Cole
The Journey of Mission Year
If your reading this, it’s because you are somebody who has played an important role in our lives. You have helped form who we are and what we do. For that reason, we are thankful and appreciate you checking out this blog. We are nothing without your help and totally rely on your prayers and support. Mission Year is something God placed on our hearts and we began pursuing in late 2007. We are excited and nervous for our calling to be representatives for God in such a real and specific way. This is where we will share our stories of how God is moving and taking action. We invite you along in this journey of our lives, the journey that is Mission Year.
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…
Cole's Blog
November Newsletter / Nov 10, 03:43 PM
Dearest Friends,
We pray that this letter has found you in peace. We can’t believe another month has already passed! Were going to tell you a little about our neighborhood that we have learned over the past couple months. However, we don’t like statistics; we think they have done more harm than good on the societal (non-laboratory) level. We could tell you that 97% of the local middle school is African American or that Vine City’s homicide rate is 1/1000 compared to the rest of Atlanta’s .358/1000. But instead of continuing with dehumanizing numbers, we will tell you that many criminals are repeat offenders, that the majority of newborn babies don’t have a dedicated father, and that there are a lot of girls under 17 who are already mothers. Of all of Vine City’s newborns, only slightly over half of their mothers have graduated high school. Of the kids who are in school, most of them get free or reduced lunches. These facts are only a way of indicating that this neighborhood has needs.
If we are going to be able to try to meet the needs of our neighborhood, we first need to remember the Israelites time in Egypt. Egypt was a place of pain, poverty, dominion, and oppression. We need to remember that God’s heart is for those people and has heard their cries in the past. To better help meet the needs of others, we must be willing to carry our cross’s for the people Jesus suffered for (including people like you and us). To see their tears, to bear their burdens, to toil in their hardships, so that we may be able to truly empathize with the needs of God’s people.
We have been spending the past couple months getting to know the faces that bear these needs. Our neighbor Tamika is a great is example. We have been fostering relationships with the majority of her family since we arrived here. It began as a simple game of Frisbee with her son Deonte, and soon followed was his sister Aallyia coloring in our kitchen. Kids had told us that their mom was pregnant and couldn’t get around very easily. After a dinner with their family and several conversations later, Tamika called because she had gone into labor but had no way to the hospital and no one else to turn to. Unfortunately, our team car was lent out to some other friends of ours; so, Kris contacted another one of our neighbors, cancelled her trip to Target, and drove Tamika and her family to the local hospital. Very early the next morning Tamika delivered her baby alone while Kris was getting Deonte and Aallyia ready for school and Tracy (the baby’s father) was at work. Eight hours later, Kris and Faith saw beautiful baby Jordan through the nursery glass window, before Tamika had even been allowed to hold her child. Healthy mom and baby are now back home, where they live in their two-bedroom apartment with Tracy and the three other children. These are just some of the injustices our new friends face everyday. Things we have never had to deal with. It has been an honor to help Tamika with her family and share in her burdens, and she has helped us to see God through those he cares for most.
If you like this story of Tamika, you can find it and others like it on our blog. Our blog address is: www.missionyear.org/blog/cole . Here you will find an electronic copy of our newsletter as well as stories and musings of our daily life here in Atlanta. So far, we have raised approximately $4000.00, which is a little more than 16% of our goal. We greatly appreciate those who have given, and the prayers and support of those who cannot give financially. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Raymond and Kris Cole
A quick look at our neighbhood / Nov 10, 03:43 PM
While doing Mission Raymond has been taking an online class for Urban Issues. Here is an excerpt from one of his papers describing what his neighborhood looks like.
“Vine City is located just west of downtown Atlanta. Like much of the city, it has a very rich history. Northside drive and Joseph Lowery are the dividing lines for the East and West perimeters, and Martin Luther King Jr. and Simpson Blvd on the North and South. It is located within Fulton County and has numerous societal anchors ranging from famous predominately black universities to a neighborhood health clinic.
Our house is next to a neighborhood park on the corner of Sunset and Thurmond. As I step outside of my front door, I am inspired by God’s power in that I actually know much about my neighborhood in the short month or two that I have been here. Catty-corner from us is the King’s family house, where Martin Luther King Jr. raised his family. It is the pride and joy of our community and offers hope to many of our neighbors. It is currently serving as the King’s office with a security guard posted inside twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Seven houses north of our own is our Sunset’s “gatekeeper” Emmanuel. He was one of the first people we befriended after moving to Vine City. He can’t leave his house for very long because he takes care of his mother who is totally dependent upon him. So he spends the majority of his time in and throughout the neighborhood. This is, of course, unless he is working on cars in his backyard as a means of income. Unfortunately, Emmanuel also struggles with alcoholism, and is often heard late at night walking up and down the street singing as loud as he can. This has become a part of Emmanuel and the neighborhood that we love. One day he waived to my wife, Kris, to come over to meet a friend named Martin. She jogged over to him where he was standing next to a black SUV. He introduced her to Martin, a child hood friend, who unbeknownst to her at the time, was Martin Luther King Jr. III. The cool thing about this interaction was our friend Emmanual, a person with very low status, introducing us to somebody of historical status – without seeing it as out of the ordinary.
Neighboring the King house and directly across from us is a church parsonage. This parsonage has been turned into a roomer house, where two or more people share the same house. Inside you will find Nelson, who is both an artist and an engineer. Unfortunately, Nelson is an ex-felon and has had an incredibly difficult time finding a job. This is something that I have become all too familiar with at the Georgia Justice Project while working with inmates and helping them transition back into society.
Next to Nelson’s is Mr. Carter’s house. Mr. Carter has been living in Vine City for a very long time and owns a very well kept house. Because he has been there so long, he knows everybody who lives in the neighborhood, and the people who lived there before them, and the people who lived there before that. He has told us many stories of Vine City’s history and the events that have happened since (and before) he has lived there.
For a long time we wondered if anybody lived in the house that is directly next to our own. There are blinds on the windows, but it appears as if the house is unkept and is starting to deteriorate. After attending our local neighborhood planning unit (NPU), we discovered that it’s actually another office. Our landlord, James, introduced us to him and it turns out that he is a pretty active member of the community as well.
James owns somewhere around 16 houses throughout Vine City and The Bluff. He buys them low, fixes them up, and then rents them out. He seems to be a pretty compassionate guy (minus the gun that his always bolted to his hip) and has been a great landlord so far. It appears as if he is a real asset to the community at large. He is renovating a home four houses down from our own. While it is being fixed up, he allows a homeless guy to stay there for free and watch over the place. This reaps two great rewards. First, he provides shelter to the needy in the neighborhood, and second, it protects the neighborhood assets. It has become quite common for a house to be “gutted”. This is when people break into an empty house and steal/rip out everything of value. This includes all the precious metals (like copper piping) and even appliances like sinks and stoves.
One block towards Martin Luther King Drive reside Drew and Diane. They are Mission Year Alumni and recently moved to the Vine city neighborhood after leaving their original M.Y. neighborhood. Their Sunday morning pancake breakfasts are becoming a great social gathering place for kids and adults alike. It seems that the neighborhood kids (Juan, Deondre, Randi, Veve, CJ, Jovonte, Phyllis, Ramon, just to name a few) like to switch between our two houses as the local hang out spot.
I write about these names and faces because I believe that a large portion of what crafts a neighborhood are the people who reside within it. This is not to say that things like social institutions or history are not important, but to a large extent it is people that are the creators of those things. Each person and household add their own flavor to the overall taste of the neighborhood. These are the characters I find in the story that I have been written into. But this story has been being told for some time and I’m just now getting to be a part of it.”
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October update / Oct 28, 11:06 AM
We pray that you are all doing well and that God is evident in your lives! We are excited to share with you what we have been up to! We are slowly getting comfortable in our new home, and each day we get to know our roommates a little better. Intentional community is difficult at times, but we are learning to love each other despite our differences.
Raymond has been at his worksite for several weeks now and is very passionate about what he does. His site is called the Georgia Justice Project, and is “an unlikely mix of lawyers, social workers, and a landscaping company”. GJP works to assist those in the criminal justice system by providing clients with quality lawyers. The social workers work with the client to get to the root of the legal problems. If a client is convicted, it is then Raymond’s job to keep in contact with them through letters and occasional visits while they serve their time in prison. After a client is released, the landscaping company is there to provide a job and assist them in becoming reestablished into society. Georgia prisons release many people into society with no more than $35. They are homeless, jobless, have no food and almost no money. The services GJP provides are invaluable; and we are thrilled to be a part of their work.
Kris is currently working to get into Grady Memorial Hospital. Grady is a local hospital that provides many services to the poor, including free labor and delivery. Because of her experience working with infants at her previous job, her first choice would be to work in the nursery. Another potential opportunity is a program called First Steps. In this program, Grady staff and volunteers assist first time moms with information on caring for baby, with emotional support, and with occasional home visits. She is very anxious to find out what her position will be!
Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers. They are so important to us.
Meeting the past / Oct 23, 08:34 AM
I have many memories of History Class in elementary school. I remember being taught (however incorrectly) that Christopher Columbus discovered America, that we defeated the British and won our freedom (as well as something about a big tea party), and that we won both WW1 and WW2. Somewhere along the lines I briefly remember learning that there was slavery a long, long time ago, but that it was all better now. Perhaps I was too busy as a child thinking about my lunch, or who my best friend was that week, but my recollection of that era of our history seemed blurred, and until recently somewhat unimportant to my daily life.
Upon arriving at Mission Year we received a training of sorts. During this training we had the opportunity to hear a variety of impressive speakers, one of which gave a brief history lesson on Atlanta. Maybe its because as an adult I have a longer attention span, or maybe with living in Atlanta the information was much more relevant; whatever the cause, I learned a great deal in that hour. I learned that, contrary to my memory, it wasn’t so long ago that the civil war was fought in part right here in Atlanta. A history that my neighbor’s great-grandparents would have remembered, and shared 1st hand stories about. I learned that segregation was still occurring a mere 50 years ago, still very fresh in the minds of some of my new friends. Not just a faded school memory as mine, but a real, a vivid, and a painful part of their past.
A very well-known icon of those times is the famous Martin Luther King Jr. who grew up in Atlanta. In fact, he raised his 4 children in the brick house just across the street from where my team and I live this year. It is interesting to learn how vital he was to the changes made during that era, and how important his memory is to those who live on. A few weeks ago as my teammate Rusty and I walked to the Egg Roll for some Chinese food and an internet connection, our friend and neighbor Emmanuel called to us saying “Hey! I want you to meet my friend Martin!” We followed Emmanuel down the street and stopped beside a man in a black SUV, pulling out of a driveway. The slightly plump, familiar looking man inside smiled warmly and reached out his hand to greet us. “Martin King, nice to meet you!” he said in a friendly voice. “This is Martin Luther Kings Jr’s son!” Emmanuel needlessly explained. I’m not sure if my surprise was evident or not as I reached out my hand and shook his. All of the emotions felt by my neighbors along with all of my new understanding came flooding back to me and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the small bit of history who stood before me. Not to say that this man is any greater than any other, but there is something almost awe-inspiring about meeting a piece of the past. Like standing before Lincoln’s log cabin, or the Washington monument. Not really so impressive in construction or perfect in form, but still very significant to our nation’s history. Our brief conversation lasted only a few moments, the experience will last a lifetime.
We're Finally Here! / Sep 22, 11:20 AM
It turns out we have pretty limited internet access. Probably will only be able to log on once, maybe twice a week. Still, we will do our best to keep all of our friends and family up to date on what’s going on.
Our first weekend was spent unpacking and getting to know our teammates; of which, we are really excited about. Their names are Rusty & Renae Eshlemen who are from Indiana, and John & Faith Watson, who are from Michigan. They are some of the most remarkable people we have met, and we are confident they will be a critical partner in ministry.
Our first week we gathered with Mission Year Volunteers across the nation and met out on a place called God’s Farm. Here we had the opportunity to receive training in many areas and as the week progressed we became more and more excited about the adventures to come during the following year. There is something about God’s children gathering together for a specific purpose, and sharing a specific calling. It was kind of like at Pentecost when Jesus sends out His followers unto the world. At the end of the week we all went back out our cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Camden.
We spent the day relaxing with one another on our Sabbath when we got back into town. Our second weekend we attempted to familiarize ourselves with both our local neighborhood and the city. We found local societal anchors like the schools, libraries, historical sites, community centers, etc. We have spent most of our community time simply walking around the streets and looking for neighbors to meet. This past week we have been receiving specified training from our city director, Jeff Delp. Because we are not using our cars, one of our training assignments was to use the buses and trains to find local attractions and landmarks. After a long 7-hour explorative walk around the city of Atlanta, we were beat. Many of our eyelids were heavy on the bus ride home. As we were getting off our bus at our local stop, a glimmer of hope greeted us. Noticing that we were downtrodden and arriving several hours after we had left, one of our neighbors shouted to us “It’s about time y’all came back home!” With uplifted spirits, we went inside for some much desired rest. We thank you for continually supporting us, both financial and prayerful, and can’t wait to share the stories of our ministry in the future!
