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.