ok so only 2 more working days before summer camp starts which means i need to get everything together right now!!! ... shoot i need to go to bed... pray for me.
BElla
hello... hello... hello...
i feel like im still in shock but im doing better. the interns start working tomorrow which means we are pulling into high gear of planning and prep. only 2 weeks left and so much still needs to be done. God has absolutely been pouring out blessings on me and my site though! I have an amazing team that is coming together to run camp this summer and i am so excited to get everyone together at summer camp training this year!
please pray for me and my staff that we remain close to God and rely on Him fully for strength and wisdom and guidance.
more soon,
BElla
I can't say much since I still don't know how to express how I'm feeling but I will give you some news from my broken perspective so you know how to pray.
When I first came to Urban Promise I was given the responsibility of taking over a youth basketball drop in program in the community. It was every Friday night and quite simply was a time for guys to come play and give them something to do other than hang out in the community. These guys became as much a part of my ministry as the kids were and I loved getting to hang out with them every week and watch their amazing skills on the court. There were two brothers who came every week from the begining. I remember them as the only light skinned kids and for their huge hair, but they held the utmost respect of everyone who came to drop in.
Last summer I was able to give the younger brother a job working in my camp. He was very eager to work for Urban Promise which was very encouraging to me, it showed his respect for the program. Basketball drop in was put on hold this year because of low staff for safety reasons and it was really hard for me not to be in the community.
This past Saturday at 3pm there was a shooting in the community, you can find it anywhere in the Toronto News. It killed the older brother, Jose. He was just 19. This has broken me so deeply. Please pray for his family, his mother and brother. Pray for the community that any thoughts of retaliation would cease. Pray that when visit with the family God would give me the words to say. Pray that the peace of Christ would reign in that community.
BElla
today I am home doing research before I head over to the office do do another interview. our theme for camp this summer is gear'd up. we're learning about the armor of God. it should be a great lesson for the kids to learn, but its hard to find a positive way to teach about God's armor while trying to stay away from the soldier image since that is such a major gang mentality. interviews are almost finished i think but i still need a few more spots filled. lots of decisions to be made which is always such a leap of faith but God has been good to us throughout the process and i really feel that He is afiriming every step ive taken so far in preparing for summer.
its nice that the rain has finally stopped. the sun is shinning today but it is still kind of chilly with the cool breeze. its funny how in the summer trees seem to appear out of nowhere. its like they are hiding all winter and then the sun comes out and they are everywhere. i love trees.
anyway, i should get back to work.
if you have any memories of learning a cool way to teach about the armor of God let me know!
BElla
Hello People!
Today was so fun! After a wonderful day of planning summer camp themes and meetings Shawn and I went to hang out with some of our kids and their families in the community. I haven't seen my kids in about 3 weeks so it was exciting for me to get to see them. One of them ... we'll call him Billy is so cute. He saw me walk up but since there were a bunch of older boys around he was hesitant to come say hi. I said hello as he fiddled with the chain on his bike. It was all jammed up so i went over and asked if I could help. As I was talking to him two of my younger boys ran at my and wrapped their arms around me. (I love my children!) After saying hello to the boys I lifted Billy's bike and flipped it upside down so I could fix the chain. Once everything was in order a boy I didn't know leaned over to Billy and I heard him whisper "you should say thank you". He didn't, and I just smiled at their interaction. Billy was obviously still trying to be cool in front of the big kids.
I actually needed to talk to Billy's mom about offering him the opportunity to attend free of charge a Tim Horton's camp in Nova Scotia! Tim Horton's donated 8 spots in their camp for kids from Urban Promise Toronto which is such a cool thing! Their camps are amazing. At first Billy was hesitant about the idea but as soon as I was talking to his mom about it he started with the "please can I go mom? please please please?" After talking to his mom I continued my rounds visiting all the mom's in the community. As I stood and talked to mom after mom (I was there for a good few hours I think) Billy would ride by on his bike and go back and forth past me, or just ride up and stand beside me as I talked. It was like, he couldn't say it or show it like the other boys, especially in front of the big kids, but he was really glad I was around. I guess he missed me as much as I missed him!
The title of this blog comes from a story one of the mom's was telling me today about how the country people in Jamaica react when they come into town and see street lights for the first time... she said they call them moon-upon-stick. Just thought it was a funny story. Maybe instead of being a candle on a hill we should be a moon on a stick. Just don't let your moons go out!
BElla
Lyke as a ship that through the Ocean wyde,
By conduct of some star doth make her way,
Whenas a storme hath dimd her trusty guyde,
Out of her course doth wander far astray:
So I whose star, that wont with her bright ray
Me to direct, with cloudes is overcast,
Doe wander now in darknesse and dismay,
Through hidden perils round about me plast.
Yet hope I well, that when this storme is past
My Helice the lodestar of my lyfe
Will shine again, and looke on me at last,
With lovely light to cleare my cloudy grief.
Till then I wander carefull comfortlesse,
In secret sorow and sad pensivenesse.
-Edmund Spenser, Amoretti
By conduct of some star doth make her way,
Whenas a storme hath dimd her trusty guyde,
Out of her course doth wander far astray:
So I whose star, that wont with her bright ray
Me to direct, with cloudes is overcast,
Doe wander now in darknesse and dismay,
Through hidden perils round about me plast.
Yet hope I well, that when this storme is past
My Helice the lodestar of my lyfe
Will shine again, and looke on me at last,
With lovely light to cleare my cloudy grief.
Till then I wander carefull comfortlesse,
In secret sorow and sad pensivenesse.
-Edmund Spenser, Amoretti
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
