Not Just Talking About Dreams, Making Them Happen!

Jesus preached “good news to the poor”. It was one of the descriptors of Emmanuel, God with us. (Isa. 61) The O.T. Scriptures described what Messiah would look like once He came to earth – He would be proclaiming freedom for the prisoners, bringing recovery of sight for the blind, releasing the oppressed, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-20) The Jubilee Gospel! In Jesus, we get our lives back; back from generational cycles of sin and despair.

Last week, eight Neighborhood Ministries’ young adults sat before our scholarship granting committee and were interviewed. There wasn’t a dry eye among us, whether grantee or grantor as these valiant dreamers described their college aspirations. Four are already in college, some about half way finished. The others are just beginning. All have the most difficult life stories; not a one should still be in the game of life. All give credit to Jesus and to their hard-working parents, mostly moms. All thanked God that there were people like you, to show them how to be dream believers.

It was during our 25th anniversary event that the NM board gave Wayne and I a scholarship in our name, specifically for our own youth. A seed gift of $5,000.00 started it off. We are in the second granting season. New funders have joined us. These friends sat at the table last night with representatives from Phoenix College and ASU. Together we witnessed the power of the gospel that gives us our lives back, the power to dream real dreams. The power of the “Jubilee Gospel” – that can break the cycle of poverty and build a cycle of hope.

Love, Kit

P.S.  For more information on the scholarship and the first group of recipients, see our January 2009 newsletter:  http://www.nmaz.org/newsletters/nm200901.pdf