Miami is one of the least livable cities to live in!!!

Hey check this article out. It gives just one more reason for us to fight hard for justice in the urban centers of the world. Miami is one place that the stark realities of economic inequality is seen clearly evidenced. 

More Pics...

Thought you all would like some more pics of the Block Party

Carter Street Thanksgiving "Block Party"

On Nov. 17th we had our first annual Carter Street Thanksgiving Block Party! It was a real hit. Everyone brought a dish to share and we provided the turkey which were donated to us for the occasion by a local church partner.  We were really excited to have this event because it not only served to bring the immediate effect of gathering the street together to celebrate and give thanks, it also served as a kick off event in our efforts to bring a greater sense of community to our street and to begin organizing a neighborhood action committee or block club. We had over half of the residents of our street show up and all were very excited about the time and thought it was great. Many expressed the desire to see it happen more regularly which opened the door for us to talk about organizing together and moving forward as a street. The pics are just a few of the 65 people who joined in for the meal, music and fun. 

Shots in the Night!

Well it has been a sad and eventful weekend. On Saturday morning we awoke to the news that there had been a shooting in our neighborhood. Not just any old shooting but this man was gunned down by five others and was shot over 30 times!!! In the same night another man was stabbed to death in a seperate incident. All of this in one weekend. The violence continues to escalate in our small community as drugs and the traffic it brings continues unchecked. Many could look at these instances and dismiss them as "just another shooting of an unwanted menace to society" but we know that they were fathers, sons, husbands, uncles, friends who grew up with many of those we know here in the Grove. As we have learned the details surrounding these killings and the ways that these losses are being felt by some of our friends in the community it tears our hearts and serves as a wake up call to pray and to act to try to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Will it happen again? Probably, these things usually trigger other events. Can we be a part of the solution to these and other problems like them that plague our communities? YES! and we must. We must stand for justice and mercy at the same time. We must seek to find the hurting who have so recently lost their loved ones and bring the love of Jesus to them and the healing that only He can give to the wounded souls. Please pray for us as we seek to do this. We know that one of the men has two young daughters and we know many of his friends and relatives. Please pray as we seek to minister to them and walk along with them in their grief. One of our neighbors grew up with this man and has told us, choked with emotion, that he was one of his best friends "coming up in the hood". This is real life...and death on the frontlines... and the front lines are in our neighborhoods.