Tanaya, Tiona, and Some Crazy A Mall Ball

I cannot believe I have a little over 2 weeks until I head home. I am at open mic night right now, enjoying some good amateur singers and some awesome fellowship. Our days here are dwindling down and I have to say my heart has been hurting a good bit about that lately. It seems as though people and kids around the community are just now starting to trust us. Which obviously is a little disheartening, considering we are leaving shortly. I don't really know how to deal with that. The staff as a whole has been prayerfully believing in God that He would break down the walls of individuals in this community. He has answered those cries. The question is, what do we do with this now; the broken down walls and the softened hearts are hard to leave at this point. These are just initial thoughts to a healing/debriefing time I will end up going through.

Tonight I probably had the most fun I have had since I've been here. We took two of the girls (Tanaya and Tiona, twins, 16) who we work with, out to what we thought would be bowling and dinner. Bowling alley was closed, go figure. We ended up going to the mall and playing in the arcades for about an hour. You will be glad to know that I dominated in all of the games :) By the time we left I think all of our stomachs were hurting because we laughed so much. However, the best was yet to come. We won a couple of bouncy balls in the arcade. In this moment, the now famous game of Mall Ball was created. 2 ways to play. Here are the rules. First part, throw the bouncy ball as high as you can in the middle of the mall, first person to have possession of the ball gets a point. Needless to say, we were dodging people, jumping over benches, and having people duck in the process. IT WAS AMAZING. I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out. Really. (This is an awesome way to set a good example for those who your are building relationships with :). Second part of the game, get in an enclosed area of the mall where an entrance is. We were surrounded by 4 walls (there is the initial doors to enter the mall, and then about 10 yards away, the second set of doors). One person throws the ball as hard as they can having the ball bounce around the 4 walls like a pin ball machine; whoever gets posses ion of the ball first wins. Everything is fair game. Elbows thrown and people laying on the ground - its amazing. Again, this really was one of the most fun games I have ever invented/played. And I have video to prove it! Which is even funnier because those who decided to watch us probably thoughts we were psychos considering they couldn't see the bouncy ball, just 3 people running back and forth, jumping in an enclosed area. INSANE! My stomach hurts today from laughing so hard!!!

Last thing, we leave for Florida tomorrow at 7am. We will come back on Aug. 3. Please keep us in your prayers as our group will be ministering to the people of Belle Glade throughout the week. Even though the drive will be a little challenging for this A.D.D. kat, I am looking forward to the trip and super stoked to see some familiar faces :) :) :) you know who you are. Alright, I'm headed out with that. Again, please keep our Fl. mission trip team, along with the remaining staff members in the Quip in your prayers. Until next time, which will be in over a week, love deeply.

BREAKTHROUGH, ANGELA

So I almost cannot wait to write the rest of this blog, but I just wanted to let you know I am half awake typing this as well. We had a lock-in with our kids at the church last night. It consisted of movie time in the chapel, dance party in the chapel, food, and a lot of hide and go seek! All and all though, it was a pretty good time.

Ok, for the meat of this blog. This morning when I was walking back from the lock-in I saw Angela. Those of you who are keeping up with the blogs, you know I have asked for much prayer for Angela. If you haven't, here is a quick summary: always on the streets/corners, very uneasy spirit about her, wears same clothes over and over again - my complete assumption on this situation is that she is homeless, a prostitute, and an addict of some kind. Leading up to this week her interactions with me have been very hardening; no eye contact, very frustrated with me, and almost an attitude of why the hell are you talking to me. This of course has led myself along with others praying for her to pray even harder. The main prayers for her have been for a softened heart, salvation, and her finding her true identity. I saw her earlier in the week, which was the first time in a while. Her spirit was still a little standoffish (i just made that word up). I felt like I had hit a wall with her, not knowing really what else to talk to her about and ask her in our 2 minute convos we usually have. I walked away saying I just need to be bold with her. God put it on my heart that I really have nothing to lose.

A couple days later I saw here again, we had a normal 1-2 minute convo and then I started walking away. God stopped me in my tracks and reminded me of what He had laid on my heart. I turned around and said Angela, "I want you to know that we are still praying for you, and that Jesus really does love you." Her reply was simply, "thank you." We walked our separate ways. Which brings me to this morning. As I was rounding the corner heading home, I saw Angela in the distance. "Holy Spirit lead me," I said. She waved at me first before I made any comment to her. This alone is a breakthrough my friends. She usually sprints the other way, which is funny to me. We carried on the most beautiful 2 minute conversation we have ever had. I don't know if this is the result of her seeming sober/not trippin off of anything or what, but it was such an encouragement to me that God is softening her heart. What came next has pretty much left me numb up until this point of the day. Before I walked off, she said to me, "I am sorry for all the previous times, I really am." That is all she needed to say, actually she didn't even need to say that. I know God has grabbed a hold of Angela's heart. He is molding it and shaping it and softening it, to eventually take in the gospel. Angela agreed to meet up with me this upcoming week, so I will be interested to see if this happens. No I am not being pessimistic, I just know some of the reality of street life. I am asking you to join me in prayer for the crossing of paths this week with Angela. That God would truly pierce her heart in remembering that we are going to meet up and of course that if it is God's will He will give me that opened door to present the gospel. Please keep me in prayer as well regarding this specific situation. Matthew 10 says, "do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your Father speaking through you."

So a HUGE praise God for His faithfulness to His children. Amen. This week coming up will be extremely busy. We have some specific hang out times with individuals we have built relationships with throughout the summer, on top of the regular schedule. Also, we will be in preparation for heading to Florida for our mission trip with the kids. The plane ride didn't come through, so I expect ya'll all to start fasting and praying for me now thinking about driving 22 hours in a van with middle school kids! hahahahah - Hope all is well for everyone, I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks left here. Love deeply.

Randomness and a Little Shaking Up the Kingdom

As I said in my previous blog, we took some kids to Sandcastle this past weekend. (a water park here in Pitt) I will say this, to all you Texas peeps out there Sandcastle has nothing on Splashtown!!! We had a blast though! It was so good to just chill and have fun with the kids instead of disciplining and such. We have a busy week coming up, so I wanted to make sure I got at least one blog in. We of course have camp throughout the week, but we also have a lot of preparation for our upcoming camping trip this weekend, along with our Mission Trip to Florida next weekend. The funeral for our staff member's cousin is on Thursday, so we will be attending that as well.

With all that being said I just want to throw a BIG PRAISE up for something that happened last week. For those of you who know Drea, she started building a relationship with one of the kids here a couple years back. Last Friday while on a field trip this particular girl was acting out of the ordinary behavior wise. To make a long story short, Andrea had to sit with her in timeout during a field trip. Timeouts can go really good or really bad; this is a prime opportunity to get to know kids on a one on one basis and really pour into them. Through Caliente starting off the conversation with, "my uncle is with God," Drea was able to share the gospel with this child. A relationship between Caliente and our Savior was made. As I stated last blog, there is so much bondage, sin, oppression, and addiction in this city; but make no mistake about it Jesus Christ has claimed victory over Aliquippa! He will continue to reach down His hand and restore individuals one by one. Without a doubt, Jesus is hearing the cries of His children for the redemption of His people. Praise Him.

That is all for now. More later. Love deeply.

Go Read Psalm 100!

What up from the Quip! I have to type fast! We are leaving to go to Sandcastle (a water park) with seven of our kids here in a little bit. Wow, it's going to be a long day, but a blast! This past week was pretty interesting. First, my dear friend Andrea (from the north) came with two of her friends to help serve this past week. They were such a help with some things that needed to be done with day camp. It was so good getting to see her and spend time with them. Ya'll are awesome if you are reading this; if you're not reading this - then you're not awesome - blahaha! I must say though the most memorable moment of the week with them and a couple other innocent peeps was Wednesday night ..... a reservoir, no one around, and perhaps some swimming. Yes, swimming - we'll leave it at that!

This week however has brought some piercing situations for us here. Four kids were kicked off of our mission trip for certain reasons. This is a huge deal, trust me on this. I can't go into detail, because of the time. Also, a couple of days ago there was a shooting here in the Quip that took a life of one of our staff member' relatives. This was the 2nd cousin who was shot and killed in the last month. He was shot three times, one in the head. Our staff member grew up and lives here in Aliquippa. It has been an incredibly hard couple of days obviously for her and the community as well. From what I understand it was gang related. We as a staff are planning to take a day off next week to attend the funeral and support Chrystn. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. There is a lot of hurt right now in this community; the only way to combat this is through prayer.

Make no mistake about it that God is working here and His presence is being felt more now than ever through the streets of the Quip. People are noticing and seeking after who this God is. Praise Him. We are at a point now in the summer where hearts are being softened toward us and people are understanding that we are here to help, care for, and serve. This obviously gives us opportunity to share the gospel and speak truth to the beautiful people in this city. God has really spoken loudly to me this last week of how precious my relationship with Him is; how no one can take that away from me, how He is my Constant in my life. Psalm 100 says, "enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise." Amen and amen.

Dang, I have to go now. Sorry. I, once again am so thankful for each of you. Please know that I think about ya'll often throughout the days here. My return date is August 9. It will be very bitter, sweet. Please continue to lift myself, along with our staff up in prayer. We need it! Love deeply!

Philly, NYC and New Jersey in 48 Hours

I needed a breath of fresh air and I got it this weekend. Two of my crazy friends (Drea & Joey)and I decided Friday night at 7:30 (when we were supposed to be planning a camping trip for one night) to take a spontaneous road trip to all these cities above. Well, actually our destination was Philly, and then while we were in Philly we said, “well we might as well go to NYC” . . . and don’t ask how we got to explore New Jersey. Anyways, we stayed with my Grandma and Aunt Friday night and with Drea’s relatives Saturday night. We arrived at both places at around 3:00am in each city. We definitely extended our weekend to the utmost! It was so good to see family and hang out for a little bit! My Philly fam, if you’re reading this I love ya’ll and thank you so much again! We hung out in Philly Saturday. Ate cheese steaks, pretzels, ice cream, oh and explored the history of our forefathers. I know you are laughing at me now. We decided to also hit up the Simple Way, founded by Shane Claiborne. If you have read Irresistible Revolution – you know who and what this is. It was such an encouragement to hang out there even though we never talked to anyone. Off to NYC after that.


NYC was great. We had a little detour the night before, so we couldn’t spend as much time there as we originally wanted. It was AMAZING THOUGH. When we stepped foot on the streets of NYC it was worth it all! We had some pizza, bought some stuff and just really chilled there. A fresh of breath air indeed.


I think we all learned something on this trip, which made it all better. Though extremely hard, I love the feeling of being stripped of everything and having to rely completely and wholeheartedly on God. We had to do this. And it was great. We laughed and we loved. I am so thankful for my friends not only here, but everywhere. I am thankful that I got to spend a weekend with Drea and Joey. It was a trip to remember and I would do it all over again in a second. I think we learned a little about ourselves as well as each other. Joey, thank you again for allowing yourself to pour out the grace and love of the Father to others that He has poured out on you. Drea, thank you for being genuine and true to yourself, but most importantly thank you for allowing yourself to be used by the Lord in the ways that you do. Words cannot begin to express how genuinely thankful I am for having the opportunity to serve beside each of you this summer.


So that’s that. 48 hours of fun! Well, maybe a little frustration too, but SO WELL WORTH IT. Please continue to lift us up in prayer. I love ya’ll deeply!

Thoughts & Updates

Hey folks - hope this blog finds all of you doing well. Some updates for you. We finished Leadership Camp last Friday. I miss our kids already. We are now in the transition process of beginning Green Team. This camp is actually run by another non-profit organization. Though things have slowed down tremendously, this camp brings its own challenges as well. Myself and another AI staff member are there to basically help run things. We are struggling with keeping ourselves involved. And trust me on this - we try very hard. The bottom line is it's another program so they have their own expectations/rules/discipline procedures and it just doesn't quite measure up to what we are used to doing. The people we are under are very nice. We are just going to have to be very creative in how we interact with the kids and how we bring the Gospel to them.

Many of you have called and commented on my last post. Thank you for your support and prayers with this. There has been much prayer and faith involved in bringing back peace in my heart. Our God is a sovereign God and we as a staff here at AI have no choice but to trust Him and be in communion with Him on a minute to minute basis; or quite honestly if you don't the enemy will attack. I am so thankful that our Tuesday mornings will now consist of corporate worship and prayer together. We missed that when we were in LC. Yesterday we spent time in deep prayer lifting up specific individuals; praying over them and their chains of bondage. I have learned to be fully and completely dependent on the Lord through prayer here. In a place like this, you are stripped of everything. The phrase 'God Is Your Strength' is brought to a whole new level. Today I was very encouraged in taking a house visit to one of our kids. We went to drop off a permission slip. By the time we left, we were served a meal, had such an amazing conversation, prayed, and invited back. Trips like these to houses are very, very few and far between. As I said, I was very encouraged by the visit and warmth/hospitality the Swanson family showed us.

I want to share with you about a lady, in hopes of you being facedown in prayer for her and her salvation. Her name is Angela. The first week I was here I always saw her walking the streets and standing on corners. Every time I saw her I got a very strong uneasy, unpeaceful spirit about her. God did and has continued to put such a burden on my heart for her. I cannot go a day without thinking about Angela. I began praying for her about the 2-3 week we were here - that God would place her in my path throughout the day. He has. There have been a couple of times where I have tried to talk to her and she will say hi and walk off. Other times she will ask for a dollar, and walk off with a very agitated and frustrated attitude because I won't give it to her. Each time I have prayed for her the words "self esteem, identity, salvation, hope" keep burning inside of me. If I was to guess, Angela is a prostitute who is heavily addicted to some sort of substance. She needs help, she needs Jesus. Please join with me in praying for Angela. Specifics: that God would continue to cross our paths on a daily basis, for her to soften her heart to me, that the Holy Spirit would speak through me, and most importantly that God would open a door for me to share the Gospel with her. I am trusting in God for this to happen before the summer is up.

As we are at the half way point of the summer I have mixed feelings. It's almost as if it has gone so fast at times, and yet so slow at times as well. God has really spoke to my heart during this time of short term mission trips and what, if anything is the point of them. Uh oh, I might have stepped on some toes there. I don't apologize and I will love to sit down and talk to those of you about it when I get home who are curious of what God has laid on my heart. I have learned what Kingdom living consists of and the beauty, as well as the battles it involves. Please continue to pray for me and our staff as we push through this last month or so. Specifics: energy to make it through the day, truth to be spoken to us and through us, intentional interactions, open doors, and a supernatural love which we can reflect to the people of Aliquippa. I cannot express to you haw thankful I am for those of you who have committed to me in prayer. This is the only thing that keeps me going throughout the days. I am having a great time here and I am so thankful that God has brought me here for a specific purpose. You are a treasure to me. Until next time, love deeply.