Saturday was full of fun. Scott led the way to our camps. Turner comes prepared for battle! or goods I should say. Like Scott has said before, with Turner taking all he can carry, there must not be anybody else visiting him. No way can we stay away! Being the first of the month, some of our camps were empty!
Matt, Vicky and Tim keep busy with the basketball games and cooking. Tim took some of the girls around the neighborhood picking up trash and handing out flyers. Momma T worked in the garden. Ardis wrapped her bread. Joey cleaned house. Lots going on.
Monday and Wednesdays keeps us busy helping our new children learn to read. Four rooms are used to divide the children into different groups to get the most out of our time with them. We have lots of good help, but always can use more. Come and join us, 3-5.
Tuesday afternoons, Lauren and her crew help our neighborhood children with their homework. This Tuesday, with the nicer temperatures, found them in the garden, using the tables to get their work done.
Tuesday evening, the men's Bible fellowship group hosted National Night Out. There was a good crowd on hand to enjoy the hot dogs, chips, mac and cheesei, beans, cake and cookies. Good to meet new neighbors.
As we were sitting down for our night out meal, Lomax arrived, with his grandmother as they loaded up her car to take Joey to Dallas to leave on his mission trip.It won't be the same without his smiling face, his big laugh and warm hugs. I miss him already. Joey has created a newsletter for us to keep track of his travels. His first newsletter is the attachment with this note. If you want to get a copy of the newsletter as Joey gets them done, please send your email to: joeyutley@hotmail.com.
Rickie led the Bible discussions as he read from Proverbs 18 verse 21, death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Putting in "tongue" in the search section of my Bible app, over 40 verses came up! The tongue is a powerful tool. It can be used both for good and evil. Evil produces fruit you don't want to pick from. Let our tongues be for good, building up our brothers and sisters.
Thursdays chapel was not as planned but as always God works it out. Spencer was there to support Willie as he was to sing and preach. Unfortunately, his wife got sick and could not come, so we all became the choir and Noel shared a few words! God is good. We had some good help from the nurses from Northwestern to help serve and clean up. Groceries were handed out. Clothes were distributed. A good evening, not as planned but always good.
Continued prayers for my wife Ginellen. She is in her 4th week of recovery and still not much relief from the pain. Continued prayer for healing and for sanity as she endures this ordeal. Ms Abbie was back with us Thursday. Good to see her recovering from her surgery. William was with us Tuesday evening. He is in a wheel chair. Continue to lift him up. Pete Bollinger was visiting Thursday evening. He is a long time friend, being away from us for the last several years, due to the illness of his wife Cari. Lift up Cari as she continues her fight against cancer.
For those of you in the Shreveport area, please make plans to visit Grace during one of their services. Lisa is being interviewed by Pastor Juan, as Grace begins to build upon the relationship between Grace and Common Ground. She could use your smiling face to calm her nerves!
A note from Matt follows concerning next Saturday's visit with Sonatra. Please make every effort to be there, it will mean the world to Sonatra.
"Family Day for the Youth Challenge Program at Camp Minden (9649 HWY 80, Minden, LA) will be Saturday Oct 18th. The event is scheduled from 10 am to 4:30 pm., so anyone can come and visit between those hours. Everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and if you want to have lunch with us, bring a picnic lunch.
I received a call from Sonatra's counselor yesterday. She felt compelled to call, out of concern that Sonatra was seemingly the only cadet on the base that did not have family and that no one would show up for him on Family Day. I assured her that he has plenty of family and that he will feel loved and valued on family day. She continued to tell me that Sonatra has done an amazing job while at camp and that he is one of only a couple of African American cadets on base taking college prep classes.
If you want to see the Cadets march, you might want to arrive by 10:30 am, but I know that Sonatra would love to see anyone at anytime during the day. Just drop Sonatra's name at the gate and you will be allowed to enter the base. They will give you instructions on where to park. The activities will be around the open air pavilion which is easy to pick out when you drive in. You don't need to bring anything for Sonatra because cadets aren't allowed to keep anything that comes in from the outside.
If you do plan to come early and can take passengers with you, please let me know (Matt Whitehead 318 510 7995) as there might be some who wish to go but have no means of transportation. We can meet at Common Ground at 9 am and 'caravan' from there.
So pencil in this date and let's show our cadet support and encourage him on Family Day! See you there!"
There was a letter in the newspaper this week from a former employee of a non profit, who was discouraged in the direction the Board was taking. The Board voted to close it's original mission ministry after 44 years of service to the community. A ministry that the non profit was founded on, now shut down, going in a different way.
Scott, Phil and I have witnessed the same with our outdoor friends. Churches, just 2 or 3 years ago, visiting our friends, bringing love, food and clothing, no longer come. For whatever reason, their mission has changed or maybe lost it's way.
Almost 20 years ago, when we first started coming to our Cedar Grove community, we began to see and hear about living in poverty. Some of us had never been or knew a part of our society could exist like this. We began to experience the hunger, so we fed. We saw the tattered clothing, so we gave what we had. We saw the deplorable living conditions, so we fixed up homes. We experienced the poor health, so we tried to get them to the doctors. We went to the prisons and visited our neighbors. For those who had no place to go, we took them into our homes.
We had no mission statement. We had no vision. We had no Board. We just reacted to what we saw everyday. We have always tried to stay true to Matthew 25 , 35 - 36: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Like a lot of family businesses, when the owner dies or leaves the business, the company closes it's doors. Why, because there is no one to take over or the vision is lost. The same is true with non profits. When those who started the non profit leaves, or others come in, sometimes the vision is lost and the non profit begins to flounder.
As Common Ground begins to move forward with new ideas, new servants, new energy, let's not loose our reason for being apart of the community. We have been blessed all these years, because we continue to stay in the will of God. We need to be able to explain why we do what we do. We need to listen to others, but always stay true to Jesus. We need welcome others in with open arms but maintain a foundation of lvoing others as God lvoes us.
Exciting times are ahead for our community. There will be challenges and obstacles but nothing God can't handle. We are in for a wild ride, one you don't want to miss! Amen!
Have a great week. Spend lot's of time with your friends and family. Tell them you lvoe them, give them a hug. Amen.
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