I went by Kroger this morning to give them the updated Impact Atlanta food list. We’ll be covering at least 36 locations now with over 500 people!
Picked up some computer stuff from one of my partners, Doug Kennedy. He’s been SO generous to help!
I’m at FBC Doraville now. Finished up my admin stuff. Made the rest of my calls.
I’ll go over to Azalea in a little while to help the kids and then throw candy to them.
I got up early this morning to do some other admin tasks, notably contact the team that had worked with us this summer to check on their donations.
I’ll be going to a Halloween Parade in our neighborhood this evening.
Then packing for my trip to Texas tomorrow morning!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
I had a meeting with Bennett Ekandem who coordinates our work for us in Clarkston. Always good to hang out with him! We had a number of issues we needed to talk about, in particular the allocation of resources–where do we put people to do the most good? I’m helping him get the area where we can send volunteers put together for next summer.
Met with Dan Williams in the afternoon. He’s the director for Kids Games–an international group that does an Olympic type outreach for kids. It’s pretty cool. In the past they were really strict about where the event would take place–notably in some stadium. I told them the problems related to that strategy–primarily transportation issues. We seem to be on the same page now. PTL for that. KG is doing a great work. Right now there’s a big event going on in Antananarivo, Madagascar. I still have a soft spot for the Malagasy people since my family lived there for a year.
Went to Azalea to help a bunch of kids with their homework. Also went over to Clatie Lewis’ house to pick up a computer. The computer at the mission went dead. Bahd luck. Took Ernest Mocombe over to the Lewis’ house. Ernest is interested in repairing computers. Clatie volunteers for Re-Boot, a non-profit organization that takes older computers, refurbishes them and then gives them to poor people, handicapped or seniors in the community.
I spent most of my day in Lawrenceville today. I was part of the ministry partners team that got to tour the new facility that Crossroads Church is building. Crossroads is also changing it’s name to 12 Stone, which I think is a great idea because there are lots of Crossroads churches around.
The facility was really incredible. I am really looking forward attending a service there in January when it opens!
I really enjoyed getting to meet some new partners and hanging out with some of my old friends–Especially Chip and Drue from Perimeter Church.
Dropped by Best Buy to pick up a new USB cable for a printer.
Checked on the office at FBC Doraville. Picked up mail so I can get that to my Treasurer.
Had a great talk with Ron and Debra Hayes. They work at the Doraville Pregnancy Center. Their office is across from mine at the church.
Went by Azalea to check on my kids. Jouvens said he had a date tonight. I slipped him a $20 to have a good time on. It struck me as to how much he’s like a son to me. We’re still working on getting his documentation squared away.
Ran 4 miles. My knee really hurt last time I ran. Today I felt fine. I think I ran a little too hard last time. I find myself racing with people that pass me. Most of the time I pass them back. Except for those High School Track or Soccer guys. Those guys run like dad gum antelopes.
Ashley, Kathy and I finished working on the mailing the newsletters out. It shares a lot of our background which I think people find interesting.
We went to the missions on Roswell road to check on our team from Powell, Tennessee. They were passing out clothes to the residents that they shared with this summer. Great response from the residents.
Ashley and I went to Eastside Baptist Church this evening. We set up our booth and fellowshipped with many of the congregation during the missions banquet. I was one of the missionaries that spoke at the meeting.
Ready to rest. I need to get up early. Have to be back in Marietta at 9 am tomorrow morning.
Just finished cleaning the house. I’m trying to help a lot so that Kathy can stay off her foot since she had surgery yesterday. I’ll go get the groceries in a little while.
Produced the newsletter. I’m printing it right now, then I’ll take it to my copy place and print them. Then over to the grocery store—which is the last errand on the list K gave me to do. Vacuum, clean spider webs, blow the back porch, and fix the screen on Jesse’s window.
I hope to get some exercise today, probably run 4 miles.
I plan on getting most of the newsletters written so I can mail them tomorrow. Ashley and I will be going to Eastside Baptist Church for their missions conference tomorrow.
I worked on my article for the newsletter today. It’s nearly two pages long which is about twice as much as I normally write. This edition talks about my best friend–Kathy! She’s on staff with us now at Whirlwind Missions, which is very exciting! So I wrote a background piece about her and our ministry together.
Ashley and I also worked on printing out all the labels we need to produce the newsletter. She also went to Stapels to pick up supplies and to the Post Office for stamps.
Jesse practiced his driving today. He drove all four of us to Doraville where Kathy went in for her foot surgery. Dr. Mel Colon is a friend and partner of mine and did the procedure for Kathy as a favor to me. He runs an International Clinic that provides low cost assistance to people without insurance. Lots of people in that category! The Doctor and I talked about the needs of the community and how best to provide health care for them. I think it can be a very exciting partnership!
Kathy’s surgery went well. He had to cut out a hard mass in the heel of her left foot. The doctor thinks it was probably caused by the last cortisone shot that Kathy got for her heel spur problem. He really wrapped it up well. She’s supposed to stay off it for three days.
Later we went over to Azalea to check on the kids at the mission. They also helped me do the labels for our newsletters. I took over doughnuts as a special treat. I also went over to one of the kid’s house to fix their computer. Usually it’s something pretty obvious.
I still need to put the finishing touches on my newsletter.
Today I met with the Chamblee Doraville Property Managers Association group. These guys are some of my best friends. We had a fascinating program about the International Village that is being built in Chamblee.
I took the notes for the meeting and sent them an email with it as an attachment.
I also developed a data base for the managers and associates in the organization. Attached that too.
Most of my day was spent calling the 33 managers where we’ll have outreach on November 10. I contacted all of them, but need to follow up on about three. That day will be the single biggest outreach in Atlanta’s history.
Talked with my partner at First Baptist Atlanta Derrick Poston about final preparations for the outreach and to make sure the media knows about it.
I was on the phone a LOT today. No matter how short it is, multiply it by 35 and it’s going to take some time to get through the list.
Thank you, Lord for the RAIN! It seems like a miracle after being so dry.
One of the biggest Outreach Events every year is during Impact Atlanta hosted by First Baptist Atlanta. Derrick Poston and I went over the logistics of the event and determined we could cover 30 apartment complexes plus five housing subdivisions. We’ll be hosting a cookout with face painting, balloon animals, games and people will share the evangecube–a simple Gospel message.
I went back to talk with the manager of Columns at Lake ridge. He rescinded a previous decision and decided to let us host the Outreach Event at his complex. Great news! There are 5 families from FBA who live there.
Tomorrow I’ll drop off the food list to my buddies at Kroger on Rockbridge. It’s the biggest single order of that store each year. We’ll feed at least 3,000 people.
Still trying to rebuild my data base from my lost email contacts. Bahd luck.
I taught four classes today at Providence Christian Academy for my friend Dr. Carl Barrington. I enjoyed sharing about our ministry at Whirlwind Missions with the kids. I hope that a few of them will get involved with the missions in that area.
Took care of my admin tasks.
We had about 1/4″ of rain today. Keep it comin’, Lord!
I went to a board meeting of Communities in Transformation this morning. The other folks on the board are really big deals. I always give the field perspective. My partner is a part of the Chic-Fil-A organization. She’s in charge of this new part of their structure. It very well could have national importance. I hope to be a part of that bigger picture.
After the board meeting I went to catch the last part of the UNITE meeting, but everyone had already left the building. Bahd luck. If you guys ever figure out how to be in more than one place at a time, send me that memo. That would be very helpful!
Finished going through my email.
Called Blue Cross Blue Shield about Ashley’s medical coverage. She turns 19 in a month and will go off our family coverage since she’s not a full time student. Whirlwind will cover her. If she goes back to school next year, she’d go back on the family policy.
Went by the Columns at Lake Ridge today. The manager decided not to have us do a party there. That was a shock to me since we work in 5 of their properties. I could go over his head to his boss who is a long term partner of mine, but I don’t think that’s how to start a relationship with him.
I’ll go over to Azalea in a few minutes to check on the kids and their homework.
I had lunch with a couple of partners today Doug and Jan Kennedy. She’s a great networker and I always get good ideas from her. Also met with her friend Sara who is raising money to do church planting in Scotland. Believe me, that would be a hard mission field. Europe is a very dark place.
After IHOP with my friends, I picked up Jouvens and we took the van over to Chattahoochie Baptist Church on Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta. They had a bunch of the old 6 foot wooden tables that are super heavy and tough as nails. Because they’re so heavy most churches haves stopped using them. They’re great for the missions, they’re just not great to move around.
Jouvens and I loaded up 12 tables and then went way across town to Gwinnett Crossings in Duluth. We dropped off three tables there, two at Adelaide Park and the rest at FBC Doraville. I’ll disperse them later as the need arises—which it always does.
We went by Azalea to help the kids with their homework. Also went to Office Depot to get supplies for some of the kids-poster boards and construction paper.
Talked with one of my police officer buddies from Chamblee. He’s looking for a guy he thought I’d know. I recognized him, but didn’t see him around Azalea that much.
I have a team in town this weekend. I’m giving them the briefing on Thursday morning then introducing them to Jouvens who will be taking the leadership role in showing them around.
K and I plan on taking a few days to get away this weekend. So I have to let my team carry the ball. That’s how they get experience. Ashley will also go by every day, check on them and shoot pictures.
