Camp Oasis

This year’s Camp Oasis theme was about Keepin’ It Real. It was based on the scripture passage from Colossians 2:17 “what is real is found in Christ.”



Amanda May, myself, Hillary, and Andre spelling out REAL in the sunrise at the camp's lake



       Camp Oasis is a spring break camp for all the different Branches sites as well as some other after-school programs. All of the programs get together for one week of learning about Christ and what it means to be a follower of Christ. This year, South Miami Branches (my site) took five of our middle schoolers. They were able to spend time in small groups, topics classes and skills classes. At night we were able to convene as a group and discuss what they had learned that day or where they saw God throughout the day.

I was able to teach the topics class called “Real Friends.” In this class we watched a video clip from Mean Girls as well as role-playing scenes where the class had to decide which friends were real, and which ones were not. I enjoyed teaching this class because it felt so natural. I felt like I was doing what God has been calling me to do; to teach kids about Jesus in a way that relates to them.

Although I felt comfortable teaching the class, I have to admit that as a whole, I did not feel comfortable at the camp. I was certainly a minority (which has been a reality of mine since I’ve been in Miami). But I felt that the way I ministered to these youth was not very effective. I didn’t go into camp thinking that I would bring anyone to Christ. I just thought that maybe I would be more comfortable than I actually was. Who I am to tell some of these young people that God really does exist? Most of the kids at camp come from broken homes, where their parents tell them everyday that they wish they did not exist. They come from homes where they are abused. They come from homes where their parents cannot even pay for food, much less clothing. So what can I, as a middle class white female from a great family, tell them that will be encouraging? How can I be effective?

After being a leader at Camp Oasis, there were many things that I learned. I learned that I am not meant to work with middle or high schoolers. I knew that before, but it was certainly confirmed while I was there. I also learned that maybe my ministry is not meant for urban settings. If it is meant for an urban setting, maybe it should be in another setting other than the one where I’m currently working. I learned a lot of things about myself and about my ministry while I was there. And although it was hard to learn these things, it was REAL. And that is what Christ calls us to be, no matter how hard that is.

A Day of Service...



As part of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy, South Florida Urban Ministries held a day of service in nearby Homestead, FL. This day allowed the whole organization to provide services to others in the community. Many people painted houses, while others, like myself, assisted with projects around Branches Florida City. I helped in organizing and cleaning some of the rooms where the children in the after-school program receive help with their homework. I did this for the first part of the day. The second part of the day, I spent in the pouring down rain cleaning paint brushes. When I say pouring down rain, I mean pouring down rain. It was absolutely horrible. When I finished that day, I was soaked through and through. I had two shirts on, and both of those had been completely drenched. I could wring out my hair like a towel, and my socks and shoes had that irritating squishy sound and feel.

            Even though I was completely miserable and complaining, I enjoyed being in the rain. I enjoyed feeling it hit my face and my back. And it was a great reminder of how messy our lives can be. It was an even better reminder of how messy service and ministry can be. I just kept thinking as I was getting soaked that even though I was miserable, this was exactly what I needed to be doing. Ministry is not easy. Sometimes it leaves us feeling absolutely miserable. But how can we say that we have really done ministry if we are not able or willing to get our hands dirty?

            Getting up at 5:00 am on a day that we were supposed to have off was extremely difficult. Not only was it hard because I’m not a morning person, it was hard because it was a full day of work after waking up so early. And of course I wanted to complain. But I had to remind myself that this year is a year of service. This is what I was called to do for this year. This is what Jesus calls us to do every day; to be in service to one another, and to be in service to better God’s Kingdom. Matthew 20:28 says “for even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If Jesus, God’s Son, the Messiah, the Holy One, came to serve others, then surely I can give up a day’s time to serve my community.



            My question then, is more of a challenge to those who are reading this blog. What have you done lately as an act of service, or an act of kindness? Have you volunteered somewhere? Do you volunteer somewhere regularly? As Christians we are called to serve. So where will you go? What will you do?

From left to right: Selen Turner (works for SFLUM), myself and Amanda May Moore, one of the other YAVs this year in Miami.





It is right to give our thanks and praise...

It is right to give our thanks and praise. How often do we hear those words in church? For most of us, I would guess quite a bit. But how many times do we actually stop to give God the thanks and praise that God deserves? How many times do we actually stop to tell people that we are thankful for them and all that they do? To answer both of those questions for myself, I would have to say that I do not do that as much as I should. Which is why I have to say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only because of the wonderful food, but because of the fact that it is the one day that is set apart from the others when I have the chance to sit down and thank God, and thank those people who I love.

This year was the first Thanksgiving that I’ve experienced being away from home. And the first Thanksgiving where it has been about 80 degrees on the actual day of Thanksgiving! Ah, the life of a YAV living in Miami. But I guess I couldn’t be too sad being away from home because look who came to visit me? Mi madre!  

On Thanksgiving morning we had the opportunity to go to my work and help First United Methodist of South Miami serve about 100 meals to those in need. It was a great experience to be able to help those in need, and to be able to realize that I have so much, and so many blessings.

At night, my mom and I cooked dinner for the rest of the YAVs in my program. Since none of us could go home for the holiday, we just decided to spend it with each other. As many of you may know, I thoroughly enjoy food. I think about food all the time in fact. So naturally I have to tell what we fixed! We had celery with cream cheese and pecans, deviled eggs, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, and pumpkin pie for dessert! It was delicious. And it was so wonderful to actually be able to share it with my friends and with my mom.

To close, I just want to say that I am grateful for many things. I am grateful for my friends and for my family. I am grateful for the people in my life who give me support, and who have fully supported me along this journey so far. I am grateful to the people who made it possible for me to even come to Miami. I couldn’t have done it without you! And most importantly, I am grateful to God who has blessed me so greatly. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I urge anyone reading this blog to tell the people that you love that you are thankful for them, if you haven’t already. After all, it is right to give our thanks and praise!             

Below is a picture of the YAVs being silly after our Thanksgiving meal. From left to right we have Andre, Caite, Amanda May, and me.

Perfect Silence

The weekend of October 15 was our silent retreat. We spent 24 hours in complete silence. Now to some, that might sound like a nightmare. But for me, it was perfect, and exactly what I needed. We were not allowed to bring our ipods, our computers, and our phones had to be turned off. We weren't allowed to talk to each other unless it was absolutely necessary.
Heidi, the site coordinator for Miami’s D.O.O.R. program, and YAV program took us to a beautiful condo on Miami Beach. We were on the 17th floor, with a balcony overlooking the beach. This is a picture that Amanda May (fellow YAV) took of me.

 

We started our silence on Friday night, soon after we arrived. Most of us stayed on the balcony and listened to the sound of the waves. The next morning I woke up to the sound of those waves again. This was the view that I woke up to that morning. Not too shabby, eh?

Most of my day was spent on the beach, sitting in silence, listening to the waves, and watching people play in the sand and in the ocean (yes, it is October and people are still swimming in the ocean.) I took my Bible and my journal to the beach, and was finally able to write in my journal. I was able to read the Bible and reflect on it without any interruptions. I was able to just sit and not be bothered by a child tugging on my shirt, or yelling my name. I was able to sit and not worry about making conversation. I could just…sit. I could listen to God, with no interruptions. And I never once felt guilty about just sitting. What a freeing thought! To be able to take time out of the day just to sit and be still and be silent. How many of us really do that? How many times do we choose to have all of that background noise? Don’t get me wrong, I listen to my music and watch TV a lot! But because of this weekend, I realized that I don’t really need that noise all day everyday. It is alright to stop and be silent. I don’t have to feel guilty for just wanting some time to myself.

This weekend also reminded me of just how blessed I am. I know that I’m blessed, but I often times forget it. I forget that I already have everything I need, and that God is the one who provides it for me. Everything is a blessing from God; the sounds of the ocean, the time spent with friends. The gorgeous sunset and sunrise. The opportunity to even take a retreat like this one. These are all things that are easily taken for granted.

After being at the beach all day, I finally decided to go back inside when the sun started to set. For the next few hours I worked on making my greeting cards (something that I love doing, but never get the time to do here.) It felt so good to actually get time to sit down and do that. That is my favorite hobby by far, but I never make time for it. I was able to write notes to people that I had been meaning to write for a while.

After working on those for a little while, it was time to eat dinner, and break the silence. It was nice to be able to talk for a bit, because there were definitely some stories I needed to tell from the day, and things that I wanted to share. We all had a turn to tell about our days, and how God spoke to us.

After dinner, it was back to being noisy. Some people wanted to watch TV while others wanted to listen to music. To be honest, all I wanted to do was to go back to the silence and continue making my cards/journaling/reading the Bible.
The weekend was way too short, and I can only hope that we take many more retreats like that one.

One of the great things I learned from that weekend was that I need a time throughout my week where I can sit down and be silent. Whether that means journaling, or making cards, or just sitting, I need it. I need that time. So I told one of my roommates Andre that we were going to be accountable to each other and make each other sit in silence once a week. This is our second week doing that, and it has been the best thing. We sit in silence for 30 minutes on Tuesday nights. And so far, every time that we’ve done this, I have felt so refreshed. If there is anything that you, the reader, can take away from reading this blog, it is this; spend some time in silence! And by that, I mean real silence. Turn your phone off, turn your ipod off, turn the TV off. Sit in a place where you know there will be no interruptions. Tell your family/friends not to interrupt you. But just sit, and be silent. You’ll be amazed at how great you feel afterwards!

What a great weekend...

What a great weekend I had! It started off a little crazy, but ended up being wonderful. Here's the break down...

Friday- When I say it started off a little crazy, that's what I mean. Friday morning I went to a Behavior Management training. While my co-workers and I were in the training, my boss showed me a text message that she received. It said something about a hostage situation at the Bank of America that was close to Branches. The message was from someone who works in the church building where Branches is located. He said that they had been on lock down for several hours already because of this hostage situation.
Well, after our training we started making calls to the church. One of the church staff said that there was now, potentially a bomb threat! So, we made a few more calls, and no one could confirm that. We decided that it was not a safe place to be for the afternoon in case something did happen. Better safe than sorry! If you did not hear about that situation, look it up on the internet. It was pretty scary, and very close to our building. (I'm sure you can imagine what my mom said when I told her this story! Something along the lines of "pack your bags you're coming home." Ha ha.)
Even though we cancelled Branches, I still worked for a little while in the afternoon. I did however, get off work early. So it was nice to have a little bit of a break. When I got home, I got ready for dinner. I had a few friends from Kentucky come to visit their son who lives in the Keys. They were flying out of Ft. Lauderdale, so they decided that they would swing past Miami, and come pick me up for dinner. It was really wonderful to see them! A little taste of home. We went to Dan Marino's where I had Nut Crusted Mahi, with garlic mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Man, I really hated that...ha ha. After dinner I went home and hung out with the roommates.
Saturday morning I woke up pretty early to make a run to get a box of food that I bought from Angel Food Ministries. This is an organization that makes it easier for people to receive food for cheaper prices than you would find at the grocery store. I bought all sorts of goodies- chicken breasts, ground beef, rice, bean and cheese burritos, hot dogs, beans, and much more. I know I saved myself at least 10-15 dollars by purchasing the food through this organization. After picking that up, one of my roommates took me to the grocery so that we could buy food for the house warming party we were having. We mostly bought drinks since we had already started preparing the other snacks and finger foods for the day.
When we got back to the house, one of my roommates (who is currently in culinary school) started making the snacks, while the rest of us cleaned up the house. It took forever to clean that house! It was filthy, and in desperate need of a deep cleaning. And that is what we did. We vacuumed, and swept, and dusted, and everything else you can imagine. But when it was all said and done, it look absolutely amazing!

By 2:00pm, guests started showing up. I was still not ready because I was busy cleaning and making crab stuffed mushrooms(delicious, thanks to Ms. Ashley Graves.) It seemed like everyone loved all of the food that was made. We had benedictine sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, chips and salsa, puppy chow (which I made), and other snacks. We played Jenga, listened to music, and in general enjoyed the time spent just sitting and talking with others. Overall, it was a successful and entertaining party. I just wished that my friends and family from back home had been there to see my house, meet my roommates, and eat my food. But, that's life. Since everyone cannot meet my roommates, here is a picture of all of us from Saturday. From left to right; Trey (from Texas, he's also the one in culinary school), Me, Andre (from Louisiana, and is a YAV like me), Matt (from Alabama, speaks Spanish fluently), and Gavin (originally from Jamaica, but has been living in Miami most of his life). That is a brief description of all of my roommates. And yes, I am living with all guys, but do not fear! I have my own room and my own bathroom. And I have a lot of fun living with these guys. They are all very entertaining and interesting in their own ways.

On Sunday, we went to Wesley United Methodist Church. This is the church who owns the house where we live. We went to the Spanish service, which was of course a little bit of trouble, considering the fact that I don't speak Spanish. Luckily though, they gave us headphones so that a woman could translate for us. It was a really nice service with great music! A mix of contemporary and traditional. Afterwards we were invited to stay for lunch. We had Cuban food, which consisted of pork, rice and beans, and plantains. It was delicious, and even more so because of the fact that it was free!

Sunday night was the Lighthouse service as usual. This is one of the only times when our whole group can be together, so we really enjoy Sunday night. Gavin plays the drums for the band. The service is always great; amazing music, and good preaching. It is a service mostly geared toward young adults, although people of all ages attend. There is time afterwards to eat cookies, have drinks, and meet the others that attend the service. Going to this service has become a habit of our group, and I only hope that it will continue. I find myself needing Sunday night. I love the community, the music, and the message. It helps me to get through the week.

And that was my weekend! 

Night of Joy

        Two Saturdays ago was Disney’s Night of Joy. This is a night when several of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music come to Disney World to showcase their songs to thousands of teens and children. Branches South Miami took 11 of our youth to see several of the concerts, as well as ride some of the rides. This night was extremely special to me. I was able to listen to a Christian rapper by the name of LeCrae. We took several of our kids to hear him. In between all of his songs he basically gave a mini-sermon. There were two messages that really hit home for me. The first one was something he said that went along the lines of this; “to all the teachers, youth ministers, or anyone who works with kids. Just have faith that the work you’re doing is not in vain. I was a knucklehead once, doing all the wrong things. I had several people who kept on me, and kept working with me. So just know that you may never see the fruits of your labor, but that somewhere along the line, you may touch a young person’s life, and they will never be the same.” Boy, was that a message especially for me! I have been struggling the past month since I’ve been here. I work with some rough kids! They often talk back to me, get an attitude with me, and in general just misbehave. And sometimes I think, “are they ever going to get the message?” It was a great reminder that I may never see if I’ve touched a kid’s life. I may never see the impact that I have made in a child’s life, but if I keep working with them, and loving them, maybe one day they will see how important it is to behave, and respect others, and live as Jesus taught us.

            While some of the kids could’ve cared less about the concert or what LeCrae had to say, others loved him. One of the kids was so into it, that he asked if he could move up to the front of the crowd to see him and listen to him. I was so touched that some of the kids were actually listening to his message. And what a great example LeCrae was to these kids. He claimed that he was never perfect, and that he had done some really horrible things in his life, but through God, he changed his life, and actually started living a life that was centered around Jesus. It was a great example for the kids to see that no one is perfect, but that God has a power to transform our lives for the better.

            The second message that really hit home for me was the message about our image through the eyes of God. LeCrae said that women especially struggle with the idea of our image. Everyone of course struggles with their image, but he was especially speaking to the women in the crowd. He said that a lot of times, our culture focuses solely on how we look, and what kind of car we drive, and what kinds of expensive things we buy. But he reminded us that all of that stuff does not matter to God. It doesn’t matter whether you are a size two or twelve, God does not care! God cares about what is on the inside, and what kind of heart you possess.

            Most of the time I try not to worry about what size I am. But that is extremely difficult when all of the images that we see around us, are of women who are extremely too thin and sick-looking. Or when the “plus size models” are considered to be sizes six and eight. How can a woman not feel the pressure to be thin and beautiful? But LeCrae reminded me that I don’t need to be concerned with these worldly things. Being a certain size is not what God cares about. God cares about the way we treat each other, and the way we live our lives as Christians. God thinks each and everyone of us is beautiful no matter what size we are, or how we look, or what kinds of material things we have. I am beautiful in the eyes of God! How refreshing is that?

            Overall, it was a wonderful day to be at Disney, to enjoy the rides, and the music. I can only hope that some of the kids received God’s message, and that someday their lives can be transformed for the better.

If you have not checked out LeCrae, please do. If all rap was like his, the world would be a different place.

Second Day on the Job...

Dear Readers,


I have been in Miami for about a month now, and this is my first blog entry. Pretty sad. I have been extremely busy, which is not a lie. For the first two weeks I had very limited access to the internet, which made it difficult to actually set up a blog. The next two weeks...well, let's face it, I was just plain lazy. There is plenty to write about, but this entry is strictly dedicated to the experience I had on the second day of work.

There is a favorite game that many children love to play. I myself loved this game when I was a child. It's called Capture the Flag. The kids at Branches South Miami (which is where I work) love to play this game. So, the second day on the job, we decided that we were going to play it. There is a lot of supervision that is needed for this game especially when you work in an urban neighborhood. There are too many cars, too many people, and too many things that can go wrong if you are not paying attention. On this day, I was supervising one area close to the road. As I was standing there, a man started walking up the sidewalk close to where the kids were playing. One of my girls said "Ms. Molly don't talk to him, he's crazy." Well of course I didn't really think anything of it. I was just minding my own business, supervising the kids. I watched this man walk up the sidewalk and with his umbrella, hit one girl, and then the next. He didn't hit them hard but his intentions were obvious. As I walked up to say something to him, he turned around and started yelling profanities at the kids. I told him that he could not talk to the children that way. He of course started to approach me and yell at me. I have to say, at that moment, I was definitely shaking inside. I was certain he was going to start hitting me, or even worse, one of my kids. At that moment though, the pastor of the church (where Branches is located) came walking around the corner. She told the man that he needed to go inside and leave us alone. She was most definitely, an angel in disguise.

I was scared for my safety as well as the safety of my kids. But most of all, I felt horrible because those kids did not deserve the physical and verbal assault that they received. Some of them didn't understand that this man had serious problems. As a ten year old, it doesn't matter if you know someone is crazy or not, you are still hurt by the fact that they hit you, and then called you an “f****** animal.”

I just kept thinking, if this is any kind of indication of what the year is going to be like…I am going to need more prayer and help than I thought! At YAV training, everyone said that you can tell yourself to be prepared for the unexpected, but that there will still be a lot that you never even thought to prepare for. Boy, they were not kidding when they said that!

So…that is what the second day on the job was like for me. I guess things can only get better from this point…or at least I hope!