Blessing from All Around

Wow, I can't even begin to tell you how amazing last week was, there were so many volunteers who showed up to help serve dinner to our community, the love that was poured out through the entire building, was simply amazing. We were able to serve a little over 200 people in a little over two hours! We met new and old friends, Pastor Mike came and I looked around the room and saw tons of my friends gathered in one place to serve and give thanks. It's so cool when I get to see my friends from Grace and Howard County, mix with my friends from the city and laugh and cry, sing, eat and dance together. It's such an encouragement to see families step out on faith and bring their entire family into the city and serve, not knowing where they are coming or what's going to happen there. The love, support and encouragement I have recieved from my friends and strangers is so so so amazing!

Last night, something pretty special happened, I was invited to share my heart with an amazing group of women. I felt so welcomed, so encouraged into their bible study, I was so excited to share my heart and testimony with them. They also made so many cookies for our from 'Junk to Jesus' event, that I will be forever grateful to them for. I am so excited to continue to share my life with them, know that they are praying for me and hopefully get to share the community with some of them who might be interested in visiting. If any of you are reading this Thanks ladies, the love I felt from your study group was amazing!!!

Tonight, something pretty special is going to happen, Major Brock from the Southwestern District is coming to visit and share his heart and desires with our kids. I am so excited for him to come and see the kids and see how many kids we have. To begin to form relationships with them, to be able to use them to make the neighborhood a better place. Major Brock as I've mentioned in a few blogs now has a HUGE HUGE heart for the kids and desires nothing more than to tackle the gang problems that plague our neighborhoods. I am so excited.

December is a month of special events for us, next week is "From Junk to Jesus," guest speaker and local author Mike Weber will share his life with the kids, community members and friends at Charm City Church, a cookie reception will follow his talk, let me know if you're interested.

December 14th, we pick up our toy from toys for tots, and that evening we're having a wrapping party with a few friends from church, if you want to come hang out wrap gifts, listen to worship music and fellowship with us, let me know. Also if you happen to have any wrapping paper lying around that needs to be put to good use, I would love to take it off your hands :)!

December 15 I have a missions team coming into to basically overhaul the close pantry, get rid of clothes, and do whatever else might need to be done that day. Weather pending we're planning to do a prayer walk through the neighborhood.

December 19th is when we'll host our Annual Metro Kidz Christmas Party, I'm so excited about this night, it's going to be a night for us to show God's Love, Share God's Love and invite kids to come to christ, that might not normally come to Metro Kidz. It'll also be another exciting night of intermingling my friends :)! We needs lots of help if you're around and want to join us!

December 25th Christmas! I'm sad I won't be here for my first Christmas at Charm City, but I am super excited I will be home celebrating with my family.

Now for some prayer requests:

Of course prayer for all of the above events would be much appreciated
For my friend Jeromy as he travels to Africa to be with his family and proceed with their adoption procedure
Pastor Mike and his Family
For finances for me, so I can continue to work my nanny job a few hours a week and give the rest of my time to my ministry
Wisdom as I plan to change a few things within the ministry and plan a few special nights outside of typical Metro Kidz nights
And for patience!

I love you all!!!!

Hanging by a thread, Police Commisioner and Needs

So last night at Metro Kidz was an interesting one to say the least! The kids were all kinds of wild last night from the time they walked in the door until the time they left. Name calling, things broken, teachers cursed out YIKES! Things thrown, welcome to Metro Kidz, these nights happen. Sometimes I wonder why my friends come back, but I know that God has placed them in my life and ministry to make a difference, teach and learn. I think every week, we all learn something new about each other, about ourselves and about our kids.

I met with the police commissioner and he's going to come speak to the kids, sometime in November. I was very encouraged by his willingness to step out on faith with us, and I only hope and pray that he holds true to his words. That he really does help make a difference in our neighborhood through our kids, we're practically handing him the resources, now he just has to make wise choices regarding them.

So we're getting ready to kick off a busy time at the church. I am so excited about what God is doing there, we have a few needs:

Stockings not the teeny tiny ones, but the small ones
Stocking Stuffers
Candy (candy canes, kisses, chocolates, hard candy etc)
Gloves
Hats
Scarves

Thanks Friends!

Heartbreak for Real

As I was leaving the church last night, I ran into a little girl whose kind of taken my heart and run with it, she's beautiful, she's excited about learning about Jesus and she wants all of her friends to come to Metro Kidz. She's so beautiful you can see her smile and heart through her eyes, but if you look hard enough you see the saddness too. As I was leaving last night, I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go home, but I couldn't I put aside the fact I was tired and somewhat cranky and proceeded to put my belongings in my car, and spend time with these kids.

Ira, Tyeandre and Anthony, finding out how old they are, where they live, what they like to do for fun, what grade they are in, if they've ever been to metro kids and what schools they go to. Laughing and playing with them made me realize just how important my job is. For some of these kids, the love that is shown through myself and other volunteers at Metro Kidz is the only source of love these kids are getting. Eventually I had to say goodbye to these precious children and go home for the night.

I pulled my car off the lot and got out to close the gate and "T" wanted to badly to help me lock up the gate and talk about the holes in the iron and how people must have been trying to get in! He was so super cute! As I walked back to my car the littlest of these three begged me to bring them home with me, they wanted to know where I lived, why they couldn't come and when I would be back. It was so heartbreaking to know that at such a young age they can see the difference in where I come from and where they come from and they know in their heads that I go home to a nice home at night, a hot meal, a warm bed and a loving group of people everynight and they don't. It broke my heart to stand on the corner and explain to them all of the reasons why I couldn't take them home with me, and for them to want nothing more that to come anyways. As I was driving home I tried to wrap my head around the logic and what must have been going through their heads at the time. It broke my heart and made my day all at the same time to be able to have this communication with these kids.

So if I you could just keep them in your prayers tonight as you spend time in your loving group, eat your hot meal and climb into your warm bed, I would appreciate it!

Thanks!

:)!

Just a little update...

I attended the meeting with police commissioner on Monday it was very discouraging in the way that he pretty much told us that there wasn't much he could do for the communities that are willing to help him make them better. He's more concerned about the crisis already happening other places, which in my eyes is a good thing too, but what is he doing to prevent the same kind of problems in other areas of the city. I found him to be very discouraging, but I met the commander for my area, and I have a very good feeling about him.

I love the ladies of Build, I really feel encouraged by them and their willingness to get things done!!!

DCCentral Kitchen

Goodmorning! I feel like I should be updating this more, but these days I'm spending less and less time sitting at the computer working and more time out networking and doing footwork. Friday morning four of us piled into one of the vans at 7:00 a.m. yes 7:00 a.m. and drove in the middle of DC/Baltimore traffic to the DC Central Kitchen (http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/), this place is amazing, basically they take homeless, just out of prison, just out of detox people who are in a transitional phase in their life and put them through a 13 week intense training, which includes culinary training. At the end of the class they are trained enough that they could essentially go out into the "real" world and get a job working as a chef. But that's not really the importance of the program.



Robert Eggar started the program when he realized that it's great to help the homeless or less fortunate by feeding them, but what are we doing as a society too get them off the streets? So he started this program which allows them to be empowered and encouraged. It's someting we really want to mimick in Baltimore. Check it out, let me know if you might be interested in heading down to volunteer with us for a day!