December of 2010, I had been unemployed for 6 months. My home had just been broken into for the second time. I knew that God had His hand on me, and that everything would be ok. After all, my son and I were still in great health. It was very difficult, but I kept my faith that things would be different very soon, as in, the new year. I began looking for an apartment with no job, but I wasn't staying there. One apartment manager asked if my mom was interested in a site manager position. My mom wasn't interested, but I was! Oh I NEEDED that job. It included and apartment as part of the salary. I called about it from before Christmas until I got the postion on MLK Day. Ive never felt so much like a stalker, by the way! In all of that month's waiting time, I begged God for this job. Begged, begged, begged. But about a week before I received the news, my heart and intentions changed. As bad as I needed that job and that apartment, I began looking at the reasons they needed me, a servent of God. "Look at the opportunity I would have there, God", I would tell Him. "There are so many kids there, Im sure. Working with kids is my gift from You, let me use that there!!" I kept my promise to my Lord. Now, I didn't go in there with a bang or anything. No, "Hi, I am Ms. Brittany, and Jesus died for you, so come to church with me!" Nothing like that! It actually took a while and began with Caden inviting two little boys to church (RA's) on Wednesday nights. Then any kid that was outside when we were leaving we would have them go and ask their moms and then they would join us. In June, the church asked if they could have the VBS kickoff at our apartments. They came over and provided sno cones and hot dogs, along with a Bible story and a craft. After that, they began bringing the church bus over on Wednesday evenings to pick up the children. When the school year began, the church changed kids choir to be on Wed evenings as well. This was a great change that gave these kids an opportunity to learn how worship Him. So now, the bus comes at 4:30, they play in the gym a bit, have choir at 5, eat about 6, and have RA's, GA's, and Mission Friends at 6:30 and leave about 7:45. I always tell them when they get off of the bus to finish their homework, so that they'll only have to take showers when they get home! Yes, I want to be all of their Mamas! They are faithfully out waiting at 4:00, asking when the bus is coming for "Bible Study", as they call it! It makes my heart happy when there is a bus full of loud kids, so excited to go to church. See, kids inviting kids to church is very, very dear to me. I am a strong believer in the following: kid invites kid to fun Wed night church, kid has so much fun and wants to come back on Sun morning service, kid hopefully asks the Lord into their heart, or just loves it so much that the parents then want to come and see what all this is about, or maybe just to support their kid in their decision. There you go, of course you pray for these kids and their parents throughout. My story is very similiar. I did not grow up in chuch, I went with Becca. Then I went in youth and always known that I wanted my family to be in church. I am sorry this is so long, I just had to give a good background!
One Wednesday evening, I was not able to help with GA's because Shane was coming to get some things from my apartment. When I returned to get Caden, I was told that 8 boys had recieved Christ as their Savior. I died. I went from a normal chat, to crying my eyes out and NOT being able to stop when learning that 3 of which were MY boys. And another was a very close friends son. I tried to talk to the boys and tell them I was proud of them, but I was SOBBING. I can not begin to explain to you what it feels like to have the Holy Spirit come over you. It is an experience like no other. I just start crying and can not stop. I feel so close to God in those moments. If you have never had one, you probably do not understand the changes in my life. I pray that you may have one, and feel this way soon. After the three experiences like this I have had this year, -one being when I received the job offer, one Im not ready to share, and the other is this news about the kids- I will NEVER leave my Lord. He has blessed me beyond measure this year, all because I have been faithful to Him and I am ready for anything He may ask of me. I will follow. It will NOT be easy, tragedies will come, I will be hurt more, but I will always look to Him as my Guide.
Malichi is the first kid that made an impression on me. He is such a gentleman. He is not shy at all, and never fails to ask, "How are you doing today?" He made the decision to follow Christ that evening. He has since then been going to Sunday morning services, with or without me! He was baptized last Sunday along with 3 other boys from our church. I. AM. SO. PROUD. OF. HIM. Please pray that these kids from the complex will continue to seek the Lord even when I am gone. Please pray that they will continue to seek Him when they are grown. The seed has been planted and I give God the glory!!!!!
So happy!!
With his family
With Ms. Patricia, our neighbor
This gets my heart everytime.
I am so proud of you!!
