Roller Blading

Yesterday we decided to try out our roller blades on a paved path that follows the "river" here in Tucson. I use the term "river" lightly because it's actually just a bed of sand with no water in it. It was a fun way to get some exercise but I need to figure out appropriate socks to wear because I have blisters all over my feet this morning.

Splash 6 Ends

Bethany and I just finished up at one of the easiest houses we have had. It is so much fun over there that I went over on my day off to hang out with those kids and play Risk. Yes everyone, once and a while the kids at a house like what I like and are fun to be around! One kid even played soccer!

I lost the first round of Risk to a kid who played all the time in Juvenile Detention (Juvey). Come on, he had hours of practice! The second round I teamed up with my friend Charles, a house parent, and we beat three of the kids. Our armies fought for the fate of Middle Earth in classic Lord of the Rings style. It was quite fun.

While we were at the house we got a check-in. A check-in is a new kid who has been taken from another home. Check-ins are not usually very happy kids. The new guy lasted for only a couple hours before deciding to run away while we were at the mall. His exit cue was, “I have to go to the bathroom.” Five minutes later he was gone and Wal-Mart security was not very helpful in this situation. One of the other kids in the house had predicted he would run, so he was very pleased when it turned out he was correct.

I tried roller blading at a skate park this respite. In a recent Reinhold shopping splurge Bethany and I purchased roller blades. Roller blading is something we both are quite bad at. The kids we work with are very good at skate boarding. When we decided to go to a skate park I was quite nervous about my performance. I rolled over to the edge of a large concrete bowl and watched the children flying around doing tricks. All of them were very talented skaters. I did not want to wimp out because I wanted the kids at the house to see it is more important to try and fail then to not try at all. So I forced myself to drop into the bowl. My knees were inflexible, my balance was poor and my body slapped against the concrete. I picked up my head to see a scruffy young man take his cigarette out of his mouth long enough to say, “That guy is going to kill himself.” I dared to try this routine twice more with a little less embarrassment each time. But I am hopeful and excited about our roller blades and the kids had a great time. Somehow I think I actually gained respect through this ordeal as well.

I got to talk to two of the boys about their spiritual life and what God was doing. One of the boys said he “I really want to know God” and the other said, “God has answered all my prayers since I left Juvey.” I was reminded of Paul saying, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.” Philippians 3:8. I was challenged to keep making my relationship with God and my knowledge of His personality my chief aim. My hunger for God and my relationship with Him will affect those around me, even the broken children in foster care.

Sadly we will not be working at that house anymore because we are needed elsewhere.

Praises: God showed us fruit of His work and our efforts. He also allowed relationships to be built through fun times. Praise God for the way He uses the children to teach us!

Prayers: Pray for the child who ran away and for another child who is working very hard to be reunited with his family.

God Shows Up

This is the second time since we have been in GAP that a really neat God story has happened.

One of the things I (Eric) enjoy about being in the foster care environment is that the kids hate God. Why would I say that? These kids are surrounded by numerous negative influences and love to reject things. I like this because of how much it says about God's power when He changes these rebellious hearts. When God makes a kid want to go to church who previously said, “Church is gay” or when God draws a kid to himself who previously said, “I love Satan.” These changes really speak to me about God's power and love.

This reminds me (Bethany) of something I was reading in The Confessions of St. Augustine last night. Augustine discusses the conversion of someone and says, "And the more peril there was in the battle, so much the more joy is there in the triumph." He goes on to give other examples of how much greater joy there is when a situation seems the most grim and is then resolved. He concludes, "Every where the greater joy is ushered in by the greater pain." Although I cannot claim to understand the purposes of God when I see children whose lives have been almost ruined by their parents, I am beginning to understand how He can bring Himself glory as He works in their lives and how much greater joy there is in His work when He draws even one child to Himself and releases them from their bondage.

Here is a story about a kid in GAP. For the sake of the story I will call the child Jacob. Jacob had been addicted to smoking marijuana and had got caught. He was facing a felony charge and on the verge of turning 18. When a child turns 18 he no longer is eligible for the Juvenile program and instead will be going to state prison for felony charges. Jacob started to ask himself, “What am I doing with my life?”

Without being able to come up with any answers he decided to go talk to his GAP house parent, Aaron. He went to Aaron's bedroom and asked a poignant question, “How do you know God is real?” Aaron gave testimony to ways God had worked and asked Jacob to think about why they were standing there having the conversation in the first place if God was not real. Jacob nodded and asked the house parent to pray for him. As the house parent began to pray Jacob interrupted, “How do I pray? What do I do?” Aaron told him he did not have to do anything special because they were simply talking to God. Aaron prayed for Jacob's addiction, life plans, and that he would be loved.

A few days later Jacob found out his pending felony charge had simply been dropped by the parole officer. Aaron reminded Jacob this was a big deal and asked if he thought it was just a coincidence. Jacob replied, “I don't know”.

The next day Jacob went to school and was offered pot. After being prayed for and seeing the charges dropped Jacob was able to say “no” to smoking pot despite his addiction. Later that day Jacob found out the kids had been caught and arrested. Jacob ran home to talk to Aaron and told him what had happened. Aaron then asked him if he thought it was just a coincidence and Jacob replied, “I don't think that was just a coincidence.” Aaron then asked him if he could say no to smoking pot again and Jacob replied, “I think I could. It actually was not even that hard to say no.”

Another cool thing that happened is this Valentines day we were on a respite while another couple stayed at our apartment. At the end of the respite we came home to our apartment decorated with hearts, candles, red streamers, a Valentine teddy bear, and a note encouraging us to enjoy a late Valentines day. How thoughtful! This made Bethany and I feel like we are starting to make some real friends!

Praise God for answering prayer and speaking to the heart of a marijuana addict! God showed Jacob he was taking care of him as he began to ask for God's help. Pray for Jacob to continue following God and for our heavenly Father to keep working His wonders here in GAP.