therstblog

Needing your Help!

John Hope Elementary School has grown near and dear to our hearts. It is a school that has seen much change and yet has persevered and is doing everything in their power to create a class A education in Old Fourth Ward. Since our first visit there we decided emphatically to ADOPT this school. That is why i am issuing a call for your help. The fifth grade is schedule to go on a field trip next month, but were not going to be able to because there are NO funds to rent the buses for the kids. Yeah, times are that hard in GA education! SO, we have stepped in and are wanting you to partner with us for both this trip and an end of the year trip, but we want to get this one out of the way first!

So, come give a helping hand to a group of Fifth graders who need it. Exposure to life outside of the finite circle, the four block radius of their neighborhood, is important to a child. It is just as important as reading and writing, and without it how will they ever know the full potential that they have?

Help us to send these fifth graders on this one of two filed trips planned for them this year. We have a small goal for this upcoming field trip of 500.00 and need the monies by the end of the week. This will cover the rental fee for the buses as well as a lunch option for the kids, that is actually a surprise to both the kids and the administration!! I just believe in BIG, not in just enough, my God is an abundant God and I want these kids to know that we care!!!

Join us in serving the community of Old Fourth Ward with $5, $10, $20, or even $100 to help with this effort.

Your donations may be 100% tax deductible.

To donate simply click here.

I am forever amazed by the AWEsomeness of God! His love, His hand, His direction and His provoking of His people to do something larger than themselves for the same of the Kingdom. For this very reason, among others, we created the peculiarlove website. The response has been great! I just wanted to share with you two letters in particular from two families who received the gift cards that peculiarplace gave out before Christmas. If you have ever doubted the Power of Love (God), then these two stories will and should shake you up a little.

Letter #1
From: C.A.W.

Thank you so much for the gift card. I was sure it was some kind of scam until I went online and looked at the GiftCardLab and PeculiarLove websites.

We truly need the money this holiday season as it has been a very rough year for us. My husband was a contractor who is owed almost $20,000 from work he has completed over the past year. My husband continued to work at great expense to us, hoping that some or all of the money would eventually come through. However, with the economy in a downward spiral, most of the companies are filing for bankruptcy, and we will never see that money.

In November he started a salary job. We are trying to repair the damage from the past year and avoid filing for bankruptcy ourselves, but it is tough. We didn’t buy any Christmas presents for ourselves or our one year son. I will use the gift card to buy groceries and diapers.

Thank you again so much for this unexpected gift. It truly comes as a blessing in the very difficult time.

Merry Christmas!
The “W” Family
Letter#2
From: M.B.

we received a credit card from you guys and we were so surprised because we were looking forward for some extra money to give to our niece who is a very good student in elementary school and she needed some clothes for school. I called it a “Christmas miracle”. Thank you so much for this Christmas miracle. We made a very good girl happy.

I want to thank all of you who prayed with us and this outreach effort! We are believing God for 5-10 families to develop relationships with and so far so good!!! Next year, we plan to do 10,000 dollars worth of gift cards!!!

Today I had my second meeting at an amazing school. John Hope Elementary should be the darling of Old Fourth Ward, but as of right now might be the best kept secret.

With 182 students, the majority of them being boys, the teachers and admin are doing an impeccable job with these little darlings. The principle Dr. Ashley in her first year and a half has already seen to some important changes and improvements.

So why adopt a school that appears to being on a track for success? Because everyone deserves to be pushed, helped and given a chance or the tools to succeed. I am so sure that this is the school we adopt, that i have already committed to helping with as much as we can, and working on ideas and strategy to get things done!!

What do they need? Volunteers!! uniforms, supplies, did i mention volunteers, monies to be able to take field trips. I am making it a priority to engage the community of Old Fourth Ward, the students of Georgia State and Morehouse to assist us in our volunteer efforts. I plan to seek help from John Hope get a chance to experience LIFE outside of their neighborhoods.

My thoughts are all over the place, my passion for our children’s future and the restoration of a sustainable and successful public education system are second behind my passion for seeing these kids and their parents who are far from God be led to living a lifestyle centered in Christ!!!

Until later.

The game plan is coming together. I have, for months, been deliberating with myself, God, team and myself again about “our next steps”. Well, God wins and I lose. We are about to do something really BIG for Christmas. BIG as far as im freakin concerned!!! LOL! A website will be popping up very soon to explain, but lets just say we are going to bless some people for Christmas. I just have to rent some scooters!!! I have to figure that part out still.

Finally made contact with the owners of our dream venues. Hoping to wrap that up before the end of the year. I really, Lord, want these two venues. Hear my cry!!! Downtown, and Underground Atlanta will never be the same, EVER!!!

March will be here before we know it, so much to do! Looking for inroads to GSU. Need to reach out to the students there!!!

Did I mention that I hate raising financial support? Yet, I am getting out of God’s way and asking the question, Will You Support What God Wants to Do in Downtown Atlanta, and Surrounding Communities? Hint: I am asking you, yeah you, right now!!! Email me: lloyd.owens@gmail.com and I will tell you how you can!!! God has not given me a vision that He will not provide for, but it is through you that His provision WILL come!

More to come…

is going to be a busy week! I have two very important meetings on Tuesday with the beautiful people from John Hope Elementary in Old Fourth Ward. This is the school that peculiarplace will be adopting next fall. I cant wait and am so excited to begin what I pray will be an amazing relationship!  I have several other meetings this week that are just as if not more important than these two, so please pray that Gods favor is available and abundant. Pray that doors are open wide enough to drive an 18 wheeler through it. Pray that theses meetings will lead to fruitful relationships for the Kingdom of God.

I hope to have the audio from last Thursday night at Genesis very soon!!!

Lets do this!!!