The First Encounter to Mission Centers of Houston

My first week in Houston is coming to an end which is kind of exciting because that means that on Monday the real work begins. Missions Center of Houston serves two different neighborhoods in the inner city: Near North Side and Magnolia. If you don't know anything about inner city Houston or know very little let me paint you a picture like one of the staff here did for our group of mission interns.

There is a beautiful scene of the downtown that we walked to on the first full day in Houston. The city skyline truly a sight to behold and no random giant buildings or billboards blocking out the view. That image, is what hundreds of men, women and children get to look at every day behind a barbed wire fence. Downtown Houston, a city that promises days full of life, art and culture separated from the communities with a barbed wire fence. 

 It's not that the people in these neighborhoods just have a different viewpoint though. The people of this community are people that won't get the opportunity to have  what the downtown city skyline represents, opportunity to do great things, opportunities for a better life, and so many grand things. 

That image is what we began our orientation with. The people we will be working with see that opportunities for things are out there but they also see that there are barriers that prevent them from even touching the outskirts of those opportunities.  With that image we began our orientation, to hear of who we will be serving and loving and sharing God's word with. We will be leading kids clubs for children who may not have a father in the home for whatever reason, whether due to incarceration, deportation or the fact that the fathers weren't ever in the picture.  We are serving single mothers who are learning English for the first time. We are serving the seniors who have lived in these neighborhoods longer than I have been alive.  We are serving in a neighborhood where gangs, drugs, violence, prostitution, and human trafficking run rampant. We are serving neighborhoods that are broken and neglected. WMy first week in Houston is coming to an end which is kind of exciting because that means that on Monday the real work begins. Missions Center of Houston serves two different neighborhoods in the inner city: near north side and magnolia. If you don't know anything about inner city Houston or know very little let me paint you a picture like one of the staff here did for our group of mission interns. There is a beautiful scene of the downtown that we walked to on the first full day in Houston. The city skyline truly a sight to behold and no random giant buildings or billboards blocking out the view. That image, is what hundreds of men, women and children get to look at every day behind a barbed wire fence. Downtown Houston, a city that promises days full of life, art and culture separated from the communities with a barbed wire fence.  It's not that the people in these neighborhoods just have a different viewpoint though. The people of this community are people that won't get the opportunity to have  what the downtown city skyline represents, opportunity to do great things, opportunities for a better life, and so many grand things.  That image is what we began our orientation with. The people we will be working with see that opportunities for things are out there but they also see that there are barriers that prevent them from even touching the outskirts of those opportunities.  With that image we began our orientation, to hear of who we will be serving and loving and sharing God's word with. We will be leading kids clubs for children who may not have a father in the home for whatever reason, whether due to incarceration, deportation or the fact that the fathers weren't ever in the picture.  

 We are serving single mothers who are learning English for the first time. We are serving the seniors who have lived in these neighborhoods longer than I have been alive.  We are serving in a neighborhood where gangs, drugs, violence, prostitution, and human trafficking run rampant. We are serving neighborhoods that are broken and neglected. We are serving people made in God's image. 

Missions Centers of Houston has been serving  the community for over 50 years.  And those years have not gone wasted, there is a light amidst the darkness here and though there is pain in the neighborhoods there is also hope. God has been working here long before I even discovered these centers and he will continue to be at work. As I look forward to the beginning of my work at the Joy Mission Center I can't help myself but get excited to know of all the great things that God will continue to do here and I can't help but remind myself how blessed I am that I get to see God work in the lives of all involved, missionaries included! There are a total of 19 young adults that are on the 2013 Summer Missionary intern team and I am grateful of that I get the opportunity to walk alongside them and serve our great God. So I ask of you, as you are sitting at the screen reading this or as you live your life these next two months if Houston comes to your mind, pray. Pray for Mission Centers of Houston, the mission team here (summer and long term), the people that come into the centers, and the people that pass by our doors. Please pray for God to continue his great work in this city because greater things are yet to come and because God has mighty plans in store for this community.