Field Trip!

I am so proud of Linda!! We had a wonderful time on the field trip today and I was reminded just how wonderful and special she really is.

Our day started by getting up at 5:30 a.m. to be at the school at 6:15. We were at school on time, but the buses weren't. In fact, we didn't leave the school until almost 8:30!! All of the kids handled the delay really well, which I was very impressed with. It took about 3 hours to get to DC, and everyone had fun on the bus and was pretty well behaved. Linda and I were pretty tired so we actually both slept a bit on the ride down.

When we arrived in DC we drove past the Capitol building and then headed to the White House. From there we visited the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. All of the kids were fascinated that Martin Luther King Jr. has once stood at the Lincoln Memorial. We ate lunch at the Lincoln Memorial and then headed back to the buses to go to the Air and Space Museum. We spent about 2 hours there, and that was when I was most impressed with Linda.

It was pretty hot outside, and we had to walk A LOT, but she didn't complain at all (and I'm pretty sure she was the only one...seriously). Then, while we were in the museum she was actually very interested in everything! All of the other girls in our group (I had 5 girls total with me, all from Linda's class) were trying to get through as fast as possible so they could buy ice cream. Linda, however, wanted to stop at every exhibit and learn as much as she could. She was like a kid in a candy store, but she was in a museum! I was SO IMPRESSED!!! I had a blast walking around and learning with her. I was so impressed, in fact, that I am trying to figure out a way to make another trip to DC with her so we can see more things and she will actually have the time to see the things that she wants to see without having to listen to the complaining of her classmates.

After we finished at the museum we all headed to a buffet for dinner, and from there headed home. In all, we didn't get to see a whole lot, but its a hard trip to do in a day, especially when you have an entire 6th grade to take care of. Linda and I had a blast though, and that's all that really matters to me.

I was actually a bit heartbroken as we were driving home and I started thinking about how excited Linda was to learn. I really wish I could home school her, or get her into a Christian school that would take her away from a lot of the negative influences around her. Linda is VERY affected by her environment and I really wonder how different things would be for her if she didn't have to go to a Philadelphia public school. As much fun as she and I had today, I can't count the number of times I heard attitude given to authority or vulgar language coming out of a kid's mouth. It really broke my heart to think about how difficult it mush be for her to grow into the woman she was created to be when most of the time she is surrounded by that. Its not any better at home for her either. That is making the idea of leaving Philly, or even stepping back from ministry even harder and harder to grasp.

On that subject, I finally have my resume finished and have applied for a few jobs. All of this is feeling VERY overwhelming to me, but I'm still pursuing it, until God tells me otherwise. More than anything I am continuing to seek His wisdom and direction. Honestly, I still feel pretty lost, but I don't feel like He has abandoned me, so even if I am walking in the wrong direction, I know He will gently place me on the path that He has for me. Please keep praying though, its just so much!!

Music Recital

Last night was Bonita and Linda's final music recital, and they both were AMAZING!! I was so surprised by how awesome they were, especially since they don't practice much. Linda played a trumpet solo and Bonita played piano. There were several other Cornerstone kids there, and they all did really well...but of course Bonita and Linda were my favorites. :)

I'm really excited about tomorrow because I am going on an all day field trip with Linda to Washington, DC!!! It is going to be so much fun! I really enjoy Linda's teacher (she's about my age) and I have already met a lot of the students in her class, so it really should be a great trip. We have to be at school at 6 a.m., though, which I am not too excited about. It will be great to spend the whole day with Linda, and she has never been to DC.

As for everything else, its still very much up in the air. I put my resume together and have been looking around for jobs in Philly that I might be interested/qualified for, but I'm still taking it slow. I'll keep you updated though! :)

May Newsletter!

(click on the images to make them larger)

Picnic and Sleepover

Last night was another really fun night with some wonderful girls!! I invited 6 girls, M, T, J and C, (I'm trying to do better about keeping the kids' privacy as much as possible...) along with Bonita and Linda, to come to a sleepover at my house. Kirsten came for most of the night, but she is allergic to Gizmo so she didn't stay the night. 2 of the girls, J and C, have been wanting to spend the night for a long time and I decided to finally do it. J has been struggling a lot over the last few months and I have been wanting to spend some time with her. Honestly, I didn't think I could relate a lot to her struggles (she is pretty boy crazy), but the more I get to know her the more I do see myself in her.

Unfortunately, J got in trouble at school on Friday...she was actually suspended...so her mom didn't let her come to the sleepover. Her mom and I were both very sad about this, but I am going to try and spend some one on one time with her next week. And actually, it was nice to get to spend time with C without J being around. C is the youngest child in the house and is often overlooked. Plus, I am starting to see a lot of characteristics in C that are very much like J, and I don't want her to face the same stuggles that J does, so I want to try and spend some good time with her as well.

Our night started with a picnic at the park. Kirsten made us an awesome picnic basket with sandwiches, fruit, chips and drinks. We all ate until we were full and then played for hours. We even took Bower (The Hinson's dog...they are on vacation) with us! He was really fun, at least for me. He didn't want to behave with any of the kids, but he and I had a really good time walking around and getting some good exercise! The girls ran around playing on the swings, walking on rocks, and overall just being really silly. There was a lot of laughter, and a ton of fun. It was so great!

Once it got dark we decided to head home. At home the girls literally ran through the house for over an hour, laughing hysterically and having so much fun. They also wrote a rap that they performed for us, and it was really good! I made them all "go to bed" around 11, but they stayed up much later than that. I heard laughter for over an hour after I put them to bed, which was fine with me. They all had a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the night as well.

Overall it was an amazing night that I am hoping to repeat as often a possible. Nights like last night really remind me of how much I really love what I do. And, I begin to wonder what will happen to these girls if I leave. I still haven't made any decisions, but I have been seeking the Lord A LOT. I will probably write more about that later, but I still don't have any answers yet. I trust Him completley though...with my life and theirs.

Answered Prayer!

I only have a few minutes to write, and I promise to add on to this post later tonight, but I had to share this incredible news with you! God is AMAZING!!

There is a family in our church that I, and many others, are extremely close to. It is a family of 6 kids (actually 8, but 2 are out of the house). This family has been through a lot over the last few months. Their father passed away suddenly a few months ago, and I am not sure any of them...least of all the mom...have recovered. In recent months the mom has gone into a deep depression, leaving the kids to fend for themselves in many ways. The kids have struggled in school, and often have chosen to not even go. The oldest of the kids just turned 18, while the youngest is 8. The 2 youngest, ages 11 and 8, are the only girls and have had a really hard time as they are so young.

Just last week things got worse when they were evicted from their house. The kids have been split up, staying with their 2 older sisters in different houses. This has made going to school even more difficult, and life has just been really hard for them. Just last night all the boys were at a prayer time at church crying out to God for a house.

Well, today God answered their cries. THEY GOT A HOUSE!!!! Its absolutely a miracle of God that this house is available to them, but that's what God does! Some members of our staff have been working with the family and the kids are all back in school and going regularly. When they went to apply for the house, the man told them that every red flag that he could possibly look for was coming up and that there really was no reason for him to let them move in...but he just felt like he couldn't say no. So, he is renting them the house!!!

This house is bigger than their old one, with more bedrooms and a finished basement. Their old house had 4 teenage boys sharing one small room, but not anymore!! It looks like they may even be able to move in this weekend! PRAISE GOD!!

We are working on getting beds and furniture for them (which I can actually help out a lot with considering all the extra furniture I got when Dario, Luis, Bonita and Linda moved in) and its all coming together so much better than we could have ever dreamed. (Which again is just who God is!). I am in awe of how much He loves this family and is taking care of them. Each one of the kids in incredible and I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they hear the incredible news!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Job Search

I am looking for a job. That's right, for the first time ever (unless you count summer jobs), I am doing a job hunt. After talking with some mentors and other people I have decided to at least pursue a "real" job. I haven't made any decisions yet...whether I am going to seek a part-time job or a full-time one, but I am at least starting the process. The more people I talked to the more it seems that God may in fact be leading me away from full time support raised ministry.

Obviously, if I do actually decide to leave full time ministry, a lot will change in my life, so I am not taking this decision lightly. I am not 100% convinced that this is where God is leading me, but it does appear to be a good possibility. So, I am going with it for now and continually seeking Him and His direction.

I honestly don't know how I feel about all of this yet. The idea of having to cut back on what I do now is not appealing to me, but will be necessary if I decide to get a job. I don't even know how to decide what I would cut back on, but that's for a later time. I am pretty set on staying in Philly, although that is not in stone either. I do have a lot tying me to the city (my house, the girls, etc) but I want to follow wherever God leads me.

I wanted to write this quickly to update you on where I am, but as you can see, I am still very up in the air with things. Just keep praying that I will clearly hear Him and follow Him! If I am completely honest, I really want to stay in full time ministry, but that may not be the season that God has me in right now. We'll see...