ok, so this post is bound to be lengthy but it will settle the curiosity and answer the question as to
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE TAPESTRY PROJECT?
The Lord has been preparing us for this journey for years. The process has been so incredibly exilerating and if He would have told us this is where we were headed I am sure we would have ran to the hills. (whatever that means) But we so would have. Because of my history (see pieces of me post) and Joshua’s incredible gift of giving we are put in some crazy stories. This is probably one of the biggest ones. I would never be able to cast out every detail regarding this story but I want to share a broad overview. I am taking these pieces from a black sketch book I started less then a year ago. It has become a source of comfort to me. Everything I have done regarding this project has been documented in this messy organic journal. It over flows with fear, anxiety, hope, love, desperation, conversations to God, conversations I have had with my husband, my friends, other ministry leaders etc. It holds scripture. It holds sketches, and pathetic drawings and it holds a penny. A promise that God’s provision is more than enough (thanks Selynda)
It begins with this:
“This is a sketch. A glimpse of God designing something so incredible good out of someone so ordinary. This will be a portion of my story to the next generation. I am completely sold out to a God of hope. A God who hears the cries of the oppressed and mobilizes people just like me and you to rescue them. This journey really began to launch in October of 2008. A group of people who served weekly with the homeless in Oklahoma City traveled to New York City for a weekend. We sat under some incredible leadership from the New York City Relief and they taught us the importance of mobilizing resources and tools to effectively feed the hungry in our city. We came back from this trip inspired and led to begin seeking out the possibilities of this mobilization effort in our own city. My husband and I continued to spend every weekend working on the refuge and I stayed connected to the homeless at the City Rescue Mission. Shortly after this trip Cissa and I met Carol at the City Rescue Mission through a series of God size events we were able to move carol and her 3 children from Homelessness to a safe clean place to live, a car (donated by People’s Church), and multiple resources mobilized throughout the city that helped her land completely back on her feet. (to read more of her story check www.hopechestokc.org) The story inspired us to continue helping and God began to work as we stayed completely in tuned and obedient to Him.
He begin weaving the pieces of this two fold project together.
Before Christmas last year Joshua and I became the proud owners of these! 6 fiveplexes, 1 sixplex, and 1 duplex. Located on our cities south side. It was an investment opportunity for Joshua and I distinctly remembered thinking “out of all the things we could own. What in the world would make you want to buy these?” I was cool with it though because it was HIS deal and I usually had nothing to do with his flip houses and investment rentals. So Joshua and I started visiting the neighborhood finding out who lived there and who didn’t. I could bore you with statistics about these apartments but here’s what you need to know.
* All of the tenants except for two single dads were “squaters” Homeless men and women living without water, electricity increasing the crime rate in the neighborhood.
* one of the individuals was a known drug dealer that we had a terrible time chasing off. In fact he didn’t leave until we had him arrested for breaking and entering.
* The apt were a huge eye sore for the neighborhood a high trafficked drug arena, prostitution was rampant, and no one really cared.
We fell madly in love with the people. The houses surrounding this project were full of people who were poor but making it. We were drawn to their realness and their openness and most of all to their children. We read that one and five of the kids attending the neighborhood school were living under the poverty line and if it wasn’t for a back pack sent home with food they might not have had an evening meal.
After hearing the stories and through several different circumstance we heard from the Lord.
In my garage of all places. Exodus 3 came to life. ” Remove your sandels from your feet, your standing on Holy ground.” I got a marker out and begin to write all over the wall the things that the Lord our God was speaking to me directly out of scripture:
Isaiah 58
“If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down and out. your lives will begin to glow in darkness Your shadowed lives will bathe in sunlight. I WILL SHOW YOU WHERE TO GO. I’ll give you life in the emptiest of places. You’ll use old Rubble of past lives to build a new. Rebuild the foundations from out of YOUR past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, Restore old ruins, Rebuild and Renovate. MAKE THE COMMUNITY LIVABLE AGAIN.”
As if that wasn’t enough He continued to say
“Speak up for the people who have NO VOICE. For the rights of the down and out. SPEAK UP for Justice! STAND UP for the poor and destitute.” Proverbs 31
Then He said to Me
“I’ve taken a good long look at the affliction of my peop`le in Egypt (South Side OKC) I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I KNOW ALL ABOUT THEIR PAIN and now I have come down to HELP them. Pry them loose form the grip of Egypt, Go get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide open spaces.
IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO THE LAND THAT YOU CAME FROM”
I was changed right then an there. In my dirty garage on my face. Weeping. He told me to create community and connect people to resources. He confirmed in my heart that Joshua and I would be connectors. That the point of our lives would point directly to God and that I was to drop everything and go back to the Land that I came from. From a past that hurts so bad and I was to wait for His glory to be revealed. We had no idea what Create community looked like. We had no idea how to mobilize resources. But we trusted God and we begin to walk by faith not by sight. Because everything in plain sight was a MESS. I kid you not. A down right unorganized mess. We fixed up the apartments one by one. They begin to transform into looking from this
TO THIS:
As God began to move partnerships with churches and other organizations were created. We decided to make the apartments low income affordable housing for single women and children and families in crisis. In order for us to really learn how to connect the neighbors together we started hosting community gatherings. The gatherings consisted of a BBQ or Hot Dog meal and games with the kids along with a resource table that later turned into a resource booth. Pictures speak a thousand words so here is the progression of the gatherings:
These gatherings became celebrations. The neighbors started coming out and forming relationships. It has been joyous. The project is on breaking ground but the missional effort has caused way for change in a neighborhood once forgotten now learning what it takes to become neighbors again.
We are currently housing 4 single women families, 2 single dad families, and 2 families in crisis at the tapestry project. God provided a program director Julie Johnson who is currently piecing together a mentoring program as well as skill building classes. We have formed a partnership with the Oklahoma Homeless alliance and working together to move homeless families into our housing.
We have been following a well known Community Developer Robert Lupton
He is a soujorner who has gone before us in an effort to restore urban communities. A great read if your interested in this kind of work.
God is moving at the Tapestry project and more importantly He has changed our family. Our children are friends with the neighborhood kids and we spend lots of time down there building relationships, cleaning up trash, and working on the apartments. I will continue to post some stories of transformation, volunteers who are such a relief to this effort, our calling to repair the community church, and the out come of the resource project.
Pressing Back Darkness and Expanding the Kingdom is hard work but we honestly are having the time of our lives.
Our good friend Sarah Welker is madison teacher. We could not be more happy that she is in her class this year. This may be temporary but our lives are an offering to His faithfulness and we are all embracing this new journey.
We have hundreds of pictures but these are just a few glimpses. We hiked, swam, surfed, parasailed, went to aquariums and just had some plain fun!!!
Everything was donated for this sweet couple to have a beautiful day! I dropped them off in bricktown for a honeymoon getaway after their reception. They were so excited Dustin kept saying to Amber “I am so glad your my wife.” They were giddy and so was I:) I can’t wait to see how the Lord continues to work in their marriage and in their family. He is the God of “more than enough.”
Setting up. We offered breakfast, coffee, prayer, and resources for the parents after they finished registering their kids at the camp.
OKC Thunder Mascot “Rumble” stopped by
So did countless families. What a great opportunity to serve the parents.
The kids at the clinic loved every minute of it! These NFL players made such a difference in the lives of these kids and we were so grateful to be there to provide resources to the under-resourced in OKC.
Traditional camp fire food! (hot dogs, chips, and watermelon)
Helping Uncle Josh prepare the camp fire (AKA chiminea)
PREPARING for S’mores
Draden enjoying His smore
Bedtime!
Julia was wired at this point and decided to hang out for story time and then head home to get some rest in her own bed:)
Draden enjoyed his very own section in the tent! He was the first to go to sleep and the first to rise. He really enjoyed sleeping outside! (I believe this was his and madison’s first time)
Joshua and I are so blessed to have each one of these incredible kids in our lives. WE love it that our family is so close and that the kids get to grow up with such GREAT ADVENTURES!!!
