Moving in this week (I think)

We plan to move in to our house this Thursday.  We got our electricity on.  I still have some demons to track down and fix, but some of the lights work, the microwave and the fridge are working, and the toilets flush.  We are still waiting on the gas meter.  We have to go through the whole safety inspection and permit game like the other utilities.  Cold showers and no heat for now.  I think I will buy a few space heaters at Walmart (hey, if they weren't good enough for spacemen, they wouldn't call them space heaters and it's cold in space).

Well tomorrow I'm tracking down some knob and tube wiring that is still mysteriously energized.

Progress!

Yep,  we are actually getting something done.  We have the upgraded electric done and the "Safe To Restore" from the city.  We are just waiting on the utility company to put in the service cable and meter (C'mon, it's been 6 days already).  We got the water on.  Ended up re-plumbing the whole house.  The only thing leaking now are the faucets that were in the house and it looks like the hot water heater leaks  :(

Next is getting the gas lines inspected.  There sure is a lot of red tape junk to do here in the city.  No wonder people don't fix up their house.

Anyway, if you have time to help with a water heater or sheet rocking a ceiling, let me know.

Dana and I are off to a neighborhood meeting.....

Well....  We are making slow progress on the house.  We have our water turned on and now I am dealing with repairing water  lines.  After installing a new electrical service drop, getting it inspected, pulling building permits, and setting up an account, we are still waiting for the power company to install a meter and get it turned on.  I will have to get the gas lines inspected before I can get them on.  It's kind of been a hassle trying to get into this old house.  We were imagining what it would be like for the many of our neighbors, who don't have the resources (money, knowledge, friends), to fix up an older home.  It seems they are stuck with run down houses or fall prey to the slum lords, who rent them sub-par homes.  Note to self: Do something about this.

Anyway, we are moving ahead.  Got the new transmission put in the truck and then Jesse's car died.  Looks like the new fuel pump had a short life!  We met with Greg from AQUI and started looking at some ideas on how to start finding ways to minister to youth in the neighborhood.  He said there is really nothing set up to help the youth.  That is why we are here.

Dana is at a women's retreat, so I guess I will get back to work.....

Things are moving along

We had a great time at the CCDA Conference.  CCDA is hard to explain.  It is an association that exists to encourage and network those who are doing ministry primarily to the poor and under-resourced in a variety of environments.  Most are ministering to the poor in urban areas of larger cities in the United States.  Some in rural areas, some in villages in Africa or Mexico.  Although diverse, CCDA seeks to alleviate some of the hardship and exploitation of the poor while loving them with the Gospel of Jesus.  We found the conference very encouraging and challenging as we sat in many seminars classes discussing ways to minister that can have lasting results.

 The church has done far too much hand-out ministry to the poor and not enough development of the poor.  Here is a simple analogy; If you give a man a fish, he eats but what does he do when the fish is gone?   That's where hand-out or relief ministry stops, although entirely appropriate in certain instances.  Development looks at going beyond and teaching him to fish, so he has the skills to get food for tomorrow and the next day.  Development is also concerned with ensuring the man has access to the pond.  What can be done to keep the pond safe and full of fish?  Are there unjust laws that might keep him from fishing? What about helping the man develop a pond in his own community where his family can have fish and use it as a source of income and then teach others to fish for themselves and so on.

We are excited to be in ministry to do this while seeking to develop people spiritually.  They are very inter-related.   It is a holistic approach that I believe is what the Bible teaches.  I plan to discuss these issues and my thoughts with you as we journey together through the next months and years to reach the young people in our neighborhood.

Looks like we could have our power on by the end of the week if all goes well.  We still need to get some inspections and pull some more permits, so who knows....  Well I'm off to look at a new transmission for my new truck......

Here is our September Newsletter

We head out tomorrow for the CCDA Conference in Chicago.  Pray we learn ways to follow God and reach our community.  We love you all!

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Quinceanera

Today we went to Grandview Park Presbyterian Church that is about a half a block away from our house. We could tell that a quinceanera was going on, but we weren't sure if they were having church or not. Found out that they were doing the quinceanera as a part of the service. After waiting 45 minutes for the young lady to show arrive for here own fiesta, it was a really cool service.

In Mexican families, a quinceanera is a fiesta for a girl on her 15th birthday. It is a rite of passage from a child to a woman. This one for Angeles was all that, but also like a wedding to Christ. It was a time of dedicating her life to love and serve God as a woman. Very Cool.

Also, a Burmese family joined the church. Great day at church.

Normal Day...

So, yesterday afternoon, I was out if front of my house working on a car and this man walks by and says, "Looks like a lot of work." (or something like that, I left out some adjectives) I replied and he stopped to talk. Les is homeless, looking for work. Yesterday he didn't find work, so he found a few too many beers. Anyway, we talked for about an hour. He told me about his life and struggles. He told me about growing up in church. I encouraged him to try to get into a pattern of not drinking so much, putting his faith in God, etc. Anyway, he decided he would help me work on the car. Not much help. Later, I drove him to a friend's house across town and told him I'd be praying for him to stay straight and find work. I'm sure this is only one of many interruptions in my day. Pray for Les.

Slide Show of the House

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