We live in an age today I like to call the “Acceptance Era”. America has become a society where if you don’t accept people for who they are and don’t accept their sin then you are a bigot. If you are against 3,000 lives being killed by abortion each day, against homosexuality being promoted to everyone; even kids, against legal use of mind altering drugs such as marijuana; then the world deems you as judgmental and righteous. And unfortunately that mentally has altered people’s view of God.

The past four weeks we have been talking to the kids about allowing God to transform your mind, heart, desires and actions. 
We can preach to the kids God’s word, but the truth is we really need to hear it as well. Transformation of the mind, heart, desires and actions can only come through surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t do it on our own.

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring Glad Tidings of good things!" - Romans 10:14-15
Visitations at Palomino Place were such a blessing we were able to spend a few hours ministering telling the kids about Jesus and even playing with them. It was a wonderful time in the Lord! Along the way God send someone that would encourage me.

Every Saturday we have a Children’s Church service at CAC starting at 1 pm for the kids of the Gulfton area where we live. We pick them up at 12:30pm from different apartments around the area; there is one particular small apartment complex were we pick up about five kids, it’s called La Plaza. This past Saturday when we stopped to picked them up a kid named Junior comes up to me and the first thing he tells me is that they need prayer because something bad happened. I sat him and his brother Jovani and ask them what about, Junior tells me that his mom is in jail and they are home alone.

It was a beautiful day at Villa Americana, one of our inner city sites we minister to; and it was time for the altar call. We welcomed the kids to come up for individual prayer and this little girl name Rheanna came up to me for prayer. She wanted prayer for her parents, she didn’t say what specifically for but I know what a lot of these kids go through so I had an idea on what to pray about.

Two years ago I was in my last year of college. The summer before the year started, I was researching social work graduate school options. I had found one at the University of Michigan where along with classes and work toward a master’s degree which would allow me to spend two years overseas working with the Peace Corps. I was so excited, because during my spring break trip to Haiti the semester before, I was very interested in working overseas, at least for a time. This combined this interest and getting my master’s degree. So I applied the following February and waited to hear. 

“Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”             
- Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything? For me that is a daily struggle as I struggle with anxiety disorder diagnosed a few years ago.

Whenever things aren’t going right in our lives we don’t want to stay committed or faithful; actually we just don’t want to do good anymore. Have you had that feeling? I understand, but we must live beyond our feelings and keep doing what is right, staying committed to this journey because God has a purpose.

During visitations Mandy, Nurr and I were walking along the apartments in Azalea Place and noticed a group of children so we took some time to talk to them. We invited them to the Children’s Activity Center and out of nowhere this young man comes out of his apartment screaming in excitement and walked toward us, he asked us what the fliers were all about we explained to him about what we do here at the CAC and he became even more excited! “I’m going to come!!” He yelled out in excitement…