizzas and came over to my house for a quick lunch before taking everybody home. I can't begin to explain how much this family has come to mean to me. The kids each bring so much joy. Please pray for them as it is obvious they are loved at home- however, live in a very unstable unstructured environment. They aren't given the resources many of us take for granted.

When I dropped them off, the youngest-DeMario- showed me that he could ride 2 wheel bike! He's only 3! DeMario has become my little buddy, and I try to spend time with him during the week. It's been fun to watch him grow up. I'm so proud of this little guy :)

Ashley and I were able to spend some chill time together after we took the kids home, and then I went over to my neighbor's for an Easter meal. The family across the street invited my roommate Emily and I over since neither of us were able to go home for the holiday. What a blessing to live in community with other believers!

It's been waaaaay to long!

2010-04-01T15:12:00.003-04:00

I have no excuses for the fact that I haven't written anything since December. When I look at the iceskating pictures, then look outside at the sunny warm weather I can't help but feel guilty for my neglect of keeping this updated!

The beginning of the year here at HPCO has started off well. I was able to spend the first 2 weeks on vacation-visiting friends in Maryland & North Carolina. It was very relaxing as well as encouraging to catch up with some good friends I have't seen in awhile.

Our Thursday night youth group continues to go strong. The boys are being tutored before hand at Wayne State University. I feel as though our boys group has exploded! We have a great group of men leading it- to the point that we are able to recruit more boys to join us. Most importantly, we are seeing our boys being mentored. They are able to come each week, be in Bible study groups and also have positive male role models in their lives. I've seen a lot of growth in one of our guys in particular. He has a special place in my heart as he was in my first day camp class 5 years ago...he's now 16 and over the past year Ive seen some steps towards maturity, responsibility and desire to grow spiritually. One of our guy leaders has decided to start discipling him outside of the normal youth group hours. This is incredible and what we are all about!

Another encouraging part of this year is watching 2 of our junior high girls receive weekly tutoring. My roommate, and HPCO intern, Emily has not only been committed to tutoring the girls, she also spends time with them during the week. She's taken them to Panera Bread (where she works), hung out with them and their siblings & created a great bond with both of them. Please pray for these girls as they are both so behind academically. They also have a very unstable home life. However, they are two of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. Sadly, humanly speaking the cards seem to be stacked against them. Most females in their family started having kids as teenagers, they don't have the structure that kids need in a home & they can hardly read. Thankfully, we have hope in a God far superior to human understanding and we're trusting Him to change the course of their lives!

Ice skating

2009-12-24T13:48:00.003-05:00

When we took our youth ice skating last year, it went so well that we decided to go again this year. My roommate Angela suggested that we take them downtown to an outdoor rink. I'm so glad we did, it was a great experience! The atmosphere was fun, the kids loved iceskating, and I was amazed that no one complained about the cold. Even our kids who never skated before had fun. We had some trying spins, skating backwards and creative falling techniques. Many kids in the city never go iceskating (though they are pros on rollerskates!), so it was a good opportunity for them to try something new.

Last Saturday, I had the priviledge of going over to one of our families for dinner. It was a late birthday/early Christmas celebration. This family has come to mean so much to me. The grandma and her kids and grandkids are all actively involved in our program. Some sweet memories were created as we talked, laughed, sang Christmas karaoke & had pizza. I feel honored to be welcomed so warmly into this family. And it was an example of how God uses the people we minister to to bless us.

I am now on vacation until mid-Janaury. I'm thankful for this opportunity to take a break and get away for a bit. I'll be able to visit family in New Hampshire, go to Maryland to visit a friend and then down to North Carolina to see another friend. It's been awhile since I was able to get away for this long of time and have a vacation (as oppose to traveling for conferences etc). Even though I'm excited, there is still a part of me that is going to miss Highland Park and our families. If you think of it, please pray for me that it will be spiritually and physically relaxing (and renewing!) and that I will have a peace about being gone.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!!!

What a joyful season

2009-12-10T12:54:00.003-05:00

It's been a good week for me here. It all started on Monday when we got to be a part of a great outreach here in Detroit. For the past 3 years, the Bible study group of the Detroit Lions have donated in order to provide for families in the city to Christmas shop for their families. For the past 3 years, this has been a highlight for me...

This year, we were able to chose five families to go to Meijer and receive the gift cards. The Lions players were there and it was such an incredible evening. For me, I was blessed by the families who came. They were so grateful to receive this gift, that it made them want to give back. I shopped with one of our grandmas who insisted on buying me a pair of boots (which I actually really needed, and am wearing right now!). Below is a picture of one of our families with Lion's kicker, Jason Hanson (p.s...the only reason I know who he is and what he does is because of this event! I'm not too up on football...) I enjoyed talking with his wife. They are such a sweet couple and God is really using them to bless people.

The next day, I received a phone call from one of the families who went. The dad was so grateful and wanted me to stop by so he could give me something. What he gave me literally left me speechless. Even though they have a house full of kids and could really have used every cent on the gift cards, he wanted to give back the money they didn't use! It was a significant amount. Even though I tried to give them back, he wouldn't take them and said they had received all that they needed. I told him I would use them to bless other families and he said "That's what we want". I walked away amazed. What a beautiful picture of receiving in order to give. I honestly was trying to think of creative ways to give back to them the money!

Sometimes...there can be too much negative news coming out of the city. Experiences like this remind me of what a blessing it is to be here. Our families are incredible. Sometimes I wish people outside the city could experience what I get to by being around the people here. I've felt loved poured out on me so many times...

Breakfast Dinner Party!

2009-11-23T19:27:00.003-05:00

For my birthday this years, I got a treat as some of my teens pulled together to help put on a birthday dinner. At their request, we did a breakfast dinner. It was so fun to have friends and teens together!

Ashley made me a birthday cake & Khari put on his McDonald apron and cooked up some hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. Arriana and DeJuan also lended a hand with mixing waffle mix and bacon. The evening ended with a viewing of "Matilda".

I felt so loved when the night was done. To see them work hard to make it special for me put a smile on my face and made it by far, one of my favorite birthdays!

Catching up on the fall

2009-11-03T21:45:00.004-05:00

This fall has been busy, to put it mildly...mixed with a lot of activities, events, fun times with kids, rejoicing and pain.

To start off with, we have a new intern here at HPCO. Emily is from my home church in Grand Rapids and chose to take a year after high school to live in Highland Park and be involved in our ministry. She lives with us here on Ferris. She works part time during the day and then is involved with HPCO activities in the evening. One of which is tutoring two of our Jr High girls every Monday night. Our desire is to see this tutoring grow to more people getting involved so that we can offer it to more of our kids. We are very thankful to have Emily here and for her heart for this community

Emily with one of her girls

I feel like my weeks fill up very quickly with the scheduled programs as well as trying to take time to continue to build meaningful relationships with a small handful of our youth. I continue to see God working through these relationships. I've been thankful for opportunities to connect not only with kids, but their parents and families as well.

As I stated, this fall has also brought reasons to rejoice as well as mourn.

The associate pastor of Revival Tabernacle spoke this Sunday and shared his testimony of surviving 37 stab wounds from when a man broke into his house this past August. Hearing the story reminded me again of how his survival is truly a miracle of God. He gave God all the glory as he shared his story and it was so amazing to hear not only about the physical healing that took place, but also the spiritual. Because this story had been on the news, a couple local news stations came to the service and did a feature on it. What another great opportunity for others to hear what God has done in this situation!

On the flip side, I attended the funeral of a boy who use to come to Revival with us on Tuesday nights. He was shot in the head by another teen while playing basketball at a rec center down the road from us. Even though I wasn't close to him, one of our families viewed him as a member of theirs. He came to youth group with one of the guys I've been able to connect with. Attending this funeral was one of the toughest things I've had to do since being here in the city. Seeing the pain these kids had to go through while saying goodbye to their friend was heartbreaking. There are no easy answers and I just kept thinking that kids should not have to go through this. Please be in prayer for the youth who have had to say goodbye to Dmetry. Pray that God would bring them healing and not allow bitterness and anger to set in. Pray that that He would use this to bring people to Himself.

It's always easy to share the happy stories, and the ones that are good news about what God is doing here. The reality is though, not all stories are happy. The world these kids live in is difficult. The enemy is fighting hard, but thankfully we are on the side of the Victor! We do live in a fallen world and aside from God's grace are all lost in sin.

I wanted to share these stories so that you can know more of the reality that is around us. There is good with bad. Times that seem victorious, others anything but... but in both situations God is faithful and continues to pour out His love and grace. Everyone is in desperate need of Him, no matter where they live, what kind of resources they have or who their parents are.

A snapshot of Highland Park

2009-10-03T20:44:00.014-04:00

Last spring, Ashley and I went around the city of Highland Park taking pictures of various buildings. While usually I post pictures of our kids, I wanted to share with you the city they live in. To me, these buildings represent a beautiful city that once was. Abandoned and often times forgotten about. It brings a curiosity in me of what this place use to be like
I don't like it when people focus on the negative of the city. Yes, the crumbling buildings, trash and dirtyness speak for themselves. But what about the people of this great city? I have grown to love the people here so deeply. They have taught me so much as they have lived in situations many of us could not imagine- and still fight on with incredible faith. Children are being raised in failing school systems, surrounded by crime and violence...yet there is hope as God's truth continues to go forth.
The question is, what does God want us to do with cities like Highland Park where there seems to be an overwhelming amount of brokeness and devastation?

"Is this not the fast which I choose. to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" Isaiah 58:6-7

Revival Tabernacle, a church in Highland Park that our ministry is closely connected with (we attend youth group every week) is located in the heart of the city. When the church came to our city, they bought out an old adult movie theater and turned it into a church! Next door is the Deja Vu (a strip club) and on the other side, a hotel known for prostitution activity. They are in the thick of the battle bringing light to a very dark corner!

These pictures of the old Highland Park Adult Education building. Inside, you can still see the classroom bulletin boards still intact...

We are home to the original Model T plant! Yes, now it is basically another abandoned building with graffiti and a historical plaque out front

The drastic decrease in population leaves many apartments such as these abandoned.

"If you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness...those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up age old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the stress in which you dwell" Isaiah 58

This graffiti is behinda gas station around the corner from my house. You gotta admit, there's some talent!

The McGregor Library shut it's doors in 2001. From what I hear, the books are still in the building. People have been trying to reopen it for the last eight years. A few weeks ago, an announcement was made that a movie is going to be made (with a story based on this library). Proceeds from the movie will go to reopen it! A library in Highland Park will be a huge blessing for many of our families.

Please continue to lift up the city of Highland Park (and Detroit!) in your prayers. Pray that God would bring restoration and a spiritual revival to our city.

Assignment: Detroit

2009-09-30T21:39:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post a link on here that I'm really excited about. Time magazine has decided to do a year long feature on Detroit. They have actually moved journalist into the city to research the city and do monthly reports. I enjoyed looking through the articles and pictures they have up (Detroit is on the cover this month). It looks like they will be giving a realistic view of the city with positive hope for renewal. It's refreshing to hear something other than the on going negative you always hear about Detroit. This is a city that many have given up on, but I believe has great potential for renewal!

http://www.time.com/time/detroit

Going West...to the beach!!

2009-09-04T10:50:00.002-04:00

I have been promising our two Ashley's (who both worked day camp this summer) that I would take them to Grand Rapids to stay at my parents, and then we would go to Grand Haven and spend a day on the beach. With the not-so-hot weather we've been having, and trying to work around everyone's schedule...I wasn't sure how it would work. But this week- we made a quick trip on Wednesday. The sun was shining (finally!) and it was decently warm. The water however was a different story. But we braved it and went in (and my legs turned unusual colors). After some time in the water and on the beach, we walked out to the pier. Katie (one of our interns) joined us at the lake. Afterwards, we went to a coffee shop I had taken Ashley to in the spring to get some yummy muffins :)

It was great to spend this time with the girls. And I can see how they are becoming a blessing to each other. Both are in need of friend's who will encourage them in their walk with the Lord. I am looking forward to studying "Lies Young Women Believe" with them this fall. They both have started reading the book, and Ashley K has shared with me some of what she's already learned. I think it's so relevant to issues they face as teenage girls and helps them discern God's truth vs. the world's lies. Please be in prayer for these two girls! I see God working in their lives and know that He has a special plan for them. I also know that they are surrounded by many temptations and have a lot of opposition that could pull them down. Pray that they will stay strong in their walk with Christ, that they would seek what is good and true, get connected in a local church and grow in their personal relationship with God.

Cheerin' on them Tigers

2009-09-04T10:41:00.004-04:00

Thanks to our neighbor Willie, we were given some free Tiger tickets this summer...which made for a great opportunity to let some of our kids experience a game for the first time. in August, my roommate Angela and our friend Matt took some of the neighbor kids to a game. Angela has been connecting with a couple of boys down the road so she took them along with a couple of Willie's kids.

Last week, I was able to take some of our Day Camp kids to a game. None of them had gone before, so the excitement of the people, food, and music was enough to keep energized! Even though we tried to explain at the beginning of the game how it works (my friend Joe explained innings as "switches" so they could understand how many more times the teams "switched" before the game was done!), they soon lost interest. Thankfully, our seats were up high and near the back-giving them plenty of room to let off energy and not distract anyone! Sadly, the Tigers lost- but with nacho's, popcorn and McDonalds- nobody was too disappointed :)

A Day on the Lake

2009-08-22T21:59:00.004-04:00

In late July, we had the opportunity to take our kids to Dexter, MI to a lakehouse for the day. Frank, one of our volunteers, knew a family who owned the house and loved being able to use it for ministry. We took 8 of our youth out for the day. I loved watching their excitement just being there, it felt like they turned into little kids. Everything was so new and exciting. They enjoyed swimming in the lake, kyaking, minnow catching, speed boat riding, and even some water ski attempts! Needless to say, the ride home was very quiet as most of the kids fell asleep :)

2009-07-27T17:35:00.003-04:00

As always the summer has flown by here at HPCO. We just returned from a week at overnight camp (and took the whole weekend to recuperate!) and are entering our last week of day camp. Here are just a few highlights of our summer so far:

1- An incredible group of staff: One of our staff made the comment today about how we are such a tight-knit group. It's been incredible how God has brought together such a variety of people to serve Him. Our teen staff this year have been AMAZING! I was excited to again hire one of my girls Ashley and it's been great to watch her grow.

2- On that note, Ashley had the opportunity to go to Illinois with the youth group from Revival Tabernacle. This trip was such an answer to many prayers I have prayed for her spiritual growth. I encouraged her to go knowing it would give her the rare opportunity of meeting other Christian youth in the city. She found this to be true and said she was overwhelmed with being surrounded by so many who loved God. It also was one more way to get her closer connected to the youth group.

3- We have reached so many new kids this summer, many of them who live close to our house. This has been a great way to also hopefully reach new families.

4- Our youth had the opportunity of receiving a week of "Urban Arts Camp". The group at Urban Arts came in and taught our kids music, dance and art and they were able to perform in front of their family and friends at the end of the week. I was so proud of all they learned and the way they stepped up and accomplished so much.

5- Not receiving the grant this year was really a blessing in disguise. God has provided for us financially. And, with out the grant we are given a lot of freedom in what we teach our kids. This means the Bible lessons can overflow into all aspects of our program (art, education time etc). It's been great to have this freedom and be able to consistantly reinforce lessons the kids learned a the beginning of the day through out the week.

6- Overnight camp: As always an exhausting experience but one that is worth while. We brought 11 of our kids to Camp Jubilee with us, and 3 others attended Wildwood Ranch in Howell, MI. At camp, we were able to build even deeper relationships with our kids and see them make commitments for Christ.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray for us as we enter our last week that we will finish strong and be open to all that God wants to do in and through us!!

Day Camp '09 - just around the corner!!

2009-06-15T13:30:00.002-04:00

One week from tomorrow and we will be starting another summer of day camp. This will be my 5th summer here at HPCO! Hard to believe. I love that I am able to watch kids grow. Some of my first campers are now in high school and I still am able to see them on a regular basis...and it all started with 6 weeks of being their day camp teacher :)

We have 3 interns coming this summer. Dominique is returning from last year and is assisting me with directing. We also have two interns from Grand Rapids who will be arriving this week.

Here are some prayer requests I have for the summer:

1. Because the grant we usually receive from United Way was not offered this year, we are running the camp on a very low budget. But PRAISE THE LORD we have already seen Him provide in amazing ways. Please pray that we will have the sufficient funds to run camp this year, pay our staff and also send kids to overnight camp. If you would like to help sponser a kid to camp, check out our website at http://www.hpco.org/ there's a link on the site to send in a donation

2. Over the last few weeks, we have been able to connect to some new kids down the street who will be attending camp for the first time this summer. I'm so excited about all the new kids we will be reaching please pray that God would use camp to change their lives for Him!

3. As I said earlier, we have three interns coming. Pray that this summer will be a life changing experience for each of them. For two of them, this is their first experience working camp as well as a new experience in the city. They will not only be serving here, but also living in the community and learning about God's heart for the city, the poor and also learning about racial issues. Pray also that we will have unity as a staff team and strength to not just make it through the summer, but see each day as a new opportunity to share Christ's love to the kids and our community

4. And lastly, pray that would receive all the glory in all that we do this summer. May our lives be a reflection of His love and grace...and may oaks of righteousness be planted and growing in Highland Park!!

My weakness=His strength!

2009-06-03T22:15:00.003-04:00

As I sit here thinking about what to write, I keep asking myself how to write everything I'm thinking and feeling with out rambling on and on and potentially losing everyone's interest!

I don't know how to begin to sum up the last few months here, but I do know they have been a testimony of God's faithfulness and pouring out of grace and strength. I was listening to an old Steven Curtis Chapman song this morning called "His Strength is Perfect". One of my favorite lines says "We can only know the power that He holds when we see how deep our weakness goes. His strength in us begins when ours comes to an end. He hears our humble cries and proves again...His strength is perfect" The thing is, experiencing the fullness of our strength means we have to be fully aware of our weakness, and that can be painful. But what a sweet growing experience! Ministry here in the city has been challenging over the last couple of months- at the same time, I wouldn't trade any of it for what God has taught me and the relationship with Him that has deepened.

This week alone has been filled with both sorrow and rejoicing. On Tuesday, we lost our dear neighbor to a heart attack. Her health has been slowly declining over the last couple of years. Watching her family go through this grieving has been difficult as our hearts go out to them. My heart especially breaks for her eight year old daughter. I spent some time with her yesterday and listened as with tears, she shared memories of her mother. She expressed to me that she's only eight and no longer has a mom. How hard that is to hear a young child verbalize that. I am thankful for her dad, who has been a strong pillar in that family as he has cared for his wife, children and grandchildren. I am praying that God pours His grace out on all of them in a special way and that this very hard experience brings Him glory and deepens their faith and walk with Him.

The rejoicing has come in two different situations. One was watching a family who chose to follow God and keep integrity in a situation where they were told on all sides to be deceitful (and could have easily gotten away with it) and then in return be blessed in amazing ways by watching God provide. They could have chose the "easy" path to receive what they wanted and what they definately deserved. Instead, they chose God's way and are reaping the rewards! I'm excited that their children have this kind of Godly example displayed before them!

The other came when I received a phone call today from the grandmother of a large family in our program. She told me her granddaughter is graduating from 9th grade and receiving an award for her achievement at the graduation. Watching all that this girl has experienced in the last 3 years and knowing this did not come easy is definately a reason to rejoice. Her grandma invited me to her graduation which will be tomorrow. I am so honored to be able to share in this happy occasion with the family and look forward to being there to celebrate with them.

On top of all of this, we are in the process of planning our summer day camp. Please be in prayer as we are already behind financially due to not receiving a grant we normally have each summer. We are also short staffed this year. Yet, we move forward in faith knowing God will provide. I believe He has great things in store for us this summer and am LEARNING (notice, I haven't fully achieved!) how to continue trusting Him

Thank you friends! I am thankful for each of you, thank you for taking time to read this and for your prayers. God is at work in this great city :)

Weekend in Grand Rapids

2009-05-13T15:31:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, one of my girls (Ashley) and I headed to Grand Rapids. I ran the 10K at the Riverbank run on Saturday and Ashley wanted to come cheer me on...and she was committed! Waking up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning to sit in the rain is commitment if I've ever seen it. It was fun having her there for the weekend. This was her second trip to GR and she's getting very comfortable with my family. Later Saturday afternoon, the weather cleared up so my mom and I took her to Grand Haven. I wanted her to be able to see Lake Michigan. However, it wasn't the best day for it. Even though it had warmed up and the sun ahd even come out- it was still cold and windy by the lake! But we got to enjoy some warm drinks :) We finished the day by going downtown with my sister. Ashley wanted to take fun pictures so we decided that would be the best place to do it.

It was fun to watch Ashley liven up this weekend. You could tell she enjoyed every moment of being there and I felt like she was able to be free to act young and not have any cares. I know her day to day life is not this way. Ashley and I meet weekly to do a Bible study together and I have seen such a desire to grow in her. She desires something different out of her life than what she's experienced and choices she's made. Even watching her excitement as she is getting more and more comfortable in looking up Scripture encourages me. I challenged her to read a Proverb a day and she's been doing it! I know that being in the Scripture's is going to begin to change her and I've already seen the impact it's made on her life.

Passion Week

2009-04-15T21:01:00.002-04:00

This past Thursday, we wanted to do something meaningful with our youth to allow them to understand the fullness of Easter and all that it means. As a result, we had a time of praise and worship and showed "The Passion of the Christ". It was a risk, we weren't sure how they would respond or if they would take it seriously. In the end, many of us agreed it was the best night of youth group we have ever had (and one of the boys said the same thing!). They participated in the praise and worship and during the movie, watched with respect and awe. Afterwards, I shared some Scripture and explained why we watched it, and why Jesus went through that much pain and suffering- then I opened it up to questions. The way the kids responded was amazing. The questions were deep and meaningful. Things like "Did God really forgive them?" "How was Jesus talking to God if He was God?" and my favorite comment "Jesus really forgave them? That's the real thing!" This was from a boy who's face showed that he was moved by the movie and he had a lot of thoughts and questions about it. This conversation lead to us being able to share how we are in need of the same kind of forgiveness, and the cross makes it possible. The Spirit was definitely moving through out the evening and it was so humbly and amazing to be a part of!

On the ice

2009-03-22T18:14:00.003-04:00

Another "new adventure" we had this week was taking some of our teenagers ice skating...and for most of them, it was their first time. I didn't know what to expect- but the kids had an amazing time! A few of them were nervous going into it, but once they got on the ice- LOVED IT! There weren't many other people there, so for the most part, we had it to ourselves. The guys enjoyed racing across the rink- and sliding across the ice! It's always so much fun to see them experience new things. They become like little kids and you can see their faces shine with excitement. We are hoping to go back another time :) Afterwards, we took them to a pizza place in Berkley. That's right...we upgraded from the Little Caesars hot-n-ready's!

Purdue comes to the HP!

2009-03-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

We took on a new adventure this past week...hosting college students on their spring break for a week of ministry in the city! 10 Nav students from Purdue University came to Detroit to serve at various ministries. John and I hosted them and strived to give them a good week with a variety of ministry experiences as well as some training in urban ministry. The week went so well and I was blessed by the hearts of the students. They came with servants hearts ready to love and learn all that God had to teach them. They experienced everything from homeless outreach, service projects, Muslim ministries and a Kids Club here at HPCO. It was exciting to watch their eyes be open to the people of our great city and to have their hearts softened by the needs here.

My Word abides in you...

2009-03-09T22:33:00.004-04:00

"If you abide in Me and My Word abides in you ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples" John 15:7-8

One of my goals this year is to memorize more Scripture, and John 15 was the first chapter I chose. It's both convicting as well as comforting as you mediate on the promises God offers us if we chose to abide in Him. The thought of abiding in His Word and allowing it to change me and then the outflow of it affecting my prayer life, ministry and all that God has called me to. The truth of God's Word will change us if we allow it-meditate on it and write it on our hearts...

I've needed this reassurance as the past few weeks of ministry has been challenging. The issues many of these kids are facing hit me hard and I saw that if I didn't keep resting in Truth, I was becoming easily discouraged. Please continue to pray for our youth. The enemy is at work, but I know God is at well, and He is greater. Pray that the kids will come to know and understand His love, that they would allow it to change them and turn from the sin that is both in and surrounding them.

Our Thursday night youth group has begun a study where the kids are being encouraged to start a daily quiet time. The study begins with salvation and then walks them through basic principles of the Christian life. Our leaders have been amazing at keeping the kids accountable to do their study through out the week. I'm excited to see how God is going to use this!

Today was a fun day of activity around our house. One of my girls Arriana, who comes over a lot after school came by for help with a paper. I have seen so much growth in her over the last few months! She is maturing and really starting to look out for others in an unique way. Her and I have a very special bond and I am praying God will use it down the road to open her heart to spiritual things. I was impressed at how hard she worked on her paper...I think I got bored long before she did! She posed for this picture-purposefully trying to look "Studious". (which I told her and she laughed at me for using big words! haha) My roommate also invited some of the neighbor kids over to play in the backyard. Over the winter, you don't see people as much so it had been awhile since I'd seen them....in just a few months they had grown so much! Jeremiah enjoyed playing in a pile of leaves I never raked up from last fall...oops :)

Liberty season ends strong

2009-02-11T20:49:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, the Liberty girls played their last game of the season. We made it to the finals :) However, we went in as #2 ranking team, and lost to #1 (who also happens to be the team my neighbor girl plays on!). But it was a great season and I was excited about how much my girls learned...they went from hardly being able to dribble to winning most of their games! It was a lot of new experiences for me to- I hope it wasn't too obvious that I had never coached before and didn't always know what I was doing.

One of the directors at the Boys and Girls Club has asked me to teach an art class there. At first I was reluctant to add one more thing to my schedule, but now that basketball is done I've decided to give it a try. My roommate is going to co-teach it with me. I'm excited about using my art (and some education) training here in the city. Teaching art is something I've been wanting to do again, but didn't want to add one more program to HPCO. but in this situation, the kids are already there. And it's yet another way to partner with another organization helping out kids in HP.

Snowmen in the 'hood

2009-02-02T16:51:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we did one of our Sunday afternoon Kids Clubs. Even though we've been getting hard with cold weather and snow here in Detroit, it was a decently warm day which provided us with great packing snow. For free time, the kids enjoyed going outside and making snowmen and also an igloo (which ended up being a short wall once they lost interest). One of the boys was so excited to show me their snowmen and let me know proudly it was his first one! Most of the kids have never made snowmen before. It was fun to watch our leaders interacting with them and showing them how its done. My favorite was the one with a mohawk :)

GO LIBERTY!

2009-01-28T21:01:00.003-05:00

Near the end of last year, I volunteered to start coaching girls basketball at the Boys and Girls club down the street. I was unsure about it at first, but realized that I didn't need to be too skilled to teach 6-8 year old girls! My team is the Liberty. We practice each week and play a game on Saturdays. It's been a lot of fun and exciting to see their improvement. We've come from a game in which the girls barely made it through and we had a lot of tears to actually winning most of our games! So far we are second place and getting ready for the finals this Saturday :) This has been a great way to get more involved in the community and connect with others who are passionate about our kids. As a result of being involved there, I have had a couple of parents ask me about their children getting involved in our program. Also, I've been asked to teach an art class...I'm still praying about this possibilty and might tag-team it with my roommate!

Our Provider

2009-01-07T21:47:00.004-05:00

Just before Christmas, one of our families was surprised by a local radio station and received a wonderful blessing. It was incredible to see God work this situation out and use a secular station to help a family in need- and through it all He received all the glory. One of our grandmothers recently received custody of 4 of her grandchildren and have many others stay with her on and off. She was in need of beds along with many other things. Over the past few months, she has been coming to church faithfully on Sunday and Tuesday nights. Up until her car was broken into, she was bringing the kids on her own. Since then, I have been picking them up. But I love that she not only sends the kids, but is committed to coming herself. When I come to pick this family up, they alone can fill up our van! That house is always buzzing with kids and activity!

One of the women who dropped off a Thanksgiving food box at her house saw the needs of this household and wrote a letter to a local radio station...and this is how the ball got rolling. A few days after the station surprised this family, I stopped by their house and the grandmother excitedly told me about all that happened. To me, the best part was that she gave God all the glory! Not "Mojo in the morning" and his crew, but she knew this blessing had come from God and saw his hand in the whole thing.

Below is the link to listen to the podcast of this surprise visit. You'll need to scrow down to "Christmas breaking and entering: Grandma Marilyn" and it has two parts (let me put this disclaimer on that many of the titles of the podcast are inappropriate and I am not at all endorsing the station!)

http://mojo.channel955.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=MojointheMorningPodcast.xml

As I listened to this podcast, one thing that stood out to me was how impressed this station was with our grandmother's commitment to her family. And they were very right. However, its not as rare as some people may think. I wanted to tell them to come down here more often! She is not the first and only grandmother who is committed to her family and raising her grandchildren when it is needed. Many times (and sometimes sadly because of the situation causing it) this is the norm, not the exception. There are some exceptional people here who are committed to their families in a way many of us have never seen. I have been challenged many time by the faith of some of these women!

I hope you enjoy listening...and as you do, remember God uses whatever means possible to take care of His people and receive the glory!

Tis the season

2008-12-15T13:27:00.004-05:00

I realized as I opened up my blog that I last wrote in the fall. Maybe I was in denial that we are hitting winter and kept thinking it's still fall and hasn't been that long since I've been on here. Winter months are always so different here in the city. Like most places, people tend to stay inside and you it's harder to connect with neighbors. It definately takes more effort! The neighborhood is just more alive in the warm weather :)

We've had a busy late fall/early winter. For Thanksgiving, we were again able to hand out food boxes to our families. I was reminded the rest of that day how much it means to our families to receive these- my phone was ringing non-stop with people thanking me for the food. It was good to know that because of the donations of so many people we were able to bless 50 families! Another great thing was having a group of people from Grand Rapids come for the day. A group of girls from my brother's church (North Park Baptist) came and helped delivered and also put on a Kids Club later that afternoon. Also, some friends from my home church came out to see first hand what we do here in HP and be a part of the delivery.

This past weekend, the youth group from North Park Baptist returned to throw the 2nd Annual Christmas party for our kids. We are thankful for this energetic group of young people and their passion to continue relationships with our kids. They have been back multiple times to be a part of events going on here. This picture is of the kids hitting up the cookie table- a very popular booth at the party!

This fall, I've also been able to connect in our community in different ways. First off, it's been so awesome having roommates who are also excited about connecting here. They are building relationships with our neighbors and being intentional about consistancy and sharing God's love here. One of my roommates and I recently joined the Powerhouse Gym around the corner. Definately a new experience! But also a great way to meet new people in the area. I've started to go a few times a week with a Christian couple who live across the street from me. I'm excited about getting to know them better as we are living in community and ministry together. Not to mention the fact- the excercise and weight training help boost my health a bit :) I've also started coaching basketball at the Boys and Girls club at the end of the road. My neighbor connected me with the need there for a female coach. I'm not an expertise by any means (even though one of my girls did ask me if I use to coach for the Detroit Shock- haha!!) However, it's been great to get to know some of the staff there- as well as connect with more HP kids. A few months ago, it hit me that the Boys and Girls club was so close to us and I began to wonder if there was someway we could connect with them- I believe this is a door of opportunity God has opened up- for what reason exactly I am still unsure. It's always good to connect with people who are making a difference in our community.

lovin fall colors... and warmth(?!!?)

2008-11-07T00:03:00.002-05:00

This fall has been amazing, beautiful colors and beautiful weather. I love the opportunities it has created to spend more time with neighbors. As winter comes, people tend to not be outside as much, so we gotta make the most of what we have.

Last week, I came home having one of those times when I just wanted to shut myself in my room and have some "me" time, but the neighbor kids really wanted to play, so I finally surrendered and asked God to give me the strength to not get worn out, and He did! I had a great few hours with them, drawing on the sidewalk, playing with bubbles then seeing them in their Halloween costumes :) Life on life ministry happening daily in our 'hood!

I've really seen God be so gracious at those times when I am not always willing to keep giving. Being here on a daily basis, you just never know what kinds of needs or situations will arise- and it can be at the worst timing! But when I look back on it, I see God is in it all- and that is why He has placed me here. It really isn't about me, but Him- and Him receiving the glory!!

God of This City...God of Highland Park

2008-10-20T14:23:00.003-04:00

I was searching new music online last week and listening to Chris Tomlin's new CD "Hello Love" The title of this song ("God of this City") caught my eye. I heard it and was just overwhelmed as I felt it was the prayer of my heart for Highland Park. We also sang it at church this Sunday and it was amazing to be singing and praying it with other believers who were all desire to see God do amazing things in our city. It's a prayer of hope that God will do something in HP and in the hearts of those who are broken and hurting here. Sin seems to be dominating but nothing is beyond God's redemption.

"You're the God of this city, You're the King of these people, You're the Lord of this nation, You Are
For there is no one like our God, There is no one like our God
Greater things have yet to come, Great things are still to be done, In this city
Greater things are still to come, And greater things are still to be done here

You're the Lord of Creation, The Creator of all things, You're the King above all Kings,
You Are
You're the strength in our weakness, You're the love to the broken, You're the joy in the sadness, You Are
Greater things have yet to come, Great things are still to be done, In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive, With praise for you and love for you"

buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks...

2008-10-06T23:02:00.003-04:00

We had the opportunity to take our kids to one of the last Tiger games of the season at Comerica park. For some of them, it was their first experience at Comerica- and they loved it! However, there was very little game watching going on (but, it wasn't too exciting- we lost 0-4 :( ) Everyone seemed to have fun though. Thankfully, we were at the very top and pretty much had the section to ourselves. I think we would have drove anyone sitting near us crazy! The kids were able to move around as they pleased and it was also a great view of the city. My sister and her friend also joined us, it was fun to have her get to know my kids :)

Baby,baby!

2008-09-04T15:58:00.003-04:00

I wanted to post some pictures of the newest babies in my life :) The one to the right is little Adam, who I wrote about a few months ago. He is now 4 months old, and getting so big! He looks a lot like his mama, Kristin. The other baby is DeMarcus who was born early August to one of my girls, Inez. Inez has been coming to youth group for years, and I met her 4 years ago when I started volunteering. She is now 19 and I'm so thankful she is still in my life! I hired this summer as my administrative assistant. Even though she was VERY pregnant, she faithfully came to work each day. Please pray for her as she gets ready to go back to school this fall as well as begin this new chapter of her life.

I also posted a picture of one of my girls, Ashley with my nephew, Nicholas. I watched Nicholas while my brother and niece were at a Tigers game. Ashley came over and hung out with him for awhile too. She is so great with kids, and such a joy to have around :) I love this girl like a sister, and am SO excited about what God is doing in her life

Please pray for me as I need to focus on fundraising for the next few weeks. I plan on heading back to Grand Rapids to speak at some churches and meet with people. I have a significant amount of money I need to raise before we are able to start fall programming, but am trusting that God will provide! He seems to continually grow and stretch me in this area, but each time, He also strengthens my faith as He shows Himself to be so faithful.

Day Camp Recap

2008-08-21T20:18:00.004-04:00

We have just completed six weeks of day camp here at HPCO! One thing that keeps running through my mind is how amazing it is that this is my fourth year being involved in camp. It’s incredible to think that I have been here that long. When I look back at pictures of the kids from my first summer I realize that I have literally been watching them grow up. And then it leads me to think of my feelings that first summer and how this was my desire– that is, to stay with the kids and walk with them through life. To me, it is a clear sign of God’s faithfulness and how He has truly given me the desire of my heart.

As I look over the past six weeks, it has been a reminder of God’s continual provision. We had a great group of staff this year: Mario (who is on his fourth summer with us), Dominique, Chris and Annika. Chris, Dominique and Mario are all Detroit born and raised. It was such a blessing to have them and I feel that they were able to relate with our kids on a deeper level. We offered two classes: sports and music. Dominique is a Christian hip-hop artist, Chris is a singer and Annika plays the piano and guitar. They were able to expose the kids to some Christian hip-hop and also tell them of the dangers of the negative hip-hop our kids are so use to listening to. At the end of the summer, a few of the kids performed what they learned in front of their parents.
For me, one of the greatest blessings of the summer was seeing the growth in one of our teen workers. I hired one of my girls who I recently got back in contact with. Ashley is only fourteen, and younger than most of the teens we have hired in the past. But she exceeded all expectations I had for her! I have never had a teen work so hard, and she always initiated interactions with kids. She even sat down with some of the girls and had a couple of Bible studies with them. The best part of having her here was the time I was able to spend with her outside of camp. She lives just down the road from me and spent many hours at my house. We grew very close and slowly throughout the summer, she began to open up with me and our relationship grew deeper. We continue to hang out on a regular basis. I can see God working in her life in such an amazing way. She’s like a light that has come out of a very dark place. When I look at her home life and the way the rest of her family is living, I know it’s nothing short of a miracle that she has turned out the way she has. I know God started working on her even before she came here.

At the end of the summer, our teachers each sat down with their class and shared with them the plan of salvation. Even though we had talked with them throughout the summer about salvation, this was a time they were able to spend more personal time asking questions and talking with their teachers. We had seven children accept Christ as their Savior. I am so thankful that these are kids we will be able to do follow-up with this fall.

I want to thank each of you for your prayers through out the summer. It’s so wonderful that we are not in this alone, and God works through each of us to accomplish His purpose

First Dinner Party

2008-06-18T21:35:00.003-04:00

Since I started talking about moving, I have been promising one of our families that I would have them over for dinner for some "Chicken El Rancho" Khari (who is the teenage uncle of the rest of the kids) wouldn't let me forget it. So last night, I had them all over. Six teens live in the same house and I feel like they have adopted me into their family. I have been called both a "church mom" and god-mama by them. I consider it an honor to be a mother figure (even though I don't think I'm old enough to have teenage children!) to these kids. They have grabbed my heart and I love them so much!!!

Back in HP- ready for Day Camp '08!!

2008-06-16T11:26:00.003-04:00

Sarah has moved...again.
haha- hopefully, this one is for a big longer. God has answered prayer and opened the door for me to live back in Highland Park, right across the street from HPCO! He also provided two roommates who are excited about getting connected in the community. There is something about living in Highland Park that makes me feel like I am right at home. It must be the result of being where you know you belong. It's been fun having kids over and being somewhere I know they can just walk over to (and I don't have to go pick them up!)

We start Day Camp next week. After taking a week off to go to Traverse City with my family, I am ready to get back into it and spend the week planning for our summer. God brought us a great staff team. For the first time, a majority of our staff are Detroiters and also African American. I am excited about having them here as they have a heart for the city they grew up in and for the kids- and I believe God is going to do great things as they can relate to the kids on many levels. Please pray for us as we get ready to start are summer. Pray that the kids would have a life changing experience as they are here and God would receive all the glory this summer!!

Michigan History Parade in HP

2008-05-21T21:35:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday, Highland Park brought back it's Michigan History Parade (from my understanding, it's been about 8 years since they last had one!) I had been so excited about this event as I knew it would be a great community event. Most of the schools were involved so a lot of our kids were in it. I picked up one of our families and we walked down Woodward before it started. It was so great to see everybody out, sitting along the street and waiting for the parade. I enjoyed seeing a lot of our families (I guess I was pretty easy for them to spot, being tall, white and with bright red hair!)

To me, it was a wonderful way to bring community spirit and pride. For the past few weeks, the kids all were talking about how excited they were to be in this parade. Some of my kids even decorated some of the posters, floats etc. Hopefully, this is an event that will continue each year!

On another note, I am again a resident of Highland Park!! I moved into the Weidman's old house this week and am in the process of getting settled there. Just tonight, one of my old neighbors from when I lived in HP last year came by to visit while I was unpacking (she now lives on my new street!). It was fun to hang out for a bit with her and her cousins, and reminded me of why I am so excited to be back in the 'hood :)

Super Saturday

2008-05-14T21:52:00.004-04:00

For the past two Saturdays, we have had a "sports day" at HPCO. The kids rotated between playing baseball and soccer. In the past, this has been just a soccer camp, but we decided to add a new sport! The kids did a great job, though at times it looked like they were having more fun than learning skills :) It was good to see them enjoying themselves.

It was also exciting to have some new volunteers join us. We had a family from Life Church in Canton come and teach the kids baseball. We had a lot of baseball equipment donated (gloves, bats, balls etc.) So hopefully, there will some more baseball experiences at HPCO! Rick, who lead the baseball group did a great job, and had amazing patience (especially with the little ones!). They learned basic skills and then were able to play a game.

Our soccer was lead by Pastor John, Cary Cato (who faithfully comes out each year for this!) and Hugo (one of our Jr high boy leaders). Pastor John also gave the kids a short Biblical message between playing. On the last day, we grilled out hotdogs and the kids each received a t-shirt.

This was our final school year event...coming up next- DAY CAMP 2008!!!

New Life!

2008-04-20T15:01:00.004-04:00

One of the girls from our youth group, Kristin, had a baby boy this past Tuesday. Adam Christopher was born Tuesday morning at 6:11 am...after a long labor (he was also 11 days over due!)

Both he and Kris are doing well and they came home on Thursday.

While it's exciting to celebrate this new life God has blessed her with, there are also many challenges she will face as a single parent. Please pray for her as she takes on this new role- and also pray that God would give me opportunities to be an encouragement to her. I feel that I have taken on a new role and am involved in a new journey as I now am investing in not only her life, but her son's as well.

South of the Border

2008-04-20T14:54:00.003-04:00

One of our volunteers, Hugo, invited our Jr Highers to his church in Windsor for a dinner he was planning for his youth group. As with most field trips, the kids were very excited about going. The dinner was a Mexican fiesta, with authentic Mexican food (which had mixed reviews from our kids!) They also participated in games such as musical chairs, a "Border crossing" game and of course, a Pinata. It was great to see the kids jump right into the activities and make new friends. We are hoping to do more with this church in the future (including a US vs Canada basketball game!)

Spring has finally sprung!!

2008-04-11T17:27:00.004-04:00

While the kids were hanging around bored during spring break, they called me up wanting to hang out. Brittany and Arriana came over to my house one afternoon, and then Mario (who works with us during the summer) called- so he joined us. The day was beautiful and I decided we had to get out and enjoy it! We drove downtown and walked Detroit's riverwalk and had fun taking pictures. We also went into the Renaissance Center and had fun hanging out in cars we could never afford :) I love that the girls feel comfortable just coming and hanging out with me. Brittany, who stays over on the east side will just call me up saying she's taking a bus to my house. I just pray that as they get older- they will still want to be around me!

2008-03-10T22:39:00.005-04:00

This picture is of a sledding trip I took a couple of weeks ago with some of the kids. My parents bought sleds so I could take them out...for most of them, it was their first time! It was a great time...in spite of lack of warm clothing, kids who desperately needed to use the bathroom and a dead van battery!

On Monday nights, I have been talking with the girls about reasons why Christ died on the cross. I am taking the talks from John Piper's book "The Passion of Christ". Even though the book is pretty deep and over their level, it gives 50 reasons why Christ had to die, so I adapt a few each week to talk to the girls about.

Our Bible studies usually are hit or miss. Sometimes the girls are into it and have questions, other times they are goofing around, and then there are the times they are quiet and seem bored. Tonight was a combination of all three. However, we had some good dicussion times. As we talked about Christ's death giving us access to a relationship with God, they had a lot of questions about what this means for non-believers. Like, "If your not a Christian, does that mean God doesn't answer your prayers" Granted, some of them were hard questions to answer, but with answers that were good for them to hear.

I am heading to New York on Thursday with other Navigator staff for the African American ministry conference. I am looking forward to this time with the team, being in NYC, and also the conference :o) It was last year's African American conference here in Detroit that gave me my first exposure to the Navigators!

Please pray for me as I am on the "support raising" track right now. It has been a new journey for me! One that is stretching, but also exciting. I've enjoyed making contacts with people and learning to trust God to provide. I have a Navigator website at www.navstaff.org/hilliker Feel free to check it out!

More girl time

2008-02-26T17:59:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was a great time of fun with some girls and relaxation. The kids were on break last week so I had some of the girls over to my house on Friday afternoon. They love coming over, even when we have nothing planned. Inspite of complaining about how cold the house is, they always enjoy being here. My roommates also like meeting the girls I talk so much about! On Friday we just hung out, played a game, talked and some of the girls made cards. Nothing too intense, but it was great to spend the time with them.

On Sunday, two of the girls and their brother came to church with me. I have been praying that more kids would want to start coming to Revival so was excited that they wanted to come. Afterwards, I brought them back to my house and we made chili. They are excited about coming back this Sunday. Being involved with Revival's youth group has been a great way to plug them into the church. It was nice that on Sunday morning, they were greeted by friends and other adults who knew them from youth group.

I also found that I was able to have some needed down time over the weekend. Do some reading, relax and just enjoy some time to myself. I started a book called "The Irresistable Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. Writing about all God is teaching me there will take another blog entry, when I have more time. But I am off to youth group.... :o)

Misery?

2008-02-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

So Detroit yet again won first place in something. I read this week that we are now considered the "Most miserable city" in the country. Real nice. The article goes on to define misery as "a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress". So I guess that's how we are describing Detroit now?
This new finding disturbed me. Maybe because now, I take it personally. But at the same time, it's a challenge. What can I do to change that, at least for my kids? How awesome that we are able to give them the hope that Christ brings! I am continually praying for them, and claiming Isaiah 61...praying that they will become oaks of righteousness.

I returned a few weeks ago from new staff training in Colorado...so it's official- I'm a Navigator! The next few months I will be focused on fundraising as I transition into the ministry. Please pray for me as I take this new step. Pray also that I will be able to find the balance between these two aspects of ministry (fundraising, and the ministry in Highland Park). It has been great to be a part of the team here in Detroit-and such an encouragement!

Being a living example

2008-01-06T22:53:00.001-05:00

This morning, one of my girls Arriana came to church with me. Arriana and I have developed a great relationship, which has really surprised me. She is only 11, but we have a lot in common and for some reason, she really looks up to me. We hang out quite a bit, and she calls all the time just to talk!
I've realized recently that Arriana likes to immitate a lot of stuff that I do. It's little things like the way I dress, watching the Pistons (I even have her finally agreeing that Tayshaun Prince is their best:o), food etc. When it comes to spiritual things, Arriana isn't very open. She usually gets bored or changes the subject fast. When I give her tidbits of "advice" she usually shrugs it off.
I was surprised at how excited she was to come to church. She even had her dad drop her back off in Highland Park last night so she could be here this morning to go.
Having her come to church this morning got me thinking as to how God can use her desire to be more like me to draw her to Himself. If I can be a good role model and someone she looks up to, I pray someday, her eyes can be open to the fact what she sees is because of Christ. It reminded me of in the Bible where Paul writes "Follow me as I follow Christ"...of course with this comes a huge responsibility of keeping my life in check and making sure I continue to follow Christ in all things. So in reality, she can keep me accountable!
It was just another reminder of how God uses our relationships, which sometimes are built over a long time to draw people to Himself!

Winter Wonderland in Detroit

2008-01-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

December was a very busy month in Highland Park. Between Christmas parties, food and present delivery, and trying to spend time with the kids while they were home on break I felt like I was going non stop!

Here are pictures from some of our winter activities which include: rock climbing at Wayne State University, making Christmas cookies at my house and ice skating downtown Detroit.

It has been exciting to see how God has opened doors over the last couple of months for me to get to know some of our families better. I have had opportunities to talk with parents about their families, needs and what God is doing. On New Years, I was invited by one of our boy's grandma to their house for dinner. I've also been able to see how God is working through the kids to reach their families. One of our grandma's shared with me how her granddaughters are singing all the songs they learn at kids club. She also shared that when her 11 year old granddaughter was asked in the classroom what Christmas meant to her she told the class it was about the birth of Jesus!

I just came back to Detroit from being home for Christmas and out in New Hampshire to visit my brothers family. At the end of January, I will be headign to Colorado for Navigator new staff training and support school. Please pray for me as I make the transition to the Navigators and also focus on support raising for the next couple of months. Pray that I will be able to find the balance of needing to take time to raise support and also continue to minister to the families and youth of Highland Park.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are greatly blessed this New Year!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas celebrations!

2007-12-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

My brother's church youth group from Grand Rapids returned to Highland Park this weekend to throw a Christmas party for our kids. We had an amazing turn out- 51 kids! We also had some parents and grandparents join in on the celebration. After hearing the Christmas story and singing some songs, the kids headed into the gym for games, cookie decorating, crafts and presents. We were blessed to be able to have the party at Revival Tabernacle here in Highland Park.

God has provided some amazing opportunities for our families to receive "Christmas blessings" this year. This past week, 8 of our families (along with 100 in the Detroit area) were given the opportunity to receive Meijer gift cards of substantial amount to do their Christmas shopping. The Bible study of the Detroit Lions gave to make this possible. I heard from so many families what a blessing and answer to prayer this opportunity was! God truly is the Great Provider!

Blessed to be a blessing

2007-11-28T17:34:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days that did not go at all as I had planned, but that's ok. really. much better than anything I could have planned!
It all started with the news that I had my first experience of car "vandalism" here in Detroit. I thought I had a muffler problem only to find out this morning from the mechanic that someone had ripped off my cadillac converter (I didn't even know this part existed until this morning). I guess it's a big thing to cut them off vehicles and sell them. Of course, this set me back financially and I was very discouraged.
Another thing I decided to do today (thanks to the loan of a vehicle by my roommate!) was stop by the home of one of our families. It was the grandma's birthday yesterday and I wanted to bring her something. She is a very special lady and such a prayer warrior. There is so much going on in that family, so many struggles as well as the consequences of generations of sin. Her two granddaughters have grown up in Bible clubs and are two of the teens I now work with. Anyway, I stopped by a local Christian bookstore and picked up some books for her and a card. She wasn't home when I dropped off the gifts, but I talked to her daughter and granddaughter.
She called me this evening. (Back to the car situation- she called right after I found out how much it was going to cost me and I was very discouraged). She thanked me for the gifts and amazing both books were ones that specifically encouraged her. One was by an author she already knew and loved and the other was a Bible Promises book (which she said she always wanted). It was neat how God used me, even though I didn't realize it at the time, to encourage her in a very specific way.
It doesn't stop there. As we talked, and she expressed burdens she has for her family, she began to encourage me, telling me to never be discouraged, to continue to do the Lord's work and He would bless me. She had no idea what just happened with my car, but said she prays specifically for the area we live in, our safety and protection. She also took time to pray for me and her family over the phone.
This was a situation where I thought I was doing ministry- only to find out I was really the one being ministered to. Her encouraging words couldn't have been more specific to my needs if she knew what they were!

DEEEETROIT BASKETBALL!!!

2007-11-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had tickets to a Piston's pre-season game. Olivia, one of my high school girls and Mario (who helped with day camp this year) were coming with me...but I had one more ticket. So I decided to ask Arriana, one of our Kids club girls. Arriana is a great girl who I've been able to connect well with. She has a bit of an attitude and is a little rough around the edges, but once she warms up to you, she can be a lot of fun. Her and I played a lot of basketball this summer, and I knew she would enjoy the game. Plus, she always makes fun of me because of how much I like the Pistons...especially Tayshaun Prince :o) We had a fun night. Arriana talked my ear off through the whole game, and always had funny comments and tons of questions.

We had a great evening...and the Pistons rocked the Palace with a 24 point win!!

2007-11-08T19:48:00.001-05:00

I have been really enjoying our Jr High girls group on Monday night. The girls have been very faithful in coming and I can tell that they really enjoy each other and enjoy being there. A few weeks ago, we were able to return to Miss Kristen's house for some horseback riding.

I always find Monday nights to be such a blessing. While I may have a set agenda on what needs to happen and what I think needs to be taught, they seem to always become engaged in conversation and questions which are relavent and very good. I've always believed that if questions are being asked (as long as they are about important things) it's good to take the time to answer them. If they ask the question- it's something they care about and will listen for the answer. We have covered so many great topics such as how God deals with sin, how to handle conflict at school (in a way that is pleasing to God), and different family issues. These girls are so great...please pray for them that they will grasp the love of God at a young age and give their lives to Him! They are already facing so many temptations and struggles. It's hard to not be overwhelmed with it and easy to doubt that God can give them strength to stand for Him. But I know He can and pray that we can be instruments of His grace in their lives.

We just ended a wild, but good night of kids club. As crazy as these kids are, and as much as they wear me out, I can't help but love them :o) Jennifer has been teaching Bible lessons in a chronical order so that the kids will be able to understand how the Bible all ties together. Tonight, we had them work on timelines starting with creation and going through Moses. I was impressed with how hard the kids worked on their drawings and am excited to display them for all to see.

Grand Rapids, Traverse City and Apple Cider

2007-10-22T16:16:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I took one of my high school girls home to Grand Rapids with me. It is something I have been wanting to do with the girls for awhile, and Olivia was the only one who could make it this weekend.

We arrived in GR on Friday night then headed up to Traverse City Saturday morning to be involved in an "apple cider making party" (don't know how else to describe it!) Families all gathered together to join in on the process of making cider. Olivia and I were responsible for grinding the apples. At first I wondered if she minded working on her weekend away, but she didn't complain and was proud at the end of the day to see the results of our hard work.

We cut out in the afternoon to see some of the sights of Traverse City. Olivia wanted to see the mall so we stopped there then went to the beach afterwards. The weather couldn't have been more perfect! I could see that Olivia loved being out in this new environment. As we road on a hay ride she commented on how peaceful it was. I also enjoyed it! It's always nice to get out of the city and into the country and God's creation.

It was so great to spend this time with Olivia and get to know her a little better. I really appreciate her in so many ways and am excited at what I see taking place in her life.

Lovin' my girls

2007-10-15T21:54:00.000-04:00

Tonight was such a great night with the Jr high girls. We are doing a talk on purity with them, which can be a bit touchy at times, and sometimes I wonder if they are mature enough to handle. However, I know that they hear more about it at school and with friends than I care to imagine, so anything positive we can give them will be good.

Tonight, I talked with them about the true meaning of love. First, I had them talk about what they think love is, and then we talked about lust. I found most of the answers they gave for "love" fell under the "lust" category. This provided a great opportunity to share with them what true love is and of course, we looked at I Corinthians 13. The discussion ended up going another direction than I had planned, but was still really good. One of the girls asked about where it says "Love never fails", saying that isn't it possible that you stop loving someone and leave them...wow... great way to bring in God's perfect example of love and how He doesn't stop loving us, no matter what we do!!

Then we started to talk about how to deal with enemies, and those at school who want to get into fights. This discussion seems to come up a lot in discussion time with both jr and sr high ages. Of course it is something they deal with everyday and I don't always know how to answer. Of course, there is always the cookie-cutter-Bible answer...but lets be real, it's not what they want to hear and to live it out day to day, well, it seems almost impossble. And it is really. But as I got thinking about it while they were talking I realized that if they truly want to follow Christ, He calls us to live the impossible, in His strength. I shared with them that I want them to be above the "norm" of their culture. God wants more of them, and can give them the strength to do what is right. Being a Christian is living different. I've struggled with just teaching them "do's and "don'ts"...cause then you run into just trying to find the strength to do what is right with out a changed life. I want them to full understand living in God's grace and by His strength, to understand having a real relationship with Him...something He is continuing to teach me! I want them to understand TRUE salvation, which results in a changed life.

Overall, it was such an encouraging night. Not only do we get into great discussions, they are also so much fun!!

Time to catch up!

2007-10-12T12:24:00.000-04:00

Between getting things rolling this fall and some computer problems, I haven't been to faithful at keeping this up. Poor excuses really, so please do forgive me!

I feel like there is a lot to share...all on various subjects. So at the risk of boring some, I will do my best to write about all the "important" stuff that has been going on.

First off, I have moved outside of Highland Park. Not really by choice as much as necessity (needing a place to live where I could have roommates and afford!). It has been a bittersweet move. I have been blessed to find a great house to live in with terrific roommates who all love the Lord and are involved in ministry throughout the city. They have been a great encouragement to me and I see God's hand in bringing me here. However, I miss living in HP more than I thought I would. Something about being right in the community makes a big difference. I am praying that God will open the door in His timing and until then, I will be content with where He has me.

The next bit of news is that I am in the process of going on staff with Navigators. Over the last few months, the Weidmans (who just joined staff) and I have been getting to know this ministry and their people. It has been a huge blessing and encouragement. Their ministry is very much in-line with what we are doing here at HPCO. Namely, building relationships and reaching people through Bible studies and discipleship. I am looking forward to being part of a larger team here in the city. Please pray as I make this transition and as I raise the needed support!

A friend of mine had an "art night" at her house a few weeks ago. I brought four of our girls out for it. At first, they were very self-conscious about not being able to paint. But once they got going, they had a lot of fun. We plan to do this kind of thing more often with them!

We started all of our fall ministries last week (first week of October). I was really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and having the kids around again. Last night we had a full house for Kids Club! Not on purpose, but the kids seemed to be floooding into the van. We have definately maxed out what we can handle right now. Our goal is not large numbers so we want to keep it small to allow for small group discipleship to take place. Most of the kids were those who came to Day Camp this summer. They refer to Kids Club as "night camp"! (and also wonder why we can't have it every day like we did in the summer). Our Bible teacher Jennifer is going through a general survey of the history of man. She started with creation last week then went into the fall of man this week and the results of the sin on mankind, leading into the need for a Savior. Last night, the kids were listening intently during the lesson. We are blessed to have all of our volunteers back from last year and also praying that God will bring more in.
This summer, we planted a garden and have seen the results of it this fall. The above picture is proof that the garden worked! The kids enjoyed picking the vegetables, and hopefully eventually eating them.

I have been extremely encouraged by our Jr high Bible studies. The boys seem to have been able to keep up the momentum created last year by the new leaders and smaller size. They seemed to have connnected really well with the boys, and it is continuing this year.

Our girls Bible study on Monday night was such a blessing to me. We had 3 new girls that didn't attend last year. One was a girl who came to day camp last year and two others are older sisters of a girl who came this year. They are such a sweet group of girls and the study was so good. They were filled with questions. I did the lesson on salvation, wanting to start the year off with a clear understanding of what it is and so the girls could know for sure where they stood. One girl in particular opened up a lot and it was so refreshing to hear her honesty. Another expressed interest in being baptized!

This past Saturday, my friend Josh who helped with day camp this summer came to visit. We took the kids to Belle Isle for the day to hang out. This picture is of Ladesha and I on some infamous Belle Isle swings :o) They were all excited to have him back for the visit. And it was an amazing 85 degree day in October (perfect for a picnic!)

Answered Prayer

2007-09-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

Since day camp ended just over a month ago, I have been doing some traveling, moving and just trying to get resettled! Last week I finally "landed" and am starting to get things ready for the fall. I found myself missing the kids and HP after being gone for those few weeks :o)

This week, I was able to see evidence of God working...I know He always is, but I always enjoy seeing clear signs of it! On Monday, I stopped by to see one of our families. It's a home where the grandmother is raising her grandchildren and also adopted two more! One of her granddaughters came to overnight camp with us and opened up with me about a lot of her past abuse in her life (before living with her grandma) . I enjoyed spending time with their grandma. We talked about her family and her desire to see the children involved in church and our programs. While talking, a little toddler came in and I recognized him right away as the little boy we had prayed for last summer. He had to have brain surgery last year and his sister Quaniesha had asked for prayer for him. I remembered seeing him just before the surgery. It was so exciting to see this little guy running around. His grandma told me he had healed completely with no evidence of any mental problems (which the doctors were concerned about). On Tuesday nights, I took one of the girls from this family to youth group at Revival Tabernacle...a church just down the road that the grandmother has visited and would like to start attending.

Also, yesterday I was having lunch at the Weidman's when an unexpected visitor came to the door. It was one of my teen girls who I haven't seen since last winter! She has been going back and forth between her adopted mom and biological family (who she found a couple of years ago) Whenever she returns to the biological family, she seems to "disappear" and drops out of school. She is now back in HP with her mom and trying to get her life straightened out. Please pray for her...that she will stay here and allow God to work in her life!

We start programming back up the first week of October. :o) There is a lot to do between now and then...planning, recruiting of kids and volunteers and also some support raising. Pray that we will have another meaningful and incredible year of ministry!

Overnight camp

2007-08-12T15:42:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, we returned from a week of camp at Bay Shore Camp, which is located in the thumb area. Being able to attend this camp was such a blessing. We were looking for a place to send our camp when this opportunity came up for our fifth and six graders. We were able to bring 10 of them this week at a wonderful discounted rate!
Not only did God open up the door for us to attend camp, provide the money and kids who could go but He also provided at the last minute when Mario, one of our staff who was suppose to come with me got sick. My friend Josh from GR was here helping with day camp and when he found out Mario couldn't come, immediately volunteered to stay another week. I didn't realize at the time how much I would need some one else to come along and be at camp that week...and how much our guys would need a familiar face!
The week was a learning experience for all of those involved. I am always stretched each year at overnight camp. My preference is always the day camp style...where I can come home at night and sleep in my own bed and get the rest I need! It's always a learning experience in selflessness and self-sacrifice!

We discovered with in the first few days of camp that our kids were feeling overwhelmed. I think it was them not sure how to respond to the new setting combined with exhaustion that produced a lot of up and down emotions. I felt for them as they were put into a situation where they were the minority both in race and background. Even though everyone at the camp was very warm and friendly, I could tell they had problems adjusting and feeling like they fit in. We made extra effort to reaffirm them and it ended up producing a lot of meaningful conversations as they would come to us with their struggles.

The most meaningful part of the week for me was also the hardest. One of our girls came to me and shared about her home life when she lived with her mom. It was so hard to hear how she had been treated and all that it had done to her emotionally. Even though now she is in a much better situation, her past has left many scars. I cried with her and just held her as she shared with me. Silenty I was praying that God would give me the strength and wisdom to know what to say. As she shared how she could no longer trust her mom, she also told me that she did trust God. I asked her if she had ever trusted in Christ as her Savior and she said that she had- the last day of Day camp! Praise the Lord! I could tell that she truly understood what it meant to be a Christian. I prayed with her and tried to reassure her of how much God loves her and that she can count on the fact that He will NEVER let her down.

At the end of the week, I could tell that over all, the kids had a good week. I truly believe that God worked through it all and that they were able to also have a lot of fun. As you can see from the pictures- we were able to do a lot of fun stuff such as canoeing, the zip line, swimming at the beach, miniature golf, etc. The kids loved these experiences!!

2007-08-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share some pictures of our amazing kids! They are truly such a blessing. Please pray for them as they finish their summers and get ready for school. Pray that they will remember all they were taught this summer...and that God would continue to work in their lives and in their families!!

Earthen Vessels

2007-08-04T12:17:00.001-04:00

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves

So I am sitting here...spending time in prayer and reflecting over the summer. I feel like the past six weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, fun, growth, learning and well...the list could go on. It's just hard to believe it is over. This verse came to mind over the past week because to me, it was a reminder that God uses us, me- me who doesn't deserve to be here and who is sometimes not even strong enough to stand on my own let a lone strong enough to lead others- to give Himself glory. I can't take any credit for what He has done this summer. I have seen Him use me inspite of myself, not because I am so wonderful- ha! But isn't that the story of all of us? God chosing to save us from our filthy life of sin, redeem us and then use us to reach a lost world for Him! to HIM be the glory!!!

God brought together a great team of staff this summer. We were literally from all over and all different walks of life. It was so great to watch how much everyone loved what they were doing, loved being with the kids and had so much fun being there. Each person could tell stories of what God did in them this summer and also in the lives of individual children they worked with.

2007-07-19T16:36:00.000-04:00

Ironic how when I have the most to write about, I have the least amount of time to sit down and write it! I also have tons of pictures I would love to share...and stories. I am sitting here amazed that we just finished week 4 of day camp. And I have hardly posted anything!
We are having a great summer. As always, seeing God's provision, leading and blessings here. It's been a whole new experience directing daycamp, I find that I can see how everything is running as a whole as oppose to just noticing my class of kids. One thing I love to watch is how still, after four weeks, the staff and kids are having fun together.
We have been blessed by some visitors over the last few weeks. Last week, my brother brought his youth group from Grand Rapids. They had 15 teens and 5 adult leaders. Even though it was a crazy week and very busy, it was worth it to see how the teens reacted to being in an environment totally different than their own. I saw that God was working in their lives through out the week and they learned and grew a lot. Plus, our kids loved it, and became slightly spoiled getting so much attention!
Our staff has been very intentional about talking to the kids throughout the day about the Bible lesson they heard in the morning. One morning, I sat and listened to Mr Alex talking to his class during education time. They were discussing the Bible lesson, which was about Esther. Questions came up like "If God can give us strength to do what is right, why do people still do wrong things?" we've also heard questions pertaining to the kids grasping to understand who Jesus is...and how He was both God and man.
Please pray for us as we enter into our last two weeks. Pray that we will make the most of every opportunity and that God would change lives for Him!!!

Preparing for take off....

2007-07-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

We had the rare opportunity this past weekend to take some of our kids on a helicopter ride in Pontiac MI. It was a great experience. I could tell on the van ride there that the kids were nervous, they were quiet and when we asked them they didn't hide the fact. Most of them had never flown on an airplane before, let alone a helicopter! It was an exciting experience. I was able to ride with two of my girls (and also our teen staff!)...I could tell the experience was pretty amazing for them! I found it pretty cool too!
Wycliffe was sponsering the day, so our kids were also able to hear about Bible translations and how few people in the world actually have the Bible translated in their own language. I was shocked hearing the numbers! I think it was a good eye opener to all of us just how blessed we are to have God's Word so readily avaible and also to help us pray for those who are out there reaching those who don't have it!

Day camp is here!

2007-06-29T16:51:00.000-04:00

With out a doubt, Day camp is one of the most exciting times around here. This is my third summer here and I have some amazing memories of the past two summers. In fact, it was after my first summer that I felt God calling me to stay here in Highland Park. Being with the kids and spending this much time with them allows for a more intense level of ministry.
This summer, our focus is on sports and nutrition. We decided to build a garden in the backyard and plant flowers and vegetables. This week, the kids worked on making garden rocks to decorate our garden. (above is a picture of Dana and Reginald with their rock). I'm excited for them to have this opportunity to learn about growing plants. I know that for most of them this will be a totally new opportunity.
The first week went very well, in spite of a few obsticles. On Wednesday after lunch, a storm came in and we lost power. So not only were we inside, but the lights were dim (brown out). Our staff pulled together well and things went well. On Thursday, our field trip was to Wayne State University's rec center. The kids were able to do some rock climbing and play in the gym. I enjoyed watching the kids try climbing the wall. Even those who only made it up a few feet were so excited about what they had accomplished.

To me, it is so amazing to watch the staff interact with the kids. The kids know they are loved, they know they are in a safe place...and the staff have fun just being with the kids. What a great place to show the love of Christ.

Rich Young Ruler

2007-06-17T20:11:00.001-04:00

I wanted to post lyrics to a song that has been speaking to me a lot, and well, to be honest has been convicting. God has been speaking to me a lot lately about His heart for the poor. Not just in the city(though that is definately an area I am passionate about...obviously!), but all over the world. I just finished reading a book titled "The New Friars" This book talked about people who chose to live in slum communities among the poor- becoming one of them to reach them. The book really gave me good insite into the lives of the poor, and also how God sees them. He is their Heavenly Father, and does not desire to see His children live this way. It made me feel so rich and priveledged. It also convicted me as to what God would have me to do to reach them.
I've seen as I read various authors and the Bible, that as Christians, we can't over look God's commandments on reaching the poor. It's all over the Bible. But, I don't think it's emphasised as much as it should be in our churches. It's not a comfortable subject. I've been made very uncomfortable as I think and pray more about it. This song pretty much sums it up for me...

Rich Young Ruler
by Derek Webb

(vs. 1)
poverty is so hard to see
when its only on your tv and twenty miles across town
where were all living so good
that we moved out of Jesus neighborhood
where hes hungry and not feeling so good
from going through our trash
he says, more than just your cash and coin
i want your time, i want your voice
i want the things you just cant give me

(vs. 2)
so what must we do
here in the west we want to follow you
we speak the language and we keep all the rules
even a few we made up
come on and follow me
but sell your house, sell your suv
sell your stocks, sell your security
and give it to the poor
what is this, hey whats the deal
i dont sleep around and i dont steal
i want the things you just cant give me

(bridge)
because what you do to the least of these
my brothers, you have done it to me
because i want the things you just cant give me

"Informal ministry"

2007-06-04T18:37:00.000-04:00

Kids club and youth groups are all done for the year...and we are starting Day camp on June 26th. So what's going on now?
Well, for one- we have been taking our Jr and Sr high youth down to Revival Tabernacle(a church located right here in Highland Park) every Tuesday night. Revival has invited us to join their youth group. I started bringing down the girls a couple of months ago, and now our Jr High boy leaders have been bringing their guys down. This has been a great way to keep our teens actively involved, allow for relationships to continue to build over the summer and also to connect them with a local church.
Also- I've been able to continue to spend time with our neighbor girls. They have come to church with me and also to my Wednesday night Bible study. They've also come by at times just to hang out...watch movies etc. I'm thankful that they desire to not only hang out with me, but also to be involved in spiritual things like church, Bible studies and various trainings.
On Memorial day, I drove down Grand- a street that a lot of our kids live on (and those who don't spend a lot of time on). I was able to spend some time with the kids. Devionte, one of our older boys was asking question after question about day camp...when are we having it? what are we doing? etc. He was so excited and kept inviting other kids who were around. We played some street basketball, bought ice cream from a neighbor who sells it out of her house, and chatted about camp. I enjoyed hanging out with them. Katrina, one of our girls, came and was upset because she missed her dad, who lives in Chicago. It was neat because we were able to sit on the curb as she told me about her dad and I was able to remind her that she had a Heavenly Father who loved her and was always there for her. Her brother James then said to me "Hey, I remember you saying that before at club!" (at least I know they are listening!)
This "informal" ministry has been great. I'm thankful I am able to spend this time with the kids and my prayer is that I can show them the love of Christ through our interactions together.

I've also been traveling...a lot! I've been home for a wedding and graduation and also down to Columbus for another wedding. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to L.A. for an Urban Youth Workers conference. This was an amazing experience and I could write page after page about all that I learned! It was just incredible to be surrounded by others who also had a heart for the city and worked with youth. It was a time of personal spiritual refreshment and I also learned a lot that can be implimented in the ministry here.

Looking back on what God has done

2007-05-16T16:07:00.000-04:00

Last week was our last week of programming for the school year. Wow...I still find it hard to believe. I hear time flies faster as you get older. I'm not that old, which is a little scary to think of!
It was a great year. As I look back over it I am reminded of God's continual faithfulness. He provided much needed volunteers, work groups who helped maintain the facility, finances so that I could go full time and also new faces among our children and youth.
To end the year, Melissa and I took our Jr and Sr High girls to Belle Isle for a "pizza picnic" and to just hang out. The girls loved playing on the playground and acting like kids!
For Kids Club, we held a carnival complete with a cotton candy machine, games and lots of candy. I even did some grilling (first time ever!)... It was a great week of fun and time to celebrate all that God has done
One of the biggest encouragements came in the last couple of months. I invited our two neighbor girls to come to Bible study. They both started coming. One of them, Crystal jumped right in. She memorized all the verses as well as the books of the Bible. She invited her friend Ashley to come. Both Ashley and Crystal have gone to several conferences with me and as well as to church. It is so exciting to see their enthusiasm to learn. They seem excited at any and every opportunity to be involved. I've also had fun just hanging out with these girls. Sometimes, they'll come over and we'll hang out in my backyard doing things like playing cards, drawing or taking fun pictures! As our relationships grow, I can see them opening up more and more and am praying that God will use it all to grow them in Him.

So now, the next step is Day Camp! We have 3 interns coming so far. Please pray that God would provide at least one more and that as we plan He would bring in the needed finances. Pray that it will be an amazing summer in which He is glorified!!!

Soccer camp

2007-05-09T18:21:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for our spring soccer program. Approximately 20 kids between the ages of 6-14 came out to learn some soccer skills and play the game. The combination of volunteers who knew how to play the sport and those of us who just helped assist (meaning, we didn't know exactly "how" to play!) worked out well.
I worked with the younger kids and found it to be a lot of fun. They definately get points for trying, but the endurance level was a little low :o) The challenge became keeping them on track. They did play a pretty good game though, and burned off a lot of energy! And at the end of the day, everybody had a great time!
At "half-time", Carlo's, a former youth group kid, came and shared with the kids about what it means to be new creatures in Christ. It's so encouraging to see how God has worked in Carlo's life and to have him come and be a positive roll model for the kids.

Hard times...

2007-05-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

Living in the inner-city is truly a different life. I feel that over the last 9 months, I have been in the "honeymoon" stage. It's exciting, somewhat adventerous...and the best part by far is living near the kids and youth that I work with. I still am excited about it all, and know this is where I am suppose to be. But a few days ago, I was awakened to some of the challenges it faces.

On Sunday night, while driving with a friend, I saw that the street HPCO is located on and also where the Weidman's (our director/HPCO founder family) was completely blocked off and filled with police cars. I later learned that there had been a shooting and a man was killed. This is a street I spend a lot of time on, know people...it's pretty much my second home. It's so sad to see stuff like this happen. Fortunatley, no innocent bystanders were killed in the shoot out between this man and the police. And while to anyone looking in this was just a man who got what he deserved, he was still a man with a family, he was a father...who's to say one of our boys won't grow up and be in this kind of situation. Breaks my heart. There is so much anger, bitterness, and just plan feeling lost that growing up in this life brings. Only the hope of Jesus Christ can change that. I was remembering a sermon I heard about reaching the lost and how the pastor said we need to remember, the person is not the enemy, but the sin. There is a lot of sin in the city, but not any more than there is in the suburbs. They just don't hide it as well here. They also can't hide it under money and perfect lawns. To many people, it's about daily survival and being caught in the only lifestyle they have ever known.

Statistically, our kids don't have much of a chance of being successful. Chances are they will end up on the streets, selling drugs, getting pregnant by multiple men at young ages and living in poverty with no way out. But their not just statistics to me. They are lives, faces, children I love and that our Heavenly Father gave His life to be with. My prayer is that through the ministry here and the lives of believers who care, God will change the statistics with these kids and young people.

Enjoying the amazing weather!!

2007-04-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

This past week, the weather here in D-town has been amazing! Which makes for a lot more outdoor activity and interaction with the kids. This past Friday, I took four of our girls to Belle Isle(an island located on the Detroit river between Detroit and Windsor). All four girls are neighbors, and two of them are moving to Alabama tomorrow...we are very sad about that and will miss the family!! The girls were skeptical as to how much fun we would have but they ended up loving and had a new appreciation for parks! We brought bread and fed ducks, walked the dock which runs along the river and played on the playground. Oh yeah, and climbed trees! Two of the girls just started coming to programming and seem to be really enjoying it. One of them memorized all of the books of the Bible and two verses in her first week!
On Saturday, I took three of the girls to a Reload conference. This conference is for urban youth workers but also has sessions for teens. After their first session, we met up at lunch and they shared with excitement what they had learned. It sounded like the main focus was how to treat enemies, forgive those who hurt us and building Godly relationships.
Last week in Kids Club, we showed the kids part of the "Jesus" film(the version made for chidren). We showed the crucifixion and resurrection. This lead to some great discussion and questions about why Jesus had to die. Watching the kids watch the movie really touched me. They all were watching intently, saddened and I could see that it touched many of them. We then talked about how Jesus took their sin to the cross and that it's because of what He did on the cross that they could be forgiven. We decided to visualize this by having them write down sins they had committed on a piece of paper and then nailing to a cross. What impressed me the most was some of the sins they wrote down. I could tell that they really thought about it and understood just what sin was.
Praise God for all that He is doing here!!

Ministry and Enrichment

2007-03-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

I have found that one of the greatest encouragements as a "newbie" in the world of inner-city ministry(or just in missions in general) is talking to those who have been in it and can share experiences and words of encouragement. I have so much to learn and so many areas to grow in!
Today, the Weidman's and I spent the day at a conference here in Detroit. One of the main emphasis of this conference was discipleship, particularly with African Americans. It was so perfect and pertained so much to what we are doing here. I loved how one speaker pointed out that discipleship is a journey, not a program, it's a process, not a product. He then went on to share how Jesus' incarnation was an example to us on how to disciple. He came and lived among us, He didn't just tell us how to live, He showed us.
That is really my goal here. I felt that this speaker spoke what was in my heart and verbalized what I was feeling but didn't know how to put into words. That is how I want to live among the kids and teenage girls I am with. I want to live with them, share life with them, and show them Jesus. Sometimes, it can be discouraging and feel like I am getting no where. But that's when I put things on my time table and not God's. Relationships take time. It cannot happen over night. As far as how things are going in the ministry itself, we had a great week this past week in Kids Club. One of our families came and pretty much ran the events and Bible lesson. It was so great as everything tied into what was being taught during Bible time. Their lesson was called "Good Dog/Bad Dog" and they spoke on how we need to feed the good things and good desires in our lives, not the bad. Because whichever one you feed, will grow. And you want the good dog to be good, not the bad one! The kids really loved it. This is a pic. of them "feeding" the dog in an outdoor activity Tim set up.
I've also had the opportunity this week to get to know one of our neighbors. I've invited the girls to our Bible studies(they are in jr high and high school). I met them in the fall when we moved in and they always greeted me in the morning on their way to school. When I went over to their house to talk to them, their mother invited me in. I talked with her about what we do and she invited me to one of their "Block Meetings". I'm really excited about this as it will be a great way to get connected in the neighborhood and get to know my neighbors. It's amazing how the spring weather brings people out!
Today, I went over to a street that some of our kids live on because the weather was so great and I thought they might be out. Plus, they've wanted one of their friends to come so I thought it would be good to meet her mom. I went over and they were outside. We played some basketball on the street court(a hoop set up in the middle of the street). I think the neighbors were wondering what was up with this white girl playing B-ball with the kids in the 'hood...but some of them already knew me. It was a lot of fun. I love it. I love being here!!
I'm excited about it being spring because it's great being outside, hanging out with the kids... just being here, living life with them.

2007-03-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was such a crazy, exhausting, but really good day. It seems that when we schedule to do updates and reports, we like to just get it all done at once! Yesterday, the Weidman's were featured in the morning services of Highland Park Baptist along with other city ministries. We had a table set in the back which I helped "man". It was fun to talk to various people about the ministry and also receive a lot of words of encouragement. We had a few that were interested in helping out. After two services, we went out to lunch with a family who work for Youth for Christ in Detroit. They have been in the city for years(they Weidman's and their family go way back!).
After a very enjoyable lunch for them, we headed back to HP. I got home around four, took a short nap, then we headed back to the church at 5 to do a presentation at Shiloh, the Sunday night service. Three of our volunteers came from this group, so we wanted to give an update and have Kristen(one of the volunteers who is staying on for the summer)share about her experience. It went very well, and again we had some interest. I couldn't believe how exhausted I was at the end of the day though! Talking can wear me out...haha...but it was all worth while. It's always exciting to share about the ministry because it's something I love and believe so strongly in!

Encouraged

2007-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here writing this after a great night with some of our high school girls. This afternoon, I found myself very discouraged. I was working on the Bible study for tonight and in the process, calling girls to see who was coming. For the second week in a row, a lot of them couldn't make it. It looked like we were down to one girl(and Melissa is gone for the week, so I was the only leader), so I was deciding whether or not to cancel. It was frustrating because it just seemed like we weren't getting any where and the girls were losing interest in coming. I have honestly seen how Satan can bring discouragement to keep us from doing what we're suppose to. So, inspite of how I was "feeling" we had our study. Three girls came, and we had a great time! I was concerned that they wouldn't have fun because of the group dynamics. But they really seemed to. We talked a lot, had a good study in which they were very involved and just enjoyed being together. It reminded me of how important it is to just be there for them. It doesn't always have to be extremely deep or spiritual(though this is good and NEEDED!)-but if they can just see that I genuinely care-and that the love I have for them comes from God-then they will be more open to what I have to say about God. On the way home, Misha was sharing about a boy who she had a class with who was shot and killed over the weekend. I could tell that it really bothered her and she was still dealing with the shock of it. It hurts me to see these young ones have to deal with such struggles. It makes me want to protect them from anything like that. I just have to continually remember that God is bigger than anything they may face. His grace is sufficient-for all things!!
These pictures really don't have anything to do with what I'm writing about...but I thought they would be great ones to share! The first one is the kids following Christ's example of washing each other's feet. The lesson was on servanthood. "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" The second picture is of HPCO's great leader (and founder!) John Weidman teaching a Bible lesson to the children.

Weekend in Grand Rapids!

2007-02-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Melissa and I took two of our girls to a Purity and Holiness Seminar at my home church in Grand Rapids. This seminar focuses on sexuality and relationships. Even though I would have loved to see more girls come, it was nice to have a smaller group. In the summer of 2005, Misha and Inez (the girls who came) worked at day camp. So, Melissa and I had already gotten to know them pretty well.

I am so thankful that the girls had this opportunity. It took them out of their comfort zone to a knew place and also they were able to learn stuff they had never been taught before. In their world, waiting for marriage is an un-thought of concept. And this curriculum took them beyond the rules of purity to issues of the heart and their relationship with God. They had some good questions and I could tell through our conversations that this really got them thinking. I am praying that God would allow this information to penetrate their hearts and that they would have a desire to be pure and obedient to His will.

In addition to the seminar, we also had some fun over the weekend. My parents opened up their home and cooked some great meals for us. We also took them out on Friday night for some dessert at “On the Border” (a Mexican restaurant where my brother works).

This was a great weekend for all of us. And I want to send out a very special thank you to my wonderful church family at Forest Hills Bible Chapel who allowed us to come and made every one feel right at home!

Back at it!

2007-02-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

Programming has started back up here at HPCO! I have been really looking forward to seeing all of the kids again and having club and youth groups. This week was great but also carried with it some challenges.
Last Sunday, we had a volunteer meeting to regroup and plan out programming for the winter. I'm excited about all of the ideas that came up. It seems to be on all of our hearts that we would like to really step it up a notch and get the kids into the Word and reading it on their own. We have been looking at some ideas for prayer, Bible reading and quiet times. I have seen that this is such a strong need at all ages of our youth...well, actually in all of our lives! My heart is that they would all have a hunger for God's Word and to be growing in their personal relationships with Him. We can give them Bible lessons, encouragement and truth, but eventually, it has to come from their own hearts. I pray that the Spirit will continue to work in their lives daily!
As far as the challenges go, we have two boys who have been coming that really add some challenges for us. They are 9 year old twins. While they can be highly energetic, uncooperative and cause a lot of chaos, I think it's safe to say that they have won over the hearts of most, if not all of us. There are a lot of weeks where they are not allowed back the following week because of behavior. This past Thursday, I realized just how much I want them to be there because I know they are learning. One of them came and sat with me while his group was learning the memory verse. He had the verse with him, so he and I sat and worked on it. It was "For the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many". We talked about what the verse meant, what Jesus had done for us and why. He had so many great questions. I was really thankful for the time I was able to spend with him. But then, when we got on the van to ride home, he started fighting with the other kids and not listening to what was being told to him. It was so hard for me. I have been praying a lot for those two boys over the last few days. I know that they do not have a very stable home life and that many adults have given up on them. But I know God hasn't. And God loves them so much and I would love to see them give their lives to God and follow Him, not follow down the road that seems to already be paved out for them.
I also have been challenged on what discipleship means and looks like as I work with our Jr High and High School girls. It is continually a challenging and growing experience. These girls face so much daily and have temptations and struggles that many of them don't feel open to share with me. God has taught me lately that in discipleship, I need to also be open with them about where I struggle and how God is teaching me. Leading through example, and also being vulnerable so that they can see that they are not alone and then trusting God to work in their lives as they learn about Him.
Well, I've said a lot...hopefully not too boring! Thank you all for your continual prayers-God is working through them!!!

Some news...

2007-01-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

Even though we haven't had club for awhile, and supposedly, January is our "month off" a lot has been happening around here that I would like to share with you.
A couple of weeks ago, Melissa and I took the Jr High girls to the home of one of our volunteers, Kristen. Kristen wanted to have the girls out to ride her horse, enjoy her hottub, and just hang out. So of course, none of us objected to that! It was a great day. Three of our girls came out. Even though it was freezing, they braved it and rode the horse, a first experience for two of them. Our toes became numb and we were shivering, but we enjoyed it. It was great to see the girls having fun and doing something out of the ordinary. Kristen taught them how to feed, brush and bridle the horse. After our numbing experience, we jumped into a steaming hot tub. From one extreme to the other! We finished the evening by eating pizza and watching a movie.
This past week, we had a group of students from Spring Arbor University come visit Detroit. John is teaching a class there on Urban Ministry so the students were here to experience it first hand for two days. I spent the day with them on Tuesday as they visited various local ministries, and a Detroit school. They also came by to look at our house and get an understanding of what "relocation" consist of. I enjoyed talking to some of the students and finding out where they were at and what their thoughts on the city were. For most of them, this class and experience were their first with inner-city ministry. We had a few who were interested in coming back to do an internship for the summer. This would be exciting as we are always needing day camp staff! On Tuesday night, we also held a special Kids Club so the students could experience working with children. I especially enjoyed this as I hadn't seen a lot of our kids for awhile and missed them! A couple of the students came with me to pick them up and they commented on how happy the kids were to come to club. What a great reminder that little comment was to me of how much the kids do love coming. And it's not like we do anything fancy. Kids club is pretty simple, but the kids know they are loved and can be with their friends in a safe environment.
And last, but definately not least, I have some very good news. As of March 1st, I will be full-time with HPCO!!!!! What an amazing answer to prayer. This was what my desire was from the beginning, I just didn't expect it to come so soon. Oh me of little faith. Please pray that God will continue to bring in the finances needed and also that He would guide me as to how to wisely use my time and resources as a full-time missionary.

Catching up!

2007-01-11T17:37:00.001-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I haven't posted anything in a long time, but that is partially because I've been away and we're taking a little "break" from programming here.
I went home for Christmas, and then flew out to New Hampshire the day after to visit my brother and his family. All together, that meant I was gone for 2 1/2 weeks! It was a nice break and it was great to spend time with family! Especially the Hillikers in New England who I don't get to see too often:o) Since I don't have any new HPCO pictures, I thought I'd share one of my very handsome nephew who I visited in NH. I believe this is Keegan getting ready to drive to Detroit in the car his Aunt Sarah bought him-he's obviously ready for the 'hood!(Hopefully, that's not a gang symbol he's got going on there!)
As far as what's going on here in HP, we ended the year well and are looking forward to starting again in February. Before I left, I was priveledged to bring to church the grandma of one of our families. She called me on a Sunday morning and said she would like to come. It was such a blessing to spend this time with her and worship with her. She is known as being a strong prayer warrior. She hasn't been to church in a few years and was excited to be back. She shared with me on our drive to and from church all that God has done for her and her family over the last year. She struggles with poor health and they had to make an unexpected move to another house. But God really provided for them inspite of some rough situations. I'm praying that she'll be able to return to church with me this Sunday.
Also, before Christmas we handed out food and Christmas gifts to our families. Even though I've been around for a few years, this was the first time I was actually able to hand out boxes. I went to three different homes. The first one was the mother of one of our teen girls, Inez. I had talked to her mother on the phone a couple of times, but this was the first time I was able to talk with her in person. It was great to get to know her a little better and pray with her for her and her family. Inez has been through a lot this year and is finally back home after being gone for about 8 months. After that, I went over to the home of 3 of our Kids Club kids. It's always fun to visit the kids because they are usually so excited to have you at their house. They followed me back out to my car and it took me awhile before they would let me go!
I'm really looking forward to starting programming again. I miss all of my kids! This Saturday, we are taking our Jr High girls out to the home of one of our volunteers. I'm also hoping to spend some time with the high school girls before club starts up again.
Oh yes, one more exciting piece of information :o) I've been blessed with some more financial support and am much closer to being able to go full time. Lord willing, I will be able to in May just in time for Day camp! This will be a true answer to prayer.

Time is flying!

2006-12-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that last week, we had our last week of club for the year. We are taking a break for Christmas and will start up again at the beginning of February. Last week, we had Christmas parties with the kids and youth to celebrate the holidays. For Kids Club, we sang Christmas songs, had a Christmas Bible lesson then played some holiday games like "Decorate the human Christmas tree"(you can see Melissa makes a great tree!) and "Pin the nose on Rudolph". Also, the kids made angels by painting their feet(the body) and hands(the wings) Then Friday night, Melissa and I had the junior and senior high girls over to make Christmas cookies, play games and just hang out. It's so great having a home nearby that we can do that at!
I've started to take some of the youth to church with me at a nearby church called Citadel of Faith. It is only a couple of miles down Woodward, so very convenient. The first week, one of my high school girls, Misha, came with me. She wanted to come back the next week and I also had 3 other high school girls ask if they could come and also one of our Junior High boys. So we jumped in the HPCO van and went. They seemed to enjoy it. I felt bad for DeMarco because he was the only boy. But, he went to Sunday school and came out really excited saying that he wants to come back next week. I'm excited about the prospect of getting some of the kids involved with a local church. Misha's grandma told me last week that she wants to come one of these weeks also. The church is great. It mixed about 50/50 with African Americans and whites, but it is definately a city church. Some of the members however, drive in from the suburbs. It's taking some adjusting going to a church in the city. There are so many cultural differences. I'm still praying about where God would have me land and call my home church. Citadel is good in so many ways, I just want to make sure it's the right one. I'm finding that sadly, it's hard to find a church that upholds the Word of God and teaches it faithfully. It seems so many have resorted to teaching what people want to hear. But there I go on a soap box...:o)
Tonight, we are having a volunteer Christmas party(which means I should stop writing and go clean for!). As I was looking at who all was coming I realized how God really answered our prayers. We went from having hardly any men to now having a majority of male volunteers! Which has been great to have them work with our Junior High boys.
It's just so hard to believe we have finished this semester here already. Thank you all for your prayers. I trust you will have a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

New Volunteers and more

2006-11-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I seem to be having more time to write these days. We just finished up Kids Club and I am upstairs in the office while Frank, one of our volunteers leads the Junior High boys. It's amazing. At the beginning of the year, he was handling the boys by himself. There was one night when he had six of them! And they can get a little crazy, as jr high boys do. However, over the last few weeks, we have four new volunteers who are all guys and working with Frank. It's quite a contrast! The good news is that this means we will probably be able to add more guys to the program. Please pray that these new volunteers can commit to the year. They are all excited about the ministry and seem to do well with the guys. At the beginning of the year one of my concerns(I was going to say worries...maybe at time it was a worry?) was that we wouldn't have enough volunteers. Now we have them in abundance, which is so exciting. It's amazing to see how God works. He always provides, as He promises He will do. The picture is of Tim and his daughter Nicole with a couple of our girls, Carolyn and Catrina. The Davis family has been coming for over a year and helping at Kids Club. They add a lot of enthusiasm and creativity to the evening! The kids really love them, and we are so thankful to have them.
Tonight, one of our girls(who also happens to be my neighbor!) shared with us just before we prayed as a group that her younger brother Abram is having open heart surgery tomorrow. He's only four! We prayed for him. If you read this before tomorrow(Nov 17) please pray for this little guy. During the summer, one of our workers, Cassie, worked with the kids on praying outloud. Each day after Bible time, she had a volunteer come up to pray. It was really neat to see them pray in front of everyone. She encouraged them to pray to God anytime, and that it could be more than just praying before a meal. I have decided to keep this up. Tonight, Ajaia(who's brother is having surgery) prayed. It is so great to hear them pray to God in their open, child-like faith.
We are taking next week off of programing. This Saturday, we are delivering Boxes of Love, which are Thanksgiving food baskets to many of our families. Please pray for this great ministry opportunity. Pray that as the food is delivered families will feel the love of Christ and that those delivering would have opportunities to share more than just food with the families!

Ready for a New Week

2006-11-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday, although it feels like Monday! I went home for the weekend and ended up coming down with a bug of some sort, so stayed an extra day. My family totally spoiled me while I was ill! Sunday night, my sister made me some yummy soup and mom baked chocolate chip cookies. Their so awesome! It's great to be feeling healthy again.
We've had a great week here in Highland Park. I've been really encouraged about the time spent with the older girls. We are going through James with the high schoolers. This week, we were in James 2 and had a lot of questions and discussion about the passage. The girls were asking about what it means to show favoritism, how are we suppose to treat those who mistreat us? When we got into our smaller groups one of my girls asked me "If we sin everyday, why do we need to still ask for repentance?" It was a great question and an amazing way to share with her about God's forgiveness and how sin affects our relationship with Him. This week, the passage is on faith and works. Pray about that one! It's a great passage, I just don't want it to be too confusing. It seems that they are still confused about salvation being the result of good works. And yet, there is not an understanding that once you are saved, your life should be changed. It's a hard balance and one that even mature Christians struggle with!
Thank you all for your continual prayers. It was so great to be back at my home church(Forest Hills Bible Chapel) and to receive so much encouragement from everyone. God Bless!

Not in vain

2006-10-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I survived my first "Devil's Night" in Detroit. Uneventful, thankfully. I don't think it's quite what it use to be. There were patrol cars driving all over and well, didn't see any fires!
Life has started to get busy here. I'm beginning to see some of the challenges of inner-city work. Not that I didn't know they were there, but once you experience them, you realize just how much is at stake here and with these young lives. Last night, I found out one of our boys witnessed a shooting/murder. He's only 11Another one of my high school girls is making some bad decisions. She just returned home after being gone for 6-7 months, but then left again. It can all just feel so overwhelming. God just keeps bringing things to mind to encourage me. First off, the reminder that anything these kids learn is not waisted. They may wander away and make poor choices, but at one point, they heard the truth. And God can bring it back to their mind and hearts. Also, that even though the enemy is definately on the prowl here, we know God is much stronger and will be victorious. "What we do in Jesus' name is never in vain" I was thinking this morning about how at one time, I wanted to go into foreign missions. It's so neat how God lead me here. There is such a strong need in the city, yet it is so often forgotten about.
On a more positive note, we had a meeting this Sunday with some young people interested in volunteering. It was really encouraging. At least two of them have already begun to become involved. It is a great answer to prayer to have more volunteers around (and two of them are guys, another answer to prayer!)
Also, my time with the girls is still going great. I took one of our high schoolers out a couple of weeks just to spend some time with her. It was really neat to just talk with her one on one, have some fun and get to know her better. It's something I want to do with all of the girls eventually. Some of the older girls have walls built that it is very hard to get through. It takes time, and a lot of trust building. The junior high girls on the other hand are much more open, but at the same time, your typical goofy junior high girls! Please pray that as we go through the foundations of Christianity with them that they would learn and grow in their walks with Christ, or make a decision to follow Him.
Please keep praying for these kids!!

Yard work!

2006-10-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

One of the neighbor boys has been wanting to mow our lawn for awhile, and it really needed it! So on Tuesday he came by and mowed. His siblings(who all come to HPCO) also came and joined in the fun. William racked up the grass and leaves(which included sweeping them with his mom's old broom), and Ajaia helped me bag them(she was all dressed up for her birthday). It was fun being out in the yard, enjoying the nice weather and spending time with the kids. It reminded me of how blessed I am to be here. I also met a couple of teen girls who live two houses down. They came out and joined us for a bit.

Junior High Girls

2006-10-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

Last night, we had our first Jr.High girls night. This is something I've been really excited about starting. We have a great group of girls around that age and it's great to start working with them with more mentoring and discipleship. Unfortuantely, my partner in crime (Melissa) was sick last night, so I had the girls on my own. Only four came, which was a good amount. I could tell that at first, they were skeptical as to whether or not they would actually enjoy this. They asked questions like, "Isn't anyone else coming?" "Can I invite a friend?" But once we got here, they seemed to enjoy themselves. It was just a hang out night, since it was our first one. We looked at pics from day camp, had ice cream sundaes and made posters which described ourselves. About a half hour into it, I could see they were having fun. At the end of the night we went out on the swings and played a little game I taught them. One of the girls, Brittany is just transitioning from Kids Club to jr high. Over the last year, she seemed really withdrawn when she was around. I tried to make extra effort to involve her. We played baskeball a lot and hung out(this pic is of her and I)I feel like I can relate with her a lot. She's not very girlly and would rather do sporty stuff. Last night, she really seemed to come out of her shell. She enjoyed being with the girls and was very talkative. Next week, we're starting our Bible study. It's going to be on a series entitled, "Knowing what I believe". One of the girls is totally new to the program, and it does't seem like she has any church background. I'm excited to see where this series takes us and what the girls learn through it.

The Reasons...

2006-10-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

After our first night of Kids Club, I am reminded of why I am here. Or better put, why I WANT to be here. I am ultimately here because it's where God has lead me. He has me here for a purpose. It's so amazing to see His plan and the way He works!
Seeing all of our kids again last night energized me like nothing else. I loved it. I was extremely excited to pick them all up and hear all about what they've been up to and all their crazy stories. They are the reason that a white little suburban girl like me moved to a Detroit 'hood!(I've put some pics of my little ones so you can see just how fun they are!) A few days ago, I was calling families to let them know about club. Those I couldn't reach, I went to visit. I saw quite a few of our kids. They were all so excited to be coming back. One of our little boys ran up to me and said "Miss Sawah(has trouble with his "r's"), I remember the song!" and he went on to sing a song from day camp called "I've got confidence", which talks about confidence in God's protection.
The energy level was high last night. The kids all come after a long day of school. They played outside for awhile and enjoyed one of our last beautiful evenings. One of our volunteers, Jennifer, taught the Bible lesson. She presented the Gospel by talking about sin and how it destroys us. The kids then broke up into small groups with the volunteers and went over questions about the lesson.
It is definately stretching for me to be in a leadership position. I am more comfortable with people telling me what to do! But, it is and will be a good growing experience. I realized this week how much being taken out of my comfort zone really forces me to rely on God. John, my boss, has been great about coming along side of me and showing me the way.
Tonight, we start our senior high girl mentoring. I'm getting ready to pick the girls up soon. It's so great to be in the swing of things here. Please pray as to how God will use this school year in the lives of our youth. We really want to build off of all that the kids learned this summer and continue the momentum that we had with them. Also, pray for more volunteers who are willing and committed to the work here. We are especially in need of good strong male leadership to work with our boys. Last weekend, John and I presented HPCO at a couple of churches and got some response from people who were interested in helping out. It was very encouraging, so we'll have to see how that works out.
Well, I better go finish getting things ready for tonight. God bless!

Stories from the 'hood

2006-09-14T15:08:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be cool to show off the house God has provided for us here in Highland Park. Besides a few inconvenices (having to take baths, wash hair in sinks etc), it's really been a great place to live! We haven't started programs yet, so things haven't been to exciting in that area. I've just been doing a few things at the office and then working part time at GFS. However I am learning a lot as I am now living in the 'hood and getting adjusted. So I thought I would share some experiences:
1- My first full day of living in Highland Park, I decided to go grocery shopping at the local Save-a-Lot...seeing how saving a lot is exactly what I need to be doing! It was an interesting experience. I had a man offer to help me when going into the store, and a young boy while coming out. I almost took the boy up on the offer, but I only had 3 bags. Plus, I wouldn't even know what to pay him! I am getting use to being one of the few white people around. But sometimes, I notice it more than others. That same day, I went to another grocery store and saw another young white lady. We both walked in that the same time and I'm sure were wondering the same thing "What's she doing here?"
2- Yesterday as I was driving home from work I experienced first hand the affects of bad roads and lots of rain. It was pouring outside and I chose to drive side roads home, thinking it would be quicker. However, John R (a road that runs through the city and into the suburbs) was flooded out in multiple areas. I honestly didn't think my little Corsica would make it a few times. But it pushed through and now I even have a remnant of trash hanging from under my hood. Needless to say, a normally 15 minute drive took over 45
3- The one thing that is really hard to get use to is that I can't just step out the door and go for a walk, or ride my bike. Well, I guess I could...but probably not the safest thing to do.
4- Melissa and I know the family who lives 3 houses down. The kids all came to camp and youth club. It's so fun having them right there. One day, one of the boys William rang our doorbell. When I came down, he said "Ajaia wanted to see you. She didn't believe me that you lived here" So his sister Ajaia came running up and gave me a hug and we sat on the porch and talked for awhile. It's just so cool to be able to live here in the neighborhood with our kids. I know it speaks volumes to them that we are here. At the same time, I know their wondering why we are chosing to live in an area that everybody else is wanting to get out of!
5- As far as what I am learning...I can just sum it up in TRUST TRUST TRUST. There are so many unknowns and scary things about moving here and pretty much starting a new life. But at the same time, I know this is where God has me. He provides daily. He certainly is Jehovah Jirah, my Provider. My best friend really encouraged me last week when we were on the phone. She reminded me of how God PROMISES to provide for His children. He will give us all our needs, it's not an option. Just this week, I have seen God provide in little things. Little reminders that He has not left me alone. Financially, I was able to find car insurance cheaper than what I thought I could (let me tell you, moving to D-town does not normally bring down insurance rates!), and some more financial support has come in. Knowing that He has brought me this far and provided, why do I doubt that He will contine? Yeah, I'm a slow learner... I also am trying to find a home church and small group to get connected in. It's a process for sure. Yet, God keeps bringing little encouragements as needed. I am so thankful for the friendships and relationships He has blessed me with!
All that being said, please pray as we start up programing the first week of October. I am really excited and pumped about being with the kids again. HPCO is really focused on discipleship and small groups. Pray that God will use this year in the lives of all our youth to grow them closer to Himself.

Gonna try to do better with keeping up!

2006-09-07T15:03:00.000-04:00

Well, so I haven't really been using this blog. But now that I am actually living in Highland Park and the ministry is starting to roll, I'll try to do better!
That's right, I have moved to Highland Park! Melissa (who also works at HPCO) and I found a great house in the area. It is actually nicer than anything I ever thought I would be living in. It's a huge answer to prayer! It seems nice to finally be settled in one place. But, I'm still getting use to the fact that I live here. It's exciting to be so close to the ministry and also close to the kids. Some of our kids live three houses down from us. They've already been by a few times to visit.
I love how God works. I NEVER EVER thought I would be living in Detroit. It's probably the last place I would have wanted to go. However, right now, it's the one place I want to be. It's a great feeling knowing God has called you somewhere, and then even more amazing to see how He opens the doors for you to be there.
Right now, I am getting settled and learning the ends and outs of my new job at the ministry. Programs don't start until the first week of October. It feels like my job right now consist of support raising. Which is not something I enjoy doing, but need to at the same time!

The summer is ending...

2006-08-02T21:12:00.000-04:00

I started this one awhile back, but never actually posted it! Wow, it's neat to look back on how God answered prayer!

It's so hard to believe that we had our last day of day camp almost a week ago! It was seriously a whirlwind of a summer. I am so thankful for all that took place. We averaged around 30 kids a day, which was really, just the right amount! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Today, it's 95 degrees, feeling like 102. It would have been so rough to have camp in this weather. I think the hottest it got was 85-and it only rained once! I love seeing God work in even the little things. Camp could have run with bad weather, but it wouldn't have been as pleasurable!
Next week, we have overnight camp. To be honest, I am dreading this. Last year was rough and I am dreading a repeat. I ended up in the ER with 5 stitches on the last night. Not such a good memory. If you think of it, please pray for us! I want to have a good attitude and not walk in expecting the worse. I'm hoping this week will give me an opportunity to get to know some of our girls better.
I'm also beginning to panic, but only slightly, about my living situation in the fall. Currently, I don't have any set place, only some possibilities. I also don't have a lot of support in, so will probably need to start off with a part time job. It's kinda scary to have so much up in the air. But, God has been leading one step at a time. He doesn't like to show me what's gonna happen a mile ahead, only a foot. Trust Trust Trust- don't you love it when He leaves you with no other option?

Purpose of this blog

2006-07-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

So I'm slowly becoming one of those people who blog in hopes that somebody actually cares about my life...or something like that! I've actually decided to start this blog in order to keep everyone updated on what is happening at Highland Park Community Outreach this summer during day camp. So many great things are going on, and I want to be able to share them. I'm also excited about working at HPCO in the fall and continuing the amazing ministry that is taking place there.
HPCO is a ministry in Highland Park, MI (a suburb of Detroit) that reaches inner-city youth in that area. Highland Park is a struggling community that has been overtaken by poverty, alcohol abuse and drugs. This is what our youth here are surrounded by everyday. It is so exciting to be able to work with them and give them hope, which ultimately comes only from Jesus Christ. God has given me a heart to reach these young lives. I love them so much and want to share the love of God with them. I know that is the only thing that can change them and cause them to lead better lives.
God brought me to Highland Park in the fall of 2004. I had felt called to work with inner-city youth so was more than happy to get involved. I've worked with the teenagers on Friday nights during the school year and with the younger kids during the summer at day camp (which is what we are in the middle of now).
Day camp is great because we are with the kids for a longer amount of time and can not only encourage them spiritually, but we also spend time on education, art, sports and praise dance. The kids love it! They look forward to coming everyday. Their enthusiasm is contageous and I look forward to seeing them! We also have a great group of staff who all love the kids and do a great job with them.
Due to the fact that I graduated this spring (yeah!!), I am able to work at HPCO on a more full time basis this fall. I plan on raising support and Lord willing, starting in September. This is such an answer to prayer. It's so neat to see how God leads and then opens doors! It truly is my dream job!!
So, I am going to attempt to keep this updated on what God is doing this summer as well as what He will be doing in the fall and what my roll will be in Highland Park.
God Bless!