CityScape

August 2008 Update

2008-08-05T22:34:00.001-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I first visited St. Louis in the fall of 2003. I was hoping to discover a love for this city in anticipation of an internship with World Impact the following summer. As I drove the single mile from the interstate to our ministry center, I felt very uneasy. My first instinct was to double-check my door locks and my directions to avoid getting lost in what seemed to be a very rough part of town.

Nearly five years later, driving that same mile brings completely different feelings. I realize the risks are no less nor greater now than they were then but, somehow, I have come to feel at home here.

The Lord worked in my heart that summer in 2004 to give me a great concern for North St. Louis. I did not know then that I would return 18 months later for a full-time position with World Impact. But as I made it my goal to seek God’s Will and go wherever He called me, I saw the path clearly led straight back here.

I could fill a novel with stories and still have more to tell from my experiences in the city. I have seen more than enough brokenness, poverty, abuse, hopelessness, and neglect to last me a lifetime. Thankfully I have also seen triumph, generosity, rehabilitation, strength, and great love. I would have to write a second novel to share all of the lessons I’ve learned. One that stands out above the rest is this: God is faithful!

Your partnership attests to His faithfulness. I could never have made this journey without you. There are no words to express adequately how grateful I am to God for each of you. Ministry in the city can be very difficult. Without your support, encouragement, and prayers I would never have lasted more than a few weeks. Ministry in the city can also be highly rewarding. My time here has been precious and has deeply impacted who I am, how I view the world, and my relationship with God.

As you read this letter I have already moved to Dallas. I will start classes at Dallas Theological Seminary later in the month. I have found a roommate, an apartment, and a new church home. I am excited to have a fresh start in a new city but it has been bitter-sweet to bid farewell to the place I’ve made my home for the past few years. I hope to keep in touch with each of you in the years ahead. Please check in often for the full report on my life as a Texan.

It has truly been a blessing and an honor to serve God in the inner city of St. Louis with World Impact. Thank you for your commitment to me and this ministry. I encourage you to continue praying for and supporting what God is doing in St. Louis. For though I know my time there is over, much work remains.

With a grateful heart,

Beth

July 2008 Update

2008-07-08T23:17:00.003-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

One Tuesday afternoon after finishing up Bible club in my back yard, I was loading our material box into the car. Suddenly I saw Demetrius, who had just left the back yard, running toward me from his house.

“I forgot to give you your hug!” He exclaimed excitedly as he ran toward me with open arms.

My heart melted within me as I reached out to squeeze him tightly and realized that it would be moments like these that I will miss most when I leave St. Louis.

Six-year-old Demetrius started coming to Bible club activities during Spring Break. His bright smile and eager attitude make him a truly enjoyable addition to our program.

When I discovered that his house is just up the block from mine I started waving to him and his family whenever I passed by. At first they didn’t seem to be able to figure out who I was or why I was being friendly. In fact, it took a few times before anyone waved back.

Finally, one day as I was walking by, a woman stopped me to introduce herself as Demetrius’ mom. Diana had spoken with other members of our staff team before, but this was my first interaction with her. She wanted to tell me how much Demetrius enjoys coming to Bible club. She was eager to sign him up for the entire summer’s worth of activities, too!

But the most notable part of our conversation came when she said to me, “I trust you with Demetrius.” She told me I could pick him up anytime, take him anywhere and she would know he was safe. What a huge compliment! I consider it a wonderful privilege to work with the children in my community and love to see families showing such faith in us to entrust their little ones into our care.

This month is a bitter-sweet one for me as it will be my last full month with World Impact. You will hear from me one more time before I move in early August, but as I thought about how I wanted to spend my final days of ministry here I couldn’t help but also think about my favorite times over the past 2 ½ years. It is incredible to stop and consider all the Lord has done in such a short time. Thank you for supporting me through it all!

Serving in the city,

Beth

Flood

2008-06-22T22:22:00.002-04:00

Some of you have expressed a little curiosity and even a little concern about the news reports on the flooding along the Mississippi River that has made it to St. Louis.

Rest assured- the water is no where near my house or street and most likely won't affect my day-to-day existence in any majorly inconvenient ways.

But I did take a trip to the water's edge today to see the river for myself. If you've been here to visit me you might recognize the river front below the arch... or you might not since it's all under water!

The last one shows the plaque marking the level of the river in 1993... just for a little perspective.

Summer Program '08

2008-06-21T21:08:00.006-04:00

Our summer program is off to a great start...

This summer we are attempting to repeat the success of last year by hosting Bible Clubs all summer for children and youth ages 6-14 in our local community.

Back Yard Bible Clubs are being held at each of our staff homes twice a week.
World Impact Kids Club meets daily Monday-Thursday at our ministry center.

So far we have been really pleased by the turn out... we have varied numbers at Back Yard Club but nearly 30 kids are coming each day to Kids Club! One thing that is really fun is seeing so many of the same faces from last summer return for activities this summer.

Our staff team has grown as we have two interns, Noah and Stephannie, here for the summer to help us out. And a new staff member, Jason, has also joined the team to help us reach out to the kids this summer.

We just finished Week 2 of seven weeks of programs here in the city and I have much to share from the past 14 days of activity... here's a few snapshots of what we've had going on:

Summer Program '08

2008-06-21T21:08:00.005-04:00

BACK YARD BIBLE CLUB
Activities in the back yards include games, songs, snack, a Bible lesson, crafts, and memory verse work...

Summer Program '08

2008-06-21T21:08:00.001-04:00

FIELD TRIPS
There will be several opportunities this summer for children involved in clubs to attend reward field trips. They earn points through attendance, good behavior, and Bible verse memorization. It is really fun to see the kids beam with pride when we announce they have earned a special trip and know that they will enjoy the activity even more because they had to work so hard to be there.

Summer Program '08

2008-06-21T21:07:00.004-04:00

SWIMMING
Each week we will take kids from a different Back Yard club on a swim field trip to a local state park with a great pool for an afternoon of fun in the sun.
Our first trip was supposed to be last Friday, but it got rained out. Instead we took the kids who earned that trip to a movie and out for ice cream.

Yesterday we enjoyed sunny skies most of the afternoon and the kids loved being in the water and sliding down the slide over and over and over again.

At one point there was thunder in the distance so we had to evacuate the waters for 30 minutes. As we waited for the lifeguards to clear us for re-entry the kids worked on their tans and played on the playground. But they were restless until they could jump back in that clear blue water!

The way our trips are funded is through supporters who send donations for summer activities. When I told the kids we had friends sending money so they could go swimming their eyes lit up. "What should we do in response?" I asked. Venetra replied quickly: "We should call them and say thank you!!!" Well instead of calling we opted for writing thank-you cards in the van on the ride to the pool.

Summer Program '08

2008-06-21T20:17:00.013-04:00

FISHING
This afternoon Andrew and I took Adam and Kameka fishing at a local park.
Kameka had never been fishing before... which might explain why she wanted to stick the whole pole into the water in her first attempts to attract fish.
We explained the proper technique and before too long she was proudly holding the line to a freshly-snagged aquatic creature.
Of course it was too scary to get near, so she had a volunteer help her release the fish back into the water. Adam was a pro from the start and nearly every time he cast his line it came back dragging a fish. Even Andrew and I got to share in the fun and each of us had a little luck, too! What a great time!

June 2008 Update

2008-06-03T17:23:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Once a month we hold “Fourth Friday Family Fun Night” for children involved in Bible Club. These evenings are designed for the youth to invite any of their relatives so we might encourage families to spend time together and so we can get to know parents better.

Attendance at Bible Club had been low for a few weeks and only one mother told us she would be joining us with her three young daughters. So, to be honest, I was expecting a very relaxed evening without many people.

I based all the plans I made for the evening on this. I only bought a few pizzas. I planned to play two simple card games. I picked out a 30-minute cartoon to watch. And, in my mind, we were set.

The doorbell started ringing at 6:20, ten minutes early. As several excited children flowed through the front door I soon realized my expectations were to be well outdone. Immediately I shifted into go-mode with my first concern being that we would run out of food. As the crowd grew to include a number of older youth I also realized we needed more than card games and a Veggie Tales cartoon to entertain them.

It turned out to be a crazy night. Many of the kids who came had not been to any of our activities in weeks. They were out of practice in following our rules. They must have all eaten pounds of sugar before coming in, too, because they had tons of energy. Thankfully, we switched gears pretty easily and filled the time with gym games that allowed the kids to burn off some of that energy and enjoy their time with us.

It was truly an exhausting evening but I am really glad so many kids showed up that night. We decided just days earlier to make a major change in our programs and, in preparation for summer, to move our weekday activities for the month of May into our back yards. We also decided to change the age limits on our Bible Clubs so more of the older youth could be involved. That Friday night was the perfect opportunity to fill the kids in on our plans and invite them to join us!

That evening was simply another reminder that sometimes my vision is so narrow that I easily miss what God is doing while I watch for what I expect to happen. I am so thankful He knows best and continues to accomplish His Will in my life and this ministry, even if, at times, it means working in spite of my plans!

Serving in the City,
Beth

Search & Give

2008-05-10T11:57:00.004-04:00

Have you heard about "Good Search"?.
It's a search engine powered by yahoo that makes donations to non-profits when you use it.
On your first visit you choose a charity from a list and each time you visit they donate 1 cent per search to your charity!

If you want to set up your internet searching to help fund our ministry, choose World Impact Inc (Los Angeles, CA) as your charity of choice!

Click here to try it out for yourself!

Looks like there is also a way to donate when you shop online through "Good Shop".

A summer preview

2008-05-07T14:49:00.004-04:00

At the first sign of warmer weather we decided to move our weekday Bible Clubs outside! Each of our staff homes has a great backyard and lots of kids living nearby so, instead of waiting for summer, we began Back Yard Bible Club a month early this year.

Each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon we tote our boxful of markers, scissors, glue, and construction paper to a different location to lead Bible lessons, games, crafts, and other fun activities for neighborhood kids.

Attendance the first week was great! Many of the youth attending were involved in activities last summer and are looking forward to our full summer program which will begin next month.

Please pray for these club times... for the seeds of truth being planted in the hearts of the children, for deeper relationships to be built between us and their families, and for great weather because it's tough to lead Bible club outside when it rains! (Like it is today.)

Ariel and I had a great time making soldier puppets for our story about David & Goliath. But the wind was blowing so much we struggled to keep them within reach!

Jaya was extremely proud of her puppet. Usually a camera-shy kind of girl, she smiled brightly as she displayed her work for all to see!

Arson Update

2008-05-07T14:44:00.003-04:00

The past two nights have been quieter and, as far as I know, the arson fires in our neighborhood seem to have stopped. Perhaps the stormy weather that moved into the area has had a little to do with that. Praise God for rain! Overall, the latest tally was 11 fires in 4 nights. The last one was set Sunday evening about six blocks east of where I live. There has still been no one hurt but also no indication that the police have caught whomever is responsible.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the safety of both our missionary staff and our neighbors!

Arson

2008-05-04T17:38:00.002-04:00

Three fires.
Three nights in a row.
All within three blocks of my house.

It seems we have an arsonist at work in our neighborhood. I was awakened three nights in a row by the fire trucks. After looking into things online I've discovered that the problem is bigger than I even realized. According to this article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, there have actually been nine fires set.

So far no one has been injured and all the targets have been vacant buildings. But please join me in praying for my neighborhood!

This is what the first fire left:

And these two homes are located on the block behind mine:
This one happened last night and I saw flames and burning embers rising at least 100 feet into the air before the firefighters got it under control (very scary!):

May 2008 Update

2008-05-01T14:16:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Ericka came to our Ministry Center a few months ago out of the blue: “Do you have afterschool programs? I want to enroll my daughters.”

Samericka, age 7, has been our most faithful participant ever since. Even though Ericka registered both of her girls, Samericka always came alone. In March we held our annual Spring Break Day Camp. Samericka was here every day that week. I asked her why Jericka, her older sister, had not been coming.

“She doesn’t like it here,” she bluntly replied. I nodded as if I understood but was really thinking,
she’s never been here–how does she know if she likes it or not?

One afternoon that week Jericka arrived a few minutes early to pick up her sister. She joined us for the closing worship session and carefully observed the silly singing, crazy dancing, and simple reminders of what we had learned that day from the back row. I encouraged her to join us for the rest of the week and was pleasantly surprised when she signed in the next morning. By early afternoon she was dressing up in the drama elective, smiling, and cracking jokes. I had to laugh to myself as I remembered what Samericka had told me about her not liking it here.

Friday night of that week was Family Night. We invited the children to bring anyone in their families for an evening of food and fun, including an Easter egg hunt. Ericka came to the program eager to hear all that her girls had experienced. The drama team put on a skit, the dance & step team performed, the newspaper team passed out their work, the cooking team shared the sweet treats they had made, and we all watched a Gospel magic show. It was a fabulous night! Ericka told me at least three times how great it was before asking about our plans for a summer program.

As I have shared before, our neighbors tend to be very transient, frequently moving. Rarely do
parents ask three months in advance about anything. This inquiry gave me such hope for Ericka and her kids. This mom is excited not only to have her children involved, but also to be involved with them! That kind of commitment is precious.

We are now in the process of planning for summer. All of June and July will be committed to
running programs similar to those of last summer for children and youth in grades 1-8. Right now we are finalizing details with summer interns who will serve here, raising funds for a summer budget, and creating lesson & activity plans.

Please pray with me that God works in wondrous ways in the next two months in the lives of
Ericka, Samericka, Jericka, and each of the other families impacted by our plans.
Serving in the City,
Beth

April 2008 Update

2008-04-01T16:22:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I am so excited to greet Spring this year!
The impact of this seasonal change on our ministry is truly remarkable.

Winter is a time of hibernation around here. Life completely changes: the neighborhood is quieter, the streets are emptier, and the people are bundled up indoors trying to keep warm.

When the temperatures start rising faster and the sun starts setting later it feels like a different place entirely. The social nature of our community returns as neighbors hang out on their porches, children play in the street, and pedestrians take their time walking past it all.

The effect of winter is most easily seen in our children’s programs where there is a dramatic decrease in attendance for December, January, and February. Understandably, parents prefer their children not be outside after the sun sets at 5pm in these months. And, since all of our participants walk to the programs, bitterly cold days keep the kids away.

But by April everyone seems to have spring fever and is looking for something, anything, to do outside of the walls of the house! Our program numbers pick up again each year beginning with spring break and continue to build through the end of summer and last into early fall.

The change of seasons is really great for ministry opportunities on the block.

However, it can also mean that the streets are also heating up with criminal activity. This was especially noticeable on my block last April when gunshots could be heard almost every night and the police were called on several occasions to break up fights. Sadly, one evening in the middle of the month, there was even a man shot and left for dead on the sidewalk just a few doors down from my house.

The reason I share these things with you is to remind you of how desperately we need your prayers:
-For our staff team as we strive to connect with neighbors and model Christ-like attitudes and actions.
-For safety and security for us and for our community.
-For God to use the warmer weather to warm hearts and draw them closer to Himself.

Serving in the City,

Beth

Spring Break: Kingdom of the Son

2008-03-31T19:16:00.001-04:00

What a great week we had at World Impact St. Louis' Spring Break Day Camp 2008!

Our theme for the week was “Kingdom of the Son: A prayer safari.” We spent the week teaching the children the Lord’s Prayer and focusing on five attributes of God emphasized by the words Jesus prayed: God Listens, God Provides, God Forgives, God Protects, God Rules!

We made contact with 45 individuals from our community through this program—23 children in grades 1-8 participated in the week-long program, which ran 9am-4pm Monday- Friday. On Friday night we held Family night and invited those children to bring various family members as we showed off all we had learned and worked on and celebrated Good Friday with an early Easter egg hunt!

To help us run this program 18 college students, mostly from Denton, Texas, joined us on their own spring break week. They led Bible lessons, provided drama skits, taught electives, and loved the kids without abandon.

Overall the week was a huge success and we were really excited to see it go so well.

Here are a few pictures from the week (they were easier to post in smaller versions, but you can click on any photo to see an enlarged copy):

Spring Break: A prayer safari

2008-03-31T19:06:00.004-04:00

Spring Break: Electives

2008-03-31T18:09:00.016-04:00

Each afternoon we offered electives for the kids to get creative, messy, or sweaty. The activity choices included cooking, arts & crafts, newspaper, drama, dance, football, basketball, volleyball, and board games.

At the end of the week some of the classes showed off all their hard work by performing at our Family Night. The drama and dance teams each performed, the “Kingdom Chronicles” newspaper was distributed, craft items from all week long were on display, and the cooking class shared the sweet treats they had made. What talent our kids have!

Kingdom Chronicles, our spring break newspaper, was published at the end of the week with stories, poems, interviews, and artwork all created by our young journalists who loved playing, I mean working, on the computers.

The dance elective divided into two teams to perform both a dance routine and a step routine on Friday night.

Arts & Crafts was a great time to be creative and a little messy... thankfully we wore smocks to keep all the parents happy and had some really beautiful works of art to show off on Friday night!

Drama class turned more into dress up time during the week, but the team put together a fantastic skit on Friday night which covered all of our daily Bible themes!

The gym electives are always a very popular choice. In addition to playing games, the classes focused on teaching skills in each sport.

A new elective choice this year was board game time in the rec room. The older guys really got into chess!

Cooking was so popular last year that we offered it three times each day this year! The recipes were simple, but the kids loved helping to make (and eat) fun finger foods. We saved rice krispie treats, popcorn balls, puppy chow, no-bake cookies, and frosted sugar cookies to share with everyone on Friday night!

Spring Break: Group Games

2008-03-31T17:46:00.005-04:00

One of the best parts of spring break is that we have lots and lots of people around all at the same time. This makes for great group games... and everyone played their hearts out all week long! Some favorites were:
giant inflatable bowling

line tag

noodle hockey

big ball volleyball

and we can't leave out free time!

Spring Break: Crazy Games

2008-03-31T14:37:00.012-04:00

A morning highlight of Spring Break Day Camp was the CRAZY GAMES!!!

Each day we created fun and ridiculous games and contests for the kids to get a little silly with.
The food contests included:
eating pudding without using any hands,

making lemonade in your mouth

seeing who could drink an entire kool-aid burst the fastest,

and who could eat a fruit-by-the-foot the fastest,

digging for whistles in piles of whipped cream (again without your hands),

and attempting to drop chocolate-covered marshmallows into leader's mouths while standing over them in a chair!

The games included wrapping a teammate in masking tape (sticky side out) then launching q-tips through a straw to see how many would stick, playing "hockey" with ping-pong balls and fly swatters, and tying balloons to our ankles and trying to pop other peoples' balloon while protecting your own!

Here we are cheering on our teammates:

March 2008 Update

2008-03-01T21:19:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing with great excitement to share with you big news about my future in ministry:

I have recently been accepted as a student at Dallas Theological Seminary and will enroll in classes this fall to begin my pursuit of a Master of Arts in Christian Education with a concentration in Children’s Ministry.

Many months ago I began to sense the Lord speaking to me about an upcoming transition in my life and ministry. I spent much time praying and seeking Him and soon clearly sensed that my time with World Impact would be shorter than I initially expected and that He was pointing me toward pursuing formal education to prepare me for the next phase of ministry in my life. Over the years, God has developed within me a great desire to minister to children and I am looking forward to serving in this capacity in a local church following my time at seminary. My goal is to learn more about the Bible and how to more effectively communicate the Truth of God’s Word to others.

I will officially leave World Impact staff, move to Texas, and begin my life as a student in August.

I am truly grateful for each of you and all the ways you have supported me over the past several years: financially, through your prayers, and with many words of encouragement. I have genuinely enjoyed my time in St. Louis and on staff with World Impact. It has been clear from the beginning that God brought me here not only to impact others but also to accomplish a great work within me.

I would like to ask you to continue that support over the next several months as I complete my season of service in the city. I am excited about spending one final summer here in ministry to local children. Last summer was an incredibly successful time of outreach, evangelism, and growth and I cannot wait to see the Lord work in many amazing ways again this time around.

I appreciate your prayers as I look forward to this time of transition in my life and would be happy to hear from any of you who might be interested in learning more about my plans or the way the Lord has been speaking to me about this new adventure!

Some specific things you can pray that the Lord will provide for me in Dallas:
-Finances for living expenses and tuition while I am in school
-Housing and a great roommate for me and my dog, Lexie
-Work that is enjoyable and fruitful both for ministry and paying the bills
-Involvement in a local church
-Friendships in an unfamiliar place

Anticipating great things,

Beth

Ready.

2008-02-24T18:14:00.002-05:00

Winter was wonderful. Lots of snow... the fluffy kind, the slushy kind, the slick kind, the powdery kind. It was perfect for all the things I love about the blustery season... sweaters & scarves, hot cocoa, snuggling under piles of blankets.
But, Spring will soon be upon us. Perhaps the bounce in our steps will be from the lighter load we carry without our coats. Looking forward to taking long walks in the park again. And later sunsets. And childhood playtime returning outdoors. And watching the world come back to life as trees bud and flowers bloom.
I'm ready.
Not too much too soon, though, please.
Summer is a sticky heatwave.
That I am not prepared for.

Up to our elbows in snow... Again!

2008-02-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

Checking it out...

Diving in...
Coming up for air...

We love this stuff!

Post Script

2008-02-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

Since the time of writing the letter below, Marylin and Jequan have moved away.

It seemed to be a sudden move... they never mentioned anything about it to me. Apparently, one Saturday, a pick-up truck was loading mattresses out of their apartment. Then they were gone.

I am so thankful for the few months when both of them were involved in our programs, but I sure do miss them.

You never know around here, though... they might be back any day, or we might never hear about them again.

Hopefully wherever they are now, they are getting involved in a local church and continuing to grow in the Lord!

February 2008 Update

2008-02-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Marylin moved in across the street a few months ago. In warmer weather she joined the small group of neighbor children who often rang my doorbell and ended up coloring with me on my front porch. I invited her to the Children’s programs at World Impact, but she never made it.

In November we hosted our first “Bible Club Family Fun Night.” The children already involved in Club could bring anyone in their families to play games, eat snacks, and build relationships with us. Jequan, who started attending early in October, appeared that night with Marylin, his cousin. Ever since, she has become a regular fixture at our weekly events.

As the holidays neared, I asked the children if they knew the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. Marylin had no idea. So together we looked in the first two chapters of Luke and read the story. When we finished I asked if it sounded familiar. Marylin, wide-eyed at this point, told me she had never before heard that story. I explained that much more about Jesus’ life is told in the rest of the New Testament.

“I don’t have a Bible. I need a Bible!” Marylin exclaimed. So I promised that I would find her a Bible.

The next day a package came in the mail from a wonderful donor. Inside was a beautiful, brand-new Study Bible for Children. What perfect timing! The next time I saw Marylin the first thing she asked was if I had a Bible for her yet. I’m not sure which of us was more excited when I handed it to her! Jequan was with us and immediately piped up, “I need a Bible, too!”

My goal at Bible Club is to teach children in my community the Word of God so they will come to know Him and follow Him for the rest of their lives as leaders in their community and in the church. I am so encouraged by the desire of these two children to examine the Bible and learn to apply it to their daily lives.

Psalm 19:8 says, “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Will you pray with me for Marylin and Jequan that their hearts will be filled with joy as they learn to study and love God’s Word?

Serving in the city,
Beth

Mardi Gras for Dogs

2008-01-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

Did you know that St. Louis is host to one of the world's largest pet parades? Me neither. Until this past Sunday when I saw it for myself.

Sunday marked the 15th annual "Beggin' Strips Barkus Pet Parade" in Soulard (a neighborhood which next weekend will host what I've been told might be the 2nd largest Mardi Gras celebration in the US- these people love a party). The Pet Parade is essentially Mardi Gras for dogs as owners go all out to dress their pets in green, purple, and gold colored outfits, beads and all.

Apparently the event draws around 8,000 marching pets and as many as 80,000 onlookers each year. I was in the latter category... I will just let you know now that my dog Lexie does not make a habit of wearing clothes.

My friend Megan and I were a little overwhelmed by how much effort some people put into the parade. She works at Purina and informed me that Americans spend 34 BILLION dollars every year on their pets. I guess that's good... it keeps Megan employed! And, although it crossed my mind that some of the participants took things a little over the top, it was a fun day and a very family-friendly way to celebrate Mardi Gras. Plus it's all for a good cause: each owner paid $10 to march his or her dog in the parade and all the proceeds went to a no-kill animal shelter in the local area.

A crowd of pet lovers:
A minimalist:
A site you don't see every day:And my favorite... the spray-painted poodle:

Hot News

2008-01-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

7 fire trucks

1 ambulance
2 fire department suv's
1 fire chief
2 police cars
1 news camera
1 burning building

this was the scene today.

on my block.

I was home eating lunch and heard the sirens. By the time I looked outside there were already a few emergency vehicles pulling up. Flames were shooting out of the upstairs windows of a 4-apartment-unit house located at a diagonal across the street from mine. Smoke billowed out above the house and was carried over the surrounding area within minutes.

Thankfully, this house has been vacant for some time so I knew the chances were that no one was hurt.

The firemen busted through the front door before they even had water hooked up to their hoses. Those guys must be totally fearless. They worked really fast and had the fire out in about 30 minutes.

When it was all over with I asked one of them what happened and he had no answers for me.

The ambulance left empty-handed... praise God!

And, interestingly, a disaster services truck from the Red Cross pulled up with snacks and water and, I assume, expectations to provide assistance if needed.

It's not uncommon for vacant houses to become shelter for the homeless on cold wintry days like today. Perhaps someone snuck inside to escape the wind and tried to start a fire in a barrel to stay warm. Who knows?

I am just relieved to know how quickly the firemen responded and that nobody was hurt!

Never a dull moment in the city of St. Louis!

January 2008 Update

2008-01-15T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

St. Louis is a wonderful city with an incredibly rich history. It speaks loudly through large brick buildings which have been the backdrop of life here for nearly 100 years or more, many built with painstaking attention to detail including intricate stone and iron work as decoration. My long-time love of architecture has been well fed since moving here. I love to drive through the older sections of the city which have been well cared for and carefully preserve the historical significance of this “Gateway to the West.”

My neighborhood was once a quite affluent section of town boasting beautiful architectural works, too. The houses that remain are large and maintain hints of the extravagant nature with which they were built. However, the face of this community has changed much in the past fifty years and today about 28% of the houses are vacant. Others are crumbling from the wear and tear of time and weather. Keeping old homes in good condition takes much work and money, a luxury most of my neighbors cannot afford.

Driving home one day I passed a beautiful old building. From the front the structure was seemingly perfect–not a brick out of place, all the windows intact. But viewing from another angle told a different story. The entire rear wall had crumbled into piles of rubble and the destruction was edging closer and closer to the front facade along the sides of the building.

I felt such sadness viewing this site. What was once a gorgeous work of art had been reduced to a dangerous eyesore. And it struck me: we are surrounded by brokenness, even if it is sometimes well hidden from sight.

I detect the ravages of sin more here than anywhere I ever have before. People are hurting in my community and the longer I live here, the more I see their pain. They struggle daily with abandonment, addiction, lack of resources, poor education, violence, crime, and abuse. It can be overwhelming to witness, much less experience. Many days my heart is sore from hurting so long for so many.

Recently, though, I was reminded of how wonderful heaven will be. The Lord will prepare for us a place of peace, security, blessings, freedom, and deliverance in the time to come. (Ezekiel 34:25-27) These promises give such hope! Oh how I long for a place where there will be no more tears, no more death, no more pain! I also long for everyone I meet to know of such a place! And until we are there I am comforted that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:8)

Thank you for praying for me as I share the hope I have with those who need to hear.

Serving in the city,

Beth

Rounding out 2007

2008-01-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

I was recently chastised for getting behind on the posts... glad to know I have an expectant audience. Sorry for my silence... here's a quick update on the past month or so:

The fun times continued in St. Louis through the end of the year. A few friends and I spent an evening in December enjoying "Wild Lights" at the St. Louis Zoo. It was a beautiful sight, but I was a little sad the monkeys weren't out. Guess 30 degree weather doesn't suit them.

2007 ended with a holiday trip to Kennesaw to spend Christmas with my family. It was a great time:

My mom- the chef...It's not in focus, but I love this picture of me and my brother...It's tough to get a dog to pose...
My construction degree being put to use on a Gingerbread House...My parents are cute...Lexie loved her present from Grammy and Poppy...Family togetherness, brought to you by Nintendo...
I also took a few days to visit friends in Tennessee and Virginia-- it did my heart good to see the mountains again, and to briefly pass through Blacksburg to see my beloved Virginia Tech.

I returned to St. Louis in time to celebrate the New Year with friends on staff. We spent the first minutes of 2008 on the roof of our Ministry Center watching fireworks and listening to the celebratory sprays of gunfire across the city. It was weird and possibly a bit dangerous, but definitely made for moments to remember.

Our programs started up again in full force last week. I'm getting used to a new, fuller schedule that now includes running a Homework Hour to tutor kids in the community and assist them with school work, two weekly Bible Club sessions, taking a class through The Urban Ministry Institute, and continuing my involvement in a community group through the church I attend, The Journey. The new schedule called for me to switch my weekly day off back to Mondays which I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday as I was able to go shopping without fighting crowds and traffic.

So that's the latest. Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (better late than never)!

Seasonal Celebrations: PARTY!

2007-12-17T12:58:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas at World Impact on Saturday by hosting a Christmas Party for kids involved in Bible Club. About a dozen children came and participated in making Nativity scenes, decorating cookies, watching a movie, listening to a presentation of the Christmas story, singing Christmas carols, and snacking on lots of goodies. Thanks to a few generous donations each child left with a Christmas present (check out those faces in the last photo below) and each family was given a frozen turkey to enjoy for the holiday. It was quite a successful afternoon!

Seasonal Celebrations: SNOW!

2007-12-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

Winter weather came to St. Louis over the weekend. It was the best kind of snowfall and Lexie and I were both very excited to see our yard covered with white perfection. Overall it seems we got about 7 inches! They say St. Louis hasn't had this much snow in December since 2000.

Lexie loves to play in the snow and bounds quickly down the steps every time I open the door!

And yes, that is her tongue... apparently she likes the way snow tastes, too!

After a day in the snow Lexie modeled for pictures in front of our Christmas tree. She is doing much better this year at leaving the tree, the ornaments, the tree skirt, and the presents alone as commanded.

And obviously our obedience training paid off since I was able to convince her to sit & stay while she posed for the camera!

December Update

2007-12-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

Family and Friends,

Our annual open house was held in October. Margaret walked through the front door and ended up at my registration table. As I welcomed her I handed her a printed card, explaining that she could read it as she took a self-guided tour of our ministry center. I encouraged her to stop in each room to talk with our staff and learn more about the programs and ministries we offer.

“Do you teach people how to read?” She quickly interrupted.

“Well, no, we don’t have a tutoring program right now,” I replied. I automatically assumed she was interested in children’s tutoring programs, thinking she might have a son or daughter who needed a little extra help with schoolwork.

Later I spoke with Margaret a little more, learning much about her as we talked. She is 41 years old, has a daughter about my age, relocated here recently to stay with her sister, is single and eagerly looking for love, attends church down the street from our ministry center, and she can’t read. “Not one word,” she told me.

I also discovered through our conversation that Margaret is a determined woman working toward earning a GED. Currently she walks a great distance, despite health problems, to get to a center where she can take classes in hopes of accomplishing her goal. She asked if we could open a GED class in our building since we are so much closer to her home. However, we are not equipped to start GED classes.

It struck me as I was thinking about Margaret that it must be so difficult to learn about God when you cannot even read His Word. How much of my spiritual growth has occurred as I have spent time in private or group study of the book that tells us all about who He is? How much more limited might my understanding be if I could not read the Bible? Margaret cannot do this, she is ill-equipped to study the Word on her own. Thankfully, though, she is involved in a local church where she can receive solid teaching until she is able to feed herself.

Part of our ministry here involves training leaders for the urban church. But so many people we meet first need to be trained in how to read and study. There are barriers to overcome for many of the people we work with, but our God is a great God and He is daily turning mountains into pebbles as followers like Margaret seek to know Him and make Him known. Praise Him for changing lives and equipping the Saints!

Serving in the City,

Beth

Kids Say the Darnedest Things at Bible Club

2007-11-20T19:20:00.000-05:00

My dad recently forwarded an email to me with notes written to God from children in elementary school. It was cute to read their thoughts, some were downright hilarious. And they sounded very similar to some things I have heard lately at Bible Club:

This week Adria was teaching the lesson about one thankful Leper from Luke 17. After giving all the details, she was asking follow up questions to see if the kids remembered what they had just talked about. When she asked, "What did the men with leprosy say to Jesus when they saw him?" Marylin, age 10, answered, "Lord, have misery on us!"
She was close... misery... mercy... they do sound alike.

A few weeks ago Aaron was teaching about God's love for us. The conversation turned to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and how they are all related. Aaron tried to explain the difficult concept of the trinity in a simplified way. Olivia, age 7, asked, "So do God and Jesus hang out a lot? Do they brush their teeth together?"

Just a couple more reasons why I love working with these kids!

I didn't even count

2007-11-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

Remember that old tv commercial with the owl who asks, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?"

And the answer was 3 because after only 3 licks he bites into the center.

Today, for the first time ever, I succeeded in finishing an entire tootsie pop without a single bite. Too bad I wasn't counting how many licks it took.

I just had to share my accomplishment with someone...

Through another's eyes

2007-11-09T15:15:00.001-05:00

Check out what other World Impact missionaries are experiencing at various ministry sites across the country (click on each name to see their websites):

Adria Bass (St. Louis, MO)

Jason & Nancy Phelps (St. Louis, MO)

Jared & Kim Meidal (The OAKS, Lake Hughes, CA)

Casey & Jackie Cooper (Deer Creek, Bailey, CO)

Glen Banks (Dallas, TX)

November Update

2007-11-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

“People on t.v. always try to make God look stupid!”

Although he said it in statement form, ten-year-old Jaques, pictured here with his younger sister, was clearly searching for answers when he shared this thought with us. It was the first day of our fall semester of Bible Club and we had just read the story of creation in Genesis and were discussing how amazing God is to have made everything on the earth.

I love when the kids get so involved in the story that they ask questions like this. It is exciting to me to hear that God is not only stirring something in their hearts, but also engaging their minds as they really grapple with choosing what to believe about who He is and who He made them to be.

Hearing what was on Jaques’ mind that day made me realize that he is seriously weighing what he hears from us during our Bible lessons against what he hears from the world through media, friends, even family members.

I encouraged him to consider what people are saying and to always measure it against what is written in the Bible. I want all of the kids in our program to begin to understand that the stories we tell, the verses we memorize, the standards we live by are not just ideas I or any of the other leaders came up with on our own. They are directly from the Bible, the true Word of God.

Would you pray for me and the other staff I work with, Andrew, Adria, and Aaron, as we lead Bible Club this semester?
-Pray that we will teach these children accurately from God’s Word.
-Pray that the Truth they hear is planted firmly in their hearts.
-Pray that God transforms their minds, growing them into devoted followers of Christ.

Thank you for your prayers for us.

Serving in the City,
Beth

A Few Days of Play

2007-10-30T15:08:00.001-04:00

I traveled to Texas last week for the second time ever.

My time there began with a fun visit to Denton, just north of Dallas, to reconnect with good friends at Plumbline and College Life. These two groups have been wonderful partners with World Impact St. Louis in recent years, sending us faithful volunteers each spring to help run our youth programs. This year we are hoping to run an identical program to last March's Spring Break Day Camp with the help of our friends from Denton. We are also eagerly searching for up to 10 college-aged individuals to serve as summer interns here next summer!

To those of you who I got to see while was in Denton: thanks for the hospitality and fun times! Can't wait to see you again!

After my time in Denton I took a few days off to play in Dallas. I met up with George again and together we explored the city. Good times!

We stumbled upon the Dallas Farmers Market... I am a true tourist at heart and as soon as I saw this tractor I knew I had to have my picture taken with it. George complied nicely with my requests to take our pictures with everything in sight from produce to ceramics.

In the spirit of fall we decided to carve pumpkins one day, for fun. We were ambitious carvers, choosing the two hardest patterns in the kit, and my fun bordered dangerously on work as I sliced out the intricate details on my pumpkin. We both prevailed and proudly displayed our pumpkin art outside for all the world to see.

If anyone likes the old show "Who's line is it anyway?" you would love Comedy Sportz. It's an improv club aimed at good, clean, family-friendly humor. We laughed ourselves silly during the show, especially when George and his friend, Bill, got pulled onto the stage when they tried to volunteer me and Julie as participants. They were quickly informed of the rule, "If you volunteer your friends, you volunteer yourself!"

Geo's church had a fall festival Sunday night so, being the good sports that we are, we dressed up to fit in with the crowd. Can you guess what we are? Hawaiian tourists! Maybe my next trip should be to Hawaii so I can see how accurate my costume was...

Call me Auntie Beth!

2007-10-29T18:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome Baby!

2007-10-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

Ella Ruth Phelps made her debut yesterday!
She is a precious baby girl and has some very proud parents.
I went to see the Phelps family in the hospital today and they are all doing really well.
Holding a brand new baby never gets old. I told Ella that she better get used to it because I'm gonna be around a lot when she comes home!
Congratulations, Jason & Nancy!
Welcome to the world, Ella!

Better late than never

2007-10-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe October is flying by so quickly. I kept meaning to get an update out but the past few weeks have been so busy there wasn't even time for that. So here's a quick run down of recent events in my life:

Baby Shower
My dear friends Jason& Nancy are expecting a new little girl any day now (literally... she is due within the week and Nan is quite eager for her to make a debut soon). So our friends got together last month to celebrate and shower Nancy and baby with love and gifts! I have never seen so much pink in my life- this is going to be one well-dressed little girl!

More Baby News
Our friend Olivia, pictured above, second the from left, had her new baby girl early this month, too! We went to see her in the hospital and Nancy had a chance to practice her infant-holding skills. Gabrielle is a cute baby. She will coordinate well with Jason & Nancy's little girl since both of them seem to now own all the pink onesies ever made.

Greenville College
Even though it's only October it is already time for college students to begin making plans for summer. Jason & I traveled out to Greenville College (a small Christian college about an hour from us in Greenville, IL) a few weeks ago to share with students there about internship opportunities with us here! This past summer one of our interns was a student from Greenville and we loved her! While at the school we spoke in two classes and screened a 20/20 special on Poverty in America to emphasize the needs of our inner cities. Several students talked with us and expressed a desire to work in urban ministry, possibly with World Impact. They could definitely use our prayers as they decide where the Lord is leading!

Jury Duty
I have officially done my civic duty as I spent one day this month at jury duty. It was a great learning experience... but not the most fun I've ever had in my life. Everyone told me to prepare myself to sit and wait A LOT. So I went with plenty of reading material, but... lucky me... my number was called with the first batch of jurors and about 50 of us headed off to court to endure the jury selection process. It was a criminal case and the attorneys probed very carefully and with lots of personal questions to determine who they wanted to determine the defendant's fate. I was actually really glad I was not chosen as one of the 12. And after that experience, I hope I never need to rely on a panel of my "peers" to determine my destiny.

CCDA
St. Louis seems to be the place to host a convention lately! Last week the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) held their annual conference here. I volunteered for a few days so I could attend the conference. The workshops were encouraging and some gave me new ideas for ministering in my community. But the best part was just being around so many others who are passionate about urban ministry, working with the poor, and seeing communities changed through the power of Christ.

Open House
World Impact St. Louis held our 2nd annual Open House this past weekend. It was a special event as we dedicated the Family Life Center, a very recently finished banquet-type room which we hope to use to serve our neighborhood in a variety of ways. The project was nearly 10 years in the making and it was exciting to see it come to completion when the carpet finally went down last Monday. WI's president and founder, Dr. Keith Phillips, was also in town and it was a special treat to have him here for our big event!

Football Mania
Perhaps the most exciting part of the past few weeks has been college football. My Hokies are currently ranked #11 in the BCS... I have been able to catch a few games here as our local alumni association gets together at a sports bar to cheer our team on together. This is a good thing since this will be the first time in 8 seasons that I will not make it to an actual game in person. It is such fun to put on my orange & maroon and sit with other Hokies to watch the games! Have I ever mentioned how much I love Virginia Tech Football?

Go Hokies!

October Update

2007-10-02T16:46:00.001-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Recently our staff team took time to meet and discuss the year behind us, the lessons we have learned, and the year to come. We do this each year as summer winds down and fall approaches. It is a time to remind ourselves of our mission and goals. We take lots of time to plan carefully for the season before us and to evaluate the best ways to use our resources to reach our community with the Gospel. By the end of our meetings this year we had many plans to carry us through the summer of 2008.

We came up with similar lists of plans this time last year, too. We filled in calendars and created time lines like pros. And we excitedly got to work so that each of our plans would come to fruition. However, there were many times in the course of the past 12 months where our plans had to change. It reminds me of Proverbs 16:9 which says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

I will readily admit that I love a good plan. However, I am continuing to learn the lesson of flexibility when things just need to be worked out differently than I first imagined.

For example, our original plans for our summer program were quite different from the actual program we ran. And it was obvious by the way that God worked in the hearts of the kids this summer that He knew all along how best to accomplish what He wanted done, regardless of what we thought was best.

The same can be said for my personal life. Even just four years ago I could never have planned for myself to be where I am right now. Yet, looking back, it is obvious to me that God knew His perfect plan for my life all along. Even though at the time I was mostly oblivious to the ways He was working, I can now see quite clearly where His hand was guiding.

So this year we have once again filled our calendars and created time lines. But this time around I, for one, am striving to hold my plans with a little looser grip. Each step along the way we will continue to seek the Lord for His will and joyfully make changes as necessary.

Will you pray that God leads and guides me and others on my team in wisdom to be effective ministers of the Gospel through the programs and events we plan this year? Together we can anticipate the great things He has in store for us!

Serving in the City,

Beth

September Update

2007-09-04T10:23:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Rosie is an eight-year-old girl who faithfully attended our children’s programs this summer. She often arrived early and stayed a few minutes behind waiting for a ride. In these moments before and after club our leadership team would pray for the kids and our program. After a few days of listening to us pray, one day Rosie asked if she could pray, too.

There is something really beautiful in listening to the prayer of a child. Some parts are too mumbled and quiet to even make out, others too jumbled to understand, but it is clear that the offering of praise, thanks, and petition is pure and precious to the Lord.

Hearing Rosie pray reminded me of Matthew 19:14 when Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

I love the moments in ministry when the children ask to pray. The kids love to know that God is always listening. Their eagerness reminds me of the great privilege we have in approaching the throne of grace and the words of the familiar hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”

Here are some things you can carry to God in prayer for us:
-For wisdom in planning and leading our fall after-school children’s programs.
-For a majority of the 70 kids involved in the summer program to transition into our fall programs, allowing us to build deeper relationships with them and their families.
-For growth in and protection over the six boys and one girl who committed their lives to Jesus in our summer program, and that they will continue to seek and learn more about God.

Thank you for your continued prayers for me and the children I work with each day.

Serving in the City,
Beth

www.worldimpactstl.org

More August Fun

2007-08-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been filled with vacations, visits with family, memorable moments, and tons of good times:

Sanibel Island Family Vacation- the first 24 hours were great... until I ate that burrito and spent the rest of the trip sick with food poisoning!

Don’t my parents fit in well at the beach?

We spent A LONG time in the 90 degree water.

When you pose with a pirate statue you have to say, "Arrrrrrr." Making the hand motion helps it not feel so silly

Cardinals Baseball- more home runs than I can remember!

My friend Megan got us great tickets! If only she could have requested cooler temperatures, too.

Grant's Farm with my parents- so much fun!

Have you ever hand-fed a camel? My mom and I have!

Anheuser-Busch keeps their Clydesdales at Grant's Farm. We could have posed with a live animal, but someone went to all the trouble of making this statue and we didn't want the fake horse to feel left out...

Baptism at the Meramec River- such a great day!

Before
During
After

I think the only question I asked was, "How long should I hold my breath?"

Don't worry, even in the midst of all the fun we still had plenty of time for ministry. Over the weekend World Impact St. Louis set up a table at a local carnival to get the word out about the programs we offer to the community. It was so exciting to ask people if they had ever heard of us and hear them answer, "Yes!"

Fresh Look, Fresh Start

2007-08-15T12:33:00.001-04:00

For those of you interested in what is new and exciting at World Impact St. Louis, take a minute to visit our updated website at www.worldimpactstl.org
The updates include new pictures, announcements, and links.

And, to keep you more informed about what is happening through the ministry and in our community, we have begun a Prayer Blog. This blog will be updated by our staff at least once a week with praise reports and prayer requests. Check it out at www.worldimpactstl.blogspot.com

Let the countdown begin...

2007-08-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

Only 22 days to kickoff! I can't wait to see my Hokies return to the field for their first game on September 1st. If you want to keep up with the countdown head over to the VT Football website here. While you're there you can write all the dates for this season's games in your planner... just like I did today!

There is no question that this season will be unlike any other in Hokie history. I agree with Sean Glennon's recent statement,

"Football is just a game. And to be practicing again is great. But there is not going to be anything better for the Blacksburg community than a Virginia Tech football game."

To read the entire ESPN article about Tech's return to the practice field click here.

According to the preseason rankings we are headed for the top 10 this year and expected to take the ACC championship once again. And I just love that this recent SI article pinned the title "America's Team" on my Hokies.

I will just have to find a local place with ESPN so I can be sure not to miss a single moment of this season!

Vacation Time

2007-08-08T10:13:00.001-04:00

I spent last weekend exploring not one but two brand new cities: Dallas & Fort Worth.

I had never even set foot in Texas before so the whole trip was quite an experience. Even if the pictures don't prove it I had a very thorough tour of each city, thanks to my amazing tour guide, Geo.

I love being a tourist and this was the perfect place to practice by trying on cowboy hats (which I convinced myself weren't worth purchasing since they wouldn't have any usefulness in my everyday life in the city), seeing lots of cows & horses, walking through the stockyards, and even attending my very first rodeo!

And since one of my life goals is to visit every state in the US I can now happily cross Texas off my to-do list!

Good times.

August Update

2007-08-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

If you ask me, the perfect summer includes lots of swimming and a trip to the ball field. By that definition I and many of the kids I work with have had definitely had the perfect summer!

As part of our children’s programs we were able to include a few field trips to our list of activities this summer. As we announced each trip we gave the children eligibility requirements and told them they had to earn their way onto these special field trips through good attendance and behavior.

Our first trip was to a local state park for an afternoon of swimming. The kids could barely stand still for this group photo as the excitement mounted in their little hearts to jump into the van and drive to the pool!

The two little girls pictured here, Khalyiah and Miyanna, did not have much experience in a pool so I was able to help them practice their kicking and paddling as a mini swim lesson. It was such fun and I am sure we built many memories that afternoon they will not soon forget!

Another day we took a trip to Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals take on the Phillies. It was a truly all-American day as we munched on hot dogs and drank cokes and watched our beloved Cards win the game!

Thanks for your faithful support which enables me to spend time with these children and continue to share God’s love with them.

Serving in the City,
Beth
www.worldimpactstl.org

Kids Camp

2007-07-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

The finale to the summer was camp!
Last week I and two other leaders took six kids from our neighborhood to Morning Star Ranch, a World Impact Camp, in Florence, Kansas, for a week of kids camp!

The kids got to run and play, swim, canoe, get messy & sweaty, eat a ton of food, and hear lots of teaching about Ephesians 6 and putting on the full armor of God. Our camp theme was "Army of God- Who's Your Enemy?"

The kids memorized three Bible Verses, too:
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

John 1:12 "Yet to all who received Him, to all who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."

It was such a fun week and the kids got so much out of it.
The real joy came in hearing that one of our girls prayed to commit her life to Christ for the first time this week! And one of our boy's made a re-commitment to follow Christ!

This week three of our staff are back at the Ranch with five Junior High students for another week of camp!

I can't wait to hear how their week goes.

This summer has been incredible. We worked with 65 children. We saw 7 kids pray to receive Jesus into their hearts, and 2 more re-committed their lives to Him! Praise God.

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement, and support that enable me to be here to see how God is at work in the City!!!

Summer Photo Album Part 2

2007-07-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

July is almost over and it has been another busy month.
Here's an overview of all that happened here in the past few weeks:

Summer Staff
There is always so much happening in the summer that it's hard to get most of our staff in the same building at any given time, but one day we had almost everyone around for a group photo...

Our interns, Alison, Brittany, and Stephanie were constantly hard at work... that's how we like to keep things around here...

Back Yard Bible Club #3

This day we played "anatomy tag" and someone had just called out "knee to elbow." My little friend and I were too slow to match up a knee with an elbow and we got out on this turn... sad.

Each day we heard a Bible story. Our theme for the summer was "Who You Rollin With?" as we tried to get the kids to think about following Jesus and choosing their friends wisely. After the Bible lesson we spent time making fun crafts that went along with the lesson. Alison is an expert craft-maker. It was such a blessing to have her hear this summer!

These two boys live on the same street as the house where we held club. They became two of my new friends.

World Impact Kids Club
Each day started with a leader going over the rules and leading us in a rap to remember them.

The kids loved playing in the gym. Here we are practicing some sports skills by passing the ball.

After playtime each day we sat down for a snack and followed with a short Bible lesson. Snack time was great for just getting to know the kids as we munched on fruit and sipped our lemonade. Our group was known for spilling more lemonade than we swallowed...

We worked with a total of 65 kids this summer! The group at the Center was so big that each day we split into a younger and older group. I worked with the kids ages 6-9. Unfortunately not all of them could make it each day but this is who made it to our very last day of the program.

One more trip to Babler State Park to swim in the pool

This time it was all boys so there was much rough-housing and our staff guys definitely got their work-outs throwing the kids all around the pool. They loved it!

After spending the afternoon swimming we hosted another cookout for the neighborhood surrounding the house where Back Yard Club had been held these two weeks. Here's a picture of my friends Jason & Nancy and little baby Phelps who we will all meet at the end of October! The Phelps have a great blog with more stories from the city. Check it out by clicking here. They live in the apartment above mine so any news about their neighbors applies to my life, too!

Proof

2007-07-13T15:15:00.001-04:00

Some of you have noticed that every recent picture of Lexie is of her with her eyes closed.
So, just for you:

Focus on the Family

2007-07-13T14:25:00.000-04:00

Tune in next Friday, July 20 to Focus on the Family's radio broadcast to hear Dr. Keith Phillips speaking about World Impact with Dr. James Dobson.

Dr. Phillips is the current president and founder of World Impact.

He will be sharing about our ministry and The Urban Ministry Institute.

For more information and to find a station near you click here.

July Update

2007-07-02T11:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

In my life I have moved only a handful of times. There are so many benefits in making a home in one place for long periods of time. It gives you opportunity to get to know your neighbors, learn street names, join a church fellowship, and feel a sense of community.

However, in North St. Louis, it seems families are always on the move. My next door neighbors moved in during the month of January and were talking about finding a new place by May. In fact, there seems to be a continuous turnover in my neighborhood. The reasons vary by situation, but are often based on economic factors: someone loses a job, a landlord will not make needed repairs, gas prices rise so people cannot afford heat, and many other reasons.

Trying to minister in such a transient atmosphere can be really difficult. Since last summer we have had a nearly 100% turnover in our children’s programs. That means we are constantly making an effort to meet and invite new youth to activities and continuously establishing new relationships with them.

By March of this year we had a steady group of about 10 children who became our “regulars.” Many of the children do not attend church and know very little about the Bible so we began teaching them the basics of Christianity, little by little. This was really exciting to me as I began to envision opportunities to make a longer-lasting impact on their lives and to go deeper in God’s Word with them as their understanding grew.

Sadly, by June six of those children, in two separate families, moved away. Thankfully, we were told about each move before our last days with the kids. Knowing that our regular interaction with them would soon end put an incredible sense of urgency on my heart to be sure that each of these precious children had been told about the love of Jesus and His great sacrifice for them.

It is really difficult to spend so much energy getting to know a child and then all of a sudden lose touch with him or her. I rest in the fact that God knows where they are going next and I pray that He continues to place people in their lives who can point them to Him.

Will you pray with me for these children who have moved away and that the seeds we have planted will grow each of them into devoted followers of Christ?

Serving in the City,
Beth

www.worldimpactstl.org

Summer Photo Album

2007-06-29T11:17:00.001-04:00

Only one month into summer and we've already made all these memories:

Dave & Shanna's return to STL for a visit:
Cheyenne- all grown up and getting cuter by the minute!

Ladies Night:
Alison-"Headquarters. Ooooohooohooooh."

Rida- "When I was in..."
Nicki- "Kindergarden!"
Rida- "I had a..."
Nicki- "BOYFRIEND!"

My friends are crazy and fun!

Back Yard Bible Club:

World Impact Kid's Club:
Playing Charades: "Act like a teapot."

Making chocolate covered bananas:

Field Trips:
An afternoon of swimming:

Cardinals Baseball, a view from the top:

Where it was very, very windy:

June has been great, I have high hopes for July!!!

Hiding Places

2007-06-08T12:45:00.000-04:00

Lexie has a favorite new hiding place: underneath the twin bed in my guest room. I'm not sure what she likes about it- the confinement, the privacy, or the safety?

The funny part is that the space under the bed is really small so she has to lie flat on her belly when she is down there and getting in and out is a complicated process of scooting on her belly using her elbows to pull herself along. I just worry about the day her belly is too full and she gets stuck halfway in or out! Maybe I should start lifting weights in case I need to lift the bed off the ground in a rescue attempt...
I love my dog. She keeps me laughing.

June Update

2007-06-01T15:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I love how long the days last during the summer time. A later setting sun means more day light hours to be outside with the community. Jason & Nancy Phelps, my upstairs neighbors, and I have been intentionally spending as much time as possible in our yard to get to know individuals on our block better.

“Look at me! Look at me!”

These attention-seeking acclamations often come from Deonte, a 6-year-old boy who lives close to me. He loves to show me his “back-flips” (glorified cart-wheels, really) when he plays in my yard. It’s even cuter when his 4-year-old sister tries to mimic his movements. Her “back-flips” are really just somersaults, but they receive an equal amount of praise from me. I love spending time with these kids and many others who live on my block. The kids seem to like being around us and playing in our fenced-in, grassy-green yard, too. They really enjoy running from and after my puppy, and have even offered to help Nancy with her garden!

This month we will host a Back Yard Bible Club at our house. For two weeks we will invite any and all neighbor kids between the ages of 6 and 12 to join us for Bible lessons, crafts, games, snacks, and more! We will wrap up our Bible Club with an afternoon field trip to a swimming pool at a local state park and return home to host an evening BBQ open to the whole neighborhood. Our goals are to become better known in the community, create opportunities to begin new and build on existing relationships, and, most importantly, to share the Gospel.

I am really excited for the neighbors to see us using our home to serve them and glorify God through this outreach. Hopefully the kids who come to Bible Club will also become involved with our full summer program, which will run out of our Ministry Center for the next six weeks.

The time I have spent outside up until now has already proven to be so effective in ministry. At first only a couple of the kids knew my face, now adults up and down my block are friendlier: saying hello, waving as I drive past, and sometimes striking up conversations with me. I have such hope for these small steps to become huge avenues for God to work through me in reaching each one of my neighbors.

Thank you for praying for these outreaches and that God will use them to provide many opportunities to minister His love in the city.

Serving in the City,
Beth

traditional celebrations

2007-05-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

happy mother's day
my neighbor kids spent a few hours on my front porch last saturday creating home-made cards and coloring pictures for their moms. they were very proud of their hard work so i thought i would share it with you.

congratulations, graduate
my puppy, lexie, is growing up so fast. she graduated "Puppy 2" class at obedience training (by a hair, i might add). i am very proud. and she is still very cute.

May Update

2007-05-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Last month as spring arrived I was reminded of the new life that only God can bring, not simply to the budding trees and blooming flowers, but also to the lives of people in this community.

During spring break we ran a week-long day camp for kids from the local neighborhood. With the help of an amazing volunteer group from Texas we worked with 34 youth in grades 1-8 throughout the week.

Our theme for the week was FEARLESS, based on Isaiah 41:10 which says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (ESV)

Each day we focused on a different character from the Bible who showed great courage as he or she trusted in God. The kids were excited to learn about Noah, Esther, Daniel, and Jonah, but the best story came on our final day when we shared about Jesus.

It was great to have every child involved, but for me it was even more exciting to see a Muslim family and a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses allowing their children to join in on our program. All of the children from both families listened carefully during the week, but two of the older boys showed an especially intense interest in the Bible lessons and asked tons of questions all week long. They were obviously struggling with determining what was true and what to believe. It was almost as if I could see new life being offered to them as God used those lessons to challenge what they had heard in the past and opened up their young minds to the Truth of the Gospel.

Next month we will begin our summer programs and plan to run similar week-long day camps for six weeks in June and July. We will again present God’s Word through daily Bible lessons and I cannot wait to see how He uses those times to present Himself to these children once again.

Serving in the City,
Bet

A link to updates and stories

2007-04-19T11:07:00.000-04:00

Campus Crusade for Christ at Virginia Tech is continuously updating a site to share stories and prayer requests from this week's events in Blacksburg. To see how the Cru community has been affected by and is responding to this tragedy click here.

My heart is in Blacksburg

2007-04-17T17:07:00.000-04:00

It is difficult to be so far away from Blacksburg during this time. When you become a Hokie you form an indescribable bond to that small town and that big school.

So many people need prayer right now. I have heard from my friends who minister to students through Campus Crusade for Christ that at least three of the known victims were part of Crusade. This makes all of the terror even more difficult to comprehend. Please pray for those student ministers as they counsel, cry with, and come alongside so many who are hurting.

For more updates you can read one of their online blogs by clicking here.

So far only one name has been recognizable to me, a professor I had a class with as a sophomore. I hope that as the full list of victims becomes available I will not see any more familiar names.

April Update

2007-04-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

We were standing in the street when the cops arrived. They had come to file a report on five vehicles parked outside of our ministry center. Four belonged to World Impact Staff members and one to a college student visiting us for the weekend. All five had been broken into just minutes earlier, while our staff was inside, leading a closing session with that weekend college group. The group of students had come to learn about God’s heart for this city and the ministry He has established here through World Impact.

During our final moments with the group Jason, one of my fellow staff members, led a devotion entitled, “Theology of the City.” We read in Genesis about the first city, founded by man in rebellion to God, and in Revelation about the last, redeemed by God for His People. Jason emphasized God’s heart for those in dark places, and His desire to redeem the cities of this world to Himself. Near the end of his teaching time Jason spoke about our city, and more specifically, North St. Louis, where we live and work, saying, “this neighborhood is not yet redeemed, that is why God has us here.” Little did we know the proof of that statement was waiting for us outside.

The break-ins that occurred that evening have only been part of the rash of activity which has taken place here recently. Just a few weeks prior to this event three more cars, all belonging to World Impact staff members, had their windows smashed for the change in the ashtrays. Another week earlier our director’s van was stolen. Each of those events took place in broad daylight.

It is hard not to feel like a target. The police are here so frequently they recognize our faces and know some of us by name. I have to confess that as I surveyed the damage to my own car I began to wonder silently, “Is someone trying to run us off? Will this ever end? Why am I even here, anyway?”

Yes, it is frustrating to replace window after window on your car. Yes, it is annoying to have to vacuum glass out of your backseat. Yes, it is painful to pay for repairs again and again. But, if we allow ourselves to become mired down by these situations we risk becoming cynical, bitter, and soon, ineffective as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And so we continue to park our cars at the Center. We continue to repair them when they are attacked. We continue to file police reports that may never lead to justice. We continue to forgive those who have wronged us, even without knowing who they are. And we continue to try to model the love of Christ to a neighborhood not yet redeemed.

These are not always easy choices to make. I need strength daily from God to love and forgive as He commands. Thank you for praying for me.

Serving Him,
Beth

March Happenings

2007-04-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

I know it's already April, but before I put up my April Update I wanted to fill you all in on some of the things that kept me busy in the month of March:

Cooking Elective
We tried a new activity in our after school program and it was a hit! Once a week we held a "cooking class" for kids. It was so popular, though, that we avoided almost everything having to do with knives, ovens, and complicated recipes for safety and sanity reasons. So it was more of a "playing with food" class for kids. It was really fun, and the kids did learn some new things. We tried to teach them new ways to enjoy fruits, vegetable, and healthy snacks. On the last day we had a feast with almost everything we had learned to put together. Here we are enjoying our lemonade, biscuit pizzas, and ants on a log!

Buhler MB Church
For the second year in a row Buhler sent a fantastic work group to serve with us for several days this month. They worked really hard cleaning, painting, and prepping our building for program use. They painted A LOT. Our entire basement has a new face! They also got our Family Life Center ready for use for the kids program we held the week after they left us.

Spring Break 2k7
Just days after Buhler left 17 college students from Denton, TX arrived to help us run a week-long day camp for kids in our neighborhood. It was a huge success and so much fun! The kids got to play in the gym, participate in crazy/messy games, learn about Bible characters, dress up during drama class, and so much more! It was an exhausting week but definitely worth all the work that went into it!

So that's just a little sampling of what March looked like for me. April is promising to be just as jam-packed... Here we go!

comprehensive coverage? yes, please!

2007-03-02T18:18:00.000-05:00

If ever there were a day when i might consider becoming an insurance salesman, today is that day.

Over the weekend we suffered an unfortunate act of vandalism here at World Impact. We were just finishing up a weekend called "Urban Plunge" with college students from Greenville, IL when we heard strange noises outside. Andrew, one of the guys on my staff team went to see what the commotion was and interrupted 4 young men as they were trying to pry open the trunk of another staff member's car, Adria. Andrew yelled, the guys ran and then we surveyed the damage.

Five cars had been broken into. Four belong to our staff members. One belongs to a student here for that weekend trip.

Every car had at least one broken window. Some had two. Poor Adria's car had three. And as if the windows didn't provide enough access, they also did serious damage to my front passenger door handle, so much that you can't even open the door from the outside anymore. On Adria's car they missed the simple to use trunk-pop button inside and tried using a screw driver to open it instead.

In just minutes those 4 guys did thousands of dollars of damage. I know.

This is what my car looked like after that night. Duct tape really can fix almost anything.

It turns out that replacing that little tiny window in the backseat is more expensive than replacing the big windows that roll down. These are the types of things I have learned since I moved here.

Thankfully, I decided early on that I was willing to pay more for better coverage on my car insurance "just in case" something like this happened. It is definitely paying off. The cost to repair that window and the damage done to my door and the interior of my car is more than $1000. But thanks to the wonderful ways deductibles work, I won't be paying anywhere near that much!

So. The lesson here is: pay for the good coverage. You might need it. And with that, I think my time as an insurance salesman is up. Oh and as for my car, it should be good as new in just a few days.

March Update

2007-03-01T13:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Otis lives less than a mile from me. He runs a ministry from his home and in a nearby park. He takes to heart the passage in Matthew 25: “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...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Otis has made his life about sharing the love of Jesus in an unjust world in the midst of those who suffer most: the homeless, the hurting, the sick, and the dying.

He took his stand for justice long ago and it has shaped his life and his ministry ever since. Recently, I was privileged to hear where his passion for justice began as he shared a story from his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960's. Otis recalls one day in particular when he and many friends from his church boarded a bus traveling to Alabama with plans to march peaceably for civil rights with Dr. King. About 45 minutes before they arrived at their destination the driver pulled over and allowed several men with weapons to board the bus as well. As the bus began to move again the men began mercilessly beating those on board.

Forty years have not erased the memories of that day for Otis. He gave vivid details of the horror of that bus ride. He also shared the beauty of a friendship which has endured both that experience and all the years since. Sitting next to Otis that day was a young white man with shaggy blond hair. His white skin did not protect him from the beatings on that bus. He and Otis took those blows together. Their love for Christ and their love for justice bonded them together forever.

Today each of these men are still fighting for justice. Otis through his ministry here in St. Louis, and his friend through a position in politics. Otis shared with us that his friend is the most just man he has ever known. I have to believe that because he experienced injustice, he understands better God’s perfect justice. What a great gift to have come from such a terrible experience.

I feel like I am beginning to catch a glimpse of that, too. This story and other recent events have pointed out to me man’s terrible injustice against fellow man. But I was encouraged as a friend shared a message on God’s perfect justice. I was reminded of Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

My flesh is not just. But the Spirit of the living God within me surely is. My prayer is that I will learn to walk by the Spirit, to allow Him to move in me for justice. Will you pray for Otis, myself, and many others who are working in the inner city to act justly among our neighbors, to be merciful even to strangers, and to walk in humility before all so that our lives might bring others to the knowledge of our perfect God?

Serving Him,
Beth

Feburary Update

2007-02-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

We have been studying the book of Titus recently in our Monday Night Bible Study. As we went over the text, one verse really stood out to me:

“Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.” -Titus 3:14

As we looked at this verse we talked about the wording of “our people” and how that could mean the Church. Basically, Paul was telling Titus to teach the believers in Crete to do good for others, to meet needs. This is being fruitful as a Christian. As part of God’s Church, I am called to come to the aid of others.

This became very real to me on two recent occasions:

The first came when I took a plate of holiday cookies to my next door neighbor. As I handed the plate to him he looked at me quizzically, so I told him I just wanted to share a treat with him and wish him Merry Christmas. He took the plate and replied, “This is the first time anyone has ever done this.” His next statement was that he was sorry he didn’t have anything to offer me. I didn’t quite know what to say, I was very surprised. In my childhood I remember it being pretty standard to exchange home-made goodies with the neighbors, I never thought about that being unusual in this culture. But as I went back to my house and thought about it I wished that I had explained myself better. I would have told him that I did not want anything from him. My purpose in taking him that small gift was simply to share God’s love with him in a tangible way.

The second came one day during our after-school program at the Center. As we were playing Pictionary, Jr. (the new game of choice for our kids) one of the girls suddenly asked why we have the program. When one of my co-leaders told her that it is just because we want to get to know her, she replied, “Why do you even waste your time with us? Haven’t you heard that we are bad kids? Did the government send you to spy on us?” We told her we are definitely not working for the government and we do not report on her to anyone. Honestly, though, I was a little speechless. I was unsure of what to say. And again, after I had time to think about it later I wished I had been quicker on my feet to explain exactly why I am part of this program. I wish I had told her that I really do like being with her, I see her potential, I believe in her. And most importantly, I know God loves her and so it is not important to me what other people say about her. We each have sin in our lives which causes us to make mistakes and wrong choices. Really, she is no worse than I am and I wouldn’t choose to work with any kids other than the ones in this program.

Whether it be taking gifts to neighbors, spending time with kids after school, or anything else, there are endless opportunities around me to do good. The problem is that sometimes I overlook them, and sometimes I just ignore them. And even when I get it right and do what I should for other people, sometimes they still might not even understand why I am doing what I do. My hope is that in the future when they ask me why I will be ready to answer by telling them about the love of God and how I simply want to share that love with them. In the end I just want to be fruitful and bring Him glory.

In His Love,
Beth

let it snow...

2007-02-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

st. louis had another dusting of white snow last night, only about an inch, but it covered the ground and made everything really pretty.
it was super-cold, so it seemed like a good chance to show lexie the present her grandparents sent for her recently: a warm red sweater!
she didn't like putting it on or taking it off, but i think she liked having on an extra layer when we went outside! now if she just had some boots so she didn't bring all the snow into the house with her...

misc.

2007-01-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

is it really january 25th? i say it all the time, but this time it's true... time flies.

this month has been non-stop.

milestone related:
this week marks one year in st louis for me. does this mean i can tell people im from here now?

work related:
world impact st louis hosted an amazing group of college students for two and a half weeks. they came to learn more about urban ministry, hear what types of needs there are in the city and how different organizations are working to meet those needs, and do some hands-on serving.
they did some serious work for us, too, like re-finishing our gym floor and cleaning & organizing all over our building! they were a really fun group and it is very quiet here without them.
i helped drive them back to kansas this week. it was a good time to get away from the city for a minute, be reminded that there are places without buildings and concrete, and think while we drove the 7 hours there and back.
ps. it was a really pretty drive because kansas got so much snow last week and it's still covering the fields along the highway!

puppy related:
lexie is still so much fun. she weighs about twenty pounds now and is growing bigger every minute.
we started going to "puppy kindergarten" a few weeks ago to help her learn how to play nicely and get her socialized. it's part of an obedience training program run through the humane society. the funny thing is that i feel like i am being trained more often than the dog. the first class alone was a 2-hour session without pets... either way, we are both learning a lot and it's a fun time. she now knows how to sit, lay down, spin in a circle, and "settle" (lay on her side and be still). of course, she doesn't do these free of charge, i have to bait her with treats for any of it. the one lesson i hope she learns next is house-training.
stl got some good snow last weekend, too, and lexie was so curious the first time she went outside in it. she didn't know if she should eat it, or pounce on it, or dig in it, or what!

a late christmas update:
my parents and my brother came to st louis for christmas this year. it was so much fun to have them all here! my parents also brought their newest family member, charlotte, with them. we hoped charlotte and lexie would be great friends. they were not. but it was still a great holiday.

January Update

2007-01-03T13:24:00.000-05:00

January 1, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

January is traditionally a time of anticipation. It is a time of new beginnings and new resolutions. It is an exciting time as we anticipate what is to come in the new year. And I will be the first to admit that I love a fresh start. Change is exciting to me, and I am eager for new things to take place in my life.

Before surging forward this year, however, I would like to stop and consider what has happened in the past twelve months. The end of this month marks my one year anniversary of moving to St. Louis and beginning full time ministry here with World Impact. It is hard to believe a year has come and gone so quickly. I remember waiting for what seemed to me to be an eternity for the word that I could finally move here and I was so excited to begin the work to which God has called me.

So much has taken place since I arrived, and my eyes have been opened wider than ever before to both the needs of the inner city and the way God is working among people here. Over the past year I have been introduced to countless new faces, gotten to know lots of local children, and worked with hundreds of volunteers.

I have witnessed and experienced a variety of new things this year: natural disasters causing blackouts for hours and days, the tragic death of a man struck and killed in the street, personal triumphs over sin and circumstance (both my own and those of others), and decisions to trust Christ made by children and adults.
And in each experience there has been a lesson: life is about community and coming together with those around us, life is fragile and fleeting, God will provide strength in our weakness, and the ultimate change comes in a life fully surrendered to Him.

Looking back I see that this year has been one lesson after another as I have tried to soak up the culture of this community. I feel like my ministry here is just beginning and I am really excited to see how God moves in and through me in 2007 as I continue to serve him here in the inner city of St. Louis. When I think about the New Year I think of Isaiah 43:19 which says, “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.”

Let’s watch and see what new things God will do in our lives in the coming months. And may we praise Him as He works in our midst.

Happy New Year,

Beth

Lovable Lexie

2006-12-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

Meet Lexie.
She is a 2 month-old Beagle-Lab Mix.
Right now she weighs 11 pounds.
She came home with me Saturday.
I adopted her at the Humane Society of Missouri.
She is cute and loves to play and chase her tail.
She also loves to nap.
She wants to be your friend, so come meet her!

December Update

2006-12-09T14:29:00.000-05:00

December 1, 2006

Dear Family and Friends,

Three afternoons each week we host an after-school program for kids in 1st-8th grade at the World Impact Center. Working with this program has been my greatest joy since moving here. It only takes about two minutes to fall in love with the children who walk through our doors. They are each completely unique in personality: some are laid back and reserved, others bounce off the walls with energy. We have athletes who dominate every game in the gym from dodge basketball to noodle hockey. We also have scholars who excel at scrabble and chess in the game room. But all of the children have one thing in common: they are hungry for love and attention.

Tamika missed a day of activity not too long ago because she had a track meet to attend. When she arrived home afterwards she eagerly ran to the Center to show us the first place blue ribbon she won that day, and all of the other ribbons in her collection from meets in the past. Her smile was as big as it could get as we congratulated her.

Dashon came straight to the Center after school one day carrying a manilla envelope proudly in one hand. As soon as he signed in he carefully pulled a piece of paper from the envelope and showed off his progress report from school which revealed all “Satisfactory” marks (the highest level attainable) in each of his classes. He was so proud of that report, and so was I.

Talia is new to the neighborhood and has quickly become a regular at the Center. She is usually the first to arrive each afternoon and loves to greet us with hugs. She and her brother are enrolled at the local boys and girls club but they tell us they like being at the Center more. The other day she told me she loves being here and wishes she could spend more time with us.

It is easy to love the kids, but it’s not always easy to work with them. Many have difficult home lives. Most have not yet invited Jesus into their lives. Some days are really tough, like when Tamika gets upset about her team losing at kick ball and chooses to display her frustration by kicking chairs and yelling at other kids because she is still learning how to deal with anger. Or when Dashon complains about his stomach aches because he hasn’t had anything to eat all day and there might not be any food in the house that night. And especially when Talia wears a shirt announcing her family’s Muslim faith. Those are the days my heart breaks for these children. Sometimes I want to throw up my hands and quit. I don’t have the answers, the process in working with them is slow and painful. But, I am continually reminded of how much God loves each of them and how badly they need Him. My desire in working with this program is to display the love of my Savior through my life, my actions, my words so they may know Him and follow Him faithfully.

As you celebrate the birth of Jesus this month, will you remember Tamika, Dashon, and Talia in your prayers? Will you pray for them to encounter Him in a real way? Will you pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual growth and for the time I get to spend with them each week? Let’s pray together for the work God is doing in their lives. What a blessing it is to see Him working!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas,
Beth

The home team?

2006-12-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

So I was reading about the upcoming Chick-fil-a bowl game to be held in Atlanta in a few weeks. Virginia Tech will play against UGA in the ACC-SEC match-up. What is interesting is that they have decided to call VT the home team. I think a lot of bulldog fans are gonna be upset about that... HA.
I just wish I could be there to see it.
Go Hokies!
Read about the game here.

Here and There

2006-12-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

Life seems to happen faster than I can keep up with...

I spent the end of November visiting family, friends, and faithful supporters in the South. I was even able to make it to a Virginia Tech football game!!! To those of you who I was able to see- I had a great time! To those of you I missed- I am so sorry and I hope next time I am nearby we can get together.

The Carroll Family celebrated Thanksgiving in Sarasota, FL this year. It was a change of scenery (taking a trip to the beach after eating our turkey dinner) and experience (our Turkey came from Publix, fully cooked and ready to eat!) but I really enjoyed it, and I think the rest of my family did, too.

I arrived back in St. Louis just in time. Winter is definitely upon us as we have made it through the first winter storm of the season. In fact, it was the worst ice storm this city has seen since the late 1970's. It made my backyard a winter wonderland, but caused all kinds of trouble around the city as hundreds of thousands of people lost power for days on end. Thankfully, my power stayed on, but some of our staff team lost power at their homes. Those of us with power opened our doors to our cold staff family and shared the warmth we were blessed to have.

The storm made for a fun backdrop to our sports and rec program December field trip. We had two children qualify for the trip through good behavior and attendance but only one was able to join us for a drive to Illinois and the "Our Lady of the Snows Shrine" where they create a drive-through light show each year. There was even a petting zoo and offers of camel rides, it was quite an event. Sadly, some of the "1 million lights!" were knocked out by the storm, so we probably only saw 800,000 or so...

With the cold temperatures and icy weather I have had plenty of time indoors lately, so I have completely decorated for Christmas. I put up my first Christmas tree of my very own last week. I just love sitting in front of it at night with all the other lights turned off, admiring my handiwork.

My next adventure will be finding a new dog! I have been talking about getting a dog for a while now and I am finally looking. I visited the local animal shelter on Saturday but didn't find my new furry friend. I will definitely keep you all updated on this search!

That should bring you all up to date!

my patriotic duty fulfilled

2006-11-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

i voted today for the first time since moving to st. louis.
according to nancy that makes me a good american.
it was fun.
like playing a video game.
only way more serious and with more reading.

Autumn Announcements (and alliteration)

2006-11-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treat:
I had a total of 8 kids come to my door on halloween for candy... 10 if you count the two girls who stopped by twice. It was fun to see the kids all dressed up.

Turkey Time:
We are starting to try new activities during the after school program at the Center. Last week we had an afternoon of crafts and made turkey hats. As you can see by these pictures it was a laughing good time and the kids went home in style wearing their new hats.

Internet Interrupted
We have been without internet at the Center for almost two weeks. It went out the same night we had a blackout which was caused by a natural gas explosion down the block, conveniently located across the street from my house. It took nearly 7 hours for emergency crews to put out the ten foot flame caused by the explosion (which was so powerful it blew a manhole cover completely off). Until they were able to turn off the gas our entire block was evacuated. It was quite an experience. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and we were able to return to our house that night. Unortunately, our internet was a victim of the power surge and so I am only able to check email and such by visiting the local cafe for free wireless. If you need to reach me, phone is best.

Trivia Time
Last Friday night World Impact St. Louis held its inaugural trivia fundraising event. Apparently, trivia is a big thing in St. Louis and this is a popular method for fundraising around here. We borrowed the fellowship hall of a local church and sold tables to players. Each table worked as a team to answer ten rounds of trivia questions. Each round had a specific theme, such as St. Louis Trivia, Black History, Music, Sports, and more. The evening was a great success and lots of fun. We are hoping to make this an annual event. If you want to join in on the fun next year let us know and we will keep you updated!

Trails and Tales
Soon I will be on my way for a whirlwind trip to visit family, friends, and supporters. I plan to be in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, so if you would like to hear more about all that has been happening in STL since I moved here, please let me know and I will do my best to make my way to you. If I miss you, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

November Update

2006-11-05T14:11:00.000-05:00

“I don’t live in the ‘hood!”

Karen caught my attention with this passionate exclamation. Her house is two blocks away from our Ministry Center, so I was intrigued by her words and, honestly, a little confused because many people often refer to this area as “the ‘hood” without much thought.

She went on to explain that where she does live is in a neighborhood. By calling it “the ‘hood” the word neighbor is deliberately omitted. She also noted that hoodlums live in the ‘hood. That is not the way she describes those who live around her. Karen is committed to the cause of promoting neighborhood and community in a place where many feel unloved, unwanted, and isolated.

I have lived in this neighborhood since January but I have felt very isolated, myself. I felt that I have been largely anonymous to my neighbors because the apartment I was in was on the fourth floor of our Ministry Center. A real opportunity to build relationships within this community comes in the form of a front porch. The Center doesn’t have a front porch. It sits on the corner of a busy street across from an auto shop and a carry-out Chop Suey business. It’s a great locationfor programs, but not so much for front-porch sitting or getting to know the neighbors.

During the eight months I lived in the Center I longed to move into one of the houses on the block. I would hear stories of relationships being built as other staff members mowed their grass, planted gardens, tossed a football on their front lawn, or even carried in their groceries in the presence of their neighbors. I have been jealous for that interaction since the day I moved here.

Last month one of our interns completed his year with us and decided to move his family back East. This created an opening in one of our staff homes so early in October I moved onto the block. I now live in the downstairs apartment of a World Impact house with a great front porch. I am so thankful to have made this move. But more than anything I am thankful that my ‘hood is full of neighbors. Many of the kids in our after school programs live across the street. They are always playing out front and are welcoming faces when I come home in the evening. Also living across the street is an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Cousins who offer a friendly wave when my car pulls up. And as the evenings get cooler I just love that I can sit on my front porch and chat with the kids and people passing by. Please pray for the relationships I will build with them in thecoming months!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this month I am so thankful to God for you, my supporters, who are such an encouragement to me as I serve God in the city. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving, in praying for me, and in sharing encouraging thoughts and words with me so often. I really am blessed to have you as a part of my team and I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday!

Serving with Gratitude,
Beth

Have I become un-funny?

2006-10-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

Today I came across my original blogsite on Yahoo360 (I left that blogger for this one because it was too hard to use and access). I was only using it for about a week, but as I read my entries I decided I was much more amusing in my original blogs than I tend to be now. For this reason, and because I know you are all interested in seeing what I mean, I will re-post those original few entries here for your viewing pleasure:

Check one off the list: What I have learned working Retail:

1. Humility

Many, many people will assume that a.) you are still in school (high school mostly), because real adults cannot possibly work at the mall for a living, or b.) you never finished school and therefore could not find a “better” job.

2. Self-Control

At first I thought I didn’t need to have lots of fancy skin care lotions and potions, but then I became a master-seller. I can sell like the wind. And, as a result, I oftentimes talk myself into “needing” something I never even would have known existed until I started working at Bath & Body Works. Now I spend my down time convincing myself why I don’t need the newest, prettiest, best smelling products in the store… and I am worried about what will happen when my associate discount is no longer available.

3. Impartiality

I first thought the customers with the Louis Vuitton bags and large diamonds would be the big spenders. Surprisingly, that is not always the case. I don’t really know what makes people spend their money and I have stopped trying to figure it out. Too many 12 year olds come in with platinum discover cards in their own names for me to work out a system.

I think everyone should work retail at least once. It changes the way you think about the checkout girl at Target and makes you want to smile more at the person behind the counter. It also allows you to realize that some people are determined to have a bad day and its not worth letting their bad mood change yours. Plus you get the perks of a great discount- what's not to like?

Saturday August 6, 2005 - 05:56pm (PDT)

Who was I kidding?: At first when I created my blog I thought I wouldn’t know what to write about. But as it turns out, I had so many ideas in my head that first night that I couldn’t focus or sleep until I made a list (yes, an actual list) of topics I planned to write about in days to come.

Then it occurred to me that I might seem a little attention starved if I wrote about too many things too quickly, all at once. So I thought I should probably rank my topics according to what I thought was most pressing… certainly not in terms of importance, because nothing on the list seemed terribly important… rather in terms of what would be best-received by my readers… what might make me appear most witty, wise, or well-versed. This cannot be a normal reaction to starting a blog.

Perhaps I should retitle this page “peachy’s pride”.

Friday August 5, 2005 - 07:35am (PDT)

Let's get it started: I have considered following the crowd and getting a blog for a while now. It has espeically weighed on my mind since I had to take AIM off my computer and can't get it back- life without the opportunity to create profiles is just so limited (Christy really came up with that idea, I just stole it because I have a blog and she doesn't).
So here I am. Not that I have any idea who might stop by and read my musings, but it is certainly nice to know I have an outlet if I anything brilliant flashes through my mind and I feel the need to record it for the world to see.
One of the first things they wanted me to do was choose a theme to summarize what will be posted here. I don't do themes. But, since you are my adoring public, if you have ideas about what needs to be included I am certainly open to fan mail.
Stay tuned- this is about to get exciting.

Thursday August 4, 2005 - 08:29pm (PDT)

october is flyin by

2006-10-19T18:53:00.000-04:00

i cant believe its already the 19th.

i cant believe there is christmas stuff in stores.

i cant believe that i have been so busy that i havent posted anything this month.

a lot has been happening:
i moved. into a fabulous apartment of my own. i have been decorating and dancing in the hall and being a hermit. i have also been freezing because my furnace broke and i was without heat for a while, until today!!! i carried a little space heater from room to room, so i was okay, but i am sure glad to have the furnace back since it is COLD in st louis.

i pulled out my winter stock of scarves and mittens and gloves and i am a happy girl.

i started taking a new class through The Urban Ministry Institute. we meet on thursdays. my class is called "Foundations of Christian Leadership." it is focused on defining the Biblical perspective of deacons, elders, bishops, and pastors in the church. i am learning A LOT.

my dad came to visit. it was fun times. it made me excited to go home next month and see my whole family.

we had an open house to celebrate World Impact's 30th year in st. louis. it was fun to look back at all that has been done in three decades of ministry. it was also fun to realize all that is happening now is because of groundwork that was laid by people just like me all those years ago. i am thankful for them.

i have been working with the after school sports and rec program we have for kids three days a week. kids are funny, and loud, and they have lots of energy. they need lots of love. some days are tough, but i love it and every day is worth it.

well thats what ive been up to. hopefully i will see many of you in a few weeks when i am visiting supporters and friends in virginia, georgia, and florida. i'm excited....

October Update

2006-10-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Hip-hop has taken center stage in American culture, or so it seems. The biggest stars are visible just about everywhere: film, t.v. commercials, fashion, and, of course, on stage. In the secular world the lifestyle they promote is centered around criminal activity, fancy cars, and wearing lots of bling. Their influence is far-reaching and obviously apparent in urban centers, such as here in North St. Louis. There is a four-year-old boy on my block who imitates the moves and sound of his favorite rapper as he recites lyrics about gang-banging and promiscuous activity. Just four years old and he seems to know those lyrics better than the ABC’s.

But a new sound is emerging in the realm of hip-hop, and it has been created by Christians who have decided not to ignore the hip-hop culture but use it to draw many to Christ. Their songs are filled with scriptural references, theological doctrine, and many admonitions to live for Christ: “Sin is the problem confess to the Lord/We must die to the flesh to resurrect with the Lord/I know/its hard to reject the things of this earth/ don't cling to those things be redeemed to the King” (Sin Problem, by J-Son).

Since moving here, I have been privileged to get to know a group of men and women who are serious about walking with the Lord and sharing Him with others through creating Christian hip-hop records. They are effective witnesses in this city because they use the common culture of the hip-hop generation as their tool for speaking Truth into the lives of believers and non-believers, alike. Recently many of them performed at a concert held in the parking lot of an inner-city church not far from World Impact. The lot was full. The music could be heard from blocks away. People of all ages were dancing to the beats bumpin’ loud from several speakers. And when the pastor closed the evening out he said he had never heard so much of the Gospel shared in the music at any other concert he had attended.

My new friends and I share the same passion: to see this city reclaimed for Christ as individuals are transformed by His power. Several of them volunteer with us regularly to evangelize in this neighborhood. Recently one guy was able to share with the dealer on our block because he put the Gospel into terms this young man would understand. Will you pray with me for the continued intersection of our ministries and the way God will use all of us to affect change here in St. Louis?

For His Glory,

Beth

victory oh victory

2006-09-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

Things went beautifully in the eyes of this hokie fan on saturday.
Florida State lost.
Miami lost.
Virginia Tech won. (no surprise)

I am learning how to get by without cable, and have become a big fan of the ESPN scoreboard which updates itself in real time. Amazing. I am still looking for any Hokies who might live in St. Louis to watch games with and rejoice with me over exciting games.

According to the updated media polls, see the article here, VT is now #11 and Miami is unranked. My only wish is that we played more of the top-ranked teams so we could really prove ourselves.
Dont you just love gameday?

a final tribute

2006-09-13T17:21:00.000-04:00

I was wrong. We did find out the end of the story. Sadly, the man from the motorcycle accident did not make it.
A few days ago Steve, one of the men on our staff team, saw the man's family in front of our building wrapping teddy bears and balloons around a tree in his honor. This is a standard custom here. These memorial sites are seen all too often in this community when a life is lost as a final tribute to honor that loved one.
Steve spoke with the family and also found out that the police captured the driver of the car that hit the motorcyclist. Steve was also able to connect the family to some resources to help them settle his estate. You can pray with us for them as Steve continues to minister to them during this difficult time.

A long weekend... a longer blog

2006-09-05T19:03:00.000-04:00

"That's another Hokie firrrrrst down"
The Hokies are back. I am mad/sad that they were only ranked 17th in the preseason polls. I am glad/ecstatic that they won on Saturday (as if they would lose to Northeastern, seriously?) and happy to see they are moving up in the polls. I am very much in withdrawal of cable since I am realizing that without it I may never get to watch my beloved team play. Until I go to Blacksburg or until the ACC Championship, that is.

"U-Pick"
On Sunday I went apple picking for the first time ever. It was fun. The trees were smaller than I had imagined they would be and most of the fruit was on the ground so I had to hunt harder than I expected. But, I walked away with a bag full of apples and at 99 cents per pound I paid less than I would have at the grocery store ($1.99 per pound... I'm frugal, I had to check to make sure I beat the system.)
I have decided that if I ever need a new profession and happen to own a lot of land it would be a great idea to have my own "U-Pick" farm. The geniuses who own these places have figured out a way to get other people to pay them to do their work! Brilliant!
"Put the brakes on Tab Theft"
It's a slogan on the Missouri DMV's website. I had never heard of such a thing until I moved to St. Louis. A common crime in the city is for people to steal the year tabs off of license plates to sell or use on their personal cars to avoid paying fees for getting the tabs legally.
This has become such a problem that the state changed the placement of the stickers to make it harder to steal the tabs. In fact, they even modified the way the plates are made. Smart city-dwellers will go ever further to avoid being the victim of this crime by scoring the tabs with a razor blade once they are applied and by purchasing clear license plate covers and frames to make it harder for theives to access their plates.
I registered my car in Missouri 5 weeks ago. Since I am a smart city dweller, I took the above precautionary steps.
I live with Gil and Linda and last night they slept with their window open. Around 12:45 am Gil heard noises coming from the street below. He looked out and saw a man messing with my car. He yelled, the man ran, and Gil went downstairs to investigate. The man had smashed through my clear cover (I was less than impressed with it's quality) and attempted to scrape my stickers off of my license plates. HA! Since I had scored them with the razor blade he only managed to peel off a small corner of the tab. (I feel a small victory in my heart over his failure.)
The good news is that since we called the police and reported the crime I can get a new sticker by paying $5 for a copy of the police report and $3.50 for a processing fee for the stickers.
The bad news is that my car wasn't the only target. The man seemed to have targeted our ministry van first and chose to simply steal the entire plate from it, rather than bother scraping the stickers off.
I am debating whether or not it is worth it for me to buy new plate covers since they are so easily broken. I have heard that they sell better ones at AutoZone and plan to look into investing the extra money in those (the ones I had were the $5 WalMart type.)
Lessons learned.

My *new* reason for hating motorcycles
I was sitting in my office in the basement when I heard the crash. It was really loud. I ran upstairs to the street to see what had happened. A man was laying in the road, about 20 feet from his motorcycle. He was not moving.
Nothing seems to draw a crowd like an accident, and suddenly there were people everywhere. Some were tending to the man, others calling 911, and one woman was in her car following the van who had hit this man and sped away. I was on the sidewalk feeling helpless, with that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I saw the man move his leg a little and sort of roll to one side. I breathed a sigh of relief that he was alive.
Soon the police arrived, then the ambulance and fire truck. They went right to work: aiding the man, directing traffic, gathering eye-witness accounts. I suddenly had a new respect for these emergency workers. I could not do their jobs. Scraping people off the asphault day after day, tracking down the hit-and-run drivers, maintaining control in the midst of chaos. They are amazing.
I had never seen so many accidents until I lived here. I don't know why that is. It makes me serious about wearing seat belts. It also makes me look twice before I pull out. And I know most people in my neighborhood don't have insurance. They can't afford it. That makes it worth it to me to pay a little extra for better coverage.
I don't know the end of that man's story. I don't know how bad his injuries were. I don't know if they will ever catch the driver who hit him, or whose fault it was in the first place. I do know that this incident made me think twice about the fragility of life. Sirens speed past my building all day and night long. I hardly hear them anymore, they have just become part of the background noise. But this was a good reminder that life is precious and I should not take this day for granted.

Monthly Updates

2006-08-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

Since I know that not all of you are signed up to receive my monthly updates I have posted the most recent couple below.

If you would like to begin getting these through the mail please let me know! Comment below and I will contact you.
Remember you can always check our website for more updates and photos (<--our *NEW* staff picture was posted on Friday!)

Other update news:
I am still planning a trip to the East coast in November. I will be going through Virginia, Georgia, and Florida November 10-29. If you would like to visit with me and hear more about what God is doing here in St. Louis through the ministry of World Impact, please let me know so I can add your name to my itinerary!!!

September Update

2006-08-29T17:23:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

One thing I love about World Impact is that it is an incarnational ministry. This simply means that the staff live in the community where we minister. We like to say that ministry doesn’t just happen between the hours of nine and five. Being here all the time allows us to be involved in the lives of our neighbors in ways we never could be otherwise.

You may have heard something about our recent state of emergency in St. Louis. In late July we had a powerful storm come through which did severe damage to the area. The storm knocked many trees into power lines and caused lengthy blackouts around the city. The block I live on lost power on a Wednesday evening and did not get it back until Saturday evening. In addition to being dark, it was hot. The hottest week of the summer, in fact. And we were uncomfortable, but we tried our hardest to make the best of things.

For example, when all the food in Jason and Nancy Phelps’ freezer began to thaw out, instead of tossing it, we had a grilling party. There was enough food to share with the neighbors so Nancy and I began walking plates of burgers and pork chops across the street. We already knew many of the people we shared with, but we also met a few new faces that night. As we explained what we were doing we chatted for a few minutes about our circumstances. Since we were all going through the blackout together we could empathize with each other about sweating through the night and losing all of our refrigerated items. Our new friends saw that we are just like them in terms of our physical needs.

My hope, though, is that they also see something different in us. I hope they are surprised by our reactions to our circumstances when things like blackouts happen, or when our cars are broken into, or when people steal from us.

I hope they see Jesus in me as I live my daily life here. I want my life to be a witness to the God I know. I want them to question and wonder and one day ask me about Him and how they can know Him too.

People tend to ask me quite often why I choose to live in the inner city. They wonder about my peace of mind and if I feel safe or not. I usually respond by sharing that I know I am exactly where God wants me to be right now. I trust Him to take care of me and watch over me. I know this is where He wants to use me and I pray that as He does my life will only glorify Him more, whether the lights are on or not.

For His Glory,

Beth

August Update

2006-08-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

“I love arts and crafts!”

One of my new friends, pictured below, exclaimed this loudly one afternoon as we were cleaning up magazine cuttings, putting away gluesticks, and gathering scissors back to their box. It made my heart so happy to hear his enthusiasm!

My favorite activity this summer has been working with the Summer Day Camp Program. The program ran for six weeks for kids in grades one through six. Each morning they gathered at Bridge of Hope Church to hear a Bible lesson, recite memory verses, and worship together. At noon the kids were brought over to our Ministry Center for lunch and an afternoon of electives, gym activities, and time in the game room.

We offered many elective choices for the kids each afternoon, including drama, dance, newspaper, LEGO robotics, and drawing. I was the arts and craft elective teacher three days each week. It was such fun! While we sat and colored, cut, pasted, folded, glittered, and even snacked (edible crafts were incredibly popular) we also chatted about everything under the sun from family life to horse teeth. I really enjoyed the time I had with the kids and watching their creative minds go to work to make fun and silly and beautiful crafts.

Not only do these times provide a fun outlet for creativity, they also connect us to the kids on a much deeper level. Recently we had a teenage boy ring our doorbell at the Center. I immediately recognized him as one of the youth I worked with as an intern two years ago. That year he was very involved in our summer programs. Shortly after the summer ended he moved out of the city with his mom. He was back in our neighborhood visiting other family members when he and his uncle got into a fight. When the situation got out of control he ran to our doorstep. He knew, just as the kids this summer are learning, that this is a safe place full of people who really care about him and are willing to help him any time. Our doors are always open for them.

Our summer programs are nearing an end as the kids get ready to start school again. This first week of August is the big finale as we take both children and adults from Bridge of Hope Church to Family Camp at Morning Star Ranch in Kansas. This is just one more opportunity for us to connect with families and get them involved with the church. Please pray for these kids and their families and for the ways God continues to work in their lives, drawing them ever nearer to himself and closer to the Body of Christ in this city.

For His Glory,

Beth

4 things about me.....

2006-08-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

I don't usually fill these things out, but since Nicki sent it to me I am making an exception!

What you may not have known about me.....

A) Four jobs I have had
1. Cashier at a dollar store
2. Receptionist at a law firm
3. Scorer of standardized tests
4. Construction lackey

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Steel Magnolias (my all-time favorite)
2. Sabrina (the original with Audrey Hepburn)
3. Ever After
4. Sleepless in Seattle ( honestly I couldn't think of a 4th... this was what I came up with)

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Sarasota, FL
2. Kennesaw, GA
3. Blacksburg, VA
4. Los Angeles, CA (just for 2 summers)

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Project Runway
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. Girlfriends
4. Grey's Anatomy

E ) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Pennsylvania

2. Colorado
3. Idaho
4. North Carolina

F ) Web sites I visit:
1. worldimpactstl.org
2. christiemcqueen.com (my sister's)
3. hokiesports.com/football
4. biblegateway.com

G ) Four of my favorite foods:
1. ice cream
2. pancakes
3. green beans
4. chicken n dumplins

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
I really love where I am... but I would also love to spend time in these places:
1. My parents' house in GA
2. Lane Stadium for a Hokie football game
3. Venice Beach, CA
4. Paris

I) Friends who betta respond:
Everyone! That's why blogger has that little comment box down there!

Random

2006-08-22T17:49:00.000-04:00

My beloved Virginia Tech made headlines this week for being in the center of a manhunt:

"[William] Morva, a Montgomery County Jail inmate who escaped while at Montgomery County Regional Hospital, is the prime suspect in the 7:15 a.m. [Monday] shooting of Deputy Eric Sutphin on the Huckleberry Trail near the Blacksburg Library. Morva was apprehended around 3:40 p.m. after a massive manhunt that led Virginia Tech to cancel classes and send thousands of employees home on the first day of the fall term." Morva also shot and killed a guard at the hospital during his escape from custody. Read more.

I never had a first day of class with that much excitement.

I guess this means Tech has used it's one day of cancellation for the year... better hope it doesn't snow too much if you live in Blacksburg!

birthdays never get old

2006-08-17T22:26:00.000-04:00

Today I want to say Happy Birthday to my Grandma and share this fun picture of her on her new pink bike. I bet all her neighbors are jealous!

Football is back!

2006-08-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

I found myself fully engulfed in the Friday night preseason opener between the Falcons and the Patriots. And my greatest hope for the evening was fulfilled when Bryan Randall walked onto the field, proving himself all over again in my mind as my favorite Hokie/Falcon player ever.

Here's an excerpt from the AJC article on the game and his performance. Stand back Shockley:

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/13/06

3. Bryan Randall is not conceding a thing. With D.J. Shockley having a strong training camp and being the hometown favorite, it's easy to think Randall is doing nothing than taking snaps so the other quarterbacks can take a break. But the second-year player from Virginia Tech served notice that he's not going to relinquish the No. 3 quarterback job without a fight.

Randall, who played in the third quarter, completed five of nine passes — two were screens to Norwood, who did the heavy lifting after the catch — and broke off a nifty 29-yard run, the longest carry for either team. He finished with a 123.4 quarterback rating.

"It was good to be on the field because I hadn't really been involved in full contact for a couple of years," Randall said. "I was real anxious, but I felt real poised out there and comfortable with the offense."

A puppy update

2006-08-06T19:44:00.000-04:00

I have taken one step closer to getting a puppy of my very own. I found a website that advertises adopt-able pets in your area. I also took an online quiz to help me determine the best breed for my situation, and I found an article that convinced me it is better to have a girl dog than a boy dog.

I am most interested right now in a beagle-labrador retriever mix. In fact, I have been searching through pictures of puppies online and found this one a few days ago and decided she is about the cutest dog ever, but I am not ready for her quite yet. (If you want to adopt her click here to read her profile.)

I also bought a book all about getting a puppy. It covers everything from choosing your breed to preparing your house to how to train your dog how to sit/stay, heel, come, and attack. Just kidding. No attack command. (But I might look into that...)

While she is still small I am thinking a sweater like this one would be too cute on her. But it is kinda expensive, so mabye she will have to go naked. I did find a fabulous VT Hokie dog collar that's more affordable and I am considering ordering now so that I will have it as soon as I get my puppy. (Especially since football season is fast-approaching.)

I can't wait. For the puppy and for the football. Fall is just gonna be the best ever this year.

a photo essay

2006-07-31T17:30:00.000-04:00

This is how I felt when my camera was stolen:

This is how I felt when my camera was returned:

The End.

catching you up on things...

2006-07-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

Updates from the storm: I read that they have determined 7 tornadoes touched down last week between the two storms that caused all the damage and our seemingly endless power outage. It took nine days, but they say that as of today all homes and businesses in the St. Louis area finally have their power back. And then there was light. And it is good.

I have added yet another home-improvement skill to my list and became a fence painting pro this week as we worked to meet city codes by restoring a rusty chain link fence to its proper glory. Several days of pulling weeds, sanding peeling paint, priming to prevent more rust, and painting a beautiful shiny black topcoat and we are almost done. Some days I went home with as much paint on me as on the fence. It was all worth it.

My posts will be black & white for a while since my camera was stolen last week. Don't worry, though, we figured out who took it (a visitor from out of town) and confronted the individual and it is being returned through the mail asap. When I get it back I promise I will take lots of pictures of random things to make up for all this text.

Today was the final day of summer day camp here at World Impact. My arts & crafts elective ended with a bang as we celebrated Christmas in July and made everything from snowflakes to manger scenes to graham cracker "gingerbread houses". Next week some of the staff will join the kids at MorningStar Ranch in Kansas for Bridge of Hope Church's family camp week. One little girl told me she has never been swimming before. I cannot wait to hear what she thinks of the awesome pool at the Ranch!

My desire to have a puppy is growing stronger every day. Soon I will begin researching what type of dog I would like to have best. Any suggestions? If possible I want to rescue one from the humane society so I might not have much of a choice... but at least I can dream.

That's my update. What have you been doing lately?

Coming out of the Dark

2006-07-22T19:40:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to everyone to let you know that I am safe and sound in St. Louis. After nearly three days without power our electricity kicked back on today around 5pm. I have never been so thankful for air conditioning and lights!

The past few days have been interesting:

I showered by candle light.
I took a nap on the roof for the cool breeze in the shade.
I spent the majority of two days riding around in the car for relief from the heat.
I slept in my office at night since the basement was cooler than the 4th floor. I suppose that is one benefit to living in the same building as where you work.
We had a grilling party to use up all the defrosted items from the Phelps' freezer. We grilled EVERYTHING from porkchops to mini pizzas to pre-made cookie dough. We had so much food we were able to share with the neighbors and made some new friends.

For those of you who have checked in on me, thanks for your concern! Two of our staff houses are still in the dark. They are part of nearly 400,000 in the area without power. Some communities are also without water. Lots of downed trees and power lines are making the efforts to fix things a long and slow process. Please continue to pray for the power to be restored to all areas of St. Louis.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...

2006-07-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

Friday afternoons this summer are field trip days. Kids who are part of the summer day camp program can earn their way onto a field trip by having good behavior all week long.

I usually don't go on the trips with the kids, but last Friday we were one chaperone short so I got to join in on the experience! We took the kids to the St. Louis Science Center. It was really fun for them, and kind of crazy for me. I, along with my co-leader, was in charge of 7 kids for the afternoon. This means that every two minutes I was taking inventory of my group:

1,2,3,4,5.... where's 6 and 7? Oh, there they are!
1,2,3,4,5,6... we're missing one... which one is it? Who was in our group, again?
1,2... uh-oh, now we're the ones who got lost...

And so-on... for three glorious hours.

And truthfully, I had a great group. They never got too far away, and if someone did wander off it was accidental because they were so interested in all the displays. The good news is that we came back with the exact same kids we left with and everyone had a great time.

Home Sweet Home

2006-07-09T18:07:00.000-04:00

I spent Saturday with volunteers from Chicago and South County (St. Louis) working in my future apartment.

For those of you who don't know, when I came to St. Louis I moved in with another couple until we could get extra staff housing available. We own a house a few blocks from our ministry Center but the upstairs apartment, which was empty, was unlivable.

We have very few resources and no finances to commit to this project. That means all of the labor, including things a licensed professional is required to do, must be donated. Also, all the of materials need to be donated.

Work started in March, and we began to see progress with the help of some volunteers. A group from Kansas removed the old rotten sunporch and built a new deck-a near necessity in the city. They also worked on the leaky roof (40 feet in the air) and did a lot of demolition on water-damaged ceilings.

Not too much happened in April or May because we didn't have skilled volunteers available to help. We have finally made contact with some great people, including a licensed electrician and a master carpenter, who are willing to spend countless hours at the house this summer so we can get things done!

We started our summer efforts two weeks ago by tearing up the old kitchen floor, which was beyond repair. We also removed old paneling in the bathroom to make way for new moisture resistant wall board and new tiling. We have been breathing in suffocating amounts of dust as we pound away at cracking plaster on interior walls which will need to be patched or covered with new wall board.
Yesterday we began framing the exterior walls so we can insulate and run new wiring throughout the apartment. A wonderful lady scrubbed the fridge clean after the old tenant unplugged it and left the door closed so mold could breed freely. She had a nasty job and did it with a smile.
In two weeks we will have another workday and complete our framing, hopefully, so the electrician can do his thing. Maybe by then a plumber will appear to help redo our kitchen and bath (we need to pray about this!!!).
Then we will replace the windows, insulate, put up drywall, install new cabinetry, tile, carpet, paint and move me in!!!!
At least now the rooms are coming into view. There are three large rooms which could each be used as bedrooms or any combination of dining or living rooms. There is also a small front room which might make a good office or reading room. The bathroom is small, but has a beautiful old clawfoot tub we want to restore and keep. The kitchen will have to be totally reworked with new cabinets and countertops. I must admit it is fun to get to help make design choices on the project! I have no idea when we will finish the apartment, but it would be great to move in by December.

There is a 22-homesite Habitat housing project going up across the street from the house and they expect to be moving people into those homes in December. It would be a great ministry opportunity to welcome all those new families into the neighborhood and be able to point to the house with the red steps and say, "I live there, come by any time!" That will be a great day.

Tidbits of Updates

2006-07-03T16:58:00.000-04:00

My brother bought a house, I now own a car- we are such adults.
Today I signed the title of my car into my name. This might be more exciting if I didn't have to be so grown up and buy insurance, get emissions and safety inspections, pay sales tax to the state, and register my car in Missouri with new plates and tags. Don't misunderstand- I am so grateful to have a car, but man... it is so much work!

I went out this afternoon with full intentions of getting necessary tests and inspections done but I totally chickened out. It is scary enough as a girl to have to do things auto-related, but even moreso when the auto place looks so sketchy. Because I am determined to get my tests done in the city, I have acquired an accomplice for next time (to be my moral support). Hopefully I'll actually get the inspections done instead of just driving past when she comes with me.

Happy 4th of July
I must preface this by saying, I am so thankful to live in America and I am happy to celebrate our Nation's birth. However, I have to wonder who decided that exploding fire in the sky is the only way to celebrate? If you know me at all you know I just don't like fireworks. I never really have. They are loud. And smokey. And seem so dangerous. (The kids in our neighborhood chase each other with bottle rockets in hand, aimed at one another until someone gets hit- this is what lack of parental supervision allows).

It seems such a waste that I live in a city that really knows how to do the Fourth. There are multiple evenings of fireworks by the Arch, a free fair, and free concerts. And it just so happens that the view from the rooftop is perfect for watching the fireworks. Perhaps my taste will change over time. I used to say that I hated fireworks, now it's just that I don't like them. I am growing as a person.

Puppy? Yes, please.
I have been thinking a lot lately about getting a puppy. Keep in mind that I don't even have my own apartment right now, but as soon as I do, I think this will be the first major purchase I make. My friend Christy is also wanting canine companionship. She recently told me she plans to name her first dog Frank Beamer. This got me to thinking about what my dog's name might be and I am leaning now toward Bryan Randall. This way if our dogs ever play together it will be just like my senior year of college when Bryan was QB for the Hokies and together he and Frank led the team to the ACC Championship. We are so nostalgic for college football.

Sticky fingers and lots of smiles.
We have made it through two weeks of Summer Day Camp. I am teaching the Arts & Crafts elective and I just had to share these super cute pictures of the kids in my class with their latest creations. It will surely make you want to quit your job and move to the inner city to do ministry with me.

Hip Hop Culture

2006-06-25T15:06:00.000-04:00

Reason #876 why I love living in St. Louis:
This weekend I went to the third annual Da B.L.I.N.G. (Believers Leading Individuals Near God).
The cool thing about this event is that it wasn't just another concert. There were also two workshops held on Friday and Saturday. I was only able to go to one of them, but it was incredible. The Ambassador spoke on Hip Hop Culture and the responsibility of Christians to involve themselves in this culture in order to reach more people with the message of the Gospel.
His theme was "From the Concert to the Classroom to the Corner" and revealed the heart of many of these Christian rappers to go beyond the stage and compel believers to study God's Truths then take them out to the streets to share what they have learned with others. You can read more about this at his website.
Now I know what Lecrae and Trip Lee sound like in real life, since they were both there to perform. Others who got up on stage were Tedashii, J.R., and The Ambassador.
Hearing about events like this is just one of the perks of knowing guys like Json and Flame who helped put it all together. They are the same guys who volunteer multiple times each week here at World Impact St. Louis, helping us reach this neighborhood for Christ.
Did I mention how much I love what I do?

The Abbreviated Version

2006-06-17T19:54:00.000-04:00

Life is busy. Here is the cliffs notes outline of what I have been up to lately:

1. I hung out with teenagers from Beloit, Kansas and Fulton, Missouri and Gretna, Nebraska and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All of them were here at different times for summer missions trips to experience urban ministry and serve with us for a week or so. They made me feel tired and old (especially when I realized all the kids in one group were born in the nineties).

2. I watched 2 full seasons of "One Tree Hill". When you don't have cable you borrow things like this from your friends to keep you occupied in the off-season.

3. I held a baby that was less than 24 hours old. Shanna and Dave (World Impact Staff Intern) had a little girl on Thursday night. Cheyenne Faith is beautiful. And small.

4. I became addicted to the show "So you think you can Dance". My favorite was Hawk. Too bad he isn't a US citizen.

5. I saw the temperature rise to 104.7 degrees on our thermometer outside the building where I live and work. St. Louis is hot. Very hot.

6. I discovered that the Atlanta Falcons have once again added Bryan Randall (my favorite Hokie football player ever) to their active roster. Yay team. This confirms my decision to maintain my status as a semi-interested Falcons fan and not switch my loyalties to the Rams.

7. I added every Hokie Football game date to my calendar. Now I just need to find access to ESPN to watch the games. I still plan to track down an alumni association here in STL.

It doesn't sound like too much when it's written down, but man have I been busy. Good busy. Fun busy. Fulfilling busy. But still busy. And summer is just getting started.

Monday is the first day of summer day camp. I am the Arts & Crafts elective teacher. I'll try not to let the kids eat any paste.

We are planning two workdays to continue rehab on my future apartment. It's right across the street from a 22-homesite Habitat project. Sometimes I am tempted to steal workers from them to get my house done faster. So far I have not given in to that temptation. I'll keep you updated on my will power.

We have six more weeks of volunteer groups coming to serve with us. I plan to be a pro at coordinating volunteers by August. Then I can live up to my job title.

Have you seen our updated website? There are lots of pictures of life in the Lou. Check it out: www.worldimpactstl.org

One Day Road Trip

2006-06-02T21:21:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I was able to escape from the city for a few hours when I jumped in the car with some friends and headed to Van Buren, Missouri.
It was the perfect summer getaway! We ended up at the riverfront and swam most of the afternoon. It was wonderful.
Other than the river, I see no reason to go back to Van Buren, but at least if anyone ever asks, I can say I've been there.

Welcome to Baseball Heaven

2006-05-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

The slogan of the new Busch Stadium is "Welcome to Baseball Heaven" and after enjoying today's game there I think they might be onto something.
A wonderful supporter of World Impact St. Louis donated some tickets so a few of our staff could make it to the game. We had great seats (4th row next to the dugout behind 3rd base), the weather was perfect (I even have a little farmer's tan to prove it), and our director skipped out on work with us to see the Redbirds play.
It was the epitome of American tradition: spending a weekday afternoon at a baseball game instead of at the office!
Have I mentioned that I love living in St. Louis?

May Update

2006-05-12T15:45:00.000-04:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for your continued support. I hope this letter finds you doing well! May is my fourth month of living in St. Louis and I am still experiencing new things on a daily basis as God continues to reveal Himself to me through this community.

I just finished taking my first class through The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI). TUMI is a ministry of World Impact which equips leadership for the urban church to advance the Kingdom of God, especially among the poor. We have a satellite campus here in St. Louis where local people, who are actively involved in a church body and have a desire to receive a quality theological education, can take classes.

The class I took was called Theology of the Church. It ran for about two months and we met together each week for a lesson then completed assignments outside of class. I have learned so much through this experience!

There were six people in my class, including two members of Bridge of Hope, our current church-plant. I so admire these two men for their determination to make it through the course. They may not have college degrees or the financial resources necessary for acceptance into other programs. What they do have is a real desire to understand more about God and His Word which led to a commitment to the coursework. They labored diligently to memorize Bible verses, study for our quizzes, and complete the required reading assignments and ministry projects. Observing them reminded me of the blessing my education has been and that I should never take it for granted. It also reminded me that God is so good in allowing us to seek Him no matter what type of degrees or certifications we have or don’t have. He desires for us to know Him and has given us the Bible so we can study it and apply its principles to our daily lives.

This class also taught me so much about God’s Church. What a privilege it is for God to allow me to be a part of His chosen people! I am so thankful that He does not draw lines for ethnicity, culture, age, or by any other human distinction. He is only concerned with where we stand in relation to Him and His Son and once we have accepted Jesus we have been accepted into His Body, the Church.

In addition, my eyes have been re-opened to God’s desire for His people to glorify Him by worshipping, witnessing, and working together. These past few months I have truly seen the unity of the Body of Christ through churches, groups, and individuals who are partnering with World Impact to reach St. Louis. Our volunteers come from varying backgrounds and are different by racial, economic, and denominational standards, but we are united by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is a beautiful thing! My prayer is that our efforts to work together will bring more glory to our God in this city and that He will use us to draw others to Himself.

For His Glory,

Beth

Workday

2006-05-08T12:06:00.000-04:00

Whenever someone hears that I studied Building Construction in college the next question seems to be "What are you going to do with that now?"

This past weekend we worked on insulating the future Family Life Center here at World Impact St. Louis. This large space was once a boxing gym when our building was the NorthSide YMCA. When construction is finished it will be a multi-purpose meeting room with a commercial kitchen attached. We plan to use it for meetings, banquets, summer camp, seminars, teaching space, and so much more!!!

We really need this space this summer for our planned six-week daycamp. Without it we will not be able to host as many children from the local neighborhood for daily activities. We still need more financial funding and we still need volunteers to help on workdays, but we hope to have this project completed in the next few months.

The facility has been a dream for more than 7 years and now that I am on staff I get to help coordinate the project. I have been working with the project manager, a retired architect on our St. Louis Board, to coordinate volunteers, contractors, materials, and lots more. Want to help? Just let me know!!! I can now teach you how to install steel studs and fiberglass insulation.

And that is what I am doing with my college education. My parents must be so proud!

:o)