Emily King's Blog
April Newsletter / May 1, 10:14 AM
As written on April 21, 2008
Dear Friends,
Waiting for spring in Chicago is like a little kid waiting for Santa Clause. People get brave and unpack summer shorts on any day where the temperature peaks slightly above 45 degrees. But, alas, it has arrived, with whipping winds, beautiful storm clouds and radiant sun. People are out on their landings, kids have returned to the small parks tucked between town houses, and the tune of the ice cream truck has even lured me in a few times. It is so good to see the kids on our block again, and we have enjoyed getting to know more around our neighborhood. Joanna and I met Israel and Angel at a park across the street from Jack’s house on the first exceptionally sunny day of the spring. Israel, I recognized from stories Justina tells about her class at the elementary school she works at down the street. I had never even seen a picture of him, but I knew exactly who he was. Israel is so cool and interested in anything I had to say on any subject. Angel, Israel’s half bother, could swing on the playground equipment like a spider monkey. Warm weather is a blessing, and I will never take it for granted again!
Have I said lately how good God is? HE IS SO GOOD! My dreams have come true, or at least one that I have been imagining since starting our service at Sí Se Puede in October. Jack and I went to a Houston Astros vs. Cubs game, and supported the Stros, of course. Although Jack has no favorite teams, I know he really enjoys playing sports, so I wanted to take him to a baseball game. On April 6th, it became a reality. We traveled by bus and train, and arrived an hour before game time to a sea of fans in royal blue. I think Jack was more entertained by the number of people in Wrigley Field than the game. I let him record some videos of the game, and he mainly filmed the crowd while providing his own commentary. He looked so adorable in his Astros cap, and I am so thankful that I got to share this experience with him!
We were told that in the third trimester of our mission year, we would begin to see the fruit of our time spent at service sites and with neighbors. It is SO true, especially at El Valor, with staff members and participants. I have requested prayer for the staff several times, and I am so happy to say that God continues to be faithful. There are too many stories to share for this one-sided newsletter, but God is providing in obvious ways. So obvious, that the same people that have lacked a source of hope, now confess God’s goodness in conversations with me. They admit that only God could have moved in their lives and provided what they needed most. God has provided job offers, an extension on a court date involving deportation (meaning a little more than ten weeks for a family to remain together), and love provided through friends on a participants’ birthday. HE IS SO GOOD! These stories are so close to my heart that I think I may publish them on my blog soon, so check out the site listed above.
For my support update, I want to remind you all that anything you are willing to provide helps. As of this month, I am now about $1,000 short of my goal at this time. I appreciate tremendously all of you who have taken on the challenge of supporting me financially and through your prayers! When I think about support raising, I get very uncomfortable, but then I remember so many of the conversations I have had with many of you. I have been reassured many times that I am here doing work that many of you, if were presented with the opportunity, would be doing as well. Supporting me financially and spiritually provides the resources for you AND me to fulfill God’s calling on OUR lives. If you would like to support me financially, you can mail check donations, made out to Mission Year with my Account Fund ID# 07-0080 in the memo line, to Mission Year P.O. Box 17628 Atlanta, GA 30316. You can also donate by clicking on the red “Donate Now!” button on the right.
“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos of Community, 1976
This quote was shared with us at a training on politics by our City Director, Shawn, recently. There is a lot that could be said about these words of wisdom from Dr. King, but the one I would like to leave you with for this month is what he suggests the relation of love is to power and justice. Justice has been a really hard concept for me to comprehend, and I have been wrestling with it since September. I challenge myself, as well as my newsletter readers, to examine our lives and search out the places where love is withheld and what exactly stands in the way of love to others. Where do we have the power to correct those things standing against love? What can we do? Justice is attainable with God, but are we willing to love powerfully?
God bless and keep in touch,
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