Summer Lovin and I'm having a blast!

To all my faithful supporters,
Thank you once again for your constant prayers and support. They are not lost nor forgotten. For the last four weeks I have been doing summer camp which is much like a VBS program for six weeks straight. Although instead of a church running the program and forming the lessons, it is Urban Promise running the program for the church. The Directors and Interns of Urban Promise are the ones who form the Christian programs which in turn help to teach both the un-churched kids and many un-churched street leaders(leaders grades 8-12). One of the perks of this approach to Christian outreach is that kids don't feel awkward about going to church. There is this false idea created by society and acted out by a limit minority of Christians that Christians are overly serious, no fun, perfectionists. This is the stereotype that we are trying to break at Urban Promise. At Urban Promise we want to show people that church is a place were one can have fun, open up and share with others things that are both light, fun and serious. Some of the kids are from our after school program that we had going throughout the year. But a large group of kids are families who join us solely for the summer. They may be first time comers or returning campers. The kids that come to our program are from all different walks of life. Some kids are regular church goers kids and others have never stepped foot into a church but there parents have heard good things about our program from friends or family and may even be of other religious affiliations. Our rates are still quite affordable for summer but those who cannot pay the regular fees we help by finding scholarships for the families or connect them to agencies that may be able to pay part of their way. For the most part nobody gets turned away. It is people like you and other supporters who help keep these kids in Camp, and away from the hard unforgiving culture they are surrounded by. There are two weeks of camp remaining and the work that is happening is incredible. The kids are really getting into the camp songs and cheers and they are soaking up everything like little sponges. I've started to notice that it takes a lot of trust and relationship building to get these kids to this point. I just ask that your prayer would continue to be with Urban Promise ministry but specifically if you can pray that these kids would continue to soak up all that they are being taught. As well, prayer for strength and perseverence for Urban Promise staff and myself. I feel quite run down by the constant long detailed schedule but this weekend I've really tried to build up my hours of sleep and keep my voice from being lost. I'm always reassured though with God's word that says "Consider it pure joy my brothers, when ever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may mature and complete, not lacking anything."(James 1:2-4) therefore i am confident that God is working hard to see that his work will carry on strong. Praise God!

Closing time!!

Hey Everyone, Well the Urban Promise After School program is coming to a close this week. We've all been busy around here getting prepared for the summer program, and making sure we finish up our projects that we've started. At the moment I'm finishing up building projects with my grade 5-7 kids at Camp Grace. These projects have been long overdue to get done. they were suppose to be done in six weeks and now its going on eight and were on our last couple hours. Its been a really good experience though. I think all the kids have learned alot. Its been really rewarding seeing the kids take pride in their work. They all have learned how to use a level, tape measure, screw driver and hand drill. They even are getting good at wielding a paint brushes and reading building plans. These kids really didn't get excited about most of my earlier ideas but they really have stuck this one out. I'm very proud of them, they all have lots of talent and skill. I can wait to keep track of these kids and see where they might take these abilities and talents. Well I am taking a break from the program for a little while so hopefully I'll see some of you in the coming weeks. Then my next adventure is summer camps. Summer camps are a six week intensive where we have twice the kids and the program runs everyday 9am-2pm. All I know is I got to get some sleep before that starts because kids consume alot of energy. I can't wait! This will be a great chance to get to know more kids and really build some strong relationships on a short time. One day at a time though. If I can survive this next week is all I'm hoping. Thank you all for your support I couldn't have done this leg of my journey without everyone's support. If you have any questions or you know anyone who is looking for a rewarding opportunity for the summer, Urban Promise is always looking for loving, caring individuals who can work with kids for the summer just give me a ring. The number here is 1-604-432-1454 and I'll hook you up. Thanks again. Cheers!!

April Fools folly and wisdom

Dear brothers and sisters,
Now that Camp Joy has ended I'm at Camp Peace for Monday and Friday. Camp Peace is entirely different though it has twice the kids but half the stress. It's hard to tell really though because the kids still see me as the new guy. As for Camp Grace I'm old news. I am working with the grade 7's, for a large chunk of the day and they are always a challenge. Many of the older kids come from Grandview School in East side Vancouver. It is an urban aboriginal school which has a lot of "hard" kids. It's not that these kids are overly tough or necessarily bad kids but they try and wear a very tough exterior. Many times these kids dress like little gangsters, listen to hiphop/rap and are usually exposed to many things that you wouldn't expect a children of their age to be exposed to. A good example of this would be the discussion I had with the seveners, three Wednesdays ago. On Wednesday I try to run a discussion usually about some every day situation and see how the kids would react to it. I do this to try and add some practical application instead of the usual Bible time. First the kids show me their stance and than I take the stand of an average citizen. This day we talked about strangers. I went through two scenarios: one involving a stranger on the street disguising themselves as a friend of the child’s mother (not father because many of the kids at camp don’t know their fathers); and another involving an older kid that they had met over the internet who wanted to meet up with them. The discussion started off quite normal with the kids answering the questions as most kids would by talking about how their parents taught them not to get sucked into situations involving strangers. Compared to the week before I was quite impressed that they actually held the same stance as me. As the conversation progressed we started talking about different strangers who lurked outside their school. They began to tell me about the prostitution in which they had heard rumors of classmates getting involved in. Also scenarios of rape and other crimes which they had heard were happening at parties which some of there older friends at Van tech(a senior high school many of them would be going to after grade seven) had told them about. As much as one would like to stay far from these things the reality of it is that these things are happening all around these kids. As a leader it was good to be there to talk to these kids about these issues and to discuss with them. In certain instances I was able to explain to them what actions would be best to do in certain situations but on the other hand I didn’t have all the answers. One thing that I really hope to get out of working at Urban Promise is more insight into the problems that people face in the Urban areas of Canada. Growing up in small town Alberta I was never exposed to that life. I was actually quite sheltered. Urban Promise is teaching me not only to take care of “troubled” kids but opening me up to different lifestyles and situations that I wouldn’t otherwise see in rural Alberta or East side Saskatoon. It is as though I am just starting to see the skills that God has equipped for me. There are so many areas here in which I am able to utilize my skills; I just now have to learn how to make the most of them while I am here. I have a long way to go though; I still miss many teachable moments and struggle to find balance in my work and extra-curricular activities. Despite it all, I’m still staying above the water and I’m learning little tips along the way. It is always nice to know though that God is taking care of me because many days it is hard to see the “forest for the trees.”

March Madness!!

Well march hasn't been too crazy but it is a catchy saying. The end of February was a little crazy though, near the end of it we had one of our Interns, Sonja leave Urban Promise and now she is traveling around the US and Canada (Seattle as we speak). At the same time one of our longest standing directors mom's died of cancer and one of our Camps also passed away. As the old saying goes "When it rains it pours" well it was pouring at Urban Promise. I had been an intern at Camp Joy, as I mentioned in my first blog, so it was kind of sad to the camp end. Seeing that Urban Promise is primarily run by donations(80-90%) when the giving goes down so do some of our programs. So instead of making the situation depressing we ended it on a high note. He brought all the old directors, staff and street leaders back for one last day. Dana and I had prepared a big pizza party for the kids and presented each kid with a book and some of them even won the board games that we had at the camp. Part way through the day I hung a pinata for the kids to hit and I had each kid put on a blindfold and spun them around. It was alot of fun. Bruce, the executive Director of Urban Promise, said he'd never seen a pinata that held together so well before. It probably had to do with my duct tape job! Anyways after that the campers got to show off the presentations that they had made and then we ended off the day with an aerobics workout and and their favorite game, FLOOR HOCKEY! It seemed like one of the longest days ever but it was fully worth it.

Typical Day in the work of Jay

It was brought to my attention that my supporters might want to know what I do on an average day. Well step aboard and I'll give you a tour. Seeing that Tuesday is my busiest day, I'll make it a Tuesday. I wake up in a stupor and at first look to see if Mark is across from me to see whether I'm up too early or not. Good it's 8:30! That leaves me enough time for a quick shower and bite to eat before going to Bible study. At quarter after 9, I'm rearing to go, so I grab the keys to one of the vans. Before I leave, I make sure that Sonja and Jenny are in the van and then it's off to Andrea's apartment. Andrea's the Intern director for Urban Promise who makes sure we're well fed, well read, well prayed for, volunteering and well challenged in our teaching and leadership abilities. At 9:30 sharp we arrive at her apartment. After we fill up with tea and muffins (usually) we jump into our discussion on the gospel of John. The discussion is usually very thorough and and Andrea always ends it by asking how the discussion will help us during the week. By 11 o'clock were back at the Up house and I have two hours to prepare for the day and eat lunch. At quarter to one, I'm usually running out the door with my guitar because I am heading for the Grandview Baptist Church. Before I arrive at church I slip into a garage just down the road. This garage is owned by the Church and used by the street mission group Crossroads. Karl, the director of Crossroads, greets me and usually has a task for me to complete involving sorting files, clothes or getting me to research. This is just one of the opportunity that Karl and I have to reach out to the street people of Vancouver. The computer room is only open for three hours on Tuesday and Thursday but it's usually well attended. Usually I can only stay for an hour or so because Tanya needs me to help set up for Camp Grace. Set-up for Camp takes usually 45 minutes, involving cutting fruit, getting games, binders, mats, music, and reading material ready. At 2:50 Tanya advises me that she is leaving so I finish up what I'm doing and jog to the school. When the bell rings at 3:05 I walk over to the kindergarten class to pick up Nancy. We proceed outside and there waiting is the Urban Promise van with Hilena or Bruce driving. After I round up the first van load I am on Patrol until the second van load arrives. On the second ride I jump in the van and are driven to the park(depending on the weather). Tanya, a bunch of street leaders and I play with the kids for an hour or so (usually involving me playing tag or pushing the kids on the swings). next we walk to the church where snack is waiting. This is usually the most exciting part for most kids. After singing grace with the kids the table captains hand out the snack. Before February I would teach the kids a new song on guitar and read a book for the kids but now I lead the grade 7s. After snack I take the grade seveners to the classroom three or the Library. Tuesdays and Thursday it's an interactive bible study. Lately I've been teaching on Jesus and finding how much the kids know about him. Its about Slim to none at the moment. After bible I find out what they would like to eat for dinner on Friday. It usually involves something ethnic and something on the side (Felicia usually doesn't eat anything other than chicken, pasta or rice). Next the kids either tutor the younger kid in reading or I get them to set goals for the week and plan a game for snack the following day. Once completed they work on their own homework or reading. At grade 7 we try and prepare them for being a street leader so at the end of the day we walk each one of them through one of the cleanup tasks. That could mean organizing the storage closet to cleaning the bathrooms. When 6 comes its home time and my day is almost done. Except for Tuesdays I usually prepare supper for the UP house. Last week it was Pad Thai and this week it will be bbq Bratwurst and vegetables. So now that your tired from reading this I hope you enjoyed the tour, if you like what you heard today you can always join me for a real tour.

Valentine's Weekend

Happy Belated Valentines to all,

Valentines weekend was quite eventful here in Vancouver. First of all, I picked up Liz at the airport on Thursday the 12th at 6:53 p.m. For all of you who do not know who this is, Liz is my girlfriend from Saskatoon who I have been seeing since June of 2008. For Christmas I bought her tickets to come see me in Vancouver for a week. The first night she had dinner with me at the Urban Promise house and then I showed her to the house where she would be staying, at my friend Tanya's house (Camp Grace Director). Friday she came to Camp Joy with me and we had lots of laughs and then saturday we spent the whole Day on a date. First went with my roommate Mark Snowshoeing (some pics on facebook) and then we went out to dinner and a show. First I took her to a little Ethiopian restaurant and then we went to a play called Holy Mo. This consisted of three clowns telling the stories of Moses and David in the most hilarious ways. It was really great! The day was perfect. On Sunday we went to church, did some shopping and picked up Liz's best friend Stephanie. Monday rolled around and my sister Joy and her friend suz (Liesel) came to hang out with me at camp Joy. They really enjoyed the camp and even had a chance to cream each other in a mad game of Dodgeball!!! It was really fun having them there and they got to see what I do every day. Tuesday, was my last day with both Liz and Joy so we spent the morning with Liz's friend Stephanie than Liz came to Camp Grace with me. After a crazy day of playing with the kids and singing four or five worship songs Liz and I rushed out the doors, kids following suit and proceeded to jump in the van and drive away. I had to have Liz at the airport for 5:15 p.m. so we were just under the gun getting to the airport. To my relief we made it to the airport on time just to get one last moment alone before Liz left. After the airport I came straight home and jumped on the skytrain to go meet up with Joy and Suz. After going out for a great meal of sushi, we met up with some old friends and spent the night playing board games until some of us started falling asleep (mostly me). I walked Joy and Suz back to their hotel, said my goodbyes and called it a night! So that was my crazy valentines weekend and if anyone else wants to visit me I am always up for more crazy fun! Thanks to all for supporting me this month and dont worry the date was on me (trucking money!)

Very First Blog

Welcome!! This is my new Blog page!! Very exciting(well at least I am)!!
Just to bring you all up to speed with my life, I have currently been in Vancouver for a little less than two weeks. Today is Friday and I have my last day of camp before the weekend. Today, I will be going to camp Joy were I will be teaching, working with and entertaining 21 children grades 1-7. Camp Joy is located in Downtown Vancouver. These kids come from Lord Roberts school which ethnically consists of Eastern European and Asian kids. These kids are usually from single parent homes and many of which are dependent on after school programs such as Urban Promise to keep their kids occupied. An average day usually involves 1/2-1hr play time and then snack time. After snack time we usually do a bible reading and activity. The activity usually is something fun and hands on and relates somehow to the bible study. After the activity its homework time! Some kids have homework from school and others don't so we have to prepare language arts, math or coloring material for the kids to keep them occupied. After homework we usually have some sort of reading, either by themselves or we as leaders read to them as a group. Right now we are reading the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis. Today though is Friday so it's a fun day (meaning no homework). So instead we do something out of the usual, like teach them a cooking lesson, playing a new game with them, etc. At the End of the day we always end with them playing in the Gym(if the boy had there way it would either be soccer or hockey!) . So that's a usual day at Camp Joy.
As for myself Life is going well! I've been starting to build relationships with all the people at the house. (There are two other interns, a house supervisor, and Mark(works at the local ski hill) and that has worked out really well. We pray together, eat together and spend alot of time getting to know each other. Last week we all went snowshoeing at Mount Cyprus It was lots and lots of fun. Anyways, I hope to hear from everyone back home(saskatoon, spruce View, Calgary) so drop me a line, my email is still the same jay_lutz4@hotmail.com, and let me know a little about your world. God's peace.

jay