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…
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