Hope...

I've been thinking about this entry for over a week, and I've started to write a multitude of times and finally today, I think it's time. I've written in my blogs a few times about the DD's in my neighborhood, well I have been able to establish pretty significant relationships with some of them. I've also been able to establish a form of trust with them and an understanding that dealing against the church building is unacceptable. I love these kids with everything in me, a couple of weeks ago I couldn't sleep and I really felt like I should go to the church, so I came and I just spent some time in the sanctuary praying.

As I was leaving I heard, "Hey Miz Colleen, you're not even going to acknowledge us," in my head I was thinking about how it was the wee hours of the morning and I should just get in safe car and go home, but in my heart I knew I had to acknowledge these boys. Boy am I ever glad I did, I had the opportunity to tell them about the hope I have in them and how much I believe in them, even when they don't believe in themselves or have hope in themselves that I did. It was such a great conversation and I was really taken aback by the words that God had given me to reach these boys.

Well fast forward to last week and one of the boys who I had this conversation with came running up to me and told me that he believed in hope, and that he thought he was finding hope within himself and he was so excited about getting his GED and attempting to get out of the dealing. I have so much hope in this young man, I desire nothing more than for him to succeed. Would you join me in praying for "J"?

I have challenged him to join us at Charm City for our Teen program, I've referred him to Coil, and I've told him that if he's willing to do the work we've got an entire body of people ready to love and support him. I am so excited about the potential this young man has!

Thanks for praying with me!

Praying for a father and his kids

This evening before I headed to Fusion, I picked up some of my favorite kids and took them to Pastor Mike's house so they could watch football and hang out. When I picked them up, there dad came out and greeted me. The first thing out of his mouth, "Hey ma'am, how are my kids doing? They doing alright?" He genuinely wanted to know how his kids were, the sad part is it that I truly believe this daddy wants to be a good daddy, but he doesn't know how. It breaks my heart.

The next thing out of his mouth, was thank you, thank you for loving my family, thank you for loving my kids and thank you for being here today. There is a lot going on within this family and with this daddy. I am praying so hard for him, and for his kids. There's a good chance he'll spend the next 10-15 years away from his children. There's a good chance he won't see his kids continue down the successful paths they are headed down.

Tonight as I think about them, my eyes well up with tears, these kids love their dad, even in all of the chaos and through all of his faults. The girls told me tonight that they knew their daddy is saved, but they don't know about their mom and they are praying for her.

Will you join those girls in prayer for their mom? That she may take comfort in the promises that God has for her life?

Will you join me in prayer for these kids and their daddy? Will you join me in praying for this mom, that if her husband indeed has to go away for 10-15 years, that she'll be strong and continue to care for her kids in the proper way. And finally will you pray with me that these kids will continue down the paths of success they are headed down, regardless of the chaos taking place in their home?

Teaching How to R.A.P. and Let Christ work

All I can say about last night is WOW! The class I have been serving in lately is a combined class of 3-6th grade boys, unfortunately it's sad to have such a wide age gap, but fortunately they work together very well, well last night I taught the class and it was so rewarding! Last week Bryan asked the boys to tell us what they'd like to learn about this year, a few of the boys mentioned prayer and I couldn't help but think about the RAP talk I had given a few years ago, and how I so much wanted to share it with the boys! So that's right last night I taught the boys how to RAP!

Now, I know what you might be thinking, no I didn't Rap, I thought about it, but my creative juices just wouldn't let me, so instead I taught them how to (R) Repent (A) Ask (P) Pray. Repent their sins, ask for forgiveness and then pray and thank God for his forgiveness. I was actually very surprised at two things, one who alert and in tune they were and two how excited they were too look up verses. These boys are amazing, they have been blessed with an amazing leader (Bryan) and now co-leader (Mat), these boys are going to continue to soar!

In other exciting news one of my other amazing leaders (Ms. Crystal) got to see what a difference her investment is making in the lives of her class last night. Crystal leads our 1/2nd grade class, full of the cutest, most talkative kids you'll ever meet, however last night she said her class was amazing and the proceeded to tell me why :)! Last night two of her kids gave their lives to Christ! These are two boys, who I know that Crystal has lifted up in prayer. I am so happy for her and for these boys. I am so excited to watch them grow in Christ and be an example for the rest of their class.

Please join me in prayer for all of our kids, that they'll let Christ in, that we'll be able to watch them grow in Christ and that they'll all be great examples of who Christ is!

Did you know....

That a recent survey says that only 38.5% of highschoolers in Baltimore City, graduate? We are number four on the list for lowest graduation rates, with Detroit being the worst with a 25% graduation rate. Another interesting fact is that the suburbs surrounding Baltimore City have an 85% graduation rate. The highest rate Baltimore City has seen within the last 10 years is 47%.

These rates make me sick to my stomach! However, I am happy to tell you that the three seniors I have in my progam, are graduating this Spring and on time. I pray for these boys, I beg for God to reveal a plan to these boys, that they will see there's something bigger out there for them if they just continue to seek and chase. I know that at least one of them has a dream to go onto college and possibly play ball. The other two dream and have potential but they need motivation. I pray that God sends positive males into their lives to motivate them and help them stay on the right track.

I think they key to success in all three of these boys, is community involvement, parental involvement and motivation from outside sources. One of these boys comes from an extremely dysfuctional home, where there is a lot of abuse (physical, mental and severe drug abuse by the father) but the one thing that is a priority in their household is doing well in school, in fact a few years ago there father was voted Father of the Year at one of the schools for his involvement in their education. The other two boys come from a family, where their mother is EXTREMELY involved, in fact she's one of the only parents who's ever said thank you to us for what we're doing with her boys, and told us that it's partly because of us that they are were they are. I've taken these three boys to Saturday school on several occasions for so that they could get extra help, or study time.

I smile from ear to ear because I am SO proud of them, and have told them that I will be the crazy white lady screaming as loud as I possibly can when they get there diplomas this spring! I hope you'll join me in praying for these three boys, that they can keep plugging along for the next few months and that I can continue to motivate and encourage them along the way :)!

Photo: One of my graduating Seniors!

Post-visiting Kids

If there's one thing that I've done in the past few months that seems to have greatly benefited my team and I, it's plan visiting days we had our very first one this Saturday. The core group of junior teachers, met at the church, prayed and then ventured out to visit some of our kids homes. We decided that even though it was bitter cold we decided we would walk to all of our kids homes, all of them live within a few blocks radius of the church. Spending time in our families homes is such a rewarding experience next stop was Ms. J's house, she has four kids in our program two young boys who need a lot of love and attention, and two older girls who also desire that same love and attention. Ms. J also has a special needs child A who we need to constantly keep in prayer, he's losing weight at a very rapid weight and unfortunately doesn't really have the weight to spare, he's 16 years old wheelchair bound and at most weighs 70lbs.

Next stop was Furrow St. it's a small street in Southwest Baltimore, that is very desolate most of the homes on the street are boarded up and abandon, there's not much activity on the streets during the day, but at night it become a totally different place, one that I fear for my kids who live on this street. We visited two families on this street, this was such a rewarding experience for us, not just because we got to visit our kids in their homes, but also because we got to bond as a team and spend time together. We spent the whole morning/early afternoon together as a team, laughing, enjoying a meal together and growing. I am excited for more opportunities to grow like this as a team.

Visiting Kids!

This weekend is the first time we're meeting as a group to spend two solid hours visiting our kids in their homes. I am so excited to do this as a group! Visiting our kids outside of MetroKidz is a way for us to reach beyond them and into their families. On the few visits I've been on in the past I've been welcomed by most parents, but there are a few parents who don't care where their kids are on Wednesday nights, they don't care that we love them or what we're teaching their kids, those parents break my heart. There's also some unknown with visiting our kids, we never know what we're going to get when we go to their homes, we work with kids who live with prostitutes as moms, drug dealer daddies and gang members, so tomorrow as we're visiting our kids, I pray for opportunities to speak into the lives of these people, to love them regardless of the situation and for God to allow amazing conversations to happen. Thanks for praying with us/for us!