The following Friday, we loaded up a big bunch and went to a nearby church for a Halloween Block Party.  Crown Heights Baptist Church is so gracious to open their doors to the community and offer a safe and fun place for about a gazillion kids.  So, the kids who came with us were just a few among the many who were having a great time.  But, unlike the others, it was the first encounter with Halloween for a good bunch of those we brought along.  I just can’t imagine what they are thinking!  They can’t understand us enough to really understand what’s going on.  So, I’m sure they wonder why we want to keep giving them candy and paint spiders on their faces and give them fluffy pink candy on a stick.  But, I’m also sure they loved every minute of it.

Thanks to everyone who helped prepare beforehand and who helped chaperone the night of the big event!

We offer homework assistance every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 5p.m. to 6p.m.  If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact kim@thesperoproject.com.

I just wanted to share the amount of excitement and anticipation I have leading up to tomorrow’s events.  The older kids from the Summer Program who were so great to help the younger kids all summer long are having their REWARD PARTY tomorrow afternoon!!!  They earned ‘clips’ all summer when they helped clean up, translate for younger kids, etc.  And, they don’t know it yet, but they’re going to be trading their clips for game tokens at Celebration Station.  Oh, yeah!  

I wanted to test the waters and make sure I wasn’t giving them a ‘lame’ prize for all their hard work, so I asked two kids of different ages what they thought of the idea and they were pretty excited.  Well, as excited as you CAN be for not knowing what in the world I was talking about.  But, a bunch of games in one location didn’t sound too shabby, I suppose. 

I CANNOT wait to see their faces when they walk in for the first time.  I know none of the kids have been to any place like it before.  And, as someone who takes a lot of things for granted, I am sure that this experience will help me appreciate how great it is to be a kid!  What a privilege it will be to see kids who’ve, until very recently, never been in a safe enough environment to just enjoy themselves do so with us tomorrow!

1.  Our Summer Program to the children has been an unbelievable experience.  We’ve seen such growth in confidence, reading ability, and math skills.  Volunteers have been so, so, so faithful and have brought life to the program.  The kids have really been blessed and, of course, we have been blessed more than we can say, as well.  We’re excited to see the momentum from this program lead us strongly into the school year, increasing the number of kids in our Homework Assistance Program.

2.  We had a week-long visit from Lead 222 kids from Nashville, Chicago, Oklahoma City, and Deer Creek.  Lead 222 is a fantastic Youth Leadership Program and we were privileged to be a part.  Youth helped us with our Summer Program, engaged older kids from the Refugee Community in service projects in and around where they live, and delivered much-needed food and cleaning supplies to families.  It was such a joy to introduce youth to those in the refugee community we have come to love so much.  We truly, truly feel like a family.

3.  Thanks to everyone who have been praying for our friends in the car accident earlier this month.  Everyone is home from the hospital now and we’re working on the details for a benefit garage sale to help with rent, etc. while everyone gets back the strength to work.  More details will be coming soon.

4.  Our friends at Creative Intention had a benefit concert tonight.  Mark Ryan at The Edge Church was so unbelievably amazing and offered to create, promote, and manage the concert completely.  What a blessing to Creative Intention!  This organization offers free music lessons to children who could not otherwise afford them, and they are working primarily with International Refugees.  Paul and and Jennifer are great friends and we’re so happy to work with them so closely in engaging this population.  All of us were as proud of three young men from The Congo who performed as we would have been of our own children doing the same song.  We just can’t explain how much we love these boys and how much we believe God has purposed them to bring about significant change in their home country by speaking to Americans about what is occurring there every day.

We’ll try to be more expedient on our updates!  We just get so excited about what’s going on that it’s hard to stop ourselves long enough to fill everyone in.  We love the ministry that the Lord is building and we love our friends from all over the world!!!

It’s  a blessing that the Burmese community is so strong, so there’s no lack of people there to help out.  But, there are only a few that can speak English well enough to translate so the burden on them is strong.  

Please join us in prayer  for the safety of our friends tonight and for the next few days as their injuries become less fragile.  And, pray for their families and friends as they endure the stress of the experience.  We’ll keep you updated.

But, sometimes, they’re just too funny to be looked over.  Like tonight, when my sweet friend from Iraq paid me a compliment:   “Why you not fat?  Next month you were fat, but not this month.”  

Why, thank you.  I have lost some weight since last month.  I appreciate you noticing

A great group of students from OBU came down as usual for their Thursday night sessions of tutoring, homework help, and anything else that needs to be done.  And, a Creative Mentor was teaching her second week of class.  Also joining us were some friends who recently arrived back to the United States with newly adopted Congolese teenagers who want to learn English! 

What a sight to survey!  A group of kids from both Burma and The Congo learning colors and shapes by playing bingo were in the courtyard.   A very-newly resettled Burmese woman learning the most basic of English from her OBU tutor.  A group of three Iraqi women learning new words and so proud of themselves for using them correctly.  Oh, and they were working side-by-side with three Burmese ladies, too!  A precious young girl from Burma studying for an upcoming test with a tutor from OBU.  A young Russian boy working on his homework and getting help from his tutor.  And, the ladies on the end, working with their Creative Mentor. She was teaching some young Burmese ladies how to make jewelry stands–and they look so great!  Not to mention the kids playing in the courtyard, learning tic-tac-toe and other games.  

So, after things were over and everyone was just playing in the courtyard, I stood on the second story overlooking the kids and adults playing together.  I remembered the first time I rounded the corner to the apartment complex where so many refugees live.  It was like walking into a different world!  Just like this night–kids from: The Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Iraq, Burma, and Russia, all playing together and enjoying their new lives.  What a sight!

So, I breathed it in again (along with some wafts of Burmese fish soup!) and remembered how amazing this life is.  Thanks to everyone else who is a part of this community with us!

Teacher is needed Mondays from 7-8:30.  Contact kim@thesperoproject.com if you’re interested.

If you want to be part of the fun, we could most definitely use your assistance!  The summer program will be running Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30a.m.-11:30p.m.  If you’re willing to volunteer one day/week from the 2nd week of June until the last week of July, please contact kim@thesperoproject.com.  Moms–you can bring your kids with you and they can participate with us!