It's late, but I am awake. It has been unbearably hot here, so I am awake. Had a great time at cell group, but that was hours ago and my mind is still reeling. So much to think about. Painting is almost good. The idea is there, but not the vision on how to make it work. Will start again in the morning. Praying.
Money but still sucks. Praying.
Looking forward to having the first Friday dinner night here. We will be doing two this month. One for the peeps in the building here and one for a mix of Circle of Hope and West Chester kids. Can't wait ti see what God has planned.
It's been a week or two of anger and disappointment and I expect I am not feeling much different tonight. Praying.
Went to the Lost Bar with friends from the cell. Love these peeps. Couldn't sleep and went back by myself around midnight. God, in His o so strange ways, opened my eyes to just how ridiculous my temptation is to seek ministry without that "go" is. I love when His voice is so clear. So I went home and worked on a drawing.
Miss you all. Praying for you.
Sweet dreams.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Peeling away the layers...
God has so wrecked me this week - in a good way. There has been drama here causing us great pain and anger. I have been in a state of unrest since my last post. I have found it very hard to paint. I knew in my heart that a
new thing was about to begin, but I impatiently ran way ahead of the
Lord and the art that come out of me was awful. But He is so good. So, so caring. He revealed though
Diana and Robb what I could not see by myself and I am again excited about this part of the mission. Yea God!
That said, my heart is has been burdened after so many days of staring into the eyes of the hopeless when ministering. Too many times I have heard the words: "I don't know why I am alive" or "I don't have any reason to live." Praise Him for giving me words of hope and encouragement for them. But dealing with all to real life and death situations wears very heavy on me and I have felt so uncovered and alone here.
The hardest part of the week though, the single most thing that threw us into a tailspin is that the very validity of our mission here and our ability to carry out that mission was challenged and under attack from the last people in our lives that we could have ever expected and that shattered us. It is not right for me to go into details - it would be gossip - but I feel it is important that we share our pain; that we can share that even with the best of intentions, that even as laid down lovers of Christ, we can speak death on each other. That has to stop.
But God used even this to bring me closer to Him. We cried out for help and He answered. What touched us the most is how He sent His kids to our aid. So many dear friends reached out to us, confirmed the value of the work here, encouraged us, blessed us, spoke truth to us and just loved on us without judgement.
But much still needs to be healed, so much work needs to be done, so please continue to pray.
That said, my heart is has been burdened after so many days of staring into the eyes of the hopeless when ministering. Too many times I have heard the words: "I don't know why I am alive" or "I don't have any reason to live." Praise Him for giving me words of hope and encouragement for them. But dealing with all to real life and death situations wears very heavy on me and I have felt so uncovered and alone here.
The hardest part of the week though, the single most thing that threw us into a tailspin is that the very validity of our mission here and our ability to carry out that mission was challenged and under attack from the last people in our lives that we could have ever expected and that shattered us. It is not right for me to go into details - it would be gossip - but I feel it is important that we share our pain; that we can share that even with the best of intentions, that even as laid down lovers of Christ, we can speak death on each other. That has to stop.
But God used even this to bring me closer to Him. We cried out for help and He answered. What touched us the most is how He sent His kids to our aid. So many dear friends reached out to us, confirmed the value of the work here, encouraged us, blessed us, spoke truth to us and just loved on us without judgement.
But much still needs to be healed, so much work needs to be done, so please continue to pray.
 |
| Gwen |
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Atlantis... Lost.... Updated...
I spent some time at Atlantis, curiously also called the Lost Bar with a writer friend I met at net group. Great guy with great questions; searching, yet somewhat confused but so hungry for truth like so many of the peeps I have met here. My heart goes out the the kids here, your kids who struggle with the word, your word. It troubles me that perhaps there is a need to redesign the word. Are they trying to make what fits fit and discarding what is too uncomfortable? I don't really know. It is a futile argument. I was thought that the word is the word, not a poem, not merely a good story. Was Paul so wrong that he is easily ripped to shreds? I pray, sweet Jesus, for the truth to pierce the hearts of all the seeking, no matter how uncomfortable. I pray Poppa for the wisdom and the unclogged ears to hear their hearts and for me not rush to judgment; to not preach.
These are good kids. Kid who love you. Aren’t I called to loved unconditionally? Aren’t I called to love as you loved? It is so new here, so raw. Am I letting you down? I feel the need to just love. Is that okay? Is that enough?
Please dream with me and let me know.
These are good kids. Kid who love you. Aren’t I called to loved unconditionally? Aren’t I called to love as you loved? It is so new here, so raw. Am I letting you down? I feel the need to just love. Is that okay? Is that enough?
Please dream with me and let me know.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Unpacked
Hi all,
Diana and I want thank you all so much for your support for our mission in Kensington. We are happy to say that for the most part, our season of unpacking is over and we have begun doing life here. We visited a local church last Sunday night called The Circle of Hope and that was great for our spirits. The people there very nice and welcoming of us old folks. The majority were in the 20/30 age group and looked pretty “hip” - lot’s of tattoos, piercings and cool, funky clothes. It is so interesting to see how each generation “brands” themselves.
We have been meeting many people in the building...musicians, painters, glass blowers, photographers, print makers, furniture builders, sculptors, you name it. For the most part people seem very receptive to the idea of an open house dinner. So now we are waiting on God to provide provision for food costs and to be clear on when He wants us to start. We’re taking things slowly. In a building with over a hundred starving artists, the idea of free food is.. well...you get the picture. We’re thinking that if you have any canned or dry goods to donate that would be a blessing. Please call or email and we’ll make arrangements to pick it up.
Initially, we thought the the majority of the work we had to do here was to love on children in hospitals and to spread the gospel amongst artists - to speak the truth about creation and God’s heart. But in the short time we have been here Poppa has led us to that and so much more. But isn’t that so, God?
Diana has submitted her volunteer application to CHOP and is joyfully and a little impatiently, anticipating starting work with the children. Diana’s deepest desire is to see the healing of these little ones thru God’s love and touch. She’s also going to be looking into applying to St. Christopher’s Hospital, co-partnering with ministries that work thru the arts with inner city children, and other local ministries. We’ll keep you posted.
We have had the joy of doing a bit of ministry to the homeless folks along Columbus Boulevard. Their stories are heartbreaking but they are beautiful and God’s light is so on them. There is one woman who’s name is Gwen that God has so put on our hearts. She is in her early 30s, drug and alcohol free and on the streets because she lost her job and could not find new work. Diana and I are working on getting her clothes that are suitable for job interviews and we are also reaching out to local churches to help her find transitional housing. Please pray for her. There but for the grace of God...
A couple from the Circle of Hope invited us out for a beer the other night and the crowd there looked very much like the congregation at the Circle. As it turned out we learned it was an interesting mix of believers and non-believers. It was such a divine appointment. We shared testimonies with them and got a peek of how God is building community in Kensington. It was amazing to boldly speak the name of Jesus in a hipster bar. The reaction to us was no different then if we were loudly chatting about a Flyers game.
But God didn’t stop there. After a beer of two it was off to the mens room for me. On route, I noticed a young man quite badly attempting to play a game of pool. As I drew closer, I overheard a young woman sitting a few feet away shouting out instructions to him (I think his name was Jim). I found the scene very funny and out of curiosity, I asked what was happening. The woman, who turned out to be his wife, explained to me that he was legally blind and she was “telling” him how to play pool. I was somewhat convicted about my quickness to funny, so I smiled and scurried off to the restroom.
On my way back to the table, God poked me to pray for Jim for healing for his eyes. So I took a deep breath and asked Jim if that would be okay and he said sure. I explained that I loved Jesus and that I would be calling on Jesus to restore his vision. Jim said cool, go for it. I laid hands on him and prayed for about five minutes for a full and complete restoration of his eyes. When I stopped, he almost fell over and asked: “What was that heat running through me?” I told him it was Jesus and to go home, get on his face and surrender himself to Him. He agreed and I pray that he did. I started back to my table and Jim’s wife stopped me, grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. It was an Uh-oh moment. But to my surprise, she wanted me to pray for her aunt in Paris. So I did, gave her and Jim a hug and went back to the table. Yea God! Please pray.
A few nights later I took my dear friends Fred and Ellen over to the tavern. It was a first Friday night and it was mobbed. Unfortunately it was late and Fred and Ellen really couldn’t very stay long, but I am grateful that they had a chance peek at the thriving community meeting there. I so felt God wanted we to stay there after they left, so I did and I sat at a small table by the door waiting to see what He had in mind.
After about fifteen minutes, a woman, 30 ish, clearly very buzzed walked right over to me, stopped, took a sip of her drink and then asked me my name. She singled me out from over a hundred people. We talked for quite sometime about her brokenness, depression, her hopelessness and the all demons in her live. Sadly she felt she had no understanding of why she was alive, what her purpose was. I told her that God so loved her and if she would make the choice to enter into a relationship with Him, He would reveal that to her and through His amazing love, she could again feel hope and purpose. She thought it over for a bit, grinned and said “ I need proof.” Now, being somewhat of a silly man, I tried to give her some. I asked the Lord to point out a place on her body that might be hurting and I got nothing. So I guessed and asked: “Are your knees bothering you?” and she shouted NO! I could almost see Poppa shaking His head at me in mild amusement. I pulled myself together, called on the Holy Spirit for guidance and He told me what to do. I just loved on her. I told her over and over that Jesus loves you, you are a good person and you deserve to be loved and it was exactly what she needed to hear. A few tears came, but she held them back. She hugged me and smiled quietly for several minutes. Then she went off to the restroom (clearly a common experience at this bar). I wanted to stay and talk more, but the Lord told me to leave before she came back; that it would have more of an impact. So I did. Please pray for Sarah.
There’s so much more he’s calling us to do. There are fallen people and pot smokers we spend time with at the dog park; homeless people on the way to Home Depot, the families across the street that drink all day long, sick and dying babies that need to be held, there are discarded needles in the local park and there is poverty and brokenness everywhere. But God is good and He is faithful and He is sending His troops here to fight the good fight.
The enemy is not happy with us and there has been too much battling here. Transition at best is difficult; adjusting to such a radically different place has made it worse. We have so terribly missed our brothers and sisters in West Chester and the comfort of church there. Yes, the enemy has had his way for many too days: we had been without internet service for over six weeks leaving with zero income since we are totally reliant on the internet to make money (a very long story about the lunacy of Comcast); our old landlord has refused to refund over a $1000 of our security deposit and we will have to take him to court. Praise God that we finally found some form of internet access and we are working again, but all this has left us in a very scary place financially.
That said, we know God is faithful and He will bring us out of this. Diana and I so thank you all for your prayers and your support. The way you all co-partnered with God made it possible for us to answer His call and build a place where kids can meet Poppa. But as we move into the next season, we need your prayers, help and support even more. Please continue to intercede in prayer. And if you have peace with giving, we really need your financial support. If you can help, we are at:
Victor & Diana Atkins
PO BOX 29273
Philadelphia, PA19125
We love you all so much and we miss you dearly. It is so good that we get to see you on occasional Sundays, but it just isn’t the same as being there and knowing you are just a few blocks away.
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."- Galatians 5:13-14
Blessings,
Victor & Diana
Diana and I want thank you all so much for your support for our mission in Kensington. We are happy to say that for the most part, our season of unpacking is over and we have begun doing life here. We visited a local church last Sunday night called The Circle of Hope and that was great for our spirits. The people there very nice and welcoming of us old folks. The majority were in the 20/30 age group and looked pretty “hip” - lot’s of tattoos, piercings and cool, funky clothes. It is so interesting to see how each generation “brands” themselves.
We have been meeting many people in the building...musicians, painters, glass blowers, photographers, print makers, furniture builders, sculptors, you name it. For the most part people seem very receptive to the idea of an open house dinner. So now we are waiting on God to provide provision for food costs and to be clear on when He wants us to start. We’re taking things slowly. In a building with over a hundred starving artists, the idea of free food is.. well...you get the picture. We’re thinking that if you have any canned or dry goods to donate that would be a blessing. Please call or email and we’ll make arrangements to pick it up.
Initially, we thought the the majority of the work we had to do here was to love on children in hospitals and to spread the gospel amongst artists - to speak the truth about creation and God’s heart. But in the short time we have been here Poppa has led us to that and so much more. But isn’t that so, God?
Diana has submitted her volunteer application to CHOP and is joyfully and a little impatiently, anticipating starting work with the children. Diana’s deepest desire is to see the healing of these little ones thru God’s love and touch. She’s also going to be looking into applying to St. Christopher’s Hospital, co-partnering with ministries that work thru the arts with inner city children, and other local ministries. We’ll keep you posted.
We have had the joy of doing a bit of ministry to the homeless folks along Columbus Boulevard. Their stories are heartbreaking but they are beautiful and God’s light is so on them. There is one woman who’s name is Gwen that God has so put on our hearts. She is in her early 30s, drug and alcohol free and on the streets because she lost her job and could not find new work. Diana and I are working on getting her clothes that are suitable for job interviews and we are also reaching out to local churches to help her find transitional housing. Please pray for her. There but for the grace of God...
A couple from the Circle of Hope invited us out for a beer the other night and the crowd there looked very much like the congregation at the Circle. As it turned out we learned it was an interesting mix of believers and non-believers. It was such a divine appointment. We shared testimonies with them and got a peek of how God is building community in Kensington. It was amazing to boldly speak the name of Jesus in a hipster bar. The reaction to us was no different then if we were loudly chatting about a Flyers game.
But God didn’t stop there. After a beer of two it was off to the mens room for me. On route, I noticed a young man quite badly attempting to play a game of pool. As I drew closer, I overheard a young woman sitting a few feet away shouting out instructions to him (I think his name was Jim). I found the scene very funny and out of curiosity, I asked what was happening. The woman, who turned out to be his wife, explained to me that he was legally blind and she was “telling” him how to play pool. I was somewhat convicted about my quickness to funny, so I smiled and scurried off to the restroom.
On my way back to the table, God poked me to pray for Jim for healing for his eyes. So I took a deep breath and asked Jim if that would be okay and he said sure. I explained that I loved Jesus and that I would be calling on Jesus to restore his vision. Jim said cool, go for it. I laid hands on him and prayed for about five minutes for a full and complete restoration of his eyes. When I stopped, he almost fell over and asked: “What was that heat running through me?” I told him it was Jesus and to go home, get on his face and surrender himself to Him. He agreed and I pray that he did. I started back to my table and Jim’s wife stopped me, grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. It was an Uh-oh moment. But to my surprise, she wanted me to pray for her aunt in Paris. So I did, gave her and Jim a hug and went back to the table. Yea God! Please pray.
A few nights later I took my dear friends Fred and Ellen over to the tavern. It was a first Friday night and it was mobbed. Unfortunately it was late and Fred and Ellen really couldn’t very stay long, but I am grateful that they had a chance peek at the thriving community meeting there. I so felt God wanted we to stay there after they left, so I did and I sat at a small table by the door waiting to see what He had in mind.
After about fifteen minutes, a woman, 30 ish, clearly very buzzed walked right over to me, stopped, took a sip of her drink and then asked me my name. She singled me out from over a hundred people. We talked for quite sometime about her brokenness, depression, her hopelessness and the all demons in her live. Sadly she felt she had no understanding of why she was alive, what her purpose was. I told her that God so loved her and if she would make the choice to enter into a relationship with Him, He would reveal that to her and through His amazing love, she could again feel hope and purpose. She thought it over for a bit, grinned and said “ I need proof.” Now, being somewhat of a silly man, I tried to give her some. I asked the Lord to point out a place on her body that might be hurting and I got nothing. So I guessed and asked: “Are your knees bothering you?” and she shouted NO! I could almost see Poppa shaking His head at me in mild amusement. I pulled myself together, called on the Holy Spirit for guidance and He told me what to do. I just loved on her. I told her over and over that Jesus loves you, you are a good person and you deserve to be loved and it was exactly what she needed to hear. A few tears came, but she held them back. She hugged me and smiled quietly for several minutes. Then she went off to the restroom (clearly a common experience at this bar). I wanted to stay and talk more, but the Lord told me to leave before she came back; that it would have more of an impact. So I did. Please pray for Sarah.
There’s so much more he’s calling us to do. There are fallen people and pot smokers we spend time with at the dog park; homeless people on the way to Home Depot, the families across the street that drink all day long, sick and dying babies that need to be held, there are discarded needles in the local park and there is poverty and brokenness everywhere. But God is good and He is faithful and He is sending His troops here to fight the good fight.
The enemy is not happy with us and there has been too much battling here. Transition at best is difficult; adjusting to such a radically different place has made it worse. We have so terribly missed our brothers and sisters in West Chester and the comfort of church there. Yes, the enemy has had his way for many too days: we had been without internet service for over six weeks leaving with zero income since we are totally reliant on the internet to make money (a very long story about the lunacy of Comcast); our old landlord has refused to refund over a $1000 of our security deposit and we will have to take him to court. Praise God that we finally found some form of internet access and we are working again, but all this has left us in a very scary place financially.
That said, we know God is faithful and He will bring us out of this. Diana and I so thank you all for your prayers and your support. The way you all co-partnered with God made it possible for us to answer His call and build a place where kids can meet Poppa. But as we move into the next season, we need your prayers, help and support even more. Please continue to intercede in prayer. And if you have peace with giving, we really need your financial support. If you can help, we are at:
Victor & Diana Atkins
PO BOX 29273
Philadelphia, PA19125
We love you all so much and we miss you dearly. It is so good that we get to see you on occasional Sundays, but it just isn’t the same as being there and knowing you are just a few blocks away.
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."- Galatians 5:13-14
Blessings,
Victor & Diana
 |
| Atlantis - The Lost Bar |
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