Soul Squad

I have had the privilege to get to know a group of kids over the last 3 years teaching Soul Squad (a Bible Study) with a fellow teacher and friend from church.  The kids are all from the neighborhood, present and past students in the neighborhood middle school.  This past week we took our annual summer trip to the state park to go swimming!  This year, Praise God!, we had 15 kids go along!  Kind of crazy on some levels, but always fun!  We provide lunch and they help get themselves into the swimming pool.  This year we had some kids who we hadn't heard from in a year or two and what a blessing.  Pray for these kids.  They are precious and many of them are doing well, but a few are entering or have entered high school and the atmosphere is a lot tougher, and often further from the immediate neighborhood.  

Pray that they continue to smile - it is contagious!

Pray that we adults continue to invest in them, to make time for them 

in the midst of busy teaching schedules. 

Pray that relationships will deepen with each other, and with us, 

and that we are bold in speaking words of faith, hope and love.

Pray that their fun energy continues and not be robbed by the 

hard world around them.

Pray that the Lord will protect them, 

that their hearts will be guarded, 

that walls will be broken down and 

that the Holy Spirit continues to move within their hearts.

Reese St.

So I've spent the summer visiting family and friends, taking care of some appointments, taking care of my working friends by making dinner, helping move out of our first house in Philly (Goodbye Landlord Mike and Edgemont St...) and getting to know the neighbors on the block.  

I have made lots of little friends on the block, spending much of my summer playing mancala, UNO, basketball, soccer, and sitting on the porch.  

This summer has been difficult for a few reasons I'm not going to get into here, but as I look at some of these pictures I am reminded of how blessed I am.  It's not everywhere that this kind of community happens.  Most times I love living in the city, but sometimes I would give just about anything to sit by rolling hills, watching the sun go down.  Then I think about how I would miss out on moments like the ones below.  Meet my neighbors...and if come visit so you can hang out with them in person!

The boys playing soccer

the girls - who insisted on playing together, wanting nothing to do with the boys!

my most frequent visitors...

a budding football player, hoopster, and mancala star, all who enjoy pretzels 

more than any other kids I know...

These are the precious faces I'd be missing if I lived elsewhere.  The moments are priceless: 

- driving up on the block hearing "Misss Abbbyyy" as one of the kids runs up to greet me.

- a suggestion that we should create a contract for yard work.

- trying to convince a 12-yr. old that he doesn't need girlfriend(s) at his age, let alone 4!

- teaching them how to play new games.

- letting them bake with me, and then sharing the goodies with their families.

- J, standing in my kitchen, "Miss Abby, you know you have everything a man wants." 

Me, a little taken aback, "Um...what?"

J, gazing at the shelves, "You got mac n' cheese, shrimps, tacos, pork, chicken...all that a man loves."

Me, relieved, "Oohhh, well I guess if a woman knows how to cook huh?"

J, "Yup, a woman who can cook."

Me, "Good J, wait another 10 years before you start looking!"  

...smiles all around!