KIDS CLUB day #7 has just finished ...
We have entered the second week.  Though we're tired and have long days ... if we stop long enough we can see the gifts of this Kids Club all around us...

• Just about every day, some young adult or older high schooler that grew up in this program stops in and stays a day or two, sometimes coming every day to work, either with kids or some random job ... since I've been around forever, their presence feels so natural, like hardly any years have passed between ... if I stop long enough though,  I'll notice that they have left a busy job, school or regular life to join us, like when they were younger.  Today, I said to a young woman who just moved back to Phoenix and came by to see everybody ...  that Kids Club brings everyone together again.  "That's for sure", she said.  I think she could see me remembering the Kids Club when she emerged out of nowhere, having been on the streets for months before then.  That was the summer she became a Christian. 

• Each classroom, activity, kitchen, hub, set up crew, drivers, worship ... is staffed both with new and old friends ... some members of this army are experiencing kids club for the first time ... others are working alongside veterans of years of investment -- by this time, we are all part of the family, knowing kids by name, having favorite activities, and hearing about other parts of the day each one didn't experience directly ... some of these new friends are already bonded and will hang out with us for years to come it is looking like

• There is an amazing role of community that happens during Kids Club.  I have two kids living with me for the two weeks, an eleven year old and her seven year old cousin.  This boy's mom has made the most courageous decision to go into one of the best rehab environments we have here for Native American women.  So each day her kids come and go from homes of staff here, while she is settling into a very intense environment.  The family that lost their baby is all here, the smallest ones coming to Kids Club like a second home.  Their mom comes and goes to work just down the street.

• Leadership development happens at every turn.  Young adults and older teens make decisions of the highest order all day long.  They work harder than would be expected, and don't quit after 12 hour days.  They handle tough kids, conflict, difficult relational issues and of course, unexpected breakdowns.  One of our own home grown leaders is on work crew for the first time.  Most on lookers are finding her amazing in her attitude and diligence, for she was a very troubled kid, when she was growing up in this program, often the most difficult.  When a borrowed bus broke down after Lake Day, this same girl led the way in praying for God's help and rescue.  Sure enough, to honor this emerging leader faith, the Lord sent paramedics, an ambulance, and highway patrol to our kids and bus; by the time we all finally arrived to rescue our bunch, we found a happy leader team, led by our own Magaly, with stories to tell of how God answers prayer when we are in trouble.  Today, I watched counsel happen for younger leaders by older leaders all day long.  (An older leader is someone over 20) It is a site to behold.

• Of course there are heartaches.  Three of our young leaders have had painful personal issues.  All have had to leave the team to find relief.  There is nothing that takes us down quite like this ... yet reconciliation is before us, one has returned with humility and peace.  One needs prayer for a serious medical condition.
• Kids with tough stuff at home start to be known by now -- we had a table of kids notice that one of their peers was missing ... "he can't come to Kids Club because he has to watch his brothers and sisters and his mom is under investigation by CPS" ... we called the home, asked if Jose could come back to Kids Club, invited the siblings and he was back before lunch today ... on the way to the hub to do Shoe Day fitting, he commented, "this is a really nice place" ... i told him it was better now that he was back.
• Each day you hear someone say, where is "so and so", "they were here last week, maybe two times", "who picks up this one", "i heard the kids on the south side were sick, that's why they're not here" ... it feels as if for the short time we're together, what matters is that we're together
• Memories are being made ... I had the crazy idea of putting some Christian songs on a CD to go along with each story ... some songs came from a local hip hop group that played at church, some from favorite artists that write with the messages we need ... kids want copies, they are being sold for $2.00 and God's messages of hope and life will be permeating lots of homes once the program is over
• Each day we open our own doors, turn off our own alarm and hose off our own concrete.  We put all kinds of food in our own walk-ins and scrub graffiti off our own bathroom stalls.  We pick up trash on our own grounds and turn sprinklers on the soccer field, during the sports time when it is a million degrees outside to get the kids wet.  One little 3 year-old grabbed me by the shirt today, called me Kiss instead of Kit, and dragged me to the photos on the wall of the auditorium, after the hundreds of kids had gone home.  "This is our church", he said pointing to the picture.  "Yes", I said.  His mom was one of the first kids in Kids Club years ago.  "This is our church".
• Every day we make mistakes, wishing to be better than we are, when we're not.  Today, was another one of those days, a young leader humiliating a kid.  It was supposed to be funny.  A safe environment to fail, we hope. 
• I'll walk around on any given day and watch someone taking small things seriously.  I watched one of our home-growns putting make-up on a lovely nine year old in beauty class.  She took forever, the little girl felt like a princess.  I watched one of our supermen cut wood pieces to make homemade dominos for the boys lined up behind him and the machine, everyone patient, each cut even.  After a basketball tournament turn into a free for all, the young leaders wanting to be coached in how it should have gone.  "I want to be good at this, tell me how I should have handled this" ... 
• Many times this kids club a child has asked me the history -- How many years is this Kids Club?  "#17", "Where did it start?", "a park", the memories feel like a legacy sometimes.

some updates:

    Lake Day

We found out less than 12 hours before we were to leave for Canyon Lake, that we still could come.  Somehow our reservation had not been noted, and no large groups were being allowed into the Lake any longer.  I was stressed, we prayed, God worked, and in the nick of time, we were approved.  Our vehicles were packed and headed out.  Our time together at the Lake was all we hoped it would be.  It was safe, 400 kids had a life experience, we had wonderful volunteers with their boats giving rides ... the food was good and six were baptized.  This too has become a tradition ... one of the most amazing testimonies was this one:

Baptism Testimony - Lake Day Kids Club 2002

Vanessa Cisneros

I never knew my dad, so I grew up without a Father.  When I was 6 years old we moved to Phoenix and my mom met a guy.  She would stay with him and begin using drugs.  Drugs became a part of our lives.  My mom was in and out of my life and my brother's lives - we lived off and on with our aunts. 

I have been around drugs my whole life.  I never had a stable home, we were always living here and there.

But I was always coming to church and Kids Club.  But that stopped around age 13.

At 13 years old I started living on my own.  I came home one day and found my mom gone.  That was when I got into a lot of trouble.  I was charged with attempted murder and went to adult prison.  I would sit in my cell crying for my mom.  Imagine being in adult jail, 14 years old, stripes ... some church lady started coming to see me.  I listened to her.  When I was in jail I cried out to God.  I learned to read the Bible.  I had time to change my life; I didn't want it to turn out like my brother Bobby, who continues to go in and out of jail, always using drugs.  He has broken my heart.

I was in the hole for 30 days, while I was in jail.  It was during that time that I asked God into my heart again.  I had asked God into my heart plenty of times before but this time I knew it was for real.  This time I wanted it to work.  Adult jail changed my life ... it was hard; I was maced, thrown in the hole and many other horrible things.  But it was here that I started talking to God.   He gave me another chance.  I could have stayed locked up but I wanted to make something of my life, not live behind bars like an animal.

All the things I have done - I regret every one of them.  Without going to jail I would be dead or overdosed on drugs.  Jail kind of helped me - it opened my eyes before something really terrible happened.   You have to want to change - you can't make anyone want to; they have to want to.

I have thought about this decision to give my life to God for a long time.  I am an angry person ... I could continue to chose the bumpy road because of that or follow God.  I'm choosing God.  Today I want to be baptized because when I was in jail I would have dreams of coming to Kids Club and telling kids not to choose the bad way.  Those thoughts of helping other kids kept me alive.  I know that when I am baptized I can put my old life behind me, smile all the time, and be free like a bird.  Today I am here with you, my second family.  All of you kids are like my second family.  I love being at Kids Club and I want it to be my life again - I want to make my family proud of me.  I am trying to be a good example to my younger cousins.

This is what my relationship with God mean to me - I am free in my heart, not worrying, filled with love, the love He gives us.  He died on the cross for our sins. 

I want to say thank you to Kit, Ulises, Vavee and all the church, Neighborhood Ministries, Kids Club - they have been here all my life since I was a baby.  And I want to say thank you to God and to my aunt who took us in.

This is a verse that Kit chose for me:

            "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17

Pray today, Wednesday ...pray for the ones who are making commitments to Christ ... the next few days, leaders will be helping kids understand God's love for them personally 

Please pray for the 70 work crew -- they are hard working, tough, focused young people ... they are tired, but not beaten down, undergoing spiritual warfare, and learning the power of prayer   

• Please keep praying for each staff and worker for strength, patience, love, insight, and discernment
• Please keep praying for our vehicles 

thank you for praying for the many requests of the last week ... God is revealing Himself through your intercession.  Love, Kit 

Psalm 68:9,10

You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.  Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.