Nehemiah Mesquite Mission Update

I pray that all of our Mesquite neighbors are doing well so far in this new year. I pray that our unemployed neighbors are finding work, that those without hope are being more and more encouraged.

I pray that those who attended the recent Community Job Fair held at Sharing Life were connected to some jobs. Lord willing, we will start planning another one that we will do better than the last one soon.

The weather has kinda kept us from doing as much as we'd like to be doing in the Valley View Heights Neighborhood. My last drive through that area this last week--I had mixed feelings. I see some progress on some streets, and on other streets a lot of trash on the streets and in yards. I am hopeful that we will be planning a trash/bash over there soon. Also, I am hoping to put together a neighborhood cookout/fellowship some time in March--and invite the whole neighborhood to come together as well as citizens from all over Mesquite to all come together and celebrate community! Yesterday when we had the annual prayer breakfast--many of the attendees went out around Mesquite to place a pvc pipe into the ground that had a declaration in it claiming that area for Jesus. My group went out to a vacant lot in the Valley View Heights Neighborhood and placed that pipe in the ground and prayed for every family in that neighborhood. We also prayed for God to send more workers to come out and help rebuild, blot out crime, and bring neighbors together and let love abound!

The Nehemiah Mesquite Mission is also fully committed to bringing about unity in Mesquite! As we are nearing the spring and local political season--the seeds of disunion are quickly growing! So let me offer this:

I am a pastor who believes in being involved in the political and civic process. I vote and I state who I believe are the best candidates and I work for or against local propositions depending on if I believe they are good for our people. Although I never, ever use the pulpit to discuss politics. I encourage every other Mesquite resident--Christian or non-Christian to also exercise their right to vote and participate in their government. HOWEVER, when we take positions and argue and debate different views and positions--PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET US DO SO IN LOVE AND WITH MUTUAL RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER! Let us not question each other's motives. Let us not be unkind. Let us state our positions and do what we think is right--but still love and care for one another. And when the election is over--let us unite behind who the people choose--and let there be a time period where we set politics aside and all of us roll up our sleeves and work alongside each other to rebuild the broken parts of our city the way Nehemiah did in Jerusalem!

Let Democrats and Republicans and Independents and people who hate politics but love their community come together and find common ground. Dear Mesquite Neighbors--WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT TRYING TO ERADICATE POVERTY IN OUR CITY? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT HELPING WIDOWS FIX UP THEIR HOME? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT CLEANING UP NEIGHBORHOODS? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT PROVIDING LOVE AND MENTORING FOR MANY CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO DAD OR GUIDANCE? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT WATCHING EACH OTHER'S PROPERTY TO STOP CRIME? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT TRYING TO SPREAD HOPE? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT HELPING OUR UNEMPLOYED NEIGHBORS FIND JOBS? WHAT IS POLITICAL ABOUT MAKING SURE POOR CHILDREN IN OUR CITY DON'T GO HUNGRY?

Please, please, please--let us tone down the harshness. Let us disagree when we need to--but not be so disagreeable. And together--let us do great things for the Lord and for each other!

Grace and Peace,

Bruce