Ms. Becky Explains About the Urban Kids’ Center

Reflections from Urban Kids

We spent the night at the Kavanaugh Retreat Center in Louisville, Kentucky. I have asked some of the trip members what was their favourite story for the week. For a couple of people, it was working with the children at the Urban Kids after school programme. We were very impressed with the level at which many of the children were able to read and write. Every day, after a snack, they spend some time reading a book. I wonder why our schools don’t encourage more people to volunteer to read with the children?
I spent some time with Michael Lee. He is in grade 4. At the social science center, we talked about Martin Luther King, Jr. It is Black History Month in the States, so the children have been learning some of the stories of the Civil Rights movement. Michael knew portions of MLK’s “I have a dream” speech, especially the part that says, “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” What a gift to have been taught and memorized such a noble, uplifting part of one’s story. What parts of our story do our children learn and know that inspire them to cherish freedom and dignity?

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

__________________________________________________________________________

500 miles away from home

Yes we are 500 miles away from our border; 20 miles outside of Louisville, Kentucky in a town named: Crestwood, Kentucky. We arrived at the Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center at suppertime safe and sound.

Almost Home

The weather looks good for the remainder of our journey to the border.

For some they say “it feels like we’ve been gone so long” and for others they say “it seems like the time has flown”. For me I feel like time has somehow stood still. My thoughts of course are on my family and getting home, but I keep going back over the events of this past week in my mind.

The urban garden work, toiling the soil, all laughing as the wheel barrow with an “attitude”, as Mylon put it, went flat once again. Of course when I was pushing it with a full, wet load of soil.

The reading time with the children, the computer help we gave them, and sorting out tons of boxes and game pieces and books before they arrived at the Urban Kid’s After School Program. Those smiling faces of the children from the west end of Birmingham. We were told we would not be too sure of the moods they would be when they arrived, nor whether they were too tired to read. For some reason, on the two days we were there with the children, they were amazing. A boy named Ronald Bell could put me to shame on the keyboard and mouse, let alone little Micheal who read to Christine, well will say he read better than I. All these kids showed so much life, so much future, and so much happiness, at least while they were at the Urban Kid’s place.

The memories of all the new friends we made way down south in West End Birmingham, Alabama are steadfast in memory now. I feel a connection with these people, one that has long been lost. I remember times in the streets of Toronto watching people struggle – struggle to survive. We see people everywhere, these days, struggling to eat, to pay a bill, to look after their children, to try and get school supplies, food, and medical assistance.

Then I think how easy it is for me. If I am hungry I can go into the fridge and stand there a while as I try and decide what I will have to eat. I think of how easy it is for me to get to the other side of town in just a few minutes, as long as the traffic holds up that is. I think how easy it is for me to get an illness looked to, or dental work done when needed. But what about all the other 12.5%? Those 37.3 million people down there who don’t and can’t?

Do we just ignore them and maybe they will go away?

Micheal this video is for you…

Greg West
Central United Church Member

_________________________________________________________

Stopped in Kentucky

We got an early start this morning for our trip home. We stopped in Kentucky for a bathroom break, also Graham was getting hungry. Graham has been an excellent traveller. He has been a real delight on this trip. He has been a bit of an icebreaker as people stopped to wave and say hello to him. However, Rebecca had a less than receptive response at the Civil Rights museum yesterday, but I’ll let Rebecca tell that story.

Nancy Andrews

Thursday ~ Christine

Today we went to Highlands United Methodist Church and participated in their breakfast programme. They serve approximately 150 people every morning. I had an interesting conversation with two people about health care in the United States. They had very divergent viewpoints. What was interesting to me was how well-read they were. Not only about health care but also about other issues currently in the news — even about Canada and their problems with warm weather for the Olympics.
After breakfast was over, our group had an opportunity to talk with Reggie Holder (on staff at Highlands) about the work they do. The breakfast program, identity program, clothes closet, etc., are all funded outside their regular church budget. The programs themselves are not initiated by the Council/Board. They are initiated by people who have ‘found their joy’ and do something about it.
Reggie spoke of how important it is for there to be people who stand in the gap between what the church says and what it does, pulling the church toward holding those two things together.
We spent the afternoon at the Civil Rights Institute and 16th Street Baptist Church. This was my second visit to the Institute. I was struck this time by the number of small actions by ordinary people that contributed to making the changes that were made by the movement. It took great courage by people who, otherwise, might not have appeared very heroic. And, of course, the other side of that is the ‘incredible silence of the good people’, who, by their silence allowed evil to have power. So many people say about organizations of which they are a part, “I don’t get involved in all the politics.” However, that too is a political act. Their non-involvement leaves those who are trying to right the wrongs abandoned and isolated. It gives more power to the people who are abusing power and are counting on the silence of most people in order to keep perpetuating their abuse of power. There is no doubt that getting involved often leads to difficulties. We are fooling ourselves if we think that remaining uninvolved will leave us untouched by trouble.
This evening, Deb led us in reflecting on several situations related to poverty issues. She reminded us that, although sometimes the need seems overwhelming, we are not asked to solve all the issues. We are asked to do our own little bit that we can do.
I am grateful for this opportunity for some people in the congregation to experience and to reflect together on ways that the Church can live out faith in the world.

Urban Kid’s Birmingham, Alabama

Members from both Central United and Brigden Churches participated yesterday and today in the Urban Kid’s after school program in Birmingham, Alabama.

Watch while the church mission group from Ontario, Canada help the kids with reading and other activities and friendships.

greg west
Central United Church

Wednesday in Birmingham, from Mary Anne

We are beginning each morning with a time of worship together. This morning we read the story of the healing of Bartimaeus, and then spent time thinking about the question “What am I longing for Jesus to do in my life?” Yesterday we read the Exodus story and asked ourselves, “What helps me to follow God’s will when I am afraid?” Michael, from Urban Ministries, was worshiping with us that morning and told us the story of his journey through drug addiction, his longing for healing, and his courageous journey with Christ to healing. It was an amazing story which we were privileged to hear!

This morning some of us began the process of preparing a house to be painted by scraping off the many layers of old paint. The sun was finally out, and the day was becoming warmer by the hour – a glorious morning. This afternoon we will be working again with some of the children in the after-school programme at Urban Ministries. We will be telling them a bit about life in Canada, and about our journey down to Alabama (snow storm and all!).

Mary Anne

connecting with the extraordinary

One of the unexpected benefits of coming on a mission trip with a group is getting to know one another and connecting on different levels – personal, spiritual, with others. We seem to let our guard down and share on a deeper level, perhaps because we have already established that we are lovers of Christ and doers of the word? I have been deeply touched to hear the stories and experience the care and concern for one another of the people in our group. Each morning we have devotion, which Mary Anne has designed for us, and then the day just seems to continue to be a devotion, with one surprising, enlightening, touching thing after another happening, and of course with lots of interspersed laughter. It makes me feel comfortable and helps me to know for sure that I am in the right place at the right time. Sandra

Tuesday~ from Nancy

One of the most interesting parts of the day was our visit to Woodlawn United Methodist Church in Birmingham. We were invited to share their Fat Tuesday/ Shrove Tuesday. It was rather a surprise to come into the building to see a small group of men and some women wearing colorful beads. They said it was kind of a mardigras. They had beads on the table and we put some on. We learned that Woodlawn had a fire last May which destroyed their sanctuary that was built in the 1920s. The church looked quite similar to Central from the outside. The church had a long history that dated from the 1800s. The church has a congregation of about 70, Martha, one of the long-time members, told me. They had plans to rebuild and had the drawings on display. We were meeting in the Fellowship Hall that had been used for Sunday School and dinners. It had been transformed into a worship centre by the addition of a pipe organ, grand piano that had fortunately become available at reduced costs after the fire. The pastor said that the congregation was feeling blessed at their ability to replace these items that were lost in the fire. I asked him how was it that these church of 75 members had the faith and commitment to proceed with an expensive building project. He said that a number of years ago they had a pastor at the church who preached openness and love to all. Now, those messages were the foundation of the work of the congregation who were now grown-up. He said they were prepared to accept those that God brought to them. He said God had brought members of the homosexual community to them and they had numerous committed homosexual couples. Martha and the pastor said that they hope to be a welcoming church to the many different minorities that live in the neighborhood. An interesting note is this was the home church of Bull Conner, the police chief that set the dogs on the civil rights marchers in the 1960s. The pastor said Bull Conner would roll over in his grave. When I spoke to Martha about Central’s situation with the aging congregation and the historic building, she asked me what was our mission. I said we were trying to work that out. She said her church was in the same position. I was told by another person on our mission trip that the church had a breakfast and lunch program for the neighborhood school. They have seating for about 60 children and have two sittings at lunch. For many children, that is the only meal of the day. Martha said the church is seeking to integrate their church more closely with the nearby school. Nancy Andrews