The guys

I'm going to boast about my boys for a little here. It's my blog so I can do that.

Jesse was asked to do balloons for the VBS at Living Water Community Church in Harrisburg. He did a great job teaching the older kids to make balloon dogs and sharing with the younger kids, all within the theme of using our unique talents to spread the light of Jesus. It was a little noisy, and possibly too chaotic for some of the leaders, but to this teen who comes from a home stuffed with nine people, it was a piece of cake. Balloons popping here and there, children needing assistance, leaders needing assistance, and kids who can't sit still, none of these affected him at all. Way to go, Jesse!

Andrew was the only member of our family who did not join Jesse at the VBS tonight but he has a good excuse. He is currently in the Bronx, by choice, with the McBIC teens. I love to follow their blog and hear their amazing accounts of God's goodness and revelation. I especially enjoyed Andrew's contribution (of course I did) which I am going to reprint here:

A post from a guy!
Finally we got one of the gentlemen to type a post :) This is from Andrew King...his thoughts may or may not express the views and opinions of this youth pastor...specifically the last paragraph on animals :)

Andrew King

What is up Pennsylvania? I am trying to get my gangster, or gangsta, on for the rest of our trip in the Bronx. After our group went to the Christian Hip Hop concert Saturday night I have been trying, without much fruit, to become more hip, no small task for a 16 year old who only knew one hip hop move before coming to the Bronx (thanks Dr. Barnes).

Last night was really amazing. We went to the Brooklyn Tabernacle, as Aubrey said before, and experienced an amazing worship and prayer service. The passion with which they prayed was unbelievable. I kept getting goose-bumps throughout the whole experience and I don’t think I will ever forget it.

I just came from helping at the Bronx Senior Center. Our group, composed of Ian B., Mandi B., Sarah B., Mitch W., and myself enjoyed talking to a sweet older lady named Matilda. She was an amazing crocheter (sp?) and spent the next 2 hours trying to teach 5 teenagers how to accomplish this great skill. She spoke Spanish and I tried to tell her that my mother, grandmother and great grandmother all knew how to crochet, so how hard could it be? One hour and forty-five minutes later, Mitch, Ian and myself had a four foot long strand of yarn all completed. When we asked her if she could make Mitch and myself a headband with it, she said yes (or si) and then proceeded to undo all (and I do really mean all) of our hard work. However, the final product was well worth it. As I write, I am sporting a green, crochet headband and looking very gangster tooJ.

While we are unharmed, I cannot say the same about our furry, four- legged friends in the basement. So far Kenton has killed two rats, one with a broom stick handle and the other with a dustpan. While I was walking in the basement, a rat charged me, but I picked up a dodgeball and hit it before it could run away. I didn’t kill it, in case PETA is wondering, I might have broken a leg though J.

Peace out. I think I’m going to have to work on my gangster slang a little more.

Andrew King
http://mcbicbronx.blogspot.com/

One correction: Andrew's mother does not know how to crochet. His grandmother tried to teach his mother but because her giftings lie in crafts such as fine needlepoint and tiny hem stitches, her crochet stitches always got too small and tight and eventually impossible to complete. His great-aunt attempted to teach his mother to knit but that scarf never got farther than the size of her hand. However, the knitting box that his mother made out of an old oatmeal container (which his mother found in her grandmother's attic, the kind that saved everything after the Depression just in case there would be another Depression and people would need empty oatmeal containers) was a work of crafting genius.