November 2012

Thurman Ministry Update
Dear Ryan, Thank you for taking the time to read this update.  It means a lot to us to know we have friends and faimily who pray for us and are committed to walking with us in our journey of following and serving Jesus.  We pray that this note finds you experiencing the nearness and strength of our God in these days of adversity.    God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble -Psalm 46:1 Noleen shares her heart   Greetings to you all sweet friends!    I desire to share a piece our of story with you.  We LOVE living in downtown Phoenix in the heart of the city, in the heart of the A2J community, in the heart of the needy. It is a beautiful gift for our children in so many different ways; they see the hurting, the broken, and the pain of real life. But they also get to be a part of God's story and His heart for them, by loving on those very same people. We have a friend who gives us $5 McDonalds gift cards by the fist fill, and let me tell you my kids love having the privilege of passing them out to those who walk by on the corner and sharing the love of Jesus with them by doing so. They get to join in and serve by providing clothes and a warm smile at other times. Their little hearts are so tender toward the broken; they notice them, and not only here at our house, but because their eyes have been opened, they see them throughout the city while going about life too. It is hard for me to stop at any light these days, without one of my kids shouting from the back of the car, "Mama, there's a man, get a McDonalds card!" And I do my best to hand one out if I am able, and to see the response of the one receiving, as well as my children's' in the car, leaves a lasting impression on my heart. Having prefaced my story with that joy, it is also extremely difficult. A large majority of these folks that live among us are mentally ill, unstable, and potentially dangerous people. I have had to call the police numerous times do to feeling unsafe and feeling threatening by these very same people whom we desire to love. So the point to the story you are wondering, we are a family of six living in 1,000 square feet. It is totally doable and a blessing to have our house, but with four lively growing children, that doesn't give much space to run and play, and we do not have a backyard. That is where I have a hard time; they don't have space to be kids, to run free, to dig holes, to make a tree house! They cannot be out front by them themselves, and when they are out front with me there with them, my heart always sinks a bit when they go out of site for "too long" or they want to play hide and go seek tag, I don't like not being able to hear or see them. These past couple years have proved to be more challenging in that aspect than in the past as our family has grown. There is a house in the neighborhood that the owners need to sell. Being that it is a historical home though, they are usually small, but this one of the only houses that has a finished attic (living space) so would fit us perfectly...and there would be a YARD!!! I feel like this was not an accident that I came upon this information, as it is not on the market yet, and we were able to do a walk through the other week because we know the owners, but it would have to be God orchestrated for several reasons. So I come before you to ask you to pray for us and this house, a potential new home for my family. Thanks for praying with us Love Noleen
The ministry of being available   We are often asked why we moved into in an area with so many needs.  The answer is to love God and our neighbors as we live, play, and share our common struggles and joys together.  This quote my Henri Nouwen puts it well.  More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings that prevent me from walking the streets. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but you love them"   click to see more click to see more photos   click to see more photos Partner with us Please consider joining us in loving our city one neighborhood at a time.  There are many ways to be involved, If you would like more information email us.  We are Grateful, Ryan and Noleen Thurman Apprenticeship to Jesus The Vision A Movement and Way of Life with Jesus: Calling people to enter fully into the redemptive story of God and pursue a distinct life of discipleship and mission that transforms individuals and communities The Mission Starting and supporting intentional discipleship communities networked locally and around the world