Harroll, Derrick, and Ajah.

Well we got back from New Orleans yesterday. And I long to go back soooo badly! While we were there many people we met on prayer walks told of us of how they NEVER go down the street to 7th and Danneel. This is because the last time they went down there they were shot at, beat up, robbed and so on. While we were there we saw nothing of this. As Mike said "We owned the street" by the end of the week, while not us, but Jesus. Over the week we handed out more than 750 copies of the Bible, and over 15 people came to know the Lord. I think that's a pretty good week, wouldn't you say so?

But let's move on to some of the beautiful kids I spent time with:

This is Harroll:

He is 3 years old. His mother was shot and stabbed to death on Friday, the day we drove back to Texas.  I had the chance to talk to his mother a few times during the week, she was a very nice woman. They lived not to far from where we worked all week. Please pray for him, his family, and the neighborhood in general.

This is Derrick [aka D]:

Photo credit Ashley Howard.

D is my best friend from New Orleans, he is 9 years old now. While I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with him this year it was still so amazing to see him again! Alex, a middle schooler from my church, was teaching him drum beats. Whenever D learned a new one he was sure to find me to show me. Whenever he did, or was about to do, something he was proud of he would find me. It made my heart soar to hear him yelling my name over the music, and to see him running to me to let me know something. I LOVED getting to sit back and watch Alex love on D. It really meant so much to me to see someone else love on him for Jesus. My first year there, 2009, D prayed to accept Christ. This year I got the chance to talk to him more about that. While he didn't remember praying with me, he told me about a time when he prayed last month for Jesus to come into his heart. We talked about what that means exactly, and how it affects his life. BEST CONVERSATION EVER. Not only did I get to share Jesus with him years ago, I got to further explain what a life following Jesus means. Oh if I could put into words my joy. 

I spent a good deal of my time this year with this precious child, Ajah.

Ajah is four years old.  She is so sweet. She didn't talk to many people other than me, unless I told her to ask them for something or to say hi to them after they said hi to her. She and I laughed and laughed, I have her raspberries on her face and she would squeal and then give me one. I can't think of a sweeter sound than a child squealing and laughing. She took my camera and loved taking pictures. I have several of her beautiful face that she took herself. On Wednesday we talked for a bit about Jesus and His love and sacrifice for us, but being four she wanted to go play rather than talk. Pray that seeds were planted in her life. Pray for her and her brother Tyrell. 

If you have a lot of time to kill ask me about my amazing spring break. I would love to tell you all about it!