Mayor Wright

In a community where trust and respect are earned, families are close knit, where kids run around barefoot having nothing to entertain them other than friends and their imaginations and where people on the outside aren’t welcomed, there’s a people booming with potential and overflowing with love. Exteriors are rough; words are few and action prevails, but that is only a façade. It takes time to gain trust, to build relationships, to earn credibility and to show you love them. Once they have embraced you, once they trust you, you are welcomed into their family with open arms; you become an uncle or aunty to every single child. Mayor-Wright housing is a community like this. It may be run down, in a bad part of town and super crammed with people, but it is vibrant with love, family values and endless possibilities for God to transform lives. I look at each child as a little flower bud. With love and care they can grow to be a beautiful flower that can eventually plant more seeds and continue the pattern of growth. But a garden takes time, work and sweat. Not all the plants make it, weeds may choke out some, the sun scorches others, birds eat a few, but there are those that will prevail. It is for those children that make all the time I spend at Mayor-Wrights worth it, long days, unruly kids; unwelcomed looks are worth it for just one child.

I volunteer at the family library located in the dead center of the housing community. I play games with kids and read books to them. Danny and Jennie, brother and sister, are two kids that stand out. Those two consistently come to the corps for youth programs and are involved on Sundays as well. Danny comes to the library and when it’s almost time for the van to come pick us and his sister up for Wednesday night programs, we walk over to his house and hang-out while we wait. His other siblings come out with their ukuleles and we sit and play music for a couple of minutes. We have a great time playing songs like “I’m Yours” and “Till My Dying day” which has now become one of my favorite songs. When I come by the family offers me food and welcomes me to hang out with the kids, those are the kind of relationships that I am talking about the kind that are priceless. A month ago I was a stranger, now I am welcomed into their home. I don’t feel like I don’t belong anymore, sure there are days that aren’t so positive, but the good days are starting to outnumber the bad. That’s Jesus working in my life and using me in amazing ways when I don’t feel like I have anything to offer. He steps in and does what I cannot do on my own. He is transforming me every day and using me to transform the lives of the families in Mayor-Wrights through love. God is amazing.