Your Prayers Please…

Finally!! Spring has arrived and today's temperature is a perfect 75 degrees! This means (among many other things) that our front yard is teaming with kids throwing footballs and frisbees, jumping rope and blowing bubbles. Our walkway is covered with a collage of colors as little “artists” produce masterpieces using plastic buckets full of sidewalk chalk.

Springtime brings families out to their front porches to visit with friends and neighbors; others come out to set up their bar-b-que grills in time for supper. It's not at all unusual to see a parade of moms strolling their babies down the street, and t-shirts and jeans whipping in the wind on backyard clotheslines.

Unfortunately, these near perfect, picture post-card kind of days are marred when we see a dozen police cars whiz by and hear the Granny's House kids' rumoring, “there's a fight breaking out up the street!”

These events are unsettling for the kids, staff, and volunteers. Our number one priority is to quickly whisk everyone inside to safety and that's often hampered when some of the sixty kids want to run the opposite direction to find out why police cars and ambulances are racing through their neighborhood.

In our seven-year history at Granny's House, the Lord has wonderfully protected us and showered us with great peace, mixed with lots and lots of giggles. We anticipate His continued Peace and Presence and now we'd like to invite you to join us in praying for the neighborhood.

“Just as Jerusalem is protected by mountains on every side, the Lord protects his people by holding them in his arms now and forever.”

-Psalm 125:2 (Contemporary English Version)

In the Spotlight-Kenny

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Kenny, a 13 year old young man who has been coming to Granny’s House for about a year. As we sat down for the official “interview” I knew I had my work cut out for me. On top of being a polite and bright member of the Granny’s House family, Kenny is (as his brother Anthony puts it) “a character!”

Upon meeting Kenny, the first thing most people notice is his contagious smile and witty humor (maybe that’s why it’s hard to stay mad at him for too long!). If he’s not telling a joke, or making a funny sarcastic comment--somethings wrong!

Kenny participates in a number of our programs, including Son’s of the King, CALEB the Science Club, and our Sunday Night Study tutoring program. He also attends The Crossing church, and said he enjoys the Junior High class and small group (especially hanging out with Justin and Travis-two of the classroom leaders). He also likes meeting new people, and when asked “Why do you go to church?” he said “Cause I need some Jesus in my heart”

Kenny plans on attending Mizzou when he is older, and hopes to be either a professional football or basketball player, or an actor. His “hero” is his father, who “brought me into this world, and tells me positive ways to handle situations when I’m in trouble.”

This summer, Kenny will be attending KAA with 25 other Granny’s House kids. It will be his first time attending, and he’s excited about going because he’s heard that it’s fun, and that the counselors are funny and crazy. (Granny’s House staff is convinced that he would make an incredible counselor himself one day!).

Among “Kenny’s Favorites”, are Kirk Franklin music, dancing, rapping, food and of course...girls! We are so proud of the young man Kenny is becoming, and can’t wait to see all the incredible things God has in store for his life.

The Plastic Microscope

Once upon a time, an eleven-year-old boy's dad gave him a brand new plastic microscope for Christmas. Interestingly, the little boy's father who grew up in rural Georgia, never learned to read or write himself, and signed his name with a great big “X” for most of his life. (I thought that only happened in old, western movies!) You have to wonder if this dad was merely giving his son an interesting “toy,” or if he subconsciously wanted to give him a key that might unlock a different future.

John Wesley Ingram's son, Dr. Ellis Ingram (we all call him “Poppi”), was enthralled with the world of science that his new little plastic microscope opened up for him. As a young boy, he spent hours gazing at fingerprints and watching shrimp eggs hatch under his microscope.

This fascinating little toy gave birth to a life-long passion for science that followed him from elementary and high school to the University of Michigan Undergraduate and Medical Schools; from the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics Pathology Department, on to Washington D.C., where he received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Science and Mathematics (http://nia.ecsu.edu/onr/04summer/040506paesmem/paesmem.htm). But most importantly, that passion lead him to launch “Caleb - The Science Club” where he leads a team of mentors (medical doctors, medical students, graduate and undergraduate students etc.) who seek to impart passion for science in fifth through twelfth-grade students.

Today, you can log on to eBay and purchase a similar toy microscope for as little as .99 (or $6 if you're inclined to splurge!). But these days, “Poppi” has traded in his dime store toy for high-tech, computerized, multi-headed models that allow up to ten pathologists to simultaneously look at the same slide. Those microscopes can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The Granny's House kids who participate in “Caleb - The Science Club” learn serious science with state-of-the-art equipment and technology from some of the top scientists and scholars in their fields. I'm fascinated by how the Lord uses those day-to-day events of our lives to plant seeds that birth His purposes…even using plastic, dime store toys!

-Granny Pam

Stepping Stones

What started out as a practical solution to a rather annoying situation (a flooded and muddy front yard) ended up being an art project for every child that crosses the threshold of Granny’s House.

Walking from the Boone Drive parking lot to 302 and 304 Trinity Place, a colorful array of stepping stones line the way to the front door of Granny’s House. Each stone is decorated uniquely by a child and shows their personality and artistic side! From, “God is my Father” to a simple “Hope” each brick describes in some way God’s love for the kids of Granny’s House.

Since it’s start 3 years ago, over 100 children have made a stepping stone for Granny’s House, helping make our small haven on Trinity Place feel like home.

GoodShop!

Some of you already know about our participation in GoodSearch,* but did you know that Granny's House can also receive donations every time you shop online via one of GoodShop's participating businesses? - businesses like Gap, WalMart, eBay, Home Depot, Amazon, and Macy's to name a few.

Because Granny's House is one of GoodSearch/GoodShop's registered charities, everytime you make online purchases at one of their participating stores, a percentage of your purchase is donated to Granny's House (.5% to 37%).

I can't think of a single reason not to “GoodShop” for Granny's House, can you?

*GoodSearch donates a penny to Granny's House every time you use GoodSearch search engine (www.goodsearch.com).

Work Days

How did we ever get a crew of kids to show up after school excited about work? There's an easy three-letter answer: KAA!

This summer, we're again taking twenty-five Granny's House kids to what some call “Paradise” - Kids Across America Kamps (KAA) on Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri. This experience is truly an eight-day immersion into the very heart of God!

We sponsor KAA Work Days to give the kids an opportunity to earn Kamp Points to spend at the Kamp Store we set up the weekend before leaving for kamp. And this week, the kids enjoyed one of their favorite Work Day jobs: spreading a truckload of mulch over our front yard.

One summer, as a curious student counselor helped unload our bus at KAA, he commented, “Nice bags… did someone donate them?” assuming they were gifts from a generous donor. I quickly responded, “Oh no… the children purchased them!”

In public housing, we often see children carrying their belongings back and forth in big, black plastic trash bags; we want our kids, however, to have a safer way to transport and store their things at kamp. Every summer, we purchase almost every item on their Kamper List: everything from towels to toothbrushes, from journals to t-shirt and, of course, those “nice bags.” However, this is not just one more handout…

This week's KAA Work Day provided another opportunity for Granny's House kids to KNOW that work is good and that their Heavenly Father gives great grace to work to provide what they need for kamp, rather waiting for a hand-out. We see it as one more step in a life-long journey of providing for themselves and others.

-Granny Pam

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

For the past few days in Columbia, we’ve heard a one-word forecast: “Rainy!” At Granny’s House, another word describes our front yard: “Flooded!” And in winter, we often call our yard the “Ice Rink.”

Everytime rain hits Columbia, our front yard turns into a lake, making it almost impossible to walk from one of our apartments to the next. Although we’ve gotten creative this week (jumping from stone-to-stone, and hopping across benches) it’s almost impossible to keep your feet dry!

Another obstacle occurs when a program is going on in the 302 Trinity apartment; the only children allowed inside after the evening meal are those participating in the program for the day. The other kids have to (a.) play outside with volunteers or (b.) head home for the day. Obviously option (a). isn’t possible with a flooded front yard! Please join us in prayer as we ask God to provide us with a new Granny’s House--one where we can all come in out of the rain.

Easter Celebration!

Spring Break hits Granny's House in less than a week, but before the kids have a vacation from school and Granny's House, we participated in one last big event as 30 kids enjoyed an early Easter Celebration with The Crossing church. The night was filled with music, crafts, and of course (the kids favorite part) dessert! Everyone had a great time as they were paired up with families from The Crossing who made the kids feel special and showed them what Easter is all about. After decorating flower pots and eating
tons of sweets, the kids were ready to head home (some even falling asleep on the car ride back to Granny's House!). It was a successful evening and the kids really enjoyed their time with friends celebrating Easter!

Presenting… Miss Bianca

Three years ago, Miss Bianca, a Mizzou student from Dallas, Texas, came sailing into Granny's House with about a dozen other members of IMPACT. That first semester, they simply helped facilitate our weekly Precious Jewels (“PJs”) meetings, a group for first through fourth grade Granny's House girls. Last year, however, Miss Bianca took over the leadership role of the “PJs,” developing and implementing each week's lesson for these twelve precocious little girls.

Whether she's leading them in a round of “freeze dance” before the start of their meeting, or teaching them how to make “Gak” to illustrate the nature of faith, she pours in so much passion, helping these young girls become well-acquainted with and experience the many facets of God's love. What a blessing to have such an excellent role model for these “Precious Jewels.” -Granny Pam

The Friendship Wall

“Sweetheart, our friendship is like a great big wall and every time you tell me something that's not true, a brick is slipped out… first, a brick from the bottom, and then one from the top; the next time, one on the right side, followed by one on the left.… Please tell me, Sweetheart… what's going to happen to our friendship wall?” I so love this precious child and was desperately clinging to the Lord as I tried to illustrate the consequences of dishonesty and stir up a hunger for God's grace.

“Well… it's probably gonna fall down, Granny Pam,” I was told. At that moment, the first missing brick was replaced, followed by another, and then another as this repentant child freely admitted to repeated acts of dishonesty in word and deed.

At Granny's House, we want to major on building strong, authentic relationships with the children, and the most effective ministry all-too-often happens on the heels of conflict: a fight, a lie, stealing.

I used to think that sweet little lessons paired with clever hands-on craft illustrations would carve God's ways into the heart of a child. Sometimes God does use those means, but more and more, we're learning the power and importance of building and strengthening our “friendship walls” as a vehicle for sharing God's Truth. Granny's House kids greatly benefit from being encircled by walls of protection, encouragement, and Truth, providing a really safe place to explore and experience His kindness, mercy, and restoration.
-Granny Pam