258,209.5 miles & still running...

That's right, my car, the Honda Accord from 1983 is still alive and well. We had a scare last week when it wouldn't start, but the Auto Doc says my car should last another year! Amazing!

Last week was overwhelmingly busy with service-learning work for Eastern in the City. I've been able to organize about six students working on the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service-- which is really exciting! They start working on the event this week at the United Way. On Friday I took a group of seven students down to Urban Promise Ministries in Camden, New Jersey. Camden is the poorest city in the US of it's size, and in general is not doing so well (Dr. Campolo said in a talk once that you don't have to leave the US to go to a third world country, Camden is right across the river). The EIC students and I were given a tour of this amazing ministry that provides schooling for K-12th graders in this community. The students who go to the school each only have to pay $50 a month in order to attend. There is a K-8 school inside a renovated church, and a High School in it's own brand new building. Across the street is a gym and a lunchroom that everyone shares. People who are in the Mission Year program (a year long program where people serve in the inner-city and live in community together)also live right next to the school and work with the ministry (either in afterschool programs, or in the school itself). It was an honor to be able to work with them. The Eastern in the City students will be going down every Friday to work as classroom assistants. One of the students is going to be teaching an independent high school English class! I was able to help out with the fourth grade class for the day, and was glad to be around kids for a while. Did you know that cootie catchers (which are now referred to as fortune tellers) are still the thing to make in the 4th grade? The Eastern in the City students enjoyed their time so much they asked me if they could come earlier in the day so that they could spend more time at the school!

On Friday afternoon another couple of students and myself went to Circle Thrift Store where we sorted clothes. Circle Thrift provides jobs for the community, affordable items, and a dignified shopping experience for their customers. They also donate a large amount of their proceeds to the Mennonite Central Committee (which is an organization that does relief work around the world, like in Bangladesh, where my friend Cicely is!).

My co-worker & good friend from last year, Amaris, came and joined us at the thrift store! Amaris was in town from New Orleans for the weekend, and met up with me and the EIC students for a bit. Then we were able to go out for dinner and catch up, which was really great. It's amazing how much has changed since last year, when we were working together in Chester. But God has been faithful and good in both of our lives.

So, all in all, it's been a busy week. This week will bring about all sorts of adventures, I'm sure.