You're my sister...

New Year's Eve is a HUGE celebration day here in John DeShields and all over East St. Louis. All night on New Year's there were many guns shots fired into the air. It's not a malicious thing, just a way that they celebrate. It may not be the smartest way to do it, but that's how they do it around here. That night, my friend and I went outside at midnight to check out the festivities and to tell people around us "Happy New Year." When we were standing on my porch, several of the guys that I feed lunch to on Wednesdays walked out of a nearby apartment and began firing a gun into the air. It was a little startling because we didn't want the bullets to fly back down and hit our cars. So we prayed for God to protect our cars. They saw us and told us Happy New Years. Today as I was walking out to my car, one of the guys who we saw that night walked up to me and gave me a hug. I was jokingly told him that my friend and I were praying that the gun they fired that night wouldn't hit our cars. He got a serious look on his face and said, " I would never do anything to hurt you Rachel, your my sister. It's like you told your Dad the other day, you've known us since we were kids and we look out for you and wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you." He proceeded to say, "I know why you moved out here in the projects," as he pointed to my license plate and said, "It's because of that." On my licence plate is chapter 139 from the book of Psalm. He said, "You know that no matter where you go, God will protect you. You could go anywhere, a place like this that's hell, or a place that's like Heaven, and you know that God will protect you." He was so sincere and was speaking from his heart. I also shared from my heart to him and another guy standing nearby, that they are so dear to my heart and that I honestly do trust them. This was such an encouragement sent from God. I am so excited to see God slowly forming relationships between me and these young men who have a getter future than they could ever dream. I long to see them hungering after God.