$3.50

I know my mom is dying for pictures but I keep forgetting the cord I need to put them on here. Mom, I'll do it soon!

I have to tell this story that I wish I had a picture to accompany it. There is a man in the neighborhood named Gerry. He's probably 70 years old and he's got some sort of mental disability. But, he is harmless and kind as can be. He's also known as the neighborhood yard man and can do anything anytime...for a fee though. He's always got a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and has to pay for his habit!

My lawn mower has been broke for a few months. One of the neighbor boys was earning some dollars and brought it home busted. After weeks of promising to get it fixed there it sat in my garage, broke. So, Gerry had been promising to come over and fix it, still though, for a fee.

Finally I gave in and him and another fellow came over. He was grunting, and pulling and lifting and then he needed a wire hanger. Everything, down to the lawn mowers, in this neighborhood is ghetto. Almost every mower I've seen has the part wired shut that automatically keeps it turned on whether or not you're holding the 'keep it on' lever (safe, right Dad?). Well, as I was weeding my garden in the backyard it was music to my ears when I heard the rumble of my ghetto old lawn mower. Gerry had worked his magic yet again and had the ol' beater up and running.

However, that wasn't the end. In his broken speech he asked if I had any money. Those that know me know that I never have cash (for example, parking at the hosptial a few nights ago...). So i went and looked in my purse. Usually I try to sweet talk Gerry into a free deal, but I figured this deserved some pay. All I could find were three crumpled up dollar bills and the 50 cents in my pocket. I gave Gerry $3.50 and he rode away on his old bike with the milk crate basket happy as a clam.

Alot of people in the neighborhood write Gerry off. Not only is he a child of God, but he is a true asset to this neighborhood and what it means to live community. He came back last night needing gas for his mower. I agreed if it equaled a free lawn mowing while I'm out of town. I threw in a fresh baked muffin (by the kids...) and it was a deal.

This is living in community :).

4:09 AM

It was 10:10pm. There was a child pounding at my door. I was obviously in bed (old lady, yes) and just assumed it was someone wanting to play. I planned on just letting them keep pounding. It didn't stop. Luckily, there was an intern staying with me for the night that thought she better stop the pounding. She hollered up the stairs, "Jessi, it's ____, and she wants you to take her mom to the hospital." In a split second I had my feet running down the stairs with my keys. In that brief moment all rational thoughts were out the window and I couldn't get to her house fast enough, though it's just four doors down. The two little girls got in the car and mom came out. She was barely breathing and consistantly has bad asthma and other health problems. Between gasps she told me how to get to the hospital (and joked about how she easily forgets I'm not from Detroit) and we arrived at the ER.

She walked in, we parked. The parking attendant gave me grace as yet again I had absolutely no cash. I walked in with the twin girls, one in each hand. They had never been to the ER and were anxious to see what it looked like. They also were straining there eyes to find their mother and assure themsevles that she was ok. We had to walk through a metal detector. Though, not too much down here shocks me. We couldn't see her when I walked in. A little panic set in as I knew the condition she was in. The social worker sitting at the desk was no help and I felt so much sadness about how indignantly she treated those that walked in. Eventually, a kind woman who heard me describing her told me where she was and there was a kind brown nurse taking good care of her.

We waited a little bit but after her first treatment they took her 'back' (not sure what that means!). So I took the girls home at 11:00pm. I told the mom to call me back when she was done, both of us assuming she'd spend the night. When we got home three-year-old sister was standing at the door. I found the oldest sister and asked her to put the kids to bed and gave her the update on her mother.

I crawled back up the stairs to sleep and quickly began calculating the hours before I'd have to be up. Somewhere between sleep at 4:09 AM they were finished at the hospital and mom called me. I sprung to my feet back quickly down the stairs and out the door to get her. My rational thoughts of hours until i have to get up were quickly gone as I went to retrieve her. She was smiling, she was breathing, and she was exhausted. I told her the kids were doing great and we'd get them tomorrow for camp. She stumbled into the house, hopefully to peace and quiet and a bed. Hopefully, she's sleeping soundly now, and breathing better too.

I woke up this morning and wiped the sleep from my eyes. Immediately though, I was grateful that I was just four doors down and able to act as the ambulance. I love this family to pieces and would do it again for them or anyone, any time of the day.

Pray for our families.

june 18th, what?

WOW, I can't believe it's the middle of June already. I've been a million places, done a million things, and still have a smile on my face!

My three days in Harlem were awesome. I was blown away by this organization that we visisted. But, also encouraged that we are doing lots of things right and can definitely learn some things from them as well. We were very tired and saturated with information by the time we left. But, it was perfect timing as I really try and get my head around this new position leading programs. So far, so good.

Then I flew straight from NYC to Sioux Falls and had a perfect quick visit. I picked a great weekend and got to be a part of so many things. A proposal, cd release party, a wedding, coffee dates, goodbye to the Swarts and saw all the girlfriends!, celebration for Richie and Al, old friends, camp fires and so much more. It was great to be home. Not to forget just spending time sleeping in and being with my family. My sister bought a house too!!!! It was so fun to be home to see it and be with her for such an exciting thing (it's furnished too, what?!)

Then right back at work at 8 AM the next morning. Two summer interns arrived to help me out and camps began Monday morning! Just the three days we've had so far have been awesome. Anyone that knows me or remembers high school I love to be busy and I love to do a lot of things at one time. Well, I found the right job for that! We had two camps running yesterday. One from Dana's basement as it was supposed to be outside and it rained. But, God is good and we had a great day and saw lots of smiles and heard lots of laughs. The kids are having a great time. We have another week of camp next week and then I leave with the kids for a week of camp in Grand Rapids. They can't stop talking about it!

I'll add some pictures at the end of the week. Not that the week really ends. But, I absolutely love my job. I enjoy coming to work every day and love being a part of this life here at City Mission. It's a great feeling!!

Hope you are all well! Enjoy the sun!

summer is here!

I am so grateful for the change of pace summer always brings! Though it's still busy, it's a different kind of busy where sleeping in is 7:00 and still being at work on time. Who would have ever thought, right?

A few pictures to share with you what I've been up to:

This is Ariana and Bryon. They live down the street. We've been chalking like crazy with a little mix of bubble blowing and bocce ball playing in between.

A cool evening after mowing the lawn. This is a pretty popular event at my house (probably because they get dinner out of the deal). They love this slide that is made for three year olds. They call it their house (Thanks Don and Devon!!!)

My humble little garden. This is my first gardening adventure. I have potatoes, lettuces, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, herbs, and broccoli growing. There is an incredible program in Detroit called the Greening of Detroit which I paid $5 and they have given me tons of seeds and hot and cold crops. It is awesome! The kids have loved helping me and admitted yesterday they water my garden when I'm 'gone' (i haven't been 'gone' yet...). I'm glad they get to experience and learn gardening.

Breakfast for dinner. Terry, Ashawn, Javon, Geniah, and Brandi. They love pancakes for dinner and I love making the. This was after the previously mentioned mowing day. We spend lots of time around this picnic table on my front porch. It's a beautiful thing.

There's a little sneak peak for you. Lots of fun had between camp lists, summer programs, work days and endless registration forms! I'm heading out fo Harlem tomorrow to check out Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org). This is a ministry very similar to ours but much larger. We are excited to see how they do it (Prince Harry was just there too!). Then straight from Harlem I'm flying to good ol' South Dakota on Thursday through Tuesday. I am so excited to be home to see my much missed family and visit some friends too. Look me up if you're in the area!

Love you!

The wheels on the bus go round and round

My class has been writing to pen pals that go to a Christian school far and forever away. They are from Oakland Christian school in a suburb, Auburn Hills, about an hour away. On Monday, we loaded up the mini but and made our way to meet these writing strangers! The kids were so excited, a tad nervous but couldn't believe we were actually going to meet them. When we got there some high schoolers were eating lunch outside and they were so concerned that those were our pen pals. It was a beautiful day and picture of God's grace as by the time we had to leave they were trying to exchange email addresses (...ha, which our kids don't have) and promising to 'stay in touch'. It was so much fun! (sidenote: we also write to my sisters class in South Dakota. Erik really thought we were getting on the bus and driving to South Dakota until we got there and he asked in amazement, this is South Dakota? Bless him. Also, Taugh- who has the best one liners of all time- arrived, got off the bus, and said "It smells like farm out here"...oh to live in the city...)





Friday of last week we loaded the bus with the whole school and went to Belle Isle. Belle Isle is a very colorful place! It's an island (obviously) where you are in Detroit but can see Canada on the other side (Justin Stottlemyre I hope you read this). On a typical weekened it's packed out with family reunions, picnics, fishing, and some other unmentionable activities ;). But, on this beautiful sunny Friday afternoon the park was free reign and the kids took advantage. We had 10 college students on a service project join us and besides a few scraped knees and bloody lips we had an excellent time! (and what teacher doesn't like an extra field trip at the end of the year!

Though I forgot to take a picture...we got on the bus again yesterday and went out to another far and forever away suburb, Novi. We have some friends, we call them, from a retirement community called Fox Run. This is not your typical retirement community though. It's like a all inclusive college that keeps these people a movin' and a shakin'. They come once a week and read with our kids so faithfully. Most are retired teachers/principals that can't even stop themselves. So, yesterday they invited us to their place for lunch and a tour of the place. We saw all the sites (just like cute little elderly folk would do) and even got to join the quilting ladies to make a quilt square. (one of the teachers may have predicted me in that room in 50 years, and i was so ok with that!) It was another beautiful day of blessing for our kids and people really loving on them. We love our Fox Run friends!

Just three more days of school!!! On Friday we have the "batman" coming. Some students really think batman is coming...we might let them think that for a few days. But, truly, he's just a man that has some bats and other strange animals. Not so sure where we found him. We also have our family picnic at lunch too. More pictures to follow!

LOVE!

Chicken Update

For those of you following me along the chicken saga (or shall we say drama...)...we had 10 eggs incubating nicely at City Mission Academy. We shook them three times a day and kept the water channels full just as instructed. We were told shaking them rather than turning them was more like a mother hen and we wanted to be the best mother hens we could be. We candled them along the way. That's where you hold a flashlight up to it to see the baby. Of course we were convinced that we saw some, ha, not. Well after day 25 the last possible day they could hatch we cracked them all open to find nothing other than egg yolks. Don't worry we didn't promptly make scrambled eggs for breakfast. Much disappointment but we decided life will go on. I was going to keep two of those 10 chickens, Libby and Rosie were going to nest at my house. But, because of all circumstances the chicken drama was put on hold.

However, Miss Amy, our wonderful garden lady says we will get eggs to hatch come hell or high water. She may have been so strong to say her life depends on it. She took the incubator home yesterday to try it on her own. Then, when the kids come back for school in July we'll try a new batch too see what we can do. Maybe we weren't the best shakers! Regardless, we'll continue to expose kids to things like caterpillars (which will hatch in 3 more days) and chickens because i think it will help them become they best they can be (that's how important these chickens are...)

Chickens and Caterpillars,
Jessi

first post

I've been sending out update emails for almost two years. The time for update emails has come to end and the joining of the blog world will begin. I'm sure many of you will be glad to not have me fill up your inbox anymore. The others of you that aren't, just check in here when you can. I'll update when I can and hope to add pitures more often than not. To start the blog I thought it'd have my first post be a list of 25 things about me.

25 things:
1. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ
2. I am 24 years old
3. My name is Jessi, not Jessica
4. I am a teacher in inner city Detroit, Michigan at City Mission Academy (city-mission.org)
5. I am also a home owner in inner city Detroit, Michigan
6. In two weeks I will no longer be a teacher but a program director at the same school/ministry in Detroit, Michigan
7. I planted a garden in my backyard. My first gardening experience
8. I'm from South Dakota, born and raised until college in Iowa of course
9. I adore my family. (near and far!)
10. I have worked as a fudge seller, mower, landscaper, coffee shop cook, babysitter, reading teacher, concessions seller, banquet server, and daycare worker all through high school and college. I never got bored
11. My very best friend peed her pants in her car outside of my house when we were freshmen in college and waited a few years to tell me
12. I consider Hillcrest Church in Sioux Falls, SD home.
13. I drive a '98 Bonneville and am pretty obsessed with it
14. I'm going out of the country in August for the first time to visit Joy in Australia!!!
15. I want to visit Alaska, and at least see or race in the Iditarod
16. I hate pickles
17. I love donuts
18. My life is all about children. But, I'm grateful that most nights they still go to their own homes :)
19. Some may describe me as crafty, in an arts and crafts manner.
20. Neighborhood kids play at my house almost all hours of the day (home or not) and I often make pancakes and eggs for them. Or our other favorite mac n cheese and hot dogs. Our favorite thing to play is Connect 4.
21. I am incredibly blessed and see and realize it more each day. My friends from all seasons of life are just incredible and continually support me in all I do. Millions of great memories.
22. My favorite thing in my kitchen is my red kitchen aid mixer from my former boss, Louanne. Which I use to whip up all kinds of yummy treats (too often according to Khalid)
23. I do almost everything fast. ...walk, talk, think, talk, move, talk, eat, talk, work, etc.
24. I enjoy watching reality tv shows. Survivor and Amazing Race are among my favorites. I'm still waiting for Tim Swart to get on Survivor.
25. I LOVE reading blogs. Therefore, I thought it was my turn to start my own.

Hopefully furthur posts will give 25+ more things you don't know about me in this crazy life I'm living in Brightmo' (in Detroit).

Love to you-
Jessi