Great Steak and an Even Better Story!

Partnering with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

On September 15th and then again on September 29th we have invited nearly 60 business and civic leaders to hear the story of the Monroe Circle Community Center over a great meal at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. As I shared in a previous post, the management team of Ruth's Chris meet with us late last year and wanted to find ways to have greater impact in the community and wanted to underwrite the entire costs of inviting 120 people for a dinner meeting at their fine restaurant.

Our initial question was, "who in their right mind would want to turn down a dinner for two at on of Michiana's finest restaurant?" Plus, we have a great story to share.

So, we hand delivered each invitation in a Ruth's Chris "doggie bag" along with a video message from Mark Beeson inviting them and their spouse to this special event.

Simply, we are going to share the story of the Monroe Circle Community Center and our belief that together we can change the culture of a community. And, we are going to ask how they might want to get involved.

When No Hope Leads to Despair

One of the privileges I have is to also help lead teams to southern India and work with people very similar to families living at Monroe Circle and nearby neighborhoods. In both communities life seems to be so fragile and sometimes what seems to be the smallest event creates crisis. I think it is in part due to the reality that both communities live on the edge economically and both have been stripped of their self leadership and marginalized by the communities around them.

The lessons I learn and the principles of change seem to be many times cross-cultural so the exciting aspect is the keys to community and individual transformation work worlds apart. Here is one girl's story from 9500 miles away but sadly repeats itself right next door.

Monjue lives in the small Irala colony located just outside of Kalavai, India. I'm beginning to better understand that my agenda is many times not God's primary purpose. You see, I had the chance to lead a team from Granger Community Church to help build a community center, hold conversational English classes and start a micro business in this village. To ensure everything was in place for the team I arrived a few days early to meet with our Indian ground team on Thursday, July 30th. Our plan was to organize the job site so the team would have a great experience. Because Raj (our Indian director) was having neck problems he decided to go directly to Kalavai instead of making the 6 hour trip to meet me at Bangalore airport.

If Monjue was born in the United States she would probably be strongly considering submitting college applications to places like Notre Dame, Stanford or Columbia University. But on this Thursday morning, Monjue picked some poisonous berries and went back to her family's hut and ate them and waited to die. Her best friend found Monjue and ran to the construction site to see if anyone could help save Monjue's life. Raj was there because he had a stiff neck, was preparing for my early arrival and because of these series of events helped save Monjue's life.

You see, Monjue had given up at the age of 15. Her father had left the family six months prior. Her mother had to sell their family's small goat herd to buy food. Her mom was then "contracted" to watch someone else's herd with compensation coming in the form of a baby goat - but only when it was a twin birth. Monjue left school to watch the goats so her mother could look for day labor (and at best earns 80 cents per day if hired) to buy enough food to feed the family. Goat only gives a single birth, Monjue's mom is frustrated, believes Monjue should have taken the goats to "greener pastures" and takes it out on Mongue by beating her. Monjue gives up and tries to kill herself.

A week to the day that Monjue tried to end her life we were visiting her as she watched over the herd. It was over 100 degrees and only 10:30 in the morning. No shade anywhere and because of the lack of rain it was very dry and not a lot of grass to be found. We ask Monjue what she thinks about on these long hot days while watching over someone else's herd. Monjue sits down and begins to quietly cry. She shares that she thinks about going to school and learning so that she might have a better life but realizes this is not a reality in her world. She must watch the goats so her mom can go to town each day in the hope of making less than a dollar for a day's work.

It is because of young girls like Monjue that I am so passionate about a personal mission of mine, The Rhema Project. Not only is the life of unborn (feticide) and newborn (infanticide) baby girls of high importance but we must identify organizations that help educate and empower Indian women. Indian women of all ages are devalued and viewed by the Indian culture as a financial liability yet most times they carry the burden of providing and caring for their family.

I still believe God can with a spoken word allow miracles to change the course of a person's life but most times I think God arranges our steps to have Kingdom impact. I think the life of Monjue was spared because of a series of small steps by Raj and the GCC team. My prayer is that The Rhema Project will not only give Indian girls like Monjue life but hope for a better tomorrow. My prayer is also that we will have a similar impact on the lives of the kids that live at Monroe Circle.

Secrets Out!

We now have signage at MC3 thanks to Tim Markley and Markley Enterprises, Inc.

Each building now has a street address, Monroe Circle Community Center new logo which was designed by Marty Friend and a building usage identification sign for the cafe, food pantry and educational center.

Now, we will no longer need to explain to people that the community center is located just a few blocks west of where Gates Chevy World used to be or just across the street from Fred's Transmission or if you know where St. Hedwig Parish and Community Hall is located you have gone to far!

The graphic design was completed by Lisa DeSelm who works at Granger Community Church in the communications department.

Off to Kalavai!

MC3 inspires KC3

Next week a team of 10 volunteers will be headed to India to begin construction of the Kalavai Colony Community Center.

The colony of Kalavai is a small village where 65 low Irala caste families live - they have been outcast and most times overlooked until a team arrived to help rebuild the village last January.

Kalavai is located in the southern most state of Tamil Nadu, India in the district of Vellore and is approximately 150 miles west of Chennai, India.

It will take the team 3 hours to drive to Chicago (O'Hare Airport), 21 hours flying from Chicago to Bangalore with a stop over in London and a 5 hour bus ride from Bangalore to Kalavai. Since housing is extremely limited the team will be living in tents and bathing in a well with a water level 40' below grade level. The first step is always the most difficult!

Team members include Dan Blacketor, Chad Anderson, Daniel Scott, Les & Velma Rassi, Nancy Leist, Todd Hollingworth, Nancy Tucker, Denise Walsh and Kevin Maggert.

The idea for a community center was birthed when Raj and I were talking how we could help the community break free - education, micro-business and literacy are essential to having any chance of hope for a better life. Raj, our director of Life Mission India has seen and visited MC3. He has seen the transformation and wanted to see if that was possible for a people group 9,500 miles away from the famlies of Monroe Circle. If it worked in Indiana could it possibly work in India?

During our stay we will also be offering conversational English classes, literacy training and micro business development. We probably won't call the afternoon program SonCity Kids but I like the way "Pasangal Kadavul" (Children of God) sounds!

You can follow along on the GCC India Team Blogsite

Volunteers Needed for After-School Program

SCK Expands After-school Efforts

We have the opportunity to make huge strides in our SCK After-school program that will begin later this fall. For the last couple of years we have been helping kids from the community with their homework, reading skills and investing into their lives.

We will be partnering with the South Bend Community School Corporation to install the Compass Learning software and the Madison School LEAP program to Mc3. Watch for more details but we need volunteers that would be willing to work with primary school aged kids (6 to 12) once a week for two hours. You don't need to be a certified teacher because the school corporation is providing several teachers to oversee and instruct.

Food Pantry Volunteers

On the first and third Tuesday mornings (as well as on the 2nd Saturday) of each month the cafe and food pantry at the community center comes alive with activity. Volunteers begin arriving at 7:00 am to begin to set up and turn on the coffee pot. Donated pastries from Panera Bread begin to arrive and by 8:30 there is a small line in front of the door.

Shannon Papp or Jen Adams informs the volunteers of upcoming events or anything special that is going to happen at the pantry that day and Mark Swartz prays us in.

Unlike the early days when guests would rush in do to the fear that there just might not be enough they now come on their own schedule and almost everyone sits down and enjoys a cup of coffee and a little bit of conversation. Today, like most days there is much laughter and joy.

Fred Tschida who ran Ko-op 65 before MC3 renovated the building still shows up early. He and a few others stood in the gap for years many times using their social security and retirement to help buy food for hungry people. Even though he is not feeling 100% as he fights an illness he still engages in friendly banter with many of the guests (and volunteers) before he helps them check out.

Hardie Blake and James Summers from Project Impact stopped by to visit. They were sharing of the exciting things they are doing on the far west side with vocational training and job placement.

On his way out the door at the end of the day, Mike Swartz was sharing how much it means to him to be able to serve at MC3.

"I always leave with more joy, happiness and contentment when I leave than when I arrive - no matter how much I try to give away God always seems to give more back. This place, these people mean so much to me!"

We've been talking about what it would take to open the cafe to the public each day for a few hours. Guests could enjoy a cup of coffee or cold drink, a pastry, engage he conversation with business people and city employees on their way to work, maybe login to the internet or have a small group study.

Better days are ahead because good people stepped in and we serve a great God!

Kingdom Breakthru Sighting!

Yesterday afternoon Amy Kring, Jo (Blacketor) and I had the chance to meet with the superintendent of public schools for South Bend, James Kapsa, Al Large, Mary Chris Adams and Madison School principal, Mrs. Buysee. We have been dreaming and praying how we better equip the Monroe Circle kids that participate in the after-school program. How do we help them become some of the "best and brightest" in their school? How do we use our time to not only build essential and meaningful relationships with these kids but how do we help remediate and then excel their learning abilities?

So, I got to sit back and watch Amy passionately share what her team is doing and the impact they are having on the lives of these kids at Monroe Circle. You can hear in her voice - you can see it in her actions. I watch as Mr. Kapsa listens and smiles.

Then, it is his turn and here is what is says. "What you are doing here is remarkable and we want to do whatever we can to be a part of it! We want to bring Compass Learning to the kids at Monroe Circle." (Price tag = $15,000 to $20,000, our cost = 0, value = priceless).

Then, Principal Buysee jumps in. "We want to bring our LEAP program (after-school remediation) to MC3. I think we can also find two to three teachers that will not only work with these kids but train your volunteers." (Price tag = $7500 to $10,000, our cost = 0). "I can identify the kids that participate at MC3 - they are more engaged, attentive and respectful when they come to school - why wouldn't we want to be a part of that!"

I truly believe almost everyone is attracted to what God's Kingdom brings. They may be a government official, a school administrator or a principal. Just like the Hindu business man that wants to donate property in Kalavai because he can see with his own eyes the change, people want to be a part of God's "goodness and greatness." I think it is our job as followers of Jesus is to attempt to identify where that might be and bring our friends to the party.

Let's get this party started!

MC3 meet KC3

For the last several weeks I have been traveling around southern India in the state of Tamil Nadu. Starting in Bangalore we traveled to Danishpet, Salem, Trichy, Chennai, Kalavai and many other small villages in between. Our goal was to visit people, places and organizations that are concerned with female infanticide, fetacide and the overall devaluation of women in India.

After my last trip to India in December 2008, Brad McElya and I started a cause called The Rhema Project which you can learn more about on Facebook. Shortly, we will be launching a website so that we can better share the story to a larger audience.

One of the key reasons that infanticide is practiced in southern India is education. Education of the individual - especially the girl as well as the poor throughout India. In a small village outside of Kalavai we helped rebuild 12 homes during our December 2009 trip. Last week I was able to visit this same village but it really was not the same village. It went from a group of people connected only by location to a vibrant, caring community. You could see it, smell it, touch it and most importantly feel it.

This summer I have the chance to return with a team of people that will build a community center on the edge of the village. It will be the home for after-school classes, vocational training opportunities, senior care and the hub for ongoing community transformation. Raj, our director of Life Mission India commissioned a rendering and jokingly referred to the community center as the Kalavai Colony Community Center or KC3.

One of the reasons Raj was so passionate about purchasing the property and building a community center in Kalavai is that he had personally experienced the transformation that occurred at Monroe Circle. He witnessed the love and compassion in South Bend and wanted the families of Kalavai to experience the same.

During the announcement ceremonies of KC3 a local Hindu businessman approached Raj and shared that he has been watching this community for the last 6 months and has been so moved by the difference he wanted to do something - so he donated a piece of land to be used by the villagers however they best needed to use it.

When glimpses of His Kingdom appear it is so attractional that regardless of your religion or worldview you are drawn to it. I think many times we "Christians" are so concerned that we need to convert someone before they can become engaged in Jesus' work here on earth that we miss not only great potential but missed opportunities to introduce people to the real Jesus.

Now, this is what Jesus was talk'n about!

Just needed to share this. Every Tuesday night LeRoy King and a group of volunteers serve up a great dinner and talk about faith issues to up to 80 residents that live in and near Monroe Circle. Every time I read his post my mind races to the story about Jesus attending the wedding feast or going to Zacchaeus' house for dinner and conversation. I can just see Jesus loving to hang out at The Gathering, sitting in the corner on one of the high stools and smiling.

If you haven't been to The Gathering it is every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. But don't be late because as you can see space is limited!

Tuesday, April 21ST Gathering:
Submitted by: LeRoy King

...It's been raining most of the day. But like clock work the
guest started lining up outside the door before 6 o'clock, in
the rain. We quickly got the room set up and rushed through our
brief preliminary volunteer meeting... It was 6:15 when we
opened the doors... the guests walk in and are greeted by the
volunteers.

"...I'm upset with you" "What did I do now?" "You got to do
something about us standing outside in the rain..." "But we
don't open until 6:30 (although we opened the doors 15 minutes
early)" "If I waited til then to come I won't be able to get a
seat... and I won't come back..." I apologized and assured her
that we are working on it.

Ray took a seat at one of the tall tables by the large windows
and I asked "how are you doing?" "Not so good..." "What's
wrong?" "I think I got cancer..." Then he cried and said, "I'm
so scared..." I placed my arms around his shoulder to comfort
him and one of the volunteers came over and she held his
hand..."Ray, you are not alone" We continued to encourage him
and prayed for him...

You know, Ray was greeted and touched by loving volunteers from
the moment he entered the building. Even before I noticed him,
someone else... a volunteer... had already prayed for him. Wow!
I can only imagine the "real" ministry that is going on that we
know nothing about...a loving touch, a kind word, a soft
prayer... "Bringing Up There, Down Here..."

We continued the "SexForSale" series with our unique spin on
"The Best Sex Ever." The guests loved the presentation. (I think
they enjoy more my squirming during the LiveTalk sections of the
presentation). They laughed, they stayed engaged, and they
applauded at the end. It was a good night. Some of the guests
thanked us for the topic.

But you should know that when we think its over, it's not...
After the guests were gone, doors shut, and while volunteers are
busy cleaning up... Judy, a lady who is a part of the Monroe
Circle community and usually attends "The Gathering" but wasn't
there this night, showed up at the door. She left an offering
along with a small rose, or maybe a tulip. She left a message of
encouragement with one of the volunteers who met her at the door
and then she left while waving at us through the window. We were
blessed by her gesture...then we looked inside the envelope she
had left with the volunteer. "What...?" There it was...a $50
dollar bill. Wow! I mean... what do you say to that...

Batter Up!

Its official. Major league baseball started this week, the South Bend Silverhawks start to play later this week, public schools are on break this week and Easter is this weekend. All signs that spring is just around the corner but I have even more exciting news.

The boys of Monroe Circle will be participating in Little League Baseball this spring and summer! Ryan Kring is our head coach and we have 14 eager players ready to start practice this week and games to start on April 24th. It also looks like the South Bend Silverhawks players will also help coach and mentor the kids when they are in town and we are finalizing how the kids might be able to spend time in the Silverhawk dugout during games and get a behind the scenes tour of the locker room and other fun stuff.

Opening day parades is scheduled for Saturday, April 24th and the 16 game season is from April 24th thru June 27th. The team will play in the Maurice Matthys league and home games will be played at Matthy's Park

Once we get the schedule I will post it so if you are interested in cheering on the MC3 Bravehearts stop on out.


UPDATE! The season kicks off this Saturday morning with a parade at 9:00 am and the first game begins at 11:00 am at Matthy's park.