More Bug News

I figured it had been too long since I wrote about the Sanktown bugs, so here's what I've been dealing with the past few weeks...

The weather has been very wintery-like lately, though today it warmed back up, and so most of the bugs have started to hunker down and hide out. I have noticed a severe decline in the volume of bugs that sneak into my trailer, with one notable exception. Apparently, a large colony of wasps have decided that my trailer will make a good home for the winter, so they have began their invasion. Corey thinks it's payback for our wasp hunting this summer before SOUL started, but that's another story altogether.

Anyway, wasps have been coming into my kitchen and living room at an alarming rate, and since I don't have a flyswatter, I've resorted to using other weapons - namely the dustpan and an oven mitt (not at the same time, though that does conjure up a nice mental picture). The most effective measure has been the use of Raid, however, and so I have doused the outside of my trailer several times. I have also found the main location of entry into the kitchen and spray it regularly - I've plugged about half a dozen other holes as well. I killed 25 in just five days last week (inside only - God only knows how many died outside and in the walls). But this week has been much better - only two so far.

I know writing about killing things doesn't make the most appealing reading material, but since hunting for wasps has become a regular part of my daily life, I figured I'd let you hear about it. Just pray I don't get stung. So far, so good in that department!

Please keep in your Prayers

This morning we found out that we lost a child of the Sanktown community and of the McIntosh Elementary School family. Nathan Reed, a forth grader at the school was killed in a car accident, on his way to school, when another car ran a stop sign and the airbag came out and broke his neck. He is the son of Evie Reed and the grandson of Ms. Judy Faye and the cousin of one of our students,Evie, in the after school program.

Please keep this family and the school in your prayers, during the upcoming holiday season.

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SOUL DATES

Guess What Ya'll??

The S.O.U.L. dates are out!!

June 20-26 Sports Camp

July 11-17 Work Week

July 18-24 Vacation Bible School

Tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW the SOUL DATES are OUT

Make sure you help your church find the right date to send its youth and young adults , then raise that money and come on down

i'm still alive:)

hi everyone.

its emily.
sorry i havent been posting but honestly it confused me.
haha.
just kiddin.
so... serious note....
everythings going great down here in good ol' sanktown.
bible study is awesome, were actually all going out tonite to dinner and bowling possibly.
im siked.
whoop whoop
but sorry im being short but merryn and i have to sort some rummage. oh yeah.
haha.
<3>
God Bless
Emily

After School

For those of you who have been praying for the After School Program, i have a great update for you. It seems like it would never come but, we will have our 20th child starting the program on Monday. Actually we will have number 18, 19 and 20 starting. I am so incredibly excited, not just for our numbers but for the family that is starting, the grandmother who is raising the children talked about what a gift from God this program was and that it was just what she had been looking for. And guess what? The grandmother would have never known about our program except for our involvment at the elementary school every week, and getting to know the teachers.

Above you will find a picture of all our kids from last week, except for three, and the three starting on Monday. Aren't they cute? Please continue to pray for the After School program and for all the kids and teachers involved in it.

God Bless

We're Back... In School!

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but the Friends Center has been making a concerted effort to build a connection with McIntosh Elementary School. Most of the kids we have in the After School Program go to this school, so it's great to have relationships with their teachers, counselors, principle, and fellow students. We have tried to support them in different ways, such as donating backpacks to students who need them and volunteering during special events like their fruit festival and their upcoming book fair.

But probably the biggest outreach effort has been to volunteer as assistants during normal school days. Jennifer, Emily, and Merryn have been volunteering at least once a week for over a month now, and I know that it has made a difference in lots of lives. It is so cool to see our kids get off the bus for after school and say things like, "Ms. Jennifer, I saw you at my school today!" The teachers receive a big blessing as well when they have someone else in class to help kids that are struggling. Simply being around people can show them that you care about them.

Last week, I had the opportunity to go along with the girls for the first time. We arrived just as lunch was winding down, and I was placed in a fourth grade class. The teacher told me that they were working on math just before lunch and that I could help some of them that were having a hard time with it. So I figured that I'd take a few of them to the side and work with them while she continued on with the rest of the class. Well, that's not exactly what happened. We walked into class, and she said, "Here's my book. You can use the projector or the whiteboard or whatever you need. Now class, pay attention to him." And she sat down at her desk. So, to my complete surprise and amazement, I proceed to teach math for the next hour and a half! It was a fun experience, but I must be careful to thank God for getting me through it without any problems or severe anxiety.

Looking back, I really believe that it was important for me to be there, not because I'm effective at teaching or work well with kids, but because I'm male. I know that in the community we're in, male involvement in family life isn't exactly stellar. And at that school, I haven't once seen a male teacher, administrator, or any other staff. Jennifer may know more about this than I, but I don't know if any of those kids have ever seen a male authority figure at school. So maybe it was a big deal that I stood up in front of a class of fourth graders.

Pray for the schools down in Washington County, Alabama. I think the girls would agree that the term "our kids" is changing from "the ones who show up around the center" to "all the kids we see at school each week." Corey is volunteering today, as I type, and I hope that at least one of us can make it out with the girls each week. We trust that God takes our small gifts and turns them into big blessings!

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New Pictures

Hey Ya'll i just wanted to point out the new pictures posted just this week on the blog. They are all very recent events or outtings here at the center. Please share the blog with others and spread the news of the work happening here.

God Bless