English as a Second Language for the Neighborhood

Two weeks ago, Julie Malloy from the Lord's Pantry came upstairs and was crying. She wasn't mad or frustrated. She was hearing my wife Jennifer leading an ESL class and our Spanish speaking immigrant neighbors speaking English. It was a long time dream of hers that was happening.

Some months ago Julie had shared her desire with us to see English teaching offered to the immigrants in the neighborhood. Not knowing English was an obstacle to work, shopping and becoming a more integral part of the neighborhood. We had also seen the same need.

My wife, Jennifer has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in West Virginia and in Brownsburg, Indiana. There are now two ESL classes being taught in the neighborhood - an afternoon class of about 15 that Jennifer leads and a second class of about 21 led by a Butler University professor and his students on Thursday evening.

Stephanie Smith, Jeff Parker and I help out in Jennifer's class. We've gotten to know some wonderful people from the neighborhood who really appreciate someone helping them develop better English language skills. I'm including some pictures from the ESL classes.

Next Sabbath is our monthly "Kid's Camp" with the neighborhood children. We're looking forward to seeing the kids - "David and Goliath" is on tap!

Finally, we've gotten the last of the bulk orders from congregations for the booklet "If God So Loved the World, Why Are So Many People Going to Hell?" We will be sending it to the printer and look forward to distributing it.

Guy Swenson,

Common Ground Christian Ministries.

gswenson@NTEvangelism.org

317-707-5026

Burglars Break Into Common Ground Ministry House, But Maybe God Has a Sense of Humor

I got a call Tuesday morning from Troy. The Common Ground ministry house our ministries are rehabbing was burglarized. The police had been called - I jumped into the van and drove downtown to see what had happened. Little did I know that this would turn into a funny morning.

It wasn't funny that the burglars had broken the kitchen window, crawled in and stole ladders, tools, some building supplies and did some vandalism. We lost $500-$600 worth of materials. I had been assembling the components for a burglar alarm - just didn't get it all together in time.

One of our neighbors had scared of some burglars from the house next door on Monday, so Troy took most of his tools out that evening. Saved us big time from having a much bigger loss.

The funny part was what happened to one of the burglars.

I went into the house, looked around and saw a bunch of insulation on the floor. Looking up, I saw this:

As part of the rehabbing we are leveling the floors upstairs. Part of the process is to pull the floor boards. We had put insulation between the joists - like this:

 

The burglars were going from room to room looking for things to steal - and stepped into this one, perhaps thinking there was a gray carpet. The first step was onto that piece of plywood, the second was to a floor joist - and then he slid off as one foot went to the right of the joist and the other went to the left of the joist.

One can only imagine the look on the burglar's face as he fell through the floor, only to be stopped by the floor joist between his legs. We think the third hole came as he was struggling to get out of his predicament.

We figure he got pretty mad and limped into the next room - and kicked what looked like a sheetrock wall. However, we had put sheetrock over a lath and plaster wall - a lot like kicking a concrete wall.

We aren't discouraged. There is a price to pay for anything that is worthwhile doing, including working in a poor neighborhood. We love the people, but there are some whose drug addictions and wickedness cause them to wreck havoc and prey on the poor. A few druggies can steal from so many people that they create a crime wave.

For those of you who are Christians, please pray for our success. We're buying new ladders and tools, fixing the damage and replacing the stolen building materials. So many of our new friends in the neighborhood have had things stolen from them - one of them joked with me saying "Welcome to the neighborhood!"

We're focusing on making something good out of this. The previous week we had our first meeting to begin a neighborhood association. During the meeting it was said that people in this neighborhood  haven't established an effective neighborhood crime watch because they feel the police treat those reporting crimes as potential criminals themselves. I hope a neighborhood association can come together so we can begin breaking down some of those walls and start "community" policing practices.

We now can speak as a neighbor who has also suffered from thieves.

It still strikes me as funny when a burglar falls through a floor - and ends up straddling a floor joist. I don't know if God had any direct part of it, but there is humor when somebody stealing from a ministry house ends up paying an immediate price for his wicked action.

Let's see what happens next...

Guy Swenson
Pastor
gwenson@NTEvangelism.org
317-707-5026

PS: Services this week - same time, same place!

Mission Indianapolis

I wish I could tell you all the neat things happening because of our mission to serve the poor, elderly, fatherless and widows in our own "back yard." I can't tell you everything because I want to respect the privacy of others.

But it is facinating to watch God's hand at work in people's lives. Spending time each week in the neighborhood has opened my eyes to see more need, more opportunity and more of how God is at work.

Our congregation is working in other ways too. This Sabbath we are hosting our monthly "Kids Camp" at Anna's House. We use this time to teach basic Bible stories to the kids and lessons that God wants us to learn. Last month it was Noah and obedience - this Sabbath it is faith and Joshua.

If you have wanted to become a better servant of God, consider how you can serve the poor. For us, we began by working with other groups that already had connections with the poor. From that beginning we have followed opportunities and looked for the leading of God's Holy Spirit.

You won't regret the time you spend and the things you will discover about God, your neighbors and yourself.

One more thing: This past weekend we helped the Cincinnati Church of God by hosting the President's Day Young Adults Retreat. The setting was the Jameson Camp, located just minutes from the Indianapolis Airport.

About 70 people spent a great weekend together with social time, great food, church services, learning and sharing opportunities and just plain fun. We appreciate Jim O'Brien and the Cincinnati Church of God for their leadership in creating opportunities like this.

Guy Swenson
gswenson@NTEvangelism.org
317-707-5026

Funny How Focusing On Ministry Works Out

Funny how focusing on ministry works out.

Common Ground is rehabbing an old home to be used as transitional housing and for church activities in a near-westide neighborhood in Indianapolis. On Thursday we got a helping hand from two companies. Pete Malloy from Jobsite Supply in Indianaapolis knew we've been doing a whole-house rehab on a shoe-string budget and contacted Tim Kenworthy from Fomo Products. Tim sent a team the 240 miles from Norton, OH to demonstrate the ability of their low-pressure foam system to seal a house from heat-robbing air infiltration for a weatherization class that was invited to observe.

It was a blessing to have the house sealed like this before we did the rest of the insulation. But things didn't work out the way I expected.

When I arrived at the house not all the prep work was done. Not a big problem - but my friend Troy, whose volunteer ministry helping the poor helped get us started in the neighborhood, wasn't focusing on getting it done.

Instead, a woman who was attending the weatherization class was talking to him and Troy was telling her about his throat cancer treatments, how his health crisis woke him up, he stopped being a drug dealer and what he was doing to help build up the neighborhood that he had been destroying. In my mind I was thinking "Troy, that is good but we've got to open up the floor downstairs so they can spray the foam on the joists and sill plates." I didn't say anything - I figured that we would lose a few minutes with Troy not focusing on the prep, but we would still get the final prep work downstairs finished while the upstairs was being sealed.

A few minutes later this woman came up to me and asked "Why did Troy tell me that story?" I mumbled something about, "Well, that is Troy." (I love Troy - he is completely upfront with people and under his crusty exterior he has a real gift of empathy.) Another few minutes and this lady dashes downstairs. Then Troy goes downstairs.

A few more minutes go by and the foam application demonstration upstairs is continuing. (They sealed the house up tight as a drum.) But I don't hear the sound of saws downstairs, so I go downstairs to see if there is a problem.

Troy is there with the woman and her husband. They've been crying together. Turns out the woman had had surgery in her neck for cancer.  Troy talking about his cancer and how he is dealing with it caught her totally off guard and gave voice to deep-seated concerns she had. She wasn't sure how much to give to God and what she should be doing. Then they shared with me how they were supporting a 29 bed drug addiction rehabilitation home in Richmond, IN as a ministry and valued greatly what we were doing. We're looking forward to getting to know them better.

Then Tim from Fomo Products came to review the project and we talked. He loves ministry work. He had gone to New Orleans after Katrina to work on homes. We compared notes about Katrina relief - Common Ground had organized a Katrina relief project in Pascagoula, MS to help. Tim was thrilled that this project was helping a ministry.

While we were talking, the man applying the foam (also named Tim) pulled off his mask and told us about his best friend who lives south of Indianapolis and owns an appliance repair business. He said he was going to call his friend and see about getting some appliances donated.

When I am in my "driver" mode I focus on getting things done. Looking at the series of events on Thursday morning, for those familiar with the story in Luke 10, call me "Mr. Martha." You see, Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping serve the crowd at the house where Jesus was teaching. Jesus helped Martha realize that there was a higher set of priorities - and listening to Jesus was a higher priority.

Now friends, don't call Troy "Mr. Mary." He won't understand and will probably let you know in colorful terms where you might be heading in the afterlife. (As in "Go to ____") But a little later, Troy told me that talking to this woman about her needs was more important than getting the insulation done.

You know, Troy was right about what was important. That morning, I think Troy was listening to Jesus. As it turned out, it wasn't and either/or situation. We could listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and get the house sealed.

What was remarkable to me was that "by accident" I made 4 new friends who are interested in helping the poor, those imprisoned with addictions and sharing blessings with others.

It wasn't "by accident." When I focus on ministry - works of service - God connects me with more people in a different way. A few years ago I didn't know how to engage in this kind of ministry. Being open to opportunities and saying "yes" to some of them has given God the means to teach me.

It's kind of funny how focusing on ministry works out.

Guy

****** 

On a "Martha" note, this week we are having Sabbath services at 2:30 PM at the MTC office. Next week we are helping the Cincinnati Church of God host the President's Day Young Adults Retreat here in Indianapolis. Our services will be combined with the retreat. Call Common Ground at 317-707-5026 if you have any questions or interest.

Guy Swenson
guy@cg-cm.org

Kid's Camp, Our Next Sabbath and Did You See the Booklet?

Ministry:
What a great day! We had 28 neighborhood kids plus 24 helpers and their kids for a total of 52 at our Kids Camp on Sabbath. Noah was the topic this time - a "super" hero of the Bible. You'll see kids having a good time in the pictures below.

This children's ministry focuses on helping young children to learn the basics about the Bible and to introduce them to God and Jesus Christ. We tell stories about the key people and events while relating values and life lessons.

Many of these kids are like little sponges. For some, it is the only place they learn about what it means to be a Christian.

Church Services:
Sabbath, January 23rd, we will be meeting at our normal location, the MTC office at 7545 Rockville Road - at 2:30 PM.

Booklet:
Did you notice the booklet link on the front page? "If God So Loved the World ... Why Are So Many People Going to Hell? It challenges some traditions and shares the story of the real hope that comes from understanding clear Bible teachings about God's plan of salvation.

Several congregations are pitching in together to order a bunch to be printed on February 1st. Read the download and if your congregation is interested in getting bulk copies for discipling or evangelism, email me or Jim O'Brien (jimobri@gmail.com) before then. The donation needed is $2.00 per booklet - if we get a big order and the costs per booklet are lower, your congregation will get more more copies for the donation made.

Have a great week!

Guy

Guy Swenson
317-707-5026
guy@cg-cm.org

Pictures from Kid's Camp:

Local Kids - and Haiti

This is a good news/bad news message. The good news is that we have our monthly "Kid's Camp" for neighborhood kids at Ana's House this Sabbath. We're starting a "Super Hero's of the Bible" series. Noah is the first one. 25-39 kids come each time - it is a lot of fun. Jennifer and I helped serve dinner in "the neighborhood" this week. Both of us were encouraging the kids eating dinner to come. Most didn't need any encouragement. One little fellow kept giving me "high fives" - he was so excited about "Kid's Camp."

Now the bad news: Haiti. One family that helps us with Kid's Camp each month went to Haiti last year on a mission. One of the ladies on that mission (Karen Lydick) went back and is in Haiti now.

Let me copy a letter they passed on to us from the mission agency. It is touching and if you are looking for a place to send some financial help, this could be a good spot.

January 13, 2010

Dear Friends,

Gretchen sent us an update from Haiti early this morning:

Hi Everyone,

We did not get any sleep last night. We had a second quake that occurred about midnight and then tremors every 10 minutes all night long. Most of the women are afraid to sleep in the building so they brought mattresses and couches out and slept on the ground.

The grounds are packed with Haitian people and Pastor Rabrun came and got me about 1 a.m. because of a woman having a baby and I don't know anything about birthing babies so they sent for someone to help deliver her but then a man and woman came to me and said their little boy's arm was cut off in their home when the wall collapsed. He is 18 months old and all he had of a right arm was a stub above the elbow. I had to dress it and use duct tape for a pressure bandage as that is all we have and then I gave him some sleeping medicine I don't know how he is this morning. I hope he didn't die like the other one whose body is wrapped in a shroud and is laying in the hut! That precious little boy had his leg slit wide open and lost too much blood before he got here. The mother is here on the grounds somewhere.

We don't have supplies to treat all the people here...they are coming here in large numbers with broken limbs and severe wounds. The Grand Goave Hospital collapsed too.

If the U.N. or someone can drop us some supplies we can begin working in clinic but since we are not typically a critical or urgent care center we don't do much trauma work and have little supplies. So please see what you can do to get us some things.

We are going to try to get the school kitchen cleaned up and begin feeding the people of the community but many of our Haitian staff spent the night here last night due to damage of their homes and fear of them collapsing. Most of the school classrooms are gone! One truss has come down in the church. We have about 1 container full of KAH food here and 2 in customs. So we have to try to begin feeding people.

Peggy Wilson was able to walk out to the yard to sleep on a mattress because she didn't want to stay in the dining hall due to tremors. So she apparently is a bit better. But still needs care that we can't get for her since the roads are impassable.

A pipe broke in my bathroom here and it broke off right at the wall so we have no water in our mission house. And the water coming out of the pipes in the dorm is infiltrated and coming our brown so I don't know how long it will be before Bobby can track that down and get it fixed.

Erma, Christi, Karen Lydick and I slept in the 2004 red Ford cab last night because again, our house shakes really bad and many things broke in the quakes. We still have electric but as I said, no water right now.

We still don't have cell service so we can't do much to find out how the kids are at our orphanage and I can't contact Firmin to see if it's possible to send containers in and bypass the usual customs clearance process like we did in the fall of 2008. I'll let you know if we get news on this.

More later! And keep us in your prayers. (End of the letter)

Please continue to keep the Haitians, women's team, staff and situation in your prayers. Specifically, keep the Children's Home in your prayers. The Home, which cares for 90 children and adults, is located in Port au Prince and we have not been able to contact them.

We are continuing to assess the situation in Haiti and will keep you updated on how you can help. Please visit Lifeline's website - www.Lifeline.org - for updates and pictures from Gretchen.


Thank you and God bless,

Bob DeVoe
Lifeline Christian Mission
www.Lifeline.org
614-794-0108

Traveling Sabbath

This Sabbath will be a traveling week for our congregation. Jennifer and I will be visiting with congregations in Brownsburg and Cincinnati. No local services will be held on January 9th.

Next Sabbath, January 16th, we will be conducting our children's ministry "Kid's Camp" at the Lord's Pantry at Ana's House. From 2:30 - 5:00 PM we will be sharing a story on a Bible "hero," crafts and a snack. This is the first chance some of these kids get to hear about God, Jesus and the good news in the Bible.

Guy

Guy Swenson
317-707-5026
guy@cg-cm.org