"Wasn't that shooting in your trailer park?"
"Yes ma'am"
"How close to your trailer?"
"Five trailers down"
"Don't you think it's time to move out?"
No we don't.
Welcome back to our blog "One Year in Oakwood". Sorry it has taken us two months to write but needless to say we have been busy and God has been good to us in the process. We moved in August 1st and have been on a rollercoster ride ever since. As we sit here and write to you there are so many stories we could share with you and so many conversations going through our heads. Example.... One evening we had just gotten off work and were fixing supper, when I(Gage) hear this hammering on my porch. I open the door and there is our next door neighbor's son-Trey, hammering down the loose nails...in nothing but his draws(Draws= slang term for boxers for those not fluent). I was so taken aback by the fact that this little boy wanted to fix my porch that I don't think I noticed his unusual attire at first. That...and there are multiple stories I could share with you about our little friends Trey and his little sister Anastasia and most of them would involve Trey in his favorite attire.
But, I want to share with you the most recent event that we have experienced during our time in Oakwood and show you how God is so very good in all things and how you can pray for us and Oakwood going forward. Every Monday night we have our community group for The Church at Oakwood South. We call it "community group" for two reasons. First, we cook a meal and have open discussion (often based off of the sermon, sometimes not) in hopes of having people from the community come into an environment that is a bit more laid back than a typical gathering on Sundays. We also call it community group because we aim each week to practice "community" among our church members as well as any visitors in the park. Community is the concept of doing life with a group of people and growing and learning together while pushing each other closer to Christ. We first see that God is a Trinity, one God in Three Persons:Father, Son, and Spirit. This Triune God has been in relationship to one another forever and we who are created in their likeness and image are made for relationships with one another and where better to do this than with the Church.
Sorry for the mini sermon but after all I am a preacher...now on to the night. A few months back we started a kids ministry called "Roots". This is being led by Brian and Erin Kingston (go check out their blog it's great) and it's a great way to not only build relationships and share Jesus with the kids, it connects us to the adults and allows them to come and have adult time while discussing Scripture. Well, each week we go and pick these kids up from their homes and bring them to ours. So, as per the routine, we went in adult pairs from our trailer and set out to get kids from all over the park. Jarod Williams (one of my elders in training) and I set out towards the north part of the park to get kids while Kristen Williams and Erin Kingston go to pick up the kids on the south side of the park. We had hit a couple of trailers and were at a third when we heard in the distance what seemed like someone hitting a hammer. I remember looking at Jarod and telling him whoever that was needed to chill because it sure sounded like gun shots going off. About that time, Eric, one of the kids say, "Oh, someone's got fireworks! Let's go see." Immediately, I got a sick feeling in my stomach...they weren't fireworks. We went to the next trailer to our friend Brandi's house to get her daughter Deja. Immediately, I see 5 cop cars come flying down the road headed to our part of the park. I told the kids to go play in the yard for a minute. Katie calls me. "Hey stay where you are...someone has been shot on our street." "Ok, lock down the trailer. Love you. Bye." And just like that we were in the middle of it all.
We would end up making it back to trailer with all the kids and be just fine but that is a moment I will never forget. Not because Oakwood is a horrible place full of nothing but crime. It's our home. Because I knew, we knew, in that moment why we were there and that things like that weren't scaring us off. They drive us to do the hard things. To stay...so the Gospel can advance, Jesus be made known more, and God get all the glory. We aren't heroes. I don't want you to think I'm playing the martyr card or wanting you to think we are the "Seal Team Six", or the "Special Forces 31" of church planting. After what Jesus has done for us and specifically what he has done in Oakwood South, how could we give him any less? We have seen an incredible growth in Roots since we launched it in July and have the privilege of sharing Jesus each week with 15-25 kids or more on any given Monday night. I love my church. They responded with intention and care in all of this and I could not ask for a better set of people to do life with and plant a church. In fact, last night they came together again and discussed how best to organize the kids since we were getting so many and have come up with a great system which now gives us preschool, kids, and "youth" in groups with 2 teams to rotate and share the opportunity. We have seen The Cligans, Mike and Jessica and their two kids, take ownership in our church and become a family. I have seen a guy in Mike who was apathetic to the things of God a few months ago and who socially wanted to be away from people and with his family only, open his home and host a group of adults on Monday nights so the kids had more room to meet. Just last night, I let Mike borrow my Systematic Theology book and Vintage Church by Driscoll so he could "go deeper in his beliefs" as he put it. We are so blessed. How could we give him any less?
How can you pray? Pray for us for wisdom moving forward as we continue to work to figure out how to serve the kids and their parents in Oakwood South with the Gospel.
Pray for Oakwood and for the young men involved. The young man shot is going to be ok, but pray that we have a chance to share the Gospel and he stops the foolishness that led to this altercation. Pray for the cops. Yes, pray for the law enforcement that they find the shooter and execute justice. Pray for Oakwood, Oakwood South, and City of Hope that we would continue to have perfect vision of our Servant King Jesus and what He did for us in "making himself nothing" so that we would be that much more pushed to go. Pray for the Jordans that we continue to have God's favor among his people here.
And read our blog....:)
Grace and Peace.
Gage and Katie.
