K-Ron and the boyz

We had a volunteer orientation last week for people in the community who want to get involved in what God is doing at our Baton Rouge Dream Center. It was a great group...a few people from Highland, a couple of homeless guys, some Ladies Thrive attendees and a handful of kids that attend our After School program.

Adam Hymel and Miss Alliece were facilitating the session but there was lots of feedback from the audience. We were talking about the core values of of HPC (reach, serve, give and build) and our mission of being a healing place for a hurting world. Miss Alliece was doing a basic teaching on salvation; how we need to be grounded ourselves before we can reach out to others. She asked the group if anyone knew what it was like to lost.

K-Ron is a twelve-year-old who attends after school. He currently has a broken bone in his hand so he has a blue cast halfway to his elbow. At Miss Alliece's question his skinny arm shot straight up. "I got lost in JC Penney one time." The group laughed and Miss Alliece asked what happened. He said, "Well, I was lost, and then I walked around for a long long time til I got found."

That is so the story of my life (minus the JC Penney). I once was lost but now I'm found.

I saw K-Ron a couple of days later...he had just been pulled out of a fight and the police were on their way. Somebody had jumped somebody earlier in the day so now it was time to pick sides and start swinging. He's short, skinny and has a broken hand. And, he's doing everything he knows to do just to survive the day.

We got to pray for him and Charity made a deal with him that he wouldn't fight anybody over the weekend. We made plans for him to help us out at the block party so that he'd have something to do on Saturday other than run the streets. He showed up early.

I really have no idea what all God has planned for us at the Dream Center. I know that the needs are overwhelming, the people are desperate and there aren't enough hours in the day. And, I know that without intervention, there's a very good chance that K-Ron and his friends will die in the streets.

I don't have anything to do with budgeting, financial decisions or anything of the like. I know it costs lots of money to run a facility the size of Winbourne and to do all the outreaches we do across the city. I'm so grateful that HPCers are givers; that we're built on the sacrifices of many. I'm grateful that HPCers don't just take care of their own kids; they take care of the K-Ron's that nobody else is caring for.

Whatever God is doing downtown, I'm excited to be a part of it. I'm excited to see what God is going to do in and through K-Ron. The future's bright, y'all...come be a part of it. All glory to God!