Oh For A Thousand Tongues to Sing!

Hope you have all had a wonderful week! We have had a slow week due to school being out here this week. But God is working nonetheless. He works in the quite times even when we don't see Him working. We should pray for peace where we are so the gospel can go forth.

I had the unique opportunity this week to speak with our new apartment manager. After a lengthy discussion about the ministry here and my concerns about gang members in the area occupying certain areas of the complex she voiced her agreement. The complex has two large unoccupied buildings up for "grabs". One of which the children and I used to meet in, however I can no longer afford. She has a direction and a vision for these buildings and even would like to either make one a mini-police station, apparently there's been discussion of it in the past, or an apartment for security. Her plan is to also somehow incorporate the ministry. Her thoughts are that areas that are occupied on a regular basis are less likely to be infiltrated so easily. I agree wholeheartedly. Another concern is the High School right up the street. If this large complex is given over to gang/drug activity it is so very close to the school that we may as a city loose safety of the area and the children who must attend there.

This smart lady would like to see the complex waive the fee for one of those buildings and let us occupy it at least three times a week to house the ministries and encourage more to come to foster a sense of community. This is exactly what we want to happen! Please be in prayer for her, that God would give her favor, that he would influence the owners hearts and that these children would be provided a place! How the gospel could spread in this time of peace! Also pray for the other complexes I am about to contact again. Due to my broken foot things were put to a screeching halt!

We had no Next Door Bible Study this week, almost all of the children were out of town. We had no Saturday study, already planned it off. But what an Up Bible study did we have!

Jeremy taught about what matters in our life. Ecclesiastes was the book he taught from and he proved several times from this book how everything is "vanity", "vapor", "meaningless" apart from God. Everything. We watched the clip from "Facing the Giants" and then made lists of things in our life that seemed important but because they didn't glorify God were in fact meaningless. At the end of every list we wrote "everything". We talked about the list, traded papers, then had a funeral for the things in our lives that did not glorify God. We put to rest things like TV, cell-phones, "Twilight", vampires, past pain and past victories, then everything. We laughed and "dramatized" our way through the funeral but the meaning was not lost on these kids! We learned that our lives are supposed to glorify God and if there is something we're doing apart from glorifying God it is meaningless.

How many truly meaningless things do we do a day? For myself, far too many. Jeremy taught us "Soli Deo Gloria" which means, "Glory to God alone". I would love for my life to give Soli Deo Gloria. What a great night! Did I say it was a great night? Jeremy is in college to be a math teacher and I believe he will be wonderful. I have to give it to the leaders God has drawn to this group, they are interesting and unique and the kids never know what our leaders are going to do! We also as leaders love and respect each other and we love these children. God is so good to me to let me participate.

Once again I ask for your prayers for these groups of children, for the use of the facilities here and whatever God would have us do here. Also, we still need Bibles and the Easter Egg hunt is coming, pray for supplies, safety, workers and God to be glorified! Soli Deo Gloria! Thanks again for supporting this ministry.

To God be the glory!
Jamie