Creativity

Since I am living a simple life this year through Mission Year, I got the chance to be creative with Christmas gifts.

I enjoy my creative side... it isn't very dynamic, but collaging is a gift and I got to share this gift with my mom and friend Ruby. This year I made picture frame chalkboards and collaged the frame. I love the way they turned out.

Tomorrow morning I head back to Atlanta. My flight leaves at 7:00 AM. I think it'll take some time to adjust back to my schedule, but I am looking forward to seeing my house mates, church friends, and neighbors.

What Gives Me Life

Home in Idaho has had its challenges.

Today I realized one of those challenges. Most of my conversations about Mission Year with family and friends has focused on my daily schedule and community living. After these conversations my heart ached for more.... I wanted to share the ways I have found life, God, and my passions.

I finally got to do this with my mother today as we ate sandwiches and drank caramel macchiatos at Rembrandt. I felt so alive within this conversation. I was able to share my heart. I want to do that with you as well, so without further ado I begin.

I find life:

• In the way I am stopped by my neighbors when I am out walking. It takes me longer to get to my destination, but I am blessed by my interactions, whether it is with Miss. Jenkins, Charles, or Mama Liz.
• Within my English Avenue community. I live, serve, work, and grow with people who have the same passion for justice and way of life as I do.
• In New Life Covenant. I attend a church that desires to partner with and empower the community.
• In the ways I have grown and have been challenged in my faith and thoughts on matters like race, justice, and poverty.
• Seeing Jarrod everyday at S.A.Y. YES! I experience great joy and laughter as we pretend we're being chased by aliens or wild wolves as I walk him home. In order to make it to his house safely Jarrod and I use our superhero powers (mine is my hair power according to the little guy). I love his imagination and enjoy acting like a kid again.
• In the way my neighbors are so giving to me and my team.
• In seeing people who are committed to fight for change. Seeing people who are committed to loving people who are different from themselves. Seeing people who are committed to listening and understanding. I am learning a lot from these people and I am joining in these commitments.

The lifestyle I am learning about through Mission Year is a lifestyle I want to live for the rest of my life. It is in this lifestyle that I find life.

Buy a Bracelet, Support Mission Year

Family and friends,

My team and I have made bracelets over the past few months. We desire to find a way to convey our experiences in Atlanta to the people we care about back home, and bracelets seemed

like a great idea. Below are pictures of the bracelets we have made. I have attached them to a card on which a story and prayer requests are written.

I hope by wearing this bracelet you will be reminded to pray for your new friend in English Avenue. I also hope that these people will become more than just a story to you, but would be 'word become flesh' and be part of your body each and every day.

I am asking for a suggested donation of $20. (I am not going to stop you if you can't afford $20, and I'm not going to stop you if you donate $100). All of this money is being donated to my current efforts at support-raising so I can sleep, eat, and live in Atlanta.

If you are interested e-mail me at katherine.m.langley@gmail.com, call 208-936-9251, leave a comment, or let me know while I am home in Idaho.

Thank you again for all your support. I couldn't do this without you.

May you enjoy the season of advent as we eagerly prepare more room in our hearts for Christ.

Idaho oh Idaho.

Snow has greeted me here in Idaho. Oh how I have missed snow! The last two days have been relaxing, yet busy. It has been filled with family, friends, and Christmas gift making. I have found a lot of joy in being home, and I know I will continue to, but I've also experienced moments of discomfort.

Sunday morning I awoke for church. It was my regular morning routine until I went outside and saw my car covered in snow, thus I was late. As I found my spot in church and the longer I sat in my chair the more I realized, I don't fit in this place anymore.

The choir is beautiful, but I miss singing along to a gospel track.

A thousand people are in this sanctuary, and I feel lonely. I wonder how Miss. Barbara is. Did she make it to New Life Covenant?

Extravagant Christmas decorations surround me.... I visualize the one Christmas tree and poinsettia in Atlanta.

Our Pastor gives thanks for the wonderful police officers, fire fighters, and EMT's in our city. I'm thankful we can do that in the city of Nampa, but as I hear this I think of the relationships the people in English Avenue have with the police officers. There is a lot of hurt and discrimination within those relationships.

Two churches. Two different geographical places. Two different denominations. Both are filled with people who love the LORD. Both churches help their community in the ways they know how. I feel at home in one place, a stranger in another.

4 months. I'm a different person than I was 4 months ago. I fully realized this in church -- in the discomfort I felt. In the yearning for simplicity and diversity.

Christmas Season is Here!

This weekend has been full of Christmas festivities. It all kicked off Friday evening at our Mother Mattie Community Garden. We had our very first Christmas tree lighting! The kids decorated Christmas ornaments and hung them on our small, yet beautifully decorated tree and folks from our neighborhood came together to enjoy hot chocolate, cookies, and fellowship.

Then on Saturday afternoon I attended the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Gospel Christmas. I sang, danced, and rejoiced with other church members as we praised our Christ's birth. At one point I looked down my aisle and saw my friend Reggie tear up. The Holy Spirit was present and we all enjoyed the talented orchestra and choir. My goodness, people can sing!!

Sunday after church New Life enjoyed a Christmas feast with our partnered church, Church of the Apostles. We ate our lunch together, watched a S.A.Y. Yes! slide show, enjoyed one anothers' company, and gave our S.A.Y. Yes! kids Christmas gifts.

Oh and today as I was working at the Day Shelter I could hear the women sing Christmas carols. I am most definitely in the Christmas spirit. What a wonderful time of the year to celebrate Jesus' birth!

I am thankful for....

In honor of Thanksgiving yesterday, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the things I am thankful for:

• New Life Covenant and the friends I am able to celebrate Thanksgiving with.

• My friends and family back home who wrap their arms around me with love, prayer, and support.

• The children in my neighborhood. The joy I find in their laughter -- the moments I am able to spend with them.

• The relationships I have in this neighborhood. Miss Paige, Mary, Mama Liz, Miss. Vernistine, Jarrod, Gladys, Steve, Libby, Billie, and the many others.
  

• My team. I'm thankful for their support. I'm thankful I get to share this journey with them.

• Our home. I'm thankful people feel welcomed here. I am thankful we are able to show hospitality.

• The journey God has taken me. I live a full life. For this I am grateful.

*Enjoy the pictures from my Thanksgiving lunch with my church family.

Life of the Beloved

I am currently reading Life of the Beloved by Henri Nowen. Oh this book has been good for my soul. It has been challenging and uplifting. There is a part in this book that I want to share with you about gratitude. Henri Nowen writes,

" We are God's chosen ones, even when our world does not choose us. You have to celebrate your chosennes constantly. This means saying 'thank you' to God for having chosen you, and 'thank you' to all who remind you of your chosenness. Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an 'accident,' but a divine choice. It is important to realize how often we have had chances to be grateful and have not used them. When someone is kind to us, when an event turns out well, when a problem is solved, a relationship restored, a wound healed, there are very concrete reasons to offer thanks: be it with words, with flowers, with a letter, a card, a phone call, or just a gesture of affection. However, precisely the same situations also offer us occasions to be critical, skeptical, even cynical because, when someone is kind to us, we can question his or her motives; when an event turns out well, it could always have turned out better; when a problem is solved, there often emerges another it its place; when a relationship is restored, there is always the question: 'For how long?'; when a wound is healed, there can be some leftover pain.... Where there is reason for gratitude, there can always be found a reason for bitterness. It is here that we are faced with the freedom to make a decision. WE decide to be grateful or bitter....when we keep claiming the light, we will find ourselves becoming more and more radiant"

I was convicted as I read this part of the book. How often do I choose bitterness over gratitude? How often do I miss out on giving thanks to God, because I have bitterness in my heart? What are you going to choose today? Let it be gratitude. Let your gratitude be a celebration of who God made you. Let your gratitude be a celebration of your chosenness.

A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3 talks about how there is a time for everything. Verse 4 reads, "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance". Yesterday was a time of tears for me as I wept for a child in our neighborhood.

It was the young boy I tutor. His laugh and smile light up a room. But yesterday as he came to SAY Y.E.S! anger ran deep. There is so much that goes on in his life. So much I don't know. So much he cannot express. As his anger exploded he began to kick walls, throw chairs and his snack, he wrestled within my grip and I couldn't restrain him. J is broken and hurting.

As Steve went to get his grandmother, J was finally able to calm down. As he ate his snack he started to cry. In this moment he told me he was beat up on the bus. His stomach, private parts, and nose were punched. I was frustrated as I listened to him. My whole being wanted to believe him, but J has lied to me on several occasions. What is the truth? What is the source of this deep deep anger? As J left SAY Y.E.S! all I could do was cry.

Please pray for J. Pray that he will find a way to express his feelings. Pray for love and consistency in his life. Pray for wisdom for me as I tutor him. Pray for a surpassing peace in his life.

Solitude

Two Fridays ago I had the opportunity to go on a solitude retreat with the rest of Mission Year Atlanta. We spent the evening in a cottage at a state park and I was able to find rest in the midst of nature. I was surrounded by beautiful trees, the fall crisp air, and a shimmering lake. In this time of solitude God met me where I needed him to.

During our first solitude session I found a spot down by the lake. The sun was shining brightly so I closed my eyes and just listened. In this moment I realized there was so much life in the midst of the stillness. I found God in the breeze, in the intricate details of a spider web, and in the beauty of the trees. I saw God's movement around me. In my normal day to day I so easily miss the way God moves. Instead of saying I need to bring God into the busyness of my life, I need to recognize that He is already there. I become so focused on me, my schedule, and what is next that I miss the gentle breeze that surrounds me.

As I entered into this retreat I expected to struggle in my nothingness, but instead I was able to dwell in my belovedness. God calls me his beloved. God relates to me as His beloved. I was able to sit and allow my heart to dwell on the words, "You are my beloved, on you may favor rests." As I allow myself to become God's beloved I will continue to find my true self. As I discover my identity in Christ, my striving for perfection and my desire to be esteemed by others will come to an end.

God is teaching me many things about who I am and my beliefs. It is painful and hard at times, but is also beautiful. It is a journey I must take.

A Playground Brings Justice

This Saturday my church, team, and other community members gathered together in our garden to build a playground we received from Home Depot. An injustice in my neighborhood is the lack of space for kids to play. There is no park near English Ave. Boys play football in the streets and many children are confined to their small yards. It brought a lot of joy to see this playground be built. Hours after we finished Janelle and I returned to the garden to see kids swing, slide, and climb with big smiles on their faces.

Not only did we build a playground yesterday, but we also planted our fall garden and improved our compost pile. I had the opportunity to plant flowers with Miss. Lillian and Miss. Vernastine. Oh how I LOVED getting my hands dirty while listening to their words of advice and stories.

While we were planting, a couple of kids found sweet potato after sweet potato in another garden bed. Their surprise and excitement was endearing to watch.

Oh, and I got to teach McKenzie, a girl in our S.A.Y YES! program how to use a shovel. That was a lot of fun.

This garden is bringing people together in our neighborhood. I'm so glad I get to be a part of it.

Piedmont Park

Every Friday is our Sabbath. One of my favorite things to do is visit Piedmont Park. This is a place where I find rest and room to breath. All I need to do is bring a friend or a book and journal and my afternoon passes by blissfully. Enjoy the photos. If any of you come visit me Piedmont Park will definitely be a stop.

Food Coloring Fun!

My roommate Josh brings a lot of joy to our house. We find ourselves doing fun and random things, whether it is freezing a fly to tie it to a string or dying items in our fridge with food coloring.

Our applesauce turned out pretty well. Josh quickly got tired of turning items to a brown poop color (he didn't want to use his hot sauce anymore), but he did successfully turn our milk purple, and we have blue ranch, green Italian dressing, and multicolored ice-cubes, which the kids always want when they come visit. I have come to see that food dye brings good bonding.

Coversations with Neighbors

Day after day I have different conversations with people in my neighborhood. Some of my interactions are encouraging, while others are intense and saddening. It is important for me to share them with you.

Lynda is a mother who lives in an apartment on our street. I first met her at the bus stop. Jannelle and I saw her as we were leaving the Day Shelter earlier this week. Her boyfriend Darrell burnt all her clothes and went back to his ex. (I saw her clothes out on the street without realizing they were her's). Oh how my heart mourns for her. I hope Lynda desires real change, will utilize the Shelter's resources, and will be strong enough to stay away from Darrell.

I 'officially' met one of the drug dealers who lives on our street. His name is Bo and he is a really nice guy. He thanked me for the care we show to the children. He expressed gratitude for what we are doing in the neighborhood. I walked away blessed by our conversation. A bridge is being built. I want to invite him over for one of our hospitality meals.

My teammate Colyn and I were walking on Griffin St when a man approached us. Nobody recognized us as we walked and wanted to know if we were the cops. It took us a while to convince "Big Guy" that we were living in the neighborhood. It was an intense conversation. Big Guy used to be a drug dealer, but now he sells CD's and DVD's. I walked away with one in my hand.

Continue to pray for the people in English Ave. God is at work in the lives of those here.

Happenings on our Porch

During our MY training numerous people told us that children would become our quickest friends in our neighborhood. Oh my goodness, how I have found that to be true!

Our porch has been a constant place of fun and games. We have befriended a family of kids at the end of our street. Jerry, Jemima, Jasmine, Quint, Diamond, and Mary are always at our house playing Skip-Bo, painting nails, doing our hair, or drawing us on our sidewalk. Sadly, these kids are moving today, but they have been such a blessing. I will hold on to the sweet memories I've made with them. Enjoy the pictures!

Support Letter: A Lifestyle of Love

I know some of you have already read my support letter, but for those of you who haven't this is for you.

Family and Friends,

What is life like on Sunset Ave? What does my English Avenue neighborhood look like? Who are the people I’m building relationships with? These are things I want to share with you. Life here is completely different from anything I’ve known. Hopefully through this letter you will have a better understanding of my time here in Atlanta.

I’ve been so blessed by the people in my neighborhood, my church especially. My team and I attend New Life Covenant. It is a small multicultural church of about 40 people. Pastor Tim and the congregation have done so much for the people here. They formed a community garden, which is filled with different herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Picnic tables are decorated with children’s hand-prints, a barbecue and fire pit draws neighbors in and a painted sign that says, “We have dreams too” displays the vision our church has for English Avenue. This is one way Pastor Tim and our church advocate for the people here. New Life Covenant brings hope and change to my neighbors one small step at a time. I’m richly blessed to be partnering with such a church.

Already I have been encouraged, challenged, and uplifted by my relationships here in Atlanta. One of these friendships is with an 85 year old woman named Mama Liz. I first saw Mama Liz as I waited with my team at a bus stop. She was sitting outside her apartment complex on her small porch. I caught her eye, smiled, and waved. Later two teammates of mine and I decided to visit her. As we knocked on her door she greeted us with her frail body through hugs and her loving heart. Her radiant smile showed her missing teeth. Immediately she expressed her gratitude of our company (which she later called a miracle) and started to share her life. As I listened to Mama Liz’s story I was moved and convicted by her awareness of the blessings she has in life.

Every other sentence Mama Liz spoke to us was, “I am blessed.” Mama Liz is blessed because she can get up in the morning and make breakfast without being burned. She repeatedly told Colyn, Janelle, and I she was blessed by our visit. Mama Liz expressed how she is blessed with good health. Her arthritis in her foot and missing teeth do not matter to her. She is blessed to live a life where people love her. Even though Mama Liz has no living family; visits by us and by her “Jewish children” mean the world to her. She spoke with such authority – with such belief. As I listened to these stories and as Mama Liz brought us into her small dim lighted home with an AC that barely worked I found myself in tears.

I say I’m blessed because I live in a two story house, with four bedrooms and three baths. I’m blessed, because the home I’m living in is nicer than I envisioned. It is nicer than any other Mission Year team’s. Would I say I’m blessed if cockroaches lived in my home, or if I went without air conditioning? No. I would complain, but Mama Liz would share how blessed she is because she has a roof over her head.

I come from a place of such privilege. My interaction with Mama Liz made me see this more clearly than before. As I live a simple lifestyle this year I still have more privileges than some of my neighbors. How am I going to share my privileges with those around me? What am I going to consider a blessing? How do I turn those things I would normally complain about into blessings? I think these are important questions to ask ourselves. I want to live a life of adoration and praise like Mama Liz.

I have entered into my Mission Year on a technology fast. For the first six weeks of our time here my team members and I fast from our cell phones, the Internet, and other forms of communication (but not letter writing, hint hint). This fast helps create an environment where we can focus our attention on God, our community, and the neighborhood. This fast has been a freeing experience for me. I want to invite and challenge you to fast alongside me for the next month. You could fast from coffee, movies, or restaurants. I ask that you will donate the money you save from fasting (if you choose to do so) to my Mission Year. I still have $8,390 to raise. I am so thankful for all your prayers and financial support. I need it. You are affirming the call God has placed on my life.

All my love,

Katherine-

Saturday Conversations

Every Saturday my team and I spend our afternoon out in our neighborhood. It has been a great way to start relationships with those who live near us. At times it can be awkward and uncomfortable, but overall it is a highlight of my week. I like to share highlights, so here are some of my encounters.

Janelle and I went to visit Mama Liz with a Sprite in hand. (during our last visit she made sure to tell us to bring her a Sprite -- not in a can, but in a bottle. Oh what a sweet woman.) She greeted us with hugs and invited us into her small and hot apartment. We laughed together as she shared stories from her week and we listened intently to her words of wisdom. This Saturday I plan to call before our visit so Mama Liz can get ready for us.

We also met our neighbors who live on the end of our street. As I walk to the church every day I greet the two young girls who sit on the porch. They are soft spoken and reserved. On Saturday I decided to ask if they wanted to paint nails. Their immediate response was yes. My heart leap with joy and Janelle and I quickly grabbed our finger nail polish. As we came over all the kids came out (8 in all). We ended up playing Skip-Bo together and I met their mom Lisa. I have a feeling these kids will become dear to my heart. Mary, one of the older girls showed up at our doorstep later that evening. That action meant so much to me. She felt comfortable enough to come over after the few hours we spent together. I opened a door to develop deep relationships as I painted nails and played Skip-Bo. Mary and her friend Diamond are two teenage girls I want to invest in this year.

Walking up to a door and knocking on it for some reason is a bit out of my comfort zone. As I mustered the courage to knock on Miss. Lillian's door last Saturday I was richly blessed. She invited me into her home where we sat in her living room and talked. She shared her photo albums and life with me. I left her home that day with a dinner invitation.

These are a few stories of the relationships I'm starting to build in Atlanta. This is what God has called me to. To develop relationships that are deep, loving, and encouraging.

Hope in the Midst of Despair

My soul cries out for the people in my neighborhood. There is so much darkness here -- Satan has a hold in the violence, drugs, and hatred. My prayer is that we can be beacons of light -- help us to push back the darkness here.

Last week a young man got shot and killed a few blocks away. He was in a band and just released a C.D. He could have been a man we built a relationship with.

Deandre a boy in our neighborhood who has visited us numerous times is heading down a hard road. He is eleven and is living a street life. How do we empower him to change this direction?

The majority of the kids here have parents who are addicted to drugs or are drug dealers. I don't want to have a heart of war towards the parents. They are broken people just like I am. I have no reason to judge. But how do I/we (my team -- our church) help bring consistency to these kids lives?

It can be easy to become discouraged. To loose hope. I have to remind myself that I find hope in God -- in the love He has for this neighborhood. In his power and might. In his authority. God's work is being done here. Seeds are being planted. Justice, acts of biblical justice is being taken. Is seen. Christ's light is being shown. It is in small glimpses. I want to rejoice, be reminded of this. I want to be fully committed to God's work even in discouraging times.

Finding God in the Small Things

Here are some ways I've seen God in the neighborhood. (I pulled this from a journal entry early September)

• In our Church -- New Life Covenant. They have done so much for this community. The welcome me and the rest of our team with open arms, love, and sincere hospitality. I am so blessed by this, especially since the last Mission Year team just left.
• In my neighbor Kevin. He takes care of this neighborhood. He picks up the litter -- plants flowers and cactus. He takes time to talk with our team.
• The children. Dontatio came and played with us yesterday. I see you in his laugh, stories, and in his desire to spend time with us.

God is evident in English Avenue. He is God of this city. I will continue to see him and meet him in this place.

A Few Facts

I will be departing on a plane to Atlanta in 4 weeks and a day. As I think about what is ahead there are many unknowns. What will my home look like? Who are my teammates? With what organization will I volunteer my time? Who will my neighbors be? I am waiting patiently to learn these details, and I won't know some of these things until I'm in Atlanta. In the meantime, I thought I would share some things I do know with you.

I will be living in a communal house with 4-6 other people who have the same passion as I do. They are strangers to me right now, but in a couple of weeks they will be my teammates. Our first gathering will be at Community Grounds Coffee.

My flight to Atlanta, Georgia leaves on August 27 at 7:25 AM.

My income will be $70 a month. My parents will be paying my phone bill, my loans are deferred, my independence is being stripped away at 24.

I am a team leader for the English ave. Team. (more information on that to come)

Our city director is Caz Todd. From what I've heard she's amazing and I'm excited to meet her.

I need to raise 12,000 for the year. If you would like to support me financially please go to the Mission Year Donate page. My ID number is 10-0046.

Those are some facts. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

My Support Letter

Dear Family and Friends:

I am uncomfortable with sweaty palms as I take that first step. I muster the courage to initiate a conversation with a neighbor in an unfamiliar city. One interaction turns into two, to three. Clammy hands are no more. A relationship is being built. An opportunity has been created. My desire to empower, love on, and advocate for those in need comes to life. I hear laughter and feel tears as I listen to my neighbor’s stories. My heart is filled with joy as I share and show Christ’s love. These are images I have as I think about my next step in life. In my desire to serve in areas of social needs, I have committed myself to a program called Mission Year, where I’ll be able to live, serve, play, and experience life with the urban poor.

My commitment to Mission Year will be focused in five different areas. They are:

Community Service: I'll be volunteering 25-30 hours per week with an organization I'm passionate about. I don't know where I'll be placed yet, bu the thought of working with the homeless population, HIV/AIDS patients, refugees, or teen mothers would be an amazing way to serve.

Church Partnership: My team and I will attend a church in our neighborhood. Part of the church partnership is to find an area of ministry to which we can dedicate our time. For me, it will be children ministry.

Relational Impact: I will be building healthy relationships with my neighbors and will seek practical ways to show Christ's love.

Justice: Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." A part of Mission Year is to find an injustice that affects the people of our community, share that with those who can help, and advocate for change.

Christian Community: I will live in community with my teammates and together we will build relationships with the people in our neighborhood.

When God first called me to Mission Year, my immediate reaction was to run. I didn’t want to commit a year of my life that would strip away my independence, and constantly keep me out of my comfort zone. It was easy to form excuses. I had a handful. But then I was gently and lovingly reminded of my passion for the broken, the poor, and my love for God.

God has started to strip away my safety and comfort as I have answered his call to be a part of Mission Year. As I start this next step in life, I want to invite all of you to be a part of it. I need your support, whether that is through prayer, encouragement, or giving financially. For this year I need to raise $12,000. I know that number seems daunting. It is for me, but God is faithful and I know he will provide. If you would like to contribute to my Mission Year account you can return the envelope attached to mission year or you can go online to www.missionyear.org/support/katherinelangley. Please write my ID number down when you donate. It is 10-0046. All donations are considered tax deductible. I appreciate you and what you have done for me. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your support, encouragement, wise words, and education. Have a wonderful day!

Love to you all,
Katherine