The Mission is Home

My city, God's work.      

[black-culture]

What is this subreddit? This is a place to read and discuss works by Black writers. We pick a book (or article, etc.) and read it together, with...

Check out this online readers club of black authors. Kicking it off with short stories before we move onto books. 

First off James Baldin! Its a quick read. Join the discussion!

https://www.reddit.com/r/noir_reads/

[black-culture]

You belong to yourself

[kenyatheyav]

Marching into April

Oh, hello there blogosphere! I almost forgot you were there!! This post will be a sum of a few months since I have neglected this space for so long! There’s a bunch of word here, so I threw in some pics to save your eyes! :-) The beginning of 2015 contained many surprises, blessings, and challenges.

Surprises:

I was connected with Rick Carus and Andy Davis, who are pastors in the Presbytery of the Minnesota Valleys. Rick Carus is the Executive Presbytery and Andy Davis is the pastor of Union Presbyterian Church. Hopefully this will become a fruitful and joyous partnership!

Developing a positive rapport and building relationships with the guys is one of my favorite parts of working at Clifton Sanctuary Ministries. Developing these relationships has been a huge surprise to me because I am the exact opposite of the population we serve at Clifton Sanctuary! At Clifton the men are all 35 years old and up, while I am a 22 year old woman. Despite our gender and age differences, there is no shortage of things to talk about with these guys! They’re pretty awesome.

Recently Katie, a fellow YAV, and I were able to go on a Women’s Retreat with the members of Central Presbyterian. The topics we discussed were definitely a shocker for me! I am a southern girl who grew up in a good ole Baptist Church. As you can imagine, my beliefs about the Bible tend to lean more on the conservative side. At the retreat we talked about marriage/relationships and I was introduced to numerous new ideas. It was also great to sit around and chat with the ladies all weekend!! I’m really starting to feel like a PresbyBaptist since I am with the Presbyterians so much!!

Blessings:

Just in case you haven’t noticed yet, I really enjoy working at Clifton Sanctuary. One of the most appreciated blessings I have experienced while working here comes in the form of the Executive Director and Chaplain/Case Manager. Clifton is a very small organization with an even smaller staff. When I got here I had absolutely no experience working in an office environment. Alice (Director), Prince (Case Manager), and Gordon (Treasurer) all helped me to become acclimated to this space in a caring and efficient manner. They literally sat next to me every day for at least a month or two and explained everything I needed to know in great detail. Now Alice and Prince have been working here for 15 and 14 years respectively (That’s more than half of my life!), so they know their stuff. From having personal conversations with them to just working with them on a daily basis I have learned so much. They really are awesome people who have really shaped my YAV year.

One thing that is very important to serving marginalized populations is education. There are many skills and a great deal of training that goes into helping others. Most case managers and people who run the nonprofits we who refer men to Clifton Sanctuary have 2 things in common: experience and degrees. In May 2014 I graduated from Tiffin University with absolutely no intentions of ever attending school again. I have since done a complete 360. I am currently doing online courses so that I can become licensed. At this rate, I will do so by the end of 2016. It all started with a conversation with Prince one day. He was telling me about all of the schools he had attended and how they related to his experience at Clifton Sanctuary. This conversation then reminded me of a man experiencing homelessness named John John who told me that it’s nice for people to serve, but it’s way more beneficial to have a degree and to be able to provide necessary support services that a volunteer can’t. Sooooo I’m in a Master’s program now…

My church family is very important to me. They have shown a serious outpouring of love and support to me since I’ve been in Atlanta. I attend Israel Missionary Baptist Church in Kirkwood (2071 Hosea L Williams Dr. If you want to visit!) Me and my siblings grew up in this church! People have really gone out of their way to give words of encouragement or provide donations and the like. I am really happy to be a member of such an awesome congregation. One thing about Israel is that it is only a few minutes away from where I work! Unfortunately, no one from my church even knew that Clifton Sanctuary existed! My goal is to now involve people (especially the men folk) at my church in the things we do here at Clifton! We are literally neighbors, so I think it is important to build a relationship between these entities.

Sanctuary of Israel Missionary Baptist Church

Challenges:

Since I’m a student again I never sleep. I go to bed between like 2-4am, wake up for work around like 8am. Then it all repeats the next day. This is a slight challenge because I really like to sleep. Alot…

A big challenge for me has been with a family member. We are a pretty close and talk on a regular basis. In our conversations in 2014 they did not tell me their health was declining. They had a small issue with their foot that turned into a full-fledged problem requiring emergency surgery. They’ve been recovering for the past couple of months, but must now rebuild their life. The surgery and subsequent recovery period interrupted every aspect of their life. It is difficult to see a family member struggle and have little to offer them. Please walk in prayer with me and my family for continued recovery!

A more abstract challenge for me deals with the idea of simple living. As with every other aspect of this program, my fellow YAVs and I have different ideas on what this means and how to do it. I have grown up as a part of the working class. My parents have always held a few jobs, as well as doing things on the side to make ends meet. I’m not sure what the true definition of simple living is, but so far, it just seems like normal life for me. I save and reuse everything so that I don’t spend money twice. Going to a thrift/vintage store isn’t a new, cool fad; it’s a shopping spree for me! Using public transportation isn’t some brand new novelty aspect of my volunteer year…. It’s the only way I can get to places too far to walk to. Everything I own can fit into my suitcase and 2 bins. I can also definitely tell you how to live without every utility. These aren’t voluntary choices though. This is my life… So yeah… The idea of simple living has been a challenge for me. Maybe there’s a deeper definition that I’m missing though! Feel free to share what your idea of simple living is! As previously stated, it’s different for all of us.

The challenge that bothers me the most is the constant “What are you doing with your life?”

Yes. I made the conscious decision to live in a communal space where we all go to work for 32 hours a week and get a stipend of $100 for necessities. I budget my $100 each month to pay my bills and get all of the other things I need throughout the month. I’m fine with it; many people in my life are not though. They don’t understand the idea of me thinking that God called me to have this experience of service. Some people can’t wrap their minds around the idea that I genuinely enjoy being a YAV and the experiences it has afforded me. They think it is ridiculous for me to say I want to dedicate my life to serving people struggling with homelessness after I’m done here, they say (and I quote) “That’s someone else’s job!” -_- A girl (freshman in college) actually gave me a pep talk about how it’s good to volunteer, but I need to make my own money and stop trying to work with homeless people because they can’t pay me. This made me think of Alice and Prince and how long they’ve worked at Clifton Sanctuary. They aren’t getting the huge salaries that people who work at Fortune 500 companies are getting, but they keep coming back here year after year. Deuteronomy 15:11 says: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” I am sincerely perplexed when people live their life as if it is the duty of someone else to help our neighbors. No, silly people! God has called is all to be servants to one another! But seriously, people really need to stop asking me that question…

As a final thought: The year is almost over!! Where’d the time go!?!?!?

[kenyatheyav]

Clifton Sanctuary Ministries

A few days ago I realized that I had never written a blog post about the awesome organization that I work for in Atlanta! I have the pleasure of working at a place called Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, known to most as just "Clifton." 

Clifton is a transitional shelter for men ages 35+ who are working towards self-sufficiency. The men who come here are referred by outreach centers, hospitals, large agencies such as the VA and small agencies alike. These agencies work with the men from Clifton so that they can find jobs, get benefits, and housing. When the men come here they are offered support services such as counseling/case management, help with computer skills, A/A and N/A meetings, Bible Study, Empowerment, and more. They are also offered health services such as blood pressure checks,help with medication, advice from a certified health professional, and three meals daily. On any given night, there are about 10,000 homeless people in Atlanta. Atlanta is a big city with wonderful agencies, but there is definitely a shortage of places for people to sleep. Clifton Sanctuary provides a safe space for up to 30 men every night.

I serve as an office administrator who does intake, payroll, and all of the other office tasks that we stumble upon daily here at Clifton. This is an especially meaningful experience since I am fresh out of college. I have never worked in a professional environment, so the past few months have definitely been a roller coaster ride. I've had times where I was overwhelmed and frustrated but those feelings are all voided when a man comes in and says he found a job or that he was able to see his children that day.

It is truly amazing to see the way that people at Clifton interact with each other. Since it is a small shelter, you almost have no choice but to engage in meaningful relationships with those who work and live here. It has definitely improved my view of shelters in Atlanta. I have visited quite a few shelters and Clifton is definitely top notch compared to others. Some shelters work like a machine where people come and go with no regard to safety, health, or making progress. Clifton's staff invests a great deal of time into getting to know guests and working with them to achieve their personal goals. It is an honor to be able to see such a positive program in place that invests in the welfare of the men that come here. 

[kenyatheyav]

A Little Anecdote

So the following post was intended to be a short grad school admissions writing sample and has nothing to do with what I normally post about on this blog, but it has everything to do with why I'm doing a YAV year here in Atlanta. 

          I was once sitting on the sidewalk in Downtown Atlanta talking to my friend John-John about college and what I wanted to do with my life.  I wistfully expressed my frustration with school and how I wanted to quit.  I told him that even if I did finish my undergraduate studies, I would never enroll in school again.  It was the summer after my junior year at Tiffin University and I had just finished the most difficult time in my entire academic career.  I had family problems, financial problems, health problems, and to top it off, a good part of my major classes were packed into one semester!  I had so much to complain about and I was making sure John-John and our other friends gathered on the shaded sidewalk downtown heard me.  As I was discussing this taxing period of my life with the man whom I only knew as John-John, I realized that he was having none of my whining.

          John-John, a man whose residence was the sidewalk that we were sitting on had just gotten out of the hospital.  He had been having problems with his legs and was consequently on crutches.  As we sat in the sweltering Atlanta heat he listened to me for a few minutes and then gave me the best advice I have ever heard in my life.  He told me that although it seemed tough, I was not earning a degree for myself.  He told me that the degree that I was working towards was not just Kenya Phillips’ degree, but it was his too.  It belonged to all of our friends hanging out on the sidewalk with nowhere else to go, to my family, to my friends; it belonged to all the people who didn’t have the chance to pursue higher education because of life circumstances.  He told me that I am more beneficial to him and others struggling with homelessness in an office helping influence policy than I am sitting there on the street complaining. 

            I have reflected on John-John’s advice many times since I last saw him and I have set a goal to earn a doctorate by age 28 so that I can work to influence legislation that benefits the homeless community in Atlanta.  I now serve as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) at a shelter for men ages 35+ in the Atlanta area, and vocational discernment is a chief goal of the program. My pursuit of a graduate degree fits perfectly with the idea of vocational discernment and serving my community. Balancing my YAV obligations and working towards a degree will be challenging, but my commitment to this pursuit is unwavering because of the hope and support of those who are rooting for “our” degree.  I have 30 men who are 35+ that are here to keep me accountable every single day.  That alone will make all the time and effort put into school worthwhile.

[kenyatheyav]

The Illusion of Justice

Power is a crazy thing. When I think about the recent verdict in the Mike Brown case and the numerous police shootings that have happened since, I can only think of power. The distribution of power in our justice system is so skewed that those on the higher end cannot even tell it is sloped. They loudly proclaim that due process and blind justice prevail, but they don't. We have once again been duped by the promise of justice. It seemed as if the evidence was being scrutinized. Law makers spoke loudly about finding the truth. These promises have teased us mercilessly. I THOUGHT that the Mike Brown case would at least make it to trial, that way it would seem like some sort of justice was under way. I went to school to study forensic psychology in an attempt to comprehend the way our "justice" system works. It took me $32,420 in student loans and four long (and expensive) years to realize something people like WEB DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X already knew. When it comes to people of color, our "justice" system repeatedly (and at times intentionally) fails. MLK once said “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” The check guaranteed the right to life. We can look at the Trayvonn Martin,Renisha McBride, and Mike Brown cases to see that this has been denied. The check granted us liberty, yet we are not even safe in our own homes. Ask Kathryn Johnston's family. The check promised us the pursuit of happiness, but how can we be happy when we are systemically punished for the color of our skin? America wrote a check and signs it with the blood of its citizens over and over again.

[kenyatheyav]

We have ev­ery one of us a charge to keep, an eter­nal God to glor­i­fy, an im­mor­tal soul to pro­vide for, need­ful du­ty to be done, our gen­er­a­tion to serve; and it must be our dai­ly care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will short­ly call us ac­count about it, and it is our ut­most per­il if we ne­glect it. Keep it “that ye die not”; it is death, eternal death, to be­tray the trust that we are charged with; by the con­sid­er­a­tion of this we must be kept in awe.

Matthew Henry

[kenyatheyav]

Love People Like God Loves Us

I have always known life through the lens of inequality. It is an indisputable fact that some people have an advantage over others. This issue manifests in many ways including education, food access, housing, health care, etc. The problem with inequality is the fact that even those with the slightest upper hand have the capacity to develop a cynical viewpoint about those who are not as privileged. I think language and the way we talk to (and about people) is a huge way that inequality is perpetuated in our society.

For a while I have been pondering the way that we use language to distance ourselves from others. Language helps us clearly identify who we are and what our relationship to those around us is like. We use language to idolize, to polarize, and to identify with other people. Many times, I think we forget that even though there are differences and inequalities, we are all still PEOPLE. We can refer to people as rich, or poor, or homless, or even as a friend. In fact, a single individual can personify traits of all of the above. When we give food to a person on the street we aren’t simply “feeding the hungry;” we are extending the bread of life to another human being. It is so easy to know others only through the scope of labels that society projects upon us rather than looking at each other as human beings running the same race.

It is comfortable for us to refer to people in terms that allow us to distance ourselves. The only problem with this is the fact that as workers of God, we should realize that the way we treat others is indicative of the way we treat God. When we refer to our brothers and sisters in terms of pity and separation, we are ultimately distancing ourselves from God. This is addressed in 1 John 4:11-12:

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

With this in mind, we are to treat other people like we treat God and ultimately treat them how God treats us.

Over the summer, the DOOR Atlanta staff focused on the Fruit of the Spirit, which is located in Galatians 5:22-23. In our reflection time we asked our youth groups what their strongest and weakest fruits were. One girl had the most honest and transparent reflection about love that I have ever heard. She stated that she knows God calls us to love everyone, but in practice she continually falls short. She reflected on how as human beings we eschew sharing our love with others based on who they are and what they can do for us. She went on to say that instead if loving everyone unconditionally, we place conditions and stipulations on who we share our love with. We almost make people prove that they are worthy of our love. We judge them based on power, relationship, or value rather than as children of God.

While I would love to distance myself from her reflection, I must candidly admit that I am guilty of withholding my love. I am guilty of using words and actions to separate myself from people who I percieved as unworthy or undesirable. I am guilty of talking negatively about the man on the street who offends me rather than loving him from a place only God knows. I am guilty of judging people with more money than me as selfish and vain instead of showing them the unconditional love God shows us. I am even guilty of disrespcting my peers with a harsh tongue rather than extending the arms of grace to them. I am guilty of looking at others in terms of inequality instead of loving them from the scope of God’s perfect love. Now that I recognize my shortcomings, my goal is to correct them.

We should love people like God loves us. God closes the gap of every human imposed inequality with unconditional, unfettering love. We should too.

The title of this post is quoted from an amazing YouTube Blogger named Joe from ChaseGodTV (Check him out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdF-MldtDn4EW8-DlQqPD_g)

[kenyatheyav]

MORE TO COME SOON.....

Sneak peek of a Bible verse that's my favorite. I've been wanting to post a blog post about it for a while..... 

James 2:18 Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

[kenyatheyav]

In the Beginning God Created a Plan

Joining the Young Adult volunteers program was NOT what I was supposed to do after college. During the month of May 2014 I had a small amount of life decisions to make that included: What was I going to wear to graduation? Where was I going to put all of my junk that had accumulated over four years of life in Tiffin, Ohio and how would I even get all of this stuff to fit in the car when I came home to Atlanta? None of these questions included what I was doing after graduation because I already knew what I was doing, where, I was going, aaaaand how much I was getting paid.

I was not stressing because I had already applied and gotten accepted into a disaster relief program. I was headed to the Southwest region (Denver, Co. area). I was all set to head out west to embark on this journey. I went through security checks, filled out banking forms, and prepared for life in the Rockies.

Being the planner that I am, the only thing left to do was to look for something to do over the summer. For the previous three summers I had been working as a Discern Staff member for an organization called DOOR Atlanta. DOOR ATL is an organization that has three programs:

1. Dwell- Year-Long mission where young adults live in intentional Christian community 

2. Discern- Summer interns work at agencies in the city and guide youth groups on urban mission trips.

3.Discover- Youth groups come for a week, weekend, or day to experience urban mission trips.

I decided that I would do the Discern program once more and be done with working at DOOR ATL….

Apparently God had another plan because here I sit, in the DOOR Atlanta Dwell House, typing a blog post.  

And God said that it was good.

[demo]

It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.

Wisdom of Confucius (via demo)

[the-running-girls]

beyond obsessed with this painting my friend made me!

[kenyatheyav]

This beautiful painting is the perfect way to Describe the beginning of a a new journey!