Our Favorite Season...

 

 

 

Fall in the city is simply gorgeous.

 

I took a book and went to Kelly Drive for the afternoon.

 

An old wooden bench, brick walkway, and yellow leaves drifting down.

 

It was ideal.

 

 

 

Homework Club has started again.

 

There is something very rewarding about studying with a child

and the finally a test score proves the long hours!

 

 

If our evening allows, we usually have kids over for supper each night.

 

This is a fun relaxing way to interact as well as a "cooking class."

 

Dorcas and Altarque

Taking kids to the park was a summer highlight.

 

It means there is no trail of stuff to clean up after they leave!

 

 

 

Several youth guys love to play Monopoly. The longer the game goes the louder their voices get.

 

Bethany, Gigi, Sincere, Dorcas, and Jasmine

The last time that Sandy was at the vet they said she was obese.

 

Kids after school or adults walking past the fence just insist on feeding her.

 

Dear Jasmine put food in her pockets at supper. I just assumed that she was taking it home with her.

 

I found her in the backyard pulling the food out of her pockets for Sandy.

 

 

We only had one soft pretzel bake since school started.

 

The unique challenge is finding people to share the pretzels with.

 

We often do the police and fire station, the library or the school...

 

Kind of excited for the next few months! 

 



DJ's Death

The death of DJ had me reminiscing through years of pictures. He was young when he and his sister came to Tuesday Night Church. And that was a long time ago.

He was shot in the forehead on the corner of 10^th and Thompson. He was only 14 years old.

So many moments in the past few weeks have been spent with kids talking about this death.

Young boys who were there when he was shot. Kids that lived in the same apartment complex.
His cousins or nephews who come to church.

Children and teens who spend their lives acting tough as a coping, survival technique…
how to give them the gift of grieving?
The freedom to shed tears, to talk about the impact this has on their lives?

And with grace and more grace the door that has opened to talk honestly about the end of life…

Please pray for the family and neighborhood.

Crowds & Pope Frances...

 

 

It was one of those monumental weekends in Philadelphia.

 

We decided to spend time with the crowds of people.

 

It was such a unique cultural experience.

 

 

 

It was a friendly crowd with smiling people.

 

Lots of families, so much singing, and tons of police, national guard, secret service, etc.

 

 

 

There were people like us...just out with the crowd.

 

And there were families from all across the nation.

 

 It was rather astounding to see families camping along the boulevard.

 

 

Police motorcycles.

 

The department stores, shops, and restaurants were open!

 

It was a fun combination of too many people, good food, and shopping.

 

Waiting for the Pope to pass through.

 

 

The usual traffic congested roads were eerily silent.

 

But served as a coach bus entrance and exit to our city.

 

I had counted 23 buses but they kept coming...so I moved on to the next thing.

 

Looking at 676 through the fence on 13th Street

 

The train and subway was an experience all by itself!

 

When security wanted the crowds to disperse, they would open certain stations.

 

You then had to go through another security check.

 

And then it became a mass of people trying to squeeze into a smaller space.

 

The noise level in the station was overwhelming.

 

Needless to say, this was not one of my favorite moments.

 

 

 

Free Catholic literature. Free Wawa water. Free Pope signing.

 

 

Our favorite part of the weekend was the conversations we had with so many different people.

 

Catholic lady from Chicago...seeking forgiveness for abortion, wanting to meet the Pope.

 

Business owner of a little pizza shop.

 

National Guard from Arizona...What do we believe about the Pope?

 

Asian Nuns.

 

The newlyweds from Costa Rica...What do we believe about marriage?

 

And the many homeless people...

Some were having the weekend of a lifetime, making lots of money from the kind hearted crowd. Others were simply trying to escape the crowd, find food, and a place to sleep.

 

 

 

 

The roads are once again traffic congested. The buses of people have left.

 

The public transportation schedule is finally on time and back to normal!

 

But all those thousands of people are still in our minds.

 

Do they know Jesus Christ of the Bible?

 

Do you and I know the man Jesus, the Son of God?

 

 



Staff Activity

 

 

Once a month, we have a staff activity.

 

This simply means that an evening or afternoon is spent together as 6th Street staff.

 

We each take turns planning it.

 

Sometimes we explore museums, parks, etc.

 

Lynelle & Orion planned an evening at Bartram's Botanical Garden. 

 

It is a beautiful park bordering the Schuylkill River.

 

 

It was originally started as a family botanical garden around 1760's.
 

 

It was a relaxing evening...perfect end to a gorgeous summer.



CAMP 2015

 

The week of camp is our favorite part of summer!

 

 

 Hours and hours of planning...months in advance.

 

All the people, with different jobs, that make our 2015 Camp Team.

 

Prayer and fasting days for the children that will be at camp.

 

 

And then the week of camp arrives!

 

 

Kids arrive at church with their bags packed!

 

 

We all lose sleep. We all have moments of intense frustration.

We all have the opportunity to share Jesus.

 

Sometimes it is the nurse, going to a cabin at 12 am to put on a band aid.

 

Or the counselor who sees past the disrespect to the heart's cry for love.

 

Or helping a child deal with intense fear in a team building activity.

 

Or pulling a kid aside and praying with them.

 

 

We are so thankful for all of our prayer warriors who dedicated our kids and the week to JESUS!

 

Our cabins were completely full this year...with a total of 50 children!

 

Youngest girls cabin..."I saw a boy in the woods. He had blonde dreadlocks!"

It turns out he was Amish!

 

 We took a trek through Proverbs...Jesus wants us to make wise choices!

 

 "What was the scariest thing that you had to do this week?"

"Zip line! There's only a few things that make me want my Momma!"

 

 

 

A stretching, hard week of intense moments.

Praying that the moments of impact would continue to draw us towards our Creator! 



 

 

PRAISING GOD FOR A WONDERFUL WEEK OF CAMP!

Summer Bible School

 

Pictures are worth a thousand words. 



Dennyza & I decided how to decorate the church...and the teachers did the work!

 

La Finquita (Little Farm)    Community Work



Money for Support - An - Orphan

 

 

 

Kindergarten was Dr. Seuss themed!

 

BLOCK PARTY

  

Face Painting, Ring Toss, Darts, Bean Bag, Twister, and Door Prizes!

Hot Dogs & Popcorn

Lots of kids!!!

 

 

FOOT SPA IN KENSINGTON

 

 

Wonderful opportunity to meet people!

We spent one day in Center City...surveys, tracts, and singing!

Serving the Homeless



Singing & Prayer time at Race Street Pier

Green Route

We are so thankful for the teachers who poured their hearts into the kids of our neighborhood! Praising God for a good year!