Mixing concrete in front of the 8 Mile Community Center construction site 

Playing games with the 8 Mile young people

Today was spent at Western Paradise (8 Mile), we began the day hand mixing concrete and handing it up to the top of the forms for  three 16 foot high pillars at the community building.  This is the same building that we started last year with digging and building the foundation. It was amazing to see the progress that has been made at the site. It is an unusual building that will be a combination storage facility and community building.  The storage function will be performed by the first floor which is made of shipping containers.  The pillars will eventually hold up the second floor which will be used for community activities and a library. 

The youth group at 8 Mile also had planned a day of fun activities for the kids in the neighborhood.  It was a fun, long day of activity in the sun.  We are grateful for Diane’s knowledge of children’s games! After a quick trip to town to purchase supplies - thread and trash bags – we learned how to make kites!  It is amazing that a few coconut palm stems can be combined with those supplies to create a kite with a long tail.  Most of the kids were successful in getting their kite to fly.  Some even had them soaring as high as ½ a mile into the sky!!! It was great to see that many of the kids remembered us from last year. 

It was good to see Tina at her home. She continues to work through the healing process and progress is being made.

Things to pray about:

Pray for the sustainability of the youth group at 8 Mile and pray that each of the individual youth will develop deeper, personal relationships with Christ.

Pray for Tina, Kenny and their kids.

Pray for smooth initial interactions with the girls at YES and that God will be at work in their hearts and it would not take all week for them to open up and hear Jesus’s message of forgiveness and love.