Detroit Annual Conference Begins!

And it begins! I have just pulled into Adrian and the campus of Adrian College for the 2013 Detroit Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church! I am so very happy (yes I am a United Methodist Nerd) to make new connections, see friends, learn more about the church and to share my experiences as a US-2 Missionary in Detrot, MI! There will certainly be more to come, but please have us in your thoughts as we begin this conference!


I'll be tweeting a lot of the different happenings so feel free to follow: @BP888

Old Photos of the Week!- Cinco De Mayo!!

Spring was out in full force last weekend with Cinco De Mayo parades, festivals and a few surprises. the weekend was an awesome reminder of where I live in Southwest Detroit that there is a huge latino culture that is vibrant and always ready for a fun time! the streets of Vernor were packed to the brim with several street blocked off to allow for crowds! It is always so great to see huge amounts of people coming out of the winter hibernation in order to enjoy time together. Neighbors are coming out onto porches, into gardens and it seems that just like the tulips that are blooming, so are Springwells Village and Mexicantown in Southwest Detroit!

Some of the streets that were blocked off formed a sort of festival with music, food and just huge amounts of people! (and it looks like I was photo bombed with this one!)

 Some of the surprises- Mechanical Bull! Sadly it was pretty pricey, so I was not up to it, but hey check it out this guys was (looks like the bull won this one)

It is not everyday that you see horses coming down Vernor, but this was the beginning of the parade!

A time of Silence-

Yes I went on a Silent Retreat for 4 days!

I was given the opportunity with the Jesuit Retreat center Manresa and holy smokes it was so very awesome! It was a really encouraging time to step back and at about the halfway mark of being here and  I was able to look at what my goals were in the beginning, what I still hope to do, what I need to be more intentional and more focused on and just time to digest some of what I am learning. It was an awesome reorientation!

I think the retreat itself really amplified for me the importance of taking time to not just to be alone, but to really think about what you are doing and why. Regardless if you are doing a service year, school or holding down a job, I think the Holy Spirit leads us to different goals and opportunities in life and it is so very easy to get switched to auto pilot and not live intentionally to live out the message and ideals of Christ.

Photos of the Week- Its a Party!

Well some awesome things happened this weekend. For one my roommate Brian is leaving for a trip to study and living in several countries in Central America for about 5-6 weeks. We threw a Pre-Cinco De Mayo/Goodbye for a bit Brian party complete with potluck of snack foods and a bonfire! We had about 30 or so of Brian and mine's friends over for a good time watching the sunset and talking about everything from my "southern accent" to community organizing. Bon Voyage Brian!

A little bonfire action, and no my face is not on fire.

I suppose this is what I get when people borrow your camera! But hey now we get this lovely picture!

And yes ladies and gents, it is official the Spring is here and dang it is awesome!

A Loss in the Family

Well I have some pretty awful and difficult news today. Yesterday morning it was reported that one of our clients that has been coming for several years was stabbed to death at Hart Plaza Saturday night. I will continue the policy of not using any names, but "John" was a deaf man that was constantly teaching me sign language and always had a smile. "John" had a sense of humor and a spirit that really could just be felt and sure didn't mind giving you a hard time. I suppose I write this just to share that because so often I am able to share stories of exciting happenings or of lessons learned, but I thought I could share the difficult times also. "John" was one of the shining lights here at NOAH and he will not be forgotten, thank you for reading y'all.