October 16, 2003
Dear Praying Friends,
I think it is because I am getting older that I
want to comment on how fast life moves ... the two things that I want to
update you on each contain years of prayer and waiting. And today
here they are ... in fact today they met each other.
Today the new health clinic building opened to
serve patients at The Neighborhood Center and some of their first patients
were the pre school children from our very own Headstart class. The
16 four year olds left their classroom, walked down the sidewalk, past our
ballfield, crossed the driveway safely and walked into the beautiful brand
new medical facility to have their health screening. I wanted to
ask, how did this marvelous thing happen? Clearly, it is beyond all
we could have asked or thought. Twelve years ago when the clinic was
only a vision in the minds of a very few ... and four years ago when we
began to dream about a true partnership with Headstart ... we couldn't
have fully imagined today, not really. I shared with a friend today
that vision is a foggy thing, it guides us only in so much as you make a
commitment to be present with its vagueness each day, going forward with
an inner guidance that somehow communicates, this is the way, walk in it.
Ten years, or four years don't feel like much today. However, today feels
like a miracle. loving you, Kit
2 Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes,
so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people
may cause the giving of thanks to
abound to the glory of God.
The Neighborhood
Christian Clinic
History:
Around four + years ago, a decade long dream came true. A Christian
medical clinic opened its doors to serve the medically underserved of
Phoenix. This clinic developed under the vision and hard work of a
combination of medical professionals and city workers aligned with
Neighborhood Ministries and two local churches. Becoming a separate
non-profit from N.M. was one of the first practical steps along the way;
what would make this clinic unique beyond caring for the poor of the city
would be the desire that this clinic provide mentoring and guidance for
volunteer medical professionals to receive hands-on experience in discussing
spiritual issues with patients.
Today: The old location for
the clinic was the building that at one time housed the food bank and Nueva
Esperanza (the Spanish speaking congregation birthed out of N.M.) It
was a set of old converted apartments.
Today, a brand new 5200 square foot state of the art
medical clinic sits on the south end of Phase I of The Neighborhood Center.
It is beautiful and gigantic, compared to the facility of the past few
years. It also contains two dental chairs, a brand new addition in
this clinic.
The physical realities of the poor in our city are staggering:
- one in five Arizona kids has no health care
(303,500) Arizona is ranked 47th (near the bottom of all 50 states, in
health care for kids)
- one in five Arizona kids lives in poverty
(257,710)
- twelve babies are born to teen moms (ages 15-17)
per day (Arizona ranked 48th, again at the bottom)
- 89 families per day are reported for suspected
child abuse and neglect
- Arizona is 45th in overall child well being
How grateful we
are today for the response of God to these painful realities.
2 Corinthians 4:15
For all things are for your sakes,
so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people
may cause the giving of thanks to
abound to the glory of God.
Please
Pray for The Neighborhood Christian Clinic:
Headstart
and its wrap around program
History: For
years, we at N.M. have loved kids and families. God has honored this mission
as we are now getting to love the second and third generation of children
from these families we have known since the beginning of our days.
As our ministry has grown throughout the years, it has become
apparent that part of our holistic approach to love includes the pursuit of
education. It is a tool that can be used in great ways to further God’s
kingdom. Because our programs are so intertwined and so present in the lives
of those God has given us we are excited about the newest parts of our
ministry work.
Early
intervention plays a key role in the educational success for any child.
We here at N.M. are aware of that role and are filled with joy at the
thought that we could also offer early childhood education programs that
would enable our kids to meet the challenges presented to them in school.
Two years ago
we started a one-day-a-week preschool where children from mothers in our
teen mom program, Mom’s Place, spent the day playing and learning.
We loved this program, and dreamed about a time when we could offer
it on a daily basis. Well, that
day has come.
Today:
This last July we opened a classroom for our 3 and 4 year olds.
This class is a Head Start program run by the City of Phoenix. Head
Start provided all kinds of materials including playground equipment, Head
Start teachers and curriculum. You
can imagine what we felt like as we discovered the boxes and boxes that were
being delivered daily to the Center by the city. As we pulled the bright
blue, yellow and red kid-sized treasures that would soon turn our classroom
into the colorful new atmosphere that our children would be loved and taught
in we remembered the many blessings that God has given us and continues to
give us. We were overwhelmed
with all of the supplies, books, tables, chairs, toys, markers, paints,
music, crayons and even puppets. It is an amazing sight to see today as the
tiny tables and chairs are now set up and are occupied daily with the
smiling faces of the angels we have loved and wanted this opportunity for,
for so long. The children now get to come daily to the place they recognize
as home, as safe, as love and now as “school”.
In our
partnership with the City, we at N.M. will be providing extended care that
is Christ-centered, filled with prayer, songs about Jesus, and Bible
stories.
Thank you for
your commitment to us in prayer. God is blessing us as a result and lives
are being affected and changed because of it.
2
Corinthians 4:15
For
all things are for your sakes,
so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people
may
cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
Please
Pray for Headstart and the wrap around program:
-
we need a
van driver (CDL licensed)
-
some of
our kids need extra services, pray for Headstart as they scramble
to find the resources
-
pray for
our young teachers who are learning ... right alongside our kids
-
pray for
the development and start of the wrap around program
-
pray for
our relationship with Headstart as we advocate for some of our kids,
submitting to them and working with them
"To
exist in the fleet joy of becoming,
to be a channel for life as it
flashes by in its gaiety and
courage,
cool water glittering in the
sunlight--
in a world of sloth, anxiety, and
aggression.
To exist for the future of others
without being suffocated by their
present."
a quote from Dag Hammarskjold
