Braxton Cox
My Road to New Orleans
Growing up in a small town I thought I was sheltered from poverty, injustice and hate when all I had really done was turn my back on it. I came to this realization while in college where God gave me the opportunity to travel and see those horrors all around the world. He also opened my heart to his word which is filled with ways I, as a christian, am called to love my enemies, give to the needy and pursue justice for the oppressed. So as I neared my graduation date I began seeking God through prayer to direct my path, and he did.
Through a series of events he led me to a program called Mission Year. I checked out their website and was very excited about how the work they were doing lined up with the scriptures through which God had been speaking to me. I continued praying and one night God sent me to a Mission’s conference where all the speakers that night happened to be domestic missionaries. I felt God telling me that Mission Year was where he wanted me, but in my defiance I decided to keep praying about it. Finally, on graduation day, God gave me a third sign. Our speaker was from New Orleans and she talked about the need of the city. Shortly thereafter I listened to God’s call and filled out my application.
So I am on my road to New Orleans to live out a year that I know God has already blessed for me. I don’t know where I will be living or what I will be doing but I am trusting God that it is going to be good – and I am sure there will be hard times as well. I ask you to pray for me as I give myself to God to be used.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Braxton Cox's Blog
The Bike Ride / Jul 27, 03:34 PM
I was coming home this afternoon and ran into C.J. He is a typical nine-year-old boy, full of questions and rough on his bike. I have lost track of the number of times I’ve helped him fix his bike this year. Today he was pushing his bike and carrying his broken chain. We walked down to the apartment, got some tools, and got him back on the road. While we were working his sister, Bria came out to talk and when we were done working she suggested a bike ride.
When I was a kid, my family used to go for bike rides for fun, but this year my bike has become a tool to get me from point A to point B in a timely fashion. Today was different. We had no destination, no time restraint, no worries. It was just a bike ride, an adventure, for fun. We started out racing around an empty parking lot, three wide in the turns. Next, we tackled the “big hills” in the park, getting enough speed down one to make it up the other and then coasting down it with feet in the air, peddles whirring around in frantic circles. The swings were a mandatory stop, to see who could get the highest, before we headed down the street. Weaving from sidewalk to sidewalk, greeting everyone we met. As we rode by the barber, C.J. thought of the possibility of free pralines, but it didn’t pan out. The whole journey reminded me of one of those “family circus” comic strips where the little boy wanders all over the neighborhood just to end up next door.
It was so much fun. We laughed a lot, but didn’t talk about anything really important. We just enjoyed being together, being outside, and not having anything to worry about. All too often I get wrapped up in things that need to be done and I forget to be a child and enjoy life. Some days I would have just fixed the bike and turned down the invitation for the ride because of something “more important,” because that’s what a responsible adult should do. Jesus was indignant when he saw his disciples rebuking the people who were bringing children to have them touched by Jesus and he told them “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Then the best part, he hugged the kids. He wrapped them in his arms, touched them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16) Imagine a hug from Jesus.
I hope I never forget how to be a child. When I was little I didn’t worry about what I was going to eat, or what I was going to wear tomorrow, or how my bill was going to get paid, or how I was going to get to my next destination. I had parents who took care of all of that for me; I was just along for the ride. I still have a Father that has never let me down, yet I often forget to trust in him and have faith that he will take care of me. Our Father will always take care of His children, we just need to get on our bikes and ride. Maybe we’ll end up at the swings, or a hill that we can coast down with our feet in the air, or maybe there’ll be a free praline along the way, who knows. I do know we have a Father who loves us and will never let us down.
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A Day in the Garden with Earl / Oct 14, 12:56 PM
During the last week of September we were walking down the street and we came upon a house that was different than every other house in our neighborhood. The sidewalk in front of this house was filled with beautiful green plants. We struck up a conversation with the man on the porch and we got to know Earl.
When he retired, Earl started a community garden. He recruited young men from the neighborhood to help him so that he could become more involved in their lives. It became a very successful operation. The boys grew lots of wonderful things and raised chickens, geese and ducks. Earl taught the boys how to turn the peppers they grew into a spectacular hot sauce that they bottled and sold to individuals and area restaurants.
Three years ago two of the boys he was working with were shot and killed and Earl found it too difficult to continue his work. He has continued to feed the animals but the garden has been taken over by weeds and he showed us the last remaining bottle of their famous hot sauce, which people are still asking for. After telling us his story he said he would love to start the garden back up again if we were willing to help.
This past Saturday, Katie, David and I went to the garden with him and started weeding. He sat us down for a good thirty minutes just to talk and share with us his life. We played with the chickens, held the geese and learned how to properly chew on sugar cane. Earl is an amazing man with an incredible story, neither of which we would have known if we had ignored God’s call on our lives.
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