Week one done

So this stinks. I have this absolutely amazing job. But I hate it. I have been through so many goodbyes the last few months that I'm just sick of them. Within one week this group of high school kids, I got closer to them then I would have ever imagined. Just to see them go. We laughed, we worked, struggled, talked about life, and just about everything else. Mission trips really bring peope closer together in that relationship I abosolustely love. But I didn't think about the ending. I was worried about crying when the team left this morning, and talked with my team about it, and the girls said it will show them I care. I said that the guys will probably just see it as, this weird guy is crying. So I held back and did a few "eye itch" wipes to cover. But it was amazing to see God use this group in the community here in Atlanta.
So here is an update of whats going on. In the morning I am scrapping door frames and repainting them, we got 7 done last week. Then in the afternoon I am doing a kids club. The kids club is really different than the Sparks program I've done before. My group and I walk to the kids houses and let them know we are having it, then walk with them to the park. Then we spend some time in recreation, then play a specific game, have a lesson, then craft, then have a snack, then just play till it's time to go. Then we walk the kids back home. But this gives us time to talk with the kids, and build relationships with them that are positive, and even though the teens leave at the end of the week, it is showing these kids who desperately need it that someone cares about them.
I am literally walking with a group of white teenagers around inner city Atlanta going up to house and knocking hoping kids are home. I have embrassed the role, and am growing in it. I had to learn to trust God with everything, even my safety. I read in my devo about a story where the guy made me think, how it's up to God whether I wake up in the morning or not, so why am iI trying to conrol if I make it to bed at night. No this isn't my only guiding thought, but I just feel I can trust God a little more than I had.
Well I feel I've chatted enough. Things are going great though. My team and I are working things out. I feel that we will really grow close to each other, and I continue in my excitement about the aawesome things God has begun, and will continue to do with us. Feel free to text me, and I'll try and call when I get a change and chat. That's probably the best way to comunicate.

Hot-lanta!!!

So my trip is shaping up. I’ve met most of the adults I will be working with, including Tim. Tim is my main contact for my main project this summer. Tim and his wife moved in to a house that was across the street from a park. Tim unintentionally started a sort of ministry with the kids, trying to give them different job, mainly picking up trash or lawn care, in exchange for bicycles. The park use to be controlled by gangs, for larger fights and such, but through Tim’s work and other community help the park is more respectable now, and the community is a lot cleaner. We went on a bike ride today through the area, and it was easy to see where Tim had been working. There are prostitute and drug problems all over the area. Tim mentioned to me that I need to be careful, because some of the gangs do still come around and cause trouble. He casually mentioned they like to just find people and jump them for fun at times. We do have an emergency plan if something happens, but it involves a whistle and parking cars with a quick get-away access... The main thing I will be doing is, in the afternoon I will take some of the high school kids, over to the park by Tim’s house. We will be leading a kids club, where neighborhood kids come and we give them a lesson and some activities. It will only be about 2 to 3 hours, but will hopefully allow me to connect with the kids.

We are staying at a house across from the Salvation Army center. It is a decent house, but has some mold in the cupboards and some small things like that. I woke up early Wednesday and cleaned a lot. I realized we needed bowls for our cereal, but they were by the mold, so we (I think I hear a prostitute being picked up outside) needed them cleaned, but the sink needed to be washed, because it was kind of yucky. So I spent about an hour washing things, and it was ready by the time the others were ready for breakfast. Shaun and I spent the afternoon rearranging our room. We had a lot of old computers in them. Our “dressers” are actually office desks. We also got a vacuum, and finished the much needed cleaning. The only thing left is to find some covers for the very itchy couch and seats in the living room. No tv though, but I’m ok with that.

Our first group comes on Sunday. It’s a group of 60 high school kids from Texas. It will be interesting, both because it’s such a large group, but also we found out that they recently had a loss in their youth group. We don’t know a whole lot but someone connected with the group passed away in a hiking accident sometime last week. It will be interesting to see how they handle being here.

My team is great. We have been laughing, and trying to understand each other. I have been explaining that I talk to myself and ramble, especially when I’m tired, that I usually change the subject in my head without telling anyone, I also change the subject when I feel awkward, and the last one I have mentioned is that they shouldn’t laugh at my really corny jokes, because that will only make me think they actually laugh at them. My title is outreach coordinator and Shaun’s is the construction coordinator. And today he asked me if I could reach behind the desk and plug something in. I told him that he couldn’t because he is only the construction guy, and I can because I am the outreach guy. He and the girls laughed…

This will be a long summer and although I have had to put some important things aside. I really feel that with much much help God will use me to help this neighborhood and love people the way he would have me. But only with His help will I be able to…

Some things before I go

So, this will probably be my last post in Indiana, for a couple months anyway. But a big change is happening. I'm spending 2 months in Atlanta. Not sure what all I'll be doing, but high school youth groups will be coming weekly. Sizing between 20 and 70, I'll be organizing them and helping them help the community, either service projects, or helping with a VBS type thing.
But this bring me to my thoughts for this blog. A lot of my friends are going through pretty big life changing things. I've seen a lot of hard goodbye's mixed with a lot of happy news about marriages, grad schools, internships, even just going home for the summer. But these things bring about change. Change can seem bad at first. My life is good where I was at last week. Why would I want it to change. But I get to serve God for 2 months. This is a good change right? The answer is yes. But there are collateral damages that lean towards change is bad. I said a very long and funny goodbye last night. I laughed alot, but also was pretty sad. This was a sad part of change. But both of us will probably go on to good things, and the changes will be good. But for now its hard.
So I apologize for this, because it doesn't seem to flow and make sense. But yeah, change is good, but collateral damage is not. But if we are ever to make things better we need change. Being stagnate is not a good thing. Romans 12 says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So even our minds need to continually change. If we don't we as a friend pointed out, we stop leading. And as Christians we should be leaders.
So hope you've enjoyed, and feel free to tune in and read about my adventure in Atlanta. Maybe they'll be a little more reasonable.