oh detroit

So David and I belong to a church here called Mack Avenue Community Church . We've been attending for almost 4 years now. One of the things I love about our church is the commitment for members to a specific zip code of Detroit (48214). When you're looking at a decaying city of 143 sq miles you can't possible reach everyone- so we focus in on a specific area. I really like this because it feels like we can be part of change in a specific community for a large group of people. Our church does several large outreaches a year in attempt to reach out to our neighbors and help fill needs in this community. On Saturday we did our annual Thanksgiving Outreach called Boxes of Love. In each box of love is a large turkey and several boxes or cans to make a Thanksgiving dinner. We then meet together and go out in groups to deliver the boxes. David and I have criticized this outreach a couple times because we wonder if it encourages the cycle of poverty and waiting for people to do things for you. However, after our time Saturday I was reminded of how much I love this specific outreach. This year David and I were given the opportunity to go out together (often we split up to go with people who aren't from our church, but want to serve with us- but this year we didn't really have many from outside of our church helping). The first home we went to was our old neighbor from the VDP, Cleo and her adult daughter with cerebral palsy, Angie. Cleo and Angie live on the third floor of a home in a one bedroom/bathroom tiny apartment. Angie is confined to a wheel chair and in order to leave the house she must scoot down each stair while Cleo carries her wheelchair. Cleo has never allowed any of us into her home because she is embarrassed. On Saturday I convinced her to let me and David up! I was so excited! Upon entering we quickly realized that she is a bit of a hoarder- meaning to get around the apartment you must go through the paths that she has created for walking. Everything else is boxes and bags halfway up to the ceiling. Angie has a small room and Cleo has created a nook for herself in the living room. Going up to their apartment reminded me of the condition of Detroit. I see the burned out/boarded up houses all over- I see the prostitutes on the corners- the men hanging around the corner liquor stores- but it's rare that I am in the home of someone I care about who is from this community. The home smelled a bit like a hospital- a little like urine. Yet their joy for us visiting was overwhelming. I doubt they've had a visitor other than a social worker.... ever. We spent time talking and Cleo expressed her desire to find people to spend Thanksgiving with- at that point I wasn't ready to commit to guests because of the timing of this baby. As our time came to an end I asked if we could pray for them- as I was praying for them to find a better home for the two of them where Angie wouldn't have to climb stairs and for their relationships to better as Angie admitted to be mean and angry Cleo started sobbing. She expressed her loneliness and fear that Angie won't be taken care of when she's gone. It broke my heart. We have had frequent conversations with the Selles about our desires to connect with people from the community and be more hospitable- and here God revealed to me 2 women who are desperately looking to be cared for. Sometimes I am always looking for someone new to care for rather than taking care of the people God has already provided. You see people are messy- their needs are greater than what I can meet- their personalities aren't always compatible- their awkwardness is burdening- it would be easier to start a whole bunch of new relationships rather than follow through on the ones I have. After some thought and prayer we decided to go ahead and plan Thanksgiving even though the baby could still put a kink in our plans. :) So I called up Cleo and invited her and Angie to come over for a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday with our friends the Eggers and a single man from our church who usually eats pork and beans from a can on Thanksgiving. Her response- tears.



Here's an old picture of Angie when we bbq'd on the sidewalk- the best thing we ever did to begin connecting with neighbors!

So the next day David and I were walking to church when we saw smoke billowing from a house a couple blocks away. We were gonna take a bit of a walk anyway so we followed the smoke. We found a house burning to the ground and spreading to the house next door. A neighbor told us the original fire was started by some drug addicts who were using the abandoned house, but the one that it was spread to is owned by an elderly woman. We watched the homes burn for about 10 minutes and then walked to church- when we left the woman's roof was caving in.



our latest walking device to keep the kids insulated from the cold. (I found it used on craigslist- and we hadn't used it as a stroller yet- turns out it's perfect for rainy or cold weather!








a local liquor store near our house- right near the house fire.

It's true that their are needs in every community- the affluent communities have lonely people looking for friends and there are drug problems- but the needs in the inner cities of this country are far more apparent, deeper, and shameful. Abandoned homes in Detroit are perfect for the homeless, the user, and the abuser- they host a variety of problems and the need for them to be torn down is urgent. Cleo and Angie should be able to get housing that is suitable for Angie's disability, but for some reason she keeps getting rejected. I don't know how to change these circumstances, but not leaving is a demonstration that I am willing to try to fight for the injustices in this country. I'll tell you it's easy to live in Detroit and not engage with the problems and I have to daily remind myself to reach out to people I don't really feel like interacting with.

A reminder of the serious fun we have in this city: