Tears.

      As I sat on my couch one afternoon, I remember feeling the complete exhaustion that had taken over my body. I remember laying there and feeling as if I couldn't go on any longer. I pulled out my favorite blanket, and prepared myself for one of the most amazing naps of my life. As soon as I laid down, I heard one of the loudest screams of my life, and I felt my heart catch in my throat. I immediately ran outside, and saw one of my girls laying on the concrete holding her knee. So I scooped her up, and carried her inside. I sat her on the counter, and began to clean her cut. I kept reassuring her that she was fine, and that she would have a bandaid on it soon. I remember bending down, and my whole body just ached because I was so tired. She had stopped crying, and I put the bandaid on and kissed her knee.  I immediately said, "Look! Its all better!" I saw her eyes fill up with tears all of a sudden, and she said to me, "Miss Karissa, thank you for loving me.... Because if you didn't, I don't know who would. Also, thanks for telling me about Jesus, me and him have been talking and I'm pretty sure we're gonna be good friends." I remember hugging her, and feeling the wetness of her tears on my shirt, and thinking how I would not have changed this moment for anything in the world. I could've held that precious girl in my arms for the rest of the day... and in that moment I was so weak, but so strong. 

      It has been exactly two months since I have written a blog. Quite honestly it has been one of the hardest two months of my life. I have come to the realization that the Lord uses us in our weaknesses. He uses me in the craziest situations, and I never see them coming. So today, I am thankful that God scooped me up and carried me inside. I am thankful that I can be completely broken with him, and he kisses my bobos, and says "Look! It's all better." He makes everything new, and he has definitely shown me that Joy comes in the morning. This is why I live, breathe, and love Martin Park. It is exhausting to keep up with so many kids, but the good times always outweigh the bad. It has brought my heart joy to see my kids change so much, and I wouldn't change a thing. So many things have happened in the last two months, and I will try my best to show you my heart and walk you through it.

Tuesday Afternoons: 

  After school tutoring... what an amazing adventure! This was the most intimate time that I had with my kids. I learned about their lives and helped them with school. We played different games like basketball, football, and soccer. I had about fifteen kids every tuesday and it was such a blessing to get to invest in their lives on a personal level. I could not have done this without the amazing group of college students. Thank you guys so much! :) 

Wednesday Nights: 

 Wednesday Nights was an amazing time for everyone. We have grown so much in the past months. Every wednesday we would get to worship, play games, and teach our class about the fruit of the spirit.  It was such a challenging task, but by the end of the semester my knowledge of teaching had grown so much!  

Friday Nights: 

  My most favorite night this whole semester was Friday nights. This night was full of laughter, friendships, and healing. I had women's bible study every Friday night, and got to spend some incredible times with the most amazing women in the world. Through this special time together we found the love of Jesus, and forgiveness that can break all chains. I am so thankful for these wise women, and I am thankful they still invest in my life. 

Christmas Party:

  This was the most humbling thing I have done all semester. On Sunday, December 15th we had our Martin Park Christmas Party. This was the moment I had been waiting for all semester to see if what I had been doing really made a difference. God answered my prayers, and went above and beyond. Kids and their families kept arriving and I just couldn't believe all of the connections I had made. It was such a huge blessing to get to serve them food, and tell the Christmas story, and give the kids treat bags. I am so glad to have built such a solid foundation, and the Lord is so gracious to me. I am so proud of my family, and can not wait to see where we go next! Thank you Gateway Baptist Church for all your help, and support! Also, thank you for everyone who helped with all the details, it makes a difference! 

So, I will end on this note. I am a BLESSED woman this year with quite possibly the greatest kids in the whole world. There are so many things left to be done, but with everyone's help we can change this community! I can not wait to see what God's plan is for me and this area. Please keep praying, and I can not thank everyone enough for all of your support! Love you all! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From My Family To Yours! 

Along For The Ride.

     Today has been one of the best days I have had in awhile. It started out rough, but it turned out beautiful. I went to class this morning and then right after I came home to take a glorious nap. I then started to clean and prepare my house for our women's bible study. During this time I got to hang out with my cool three year old neighbor who just so happened to be dressed up as batman, and I also got to see two boys that live on the other side of our apartment complex. The two boys followed me back inside and we got to eat candy, play temple run, and laugh ALOT. They were still hanging out when me and Katherine started to prepare dinner. She started to make her homemade salsa and I started to make cookies. The boys came in the kitchen and wanted to help with everything. We let them make a beautiful mess and then told them how awesome they were at everything. The smile on their faces was absolutely priceless. Lets rewind a second- six months ago I met these two boys and I thought that there was no way they would ever listen to me or respect me. They were very disrespectful and were very mean to the other kids. With many I love you's and hugs later, we are where we are today. They take out my trash, say please and thank you, and also respect others and have become quite the gentlemen. This proves that every child is one caring adult away from success. I am thankful for the time we have together and I get to help shape them into the men they are supposed to be.
      It was time for them to leave and then Mrs. Carolyn came over for women's bible study. As soon as she walked in the door I could tell that she had a rough week. She was frustrated and discouraged but she came to bible study anyway. She said that she knew that she needed to be there with us. She talked about how hard it was for her some days to just get out of bed. So we then read James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." She then began to cry and tell us how thankful she was to learn about scripture and she was so happy that she was able to understand it. She told us how thankful she was that we were there for her and how blessed she always feels afterwards. She said no one has ever taken the time to teach her how to read the bible. I was so humbled tonight by her brokenness and her willingness to share her heart. I was supposed to be teaching her the bible but I received so much more from her. She has taught me about love, joy, and what being blessed is all about. I love doing life with her.
     After bible study we went to hang out with our family who loves us so much. We always have so much fun together and it has been a blessing for them to be in our lives. They are constantly available to us for wisdom and guidance. Our relationships with them are so important and I am thankful for our time together.
     As I sit here tonight feeling overwhelmingly blessed, I can not help but thank God for placing these people and this community into my life. I am just along for the ride, and I am just letting God use me as he sees fit. I am rolling with the punches, loving people, and standing firm in my faith. Which is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. A wise person once told me to go BE not DO. So that is what I am doing, I am just being here for others in this amazingly crazy journey that I am on. My only hope is that God gets all the glory. I would not be able to make it this far without the support and prayers of everyone. Please keep praying for us, and our new family!

SO. MANY. ADVENTURES.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.-Proverbs 22:6 

Loving Brokenness.

Home Sweet Home. 

It has almost been two weeks in our new apartment, and I have never felt more at home. I was pretty nervous to move into a rough area like this... but the Lord has been amazing with calming my fears.  I feel like this apartment complex is my home now, and me and Katherine Taylor and our kids are one big happy family. We are starting to build relationships and a community is starting to grow. We love this place, and these people. Here are a few updates! 

Tutoring has begun here at Martin Park and the kids love it! Tutoring is on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00, and they receive  a snack when they arrive, and hear a bible story before they leave! It is an incredible blessing for us to watch these kids succeed academically because in this area most kids are forgotten when it comes to education. 

We are thankful for college students that came out on Tuesday to be a friend, and a teacher. 

       My favorite part about being here is the fact that we get to be the church to the people here. We have already been able to meet and love on so many broken families. We have children that are abused, neglected, and go through nightmares on a daily basis.Being able to be a light for them, and love them in their broken state is the greatest blessing. We have become a safe haven for so many kids to run to, and the Lord is constantly teaching us. I stand amazed in his presence constantly because I can not believe he would choose me to do such a wonderful mission as this. Me and Katherine began to pray for Godly women who would pour into us on a daily basis, and instead of one person... we were blessed with three! These women are a blessing, and always point us to christ. They give us Godly advice, and pray for us faithfully. The Lord has overwhelmingly provided for us once again! It has been a rough and exhausting transition to live in a place like this, but it is so worth it. Our bodies are tired most days, and sometimes we don't really know what we are doing... but thank goodness God is in control and knows the plan for our lives. He was already in this apartment complex preparing hearts for our arrival, and he walks beside us everywhere. He comforts me in my brokenness, and tells me it's okay if I don't have all the answers. He constantly reminds me that all I am called to love the broken. If I can do just that on my worst days, I am doing something right. Love is not complicated here for us, it is the most freeing feeling in the world. You love them, and they love you back even stronger. This heals us more than it heals them. The Lord is so gracious and we are so undeserving, but I am so thankful he loves my brokenness, and uses it for his glory.

Things you can pray for:

1. Our tutoring program and women's bible study every week. 

2. That our financial needs will be met.

3. Pray that our kids will be a light in their schools. 

4. Pray for me and Katherine as we build this community, and make relationships. 

Thank you all for supporting the ministry, and for loving and praying for me! I will post more updates soon! 

"We love each other because he first loved us first."-1 John 4:19

Loving till it hurts.

These past couple of weeks have been absolutely overwhelming. I have come to the realization that being a full time student and working in the ministry is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to balance. As I begin to get into the routine of my schedule and how I am going to do things I get more excited about how God is going to use me this semester. Not only at school, but in the ministry as well. 

The ministry side of my life, has been a roller coaster of emotions. It has been incredible to watch my kids grow spiritually, but it also hurts to my core to see them hurt. My kids face battles that I can not even imagine going through. When they talk to me about their hurts, I tend to carry it on my shoulders because I want to help them. My heart seriously breaks for these kids and makes me an emotional wreck. I try and be their savior, and fight their battles for them.  When in reality I can not come to their rescue every time they call for me, and that hurts me. Then Jesus whispers to me and says, "I heal the broken hearted and I bind up their wounds." Jesus has already carried the burden for my kids, and I don't have to. I don't have to try and be their hero, when  Jesus was their hero when he died for them on the cross. He has called me to live this out in every area of my life, so that my kids know that they have already been rescued, and set free by the situations they are in right now. I feel that giving my kids to Jesus to take care of is sometimes easier said then done. Every time I talk to one of my kids, and they are struggling, I always remind them to run to Jesus as fast as they possibly can. He is the only one who can make all things new. 

I have also come to the realization that this hurt for people never goes away. Whenever I sit in my bedroom, and weep and pray for my kids. It becomes real that I am in the ministry. The hurt never goes away for lost people.  I am thankful for this hurt because it makes me more passionate in everything I do. Its not going to get easier, but its worth it. My kids are worth it. I am thankful for painful beginnings, and I am thankful that God chose someone so unworthy to live out his calling in my life. I will update more later! 

Things you can pray for: 

1. A healthy balance between ministry and school.

2. My kids and their hearts. 

3. That God will provide financially for this ministry so that it can continue to grow. 

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers, and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission."-Hebrews 5:7

Love came down and rescued me.

The summer that changed everything.

The summer of two thousand and thirteen was one to remember. It was a short period of my life that was full of laughter, memories and an overwhelming amount of love. A love so real and deep, that it is hard to put into words. So I will try my best.

Many people have asked me, "Karissa, what have you been doing?" Which I quickly respond by saying, "I have no idea." Which for some that can be absolutely terrifying, but for me it is not. The truth is I am being blindly led into something that I have never experienced before. My only choice is to trust that God knows what direction he is pulling me in, and I must obey. For the past three months I have spent my time investing in the lives of people within the Alexandria area. This summer, I worked with kids twice a day in two different areas. I thought I was there to teach these kids about Jesus, but instead they taught me more about Jesus than I have ever experienced before. They taught me most importantly about love. Unconditional love. I would look into their eyes and see a child wanting to be loved. You could bring out toys and play games, but if you weren't there to love them there was no point. I have kids who have been through more than most people do in their lifetime. It became difficult to adjust how I respond to each child because of their situations, but the Lord was so faithful in teaching me how to love properly. Through these kids the Lord has taught me numerous things. I have learned when to be patient, and when to be gentle. I have learned when it is okay to raise my voice, and when I just need to listen. I have learned to be completely and totally vulnerable in hopes that my kids will see that I am human just like them. I have learned about a love that sets you free. A love that breaks down every single barrier you have up, and doesn't hold back. A love that completely breaks your heart in every way possible. A love so strong, that it washes away every fear and every doubt. A love that is healing and calming to the soul.  This love has rescued me, time and time again. This is the love that these kids so freely give to me. 

I can not imagine my life without my new family. I am thankful for the constant support that everyone has given me, and for the encouragement to live out my dream of doing ministry. That is why I am SO thankful that God has called me to continue to work with this ministry for the rest of the year. My current plan is to change the city of Alexandria, one child at a time. I will do this by starting a tutoring program that will reach many different areas. There will be many areas that help is needed. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry and being a part of some amazing kids lives, please let me know! I will have more details soon! 

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
-Ecclesiastes 4:12