Moving into the Neighborhood Center

Dear Loving and Praying Friends,

Wanted to stop this week and give you a glimpse of life at the new Neighborhood Center!

KIDS LIFE HAPPENS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

We have just passed through the second Monday night in our very own home. It is almost impossible to grasp! The children are so grateful, and there are so many ... more than 450 on our registrations to date.

On our program night we fill up every space in our new home, we're already outgrowing it. In my sixth grade class alone there are 50 sixth graders and 12 leaders. We have to put a table on the outside patio to seat them all.

I wanted to share with you the THANKSGIVING story we presented in all 10 classes the very first night on site. We wanted the children to reflect on the goodness and provision of God. And not to forget all that He has done.

OUR THANKSGIVING STORY

The children of Israel had cried out to the Lord for generations to be released from captivity. God was listening and preparing the way. Moses was formed by God, through 40 years in the desert, to be the leader of His people on a journey "out of captivity". The combination of the readiness of the people and God's preparing the leadership allowed them to begin a journey toward the unknown. Their journey was fraught with problems in which they had much to learn about their new life of trusting God but they did come, by God's hand, to their promised land. This story of God moving his people from one place to another seemed to be picked out for those of us in N.M. From the beginning of the sale of ODF's property we could picture Israel, their dangerous homelessness, their fear, combined with faith for the unknown days of traveling that lay ahead. The story was so comforting too, because for us in N.M., God kept providing for his people and MAKING A WAY WHERE THERE WAS NO WAY. God is able! He is powerful! He can do this! Even when it felt like it would take greater faith than we had, we believed this about the Lord. We remembered when we had trusted him for broken buses during Kids Club, for leaders for the programs, for young people to be saved out of gangs and drugs. We had seen his power, and believed he still did miracles.

Was this too big of a miracle for Him or for us?

I remember the Monday night when the children had arrived for church at the old ODF building. We were in fellowship hall where we began the night, worshipping first. It was the first night back since the 'For Sale' sign had been put up, right in the front of the building, on the grassy spot near McDowell. I knew that I needed to tell the children what that sign was all about, what it meant for us, and what God was going to do about it. I remember the great fear I had in telling them what God had impressed upon my heart to say. "What if I'm wrong ?", "What if what I am going to tell them doesn't happen?". The fear I had came from knowing that the faith of many children and many families in God's capacity to help them, was at risk. "Children", I said, "the Lord is allowing this building to be sold. We have been here for along time, almost 15 years. Most of you have been here, coming to this church all your lives. Well, we are going to need a new home. We will be on the road for a while, it will be a little bit like we were homeless. But we will be doing this together. We will trust God that we will have a place to come together for Kids Life, youth group and Kids Club, while we are homeless. It will feel scary and hard, but we will be together. Then, one day, God will MAKE A WAY for a new home. He has money and ideas and ways to tell us where that new home should be and what it should look like."

It was at that point that I told them about Israel and their homelessness.

"On the road out of captivity, Israel faced a great obstacle. They had left with their families, children and belongings. The king of the land became very angry and sent his armies out after them to kill them all. All the people of Israel suddenly were halted by the terrible, uncrossable Red Sea in from of them. Behind them was the army and in front of them was the sea."

"Well, behind us is the 'For Sale' sign and in front of us is the huge job of finding a new home, buying it and fixing it up. Children do you know what happened to that Sea? Though it was like an ocean, deep, wide and impossible to cross, God opened it up and made a path for the people to walk through, on dry land. The people were trapped. They couldn't go back, they had to go forward. God wants us to believe that He can make a way for us to go forward. HE WANTS TO MAKE A WAY WHERE THERE IS NO WAY. The children listened to the story, they believed me and they believed God. And for the next four years we traveled about from this church to that one, doing ministry together in many, many locations. It was dangerous and terrible at times, but never without the provision of God.

During those four years we would tell the children about God's provision. One day we were able to tell them that God had given us a piece of land we loved. It was close to the old neighborhood. Then we were able to tell them that He had given us provision to buy it and we did. Next we showed them during Kids Club where the land was and what it was going to look like. They believed and saw and we all continued to wait patiently. Then we told them that the construction permits had come in and it was time to start building. Some children came by often in those days to watch an old industrial site be transformed into a new beautiful campus. When there was a fire on the new property and it was on the news the children watched and panicked, hoping their new home hadn't just burned down. For four years we have been telling the children the story that God was able to make a way ... so that when we would first arrive in our new home, they would understand with their own hearts, minds and experiences that He indeed is able to do beyond all we ever ask or think. Some times we must wait a long time, go through many sacrifices and even wonder about how hard it is during the journey. But all that is important and even prepares us to better receive what He has for us.

GOD DID MAKE A WAY ... (for a little ministry with no money but with God's love for the barrios of Phoenix)- to have a home for the children and families who come here hoping that God can make a way for them too. A way for them at home, at school and throughout their life.

The Lord provides and He wants to make this place a reminder of this.

Thank you for your role in being a part of this Thanksgiving Testimony!

• PRAY with us for the next two weeks of Kids Life, all we have left until our Christmas break. Pray that kids are loved, hear truth and are known. Pray particularly for the Junior high boys -- we have so many and they need a few more leaders.
• PRAY for our huge Christmas event and Parents Store happening on December 15. Pray that it is a time where Jesus is lifted up.

I CAN DO IT! is happening and making an amazing difference!

Many of our youth leave school and are on the streets before they even dream about high school. Just a year ago, we wrestled with questions about our junior high students, looking for a way to help them stay in school and know success.

We had learned through experience that dropout does not happen primarily in high school, but begins much earlier in the lives of our kids. Research shows that 40% of Hispanic children who dropout do so BEFORE they reach 8th grade.

I CAN DO IT! is a comprehensive, stay-in-school program for our children between the 5th and 12th grades, providing assistance in school, one-on-one tutoring, positive peer groups, and an array of incentives. Last year we began with ten students between 5th and 8th grades. At the end of the school year we had children who earned the following awards:

• 4 students on the honor roll
• 1 student on the "A" honor roll
• 1 student won Student of the Month
• 3 students won Student of the Week
• 1 student won Most Improved Grades
• 1 student won Best Social Studies Student
• 1 student was honored in the newspaper for being the first in her family to go through 8th grade graduation

A teacher from one participating public school wrote this about I CAN DO IT!

"This past year I had the privilege of working with a student that enrolled in I CAN DO IT! At the beginning of the year the student had poor behavior, irregular attendance and failed to complete homework assignments. Once he enrolled in the program, the incentives motivated him to take a different approach to education. He has a happier disposition, improved self-esteem, and even chose different friends. Recently he told me his goal was to attend college, something no one in his family had ever done. THESE ARE THE MOST MIRACULOUS RESULTS WE HAVE EVER SEEN."

These are successes that they never believed attainable. These are the awards, but there were much greater success. They learned that they can effect their future. They learned they can be successful. They learned what success felt like and they are looking forward to the future. They are now talking about how they can grown into leaders themselves, having an impact on the children following them.

We, too, look forward to the future. This year we have expanded the "I CAN DO IT!" program to include 50 students between 5th and 10th grades.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE 50 AND THEIR MENTORS.

Thanks for your love and prayers.

May God Richly Bless you dear friends,

Kit