Monday, December 27, 2010

NEHEMIAH MESQUITE MISSION END OF YEAR BLESSINGS

So many things to say, but I am literally somewhat out of energy after a busy holiday season! God provided toys for almost every child at both Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments--and I praise God's name over and over and over!!!!

Special thanks to the many carolers from Meadowview Church of Christ who joined my congregation recently for some beautiful Christmas Caroling around Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments--as well as the Valley View Heights Neighborhood. So many families were peering out of their apartment or house doors so full of excitement and curiosity. The love of Jesus was definitely spread around those parts of Mesquite that evening!

We are really gearing up these next several days to prepare for what I pray will be a successful Community Job Fair that Sharing Life and the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission will be sponsoring. If you are an employer who will be hiring in January--please let me know and come participate. The job fair is Saturday January 8 from 10am to 1pm at 3544 E. Emporium Cr. Or if you can bring a computer and help people prep resumes, we can use your help. Or if you need a job--come be with us that day!

There is much, much work yet to do in Mesquite. But we will talk about that soon. For now, let us praise God for all HE is doing in our community! Lives are being changed--one soul at a time! And neighborhoods are slowly moving forward.

Let us all unite and come together in 2011 to rebuild and better our Mesquite and make the lives of every family better and may we honor God as we endeavor such a great cause!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

NEHEMIAH MESQUITE MISSION PROGRESS AROUND MESQUITE

God is so amazing--and HE's doing great things in the City of Mesquite!!! Since we began the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission in the Valley View Heights Neighborhood--progress is being made!

CRIME

On at least two streets in Valley View Heights--neighbors are telling me break ins have slowed almost to nothing. We had our first crime watch meeting last month on Rose Street and had over 25 neighbors who up--many more than I expected. Everyone seemed encouraged and hopeful--I appreciated Councilman Brian Hutcheson being there to support this work. We had a crimewatch walk today through the neighborhood--with James Wood and his wife (James is our crimewatch captain from Rose Street), myself, and one of our Mesquite Police Officers--who knows that neighborhood very well and knew lots of details of each street. I very much appreciate Councilman Stan Pickett showing up also for that walk. On our walk, we encountered a few neighbors who were glad to see us out there and a couple of neighbors who are trouble makers who were not so happy to see us. But nonetheless--I know word will spread that we were out there with a police officer and that is good! And honestly, there is so much more you can see when you are on foot as opposed to seeing from an automobile. If it slows anyone from pursuing criminal activity--its a good thing! It appears also, that more and more neighbors are talking to each other and looking out for one another! That is a huge blessing!

CODE ISSUES

When the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission first started working in that neighborhood, there were numerous vacant houses throughout the neighborhood that were neglected and that just looked terrible! A few were in what I call "Perpetual Repair"--but basically nothing was being done. However, today you see several vacant houses cleaned up--a few have been rented or sold--and several are having real repairs and improvements made on them. Every Saturday when we go through and pick up trash and pray for each street's families--we see workers rebuilding those houses! Clearly our code enforcement workers are making a difference!

UNEMPLOYMENT

As we go through the neighborhoods--whether it be Valley View Heights or even my own neighborhood--we encounter a number of unemployed neighbors. We need to keep praying for our unemployed neighbors. I am very excited to announce that on January 8th--the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission is partnering with Sharing Life to have a Community Job Fair. It will be a mix of a job fair with as many employers as we can get, as well as an opportunity to get help putting together a resume and we will have some professionals there to help with coaching for job interviewing skills. We will also have other ministers there besides myself to pray with folks who have been struggling or to listen to their stories. We want to encourage people! Please pray for God to bless this job fair. Here are the details:

Nehemiah Mesquite Mission/Sharing Life Community Job Fair
WHERE--Sharing Life's Facility-- 3544 Emporium Circle in Mesquite
WHEN--Saturday January 8 from 10am to 1pm

Today when we were doing the crimewatch walk through Valley View Heights, we encountered a neighbor who said he has been unemployed for several months and I mentioned our job fair. We plan on hitting several neighborhoods around Mesquite with fliers about the job fair before next month. If you know of an employer who will be hiring in January--please get them in touch with me.

May God continue to bless the City of Mesquite and may HE help us rebuild our city and spread the good news of Jesus--House By House, Street By Street, Neighborhood By Neighborhood, Apartment Complex By Apartment Complex!

Bruce