Memorial Day!!

So we worked a half  day yesterday for memorial day. We did some lesson planning and such and worked on camp ideas.  Sadly i wont be able to go to camp here because i have to be back in VA by then but it will still be awesome despite me not being able to go. 

So afterwards the three of us went to pick up Charleston.  One of our trustees, Jeff, is a district manager for Foot Locker and he is in charge of all of them from Florida to Mississippi.  So everyone goes there for shoes.  Me and Charleston and Rachael got shoes on Saturday.  On Sunday Jared went by himself to get shoes and because we weren't there to tell him the shoes he was buying looked like old man orthopedic shoes, we had to return his shoes yesterday and get him better ones. Then Grant came into town.  For those of you who dont know Grant, he is a VT Hokie that I go to Church with up in Blacksburg. He is doing this thing this summer called Bike and Build.  It's part of Habitat for Humanity.  He's biking from Florida to California and they stop along the way in different places and work on houses that are already in progress by Habitat for Humanity.  They biked in yesterday afternoon and since he had the evening off the four of us went and picked him up and we went to Lamberts.  Lamberts is this awesome restaurant that's on the way to the Gulf Shores. Its called the house of Throwed Rolls because they have a guy that walks around with a cart of rolls and throws them to you when you yell to him.  The food is pretty good too.  But the atmosphere is the main attraction.  A great day all in all.

I'm excited about this evening because i will be going back to Waffle House to James again and hopefully talk with him some more.  Pray for me!!!

So some background information.

So I had some people that don't know much about the Inner City work, wondering about some of the other people I work and interact with and just information about the church so i figured the easiest thing is just to blog about it.  I'm gonna talk about some of the people from the past and then people i just met this year.

The Inner City Church in Mobile was started by the Inner City Church in Nashville, TN.  They got the ministry off and running and got most of the support the church needed.  Two years ago the Nashville group pulled out their support which caused the church to have to move locations but at the same time they were now under their own governance.  The church has no elders yet, but they do have three trustees who take care of financial decisions.  They are Plese Evens, Morris Bembry, and Jefferson Moore.  Jefferson is one that i interact with the most.  His wife is Christina, our secretary. They have two of the cutest twin kids i have ever met. Their names are Jamal and Julia.  The minister Chuck "Big Chuck" Griffis has been here since before I ever came on my first spring break trip here in my freshman year.  I believe he has been here close to ten years.  He is a very passionate man who is perfect for this ministry.  Jared Kelly is who me and Rachael work with.  Jared is their evangelist.  He just started back in January but he is another amazing guy.  He's 25 and  just so ready and energetic and in love with the work he gets to do for God.  When we met him back in March, i was kinda skeptical of how much his heart was in it but he has had such an amazing change and seeing him now, you cannot find a man who loves this as much as him. 

There are so many members here who i have gotten close to over the past 4 years.  Ms. Mattie and Ms. Gail live across the street from each other and they are some of the sweetest, most beautiful, old ladies you will ever know.  They will talk with you all day long.  Ms. Matti especially.  She may be in her 70's but she acts like she is in her 20's.  The Beasley family is another i've gotten to know over the past few years.  Charleston, Jacoby and Yasmine are the three youngest and they are amazing people.  They are just great to be around.  The youngest, Jacoby, is 14 and even he will make you smile every time you see him.  No with Yasmine I have to speak about Jeronica.  This is the first time I have really got to talk with Jeronica but her and Yasmine are best friends and they are just inseparable. Jeronica is the one that just got baptized.  The Cooley Family is one that i have really just gotten to know in the last two weeks.  The 5 that are still in mobile are Ben, Tina, Sharron, and Big Tony.  Their mother is Mary.  The 4 of them take care of their mom and they are just some of the coolest people to know. They are so much fun to be around and talk with.  Any conversation ends up with you dying laughing.  Then there is Walter.  Walter is the laziest kid you will ever meet but you cannot help but love him.  He is never sad, or angry, or upset.  That man is always all smiles.  He's the one that taught us all the potato chip song. Awesome song!  And this year we met Nehemiah, Moses and Dee.  These three boys live in an area called Birdsville.  The are so funny and Nehemiah is especially amazing.  He is so interested and so glad to be at church and you can just tell that he has the heart of a servant.  All three of these boys are from the ages of 11-13 so i really hope they keep coming.  There are so many others here that i could talk about but these are the ones that I'm closest to. 

I wanna tell you more about the bible studies we do.  Specifically i'm gonna talk about one lady named Catrina.  Catrina lives in RV Taylor, one of the housing projects.  She was so excited when me and Jared and Rachael came to see her and set up a Bible study with her.  She knew some things about the bible but she was still very confused about it and how the old and new testament is set out and such.  And well lets just say i've never heard anyone EVER get excited like her when she realized that most of the books of the new testament were letters written by Paul.  She thought that was absolutely amazing.  But me and Rachael and Jared went out and took this book that Rachael had bough and had color copies of time lines and charts of the the history of the bible.  Also thing that showed when prophecies were made about Jesus in the old testament and how they were fulfilled in the new testament.  She was just ecstatic. Rachael couldn't make it with me and Jared to the bible last bible study we did with her but she wrote Cristina  a note and Cristina was about to cry because she said no one had ever written her a note before. She said she would read it after me and Jared left because she didn't want to cry in front of us.  When she did start to cry we asked her what was upsetting her and she said she realized everything she had been taught before we started studying with her was a lie.  I'm not sure what i would do if i came to that realization.  But she was just so happy that we were studying with her and that things we told her about all were found in the bible and that we would be coming back every week. She said she never realized that people would care about her so much.  That is what we do here.  That is what the inner city ministry is to us.  Its taking the time to show people truth.  Starting from the beginning of Jesus' ministry, using the bible to teach and not just what we say, and returning over and over again.

The Inner City Ministry is unlike any other.  It is a very raw ministry.  It is a very passionate ministry. You can't come here to work, but come here to be.  I'm not sure if that makes sense but its like, you wont really understand it unless you come to be a part of the people and culture here.  You have to understand that many of the people here have been in jail or been and in some cases still are drug addicts and alcoholics.  The people won't always come every Sunday.  But you have to keep ministering and going to them.  And some might say, that you can't be in or part of the inner city ministry on the week campaigns that people do like our college group does, but i don't think that's true.  I think of my friend Matt who came to Mobile for the first time this past March, and he was in the culture.  He was a part of it.  He built relationships and got involved with people.  The ministry is, in some ways, shows me what it is really to be a christian.  The people here have nothing but God to depend on. And shouldn't that be us at all times, whether we have money, or jobs, or anything else to lean on?  In the end they dont matter because they will pass away and God wont. 

If you wanna know more about the inner city just let me know. love yall!!!

Yesterday and Today

We took full advantage of our day off yesterday and went to the beach. There were so many people out there but it was a great day to be at the beach. The water was so amazing compared to when our campaign group from VT was here in March.  It was freezing then. And since our meeting got pushed back a week we didnt have to worry about getting back early.  This morning sadly and joyfully we laid to rest one of our members mother. We are sad that she passed but the service was a very joyful one since she's gone home or as the minister who did she eulogy said  "she's not gone, she's just had a change of address."  I thought that was pretty great. 

Also i wanted to post pictures of Antonio and Jeronica, the two that were baptized Thursday.  We are off to help Ricky with some house work!!

Antonio!!!

Jeronica!!!! 

Baptism!!!!

So this has been an amazing day.  So first of all this guy called Jared (evangelist) and wanted someone to meet with him and maybe do a bible study.  So we go to meet this man named Tommy.  He has had a rough past two years.  He lost his wife to a brain aneurism two years ago and lost his job due to the oil spills.  He has been moving from temp job to temp job.   He responded so well to us being there and he decided he would come to church on Sunday!  Point for the G-O-D.  So we will be meeting with him more.  Then we met up with Antoneo and he decided he was ready to be baptized and we baptized him about an hour ago.  And Rachael, Jared and I, although Rachael gets the credit for getting her really excited and ready, talked with Jeronica and she is going to be baptized in about an hour and half.  It has been a great great great day.  The angels are rejoicing. Two more points for GOD.

No matter where you go there is always a Waffle House.

So last night after we got back, I went out to Waffle House.  Now i know some may say Waffle House food is bad for you and yea it probably is. But all i got was a waffle and coffee so it wasn't that bad.  But if you go in when there is hardly anyone else there besides the workers it is a great ministry opportunity.  I know this first hand.

So I went in last night and I planned on reading Ruth and Ester because we have a bible study with a lady later today named Cristina and we told her to read through at least one or both of those for today and we would talk about them.  So I'm in there and its only me in the diner. As I'm reading, one of the waiters named James asks me about the church I go to and the things i believe.  Then my waitress, DJ, starts to talk with us.  Then the cook, whose name I believe is Andrew came over.  He didn't say anything but was listening.  So we got to sit down and talk for almost and hour as they asked me questions and told me about their past lives.  In the end before i left they were all getting off their shift and a new shift was coming on.  Before James left he came and shook my hand and left a note that he had written on a napkin.  He wrote that he had been living a sinful life and that he needed me to pray for him. That he was afraid of going to Hell and he feels that he is leading his wife and children there. I was absolutely blown away. This man after a hour of knowing me admits his life is sinful and recognizes the need for change.  Needless to say I will be returning to Waffle House and hopefully I can talk with James some more. Pray for him!!!!

Friends and Family Day

So on Sunday we had friends and Family day in the inner city.  The church did amazing in bringing in food and most importantly bringing friends to share God with.  We had a little over 90 people which is great considering we usually have about 65.  We had great food, lots of fun playing volleyball, but most importantly we got to have time to be with God's family.  The church has been so welcoming to me and Rachael both.  I was telling Chuck yesterday, many of them just speak with you as though you had been friends for years.  Next weekend we are going to be honoring our graduates.  Three high schoolers graduated last week: Xavier, Rashawn and T'Michael.  We have been having so much fun and we can already tell the work is going to be exhausting, but i think i speak for me and Rachael both when i say that's what we are looking forward too. 

Yesterday me and Rachael and Jared went out into the community and saw some people that we haven't got to talk to in a while and have set up bible studies with them for this week.  We also spent yesterday planning events for the summer, getting organized and ready for the campaign groups that are coming in.  Yesterday was just a great day in general.  We going on two bible  studies today with two people so pray for us!!!

So what we did is...

Hey!!! so first of all i want to thank everyone who donated to the trip.  I was able to raise over the amount needed and as i stated in my letter everything left over will be donated directly to the Mobile Inner City Church.
Rachael is the other intern down here with me.  We have had a pretty easy first week. Chuck and Jared (the ministers) were gone on a week long conference but we found things to do.  We went and visited some of the members from the church.  We helped the secretary out by keeping her 3 year old twins so she could get some work done.  We helped do pick up in the inner city for church and helped with the teen class.  We also attended the graduation of two of the boys that attend the Inner City Church.  We get to have a meeting today with Chuck and Jared and talk about our plans for the summer and the different thing we will be doing.  Tomorrow is friends and family day so i am hoping to be taking a lot of pictures with my new camera (don't worry i used my own money for this)!  Thanks again everyone!