my longest blog silence yet possibly...

but I have not abandoned this, yes I haven't looked at it all semester but still feel like sharing on it.

So Spring semester is nearly over, 2 more days!!It has flown, I cannot believe it!!Let me go back a bit and fill you in...
So from January until End of Feb I was working doing some demolition, yes.. I said demolition! We have an old hospital which is being converted into the Metro International Center, but the conversion is lengthly due to the money and sheer size of the task, anyway, I was scheduled to help there for a week, doing the girl things, clearing up broken walls after the boys but I liked it so much I asked to be there for all off-semester. It was great! really it was!! breaking down walls released agression I never knew I had!ha... was great. Anyway that was my off-semester!.. then we started back in March to get prepared for semester.


We had two great interns this time round, Paige from Missouri and Benji from Switzerland. We can be seen here posing like idiots....
With recession and Visa problems for returning staff this semester was doing more with less.. it was pretty crazy, anyday I did sidewalk it was me with 2 others... this is okay but new to me, always been blessed with more than this! Anyway, it worked out well in the end.
So we did Sidewalk for 12 weeks.. it has flown. Our lessons were stong this semester... that was great. The weather has been erm... not good, I mean for us! God knows what is best and we trust Him but it is raining this week and last week.. usually it is way up like high 20's and humid... this has put a dampner on attendance, but God knows what is best!

My site :)... well I am falling in love with my people more and more. I have seen relationships with kids and families grow, new people coming.. and sadly some falling away. However, overall I think my site has grown, in numbers (since I took over) but also spiritually. I have way more parents attending now with their kids which is great! I will share two things about my site...
first... I spoke about a little boy Robert in a previous post, his mom left him. Well thankfully I have been able to see him more this semester. He is so beautiful.. here he is on the left...

One day I went to see him at his babysitters house and he started calling me 'Mom'.. It was so sad to me, I see him for like 10 mins one-on-one a week and yet that qualifies me to be called 'Mom'. More than this, last week when I went he was upset, his Mom had contacted him because she got into some accident.. I asked why he was sad and he said 'I wasn't there to protect her'.... this little 6year old's heart is so precious.. I wish I could be his Mom and show him the love he deserves, but even that wouldn't be good enough... I just pray he will come to know God's unfailing love. Continue to pray for him.


Another thing.. unfortunately a kid who comes each Tuesday to my site got caught in a shooting on Monday afternoon at 3pm. He was outside playing on the basketball court and a gunman enetered and started shooting all around. He was hit in the leg. Thankfully he is alive, praise God!! I saw him the day after it happened. He didn't say but I can see the fear, Please pray for Him, pray that this would be a significant thing in this life, a significant decision to live for God and choose His way. His name is William, he is only 11. You can watch the news report here....http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=6866115 . I share this pure to illustrate the craziness here, it is scary, but what worries me is this is real for these kids... not just the adults who do this sort of stuff but the kids, the innocent who get caught up in it.. I am praying Jesus name over my site, over these people, satan has no place here, these people belong to God.

Those are just two of many moments this semester... I had great times with my kids but hard ones too. I also had the priviledge of a visit from my friendy Reb and family Rents and Sis too.. that was great to show them what I am doing here, I think they all enjoyed it too!!

Amongst other things, there has been a princess tea party, puerto rican day, viva mexico day, a fractured toe, a swine flu thing, me driving in new york (ha!), lots of rain, lots of thunder, a trip to the movies with our kids... lots lots lots.. I have many many stories (not too many pictures) but stories yes... and I will be excited to fly back to Norn Iron in a few weeks to share them more... on this note... If anyone would like me to speak at their church about the work of Metro I would be interested on sharing the vision and work, so let me know and I will see if it can fit into my schedule.

Thanks to all who have been praying for me this semester, it has been appreciated, without that support we could not do this. Continue to pray for my rest during vacation time, and for camp in August, that I would be prepared for my role (not even sure what it will be yet!).. other than that.. hope to catch up with many of you soon...

Sarah

P.S pray for Pastor Bill, he as broken his femur and is currently in Rehab, this means no fundraising for him for a while, so pray for provision for Metro, thankyou thankyou thankyou times infinity.