Parkour, Patience and Penmanship

“This isn’t parkour class, please don’t stand on the cabinets” as those words left my mouth I realized for the first time getting in to Sunday school has brought a different world upon me. If someone told me a few years ago that I would give up a full time job and benefits to come live in the inner city again and do children’s ministry I would have laughed. The harsh realities of life in downtown Atlanta were nothing new to me because I had spent two years as part of the ministry school of the Atlanta Dream Center. But a few years at home with a comfortable job and a safe neighborhood makes all the drugs, violence and poverty fade into the background noise of a comfortable suburban life.

For the last few months I have felt the gentle tugging on my heart for the city of Atlanta and what the Lord was doing in a neighborhood that held my heart. After much prayer and seeking the Lord I packed up my life and drove my car 2,700 miles from Portland, Oregon to Atlanta, Georgia.

As a Metro Kidz intern I am involved in teaching kids church, adopt a block on Saturdays and various other administrative duties during the week. But the thing that I am most excited about is a new program we are launching as a part of our after school tutoring program “Street Smarts”.

“Vegecation  Station” is a nutrition education curriculum aimed at empowering families to build a legacy of healthy choices.  Our program is being developed in house and is being tailored to the specific needs of the families we serve.  The time will be spent in hands on activities learning how to grow a garden, basic healthy eating habits, and basic cooking skills.

so far I've learned patience and how to drive a 15 passenger van down narrow streets with 6 kids yelling while I'm  driving.

Ways to invest in what I'm doing and our kids.

Financial support. I need to be able to put gas in my car and pay my phone bill, help with rent  and things like that. I work a very part time job during Falcons games and other events but that only brings in about 200 dollars a month.  

Pray for me. I am on adventure in trusting the Lord in a new and different way than I ever have. I have never been good at trusting the Lord with my finances. I also am up against alot of situations I've never faced before like teaching and implementing discipline with our kids.