Anchorman- Go see it.
Mood:  silly
Topic: Entertainment
Hi folks,
Jacobs Entertainment Entry of the week- Go See Anchorman- I haven't laughed that hard in years.
Look for some hyjinx from cameo appearance actors that you might have seen in some other Will Ferrel Movies, but this one, just hit my funny bone. I was crying, and my cheeks hurt after this one. Also, a joke in the movie that fit with some inside jokes we had here in detroit, was one where Will drinks a half gallon of milk on a 100 degree day, and says as he is bent over, "eh, I don't think that was a good decision, and John Corn beside me, is making a puking noise, funniest inside joke connection, we were the only ones cracking up in the theatre.

4 star comedy go see it.

The throw down
Mood:  loud
Topic: WSC / Detroit
hi all,
I thought I would tell this story, because I need to remember it. So, on monday, we went to the church to put together a wonderful new backboard and rim and set. We got there at nine, and each bolt seemed to be too tight for the holes we were feeding it through. so one of the bolts, we hammered through and bent one of the threads on the bolts stripped down, so we could not place the nut on the bolt.

So we worked about two hours on this arrangement of poles in order to get the hoop to move up and down. in doing this, the assembly went back together more smooth. We put it up, and left it, and hung out working on the rim assembly figuring out how the bolts worked, and the springs and such. Then Devin, Tiara, and brittney came over, and shannon took them on a field trip to michaels. when they returned, devin and brittney ran through the sactuary where the hoop was standing, and I don't know whether one of the kids, or the wind that followed them blew the thing down, but we heard a great big boom, and the backboard came a tumbling down. We Heard a large crash and came running, and the backboard and frame where broken and bent, and the glass was shattered,
and it looked unrepairable. So, frustrated and embarrassed we put the rim away, and it was the start to a horrible day.

Next Two boys came, Dave Shelton, a regular, one of the boys that is in some of the pictures, got talking to this boy Robert Byrd, and he started harrassing Dave about a video game he borrowed, then, Dave got hit by a ball in the nose in dodge ball, and went into a tither, and started yelling, and exploding with anger, so we pulled johns last rule that if someone fights, everyone goes home.
So we kicked everyone out. Kicking everyone out really relieved some stress that was building. For the most part, we needed that time off, we knew that if we had anymore stress we could have yelled louder at those kids, but because of the way it worked, I just yelled, "ALRIGHT, TIME TO LEAVE" and the kids knew what that meant, because they had heard it before from pastor john. We also did some pastoral talking as John Corn and I approached both of the boys and settled some things out. We tried to get each of the boys realizing that one uping each other was not the answer to this conflict, sometimes, dispite what others percieve, leaving, or ignoring where the best option, because things don't escelate to violence, or hurt boys. The Robert talked about how he "couldn't be seen walking from a fight!" and we simply said sternly-"why" then, I had a harsh discovery that, this is what they were brought up with, not going down on a fight no matter how out numbered or how easily you could get hurt, it was all bloody nuckles when it came to these kids. It is not a suprise because in their town, since January of this year of 2004, till now, the middle of july, there have been 297 deaths due to gun shot. Just imagine how many more, were injuries, but these adults are their role models, they learn from older gang members on the street that what you're sappost to do, is defend your integrity. I say, "defend yourself, until conflict like that arrises, then, use peace." holy smoke, I want to take all the kids on a field trip to the peace paviliion where they learn to: "stop, think peace!" I am starting to see why we are here, to be good influences, more than anything for these kids. the mission center has john running all over the state for them, and we are his stand ins, binding this church together till his return. I can't believe how exhausted I am doing this day in and day out. I think that prayers could be used just to get me through another week and a half till we go back to independence to re-join our cohearts. I just hope that nothing goes asunder during that time.


Oh by the way, anyone reading this can post a comment, I know you're dieing to, just read and press the post comment button, somewhere around this entry. I know you want to. I so want to add it to my blog. I really like criticism and support.

Update, since it has been 4 days
Mood:  happy
Topic: WSC / Detroit
So, all of my adoring fans, (just kidding) I just thought I would write and give you and update on detroit. Well, on monday after I wrote, well, rather, I stole shannons entry, Ha ha, we picked up some drifters. John Corn, Jordan Long, and Linda Flint. They are a blessing of 6 extra hands and feet for our cause that is now our bible school that meets monday through thursday. For the next 5 weeks.
The Days start out, with Shannon and I Co-Directing Mural Class, and having a good time of it, and the neighborhood kids, coming and helping us, as our pictures have shown. We have bolstered our numbers, and the camp, as of yesterday was at 25 kids participating. Then at 1, after the kids had painted for two hours we go in and have Lunch/Snack, which is a blast just watching them interact, and we have been kind of expressing that a family sit down meal is important, through action. Although, I don't think it has ever been planned that way, it has worked out to seem like a fellowship type meal.
After this, While some of us clean up, John Corn and Jordan Long, work diligently to keep the children occupied, as they play in a recreation style format. They have been playing dodgeball, ultimate frizbee, and elbow tag, to the kids hearts content, the kids love it. After this, John and I kind of lead Crafts, but it takes a full staff participating group to accomplish the craft task, because they are a group that needs to reach their attention span limit. In this class, as you can tell from the pictures below that I am going to enter, the kids liked bead day, and have nothing but good to say about that.

After all that, we have "Getting Real with Jesus" a little bible lesson of sorts, where we have been sharing in bible lessons so much taken for granted in sunday school childrens classes that never made it to these kids in their inner city neigborhoods. Last week, we read psalm 100, the wise man and the fool who built their house upon the rock, and the fool who built their house on the sand, another story from this week, talked about modern day good samaritan, with john atkinson leading a interpretation involving the prostitute working with the lord in mind, symbolizing the outcast samaritian of the bible, both versions were shared, but it brought a unique perspective for this neighborhood.
I would like to close this entry by just leaving you with some pictures from this week in detroit. it has been a great journey this week, and as the staff get into rythym this summer, should be a great springboard for what john has plans for a church plant in the fall.

Shannons 4th of July Account (borrowed)
Mood:  mischievious
Topic: WSC / Detroit
Shannons Documentation
Sunday, 4 July 2004
4th of july fun
Today we went to Highland Park, the most dangerous and run-down neighbourhood in Detroit (our neighbourhood isn't the only bad one), for church. The neighbourhood is so run down that there are places where there are no street signs. The service was great. The congregation's building there there also the Community of Christ African American Ministries Centre. I heard the best sermon so far in my time here this summer, I felt like it was speaking to me personally where I'm at. It was both challenging and inspirational. It was a good place for our first communion service (since this is the first first Sunday of the month we've been here for) of our time in Detroit. Yesterday also marked the end of week 4, which means we are halfway through our time here, which is kind of sad.

We had a little 4th of July party at the church in the afternoon. We bought lots of hot dogs and sausages and werved them up to our kids and to a few adults passing through. I took some great pictures of the cookout, but the memory card they were on is corrupt, so I don't have them, which is sad. I do have a few pictures from another camera though. After eating, John and the two girls that went to camp led everyone in a few campfire songs:

We also had some flav-o-ice freezies that we gave out for dessert. An older fellow from the Restoration Towers senior's home next door to the church came by, and for some reason I love this picture of him eating his freezie:

After we ate, since it was Pastor John's first time back since we started our little Heart and Soul band, we had to play for him, and fun times were had:

Our little Dancing Queen, Brittany:

To cap off a great 4th of July, Jacob and I took John to see Fahrenheit 9/11, which we didn't mind seeing for a second time. We thought it was a very patriotic thing to do. I had a revelation afterwards when we were talking about Michael Moore. John said something about the fact that it's silly that people say Michael Moore isn't patriotic, it's obvious he loves his country. I said that criticizing your country shows you care enough about it, you love your country enough, that you want it to be the best it possibly can be.

Shannon wrote this, but I wanted to add it, so that I wouldn't have to repeat it.

Jacob Shares some Pictures
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: WSC / Detroit
Yo, Yo, all those out there, and maybe myself, for posterity, here is a record of the events that have been happening here in detroit the last few days,I have accomplished a final design for a mural, and started carried it to paint form with the kids from the community, and they love hearing us blast music, and dance as we paint, and I think it is really cool. The kids are so receptive to grafitti on the side of the church, that shows peace in community.

Also, we have been running Pizza Church, and Game Day while John has been away with the kids to Junior High Camp, with some of our kids from the neighborhood, and we bought a new dodgeball because the last one got taken home. We bought it at food and drug basics, and it was a blast, and we played with the new dodgeball movie rules, and if you caught a ball the person that threw it, would be out, and the person that caught it would get a team member back, and the game would last longer. we play with one ball and two teams, and it is kind of like doctor dodgeball with a catch. (Joke) Then, when we had been playing for an hour, Cory threw the ball and it hit the window, popping it like a weak water balloon, and it was nothing more than a pile on the window and floor. The kids acted like it was the end of the world, like in sandlot, almost persecuting poor cory, and they were saying things like "now we can't play no more" and "look what cha done" and frankly I thought it was kind of funny that it was a fresh new green ball that we had bought an hour or so earlier. so, to get the attention off of cory, I put the ball on my head like a hat. it was funny. Shannon took a great picture.

Here is that picture of me with the hat, and the next one is what it looked like right after it popped before I picked it up.

After all that excitement, I decided to pass out the oreos and Koolaid and most of the children left, but some stayed on to play music, led by David Shelton the Pokemon, Zelda Champion, and he directed us in a musical street stomp version of heart and soul, which is their new favorite song. (Shannon and I taught them how to play it)

Then, I learned how to play "take me out to the ballgame by fiddling around on the church organ. The dusty unused beautiful organ.

The next day, We went to beautiful bluewater to pick up john atkinson and our neighborhood kids katasha and tiara. Johns mask is creepy, it looked like him so much, and the artwork was done by Kim Stanbridge.

Here is John and the girls, isn't he Creepy?

More shall come later. - Jacob