new beginnings

I am on verge of new beginnings, in less than a week's time God willing I will begin new members classes at a congregation that I have frequented for about a year now. I am praying, and believe that God has led me to this place. Whats more, there are a few believers that I have met, earlier on this year who have gatherings every now and then, and I feel blessed to be amongst their number also. I feel blessed to be able to have what I consider a double portion regarding a place to call home for consistent fellowship.

Earlier today I think I got caught up in moments of nostalgia, actually I don't think I did;...I did..(just had to look up nostalgia on dictionary.com, to confirm that's what happened.) I was viewing photos, and even a short video of my former congregation. I have a peace about everything now, and my thoughts earlier were only of the good times, memories full of the subtle details of sounds, touch, and even smell. I will miss them; I pray for them and wish them all well. Most of all I thank God for His grace, and blessing me to see and understand so many things that I did not before.

I am just a few weeks away from things picking up on my job. My job has a heavy somewhat intense season of the year, and its always something that I have to prepare myself for mentally. But with God's help I will do well, and come through as He has blessed me to do the previous four times during this season.

Honda Civic. (preferably 05-07)..thats what I want, God willing. I have about fifteen of them saved on my carmax.com account.....I'm saving, I'm praying...and if God's Will I will have one by the end of August.

Earlier on this morning I was blessed to read another update from my friend Gabrielle, she is a young woman I met last year around thanksgiving; she and her mother have started a humanitarian organization that helps youth in Haiti. Shes down there currently for the summer on an internship and has been sending updates of her experiences. This is a portion of her most recent update.


So two Thursdays ago, we spent the whole day visiting and learning about organizations that ministered to the most neglected in Haiti. First we visited Foyer Maurice Sixto, which provided schooling for “restaveks” which are children who are essentially, unpaid domestic laborers. In many cases, it’s slavery. In some cases, the families who “employ” them pay for them to go to school and treat them respectably, but in many, if not most cases, these children are abused in every way, stuck to work for as long as they are awake. And this organization, who provides schooling for about 250 of these children, psychosocial counseling, and general support, is one of two organizations that focus primarily on these children, of which there are an estimated 300,000 in Haiti. They also teach older youth different trades to enable them to choose a different way to feed themselves. However, the center didn’t even have a room for a child to sleep in, so as one of the social workers said, No matter what situation the child finds themselves in, at the end of the day, we have to send them back into it (unless the child decides he wants to leave permanently.

But the organization’s mission is to “decrease the suffering that these children face” and provides activities for them (these children are severely stigmatized in Haiti), but they do not, or as she described it, can not work towards directly removing children from being restaveks (if they did, the families would stop cooperating with them and not allow the child to participate in their programs). And she did not know of any organizations working towards ending it (I know that there has to be some but apparently not any movements big enough to be well-known). We then visited two centers for street children, and it is in these places that I met true inspirational, people. One lady had worked in the center for twenty-one years, devoting her life to helping these children that the rest of society avoids like the plague. The center that she worked for, Lakou, provided two meals, shelter, recreation (a TV, a soccer ball & goalposts) and schooling for about 200 boys, ranging from 3 to 14. For adolescents, they provided a two-year trade training program for about another 150, and a small nursery for girls on the street who have babies (can fit about 20).

The most heart-breaking thing I learned was that there is no center for girls who are on the street (from 3 to 14), who are the most vulnerable. The woman, shared that there was a 5-year old girl that was rescued twice from attempted rape, but still had nowhere to go. Finally, an orphanage agreed to take her in. The woman estimated about 300 girls who find themselves in similar positions, and even now as I write about it, it brings tears to my eyes. These are also the ones who will reproduce more street kids, if there is no intervention. Something has to be done, so please pray for them and for me about what I can do.


So needless to say, please keep her, and those in Haiti in your prayers. Shes a strong Christian and her faith, and sacrificial work are a true inspiration. I really admire her.

A few more things, there's a book that was recommended to me recently called, "Boy Meets Girl, say Hello to Courtship" by Joshua Harris. Its supposed to be really good. I plan to start reading it today or tomorrow. I may share some thoughts. I know one thing though...although I want companionship with the goal of marriage...I am in no rush for a relationship; especially now that I am about to start these new beginnings :) I want to lose myself in my faithfulness to God so much so that He's all I see,...so much so that I exude Him to everyone I encounter, so that they too may see the grace that I perceive so prevalent in my life at this time. I just want to love people with a pure love; God's love, and nurture the many wonderful friendships that I have been blessed to gain. Anything more can and will come in God's time and its not a priority right now.

Oh yeah! Almost forgot, I've been doing set time prayers; morning, afternoon, and night and its been so spiritually strengthening and rewarding. I haven't been doing traditional prayers as I don't know them yet, but I have been doing prayers from the heart, ending in the Our Father prayer, and saying (singing)the Shema when I wake up and lay down.

These new beginnings are so encouraging, I feel closer in my relationship to God. And I pray I continue to draw closer, to have my faith nurtured and to constantly walk in faithfulness. Thank you for your time. Take Care. And if you have faith, I say simply...remember God in all that you do...Shalom (Peace.)