3rd Camp Essay

Here's the next essay in the series. Topic: What do you think the perfect president would be like?

My Essay on The Best Pres.

I think the best president would stop the gas prices from going up, stop the
war, and help the community. Well you havent heard anything yet.
Another thing that I think the best president would be like is they would
fundraise to the poor.

The Best President would make fair laws to all equal
rights. He/She would do more activities for children to stay active.
They would also help the economy/nature. To tell you the truth I really
dont know what the best president would be like, but if I put myself or imagine
me in those footsteps I would know so the best president would let all equal
rights have the freedom to say/speak their minds without having to go to
jail. They would let the people march or stand up for things they believe
in without being punished.

I think the best presidents would be better
than any other job. Im running out of things but I'll try to keep
going. Well......I also think they would have fair authorities. To
me a best president would protect his/her country, doing what is best for the
people. Im not very good at this but im trying my best. No more
interruptions, carrying on.

Well once again as I was saying the best president
would be more of a role model to little kids. Telling them whats right and
whats wrong. They would make sure that the little kids be happy. The
most important part of a Best pres. is to NEVER TURN AGAINST your country TO
stick with them, hey! maybe even stand up for them. The key to knowing
what the best Pres. is is to know what that person is like. It depends on
how the person is, how they act and how their role modeling skills are. Do
they inspire kids? Do they take care of homeless people? What do you
think? The last thing is I think the best pres. would never leave a child
behind in school or anything. They would help the homeless.

One month...

UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY!!

Woohoo! Just wanted to let you know so that you can save up for the awesome birthday present you're going to give me :)

Essays...

The kids essays have started coming in a little more now, and it's been fascinating to read them. I shared one with you in my last post, when I asked you to guess what grade the writer was in. For the record, he was in 7th grade.

It's been neat to read the kids' opinions when it comes to what the perfect president would be like, and you can pick up hints of what each family is going through based on the things that are important to each child. I want to share some more of these with you -- I'll post one at a time over the next few days or so. Feel free to comment if something strikes you, but definitely take time to consider what is heavy on the hearts of this generation.

The Prefect President

Hi my name is ____ _____ _____. I am about to tell you what I think The Prefect President would be.

First I think that the prefect president would be black. I think this because there is no black presidents. It would be the first all black president.

Secondly I think it should be a all black female because it hasn't been a all black female either.

Next I would want it too be demacrate. I want it to be that because that is may favorite president side.

That is all the thing I would want in a president.

That is not all I want. This is the rest of the things I want too happening when this prefect president is choosing.

First I would want her to stop the war. Then I would want her too make peace with every single place in the world.

After that I would want her too send all The soilder home to be with there family.

Then I would want her to stop immagation.

I would walso want every body to have a job. I would want all the bumb to have somewhere to live with lots of food.

I would want all the bad thing to stop with who every listen to the president. She will be so prefect that she will serve 8 yrs in the Presidents place. So every body will call her the prefect president.

What grade do you guess?

One of the kids turned in his camp essay recently. Overall, it's one of the more coherent ones I've seen. Still, I figured I'd share it so that you can try to guess what grade he's in, based on his writing skills. The assignment was to write a short essay about what they think the perfect president would be like -- what he'd be like, what he'd do, how he'd treat the people, etc. I've copied everything as exactly as possible (going from handwriting to typing).

The Prefect President.

If I could clone a perfect President. He would be... Caring Respecful, Giving, loyal.

Caring to Others. He is going to Care adout the safely of his people and country. He will also try to avoid wars but if he must he will. I think this is important because there are people with cancer that have no money. He will start a fundraiser for them. The money will go straight to their families.

He would respect People and there rights. If he is in the Prime Minister Of China he will Be respectfull. He will bow to show respest.

Giving, He would give food to the poor. He would give money to suppot orphanges He would delevelope parks in low income neighborhoods. They will also have a Boys & Girls Center. This is important BeCause people need to eat and have somewhere safe to go.

Loyal to his people and Country. He will not be deceitful. When he say he is going to do something he will. This is important Because people, and I for one, do not want suprises such as wars.

In Conclusion This is my idea of a pefely cloned president, because he will put his people and country first.

So, what grade do you think he's in?

Funny Quote of the Day

First, good news -- by the miraculous provision of God, we made $1,200 at the camp fundraising bakesale today! Last year we only made around $200, so this was a huge surprise, Thank you Jesus!

Upon hearing the figure, one of our kids, K, exclaimed


"$1200?? A drug dealer couldn't even make that in a day!!!"



While that statement may or may not be valid, and sounds kind of funny at first, it speaks volumes to the frame of reference our kids live in.

Can I run my fingers through your hair?

Some days I really wish I was married. Like today, for instance. Not really because I want a husband (I'm pretty content right now...), but because I wouldn't run into situations like this so much...

I stopped to pick up the mail at the Benbow's house, and when I got out of the car, I saw my friend R sitting on the stoop across the street. I had just seen him last night, and we said a quick hey, how are ya, etc., then went on our ways. Here's what happened tonight...

R (on the other side of the street, yelling): Hey! Do you know who I am?

Me: Uh, what?

R: Do you know who I am?

Me: Well, unless I lost my memory between yesterday and today, yeah.

R: (takes off his glasses) You remember me?

Me: R, what are you talking about?? Of course I know who you are. Are you smokin' somethin'?

(R comes over to give me a hug. I try to give him a "side hug," but that's kind of hard when someone's coming at you like a bear coming in for a kill...)

Me: Whoo! You're not smokin' anything but you sure have been drinking!! I can smell it on ya!

(R laughs a little bit)

R: Can I run my fingers through your hair?

Me: WHAT?!

R: What? Can I run my fingers through your hair?

Me: Uh, NO.

R: Well, can I just touch it?

Me: No. I think you need to go sit back down across the street.

R: What? Why?

Me: R, you need to go to bed. Come talk to me when you're not drunk.

R: Okay, well, can I have another hug?

Me: No. You've met your hug quota for the day.

R: My quota?? Alright, well, I love you.

Me: Uh huh.

(I started to walk towards the house at this point)

R: Uh huh?? What do you mean uh huh?

Me: I don't know, uh huh. Is that bad?

R: Yeah it's bad. You're supposed to say I love you too R.

Me: Alright, I love you too, R. Now go to bed.

R: Alright. I'll see you later.

One Day at a Time

I'm only human;
I'm just a man
Help me believe in what I could be
and all that I am
Show me the stairway
I have to climb
Lord for my sake
Teach me to take
One day at a time

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you
Give me the strength to do everything
that I have to do
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Help me today
Show me the way
One day at a time.

"We met on the chat line..."

Yesterday I ran into a teen boy that I got to know a little bit last year. T was sitting on a fence, waiting for his shoes to dry (that could be a whole story in itself). Here's the way our conversation went:

D (me): So, how are things going?

T: Pretty good. I'm getting ready to move to South Carolina.

D: South Carolina? What's there?

T: I'm going to live with my girlfriend.

D: Oh, ok. Do you have a job lined up yet?

T: Yeah, at Burger King.

(Don't laugh yet...it gets better)

D: So, when are you moving?

T: At the end of this week.

D: Geez, you really are moving soon! How'd you meet your girlfriend?

T: We met on the chat line. I figured, now that we've talked for a while, we might as well meet.

D: Wait a minute...you've never met her, and you're moving in with her?!?! What if she's, like, 80 years old and 800 pounds or something???

(I know, I'm a little dramatic sometimes)

T just stares, with a surprised expression on his face.

D: You know she could be lying right? That's pretty crazy to just move in with her when you've never met her.

T: Yeah, I guess maybe we'll just meet this time. I don't know. (with a smirk) I guess she could be 80 years old.

D: And 800 pounds.

(We both kind of laughed for a second)

D: Well, best of luck to you.



Just another crazy day in the neighborhood...

Rejection

One of our girls, K, is pregnant. 5 months or so, now. About a month ago Suzanne and I took her out to dinner to talk to her about her pregnancy, what her plans were, and to make sure she knew all of her options. Overall, it went very well. We had dinner, then went over to Target to pick up some maternity clothes for her, as she could no longer button her jeans. Later, I went out and picked up one more outfit for her. Everytime we've seen her since then, she's been wearing one outfit or the other, so it was clear that she needed some more clothes. When we were out the first time, we told her that we'd see if we could find some more for her, and she said that sounded fine.

Fast forward to today. A friend of ours bought several outfits for K, and I had picked up another piece or two as well. They've been sitting at my house for a week or two. Today we saw K at her grandma's house, and she didn't speak to us. At all. I figured that she must've just woken up or something -- a lot of our kids are pretty grouchy if they're tired. Later we ran to my house to pick up the bag of clothes to take to her. Suzanne jumped out of the car and took them over to K. To our surprise/dismay/hurt/??? K, with a hardened look on her face, said "I don't want them. I don't need them." And turned away.

I don't know what happened in the last month. I don't know why she's so angry with us, but it's clear something has happened. I wonder if it's the "charity" thing, that maybe someone said something to her about it. I don't know. At this point, I don't even view it as charity. She's a friend, a loved one. Whether she needed maternity clothes or not, I still would have wanted to buy her some, just because it's so exciting.

Anyhow, it didn't bother me so much at the moment, but the more I think about it, the more it saddens me. In a deep, deep way.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I went on the women's retreat with my church a few weeks ago. I really liked the speaker. Besides all of the important things like being theologically grounded, spirit-led and compassionate, she was real. What do I mean by that? Well, to start, she's on her 3rd husband. She had bad relationships before coming to Christ, and had really lived through some hard times with her kids. Of course I would never wish the type of life she had on anyone, and I don't think she's a "better" Christian because she's gone through some of the more technicolor "trials and tribulations," but sometimes it's just nice to meet someone who has a common life experience...someone who understands why you act the way you do, or believe things the way you do. Most people who have never experienced abuse first hand are unable to grasp those concepts, and understandably so...the impact abuse has on a person is made on the deepest level of a soul, which is why it's often so hard to get over.

During one of her talks, the speaker mentioned her son. Her second husband was physically abusive, and targeted his stepson most of the time. After they separated, her son did what most kids do, talk about what he wanted to do when he grew up. Except for him, it wasn't become a firefighter or an astronaut. When he grew up, he wanted to kill his step-father. No joke. When she said this, several women in the room looked shocked. Not me...it was a sentiment I knew all too well. While this wasn't my main goal in life, I day dreamt about what it would be like to kill my sister's dad. He made our lives a living hell for several years, and even after he and my mom were separated (and even to this day), he still screwed around with us. I never made a serious plan or anything...just thought about it. I sometimes wished he would come back and attack us one more time, so that I would be justified in shooting him. Don't know where I'd get a gun, but that wasn't relevant. This all happened to be at the same that several news stories broke about teenage boys killing their fathers for abusing their mothers, and they got off scott-free.

I think all this ran through my mind from the time I was 10 years old to 15 or 16 maybe...and I knew I'd never do it. But there was something satisfying about the thought of vengeance. Even though I knew God was in control, and that I needed to leave it to Him, I still dreamt about it. I think at that point, my anger, my rage, owned me. I still fall into hatred sometimes...and still sometimes wish my sister's dad to hell...but God's helping me make progress. I love the idea of grace & forgiveness...but sometimes I just don't understand it...or like it, depending on who it's applied to.

Anyhow, I didn't really set out to bear all of this...they say writing is cathartic, so here it is.

Divorce

I overheard an interesting conversation in the grocery store near my house today. An older man (in his 70s) ran into a younger man (in his 40s), of whom he had know his parents. Here's a snippet of the conversation:

Older Man: So, how are you? Are you married now?

Younger Man: No, I don't marry 'em...I just live with them!

Cashier: That's not what you're supposed to do!

Younger Man: Well, if I never any of 'em, I won't have to divorce any of 'em either.

Cashier: No, you need to marry them! When I graduate in a few years and become a lawyer, I'll need your money! I can represent you.


That certainly wasn't the reason I expected her to give for him to marry them. A sad sign of the times...

Thank you

Thank you to whoever it was that sent me a wonderful prayer of encouragement in the mail yesterday. I received it this evening, and it meant more than you know.

Praise be to God.

New House, Prayer List

I've been thinking of lots of things to blog about lately, but I figured I'd start with this: I'm finally in the new house! It's been an exciting few weeks being in here. The transition was much easier than I expected, but it's probably because I've been so busy I can hardly see straight. Lots of people cautioned me about how weird/scary it would be truly living by myself, but praise the Lord, it really hasn't been. The only thing that still creeps me out a little is taking a shower...wouldn't know if anyone came in or not...but, this too shall pass :)

I got to meet one of my neighbors yesterday. I think she's around my age, has a two year old and lives with her boyfriend in his grandparent's house. She seems really nice, so I'm excited to get to spend some time with her.

Now, some prayer requests for some of the kids in our 'hood. Lots of heartbreak happening right now...
-- 16 year old Y is in jail. She was charged with armed robbery, etc.
-- Twin brothers Z & Z are taking turns in a detention center for (I think) jumping a kid
-- 16 year old K is pregnant, taking the first step into a vicious family cycle
-- 17 year old T is in a destructive relationship, which weighs heavily on her family
-- A family we know has something going on that is having a significant impact on all the kids, but we just can't put our finger on what it is

All of this and lots more. Stay tuned.

An Amazing School Turnaround

Thought this was a pretty neat story -- wanted to share.

A Plea for Prayer

I posted recently about the feeling of unrest I have sensed in the neighborhood. It's amazing how you can sense the demons that are at work here. Since that post in October, things have only gotten worse. I wish I could describe the feeling that I have, but I guess we'll just leave it at discernment. It's sort of like a blanket of sadness...you just know that things aren't right. There's a sense of grieving there too, although not for one specific person. Instead, it's for hundreds of people. It's grieving about life, rather than death.

Since the last post, Marshall and I had our tires slashed over Thanksgiving. No reason that I know of as to why, other than an attempt by Satan to discourage us. There have been two shootings this week, the first was a young woman who was shot in "rear end," and thankfully only had minor injuries. The second was a man who died as a result of his injuries (in the article, he's the one who was shot on Gregory St). Just before Thanksgiving, one of the boys I have spent time with in the past was shot, most likely as a result of gang violence. While he's not in our direct neighborhood, he's less than a mile away.

So, now I am asking you to please pray. Pray for our neighborhood, pray for the safety of the people who live here. Pray that the Lord would shower love on the men and women who would do evil. I don't want them to leave, I want them to be transformed. And I believe it can and will happen. Please join us in praising God for our neighbors, and praising Him in advance for the amazing change that is to come in Glenwood.

A Day of Reunion

As I got out of my car today I heard the familiar call that I have missed so much for the past several months - -“Hey there young lady!” It was *Bob! Bob is a homeless man who stays in my neighborhood quite often. He used to greet me with this, often yelling it from half a block away, several times a week. I looked forward to my chats with Bob. He used to tell me that even he could be a preacher! He’s always been one of my favorite people, mostly because of his constant joy, even in the midst of his heartbreaking situation. Today, we chatted about life, about his long family history in the Masons, and how the female counterpart to the Masons is a group called the Eastern Stars. He updated me on some work he’s been doing. Somehow it came up how old he is. Now, I’ve always assumed Bob was in his mid-50s. Turns out he’s only 43. It’s amazing how much the street can age a person.

True to form, Bob brightened up my day considerably. I don’t know that it was any one thing he said…just his presence.

Lord, I praise you for my dear friend Bob. I pray that he would know how much of a blessing he is to me. I ask that you would give me the opportunity to tell him. In a society where the poor and homeless are terribly mistreated and ignored, I pray that you would instill a sense of pride in Bob. Show him what it means to be adored and cared for by you, his Father. I thank you, Lord, for your unfailing faithfulness.


*Bob is a pseudonym

Boys of Baraka

I'm a little behind the boat on this movie...but now that I've finally seen it, all I can say is "Yep." It's an outstanding movie, but is nothing new to me. In each of the boys followed in the movie, I saw one of my boys. Boys of Baraka is the story of several inner-city boys chosen from Baltimore to go to school in Kenya, the transformation that takes place while they're there, and the struggles of coming home to the projects.

Here's a video clip of the first 5-6 minutes of the movie...a nice teaser for you!

all is not good in the hood

My last two posts have been about deaths, and I'm afraid that death is exactly what this one may end in. A shooting occurred today at 3:20pm (broad daylight!) outside a convenience store in Glenwood. Fox 8 News was a little dramatic tonight, calling Glenwood "one of the most dangerous communities in the Piedmont" (with their best dramatic voice...), however they had the most complete story of any of the other news stations, for the time being at least.

The young man was only 20 years old. I wonder if he was involved in some shady activity, or if he was just the unlucky one to stop by Andy's Pantry today. Neither is a reason for someone to get shot in the head. He is in critical condition, so your prayers for the Lord's will would be appreciated. We can rest assured that God is present -- we can prayerfully hope that the young man and his family would recognize that.

---------------------------------------------------------

In light of this post and the previous two, it seems that there are a lot of things being shaken up right now. There seems to be a lot of unrest in the neighborhood, even beyond the mourning felt by several families. Lord, I pray that your peace would be restored to this state, to this city, and to this neighborhood.

Another loss...

This young lady is a member of one of the largest families in my neighborhood. While I don't know her personally, I know at least 10 of her cousins, as well as many other family members. Your prayers for her family are greatly appreciated, as they try to grapple with the reality of the death of their 8-year old baby.

A Beacon in the Neighborhood

Wednesday night a few folks in Glenwood had a meeting with Grace's mission pastor, Will Dungee, to do a "status check" of sorts. It was nice to sit with him and just talk about how the neighborhood is doing, how we're feeling, what our vision is, etc. Diane shared that one of her missionary friends came to visit recently and made the comment that our house (and other believers' in the neighborhood) was truly a beacon in the neighborhood. I have definitely seen this to be true on a variety of levels, the most important one being that people always know where to come when they need something -- be it food or a friendly face. This rang true for me this week.

I saw a good friend Thursday night while on my way to UNCG for an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship meeting I was speaking at. My topic for the night was Dependence on God (more on this later), and I was definitely reminded of that during my conversation with my friend. While driving, my friend flagged me down. We made small talk for a few moments, then he turned to leave. As I started to pull off, he came back. He asked if I had heard about the woman who got shot in the head at the hat shop recently. I told him that I hadn't, and he informed me that it was his sister, the last one he had left. I asked him how he was doing, and he immediately responded, "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Then switched gears to how he wanted to tune up my car. It breaks my heart that he lost his sister, but even moreso to know that he's not depending on God to help him through it. The "I'm okay, no worries" response is one I know all to well, one that basically means "I'm just going to pretend that it didn't happen because it's easier that way." So, instead of depending on the one who can truly love and support him through a time like this, Jesus, my guess is that he'll turn to alcohol.

Lord, I pray that you would bless my friend. You know him, and you know the pain he's in. Help him to mourn, and to turn to you when it seems unbarable. Help me know how to support him, and place some men in his life who can speak love and life into him.