Youth Councils 2007

Getting past this...

So I love people...alot.  But this week (and its only Tuesday, mind you).  I am having a real difficult time with this one.  I have been working on two wonderful projects--coordinating and executing Nursing Home visits to 1500 residents, and an Angel Tree project that will get Christmas gifts for 1600 needy kids.  Awesome causes.  It's amazing to be able to serve in this way and in this magnitude.  I have been focusing a lot lately on what it means to serve with a pure heart.  To not expect recognition or gratitude, but just to do it for Jesus.  There is joy in that but Satan seems to have found his way into my plan. 

Little things people say or do are driving me crazy.  I find I am critical, annoyed and frustrated ALOT! I am frustrated at the lack of communication there is between us and DHQ regarding these programs and frustrated that when I explain what needs to be done to store managers, they ignore me, call DHQ and ask the same questions, therefore making it look like I am the idiot that didn't explain it to them. I can see how some officers lose the joy in Christmas.  I am praying against this and trying to focus on the REAL reason for this season!  I covet your prayers regarding these things.

Aside from this frustration, we have kettles going on and there is so much pressure to make so much money in such a short amount of time.  Which by the way, if any of you would be willing do donate 4 hours or so on a weekend or weekday, we could really use some volunteer bell ringers.  There is also an opportunity to host your own virtual kettle online. If you are interested in the online thing go to www.salarmychicago.org to sign up for Mt. Greenwood Corps.  Then send emails to your friends asking them to donate.  Currently our goal is $151,000.  If you are wanting to donate to our cause, you can always email a check to:

The Salvation Army--11355 S. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60655--we appreciate anything you can give.

The Lord is doing amazing things in our midst too.  Nancy Laird became a soldier this week.  Two people got saved through nursing home visits, volunteers are coming out of the woodwork and we are building strong relationships with the schools and social workers in Blue Island.

I will close with this excerpt from Beth Moore's Praying God's Word Day by Day

My Redeemer, I know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that I was redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to me from my forefathers, but with the precious blood of Chirst, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:8-19). Lord God, I konw that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in me, whom I have received from you. I am not my own. I was bought at a price. Therefore, I desire to honor you with my body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And since I am a temple of your Holy Spirit, I pray that you will cause your glory to fill this temple of God like you did in the days of old! (2 Chronicles 5:14!)

For those of you who I need to catch up with--Katie, Sarah, and others...let's set a date in January.

Jock Wormack

Some of you may have heard the news story of Jock Wormack, the football player from Blue Island that was killed in a car accident last week.  Seven friends were driving together and their car was sideswiped.  Six walked away with cuts and bruises, but Jock died almost instantly.  He was a peer mentor, a football star, a big brother, and an excellent student.  Jock is the 5th Eisenhower High School Student to die in the past 4 1/2 years.

God has opened up some tremendous opportunities for us through this tragedy.  We have been working with Jock's mom to provide financial assistance, grief counseling, groceries etc.  She needs to have $5000 to pay the funeral home so that they will bury her son.  Josh and I and the Salvation Army are collecting money for this cause.  It is our hope to provide her with $1600 to pay for Jock's burial plot.  If you are interested in helping please let me know as soon as possible.  This is a mom who lives in a really rough neighborhood, has another son and is recently divorced and has literally nothing.  She is beyond broken and we feel called to make a significant dent in her burden.  Please pray about joining us in this.

We have also been working with the family of the kid that was driving the car.  This is a family that used to come to Infyuz.  God is softening them and I believe that they will come back to church through all of this. Please pray for the entire Anderson family during this difficult time but especially for Rob, the driver who is feeling a heavy weight of guilt.

While this tragedy is difficult and heart breaking, God is also opening an incredible door through it.  Last Saturday, Eisenhower high school called and asked if Josh would do a memorial service before the game which he did.  He talked to the football coach again today and the coach talked about how open the team was to that and asked if Josh would do a short chapel service before EVERY GAME FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!!! What an amazing open door to win this high school for Christ! Please pray that we build some significant relationships within the school and this team.

The last thing that has come from all of this is a strong burden I feel to spiritually map the city of Blue Island.  It has been confirmed twice now in the past two days so I am committing to it.

 The visitiation for Jock is Friday and the funeral is on Saturday.  Please bathe this weekend in prayer.

A New Season

Today is our first official day back from two weeks vacation.  I feel rested, refreshed and ready to jump back into things.  Our two weeks were good.  The first week was spent home catching up on projects, cleaning things out and relaxing.  The second week was spent on a family mini vacation to Branson, MO.  I say mini vacation because the Polancos are on a schedule of one year taking a crappy vacation (aka Branson, MO or Tyler, TX) the next year good vacation (Puerto Rico, Mexico, anywhere outside of the 50 states).

Branson is like a hyped up Wisconsin Dells with a country western flair.  If you know us, you know that is not our thing AT ALL.  Nonetheless, it was good to swim, sleep in, be away and be together and I am thankful for that.

So now we are back and it is the first day after vacation and I feel like it is the first day of school again. Making lists, planning activities, I sense that God is getting ready to do something different here, that we are on the cusp of a breakthrough.  I am seeking that and praying for it everyday.

I see the Lord moving pieces into place...Nate Irvine started this morning, we are about to hire our 3rd after school person, and people are coming out of the wood work left and right to volunteer and get involved.  Praise God.  I see this corps and how we are restructuring almost as an experiment in what Salvation Army ministry looks like if youth and young adults who are passionate and committed, who take their BOS experiences and missions experiences and apply them to a local corps on a weekly basis.  Not just for the sake of the experience, but for real because their heart is captured by the possibilities of what God could do through them to change the eternal condition of lost people in this city of Blue Island in which God has entrusted us with.

If you are passionate, creative, and wanting to use your gifts to seek and save the lost and have no place to do that, come join us.  Tuesday nights, Sunday mornings, any day of the week.  I believe there are those of you out there that are ready to stop "playing church" and want to start being the church.  Make this the year you do it.

This is really a lot!

So since Mother's Day we have had approximately 24 people stay in our home with us..granted it was not all at once.  Yesterday for 4th of July we had 40 people over for dinner...and there are more to come...for dinner and to stay....

Are we insane?  No, God has just given us a huge heart for people, especially those that want to help move our ministry forward.  Not to mention the fellowship has been incredibly sweet!

God is awakening our spirits, giving people who come here vision for what He wants us to do in Blue Island!

We marched (with our 40+ friends) in the Blue Island 4th of July parade yesterday and it was incredible!  Such a prophetic picture of the Salvation Army cutting through the lostness of the city and getting to the heart of the people! It was so awesome to be marching, singing worship songs (well one actually) through the city and seeing faces we didn't know and praying to meet them, praying for their salvation, praying for the chance to pour the love of Jesus into their lives.

After the parade, Janet Munn and the BOS Team went to pray the Bible in our new building and walked away with some amazing Scriptures, promises and direction from God for what we need to focus on in Blue Island. Since our march yesterday my heart feels so alive to the possibilities of what can happen as we begin to invade this city. I feel like my role is going to expand further to the broken hearted people of Blue Island through prayer and prophesy.  I can't believe this is my life!  Praise Jesus.