Day One - West Oakland Inner City

Today was the beginning of my six week long adventure at World Impact. As most of you know I have been living here at Matt's place with Tony, Sarah and Lora for the past week and a half, and am moving into an apartment in West Oakland with Amanda (WorldIMPACT missionary) on Friday morning. I started volunteering today, working alongside Luke (another WorldIMPACT missionary), and also with Judy (Hendrik's wife). Luke walked with me from the center, where all of our activities will take place (bible study, VBS, clubs, etc.), to the thrift store/resource center that is owned by WorldIMPACT. On our way Luke introduced to me to a few men that he has become friends with over the time he has lived there. One man named Chico, and the other named Duncan. Both very polite, wanting to greet me with a handshake, sharing their name and asking me mine. I believed them to be kind members of the Campbell street community. After speaking with Luke further, I found out that they were both drug dealers. He also informed me that many of the men on the street corners right outside of the building that I will be living in are drug dealers. I looked out the window to witness a group of men talking, and I then wondered to myself, how would I have ever known? I didn't want to judge after I found out this information. I knew in my heart that these men had more to offer this community than drugs, and Luke had given them a chance. I wanted to be part of their community, and build meaningful relationships with others who may be involved in selling drugs or have family members who deal drugs. I feel that there are so many people who have fallen to this route of work in this neighborhood, because that is what they know. Not many are telling them that it's not okay. The Oakland Police are not doing their job, and much of the drug dealing goes unnoticed. I'm not saying that I am going to tell these drug dealers to stop, but I am going to be praying so hard during my time here that the dealers will see a better life for themselves through Christ. Drug dealing is a way of life, and as sad as it sounds, some people don't understand the repercussions of it on the community. It's an infectious cycle, where one person starts selling, and others buy, and more sell and then more buy. Children see their parents living this cycle out daily, and in turn they think that it is normal to live this way. Life can be so much more fulfilling! Pure joy and love can be found in Christ - and I pray that I can be a living example of this. I have so much to learn from this community, and I don't plan on doing a lot of talking with the people here. I believe my purpose is more to listen, and learn - and once the relationship is built I can share.

Back to the building I mentioned earlier. This building used to be home to a gambling hall, and drug house prior to WorldIMPACT purchasing it. Since the purchase a few years back, it has been turned into a thrift store for the community, and will soon be turned into a resource center for the people of the surrounding neighborhoods to find jobs, medical care, rehab, dental care, etc. In the upstairs of this building are the living quarters for the InterVarsity team that will be coming in, that consists of 7 college students. Mine and Luke's job today was to clean it up and get it ready for them when they come on Friday morning. We scrubbed floors, counters, mirrors, windows, you name it, we cleaned it. :) We stopped to have lunch and sat outside at a picnic table, talking about the ways of the West Oakland neighborhoods. I am so intrigued by the lifestyle, and want to know how it got to be the way that it is. Luke was insightful with his information, and we eventually went back to clean the living quarters some more. Afterwards we decided to do some much needed painting on the exterior of the house. It was a task that I was excited to take on - I had never really painted a house before.

Also, another first that took place was yesterday. I drove in California for the first time! Hooray! I survived, and tomorrow I will be driving on my own to the WorldIMPACT center.

If anyone is reading this - prayer and hope for a better tomorrow in this neighborhood. Also, confidence in speaking to new people in the neighborhood, and not getting discouraged by the circumstances. Allow me to see each person through the eyes of God, not my own.