One and Done

One year ago we showed up at a local apartment complex and hosted an Easter Egg Hunt.  I didn't know what to expect, I just knew God was leading us there.  We were greeted with 83 super excited kids, who probably thought we were there for the day, and they would never see us again.  Huh...I may have thought that, too.  I don't know that we went into this thinking we were forming life long relationships.  But, when I saw Luis who had a bag full of Easter eggs walk up to Litzi who arrived too late for the hunt, and share his eggs with her, I knew I wanted to know more about that servant hearted kid.

Flash forward.....A dozen birthday parties, 6 babies born, homelessness, tears, job loss, behavior plans at school, cancer, deportation, prayer, unexpected pregnancies, dinners, volleyball teams, homework huddle every week, Trick-or-Treating......LIFE.  You see, once was not enough.  We fell in love with these kids, these families, I can't imagine life without them.

Last week I was talking to my friend, Carlos, who had been at one apartment complex for several years.  He was talking about all of the people and groups who had come and gone.  He was somewhat sad as he told me about the various groups he had engaged with.  He talked about the things they did. He talked about the relationships formed and lost.

I thought about the day he moved from this apartment complex to another.  I was devastated...would I ever see him again?  Would he keep in touch and use the cell number I gave him?  It turns out he would and he did.  I've seen several families, my friends, leave, and each time I get a sick feeling in my stomach, like a loss.  The same feeling I had when my friend, Kristie moved when we were in 2nd grade.  She was my first friend who moved away.  I remember that pit in my stomach, how we would write letters, and soon those letters became fewer and farther between, until we lost contact.  

Today I found out one of my newer friends moved.  He and his mom and brothers didn't say good bye.  I didn't even have a clue they were thinking about leaving.  Is this what it felt like to Carlos when a group would come and do a "one and done" activity?  I'm not trying to knock those groups who do a one time activity.  Sometimes those things are necessary, but when you start doing LIFE with people and you realize you are in it for the long haul, you are subject to hurt.  

So I've realized it is extremely important to follow through with your intentions.  People are not projects. In God's eyes, we are all created equally.  To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.  Jesus also wants a relationship with us.  He wants us to be in relationship with HIS people, all of HIS people.  Next time you think about doing something for someone, be intentional.  Reach out to them again and again.  Do life with them.  Sometimes it can be messy, but when they become your people, you know you are living out what Jesus would want you to do.  

1 John 3:18   Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Three Pennies....

Three Pennies.......
Have you ever wondered why people don't go to church?   What do you look for in a church?  Is it the coffee bar?  Is it the amazing worship music with drums and guitars? Is it the flashy sermons, children's programs, or having the chance to dress up on a Sunday?

What if some of theses things are what prohibits "the least of these" the people Jesus instructs us to reach out to, from going to church?  I met a man this weekend when I had the opportunity to attend a "house church" in Arlington, Texas.  This house church was located in an apartment within an apartment community.  This little congregation of 30 was so very welcoming and surprisingly excited to see this group of strangers from Kansas.  When I had the opportunity to chat with this man, Paul, he told me he loved his church.  He said he never felt like he could go to the big churches in Arlington.  He didn't own a suit and a tie, and just didn't feel like he belonged there.  He told me that people in his apartment complex had been inviting him for years to come, but he had this pre-conceived notion about what church was.  When he showed up wearing jeans, he was welcomed in to this congregation and has been coming every Sunday since.

How many people don't come to church because when faced with passing the offering plate, they cringe because they don't have anything to put in the plate?  They pass it ever so slyly to the left, and hope the person behind or beside them don't judge them for not being able to contribute that day.

At this "House Church" everyone is given three pennies when they arrive.  EVERYONE.....you may choose to keep the pennies, or at the time when you are invited to the front to place offering in the basket, you may add one, two, three, or none to the basket.  When we brought up the rear of the line to add our three pennies, my heart melted at the sight.  There were many $1 bills in the basket, spare change, not just pennies.   Everyone brought their 5 loaves and 2 Fishes...No one was embarrassed, no one watched who was putting what in.  It was truly honoring to God.  Because, you see, no one here was writing a check, and what they were tithing probably hurt them more financially, than our tithe hurts us.  But they were giving what they decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, as God instructs us to do in 2 Corinthians 9:7.  

I go to an amazing church.  Our church family "goes" to a local apartment complex every week for Homework Huddle, we are starting bible studies in homes, we are serving many families with what God has bestowed upon us as our Time, Treasure and Talents.  And if you visit our church, it is rare that you don't get a giant hug from a greeter or one of the ushers, stranger or member alike.

The gentleman who sits in front of us many Sundays, wears a tank top and shorts, another guy always wears t-shirts and has a visible tattoo of our Lord and Savior on his arm.  Everyone is welcome here.

This weekend really brought it to my attention that what happens at my church is probably not what the perception of the poor and the needy are thinking about my church.

So how do we let them know?  We let them know by our LOVE.  We GO, to them, we ask them if they would like to discover God's plan for their life.  We meet them where they are.  It is not a project, it is not a "one and done" serving opportunity.  It is about doing life with them.  

  “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth” (1 John 3:17–18).

When I set out on this adventure at a local apartment complex I had no idea what to expect.  but it is my family and I who have truly been blessed by the families, and people....our friends, we have met. 

I want to invite you to come along....What is God urging you to do with your time, treasure and talent?  
Do you have three pennies you can bring??

Things Can Change in the Blink of an Eye

Carlos.........10 years old at the time, Servant-Hearted, Compassionate, Curious...  I don't know if I have ever met a kid like this.  Always looking out for others.  I met him last June.  He would come to our Fun Friday activities at his apartment complex.  He stood out to me.  Always volunteering to help, craving adult interaction, carrying supplies, meeting me at my car to unload, serving hot dogs, just an all around great kid.

He was the first kid I ever gave my cell phone number to.  He is who educated me that people don't have food the first of the month because it takes everything they had to pay their rent.  He is the kid who called me when he knew of people who didn't have food, and would ask me to bring some.  He would be the one knocking on doors to deliver the food.

One Sunday in September I got a call from him.  He called to ask for numbers of  shelters in the area.  You see, his mom, who worked two jobs, was injured, and hadn't been able to work in over a month.  In one month, when you live paycheck to paycheck, things can change in the blink of an eye.  They had been moving around a bit in the last month, living with friends, but due to some frightening circumstances, they were now on their own.

We were able to help them by getting them shelter, and eventually back into an apartment.  Mom went back to work, against the doctor's orders, because she knew what she had to do.

Today, this family is doing great!  Carlos and his brother and sister have a one bedroom apartment.  Mom is working as hard as ever to provide for the kids.  Carlos even volunteers at Center of Grace serving others, every week.  They have come to pack backsnacks, sort clothes, and are always willing to pitch in.

Why did we help them?  Because we had a relationship....Because a 10 year old kid had my cell number and could ask for help.

Let's be honest, there are other factors, too.  Mom had a car to get her to and from work.  Mom had a job with an employer who valued her work, and held her position. Mom had kids who didn't require much childcare, which can be costly, especially when you make minimum wage. The likelihood of them eventually helping themselves was greater than the mom who doesn't have a car and would have to look for a job she can walk to, the mom who has children requiring childcare, which is expensive, and won't be able to make ends meet every month.

This is where we get caught up in the fact that helping can hurt.  We can find that by paying that electric bill we are perpetuating the situation.  It is frustrating, especially when you have started to establish a relationship.  Especially when you see their children once a week at homework huddle, and they are telling you stories of no birthday cake, no present, and they are wearing the same clothes they have worn for weeks.

But when do we help?  When we know someone who had medical bills and their husband isn't able to work because of an injury?  When we know that it will only take $500 for them to get rent caught up because mom went back to work in a factory since dad can't work? Will the situation keep perpetuating, even though it seems that this one time $500 will get them caught up?

I don't know..... I have been burnt.  I've trusted in a relationship, helped till it hurt, and been disappointed in the cycle of poverty one of my friends was in.  I have to constantly put my trust in God and the friendship/relationship we are forming with the under resourced.  I've learned to look for the signs of success.....If they have X,Y, and Z, they might recover from this set back.  If they don't, then I can offer friendship, support, and prayer.

1 John 3:16-18

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 

These are things I ponder on a daily basis.  Greg lost his job years ago.  He had severance, but he was out of work for 5 months!  We had two little kids, and the stress and anxiety of it all, was hard on our marriage and our faith.  We didn't lose our house, we were made more conscious of our needs vs wants, and in the end our faith became stronger and our relationship with GOD, more real.  But we had friends who were constantly offering to help, family who did help.

While things worked out great with my little friend Carlos, and 9 months later, things are still going strong, that is not always the case.  But, if we don't stop, like the Good Samaritan, and we don't lay down our lives (spend time in relationship) for our brothers and sisters, then how can we say we love God?  Giving to the poor is not JUST material possessions.....it is of your time and talent, too.

It's messy.  It's vulnerable.  Isaiah 58:10 says, " If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like noonday".  Spending Yourself?  I think that involves a lot more than a handout, it involves yourself.  

Amy

Who has a Birthday without cake?

Today we hosted our weekly Homework Huddle at Eagle's Pointe Apartments.  Every week we meet a very special group of kids, help them with their homework, share a snack, and play games.

Last week we had several new kids, and immediately bonded with them.  As we were working today, the whole group broke out in a chorus of "Happy Birthday" to one of our new little friends who just turned 8.  He was beaming from ear to ear.

As we left, our new little buddy thanked us and asked if we could come back on Saturday and Sunday...He gave us big hugs.  As we said our "goodbyes" I asked him if he was going to go home to have cake?  He said his mom told him she would buy him a cake.  Then he said, well she always says that, but comes home without it and tells me that she can't afford it.

What?  A birthday without cake??  Then the little girl behind him, says that that happens at her house, too.

My head started whirling.  Was this little girl telling him that so he wouldn't feel bad, or did that really happen at her house, too?

Next week I will start logging names, addresses and, of course, birth dates at homework huddle.  I will start soliciting my friends this week to start creating Birthday Kits.  Wouldn't it be great to gather up aluminum pans, cake mixes, frosting, sprinkles, candles, party plates and napkins and even a $15 Wal-Mart gift card?  We could bless the moms about a week before the child's birthday.

A birthday is special...we celebrate our Lord and Savior's Birthday every year in a huge way....perhaps we can help the "least of these" in a simple little way....I'm sure Jesus would approve.

Left Out.....

I had the pleasure of going to Westview Elementary School to have lunch with one of my friends last Friday.  I hadn't seen her since Christmas, and was looking forward to seeing her.  When I walked in I saw lots of little friends from the Apartment Site I spend a lot of time at.  They all wanted me to sit with them, but I was just there for my friend, Paola, that day.  I surprised her, she had no idea I was coming.  As we sat across from each other, another little boy from the apartment sat next to her.  The two little girls around me asked if I worked at the school, and how I knew Paola and Armondo.

I didn't have to explain.  Paola and Armondo immediately told the two little girls that I was their "FRIEND".  Yip, that is what I am, but the fact that that is how they saw me, was priceless.  They explained to the girls that I come to their apartment and Paola told them that I help her with her reading every week at Homework Huddle.  I was so embarrassed and proud of how they looked at me....I was their Friend, indeed.

Having not seen the kids since Christmas, the conversation turned to one of what they got for Christmas.  My church, Olathe Christian Church, has adopted this apartment complex as a site to create relationships with.  At Christmas they were able to bless the parents with presents and clothes for their kids, but these items were not given to the kids by the church.  The parents received them, wrapped them, and were able to give the presents to the kids from them.  These two little friends didn't know that.  They were just excited to tell me what they got from their parents for Christmas.

Not thinking, I turned to the little girl next to me and asked her what she got for Christmas.  She looked at me with very sad eyes, and said, "I didn't get nothing for Christmas"....My heart sank.  She told me that it had been a bad year.  I asked her where she lived and she told me in an apartment right down the street from school.  Wow!  Wouldn't it be amazing if a church, a family, several families adopted her apartment, too?  Wouldn't it be great if she had a friend to come to lunch?  Wouldn't it be great if she got something, anything, for Christmas?

Did you get anything for Christmas?  Did your kids get anything for Christmas?  Has God provided more than enough for you, that you might be able to share your treasure with others?
Foot in mouth....why did I ask her that?  Haven't stopped thinking about it.  If you are interested in learning more about this little girl's apartment complex and the apartment complex of many other kids like her, contact Mission Southside.  www.missionsouthside.org

It will be one of the most meaningful things you will ever do.

Amy

New Year...New Blog.....It's all about Relationships

I just finished a truly awesome and inspiring book.  If you know me, I don't read much....but this book got me and I got it.  I read it in less than 5 hours, because I couldn't put it down.

Max Lucado hits the nail head on with Outlive Your Life.  If you haven't read it, it is a great way to kick off the new year.........That being said.........

As many of you know I have one of the best jobs in the world, next to being the mom of Jake, Maddie and Carolyn.  I am a Missionary in our own community.  There are people here who don't know who Jesus is, or perhaps they have heard of him, but don't have a personal relationship with him.  There are people in our county who are living in poverty, they are sleeping on the floor, they are scraping every dime together to pay their rent at the beginning of the month, and have nothing left for food.  Some are single moms working two-thee jobs, but because of a car accident, find themselves unable to work, and quickly become homeless....This is going on all around us, in our 1st World, Johnson County, and many times we just choose to look away.

I used to drive by an apartment complex that is about 2 miles from my house.  For 14 years I thought, man that is an eyesore, they should really doze it.  One year ago, I was moved to go drop off some backsnacks because of a week of snow days.  Some friends of mine and I started a backsnack program for Middle School kids in Gardner and Olathe 4 years ago.  These kids were significantly below the poverty level, and many of them hungry on the weekends.  Anyway.....I felt moved one snow day that these kiddos who usually get breakfast and lunch at school, were sitting at home for 8 days, without anything.  We showed up at this apartment complex and dropped off some bags....met the owner....and from there we started a RELATIONSHIP with this community.

We started providing Help in this life, and Hope for the next.  We started meeting the families, hearing of some of the struggles, and quickly fell in love with the parents and kids who live there.  We learned of some struggles because of language barriers, and started a Homework Huddle every Wednesday to help kids learn English, help them with reading and math, and engage with them by playing educational games.  But, the most important thing that we started doing, was creating a RELATIONSHIP....This was not a "project", this was not a feel good about serving one time, and leave RELATIONSHIP....This was a TRUE, spend time with, and get to know FRIENDSHIP.....

One year later I reflect....I drive by this apartment now and crane my head to see if Gladis is walking her baby, if Brendon and his sister are playing on the playground, if any of our friends are sitting at the playground picnic table, if Litzi is practicing her volleyball.  The families who live here are some of the best friends I have ever had.  We might be separated economically, I may live in a bigger house, but we have the same goals for our children, and many a love for this man called Jesus.  This man who didn't see the difference between the poor and the rich, the healthy and the lame, the woman at the well and me.  He saw us all as equals and offers the same promise of salvation to all of us, through Him.

As I write this today, my prayer to anyone reading is that you might feel the same passion for what Jesus did....feeding the masses, hearing the stories of struggles, sharing what you have been blessed with.

The goal of Mission Southside, whom I have the pleasure of "working" for, is to establish Site Teams at many identified communities in Southern Johnson County.  This story is about one site, but there are 20 other sites who need this type of relationship.  Do you have friends, family, a church who would come alongside these communities, with intentionality, and purpose of sharing the love of Jesus and creating a relationship with the least of these?  Would you do what Jesus did and share what you know and have, and invest of yourself, not just your earthly treasure?  I hope you can and will.  It will be the biggest blessing you and your family could every receive.

Amy