Crazy Nights

It was around 11:30 pm, Thursday night that Steve and I heard the crackling.  Sounded like rain on the roof, but it wasn't raining when we looked outside our bedroom window.  I saw orange flames reflected off a neighbors house window down the alley and looked at Steve, "that's got to be fire!".  We threw something appropriate on over our pajamas and took off down the stairs, Cyclone barking behind us.  In the alley, a fire truck screamed by and stopped at a garbage bin about 4 houses down.  Flames were reaching up the telephone pole and was climbing the neighbors fence.  It was all over in about 10 minutes, but the remains of a discarded mattress smoldered.  Steve saw a lady standing nearby, we found out she was a "alley neighbor" across from us and had just returned from a late choir practise at her church (believer? of course!).  We stood chatting for awhile and went back to bed.  We were up twice more that night with gang activity across the street and phone calls to the police.  I allowed myself to sleep in that morning!

Last night, again up at 3 am with someone being chased down the street and sounds of a fight brewing.  Police action broke that up, but as some members ran away and were hiding between the houses opposite of us, Steve called the police and again with their location.  Then (as he described) four police cars, with search lights when up and down our street and alley way trying to find the guys hiding.  Steve could see them, but the cops couldn't and he said it was almost comical the way they kept passing each other on the road, searching.  They never found them.

7:15 am, Saturday morning.....more sirens scream down our street and stop at the "gang house" across from us.  Hoses, axes, windows smashing, smoke rising from top floor.  2 hours later, boards go up and the door is nailed shut.  Burned out, dumped and now left derelict....this small house endured a parting gift of the evicted gang members.  And now peace.  We can hear the rain, smell the fresh air of spring dripping off new leaves.  Birds looking for worms and our new flowers looking pretty in our yard.  It was two busy nights, alot of fear and tension, alot of great talks with neighbors.  so many questions in creating a safe and fruitful neighborhood.  Meanwhile, I'm hoping to get a good rest tonight.  We pray for peace.

That's Smashing!

It's Wednesday afternoon, about 4:30 pm.  The boys are chatting and enjoying thier Wii game downstairs and I'm catching up on some email from a friend in the States.  He writes that he missed his flight and appointment at a meeting and wondered why he was delayed....to avoid a plane crash on the one he was supposed to catch?  To talk to someone needing help, or who will end their life if he wasn't there at the airport waiting...but he intervenes?  Nope, nothing dramatic happens...but he does have a potential life changing talk with another believer on his next flight.  "Cool", I was thinking half-way into the letter....neat way of thinking of upsetting circumstances!  An opportunity, if we wait for it, not getting upset or bent out of shape.

SMASH! SMASH!  I looked out my 2nd floor bedroom window and 4 boys (Grade 5-6) dressed in black seemed to be having a great time smashing glass bottles into smithereens in the alley way.  After a couple times, I thought they were done, but I heard more and a bit ticked off, went downstairs to let Cyclone out to bark at them and see if I could get them to stop.  Cyclone did a fine tyrade of barking and I went out the gate.  The alley way was empty (those boys are fast!) except for a long line of smashed glass, jagged and raw.  A car tried to inch past it, the lady smiled at me.  I went for the kitchen broom.  My ticked-offness was increasing as I swept pile by pile, wondering what the heck I was going to do to these kids as an encore.
A bike rode past.  Then I moved for another car, the man gave me an angry glare as he tried to navigate around the huge shards.  "Yah, wad 'up dude", I thought.  He glares at ME?  The nerve of some people.

I hear another broom sweeping down the way.  The guy on the bike lives right there, he had got out his broom and was doing a clean up too.  "Cool", I thought.  My mind went to the kids again.  I knew one of them from the kids class last year.  Maybe next time I see them,  I'll tell them that was not nice to smash bottles in our alley and their pictures will be up on the police wanted wall.  Maybe I'll just get to know their names and give them ice pops.

Throwing the last bucket of glass into the bin, I went over to talk to my neighbor.  He's a believer, has a 9-month old little one and seems like a nice guy.  "We'll see you again!" he said, as I headed back to my gate.  "You can count on it, with kids like that around!", I commented back.  We were both smiling.  Funny how the wierdest things can create a tad more community.  Divine appointments?  Yep, after I finish reading my friends letter, I think I'll grab the ice pops and meet some kids......