Getting Boots On The Ground

We began our “Boots On The Ground” execution of the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission yesterday. We were going to start at 10am, but due to the rain—we wound up starting at 2:30. I think we would have had some volunteers at 10 had it not been raining. So I went to a few random houses on both Rodeo Center (formerly Hickory Tree) and Rose Street.

The first lady I spoke to is a single mother who just moved into the neighborhood a few weeks ago. Seeing the poor shape of both the inside and outside of the home she is renting, makes me wonder if the landlord is paying the water bill, to avoid having city staff come in and do the rental inspection program that is supposed to happen before a new renter can rent the home. But having said that, I intend to be open minded and look at every situation individually. This single mother is raising two daughters and is attending college and receiving no child support from the father and she needs a part time job. She complained of one of her neighbors who throws trash in her yard often. If you walk through the “Flower Neighborhood” as I call it (many streets with the name of various flowers), you will see a number of yards and back alleys full of trash and litter. You could tell this woman is trying to build a better future, but is beat down and needs some hope. Pray for her please.

The next home I visited was a home of several Mexican men who labor here and pray that some day their children in Mexico can come to live with them here. These men were afraid at first that I was a person of authority there to cause them a problem. But very quickly, they begin to open up about what they think their street needs and they shared that their home has been broken into a couple of times. Then the man who spoke the best English agreed to help me interpret as we go through the neighborhood and meet a number of Spanish-speaking families.
The next family I met was so shocked that anyone actually cared what they thought or that anyone cared about their neighborhood. Both work and are doing the best they can to build a future for their son. The wife actually was in her front yard recently watching things and saw a couple of guys trying to break into her neighbor’s house and she called the police and they caught the burglars! I gave her a high give! She might be our first crime watch chair person?
Every family I spoke to gave me their views of what they thought was needed and shared their concerns and hopes. I told them that Lord willing, God would send us more volunteers.
Every family I spoke to were renters. Every family or individual I spoke to were willing to start trying to sit out in their front yards for a little while each day if they are home and watch for crime. And everyone said they wanted to be a part of making their street and neighborhood better. I was so excited and proud!

I was also encouraged that every family I met with let me pray for them and seem to like the idea of spreading Godliness through their neighborhood!

While there are some rough patches in this neighborhood, there are also a number of homes that do take good care of their properties and we want to encourage them and spur them on!

Let us keep dreaming of a better city and a better place for our children to be raised!

"Where there is no vision, the people will perish" (Proverbs 29:18, NIV).

There is nothing wrong with Mesquite that cannot be fixed with what is right with Mesquite!

Bruce