Justin and I just arrived back this past weekend after spending the week in Cincinnati with the youth group. We were able to work in a povery stricken neighborhood and it was a great trip. I worked on this house. We chipped the paint off and primed it on two sides. And yes, the house is crooked and lies on a slant. Justin tore down ceilings of a house (and got really dirty) while others worked with the kids program, gutted a house, or tore down chimneys.



On Tuesday we did the Street Feed where we set up a table near a park and served food to all the homeless people around there. It was an amazing experience. I was able to watch our kids serve a meal to people who admitted to not having eaten in over 3 days. I also was able to talk with some people and hear about how they got to be in the place they were in.
On Thursday we went to the zoo with all the kids in the summer program. It was awesome. I went with three kids but one really tired me out. His name was Eli and his story was very sad. He LOVED the zoo and also loved to run around. It made me realize that I am not ready to be a mom, but also that sometimes the kids who need the most love are the hardest to love.


It is beautiful to see what the church in Cincinnati is doing to love on people in the neighborhood, especially kids. It amazes me how one small church could make such a HUGE difference to so many people. Poverty affects so many people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. BUT, I am convinced that if we all stood up and wanted to make a difference, the world would be a completely different place.