An Invitation To New Life In Community

http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/03/innercity-riches-by-bart-campo.html

So the link is for an article I read today by Bart Campolo. It tells of the riches and depth of community when we are "somewhat intentional" in forming it as we minister in the inner city. It struck a cord for a few reasons. First, it was encouraging to hear that the ideal we are striving for in our ministry is attainable and real and can be deep and fulfilling. This occurs when like minded Christ followers move into a neighborhood together and commit to each other and to God to support an love each other and those they live among. Second, it almost made me cry...this is because we so long for just such a community of believers to live and work along side of us as we minister in the city of Miami. Do we have friends? Social network? Yes, but it is not the same. We deeply desire for a few more families to move into the neighborhood as Jesus moved into our world and became the Word made flesh. We desire others to encourage and share the load with us as we encourage and share the load with them and our other neighbors. So I encourage you to read the article and if this sounds like what you are looking for as well let's talk! Consider yourself invited! _ Michael

Representin' Ethiopia!

Just showing off the girls in their traditional wear!  

Fire in the Night

The phone call came while Erika and I were out on a date together trying to have some alone time. There had been a fire. 

 

Our neighbor Emmanuel and, his girlfriend of 17 years, Darlene had been asleep already when around 9pm there was an electrical fire started in Darlene's bedroom. She awoke engulfed in flames, and Emmanuel to her screams. As neighbors struggled to release her from the flaming room she was burned over 90% of her body. 

When Erika and I arrived they had already taken Darlene to the hospital, and Emmanuel was sitting in a chair in our drive way in shock. As events unfolded Erika and Laurie went to the hospital to pray with Darlene and share the Gospel with her. In the meantime I stayed with Emmanuel and prayed with him and comforted him as best I could all the while waiting for the fire department to clear the house and tell us what was next. 

Darlene passed away soon after Erika an Laurie left, mere hours after the fire started. Since that night it has been an endless saga of insurance companies, Red Cross reps, police reports, fire department reports, insurance companies, family politics, funeral arrangements etc. We have been helping Emmanuel through the process and ministering to him in all areas. He has been very open and grateful. 

Please pray for his soul's healing and for his grief process. Pray for all of the details such as insurance and housing to be taken care of and pray for us as we ministry to him. Pray that the street continues to step up as well and care for their neighbors. It has been good to see a core group of neighbors band together around him in this time of need as well. Finally pray for Christ to be glorified even in the midst of this suffering and tragedy. 

Michael's Breakthrough!!

As some of you know Michael has been on a 15 month journey with the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (www.devosurbanleadership.org) which is basically part boot camp, part retreat, and part grad school, with a focus on developing urban leaders who work with youth in the cities of America. This experience has been amazing and a great encouragement in our developmental process on both a personal and ministry level. 

Last weekend he presented his final project, a comprehensive "Breakthrough Plan" that lays out the blueprint for leading himself, his family, and the Urban Resurrection team to the "next level". It was  deeply encouraging to him as one after another his peers and the trainers from DeVos spoke highly of his plan and blessed his with prayer and ideas to better it. We look forward to seeing the results of this plan and hope you will too. Please keep him in prayer as he leads URez and the Miami community development networks into new and bold steps of positive change. 

Check out the DeVos website for more info on how it is impacting the city you may live in or near. We highly recommend the program. 

Bummer for missions!

Good Neighbor Initiative (pics)

Thought you would all enjoy some more pics of the Good Neighbor Initiative... (notice Isaac lending his hand to painting as well!) 

Just something to catch you up a bit...

Hey everyone, sorry it has been a little while since I updated the blog but we were out for the holidays and then once we returned it was full speed for a while to get caught up. Now it is leveling off a bit. So God continues to build relationships into our lives and we are surprised by the ways He uses us to influence others and instigate steps of transformation in peoples lives. I have had a few such incidences this past week. 

  

Our Good Neighbor Initiative has finished our first service project and we were able to bring a broad consortium of people together to do it. As we worked to paint the interior of our neighbors house and fix her bathroom toilet and sink we had several people from the neighborhood join our other volunteers to accomplish it which was very encouraging for us. Our neighbor is definitely excited about her new look inside and to have the use of her bathroom once again. 

Our Voice Groups have taken the slow route in starting back up but we were able to meet with a key young leader in the community and he was encouraged and encouraging (not to mention stinkin' funny). 

BEATS (Bringing Eternal Arts to the Streets) is about to have its second open mic/art expression night on the 15th Feb. We are excited for this one as it will have the theme of MLK's "I Have A Dream" and will be focused on expressing their dreams through the arts it is also a part of celebrating Black History month (Feb). We are trying to find a great venue for this event so keep that in mind if you want to pray for us in it. 

The kids are growing a the twins are walking. We just have to figure out how to get them out of destruction mode! I think we pressed the wrong button or something cause they make our house look like there was a tornado every day. They are fun but a lot of work too. :) I have attached our new team pic as well in case you wanted to see it. Don't worry I will put more pics on soon...(everyone keeps asking). 

Well, I know that wasn't a very polished entry but I am not in a polished mood. Ciao 

Yearning...far away

We have a good friend visiting Uganda right now and he is going to see our old home and the friends we have there. He is traveling there with some packages for our friends, letters with words written to express our heart to those we once were able to speak, and pictures to replace our very presence there. These thoughts stir echoes of a different time and a longing to return. Langston Hughes expressed it well in a poem not spoken from the same source that our longing derives its soul, yet somehow rings true even to my comparatively small experience there. So I wanted to share it with you...

Afro-American Fragment

So long,

So far away

Is Africa.

Not even memories alive

Save those that history books create,

Save those that songs 

Beat back into the blood-

Beat out of blood with words sad-sung

In strange un-Negro tongue-

So long, 

So far away

Is Africa.

Subdued and time-lost 

Are the drums -- and yet 

Through some vast mist of race 

There comes this song

I do not understand, 

This song of atavistic land,

Of bitter yearnings lost

Without a place-

So long,

So far away

Is Africa's

Dark face.