Hidden Alleys.

[Imagine it's the weekend of Nov 4-6]

This weekend Nicole and I hosted a youth group. It was weird hosting after two months, but it was wonderful as well.

We were in two separate serving groups, and my serving group headed out to Ray of Hope on Saturday morning. Ray of Hope does a lot of neighborhood clean-up…restoration, even. Ray of Hope also does home repairs for those who can’t afford the high cost of structural home damage, but whenever groups go, we are typically helping clean up a neighborhood or making an abandoned lot look like an actual lot instead of a jungle.  Ray goes all over Philadelphia, cleaning the dirtiest places, the places people have given up on and just feel too overwhelmed to even consider cleaning.

Our project that morning? Tackling an alley.

If I had just been walking around this neighborhood, I never would have thought that what we cleaned up was an alley. It was about 3 feet wide and houses lined each side of it. Dogs barked at us as we walked back and removed thrash, fallen tree limbs, and several random objects. (Window pane, old fence posts, a shoe…)

I’ve done Ray of Hope in all sorts of weather…very cold, very rainy, very hot…been there, done it. It adds an extra amount of challenge to the work, just sticking with it and being positive sometimes. At the end of the morning or afternoon though, it is always wonderful to look back and see all the work you’ve done…the difference you’ve made in this neighborhood or this lot or this alley.

The weather we had that day was PERFECT alley cleaning weather. It was fab.

We finished that morning and the alley actually looked like an alley! It was incredible. As we collected all the tools and circled up to pray together, I thought about myself and those around me. Did we have “hidden alleys” within us, waiting to be cleaned up…restored? Maybe that’s silly of me, but I often find myself thinking of things like this, whether it’s a filthy alley or a shop-vac that makes me think of it. I thought about how I knew I definitely had hidden alleys at one point or another…places within me that I had given up on and just felt too overwhelmed with, and I remembered how God worked in me, cleaning out the lies and the insecurities and the doubt. How I’d even gone back behind Him and made the alleys dirty again. But He keeps coming back, cleaning it out. Restoring me.

He’s restoring you, too. May this be perfect “alley cleaning weather” for you, and for me.

With love,

Emily

Poconos: Footprints

[Imagine it's the weekend of Halloween!]

This weekend I was off adventuring in The Pocono Mountains with Kels, Nicole, and Nicole’s friend (and now my friend too!), Jane. We arrived Friday night and quickly got ourselves settled in by the fireplace, enjoying hot tea and playing Scrabble. We went to bed to the sound of the fireplace crackling and popping, snuggled in to our blankets and sleeping bags.
Saturday morning we awoke to a light dusting of snow across the mountains. It was a beautiful sight, to see the colors of fall and the first signs of winter colliding together. We ate breakfast and eventually bundled up to go on a hike to some of the falls. Snow had started falling steadily by then, and it just became more and more beautiful as the snow clung to the pines and to the ground beneath our feet.

As we got closer to the falls, the trail got a bit trickier. Large slick rocks replaced small rocks covered in snow, and flat ground turned into a hill here or there. At one particular point, we had to go down a small hill to get to the falls. This hill had a lot of those large slick rocks. Now, let me just tell you…I am not the most coordinated person and I just don’t trust my balance in general. So, I took my sweet time going down this decline, putting great thought into where I made my next step, for fear of falling and sliding down the rest of the way. I suppose that could have been an adventure in itself, but I didn’t want to try it. I was behind everyone else, which I found helpful because I could look to see where the other three had stepped to get down. I got to the bottom and continued to follow the footsteps left behind by my friends. I joined Nicole again, who had stopped to wait for me, and we continued walking, the sound of the falls filling the woods around us. We got to a part where you could tell there was mud, due to the fact that either Kels or Jane had come close to stepping in it themselves. We followed the path they took on the side of the trail, and it was mud free. At one point I thought I needed to cross to the other side, and as I started to do that I quickly found my foot sunk in cold wet mud. It wasn’t too bad, though.

We got to the falls and it was beautiful. We took pictures, and just really admired everything around us. The snow had picked up and by then we were all pretty cold, so we turned and headed back to Aircastle.
Once again, I was at the back. Nicole and I walked together and just ahead of us were Kels and Jane. The snow had covered a majority of our footsteps from our way down to the falls. The hill I had hesitantly descended was a lot easier to walk up, and it seemed odd that this was the same hill I had taken so long to walk down.

As we continued walking, the snow became so thick that we could no longer see Kelsey and Jane ahead of us, nor could we see their footprints. And it made me think.
Sometimes, the path is laid out for us…footprints have been left behind by those gone before us, footprints to help us find our way. But other times, the footprints have been covered or they just don’t exist and we have to find our own way. Not necessarily by ourselves, but we can’t look down and say “Hey, so and so went this way, I think I’ll follow!” It’s a time for us to make our own footprints, instead of putting our feet in other people’s footprints.
I think there are a variety of emotions that you can feel about something like that. You can feel alone or you can feel frustrated or confused. Your confidence can waiver… wondering if you can make the right steps along the way.
On the other hand, you can also feel excitement for something new, something fresh. You can take it as an opportunity to just get yourself out there. You can run with it and just see where it takes you.

I think for me right now, I’m finding myself on both types of paths…those with steps laid out and those without. And maybe that’s everyone. I mean…we are all on our own personal journey that is unique to us. Even if it’s our own journey, we still have help along the way. I think that’s beautiful. More beautiful than the snow on the pines, and the fireplace glowing.
Anywho. That is my Pocono ramble. I hope you’re doing well, whatever type of path you are on right now.

With love,
Emily

Created with purpose: lessons through observation.

Last night, on our walk back to the car and on our drive home, I spent a lot of time observing those around me. As I listened to the conversation happening among the people I was with, I watched people. Kids, couples, young, old. I watched. And I listened. What did I see? What did I hear?

God.

I saw Him in the little girl sitting in her stroller shouting "Clouds, clouds go away!" over and over again.
In the two girls entering their dorm room, laughing together.
In the woman sitting by herself at a crowded cafe.
In the man leaning against the wall, headphones on, singing. Not to mention the super fly jacket he had on.
In the couple walking by the Convention Center, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, smiling.
In the older gentleman who stood, leaning against a newspaper box, whistling a tune and swinging his cane along to the tune. Smiling as he tried to open the trash can with the bottom of his cane.
In the little boy who exclaimed "HEY GUYS!" as his mother pushed him down the street in his stroller.
These and countless others. They were on my mind last night.

I've always been a fan of observing others. Call me a creeper, that's okay. I think there's a lot to learn from those around me. A lot to be reminded of. And looking at those people last night, I was reminded of God's amazing love for us. A love that no other love can compare to. A perfect, pure, genuine, truly unconditional love. It made me think about all the work God poured into creating each and every one of us, unique and with purpose. I imagined His hands. Forming us from the dirt, putting thought into each and every detail. Breathing life into us. And guiding us, as no one else can. From the very beginning, always being by our sides.

A few years back, I was in a place where I thought I'd run from God. Someone wise and lovely reminded me that you can't run from God...God isn't in one place. He is everywhere. I find comfort in that. And last night, I found comfort in the fact that God has created each and everyone of us with a purpose. That we are all His children, and so no matter what sort of journey we are on, whether it be one of joy or sorrow, an uphill climb or a downward spiral, God is with us, and we are all connected through His unending love.

I hope this finds you well tonight, and I hope that you know that you are dearly loved.

Em

Neighborhood kids, CCDA, Board Retreat, oh my! [An overdue entry]

LIFE IS CRAZY WONDERFUL.
Legit.

So, where do I begin? The last three weeks have been awesome. Man do I love Philadelphia. And my job. And my roomie. And my other worker friend folks. And Trader Joe's. And CCDA. And the neighborhood kids. And coffee. Alright, alright. I could go on all night long.
But fo real.

I'll start from right now and just kind of work my way backwards, methinks.
Sooo, this weekend the Board was here, rockin out for their Board Retreat. It was awesome. They were awesome. It was so cool to sit down and talk with these people (one of them being the founder of CSM) and to just hear their stories...to hear their hearts. I feel blessed to have met them. I ate way too much food this weekend, which seems to be a common occurrence at CSM gatherings. I'm still trying to recover. We're talking super yummy breakfast, artery-clotting roast beef sandwiches, Malian, yummy breakfast leftovers, and fancy Italian...aka, the most I've ever eaten at one meal. (The Italian, not all of that food at once, just in case you were wondering.)

In preparation for the Board's arrival, we did A LOT of cleaning around the housing site. It was a fun time, but quickly grew tired of the smell of cleaning products. I also did a lot of laundry. I actually really enjoy laundry, though. So I really didn't mind that. I mean, I really didn't mind cleaning in general. It can be refreshing to see the results of a lot of hard work. Compared to a lot of the work I do here in Philly, it's a nice change. Being able to see results.

Thursday of last week I met with someone at the ministry site I will hopefully be working for over the next year.(During my apprenticeship I will work 3 days a week for a ministry in the city and the other two days I'll work for CSM.) We talked about some logistics, and then tossed around some ideas for what I could possibly do while working there. I think we decided it might be fun if I planned and lead activities for the guys staying there. Like game days or a chess tournament...things like that. I've been trying to do some brainstorming, because I feel like that is pretty new stuff to me, but I think it will be fun. There are still a few things we need to get worked out before it is decided that I am working there, but I am excited at the possibility of it!

I also met up with a friend on Thursday and went to the Penn Museum. I was rather impressed with it. They had an exhibit about 9/11 that I found rather powerful. There was a wall where you could post what you remember about that, where you were and all that. I happened to look at one and it said "My 10th grade teacher answering her phone, dropping to her knees crying. It was her son: he had survived." It was just...really powerful. My favorite exhibit was one we found near the end of our time wandering around. It was about homelessness and addiction. Righteous Dopefiend was the title of the exhibit. It told the stories of four or five people living on the streets, about their addictions or the way they witnessed the addictions of others. Again, powerful.

Thursday evening, when I got home, I saw that the neighborhood kids were hanging out outside. My roommate, Nicole, was just coming outside to hang out with them as I walked onto our block. We stayed out there all evening, and it was wonderful. The kids taught me how to throw a football and they continued to coach me each time I threw it. "Put more power into it." "Nah, ya gotta do it like this." "There ya go! She did it!" After that came trying to catch the ball. That wasn't so successful. But I am working on it! The kids also had a blast playing with our phones. They laughed and whispered to each other as they used my phone to text Nicole's phone and then they decided they'd call her. They got quite a kick out of it, and I got quite a kick out of watching them. One of my favorite things about living here is getting to hang out with the neighborhood kids. They keep life bright and full of energy. They're a lot of fun to hang out with. We had decided we were headed in to make dinner and warm up for the night (it was one of the chillest nights we'd had at that point!) The kids protested, but we told them goodnight and headed inside. After closing the door, the continued to bang on the door and ring the doorbell asking us to come back out. I peaked out the kitchen window and a girl who hadn't been outside while we were out there was trying to tell me something. I couldn't understand her very well, so I went to the door to peak out and see what she was saying. When I opened the door, there she was waiting for me. "I was hoping you'd come stand right there! I need to tell you something, come closer!" As I ducked down closer to her, she whispered her secrets in my ear and eventually pulled me out the door to hang out with her. She lives on our block with her mom, brother, and sister. She definitely has plenty of sass, but she is such a sweet girl. Her and her brother both are! I haven't gotten to know her sister very well yet, but I hope to! I stood out there for quite a while talking to her. Her brother eventually came down to join us, after he had a bit of an incident with one of the other girls in the neighborhood. As he told me what happened, his sister ran off to go stick up for him. Cute, right?! She quickly came back to join us, and as he was telling me about his father and how he had recently moved to Atlanta, she would add tidbits here and there. He talked about how he missed his dad. By this point, he had given me a long detailed story about how his dad ended up in Atlanta...starting all the way back to when he was a little boy. I smiled as he asked me if I had ever been to Atlanta. When I told him I had just been there recently, but I had only been in the airport for a layover, he grinned real big and asked "Did you see my dad?! Did you see him? He's a tall black bald man. The next time you go back, will you tell him hi for me? I really miss him." Shortly after that, the first board member to arrive at the housing site stepped out the door. The kids instantly started asking him questions and quickly had their hands on his cell phone, calling Nicole. She joined us in the doorway and we continued to hear about Atlanta and a trip they were taking to Texas with their grandma, and how they would soon get to see their dad...and he had a MANSION in Atlanta. Again they asked if we had been there and if we had seen a tall bald black man. They asked us to let him know that they missed him a lot and to call them if we ever were to see them. Sigh. I really adore those kids. Oh! I can't forget the quote of that evening! When telling us about their trip to Texas with their grandma, the boy asked "Are there houses in Texas?!" Don't you just love kids? They're great.

Before the adventure of cleaning started last week, Nicole and I had been in Indianapolis with the other CSM Apprentices for the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) Conference for the week. Um...can I say AMAZING? Two weeks later, I am still trying to process all the stories and different things I heard and learned while I was there. I had never been to a conference, but I quickly found out how much I would enjoy it. All of the speakers, the workshops, the exhibits, the worships...WOW. Not to mention getting to hang out with all of the apprentices and a number of other CSM full-time staff. It was great to meet all of them and kind of start this journey of the apprenticeship together. It was sad to part ways with them at the end of the conference, but I am excited for the ways God is using them in their cities. I know they blessed my life the few days we were together, so I can only imagine the impact they are making in their cities and ministry sites. I hope to write a blog on some other things that happened at CCDA, but like I said...I think I'm still trying to process it. Hopefully soon!

Since being back in Philly, I have also joined a small group at one of the churches I am attending. I've only been able to attend the first meeting, but I really enjoyed it! Since then, I've been keeping up with the reading and man, I'm lovin' it. For the small group, we are reading The Divine Mentor. It's all about letting God and His word mentor you while you nourish your spiritual roots. Or at least, that's what I've gathered in the first few chapters. I hope I get to get back to small group soon, but until I do, I am being blessed by the book.

I think I'm going to close this entry up for now. My hands are starting to hurt, and I bet your eyes are! haha.
I hope this finds you having a blessed week.

With love,
Emily                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Return to Philly!

Well folks, I am back in good ole' West Philadelphia. [feel free to bust out in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.]
We have dove right in to lots of reading, writing, list-making, rearranging, cleaning, fellowshipping, eating, etc.
It is so good to be back, and I'm so looking forward to what God has in store over the next several months that I will be here and just trying to be a light in this city as I learn more about myself, those around me, the city of Philadelphia, and how God is intertwined in all of it.
I was looking through some old journal entries/prayers when I found one from almost exactly a year ago. It really got me thinking, so I thought I might share it with you and some of the thoughts that followed after rediscovering it.

October 1, 2010
God,
I find out today if I get the position in Chicago. I'm really nervous and I really hope that I get it. If I'm being honest, I'm scared I'm not going to...and God, I want it so bad. I know that if I don't get it that it just means that's not where You need me right now...I just really hope that is where You want me, ya know? I'm trying really hard to be patient because I know You have a plan for me. It's just hard not knowing what it is and relying on You and completely walking by faith. So, I'm praying that when they call that they ask me to come work with them in Chicago, but I'm also praying that if they don't, that I will be at peace with it and that I will continue my search...OUR search. I love you God. Talk to You soon.

It's so insane to me that it was only a year ago that I got a call from Chicago letting me know that they had hired someone else for the fall host position. I'm not sure if it seems like it's been longer or shorter than that. But I remember so clearly how nice Tim was on the phone. How confused I was after and how my emotions were all over the place. I remember going to my sister's that afternoon and going to a corn maze with her and my older nephew that night. Winding through paths on a dark chilly night, finding the way through that maze felt like everything in my head. I didn't know where God was leading me, where He was calling me to, but I knew I had to keep walking. Searching. Praying. Loving. And just letting Him guide me. I knew it wasn't easy, but I also knew that the harder things often taught me the most. Maybe God didn't want me to go off somewhere to do mission work after all. Maybe He was calling me to do something in my own backyard. I had absolutely no idea. But I kept searching.

It wasn't too long after that that I went up to Chicago for a site visit while reapplying for a spring host position up there. Then Philly contacted me, and well...here we are! I've lived up here six months and God just keeps on presenting amazing, life-changing experiences. I honestly don't know how to thank God enough for how much of a blessing all of this has been in my life. Even that day just over a year ago, when I received what felt like my 1000th "no." God was saying "yes" all along. He was loving me and guiding me. And looking back, that all seems so clear. It's encouraging. It's encouraging because there are a lot of times when living a life faithful to God just seems so hard, when I have no idea what is going on and I'm just like "Uh....so what am I doing?" But really, it's not me doing much of anything at all. It's God doing things through me. And man, am I glad He is using me.
It's encouraging to see how far I've come. To see the fruits of God's labor in myself. Does that make sense? I don't know. I'm not quite sure how to describe it.

Today was a beautiful day. A day where I saw God many places in this city that I now call home. In people giving us their parking meter ticket thing to put in our car when it still had an hour left on it, in playing tag with neighborhood kids, in Malian food, in conversation, in arranging things, in the faces of strangers, in the moon, in the busy-ness.
Tomorrow will be beautiful, too.

Much love from West Philly.
Good night.

A catch up on spring and summer :)

Oh hi blog.
So, it should be noted that I'm really terrible at consistently updating this thing.
I mean, here I am and I've hosted through the spring and the summer and I haven't blogged once since March.
That isn't due to a lack of things to blog about...if anything, there are too many things to blog about.
I realized I haven't really written anything down about my experiences in Philadelphia, aside from in a handful of emails, so I thought I'd try to blog about some things.
Basically, working in Philadelphia is one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. Maybe the most beautiful thing, period. It's really difficult to put into words the way it makes me feel. Living in Philadelphia, working there, loving on people...it feels so natural.
It's so weird for me to think that I live in Philadelphia now, and I'm living out my dream. Perhaps it is a silly dream to have, but I am so thankful I've been given this opportunity. It's weird that I know my way around one of the largest cities in the country. It's weird that I like some ethnic food now. And it's weird that I feel so settled in and cozy when I'm in Philly. I think it has almost become home.
Spending the spring and the summer hosting was honestly amazing. I enjoyed it so much, and it has had such a positive impact on my life. I went into hosting feeling pretty timid and scared, and even though I still felt unsure of myself a majority of the time, by the end of the summer I felt like I had gained a lot of confidence.
I've started thinking about things I've never thought of before...or, at least not in the same light as I used to.
I've met amazing people, from all different walks of life, and I've been blessed so so so SO much. I've had some of the best conversations ever, just sitting on the parkway chatting with people who sleep on the streets. I've been given countless hugs from kids from several different after school programs/summer camps that are being run throughout the city. Ah, summer camps. I love kids. They bring joy to me that I can't describe. I feel like kids give you a glimpse at the most important things in life. Whether they're excited to find a seashell in the ground close to their play area, or they want to give you a picture they colored, or they see your camera and want to take a lot of pictures with you...it's just...it's amazing how they love on people, even if they've been hurt. Even if they've had it rough. It's not about being vulnerable to them. It's about living life, and doing what makes them happy. Something like that.
I've been showered with wisdom from the people who run the different ministry sites that we work with. I love to listen to their stories, even if I hear them every time I bring a group to work with them. I admire how much dedication they have, how much they love their work and the people they work with. How it isn't so much a job to them, but a passion.
Ms. Chris is a teacher, mentor, and friend at one of the after school programs/summer camps that we work with. I cannot get enough of her. She has so much compassion in her, so much energy, and such a light-hearted spirit about her. Coming into an urban after school program/summer camp, it can be shocking. More often than not, things are run a lot differently than what you may consider the "norm." Things are typically a bit more like organized chaos and you may see communication between teacher and student that you haven't seen before. But, that doesn't mean it's wrong. It's actually a really beautiful thing to watch unfold. Watching the interactions in the after school programs and summer camps that we work with has actually taught me a lot. With Ms. Chris specifically, her love for the kids is SO evident. She strives to motivate them and to push them to follow their dreams. The program she works for is located in the middle of five projects. She grew up in the general area, and she knows what it's like. She knows they need someone to push them and she knows they need some tough love. And that's what she does. She pushes them. She loves them. She believes in them. And it's absolutely beautiful.
I could honestly go on and on about the people I've met. Tony or Roy or Country or Jeff or Ms. Sharon or Gerry or John or Donna or Dhani or Spiderman or CJ or Moose...the list goes on and on.
I wrote a blog entry about Tom...I actually ran into Tom again during summer training! It was good to see him. From what he told me, he'd been in the hospital after some punks shot him in the leg. It was really heartbreaking, but he still seemed to be optimistic. We got him some water ice and he told us about how he was taking good care of his leg. I wasn't back around where he hangs out any other time this summer, but I think one of the other summer hosts bumped into him. Maybe I'll cross paths with him again...he's always a blessing.
This summer was especially amazing in the sense that I had 5 amazing roomies. They were great. We went on adventures together, and I liked being with them. It sucks not being around them now. But, I know God is using them where they are at, and I know we'll always have this summer...and that will keep us binded together, in one way or another. It made the experience that much more enjoyable, having people to enjoy it with. People to talk to about the joys and the frustrations that are all involved in working in urban missions. I can't tell you how much God has blessed me.
Ah...and my groups! Let me tell you...I have felt so spoiled. Because not only do I get blessed by all of our ministry site partners and the people I meet at them, but I also get blessed with groups! I love working with youth. Sometimes, they wear ya out, but it's in the best way possible. I don't know...I've just really enjoyed getting to hang out with different youth groups from all over the country (and Canada, too!) Watching them grow over the week, hearing the way they are processing their experiences. Getting to have conversations with them, create inside jokes, and hey, maybe even make some sort of impact on them. Not to mention the impact they make on me. These groups have really helped me find pieces of myself that I didn't know I had. They've helped stretch me and watching them challenge themselves has helped me challenge myself.
I'm going to go visit one of my groups next week. It's a surprise (so hopefully none of them read this blog...i don't think they do.) I'm really pumped about it. I'm looking into visiting another group this fall.
Speaking of this fall....I THINK IT IS FINALLY HERE.
Seriously. I stepped outside yesterday morning and was like "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I seriously love fall. It is my favorite season ever. (And here is where the country girl in me comes out.) I love how the farmers start combining the fields, and it is almost like a fresh start. Their hard work has paid off and they've reaped what they sowed. But now, the fields are empty. It is their time for rest. At least for some. Some may soon be graced by a crop of winter wheat or something like that. But for others, it is time to watch the seasons pass until it is time to start again. They're putting tobacco up in the barns and the fires are being lit and man, I can't tell ya how much I love stepping out on my front porch to the smell of tobacco being fired in the barn just down the road. I find the smell of tobacco barns so comforting. And the stars! The stars seem to be that little bit brighter as the days grow shorter. They seem to twinkle a little longer. Maybe that's just me, but I think the stars shine the brightest in the fall and winter. Fall also means chillin in jeans and hoodies, two of my favorite things. It means hot apple cider or hot chocolate. It means bonfires. It means Thanksgiving. It means the leaves changing colors. I don't know...fall just seems like a huge transitional time to me. I'm not sure if that means a lot of sense. I might just be rambling.
So, for now, I'm in Kentucky, enjoying the fall-like weather and trying to rest up as I continue to process the things I've experienced and the lessons I've learned. I'm also preparing for something new though! In October, I head back to Philadelphia...not as a city host, but as an apprentice! I'm excited for this next chapter. Nervous, too. Man...things have just...they've come right along since February. Who knew that when I got on that plane at the end of January that I'd be staying in Philadelphia for so long? Who knew I'd learn so much and grow and just...really settle in? Really soak it up? I suppose God did, and I can't thank Him enough for continuing to present me with all of these amazing opportunities. For molding me. For making my roots grow deeper and my wings spread farther. I know I've said it a lot...but, really...I'm blessed.
Here's to more learning and growing!

Tom

Hey blog! I've been doing a terrible job of updating. After training ended, things got crazy. But, I had part of a draft saved for one of the last days of training, so here it is. I'll ramble about other things in another entry :)

On Monday we covered the Italian Market Plunge and the Kensington Plunge. Both are something we do with groups sometimes. We take them to the Italian Market or to Kensington, we set boundaries for them, give each of them two dollars, tell them to stay in groups of at least 3 people, and instruct them to go out and spend it on someone else. They get to choose if they keep their money seperate, or combine the entire group's together. The point isn't to just go buy some food or a toy or something and give it to someone. The point is to get to know someone FIRST, get to know their needs, and then get them something. So, not only did we cover the two plunges, but we did the plunge in Kensington. Originally we were going to do it at the Italian Market, but when we got there it was pretty dead because it was so early in the morning, and there weren't a whole lot of people around. So we headed on over to Kensington. Now, to give a little background on Kensington...Kensington is the poorest neighborhood in the entire state of Pennsylvania. The EL runs right through Kensington, which is a terrible thing for the area because it's loud, it blocks out light ...and I mean, who on earth wants to live or have their business by something that is gonna have loud trains coming by all the time? Who wants to live in a house where their view is a big metal track? It used to be an industrial neighborhood, with lots of factories and stuff like that, but most of those factories have been shut down and moved out to other countries. So, there's a lot of unemployment, lots of drug use, prostitution, violence, etc etc. So, anyways. We're walking around Kensington. Since I'm the one training, they let me be the assertive one. I dig, I dig. At the same time though, it's just kind of like...there are so many people...who do I approach? How do I approach them without looking like someone who just wants to give a hand out instead of a hand up? Well, we had reached the "boundary" and had crossed the street to walk down the other way. Mo asked me about going up to a guy standing up against a wall. I was like "sure!" So I went up to him and asked him how he was, all that jazz. He said he was alright, said he was hungry. I asked him if he had a favorite food and he said "Oh yeah, I like white toast and grits and hot chocolate from over there," as he pointed to a place across the street. I asked him if we could get him some and he was so excited and quickly led us across the street. Our time of fellowship with Tom was amazing. What a blessing he was. I so so SO loved getting to know Tom.
Tom used to work with horses, exercising them and doing other various tasks around the stables. He lost his job after he'd worked there for over 20 years. Now he lives in the woods. He's got some blankets and a tarp. He told us he's got a system down. He tries to get a cup of coffee before he goes to lay down for the night. Said that drinking it warms him up that little bit extra. Then he goes into the woods after 4:30 or so, cause if he goes in there before then there might be kids running around in there and they might throw rocks at him. He's got his blankets and his tarp, so if it rains or snows, the tarp keeps him from getting wet. He said one of the last times it snowed, he had to roll out from under the tarp cause he couldn't lift it up with all the snow on it. He said once he gets under there he's warm, makes it hard to get out from under them in the morning. Tom had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. I asked him about any games he liked to play, and he started talking about back in the day when he played Pinnocle and Chess. He started educating me on the ways of Chess when I confessed that I didn't know how to play. I feel confident that if we'd had a board and pieces, that he would have taught me how to play right then.
You could tell he came in the restaurant we were at a lot. The waitress knew him by name and knew what his order was.
Our time with Tom came to an end all too quickly, but the time of fellowship that we had while eating brunch with Tom was amazing. Just learning about him. Hearing about his struggles, but also hearing the joy in his voice as he ventured back to days gone by. How excited he was for hot chocolate and toast. For enough money to get him some coffee before going to bed that night. For a piece of gum. For an opportunity to be heard.
I'm blessed to have Tom as a neighbor and a friend. And I don't know if we'll ever cross paths again, but the time I had with him was time well spent. A time I'll always cherish.
Where ever he may be now, I hope he's warm. I hope he got some coffee before bed. I hope he knows he isn't alone. I hope he knows that he's got a lot to offer this world.
And I hope you know that, too.

Hugs and love,
Emily and Mr. Sanchez

Weekend: Liberti Fairmount, Public Transportation, Center City and Rittenhouse Square

Alright, so it's been a few days since I've written a blog. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! I sure did :)
So, Saturday I had the morning free to explore. However, I ran into two problems. One: it was real rainy and cold. Not good weather for walking around and exploring. Two: I didn't have exact change for bus fare...
Needless to say, I didn't go exploring on Saturday. I did, however, drive around Philly. Yeah, crazy. Justin came and he rode with me while I drove the prayer tour in his car. Driving around the City Hall on a Saturday is no fun. Other than that, it wasn't too bad. When we left the housing site I had predicted that I'd get honked at at least 3 times because I'm not much of a city driver. I only got honked at twice. Score! :)

When we got done I just chilled at home. I had a webcam date with one of my best friends and that was a grand time. Me and Mr. Sanchez enjoyed some nummy nummy tea.

And yeah, it was just an overall good evening.

Yesterday morning I went to church with Kelsey at Liberti. It was a solid contemporary worship and I really enjoyed the message! Mr. Sanchez didn't come along, but I did catch him taking a peek at the bulletin.

Got home from church, chilled a little bit, then I walked down to the corner store and bought a soda so that I would have exact change for the bus. Then Mr. Sanchez and I ventured in to Center City and I wandered down to the Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square. Yesterday it was so beautiful outside. The sun was shining and just, aw! It was lovely. I got on the right bus, got off on the right stop. I am familiar enough with the streets that I didn't just completely wander around having no idea what I was doing. It was some solid exploring, even if I didn't stay very long [about an hour and a half]. I love how electrifying being in the city is. I love all the crazy little things you see that you generally wouldn't see in a small town...like, for example: I'm walking down Chestnut St. in Rittenhouse Square, on my way back towards the City Hall. I'm looking around, taking everything in...and I see this guy, walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the road, with a coffee table under his arm. Haha! He just looked so casual about it. It was great.

Here are some pictures that I took before I got the bus back home. [They are in no particular order whatsoever] Mr. Sanchez napped during most of it, but I woke him up for one picture.

"Way to disrupt a wonderful nap, Emily. But hey, City Hall is nice."

The bus ride home was good. There was this really cute little girl with her grandma a few rows up from me and she was just so adorable. "Grandma, how do you spell strawberry?" "Hey Grandma! I can spell too. C-A-T. Do you know what that spells? CAT!" "Grandma, this tooth is loose, but this one isn't." "Give me a word to spell." She was just so cute. I love kids. Love how filled with joy they are. Love the light they shine with those bright eyes and those huge grins.

More relaxing when I got home...wrote some letters, because snail mail is the bomb diggity.

Anyways, that was my weekend. I'm going to write a seperate entry about today. I'll probably write it sometime tomorrow, cause I'm tired!

Remember that you are loved <3

 Hugs and love,
Emily and Mr. Sanchez

Philly Cheese Steak!

Tonight I experienced my first Philly Cheese Steak :)

It was DELICIOUS. I suppose I got a pretty generic one...I only got provolone on it, but...it was soo soo good. So, if you're ever in South Philly around South St and 4th St, go get a philly cheese steak from Jim's. Granted, that's the only place I've ever had one. I do believe I'll be going to Geno's at some point and I'll let you know my final decision on which one has the best, but Jim's set the standard pretty high.
Mr. Sanchez didn't come along for the ride. He will experience philly cheese steak eventually. He did, however, enjoy the rest of my Ting from Carribean Delight [the Jamaican restaurant that we ate lunch at yesterday.]

Ting! Ya Man!

Today I also went to a few more of the different sites we go to. I didn't go and talk to anyone at these sights, I just gave Justin directions to each site so that I could see where they're at, where we go in at, all that jazz. The afternoon was filled with "classroom" time where we talked about debriefing groups, conflict resolution, and I took a personality type test and we talked about characteristics and which are really helpful to have as a city host. We were supposed to be eating at the Malian restaurant tonight, but they're currently waiting to open their new location, so Kelsey and I headed down to Jim's for philly cheese steaks instead :)

Tomorrow I have the morning off, so I'm going to brave public transportation and take the bus to Love Park and wander around Center City and just..well..be a tourist, haha. Mr. Sanchez and I are going to take some pictures. I'm also going to go to the Barnes and Noble over in Rittenhouse Square. Then I'm meeting Justin back at the housing site and I'm going to practice the prayer tour for awhile. So, maybe tomorrow night I'll post some pictures of mine and Mr. Sanchez's time spent exploring the city.

I hope that you are all having a splendid day/night!

Hugs and love,
Emily and Mr. Sanchez

First few days in Philly

I'm officially in Philly!
So, last weekend was counselor reunion, which was fabulous. It was really great to see a lot of people, a lot of my "family." We had some beastin bible studies and worship, which was uber refreshing before leaving for this adventure. Sunday night I got to hang out with Martha, Sarah and the munchkins, which is always a blast and a half. And then Monday morning, the adventure began!!!

We left for Nashville pretty early in the camp van. Gotta love the camp van. I took a cat nap on the way there. Mr. Sanchez enjoyed the ride.



Got to the airport. Checked my bags. Helped an older man get the knot out of his shoe laces so that he could take his shoe off to go through security. Didn't get selected to go in the body scan thing [yay!]. Then I just chilled for a good 45 minutes until time to board the plane. Now, I haven't flown much. I flew to NYC and back in Fall of 09. But I love it so far. I managed to snag the last window seat on the plane, which was fabulous. It was rainy in Nashville when we took off, but soon we rose above the clouds and BAM! Sunshine :).

Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again

This was the first time Mr. Sanchez had ever flown anywhere before. He liked it a lot, and spent some time looking out the window.

"I wonder if they have any bananas...I don't really like peanuts"

It was a rather uneventful plane ride. My left ear was not being very cooperative at all and wouldn't pop or anything like that, which was a tad uncomfortable. They gave us two bags of peanuts instead of one, and I mostly just read and looked out the window. I saw a few jets go by. Like, those fast ones that leave a trail behind them. That was really neat. 1 hour and 55 minutes later, we landed. It was amazing seeing the city from up in the air.

This was probably where a lot of the nervousness started kicking in. The "what ifs" started filling up my head. What if my bags got lost? What if I couldn't find the person who was picking me up? What if I told them the wrong day? On and on. But, I found my bags just fine and right after I found my bags, I found Kelsey :)

The drive to the housing site was nice. She took the scenic route and we just talked a little, found out a bit about each other. Upon arriving, we took my things up to my room on the second floor [which I share with my lovely roomie, Mo.] I unpacked and went downstairs. They gave me a bag of goodies, which was super duper nice. It had my staff manual, my map, some pens and highlighters, hand sanitizer, lotion, chapstick, peanut m&m's, cookies, pita chips, sweet tea and my keys in it. Mr. Sanchez approved.

Monday and Tuesday I just hung out. Monday night I went to the grocery with Kelsey. Tuesday morning I went to Freshgrocer with Mo to get groceries for breakfast and lunch during training. Both were fun times, and really gave me my first glances of the city. Aside from that, I mainly just read in my manual and things like that. Tuesday I joined Justin, Kelsey and Mo for Bible study and I got my schedule and folder for training.
And then yesterday, the fun of training began!

Yesterday, after eating breakfast, Justin, Kelsey and I got in Kelsey's car to head out to go to our first site visit of training [at Salvation Army.] I got in the car only to find out that I was in charge of giving directions! Woo, crazy stuff. Luckily, the manual has directions from the housing site to each place, so that's helpful. They weren't too hard on me :). So, we went to the Salvation Army and talked to one of the guys there. Talked about the work that groups will be doing there, a little bit about the different things that they do, things like that. Afterwards we had some time before going to our next site, so Justin and Kelsey took me on the prayer tour. The prayer tour is one of the first things we do with groups. It's a 2ish hour tour that goes all over the city. Going on the prayer tour really let me see a lot of the city. It was rather foggy yesterday morning! During the prayer tour we stopped to visit another site. The lady we talked with was so passionate, and you could really tell that she cares about the kids she works with. After that we finished up the prayer tour and headed back to the housing site. We had lunch and then we had some "classroom" time. Talked about cultural differences, language learning...got to know eachother a little more...all that good stuff. Then off to supper at one of the restaurants we take groups...an Indian restaurant.

Now, let me just say this...I am a picky eater. It isn't something I'm proud of or anything. I have gotten more adventurous the older that I've gotten, but I am still super picky. So, aside from learning how to get around Philly, I think one of the things I was most nervous about coming into this was the food. Taking groups to a ton of different ethnic restaurants, eating food I never would have dreamed of eating. Last night was a definite step out of my comfort zone, haha.

The Indian restaurant has a buffet. I went up and got food and started to come back to the table when Justin laughed at me and told me to go get some of the two things on the end. The two things on the end? Definitely not anything I had much of a desire to eat. But, I got them and sat back down. They were both kind of like...stews? I don't know. One was a redish color with chicken in it, and the other was brown with lamb in it. The other things I'd gotten? Rice, some bread, a fried chicken thing and some fried vegetable thing. So, yeah...if he hadn't told me to get what I did, I probably wouldn't have ventured very far. The red chicken stew stuff was quite spicy, but it wasn't too bad. And I actually really liked the lamb. I'm pretty sure it's the first time I'd ever had lamb, haha. Then we got dessert. I got something called Gulab Jamun. It's milkballs in a honey syrup. Um...can we say DELICIOUS?! It was so good. For real.

Anyways, when we got done we got in the car and I had to give directions back to the housing site [I had given directions there as well]. Justin told me I was doing really well at giving directions, which was really great to hear! It's really been a lot more simple than I expected it to be. Not that it isn't still hard. Just...I feel like I'm getting the hang of it a lot better than I expected.

When we got back, we debriefed and then I had a date with Google Maps...going through the prayer tour, trying to take note of landmarks by the different turns and things like that. Then I had ice cream with my amazing roomie and wrote a letter to a super lovely person :)

Today was similar to yesterday. We had a devotional this morning and then Justin and I went for two site visits. Both were really amazing and I'm looking forward to working there more. Then we met up with Kelsey at the Jamaican restaurant that we take groups to. Yeah, that's right....another eating adventure. Brown stew chicken, jerk chicken, and chicken and beef patties. Oh my! Oh, and more rice, which is always lovely :). I was a little unsure of the patties, but I really liked the brown stew and jerk chicken. I even brought home leftovers because the serving size was rather large and I couldn't eat all of my chicken and rice. I also got some yummy Jamaican soda called Ting. It's kind of like Fresca. After lunch, Kelsey and I went to another site and talked about the Chinatown tour [where we let groups explore some of Chinatown]. After the site visit, I practiced the prayer tour for the first time [giving directions] and Kelsey gave me lots of pointers. I got to see the skyline of the city and it was absolutely beautiful [I'll post a picture eventually.] We went back to the housing site, debriefed, and then headed out for supper at a Thai restaurant. Yep, another food adventure! Tonight I had wonton soup, chicken dumpling stuff, and tilapia with some crazy sauce on it. And rice, of course. Oh! And I tried some thai iced tea. I can't even describe what it tasted like. It was definitely very interesting, but I loved it. I actually really liked all that I ate tonight. Although I felt miserable afterwards because both lunch and supper were super filling. Now I'm just chillin. Been looking over the prayer tour and my manual some more.

That's about it so far. Tomorrow I've got more site visits, some "classroom" time and tomorrow night I'll be eating at a Malian restaurant [I'm kind of nervous!]

It feels like I've been here so much longer than I have been. I'm absolutely loving it! So is Mr. Sanchez!

Haha, I stole Emily's keys. She'll never find them now :)

Well, I've written a short novel for you guys. I hope that this finds you all well.
Remember that you are loved and that you are cherished!

Hugs and love,
Emily and Mr. Sanchez

Long Overdue Update!!

Alright blog, so I epicly fail at writing entries. It's something that I'd like to be a lot more...disciplined in. And and and! I think I may have the motivation now. That is my hope, at least.
So, the last time you and I were united was just after I'd gotten another "no." Boy do I have lots of things to catch you up on.
Naturally, I was bummed about getting a no from Chicago, but they were really positive about everything and I continued searching and I knew that if I hadn't found anything before then, that they'd be hiring for the spring. Wellll, I ended up reapplying with them for the spring and I was invited for a site visit in Chicago at the end of November.
Let me just tell you, the work that CSM does is amazing. I fell in love with the work that they are doing the first time that I checked out their website [back in Novemberish of 09, after a lovely friend told me that I should check them out]. The site visit to Chicago just made it that much more REAL. I had such an amazing weekend...I still can't accurately describe it in words. There's just something about being in the city [the meaning any large city] that makes me feel so...alive. I'm a small town girl, and I love living out in the country. The stars, the crickets, the smell of tobacco barns and friendly neighbors that wave at you every time you drive by. Those are just a few of the things that I love about the country. But the city...oh goodness. I guess it still holds a bit of magic for me, but it's not even that! Walking down the streets, surrounded by all these people that you don't know a single thing about. Buildings towering over you...watching over you. You'd think that you were more likely to feel alone with all the people and all the buildings. But I don't.
Anyways, rather than sit here and ramble about how much I love cities...I'll go back to rambling about how amazing CSM's work is :)
The site visit was incredible. I even enjoyed the lengthy drive there and back. The group that I shadowed was an amazing group of junior high kids and wow, did they shine! They had such an outstanding attitude the entire weekend, and I really miss the "party van." I was so glad that they were the group I shadowed! They immediately welcomed me and Sunday came too quckly! We went to 3 ministries on Saturday: a food pantry, a soup kitchen, and senior housing. Ah, but they were so much more than that! Outside the food pantry stood a long line of people, some who had been out there since 1:00am. All had smiles on their faces, smiles in their eyes, as they told us thank you as we walked towards the house. Greeted us with good mornings and compassion. The soup kitchen, a community of people who all had lifetimes of stories to tell. Stories that matter. Two men, joined together, changing the world. Changing my world. One of these men made me blush more than I ever knew I was able to. Talking about my smile and the hope I was bringing people. Grabbing the whole room's attention to introduce me, the girl with the bright smile, to everyone. Not realizing, that while he was telling me that I was making a difference, that it was him that was making the difference. His smile that shined so bright. Senior housing, a community of people from all over the world, brought together to be dedicated at bingo. Their excitement and enthusiasm.
We ate at a Mediterranean restaurant that night. I'm a fairly picky eater, so I was a bit hesitant, but it was good! One of my favorite parts of the weekend was Sunday morning, when we went to a local church. There was so much passion in the worship!
There's no way that the words I type in this blog are going to do that weekend justice. I loved it.

Anyways, I got an email from Chicago a few weeks later letting me know that they were still interviewing people and that it may be February before I found out if I was hired or not. They also told me that I may be contacted by other cities with CSM. Sure enough, I was asked if I would be interested in being considered for the same position in Philadelphia. Of course I was! So, we planned to talk on the phone that coming Friday. Friday comes, and about an hour before I was supposed to talk to them on the phone, I recieved an email from someone with the GBGM, telling me that a school in New Mexico would like for me to come work with them. It was a tad overwhelming. I'd gone from zero [known] options, to 3! One was a definite yes, and the other two were still possibilities. Craziness, I tell you. I love how God works. His faithfulness never ceases to amaze me. Anyways, I talked to Philly and they told me they would let me know early next week [just before Christmas!!] Lots of praying followed. Do I accept the offer at New Mexico and don't wait to hear back from Philly or Chicago? Do I wait, and possibly have to give up the offer with New Mexico? I decided to wait to hear back from Philly and go from there. Well, I got the best Christmas present I could have ever received. So, blog...

EMILY IS GOING TO PHILLY!
To be a City Host with CSM. In 5 days, in fact. The last month I've been filling out paperwork, getting recertified in CPR, reading, and packing, amongst other things. Right now most of my things are packed away. It's so close! I can hardly wait! I'm flying out on Monday. This weekend is counselor reunion at camp and I am SO looking forward to that.
I'm just so blessed. I don't know any other way to put it. This opportunity, wow. God showed me the door to walk through, and you better believe I've walked through it.
Now, I need to introduce you to someone...

Mr. Sanchez [who doesn't have a first name]...and some crazy girl named Emily holding him ;)

He will be headed to Philly with me, and he will be assisting me in my blog writing adventures.

So, blog, I hope that I won't neglect you anymore. I'm going to try really hard!
More later, hopefully :)