What a summer it's been! Thanks to everyone from Youth Works who traveled from NY, MI, IN, OH, WV, PA, KY, MA, WI and NJ to help us rehabilitate the house! Thanks also for the donation from a grant organization which will help us put on a first floor bathroom and refinish our sidewalks and stairs!

Even better than the physical restoration that has been happening, God has been putting a few and older people in our path who needed some encouragement. Heroin and alcohol are terrible addictions, destroying the inside and outside of a person's life. Please pray for those whom we are reaching out to, "Doyle", "Reba" "Hanna" and "Jon". Pray they get free of their addictions and wisdom if we are to be a part of that by letting them withdraw in our house with 24/7 prayer coverage. It's not a withdrawal you would want to do alone.

Please pray also for the praise and worship we have weekly on Monday nights at 7 on our porch, that it will continue to bring grace and inspiration to our community. All are welcome! Thanks Debbie and Mel for leading that!

We are enjoying a weekly DVD series on Tuesday's at 7 pm called, "Power and Love" which challenge us to live the basic Gospel more wholeheartedly. We are also showing Documentaries the 1st and 3rd Fridays at our house and then going out on the streets after to encourage people we see and pray for the neighborhood.

Please also pray for another few long term volunteer who can share in the mission. It's been a challenge to find people committed to this great challenge who can raise their own support and willing to work hard. Anna Hogan was here all summer and was and AMAZING gift. She definitely left an imprint on the people in this city! David was going to stay but ended up getting a job on an Indian Reservation. Sarah Littlefield is spending time here in between serving in Pittsburgh speaking about purity in the schools and pregnancy centers. She is such a gift!

And thank you for your prayers for me. It's been a challenge the last few weeks for various reasons and I covet your prayers to grow in intimacy and strength in the Lord and to grow in grace and wisdom to lay my life down for Jesus through each of the people he connects me to in this city. This is great training ground for any future mission work I will do in Asia or wherever He calls me. I'm so grateful for all He is doing in and through us.

Amidst a lot of violence and discouragement in the natural in our city this summer, we as God's kids, are beckoned to believe boldly that God is alive and well and is longing and willing to be KING of this City. He is pouring out his grace to all those hungry and thirsty to be quenched by it. Like Abraham, we have to SEE the promise as if it were for today and walk in faith and sacrifice to make it happen in His grace.

I pray you do that in your own neighborhoods. Reach out to the one God puts before you today and make yourself vulnerable to BECOME LOVE. This is our identity--our call as sons and daughters of the One who did it so valiantly and beautifully for us!

God bless you and thank you for praying!

Love,
Katie