...forgive us our trash baskets...

Thank you for your prayers for the past couple weeks.  Life at the after school program has definitely had its set of challenges, but there have also been many rewarding glimpses of how God might work this year.  We started the school year with ten kids (seven returning students and three new).  Two of those three new students, both sisters, have switched to a new program in order that more of that family could be dropped off at home all at the same time.  These students who left us, we learned, used to live closer to the program but moved further away before the school year started, and their mother, whose van is broken down, needed help getting all her kids dropped off at home.  If you can continue to pray for Jaykia and Kaylee as they continue getting used to changes in their lives, that'd be awesome.  Kaylee always was so excited to pray during Bible time and Jaykia would always begin Bible time with a "Yeah, we get to learn about God!"  It's sad that they've left, but we are excited to see if and when God will lead us to serve more families in the neighborhood, considering our current number of eight students.

I know it sometimes difficult to pray for names of people that you've never seen or heard of before but I'm going to challenge you to pray for one of the following names for the next week.  These are names and faces that God's been putting on my heart to seek out and invite to be involved in our program.

Antwon is a 2nd or 3rd grade boy that I see at the park every once in a while and he attends Brentwood Elementary, one of our neighborhood school partnerships.  He's always quick to play and he is fast enough where I have to actually work hard to catch up to him when playing football.
Khamari is a 4th grade girl who came to camp this past summer and during stretches for our sports station, I'd always challenge her to see who could stand on one leg and move the least.  She is classmates with another two:fiftytwo student, Tommieyah, and we were surprised to see she switched schools and goes to North Shore Elementary, our second school partnership.
Jovan is a 2nd grader at North Shore.  He came to camp this past summer and was very active, sometimes a little too energetic.  I know nothing about his academics but I know his teacher is awesome and could definitely get me in touch with his family if that's the way we want to go.

As far as current after school program students go, we've seen lots of improvement in them understanding what we expect from them.  Every day, there's usually one kid that just seems to be having a rough day.  Defiance comes in waves and it's very easy to take disrespect personally.  One thing that God has been revealing to me and challenging me with lately is how quickly I run from conflict, from challenges.  How often do my prayers plead with God, "Lord, please help change this circumstance so it's easier.  Lord, please make leading this after school program easy.  Lord, just have the kids all behave today so I can have peace about life."  Can you relate?  Andrew Murray (look him up) wrote a book called Humility in which he mentions in one chapter how sometimes we need to be grateful for crummy situations because God may be wanting to sanctify you and humble you so that He is all you need.  It's weird to pray, "Thank you God that Mekhi never followed a single direction I gave today," or "You are a good God for allowing Chassidy to scream her head off and disrupt all of homework time."  It's hard but it definitely makes those situations more endurable when I know God is there with me, sharpening me.  In movies, you see swords being forged with  iron or steel blades, put through fire and then beat into shape before their hardness, strength, flexibility, and balance are mastered.  God does the same with us.

If we are unwilling to let God put us through "fire" or intense hammering and pounding, how will our old and trashy sword ever defeat the enemy?

James 1:2-4  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  Not lacking anything.  Lacking nothing.

Lord, forgive me of the times I want your blessings more than I want you.  All my righteous deeds are like filthy rags when they are done for my own benefit and not to serve you.  They are just garbage.  I'm sorry if I complain about things that you have in mind for my good.  Help me to trust you more.


[Just for fun]
God has made us so unique.  Here's a picture of an activity we did last Friday with a flashlight and some colored paper.  Can you guess which one is me?

(Top row: Mekhi, me, Charity.  Bottom row: Chassidy, Ms. Deirdree, Challah)