New family

I pulled this off of Jesse's Green's blog - Answer the Call (check it out on the blogroll to the right). It's a testimony of how God is moving through the 'hood...

Now don't get me wrong I love the family I have already and I'm not trying to replace them but I now have a new extended family in this community. I kinda already did, but it's different now after youth councils.
We got to take 11 of our kids to youth councils (thanks to God) and all of them either rededicated their lives to Jesus or did so for the first time. Many, many, many tears were wept and I'll admit that alot were from me.
Although we only got back yesterday, things feel alot better in the community. We all now have a new respect and a fresh love for one another.

Any way one of the boys that didn't come was trying to work me (pay me out, make fun of me etc.) but this time one of the boys who had come with us stood up for me and was even going to start fighting the other boy (which is how they have learned to show love and defend honour around here) which in a messed up way is really sweet, but I just kept telling him that he was better than that and to remember what he had promised to God over the weekend. He backed off after I said it a couple of times and then just sat with me on the stairs and started to cry.

"That's not right the way he treats you. You guys do so much for us and you don't deserve it. He shouldn't be trying you"

I was so blessed by the fact that he had even had this reaction for me because that never happens around here. I gave him a hug. Then D (the boy that was trying to start me) was looking over at Keith (the boy that was defending me) and Keith was not ashamed at the fact that he was crying for me. He starting saying to D

"You're lucky I have Jesus or you'd be broken now."

D was all like:

"Why are you crying. I didn't even hit you"

"You shouldn't be doing that to Jesse...."

and he said pretty much the same stuff he'd said to me, to D.

I now feel like our community is becoming more of a family. The kids are coming over more with in the past 2 days just to say hey and to talk about their problems and just chill in a safe place.

Things are looking up.