Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center

            In October, my schedule had freed up enough that I was ready for something new. The prayer you pray and then wonder what actually will happen…

Tristan & I were driving on Broad Street. I saw the Hope Center. I knew Jesus wanted me there. But it was the very last thing I expected! I waited several days…hoping that He would change His mind.

Four days later, I stepped into the Hope Center. I walked out with an application and a large packet of paper work.

Within two weeks, I was sitting in training sessions. Then medical classes at Temple.

It has been quite the experience. Why did I pray about my schedule in the beginning? But I was gifted knowledge, compassion, and a desire to pray…it has been more than worth it!

The Hope Center is a Baptist supported pro-life program. Low income clients from North Philadelphia are offered free services. There are moms support groups, ultrasounds, dad classes, STD testing, relationship counseling, etc.

It is so exciting to see God at work!

Random churches will volunteer to do a baby shower. The church comes to our location and provides the food, decorations, and gifts for the moms-to-be. This is something we offer to moms that do not have support. We have been blessed with churches offering to do this. We average one baby shower for several moms every other month.

The Hope Center does a very good job at referrals! Some women that come to us are in need of more than we can give. This is especially true if she is in an abusive relationship. Housing, food, general medical care, etc. The Hope Center refers them to the program that will best fit their need.

The goal is to keep in contact with the young women once a month. Usually it is from the time they enter the door until at least after the baby is born.

This month is our annual Momma & Baby Photo Shoot! A generous photographer volunteers her time each year for this event. We have Hope babies that are two or three years old. We have lots of one year olds. And of course new moms and their infants scheduled for the photo shoot!

This is such a gift that Jesus has given me. It has changed the way I view women in crisis. It has made me share the way God designed life with the kids at 6^th Street. It has given me a burden to pray on behalf of unborn babies and their mothers on the streets of Philadelphia.

The City Has Awakened!

Scott is a homeless man that I met shortly after we moved to 6th Street.

He begs for food and money few blocks from our house. Sometimes he is very easy to converse with. Other times, it is almost impossible to understand him. 

I have passed Scott for over a year and still do not know what to say or how to help.

 

He does some art work, often selling to tourists. Scott agreed to design six cards for me. I paid him up front (something I never do...). I walked to 5th & Girard to pick up the cards. Scott was there but only an excuse and not the completed project.

 

Twice, I went back to see how the project was coming along. I'm not sure why I was surprised. 

But I had taken a chance...and it never feels good to lose.

"He is just like all the others."

Rather cynically, I figured he had no intention of doing the artwork.

 

 

Eventually, Scott completed what he promised to do. Sure, it was a week late.

 

But I learned a valuable lesson.

Being cynical is denying someone a chance.

Here are the six cards from Scott.

 

 

 

 

Tristan has been overseeing the mission's building project the last few months.

One house needed completely remodeled. We waited for more than a year for permits, etc.

But finally the project is underway...and will end hopefully in the middle of summer!

 

 

 

 

 

Spring is finally here...and the city is alive!

 

 

 

People are on their porches, talking to their neighbors...

And the parks are full and noisy...

 

It's been rather exciting watching it all happen again.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Our afternoon and evenings still are spent with kids. 

Since school is in session...we do a lot of baking and cooking.



MaKayla and Diamond are cooking supper with me several times a month right now.
Such fun conversation with 8th graders heading to high school!

Malaysia, Israel, Ni'hem, and Ciani

 

 

Our verse for the last few months...

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom..." 

 

 

Race Street Pier

Winter in the City…

 

The holiday season was a refreshing break filled with lots of food, family, and friends!

Wouldn’t it be nice to pause life in that moment?

 

Tuesday Night is back with all the kids talking about Christmas…complaining about going back to school. If only they understood, they are receiving an education.

They are blessed.

 

 

Malachi

 

 

Tristan spent a weekend at the cabin with youth guys from our Thursday Night Class.

Since the winter has been mild, they played football, threw Frisbee, and grilled over a fire.

It was also special because one of the guys that moved to west Philadelphia was able to come. We hadn’t seen him since camp in the fall.

 

 

 

Sanai

 

 

 

It finally feels like winter is here. Not much fun outdoors until it snows.

So let the indoor games begin…this too shall pass!

(Any brilliant ideas…please let me know!)

 

 

 

 

Christmas in the city this year was special.

It is an opportunity to help homeless men and women on the streets. A cup of coffee, candy cane, or a blanket etc…and they are okay with a friendship!

Sharing a cup of hot chocolate with strangers

 

One night at 11pm, the abandoned house behind us started on fire.

They closed off three blocks.

There were five fire trucks…and they didn’t leave until 2am.

 

We went to Checker’s for French fries.

It was loud.

The whole neighborhood woke up.

And for several days my house smelled like smoke.

 

There was a man in center city who was walking a lama. The lama was named Dominick.

Still confused…did he think it was a donkey?

 

The youth guys took cookies to the local police station for Christmas.

This was a big deal for them!

Rather monumental to get them to willingly go inside a police station. Kindness to police is very opposite what their culture teaches.

 

We love having children over for supper.

They may not help cook…but they always want to help with dishes.  

Isn’t time spent together with food such a fun way to build relationship?

 

Serenity, Malachi, and Kayla

 

There is something healthy about reflecting on the past year.

Tristan and I have a lot of moments from 2015 that we are placing as monuments…a testimony to the grace of our Father.

It was quite the journey.

 

Is He not the faithful One?

 

 

 

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.