Hey Family and Friends –
Yet another long delayed update. Don’t worry, this one will not be long … I promise. Much has happened in the past few months, but I’ll just highlight the finer details.

Thanksgiving Festivities: The Saturday before Thanksgiving Day, the Carter Street Block Club hosted the “3rd Annual Thanksgiving Block Party.” The day was a complete success where many neighbors/families came out to enjoy the music, entertainment, food, and the company. It was especially nice see the neighbors on Carter Street not only come together to enjoy the event, but also come together to prepare for the day (i.e. cutting lawns, setting up tables and chairs, and preparing food). It was very encouraging to watch as neighbor cared for neighbor in serving food, watching after one another’s kids, and simply enjoying each other’s company.

A Typical Day in the Grove: As I was preparing to head home after Thanksgiving with my family in Georgia, my uncle asked me what a typical day looks like for me. Excited to share about ministry in Miami, I began to share, but by the time my brain fully processed the question, I realized that I had no idea how to answer. There literally are no typical days in my week. There are some activities such as prayer and learning community that are weekly interactions within our team, but the larger portion of my schedule is unpredictable. I could have long periods of uninterrupted administrative work, but most likely, I will spent chunks of time throughout the day resume building with community members or having a heart to heart on a walk to the corner store or learning the history of development in the community or playing with a friend’s son while she’s in a meeting or helping park cars or feeding a neighbor over conversation. There are so many people in the community with gifts, talents, and wisdom to offer that it is necessary to bend my time so that I am able to encounter them in the ways and places where relationship building can occur.

Sweet Home Chicago: “…that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ … So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” (Joshua 4:6-7) Although I didn’t grow up on Chicago, this city is especially endeared to me; it is the place where my memory stones stand. It is the place where God has grown me and molded me; it is the place where He has strengthened me spiritually; it is a place of spiritual refreshing for me. I just returned from a time of training and visiting in Chicago, so I tried my best to fill up on that spiritual refreshment while I was there. When I boarded the plane yesterday, I had the very same feeling that I typically have: there just wasn’t enough time. However, I believe that God orchestrated the limited interactions that did happen. There was coffee shop encouragement, strategic planning in pajamas, a laundry mat rap session, lunch room affirmation, updates in the office, commuter lounge reunions, catching up over dinner, and classroom prayer. God created various different opportunities in random places; just can’t put Him in a box. I left full.

For the Souls of West Coconut Grove: In 2 Corinthians 12:15, Paul states, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” He was talking to the church of Corinth expressing his genuine and evident love for them. They ridiculed Paul for challenging them, yet Paul still counted their souls as worth the cost he would have to pay to see transformation in their hearts. God has totally convicted me in that I have not been willing to, “spend and be spent,” here in Miami as I have been serving here while my heart has been back in Chicago (something I thought I was past). I need to remember that God did not call me to Chicago; he called me to Himself the Alpha and Omega, Creator of all things, Savior of my soul, and Author of my future. In the past few days, I have contemplated what it would mean for me to, “spend and be spent,” for the souls of West Coconut Grove.

Please pray that God would:
• Show me how to “spend and be spent” for the souls of West Coconut Grove
• Help me to develop and execute an effective plan for support raising
• Show me how to pursue relationships on Franklin Avenue
• Direct Urban Resurrection as we navigate through the many layers of transition in this season

Thank you!

Kristy ~ Apprentice

Posted on December 13th, 2009 by Michael
Filed under: Community Development, Events, Family & Friends, News, Ujima Initative