Dwell Fall Retreat to the Keys

This week we took our fall retreat to the fabulous Florida Keys. The Keys are a gift from God to us in South Florida, and the thousands of visitors they receive each year. A string of hundreds of islands and several bridges are our little get away. We spent 3 days and 2 nights discussing 2 books (Immigrant Power in Miami and Ministering Cross-Culturally, some self assessment and the Enneagram, sharing meals, 18 hours in silence and prayer, running, drawing, reading and snorkeling. We all returned rested and renewed. Thank you to the Groh family for the use of the peaceful little house. Thank you to Strike Zone Charters for the snorkeling and history lesson. Thanks be to God for the time in expectant prayer. What a way to be in Advent.

New Places, Familiar Faces

Today we are so excited to be hosting the eighth graders and the adult leaders from Sarasota Christian School. We've been hosting the eighth graders on the annual trip for several years. We're proud to be a part of their excellent tradition of service and learning. We're always glad to see them.
While we received some familiar faces, we did so in a new place. Another exciting development is our relationship with Christ the King Lutheran Church. This church has a new vision and heart for the city of Miami. We're expectant to see how God will use each of us together. It is always a beautiful thing when God's people come together for a common purpose to glorify Christ. Perfect for this advent season!

This is a Big Weekend for Us in Miami

Not only are we hosting our first family-friendly fundraising extravaganza but we're also hosting a group of volunteers. Coral Gables Congregational will be engaged in service this weekend in places they've not explored on their own before. This is our third service weekend with them. We love their desire to seek God's face in the issues and in the new neighbors they meet along the way. What a joy to serve with our neighbors.

Don't forget to come out this Friday night. The Fall Family Formal will be held at Riviera Presbyterian Church at 6:30pm til 9pm. Dress up the family and come out for the dinner, bluegrass music and activities. It will certainly be fun. Your ticket is a raffle to win a handmade patchwork quilt! And it's the debut performance of ChikaChaka! Where else are you going to get that!

Fall Heating up with Volunteer Actvity

The weather may finally be starting toward cooler, but activities are certainly heating up in Miami. This past weekend some of our local volunteers ran in the Race for the Cure. Our Dwell participants are out and about meeting their neighbors and may have a block party in the works. In two weeks we'll have a team participating in Habitat for Humanities' Faith Day. November we'll be hosting two weekends church groups coming to serve alongside the local church and learn about the local gifts as well as needs. Also in November is our first Fall Family Formal and our annual local board of directors planning retreat! Please keep our local staff in your prayers. Vanessa has been doing great in her classes but midterms are upon her.

Urban Ministry Meet Up at Books & Books

Our friends at P4CT- Partnership for Community Transformation our hosting a Meet Up this Thursday at 6pm at Books & Books, our super local independent book store in the heart of Coral Gables. They're even serving snacks! If you can make it, let's all meet there and make new friends and share what God is doing all over the county.

Fall Family Formal- Date has been Set- Nov 13

It will be the perfect benefit and awards evening! The whole family can enjoy time together while supporting the cause of local leadership development. Dress everyone up and come out to meet your neighbors and friends and the many people that witness everyday God's presence and grace in the city of Miami. What a great way to spend an evening! Three special awards will be made to the agency, church and youth group that have exemplified urban ministry leadership. There will be music, (careful) art projects, family portrait, simple menu but amazing dinner of Soups, Salads and Artisan Breads, a silent auction complete with family items and packages. Tickets will be available soon. But for now- mark your calendars! Friday Nov. 13. 6:30p- 9pm A night of family fun for all of Miami.

Welcome Dwell Team!

Monday August 24, marked the first official day of the new Dwell year. We had to designate an official start date because everyone of the 5 team members have either been living here or been to visit. On Monday night we began.
Julie, JJ, Isaac, Megan and Erin began with prayer and discussion. The team made prayerful decisions regarding the house, the furniture, the food. They welcomed new friends, neighbors and former participants. We laughed and ate the traditional "move in day" pizza.
They invite you all to their first official Open House Party. Come and bless their team and their home on Sept 13 at 4:30pm. Bring something to share and come and go as you wish. The home is 305 SW 43rd Ave.
If you need directions, call Heidi at 786-261-3667 or call the house at 305-448-6356.

Our Favorite Weather Website

With the storm season springing to life, I find that I check my favorite weather site before I check my email. Weather Underground is a great weather site especially for tropical activity, as they call it. It's not a crazy political gang from the 70s, just a pun on the name. Excellent maps and blogs and when you live in Miami, you learn more about tropical weather systems than you ever thought you would.
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
Actually here in Miami, our tropical storms build community. Neighbors will help each other put up window coverings. Folks will check on their elderly residents. Of course, storm damage can bring out the worst in people as well. Price gouging, scamming contractors, plain old jerks seem to come around just in time of crisis. But Community isn't all peachy keen and rosy to say the least. It's just a knowledge of a group of people that were in it together. And Storms can make a county of 2.5 million people think alike. Smells like a miracle.

Prayers- Arrivals of all sorts of things...

Please pray for traveling mercies for our incoming Dwell participants. Our first new friend arrives tomorrow! And right on her heals is Tropical Storm Ana. Immediately after, another Dweller is to arrive next Saturday. God of all creation and weather systems, please guide the travels of our participants both near and far. But also please guide the dissipation of threatening storm systems.

Drawing the Summer to a close

The summer went by so very fast. The staff in Miami are taking this time to retreat right here in town. We're reflecting on the many ways that God was alive and present in every way. From the agencies and the many clients we met, to the hundreds of volunteers God's grace, love and mercy were tangible. For the staff personally we're reading Henry Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus. Nouwen writes of the three temptations of Christ. We reflect on those temptations and realize how closely they'll parallel our experience this summer. We have only begun to learn these important lessons in Christian servant-leadership. We thank you for your prayers and support this season.

Bring your extra childrens books!!

Our partner agencies with children's programs are requesting Children's Books. One of these agencies in particular is building shelves and beginning a library for their neighborhood charter school. Any books you can bring will be helpful. All reading levels are needed.

Merchandise to Remember Miami

You'll have the opportunity to buy t-shirts with the DOOR Miami design or a Nalgene 32 oz water bottle (BPA-free, HDPE recyclable, made in NY.) Consider buying your entire team matching tshirts to show off their mission experience in Miami.