Hello Tropical Storm Bonnie

Tonight we wrapped up a great week with volunteers from Trinity UMC- Sarasota and First Nazarene-Nashville. Tonight as well a small tropical storm will roll through. We are thankful that at this point, it is small and low wind speeds. We pray it diminishes or does no harm as it slides over into the gulf tomorrow night. 

The latest fashion craze sweeping the country

This summer's last fashion and best souvenir. Sales support our local youth scholarship and development fund.

Prayers Please

I just got a call today. A former participant in '08 was with his youth group this week on a mission trip in the Bahamas and suffered an accident that ruptured a vertebrate.  He was flown to Miami's Jackson Hospital- home to a renown paralysis center.  Please pray for him and his family, the doctors and home church.
-H

Seeing the Face of God in Community

This summer we've been emphasizing the presence of God in communities you may least expect. We look into the least likely places of the city bus, the curb under the bridge, the parking lot.  It is also a chance to allow God to be present when two or three youth groups come to serve and learn in Miami the same week.
Although we are the same in many ways, We may be from similar churches, from the same state, from the same economic backgrounds. We differ in so many more it seems when we aren't letting God be present. But when we allow God in, when we look for God's presence in a community of homeless men, or in a shelter of battered women, or in the foster families or hard labor of poverty,  we have much more in common. Whether slave or free, greek or gentile, we share the promises of God's love and presence.

A Great First Summer Week

This week, DOOR-Miami hosted a church group from Denver, Colorado. This was the first group for the summer staff and it was a great group to begin the season. It was great to have such diversity among the youth and the urban perspective of another city. The group was spiritual aligned and constantly dropped what they were doing to pray. 
One of the many highlights of the week was being able to incorporate the gifts of the group into the agencies. Members of the group are very skilled in putting on a puppet show. At Easter Seals, an agency that serves as a day care for the elderly with Alzheimer’s and children with disabilities, the group performed their puppet show. Everyone loved it and asked the group to perform the show several times. God used this group in many ways and revealed God's presence in the city throughout the week.
-Vanessa

Summer Staff Begin Orientation and Training

School may not be out in Miami yet, but summer started as we began orientation with our summer staff. Today we found a few of our many agency partners, did a fair bit of grocery shopping and began to share our stories over meals.
It's going to be a great summer in Miami!

Don't forget to please vote for the Nature's Path grant competition Branches has entered for their gardening program. Just Means is a great site. You'll find other very useful information there as well.  Branches is close to the top but must finish in the top 2.  There are many days to go and the Florida City community isn't a very digitally connected community. But this isn't a merit competition. It's pure popularity. They need your vote to win.
http://www.justmeans.com/contestidea?ideaid=NTYz

Please Pray for Branches Florida City

Late Saturday night, a fire burned down the sanctuary and playground of our partner church ministry Florida City United Methodist Church. Please pray for the staff, students and surrounding community that the devastation be turned to opportunity. Sunday morning service was held outdoors. The Branches program continues. Plans are moving ahead with all the summer activities. May God be praised and lives be changed.
View the local news coverage. http://cbs4.com/video/?id=95992@wfor.dayport.com