Week 22

Saturday:

This was the last in a line of horribly planned Saturdays.

I missed outreach for the third week in a row (I am sure you are all sick of hearing it and are questioning my level of commitment......aaauuuggghhh)!!!!

While I did not go on regular outreach I did play a small part in getting a teen girl to come:

Call on my cell phone:

Unnamed parent: There is a girl making out with a guy in the church parking lot.
Me: Who is it?
UP: I don't know.
Me: Can you tell them to leave, or do you want me to?
UP: Can you?
Me: Sure...**sigh** (thinking...why do I always have to be the bad guy???)

I walk up to a black primer-painted mini van.

Me: What are you guys doing here?
Guy: Nothin' just hanging out.
Me: Is there anything you need regarding the church?
Guy: No
Me: Then you need to leave.
Guy: Okay.
Me: awkwardly standing there while they say their "goodbyes"....(and such is the life of a yp's wife...**sigh**)

The girl (who will remain unnamed to protect herself from her stupidity) walks over to a group of our girls that were hanging out at the church.

Unnamedgirlwhodidsomethingdumb: Don't tell my mom I was with that guy.
One of our youth girls: I won't tell her if you come on the bus tomorrow.

She came.

Sunday:

A glimpse of my Sunday morning:

Some of the bus workers warming up the play-doh before the arrival of the kids.

Morning prayer.

Street sign while doing wake-up.

First Route 3 pick up of the morning.

Weird things you see on Sunday mornings.

Cookies = the breakfast of champions.

Taking kids home.

Jackie: Yesterday we went to go visit my Dad in jail.
Me: Is he going to get out soon?
Jackie: I think so, but they are going to send him to Mexico.
Me: Well, being in Mexico is much better than being in jail. At least then you will be able to talk to him whenever you want.
Jackie: My mom says that we are not going to buy any new clothes or do anything extra for a year.
Me: Really, why?
Jackie: We are going to try to save all of our money so he can come home.
Me: (blinking back tears)

::talk about making the problems I have seem so little and insignificant::

Route 3 = 24 kids

Week 21

Saturday:

Missed outreach AGAIN due to some scheduling issues (didn't realize I had booked two weekends away in a row).

that.will.never.happen.again.

I feel so out of the loop and miss spending time with the kids.

I was talking with Brandon (Route 3 bus captain) about the importance of Saturday evangelism.

On Saturdays you:

-connect with kids.
-meet new kids.
-build relationships with them.
-play games with them.
-visit their clubhouses.
-talk with them about their week.
-find out what is going on in their lives, their homes

.

Sunday:



Route 3 = 25 kids

Week 20

Saturday:

Bus Ministry is built on consistency.

That being said....it is a good thing that I am not the only person on the team, as I was out of town this weekend.

I feel completely GUILTY every weekend I am not there, but I am thankful for a team of people that step up and take over my responsibilities while I am gone.

Even though I was in Cabo getting some R&R...bus ministry was not too far from my mind....

Especially seeing these everywhere:


...which closely resemble the buses of the "other" church in our city that picks up some of OUR kids and takes them to ANOTHER church.

Sunday:

Meet the Blue Bomber Bus Drivers:



Route 3 = 25 kids

Week 19

Saturday:

Today was the first time I have been afraid in our neighborhood.

Lane, Angelina and I were knocking on a door on an upstairs porch of one of our kids.

Looking down we were able to see into the parking lot next door.

We heard a loud banging, and I made eye contact with what had to be a gang member (I hate to stereotype, but I am 99.9999999% sure he was a gang member).

Him and his two friends were attempting (and succeeding) to break down the fence and get into the yard at the bottom of the stairs we were on.

As the "adult" I tried not to show that I was intimidated....but inside I was dying....thoughts of..."this is it"....raced through my mind.

On a positive note, this is the first time in this neighborhood that I have ever felt afraid.

Pretty good for an active gang/drug area.

We also found out that one of our regulars moved. I was a little relieved to find this out, since I had been leaving Blue Bomber cards on her porch and kept returning to find them ripped up.

In Bus Ministry it seems like you are continually starting over:

~You meet a kid
~Spend weeks building a friendship with them
~Get them to ride the bus on a regular basis
~They move

I have to look at it with the hope that they will never forget the time that we had with them.

If I don't look at it that way it is easy to become discouraged and frustrated.

Sunday:

We had the cutest little visitor on the bus this week....and she wore the most adorable pink sweater (pictured).

Mauricio (bus rider): Are you guys a part of Jesus' mom?
Brandon (bus captain): What about Jesus' mom, you mean Mary?
Mauricio: No, are you a Christian...like Jesus' mom?
Brandon (bus captain): Yes I am a Christian.
Mauricio: No, I mean like Jesus' mom...
Brandon: What do you mean?
Mauricio: You know, his mom, the one that goes like this:

and he puts his hands like this......

I think he was referring to this:

and we were cracking up listening to him try to describe it.

...oh the things kids say!

Route 3 = 20 kids (it was a HORRIBLE WEEK numbers-wise)

Week 18

Saturday:

Outreach was canceled due to a wedding taking place at our church.

Knowing this, I planned all week long to do a quick run through our neighborhood.

Unfortunately, life got in the way....and I never made it.

Even though I still consider myself a novice in bus ministry, I think it is so important to feel a personal responsibility to reach out.

Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed in myself, I just did not make the time.

Sunday:

In spite of no outreach, our numbers were still pretty decent.

and...

I leave you with this:

Want to be super efficient in your bus ministry?

Start making the kids run it themselves...



Route 3 = 29 kids

Week 17

I am going to start by saying......I cannot believe I have made it this long.

Seriously.

The amount of time and dedication it takes.

I am completely surprised at myself.

I think what has made me stick are...

the kids.


Saturday:

For the first 30 minutes, the entire Bus team (all 3 routes) went out to help us in our new area. We made so many new contacts and connections.

It felt so good to have the support of the Bus team behind us. We were even able to get a few kids together for a candy rain.

Sunday:


All of the kids that rode the Blue Bomber were given a shirt. It was so AWESOME to see all of them wearing them while they performed for Mother's Day.

Props to Tim for being a part of the Blue Bomber Crew....save the shirt, come every weekend you are in San Jose.

A few things about Sunday:

I can't help but get annoyed whenever I hear a parent say,
"Why didn't my kid get a t-shirt, why are the Bus kids treated special?"

it.gets.under.my.skin.

My response to this person/s:
"Instead of focusing on what your child is not getting, why not teach your child to appreciate the fact that he/she has a parent willing to bring them to Sunday School every week. If YOU would take the time to "adopt" a bus kid, we would not have to come up with "church clothes" for them."

and that is me saying it nicely.


On a lighter note...

Riding back to the church after picking up the kids, it was so cute to sit next to one of them practicing the songs and the signs for their performance that morning.

Two breakdowns on my route:

Breakdown #1 = asking Jackie about her dog, who unknown to me had run away last week. Hello waterworks.

Breakdown #2 = Luz's mom showing up an hour after the Mother's Day performance due to a miscommunication on the time.




Everything ran smoothly, even with having to sort out all 3 routes, following their performance.

I could not help but feel like a proud mama while watching all of the kids perform.

Really....the bus kids start to feel a little like your own.

Route 3 = 27 kids

Week 16

On Saturday we did this:



to raise money to have this:


put on these:


for all of them:

so....we were not able to do our regular outreach.

Sunday:
Over the next few weeks I will be posting random clips regarding the ins and outs of Bus Ministry....stay tuned.

"Wake up":



and because it is just plain funny:



Route 3 = 27 kids