My next adventure involved sneaking back to Peoria to surprise my Mom for her birthday (see video). One my way back to the Midwest, I had to battle a snow storm and icy roads. After overcoming the wintery mix and flying out of DC, local officials shut down the small Peoria airport and would not let people leave while police swept the facility for bombs. My plans for spending the night in a tiny regional airport with one restaurant (a Subway) were thwarted when the airport security finally opened the door to freedom.
One day later, I had an awesome opportunity to Adopt-A-Block. In Peoria, the South Side Mission lets locals commit to serving a low-income neighborhood over the course of several years. As a result, I had the privilege of going with an engineering manager, several young adults, and a church secretary to knock on doors, pick up trash, and pray for people. Determined volunteers from Northwoods Church, have constantly visited the same block with the objective of meeting the needs of poor families (clothes, home maintenance, counseling, ect) and sharing with people how important they are to Jesus Christ. Years of consistent service produced noticeable results with a significant drop in crime rate, consistently smiling (and crying) faces at neighborhood doors, and a great sharing of love.
In retrospect, I wonder if God can use you to radically change a neighborhood in your city?
