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!