Angels, Light Company and Drugs

So it's true that angels really do exist, on Sunday one of our kids, rode his bike to church and parked it in the lobby, while we were having a church service someone walked in and stole it, this kid was heart broken. Several people drove through the neighborhood trying to help him find his bike, and there was no luck. The very next day I receive an email from someone asking me where this child lives as God had blessed them with something for this child. These angels delivered this child a brand new bike. Last night as I was leaving Metro Kidz I saw this child and he was so happy about his new bicycle and raved about his angels and how awesome they were, and how he didn't think he was going to get a new bike, and how sad he was. He was honest and real with me, he made tears well up in my eyes, because the conversation I had with him last night made me realize just how "innocent" he really is. I love all of my kids, but this particular child pulls at my heart just a little bit more, even when he's telling me that this is the worst church in the city and he's never coming back...I just have to smile and think to myself yes he is, because he knows that he is loved, and he craves that.

Speaking of innocent children, yesterday as Nicole and I were pulling into Metro Kidz we went down my favorite street (Hollins St.) I want to do an outreach specifically to that block, because the corner of Payson and Hollins is a very high drug traffic street. Yesterday I watched a baby, a child I just met two weeks ago at the Spring Fling, who is at the most eight years old buy drugs, I watched the entire transaction take place. I feel so helpless in situations like that...what do I do, what do I say...if anything at all? I drove away, praying in my head for this child, asking him to be delivered from these circumstances...he's so young, who knows if he was buying the drugs for himself, a friend, a relative it doesn't matter, it makes me sick to think about it...these are babies...

Literally an hour later, I went outside to sweep up the mounds of glass that were lining the Payson St. sidewalk and I saw my buddy "Na" hanging out with some of his friends on the steps next to the church, within the 20 minutes that were outside, I watched two drug deals take place, involving "Na" and his buddies, one of them was not discreet at all and they were doing their hustling right against the building.

It was so hard for me not to run after "Na" and scream he's mine, Satan let him go...these kids some of them are bound by Satan, they need to be delivered and caught...we as servants in this neighborhood, need to be ready to catch them...

On a more positive note, last night Light Company the middle school ministry at Grace, came and rocked Metro Kidz (literally) the ceilings were shaking up and downstairs. It was pretty much a condensed version of a Sunday morning at Light Company and it was amazing! One of the girls "S" that I took with me on the Light Company retreat a few months ago, accepted Christ last night, and Andrea, Shaun and I got to pray with her. It was such an amazing experience. I watched cultural barriers be broke down in a way last night, that I will never ever forget. The Light Company kids were so excited to be there and it was evident in their actions, our kids (most of them) were excited for them to be there, they joined them in worship (a few of them might be recruited to start our own worship team) and sat quietly (which sometimes doesn't happen often) for Shaun's talk and actively participated. I can only hope this is the beginning of a great relationship and nights like last night happen more often.

So tomorrow (Friday May 9th) marks my one year Metro Kidz anniversary, it was one year ago tomorrow that I walked through that door on 2001 Frederick Ave. and my heart was stolen forever. So much has happened in the past year, it makes me excited, giddy and a little sad as I scroll some of the events through my head, but it's been an amazing year, one that's changed my life and one I wouldn't change for the world.

So before I end a few prayer requests:

Finances, so we can purchase our building and it'll be ours!
Relationships, ones that are being restored, some that are beginning and the ones that are continuous.
N.P. he's the kid I wrote about last time, for his safety
For laborers, we still need a few more people in place


thanks friends!