Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Jumping in feet first



this is mike getting baptized at derby reach a few weeks ago by my two co workers Danny and Derian.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

picking up the phone


I hear my phone ring. I look at the clock. Its just past 9. Its my supervisor calling. He would only call me this late if it was important. I hate talking on the phone. He knows this. It must be important. I debate as the phone rings again whether or not i should answer.
"Hello."
"Hey Carmen..."
and so tonight's adventure began. We drove out together to go and pick up a teen who was at the hospital. We drove them home, stopping for tim hortons on the way, the kid hadn't eaten that day yet.
On the way back home my supervisor and I talked about how we are the same in the way that our passion for what we do sometimes gets in the way of our work ethic. In other words, we both have the tendency to sprint and then burn out, sprint then burn out, and so on. We prayed for help. Tonight answering the phone, then going out was the best decision, but there have been other nights when I should have stayed home and gotten some much needed rest.
Answering the phone can be on of the most consistent tough choices I have to make in this work. To answer, or not to answer, that is the question. When a kid calls, and they are upset about something at 1am, do I talk it out for 2 hours or ask them if we can talk about it in the morning? Depends on what the crisis is. Its hard to make that judgment call in the moment. I'm learning, because I want to be around for these kids for the long term.

Monday, October 5, 2009

caramel apple spice


I sat there with tears welling up and spilling over, hot drink burning my hand because I had forgotten it was there. I turned slightly to the side as I wiped the single tear from my eye, that's when I noticed the Starbucks employee watching us. He was on his break, I wondered how much he understood about what was going on.
I am a youth worker. Last week candice (not actual name) asked to go for coffee. This girl reminded me why I do what I do. She told me of a great darkness that had happened in her past. She wanted to tell me about it because she wants to be loved and approved of in honesty.
All of us feel the need to be loved, and loved fully, for who we fully are, in truth, in honesty.
I hold so much love for this young girl, and so much anger and sadness for the oppressors of her innocence in her past that still hold a bit of her present. Jesus told us that we are to love others. Its so important to him. Candice, if you are reading this, you are easy to love. Starbucks guy, if you are reading this, sorry if i made you awkward and the caramel apple spice was delicious.