Jesse and I enjoyed working with the YMCA teams today. They are doing a fabulous job at Hamptons at Lenox, Highland at Sutton Place, Huntington Creek and Huntington Station. The even provided a delicious lunch for the kids! What a blessing.

Then we went to pick up supplies for the Outreach Event we’re hosting at Huntington Ridge where the Palmers are serving. They are supposed to have the pool open this Saturday, but the inspector said a couple of things weren’t right, so it may be closed when we have the party. It’ll still work out. We’ll have plenty of food, games, balloon animals and face painting for the kids!

Have you ever heard of a “set out?” Perhaps you’ve gone done the street and wondered what all some family’s stuff is doing on the side of the road? If a family doesn’t pay their rent on time and are a couple of months late, the apartment owners have the opportunity to call the sheriff to come and SET OUT their stuff from the apartment! The maintenance guys then come and change the locks on the door so the family can’t get back in. It’s a very traumatic event for a family. Unfortunately, it happens frequently at the complexes where we work, including Huntington Ridge.

I visited the Palmers last week and asked them if they knew about the set out around the corner from their apartment. They had never seen anything like that and had no idea that that’s what was going on. Of course they were aghast that a family was literally being kicked out of their house and onto the street. Some of the children that they work with were affected by the situation and were terribly upset.

Cathy Palmer came up with the idea that maybe it would help the kids if we could give them a little snack. Perhaps a little food basket just to ease their immediate suffering. I thought it was a good idea so Jesse and I also perused the store looking for tuna cups, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and other assorted “comfort” food.

A few months ago when the Palmers were on their way here, Cathy mentioned to me a couple of situations that were a “crisis” in her mind. I told her pretty bluntly that what she was talking about wasn’t a crisis at all, but merely an inconvenience that could be worked out rather easily. I reminded her of that this afternoon while we were talking about the set outs in the community. She nodded in total agreement. It’s all a matter of perspective.

From time to time I come into contact with people that are depressed. One thing I always encourage them to do is to help other people. Once we get to helping people and learn the problems that they’re dealing with, our problems just don’t seem so major any more.

Helping helps us.

It’s fun to spend time in fellowship. J and I enjoyed Colombian food with the Palmers.

This evening I had the opportunity to introduce the Palmers and Keith Harrell to one of my favorite pastors, Carlos Salaverria. We’ve worked together for about 6 years now. His church has now moved into the Norcross area near some of our missions. I had an opportunity to give a short testimony (in Spanish!) to the congregation this evening. I asked them to please come and help us this Saturday with the event at Huntington Ridge. Pray that several families will come help us!

J and I didn’t get home till after 10pm. Long day, baby.

Love you guys.

(PS. Libby, I hope you come and visit your sister in Atlanta one day. Us Africans have to stick together!)