Its January 16 2014 I've officially been in Atlanta for almost 5 months today. These have easily been the 2nd hardest 5 months of my life. I am now running our after school program by myself instead of corunning it with our previous intern like I had been since September.
That alone is a challenge, to create lesson plans that work to educate and grab the interest of 1st-5th graders, in addition to that I am also continuing to develop our nutrition education program and I teach a class of middle schoolers every week in kids church on sunday mornings.
Recently the meager support that I had been able to raise dried up and I realized that while staying with some amazing friends and fellow MC alumni had been wonderful it would no longer be financially feasible to spend 50 dollars a week on gas to get to work and back. So with frustration in my heart I realized the only solution would be to move to the DC intern and staff housing that I lived in as an student back in 2008. Thankfully my two best friends at the DC offered to let me stay on their couch until we can figure out the best housing situation for the 3 of us. So I find myself these days on a couch with cushions that like to slide off while im sleeping and currently in an apartment without working heat or running water (the 7 degree weather we had last week did some damage hopefully the water will be back on shortly and by shortly I mean today)
Now don't get it twisted. I'm not complaining. Yes this is hard on the body, mind and soul. But everyday I get the opportunity to change the world. I do this because I spent years of my life living like I was the most important person and all that mattered was that I got what I wanted out of people.
Now I get to work with people who have fought their own battles against addiction, abuse and statistics and come out transformed. I work alongside former drug addicts and drug dealers and the homeless.
I also work alongside people who have chosen to give up successful careers as lawyers, musicians and business owners who have chosen to give everything they have up in the pursuit of Reaching, Rescuing and Restoring the broken of Atlanta
I have the opportunity to give 8 kids from the inner city of Atlanta the opportunity to see a life and a future outside of the poverty, single parenthood, teen pregnancy and drug abuse that pervades their everyday experience
I get to speak hope into a struggling 11 year old who's mother is so strung out on drugs that she doesn't even do her homework with her after school.
I get to cook a nutritious and delicious home cooked meal once a week for 80 students and staff in our school who have given up their lives for 9 months to learn how to chase after their destiny with everything they have.
I get to crack jokes and make smoothies with our "homies" our formerly homeless men who as a part of their ongoing quest for restoration serve 40 hours a week in our thrift store and food ministry.
In short the pros far outweigh the cons because I get to be a part of what it is to Reach, Rescue and Restore the broken.
ps. If you could please remember me in prayer for continued energy, wisdom, patience and endurance that would be awesome. If you would like to support me in this endeavor financially that would be amazing. Please email Beckydavie@yahoo.com for more info how to do that and how it can be tax deductible. I also love care packages and if you like to send me one heres a list of things I always need/love
Shampoo(anything for colored hair)
toothpaste
coffee
chocolate (especially dark)
laundry money(moving downtown means I live without a in home laundry facilities)
gas money gift cards.
chapstick and cocoa butter, Atlanta winters are murder on my skin
encouraging notes.
anything really, I love mail.
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