Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sisters, Sisters

Hi Friends,

I just wanted to update about a special trip we took with some of the girls last week to go ice skating in central park. Kirstin and I had promised to take one of the younger girls out a while ago and so we finally decided to take her and her older sister out ice skating. We had such a great time and the girls were really pros- by the end they were skating backwards and on one foot and even doing spins! It was also a great time for them to bond as sisters which is much needed and tough when the older/younger battles are always going. Here are some pictures:





I hope you're all doing well and getting as excited for the holidays as we are, we've got lots of great plans for how to spend them that are gonna be loads of fun and hopefully a blessing to our neighborhood too, grace and peace folks!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Sharing the Gospel

Good Morning Everyone,

It's been a really exciting week here as God has been showing up pretty unexpectedly in our conversations with neighbors. As He would have it, all of those neighbors are teenaged boys and He has not in fact given us any men to mentor these boys but He has placed a curiosity in their hearts. Most of the time I don't really understand God or the way He moves but I think that is a good thing.

On Monday night
this week, Sara and Val were hanging out with two boys from the block and one of our guy friends who was staying with us for a while. One of the boys comes over all the time but is pretty wrapped up in the hood lifestyle and mostly just talks about girls, this boy brought over one of his friends who we'd never met before. Conversation of course turned to girls, and our friend Clinton who was staying with us was able to preach the gospel to them about girls, sex, being black, drugs, and life in general. Sara and Val were pretty floored and encouraged by their talk and the boys seemed to really take it to heart and be interested, one of them even mentioned it to me the next day.

Then on Thursday Kirstin and I were having dinner with the other two boys who live next door, they come over almost every night now and I make them grilled cheese. These boys have quickly become some of our favorites, for some reason they love hanging out at our house and telling us about their days. They are so respectful and smart both of them (although of course they've got their issues too). We were just having normal conversation when all of a sudden one asked me, "Who killed Jesus?" Kiki and I looked at each other stunned and I gave an explanation, ending with telling them about our own sin and that really Jesus had to die for each of us. Then they asked, "So who was Jesus?" We talked about it a bit and then dinner ended and we had promised to take some of the girls ice skating so we left. I think I'm going to give each of these boys a copy of the new testament and ask them if they want to read it, either on their own or with some of us!

I never imagined that God would ask us to be the spiritual mothers of these kids but until he provides them with more permanent men in their lives who are willing to take on the task we are happy to do it! Pray for us that we'd have the boldness and understanding to speak the gospel into these boys lives and that we would be able to find men to also do this with them!

Peace,
(with more to come on the ice skating adventures as soon as Kiki puts up the pictures)