new

I have been wanting to write about my involvement with a ministry called New Town for a while now.  I figured the start of a new year was a fitting time to reflect on my adventures with this new addition to my life.  New Town is a ministry to some kids in the "inner city" of Augusta's first neighborhood called Old Towne.  Old Towne is a neighborhood with lots of cute, historic houses that have become neglected and run-down over the years.  Years ago many of the "reputable" residents moved out and moved to the suburbs and crime, drugs, and prostitution moved in.  It's now one of those areas people in town warn you not to go... and especially not at night.  But a group of people have decided that God has not forgotten this place and that He is there doing a "new" thing.  Personally, over the past few months I have grown to look forward to going there each week.  It has become one of the highlights of my week.  Each week we meet at a local school where we play, hear a message from a speaker, spend time in small groups, and then end with dinner together.  I had been wanting to get involved with New Town for a while and kept talking about it but never actually doing anything.  Finally, this year I decided it's time to stop talking and start doing...so I just jumped right in.  I have learned a lot so far from my time with these kids.  New Town is crazy and chaotic and loud, but I love it. 

 

 

There have been ups and downs the past few months... joys and challenges as with any ministry.  My primary focus is with the sixth grade girls.  There have been weeks when they test me and try me and frustrate me like no other, and there have been weeks when I leave so glad that they are in my life.  It has been a process, and I feel like we are just beginning still.  It takes a while, a long while, to earn credibility and to earn their trust.  Honestly, halfway through the semester I just wanted to quit.  I felt the challenge was too much, and there was no fruit in sight.  The only thing that kept me from quitting was the committment I made for the semester.  So, in my mind I thought I'd just stick it out to the end of the year and then be done with it.  Thankfully, God changed my heart and gave me a genuine love for these girls and committment to them.  I think initially I was frustrated when things weren't going according to my plan...according to my timeline.  I wanted to get to know girls through New Town, build deep relationships with them, spend time with them outside of New Town one-on-one, and have a perfect little disclipling relationship right away.  That's all well and good, but the thing is relationships take time.   I decided that for now I had to just be faithful and be present.  I continued to just show up...and with time the relationships have come.  It's slow, but it's coming along...some faster than others, so I have focused my efforts with those girls. 

 

So, while I would love for our small group discussions to be wonderful talks about Jesus and how great He is and what we are learning from Him in our daily lives, most of the time we can't even get them to focus and pay attention.  Or our conversations go something like this:

 

girl:  you got a glock?

me:  no, do you?

girl:  you know what a glock is?

me:  yes

girl:  you ain't got no guns? well, you ain't secure!

 

 

or this:

me:  so tonight we're talking about grace.  who knows what the word "grace" means, like in the song "amazing grace"?

girl:  oooh that's what song they sing at crackhead's funerals

 

 

or this:

me:  so what do you want to be when you grow up?

girl answering for other girl:  she wanna be a stripper

 

 

So, this is a glimpse into the lives of the girls that have been entrusted to us in this ministry.  Like I said, I have just decided to be faithful to be present and just show up in their lives.  And....pray.  I've realized, yet again, that I have no power to accomplish anything in their little lives.  It must be a work of God that brings it about.  And He is at work in their lives.  The same sixth grader that made most of the comments above had this question out-of-the-blue one night:

"So, like, why did God make people if He knew they weren't going to worship Him?  Like, Muslim people and stuff.  And why do people worship other gods and not the real God?"

 

Profound.

 I told her that was a very good question and that people who go to school to be pastors even have a hard time answering that question.  We talked about it some before the group went off topic again.  I am encouraged by moments like these--moments where we get to talk about deep things.  I am encouraged by moments when they meet me with hugs, and I see that we are making progress in our relationships.  I am encouraged when they confide in me their "secrets" of which boy they like this week. 

 

 

A few weeks ago at the end of the night one of the girls that I'm closest to left angry and in a hurry.  There had been some drama during dinner, and I couldn't quite figure out what was going on.  I just knew she was mad and there was a lot of talk about fighting.  I ran outside and caught her while she was leaving to find out what was going on.  Apparently, some girl wanted to fight her for some reason or another.  We talked some about why she shouldn't go getting in fights, but I really don't think any of it was getting through to her.  Finally, as we left, I hugged her and told her that I wasn't trying to be her mom and tell her what to do, but that I loved her and cared about her and didn't want her getting into trouble.  It kind of just tumbled out of my mouth before I knew it.  It's true though.  I do love her and care about her, and honestly we may be the only adults speaking love and encouragement into her life.  I pray that through this next year God will give me the strength to continue to be faithful and present in her life and in the lives of the other girls in our group....and that He will continue doing a "new" thing in their lives and community and in my own life.