Lessons i am learning......

Living in the inner city for the past 2 years has brought a lot of transition...mainly to my thinking and my heart. We moved here with others in hope to share Christ with many and effect their lives, but in the process our lives are being greatly effected.

This is Crystal (holding wesley-grant) and keekee......they are sisters. i took them to the park b/c it is their last day before they move to a new town. About 5 mos ago, they moved across the street from us and started coming over to play with wesley-grant.

We love these girls. Crystal had been on my heart for a while....i had seen her in the neighborhood before they moved across the street from us and found out she was deaf. At first, i was nervous about communicating with her...how would i? but i soon learned lessons from my little son. He would throw his hands up at her and give her a big smile and she would hold and play with him. He would use the little sign language we had taught him and she loved that! She taught us new words too. Slowly it was "normal" to have the girls as part of my day and communicating with Crystal got easier and easier. We would have paper and pen all over the house and write notes constantly.

I started a "friday story time" where the kids would come over and i'd read a missionary story to them. It had big pictures and shared the gospel in the story of each child....one from Haiti, India and Africa. I was concerned about Crystal understanding the story.....the gospel. "How would she know, Lord if she couldn't hear?" But she was always there for the story.

One day she came over by herself and wrote, "Today, read story?" And so we read or i wrote a story for her....God is always at work in the ones I least expect. I am amazed at how God works....who he brings to service to know him.....i pray that Crystal will know Jesus and one day tell others in Africa or India about him. Please pray for Crystal as you think of her and her family.

Our hope is that the sent people of God would see all of their "spaces" as havens of redemption. Whatever our hands touch, wherever our feet walk, whatever connection or relationship...there exists a potential haven for redemption.....