Officer Young, My kids and praying for "strangers"

I am really impressed with Officer Young, she came in last night, hung out, spent time talking with our kids and left a good impression on several of them. In fact a couple of the girls told me that they wouldn't mind spending more time with her, this is a first. Our kids have this bitter taste in their mouths for the local police and it is my dream for that to disappear and there be a relationship started that is positive. I believe that Officer Young is the one who will make sure this happens. She was so genuine and open, amazing is what I'd call her.

My kids also really impressed me last night, from their being open minded about having a police officer hanging out with us, to their attentiveness while Pastor Mike was real with them, to their questions (well most of them) for Eddie. After last night I feel like I know exactly how to pray for some of them, one of them in particular needs prayer and love and I could feel it through her questions, comments and actions. I've mentioned her in my previous blog, she's being sent away to stay with relatives for a few weeks, and I wish I could make that not happen. She really needs to be at Metro Kidz she's growing so much and I feel like taking her away right now would be such a bad thing, however, where's the line between home and MetroKidz? I don't think that it is my place to go and talk with her mom and tell her she's wrong, but I wish that I had a relationship with her family...this is just motivation for me to start one, because the reason her mom is sending her away is one that I am using to teach her. Ah, she's stealing my heart. I am so excited about being able to spend time with my kids this summer, get into their hearts and really truly invest in them. My goal is to spend two days a week working in my office and three days a week getting dirty in the "hood" with them. I can feel myself becoming to emotionally attached to them...ah I can't imagine life without these kids right now.

Last night as I was walking "I" and "S" home from MetroKidz I witnessed a mother screaming and verbally abusing her children, these girls had just left the church, I wanted so bad to stop their mom and talk with her to yell and her to scoop these precious girls up and bring them home with me. I walked around the corner and literally had to blink back the tears, my heart was breaking for those girls, knowing that they were going home to this, that this was the life they lived. I am so excited that they've decided to come to MetroKidz and that they can feel unconditional love for a least a few hours a week. My goal is to research where these girls come from and make it a point to spend time with them, personally invest in them and share my life with them. To love them to the ends of the earth and back. Last night as I was drifting off to sleep I just couldn't help but pray for these girls, I don't know their names or whose class they were in last night, but I am determined to find out.

So I'm begging you to join me in prayer for my precious Mr. George, he's going through some stuff right now, and not making the wisest choices. I see him falling even further away than he already is. I love him, I encourage him and I try to be that shining light in his life. I beg him to come to church with me, I go out of my way on Sundays to swing by his house and invite him to come with me. I've noticed a change in his attitude lately, and I want my Mr. George back!

So before I close a few other things you can pray about:

*We're still praying for a financial miracle so we can buy our building it's such a financial burden on the owner and we need to set him free from that.

*I'm praying for personal finances so I can phase out of my job and phase into full time ministry, I desire nothing more than to get an afterschool program started by the spring. I want my kids to have a safe place to come in the afternoons, a place that they can be loved everyday!

*We're praying for Ms. Karen's health, for a kidney match so that she'll get better!

*Finally, I am praying for "Sa" and "C" as they are away at college, that they'll continue to excel, that they'll understand the privilege this is for them and they'll see the opportunities that are awaiting them.

Thanks friends!