How does a house become a home? Fill it with friends, family, laughter, hard work, memories, and more. The Treehouse has become our home. Our includes Marcus (our happy friend pictured with roller in hand), Becky and Mee La (who carefully taped, trimmed, and painted the women’s fellowship room), Terri and Stephen (our Northpark Baptist friends who are electrical magicians), John and Bubba (who can rip out a toilet faster than you can say “flush”), Ellie and Josephine (our village neighbors who cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom), Kimarius and Daniel (an 11 year old from the village and his mentor who learned how to tape and mud sheetrock from Alfredo), the Hurd gang (who tackled the teen room and WON), and so, so many more. Work days became wonderful days of making this house our new home. Thank you to everyone who joined in to build The Treehouse! More work days are ahead…
Christmas Caroling in the Village
I love the idea of Christmas Caroling. In part, because I love to sing, but also for the beautiful mental picture it evokes. When I think of Christmas Caroling in the Village I think of a Charles Dickens' scene complete with snowy cobblestone streets, lampposts softly burning, men in top hats, and women wearing muffs singing in perfect harmony as children peek out of the upper windows of their houses.
Yesterday, my Charles Dickens' scene was adjusted to a much more real and meaningful afternoon of caroling. It wasn't snowing, but was delightfully sunny and warmer than most days in December. There were no top hats, muffs, or perfect harmonies. And the children? They weren't peeking out of the windows (actually, that did happen at one house), but were in the center of it all!
Many volunteers gathered at the Treehouse yesterday and were quickly joined by kids from all over the village. We set out in groups singing along the way as we caroled at the homes of widows and widowers in the Village. Necessarily we stopped at kids' homes along the way to sing to their families. Everyone seemed delighted, even the family to which we sang the very long "The Twelve Days of Christmas"!
As we walked down the street singing "Joy to the World", I had a wonderful surprise. Shortly after "the glories of his righteousness..." one of the little girls in our group ran to the back where I was walking and says "Ms. Halie, look, it's talking about righteousness!" and ran back to the front just as quickly. I knew just what she meant. Jesus is righteous and we are not, but he gave us his righteousness. She was remembering Bible Club's lesson from 6 weeks ago.
That afternoon, the Village was not filled with the sounds of car engines, talking, gunshots, or barbecues. It was filled with the sounds of children and adults excitedly proclaiming that the Christmas Season is here! We have hope in his righteousness! There is joy to be found and peace on its way in the form of our God made man!
We are Thankful!
I am so thankful for little moments that remind us of God's bigger plan. This past Sunday a Puppeteer Group from McElwain Baptist Church came and kicked off the holidays with a Christmas Musical Sing-Along! We had a great time! The preschoolers all wanted to know if the puppets were real and even the 5th grade boys were dancing to the music.
I especially loved the story I heard afterwards from one of our volunteers:
I spent this week's Bible Club with my arm around the waist of one of our little girls. Her little form was too excited to sit still without help. It was nearly Christmas and Bible Club was putting on a musical puppet show! She had also heard whispered rumors of presents to be handed out at the end of the day and it was almost too much to handle.
She was in constant motion: clapping to the songs, whispering familiar lyrics, poking my ribs to ask innumerable questions.
Suddenly, she went still. Her eyes fell on one puppet that had just arisen to join the choir. Her finger pointed an accusation, quivering.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked.
"It's a king puppet! It's an old king!"
I glanced at the crown sitting on the white mop of hair and nodded.
"Wait!" She tugged on my arm again. "Is that the old king puppet from the other story? You know, the old king with the castle who tried to have a party at his house but all of the rich people were busy, and his friends said they couldn't come. So then he asked all the poor people to come and his servants went out and they said yes so he had a big party?"
I stared in shock at such an accurate rendition of the Matthew 22 parable we had demonstrated with puppets -- how long ago? "Sweetie, that story was months ago. How did you remember that?"
She just shrugged and giggled and contentedly went back to clapping along.
Given how loud and frenetic our little Bible Club can become it is comforting to remember that little ears are listening and absorbing every minute of it.
~ Abby
There's a first time for everything
There's a first time for everything!!
Friday, Nov 4th, OTM embarked for a night of camping on Lake George in Irondale, and for many it was a first! We arrived around 5pm to set up camp and start a campfire before sundown. All of us were excited to be in the woods eating and sleeping outside!! It was a great night for many first timers as the temperature was a cool crisp 50 degrees F. It took some time for most to settle down, but was a good night!
The morning brought a good time of fishing and fellowship. We also were able to have a baptism at the lake that made the wilderness experience very special!!
Mark Long
A Walk on Ruffner Mountain
I have been to Birmingham on many occasions for the last eight years or so for my daughter Halie’s college searches; undergraduate and graduate studies; for the beginning of her career in education; and most recently for her work with “Oak Tree Ministries.”
I have been on too many hikes and mountaintops to remember in my years with the Boy Scouts. I have even been on hikes with very young Scouts and remember their awe and fascination with being truly outdoors and away from the “city life”.
What I have never experienced before; however, was taking a hike with the children of Marks Village. From what I had seen on only two prior visits, Marks Village consisted of a stark landscape and faceless red brick buildings.
Seeing Marks Village; however, and experiencing Marks Village are two extremely different things. As Halie (a pied piper of sorts) drove the shuttle through the village, stopping at various points to pick up her beloved students; there were hugs for the children and their siblings too young to accompany us on this field trip; kind words of friendship and encouragement between residents and Oak Tree Volunteers; and conversations with the moms and grandmothers who cared for the children.
The children seemed excited to see us and ready for the trip, even if they had never been to a mountain or taken a hike through the woods.
Having heard many stories about the various problems these children faced while growing up in the Village, I was curious as to how a mere “walk in the woods” could or would impact their troubled world.
Nothing magical occurred on the hike or in the nature museum. I saw children being children; learning about the woods; the lichen and moss growing on rocks and trees; finding spider webs and acorns; and merely experiencing nature as all children do. I saw children observing snakes and turtles within their protective enclosures, marveling at their every movement. I heard questions and answered questions and engaged in conversations about camping and fire building; campfires and s’mores.
But I realized this was the very point of the field trip. Children being children; enjoying the outdoors; seeing God’s amazing creation up close and personal; and, just as importantly, sharing their experiences with those who chaperoned the trip, encouraging each child to learn, experience, and soak up all of their surroundings.
For a time; albeit a brief time, away from the Village, the children were like every other child visiting Ruffner Mountain for a field trip.
As the children were instructed before the hike, and as every good Scout knows, when you enter the woods you “leave nothing but footprints and take away nothing but memories.”
What I observed was something quite different on this hike with the Marks Village children. I believe each one, for a brief but important period, left behind the stark red brick buildings and took with them the warm embrace of God’s love shown through the actions of those who took the time and initiative to minister to them.
I know I did.
-Greg
Discipleship Groups!
Just another day of disciple making in Marks Village at our Sunday afternoon Bible Club! Notice the joy on the faces of the volunteers? That is the blessing that comes through mutual transformation as disciples make disciples and are discipled in the process. Isn’t God good! Don’t you want in on this joy - Join us!
Moving out, moving forward
This week, Ambassador for Christ Church informed Oak Tree Ministries that we could no longer continue to use their facilities from which to operate our ministry. We have been so blessed by the wonderful three and half years of ministry alongside them. Our Oak Tree Team thanks the staff and faith family at Ambassador for Christ Church for those years. We will continue to proclaim the Gospel alongside them as we serve in Marks Village.
Oak Tree Ministry must vacate Ambassador for Christ Church by December 1, 2016. Our hope is that we will not miss a beat with our various ministry initiatives including Bible Club and Reading Club as we search for a new home or facilities to host them. Friends, we covet your prayers.
Pray continually for God to provide a facility from which we can continue laboring together in the Gospel with our neighbors in Marks Village. Also pray that God would stir financial supporters to give and make a way for the renovation of the Oak Tree building in the Village.
Volunteers, there will likely be some schedule changes particularly in the month of December, so keep an eye on your email. In the weeks ahead, please stay tuned to the blog and to our Facebook and Twitter pages as we update you on new prayer requests and physical needs.
Finally, pray that God would make us more like Christ during this transition, and that we would keep our eyes on Him, confident that His plans will not be thwarted for His work to be continued always for His Glory until the trumpet sounds.
"Through the praise of children and infants..."
There's a loyal band of Bible Club volunteers who arrive early. They organize the rooms, pack the brown bag dinners, and set up the registration tables like clockwork every week.
Similarly, there are always a few kids who show up weekly before the doors open. They're so excited for the day that they line up in the shade in front of the building and excitedly giggle about the activities about to start up inside.
We can't let them inside until registration opens, but sometimes the volunteers will head out to get first hugs and help the kids count down the minutes until Bible Club begins!
One day, I stepped outside to see quite a few early arrivals and was surprised to see that they were all seated silently against the wall. Then I saw that one of my little second graders was sitting in the middle of all of them. Her bible was open on her lap and she was calmly reading aloud from the book of Isaiah, while several younger kids sat listening as though mesmerized.
I whispered a greeting to her before I moved to duck back inside and she grinned up at me and then put a solemn finger to her lips as she continued to read.
I ran back inside to grab several other teachers and share what God had shown me about the way his name is spreading through the children of Marks Village!
~Abby
A Letter to Volunteers
Volunteers,
As an Oak Tree Staff Member, I want you to know how precious you are! Of course, you make a tremendous difference in the lives of children, teenagers, and adults every time you come to the Village. You come on days when you are tired and could easily stay home. You work selflessly, loving on those you are serving without reward.
But personally, I want you to know how much you minister to me.
I appreciate the emails that contain just a smiley face that lets me know you read my email and are excited about Reading Club tomorrow!
I appreciate the humorous response when I have sent you the wrong date three times for an event!
I appreciate you remembering to pray for our kids on the days that I forget.
I appreciate you reminding me that the gospel is the entire reason we are here.
I appreciate you answering my surveys when you really want to delete that email!
I appreciate you praying for me!
I appreciate you answering my desperate pleas for someone to read a book, lead a craft, or come early to help me set up for an event.
I appreciate you being the hands and feet of Christ to me!
~Halie Kawell
The Women of Marks Village
I wish everyone could know the joy of walking through the village with Teresa and Wanda and watching the Lord at work. We have a list of women who signed up for a visit at Rock the Village and we try to drop in on them and pray with them. Sometimes we get to see those women and sometimes we don't. But God always has women prepared for us to talk with and pray with. Never has a woman responded in a negative way, even if we just see her on the street and ask if she would like prayer. Each one is grateful for the love that God shows them through the healing touch of another woman and the power of God through prayer.
And not just the women. Children swarm to Teresa to ask if it is “church day”. Many times they join hands in our prayer circle and wait patiently while we pray over their mom or grandma or aunt. We pray outside and we pray out loud so that anyone nearby can see and hear. We even had a man chase us down one day and ask for prayer!
God has truly blessed Teresa with the gift of discernment and He reveals issues to her that each woman is struggling with and they respond openly. Wanda, with her gift of service and helps knows exactly what practical issues need dealing with and how to do it. They each seem to know exactly which questions to ask. I am blessed with the responsibility to pray as these conversations take place.
God is at work in the lives of the women of Marks Village! I'm so grateful to Him that I get to witness it.
Praise Him!
Becky