Not Empty

Here's an update on what's been going on in the ministry for the past few weeks.  Before Christmas break, we had probably four or five adults helping out at the after-school program every day, including me and two other staff there every day.  Since coming back, we got five more committed volunteers to help out on a particular day of the week.  The first day that three guys volunteered (a pastor and his two sons), the kids were so excited and wanted to have them be around them, helping them.  Honestly, that first day, even I was super excited, fed off their energy and anticipation to love on the kids.  There have been times at the after-school program where each kid had their own volunteer to help them with homework.  This was huge because it eliminated many distractions and allowed for more intentional relationships with the kids.  It's awesome, most days, spending the whole day working with just one kid, getting to know what their stengths and weaknesses are.  They are getting individualized learning plans this week in order to better record their learning, so we can challenge them to increase their knowledge rather than just being content with where they are.  All in all, the kids are doing great, we're learning more about their families and some of their situations more, which can be tough news to swallow sometimes.  I won't include details but just know that some kids have tough life situations occuring in their families.  Please pray for them.

If I got the chance to share with you the binder I made this past summer support-raising, you might remember the new building 2nd Mile was attempting to use for the after-school program.  We don't own the building and haven't made renovations yet but the goal is to have it be usable by this coming fall.  I got the chance to walk inside the building and it was beautiful, however, not in the sense you may imagine.  There was dust everywhere, many parts of the ceiling fell down, the bathrooms/showers looked like something out of a horror film (dark, dirty, creepy), there was a locked closet in the bathroom where we imagined is where bodies are kept, windows broken.......beautiful.  Why beautiful?  As we toured each room in this two-story abandonment, a staff member was in high spirits.  "This is where we'll have the main classroom.  And this is where we'll keep the lawn tools and equipment.  Here's a room where an office or two could go.  This wall is going to be knocked out."  As he brought the building to life, visions of a church/after-school program filled my head.  The kids could learn about music here, dance there, writing skills over here.  This empty and old frame of a building was being filled with ideas, dreams, and vision.  If God allows the ministry to obtain and renovate the building, let it be for His glory in the name of Jesus.  One thing I've definitely appreciated and admired about the ministry and its workers is their desire to do as God calls, to be used as humble servants for God's kingdom and what He may want in Brentwood. 

Also in the coming months, we will be hosting two or three short-term missions groups from around the country so they can learn and experience a poverty neighborhood.  They will also be helping with some street-cleanup, building cleanup, school-volunteering, and possibly with our two:fiftytwo after-school program.  Please pray that they come willing to serve and be open to direction from us.  Apparently many groups come in with their own agenda and want to run things their way despite their lack of experience with inner-city stuff.

The question has been asked me many times what I plan to do after the internship.  The internship ends June 11th.  My plans for now are to go back to Wisconsin for the summer but its been on my mind and heart more and more to come back here.  If you could, keep me in your prayers also with proper decision-making.  Not my will/thoughts/ways, but God's.