urbanfocus: the blog

A Boy named Eric and You

2011-10-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

A Story of a Boy named Eric

Born in Compton September 7, 1963.
He came from an average working class family in Compton.
Eric was basically an average boy, he did things that boys his age did.
Soon those little boy things begin to turn into ditching school, getting into trouble both in school and at home. He started just hanging out with friends. His main role model was the drug dealer he saw in his neighborhood. Soon he began to model his life after that drug dealer.
As a sophomore in High School, Eric was so busy and successful selling drugs he dropped out of high school.
Eric had several arrests on various charges.
March 16, 1995 Eric finds that he has full-blown AIDS, he had fathered 7 children from 6 different women.
March 26, 1995, at the age of 31, Eric dies from complications from the AIDS virus.

Some of you might recognize Eric’s full name, Eric Wright, but almost everyone in this country recognizes his nickname of Easy E from NWA.

Eric went on to be arguable one of the most influential people of his generation.

He is known as the father of Gangsta’ Rap
His group’s album, “Sraight Outta Compton” sells more than 3 million copies
His first solo project sells 2.5 million copies

Eric lived 11,523 days on this earth – what could have happened if he had a Christian, a teacher, a neighbor, a coach, a church that would have invested their life into Eric’s?

What could that potential have done for the Kingdom of Christ?

How many Eric’s are there around your church, on your street, in cities like Compton everywhere? And what does the Lord want you to do with them?

My New Favorite Quote

2011-09-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonya is reading "Tattoos on the Heart" by Father Gregory Boyle. I like when she reads books that I really want to but never make the time. I get the benefit of getting to hear the highlights!

She read a part of the book to me that have now become a new favorite quote. Here it is.

‎"How do you work with the poor?...You don't. You share your lives with the poor. It's as basic as crying together. It is about 'casting your lot' before it ever becomes about 'changing their lot.'...Success and failure, ultimately, have little to do with living the Gospel. Jesus stood with the outcasts until they were welcomed or He was crucified -- whichever came first."

We have learned ministry can all be boiled down to relationship. Father Boyle nails it here. If you are entering urban ministry, or any ministry for that matter, learn this first and learn this well.

You should read it.

A Big Change!

2011-09-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

Last month in our Newsletter we revealed that God has been leading us toward some big changes in our lives...

For the past two years, we have been really seeking God about where He is leading us in the future. We have loved working with Athletes in Action these past 3 years – they have been so wonderful to us and supportive of every aspect of our ministry, even though our ministry is totally unique within the organization!! Yet we have missed being in a ministry that is urban-focused and working alongside other urban practitioners of the Gospel. We have never wavered in our calling, but have been asking God what is the best vehicle in which to fulfill that calling?

After many months of praying and looking into various ministry possibilities, God has led us to the Navigators. If you haven’t heard of the Navigators, it is an international, interdenominational Christian ministry established in 1933 very similar to Campus Crusade. Their desire is to know Christ and make Him known. Like Crusade, they are most widely known for their college ministry.

However, in recent years, Navigators have made a huge commitment to focus on reaching poor and marginalized people groups with the Gospel. One of the ways they do that is through their inner city ministry called Metro Missions which is in 14 cities. They currently are not in Los Angeles and have been praying for a staff team to be raised up! So by the grace of God, we are some of the staff they have been praying for!! Best of all, we will be joined by two other couples who are close friends that we have ministered alongside of for the past 14+ years -- we will be part of an urban team again!

What will this new ministry look like? The basics of how we’ve been doing ministry will not change. Mike will continue to work with Athletes in Action (AIA often partners with other ministries and is excited to still work with us!) by serving as Chaplain of Chivas, USA. He will continue to facilitate mentoring relationships between the pro Chivas players that he disciples and our youth in Compton United. He will continue to run and expand the Compton United soccer club as God allows. Tonya will continue mentoring youth and families in the community and offering training to others ministering to people in poverty.

The biggest differences in our ministry will come in the future. For the longest time, we have dreamed of using economic and community development as a larger platform for bringing the Gospel to our community. The scope of the Navigators mission will afford us the freedom do so -- starting businesses and acquiring property are just some of the what we envision. We long to see people transformed by the Gospel through the creation of self-sustaining entrepreneurial programs and services. Not only would individual lives be changed, but the inner city community would be stronger because of Christ centered businesses and services that are meeting the community’s needs. We will be learning from a Navigators staff member in Chicago who has been seeing God transform lives and communities through business/job creation for the last 20 years. (see http://www.navigators.org/us/)

We are so excited about what God has in store for us in the future!

Saying Thanks

We are grateful for the last 20 years that we have served with Campus Crusade. We love the friends we have made, are grateful for all the experience we have gained and the opportunities made available to us, and could not say enough great things about the blessings we have received. We even through a Crusade summer project in NYC, 1990! We will continue partnering with Crusade in ministry whenever God affords the opportunity.

When will you begin with Navigators? We will be transitioning from Campus Crusade for Christ October 31^st and starting with Navigators on November 1st.

Thank you for praying for us in this transition!

If you have questions about this move please contact us. Our email address is urbanfocus@gmail.com.

Thanks again!

Mike & Tonya

Why I Follow Christ

2011-09-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

I did not write this… it was written in 1981 by John C. Hutchinson Jr. As I was prepping the Chivas USA Bible study today I came across this letter. It spoke to me, maybe it will to you as well.

Why I Follow Christ
by John C. Hutchinson Jr.

I have not seen clear statistical evidence that fewer Christians die of cancer than non-believers or that they are immune in greater degree from the diseases that afflict the human race.

Some of the kindest, most selfless persons I have known have had more than their share of bad health. The fact that they belong to Christ did not insulate them from disease.

Therefore, I will not follow Christ for promised healing.

I will not deny or dispute evidence of restoration of health. I will rejoice at every recovery from what seems to be hopeless, threatened death. I will not hesitate to pray for recovered health for my loved ones and acquaintances. I will set no limits on what God may do but I will not follow Christ for promised healing.

I see no sign that Christians escape disaster and accident more often than others. I’ve helped dear friends empty muddy water out of dresser drawers and new appliances after a disastrous flood. I remember as a child taking clothes to a widow with five children whose house had burned to the ground. A bullet makes no detour around the body of a believer.

Therefore, I will not follow Christ for any promised protection from disaster.

I will not scoff at amazing survivals nor deny that providence has and continues to work for the good of God’s own. I will continue to pray for protection from wicked men and tragedy, but I will not follow Christ for promised protection from accident or catastrophe.

I do not observe that Christians are especially favored with prosperity. Like James, we’ve all seen the rich oppressing the poor and justice is rarely perfect in this world. The psalmist has said that he “had not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” and in the deepest needs of this life, that is certainly true but all of us have known people of integrity who have not prospered.

Therefore, I will not follow Christ for promised freedom from physical want or hope of affluence.

I’m not sure that Christians have stronger personalities or fewer neuroses than non-believers. I do know that there is no bitterness like religious bitterness and no arrogance more insufferable. I have watched Christians suffer emotional and mental disabilities and though it may seem heretical, I am not sure that I would really enjoy living in the same house with either the Apostle Peter or Paul.

God wills that the mind of Christ be formed in us and there is no doubt in my mind that the Christian’s attitudes and actions will be improved by his Christianity, but I will not follow Christ for any promise of personality enhancement or perfection.

Why then follow Christ? Why become a disciple of Jesus when life may become more complicated as He so often warned?

For one reason alone: in Jesus we behold the face of God. He is the truth, the everlasting truth, God in the flesh. I know that in His life, death, and resurrection, I am reconciled to God, the giver of life.

I believe that nothing can separate us from the love of God. He has all power and goodness and I trust Him and His promises. To him, I offer my life, damaged or whole, brief or full of years. It matters not. He is the one certain thing in an uncertain world. He is to be worshiped, not so something will happen to me or to the world. Something already has happened to me and the world, but because He is God who, through Christ, has reconciled the world to Himself. He saves me. He is my justification. He is the center that holds. To worship the God of our salvation, to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving; that alone is our vocation. We offer our lives to God, not so as to be healthy, wealthy, or wise, not even so to gain the strength to do great things for Him; we offer our lives to Him because He alone has claim upon us. God is not a means to an end.

Isaiah 61:4

2011-09-06T22:05:00.001-07:00

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

~Isaiah 61:4

Why don't they just immigrate the legal way?

2011-09-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is taken from http://undocumented.tv/ an amazing resource for Christians and those concerned with immigrant justice issues. Please read and share with others!

For many Americans, whose ancestors migrated lawfully to the U.S., it is extremely frustrating that so many immigrants come today outside of lawful channels. Why don’t they just come the legal way, the way that my ancestors did?

Many immigrants do come lawfully, of course, but there are an estimated 10.8 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.who either entered unlawfully or, after entering lawfully on a temporary visa, overstayed. Why don’t they just come the legal way?
Those are good and reasonable questions. We have to understand both a bit about our country’s history and something of how current U.S. immigration law to answer them.
The reason that my ancestors migrated lawfully to the U.S.—mine came in the mid-19th century from Holland—is that there was no illegal way for them to come. You see, until 1882, there basically was no federal immigration law: anyone who arrived was welcome to make their life in the U.S.; there were no visas necessary, no consulting with a U.S. consulate before you departed; you boarded a boat and you built your new life in the U.S. That began to change in 1882, with the Chinese Exclusion Act, when the Congress decided that immigrants from China—who some argued were biologically inferior to Europeans—should be kept out altogether. Over the next four decades, we gradually restricted further groups—the poor, the sick, the uneducated, those suspected of holding questionable ideologies—until in 1924, Congress enacted a new immigration quota system that drastically limited immigration. It became extremely difficult to migrate, especially if you were from a country outside of the Northern and Western European countries that were granted the vast majority of the limited number of visas made available.
That changed again in 1965, when President Johnson signed into law a dramatic overhaul of the U.S. immigration system again. America could not and would not go back to an era of open borders, Johnson said as he signed the law, but the new law would base eligibility to immigrate not primarily on race or country of origin, but rather on family connections and employability.
In the nearly fifty years since that last overhaul, that system has worked fairly well for some people-spouses, minor children, and parents of adult US citizen and highly skilled workers with advanced degrees who could find an employer sponsor, for example-but, particularly as our economy has grown but visa quotas have not, the system is not working very well today. Because the quota numbers are much lower than demand, family members can wait up to twenty years to be reunited through the proper legal channels in some cases. The employment-based system is equally dysfunctional, particularly for “low-skilled” workers: under the law, a maximum of 10,000 permanent visas are available per year for employer-sponsored workers other than those who are “highly skilled” or ”holding advanced degrees.” The problem is that our economy produces many, many times more jobs for people considered “low-skilled”–jobs that require little to no education, but a willingness to do very hard work–than there are visas. To put things in perspective, back in 1910, an average of 20,000 individuals, most of whom would today be classified as “low-skilled,” entered each week.
We can tell people to wait their turn in line, but, for example, for a Mexican (or a Guatemalan, a Filipino, a Pole, or folks from many other countries) who does not have a college degree and has no close relatives who are U.S. citizens or green card-holders, there is almost certainly no line for them to wait in: without reform to the legal system, they will not be able to migrate “the legal way” to the U.S., not if they wait ten years, not if they wait fifty years. But if they manage to come unlawfully—and historically we have not made it so difficult to do so, though our borders are much more secure now than they have ever been—they will almost certainly find work—because even in a time of high unemployment, there are certain jobs that most Americans have not proven willing to do. For individuals living in poverty, desperate to support their families, that has been an attractive option. Everyone would prefer to pay a reasonable fee and be granted a visa, but that has not been an option for most of those presently here unlawfully. That, in short, is how we got into this mess, and why so many immigrants—most of them family-oriented people—have ended up undocumented in the shadows of our society.
For a more thorough answer to these questions, we recommend reading chapters 3 and 4 of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang (InterVarsity Press, 2009). To go even deeper in understanding how history and policy relate to this topic, check out the resource page for further book recommendations.

2011-08-25T11:30:00.001-07:00

The Gift of Where We Live

2011-05-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

Our kids love living in Compton. They note the ways God is working in our city, take pride in the changes that are happening here, and defend Compton if their schoolmates put it down. While they sometimes note the lack of resources readily available in our community (i.e. not having bookstores and movie theaters down the street), Compton is familiar to them – it’s home. We consider their attitudes a direct answer to prayer, since from the beginning of my first pregnancy, I have prayed that my children would consider it a blessing to live here rather than a burden.

With the exception of a shooting on our street one year ago Christmas, their comfort here has never really been tested. We live in a quiet neighborhood with mostly quiet neighbors and homes that are well-cared for. Most everyone on our immediate street have lived here for many years, and we look out for each other. In many ways, it’s absurdly normal.

In this past month, though, there has been a shift. Three gangs within the city have started a turf war, and our little neighborhood is caught smack in the middle. Recently the shooting started escalating to the point where there has been at least one shooting daily. While we have personally witnessed none of them, there have been 4 shootings within 2 blocks of us just this week.. People who have lived here for 20 years say they’ve never experienced anything like it.

I can tell you honestly that Mike and I have no fear. While we want to be prayerful and wise , we have a deep sense of peace around us. God has been moving a lot lately in the areas where this gang activity has increased, and we know the enemy is angry that his territory is threatened. He’s retaliating, but he is not going to win. We know that evil does not give up ground easily.

At the same time, we are careful to watch our children to see how they are feeling. We want them to know that fear is normal and something to process, not something to deny or hide. We have been checking in with them a lot and trying to give them opportunities to express whatever thoughts and emotions they might have, and then working to walk them through it.

Monday evening of the week prior to Easter was particularly chaotic. Mike had just received a call about an incident in the park where our soccer teams practice. The park had been threatened so practice had ended abruptly, with coaches and parents concerned. At the same time Mike was on the phone, sirens were going off all around the community continually and the helicopters were constantly overhead. It felt a bit like being in a bad movie!

Zach had expressed some fear and anger at the enemy’s work, and had been reading Psalm 91. I was cooking dinner when he came in to talk. “Mom,” he exclaimed, “the devil would be STUPID to shoot at our house again, cause he knows we are not leaving no matter WHAT!” I have to admit, I was somewhat surprised by his resolve!

A little while later he came and asked, “Hey Mom – what does my promise book say about protection?” (He was referring to a book I had given the kids recently with God’s promises in different categories.)

“Get it,” I said, “and let’s have a look”. And so we proceeded to climb into my bed, cuddle up, and read through all the scriptures on God’s protection. As we read and discussed each one, I prayed that God would give me wisdom to reflect a balance of comforting him without leading him to think Christians have a free pass on suffering. 2 Timothy 1:12 (one of my favorites) gave me the perfect opportunity…

As we looked over the entire chapter, we talked about how Paul was suffering in prison, yet wrote “with a clear conscience”, even encouraging other believers, because he knew he could trust in the unchanging character of God. He also knew that everything is not made right here on this earth, but that a day is coming when Jesus will return and all things will be made new!

As we continued reading and finished the last scripture talking about God being our shelter, Zach began to hum the course of a favorite song from church. Prompted by him, I pulled out my laptop, curled around him tightly, and played that song, and sang together…

“I will bless the Lord forever…I will trust Him at all times…He has delivered me from all fears…He has set my feet upon a rock. I will not be moved – and I’ll say of the Lord – You are my shield, my strength, my portion, deliverer – my shelter, strong tower, my very present help in times of need…”

It was a precious time, and throughout all of it I was fully aware that -- though evil had brought us to this point -- such a special teachable moment was being created that I would never forget. I tried to savor every second and imprint it deep upon my soul. The next day our pastor called to check in on us. He knew that we had endured a crazy night. As I shared with him my special experience with Zach, he made this comment. “This is the gift of where we live. The realities here drive us to the scriptures, and that’s a gift.”

I agree, and praise God for that special discipleship opportunity with my son. While I realize it flies in the face of many of the things we believe as Americans, placing comfort and protection at the top of our necessities, I recognize that in the upside down Kingdom of God, it is a gift. I cling to Psalm 91 because I have to. I stand on 2 Tim. because it is God’s word for me. We don’t want people shooting up our neighborhood – but when it is happening, we will stand on God’s word and expect Him to bring glory to Himself. And we will praise Him when He does.

Please continue pray for us – we covet all of your prayers and don’t take them for granted. We have no doubt prayers of the saints surround us at all times and keep us safe. Please pray… for the protection of our entire neighborhood…for safe places for our soccer teams to practice, as for now we are keeping them out of the parks…for God’s Kingdom to come here – that repentance would become a way of life and peace would start to reign… that we will use even this gun violence as an opportunity to minister to our neighbors…that we will remember that nothing is impossible with God.

We wait eagerly to see how He is working and to join Him in those places!

Merry Christmas from Compton - Newsletter Dec. 2010

2010-12-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

Syd & Maria

This December has provided a great opportunity for reflection. Last year about this time a very important change occurred in our life -- we were sent out as part of a team from our church (Emmanuel Reformed) to launch their church plant -- City Church of Compton. It was such a joy for Mike and I, as our lives came full circle back to the city we love. Now not only was our ministry continuing in Compton, but our church life could again join that as well. After so much sadness years ago leaving our Compton church, it was a time of great rejoicing and healing.

Last Christmas, we sat as a church planting team in our pastor-to-be’s living room. He (Pat Dirkse) and his wife (Julie) were preparing to move into the property they had purchased in Compton. Once they were settled, we would begin meeting as a church at their new house. Our hearts were full as we anticipated the adventure ahead. I remember we prayed specifically, “Lord, prepare US for all the people You have waiting on Peck Street. We know You have gone before us and placed people there who want to know You -- help us become ready to love them the way You would have us to!”

Before long we had made the transition and were meeting regularly on Peck Street. It quickly became obvious that one of the people God had for us to meet was Maria. Maria was a sweet and bubbly 11-year-old girl (Sydney’s age!) who lived right next door to the Dirkse’s. As she became a regular at City Church, everyone grew to love her. She and Sydney became fast friends as they found they had so much in common -- they both loved to read, loved music, and loved playing soccer. Throughout these months Maria showed an obviously tender heart and spirit toward God. I felt very strongly that God wanted me to take the initiative to sit down with her and go through the Gospel, making sure she fully understood how to have a relationship with Him.

Ironically, the only complication came from the fact that Maria has such great parents! They didn’t really know us, and were (understandably) not yet comfortable with her being at our house. I asked our other church members to pray God would create an opportunity to share with her, and we watched for that door to open up.

By the end of the summer, Maria had joined a Compton United soccer team with Sydney, and Syd would often stop by her house after church. Her parents allowed Maria to attend VBS with Sydney and Zach back at Emmanuel. On that Tuesday of VBS, I felt God’s Spirit prompting me that this should be the day, so I began to pray and asked others to join me. Maria then asked if she could stay at our house for the afternoon and her parents gave their permission. As soon as we got home, I sat down with Maria and explained to her God’s plan for her to have a relationship with Him. I closed with the invitation I had been trained years ago to offer to children, “If you decide this is something you would like to do, you can do it on your own, or ask Sydney or anyone from church to pray with you.” She said she was very grateful for the information and would think about it. Just minutes after we finished my phone rang -- Maria’s family had a sudden change of plans for the day and needed to pick her up right away. As she ran down the driveway to meet her parents, I marveled at God’s perfect, perfect timing.

As the weeks flew by, God opened the doors for Maria and Sydney to attend a new charter school together. We were so excited to have both girls in a great school, and for the opportunity to share carpool with her family. Maria became a regular at our house and Sydney at hers. Our family and church continued to pray for Maria.

Then one Wednesday, Syd tumbled into the car after school and said excitably, “Mom -- this is the day! I asked Maria if she had thought more about asking Jesus into her life, and she said she was waiting to do it with us! She wants to pray with us today at our house!” And sure enough, she did -- as soon as we got settled at the house, Sydney, Maria, and I gathered around our kitchen table. Maria to explained the Gospel back to us, showing that she understood what she was doing, and we prayed together for Christ to forgive her sins and enter her life. It was one of those beautiful moments when we had the privilege to reach out and touch eternity. It was also beautiful to hear her testify to all of City Church the next week, “I just want to celebrate that this week I have become a Christian!” Please join us in praising God for Maria's new life and praying that she will continue to grow as His child.

FAMILY NEEDS
As we close the door on 2010 and look to 2011, we are aware of the ongoing needs of our family. We have a very pressing need to do some serious work on our house. Our house was built in 1945.

An older house presents a lot of challenges with upkeep and repairs – the last time we were able to take on any major projects within our house was 2004. The wear and tear alone since then has really accumulated – paint is old and worn. Rotted wood needs to be replaced. We have windows that need repaired. We have ongoing pest control issues, a leaky roof problem, and some mold in the walls that we are very concerned about. On the positive side, we would build an overhang in our back yard so we can use it for church and outreach gatherings. We estimate we will need at least $9500 to complete these projects.

We know many of you give an end of year donation and would ask that you prayerfully consider helping us with this need! The best way is to respond to this need is to send an extra gift into our CCC account. We have enclosed an extra envelope to expedite this process.

Thanks so much for considering these special needs and for all the continued financial support you send throughout the year. Thanks even more for the prayers that sustain us and protect us and continue to move God to work in our lives and ministry. And thanks to all those of you who have already sent in an extra gift without even knowing our needs! Sometimes the needs that we face and see all around us seem overwhelming until we look back and become overwhelmed at all the needs God has amazingly met for us over the last 15 years! Wow! He is the only One worth following and worthy of all our trust!

May 2011 be a year when we all see the face and hand of Jesus and draw closer to Him! May you shine for Jesus in your little corner of the world. May our family be a light here in Compton and may our city become a light to the WORLD!!!

A Dream to Live Upon, by Sydney Herman

2010-11-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

We're so proud of our daughter. When you do work like we do, you always wonder how it will effect your children. We never thought you kids would grow up hating what their parents do, but you can never know... you just pray a lot!

Sydney has recently written this narrarive for her 6th grade Humanities class. This illustrated to us her passion for justice that she has developed living here in Compton. We thank God for the wonderful, passionate leader God has given to us as a daughter.

And we couldn't be more proud.

+++++++++++++++

Sydney Herman

2^nd draft 5^th period English

Mr. XXXXXX

A Dream to Live Upon

As I unlocked my office door, I heard voices. I turned and saw a young Mexican girl. She was cradling a baby in a bloody blanket. Again she spoke.

“You work with immigrants?”

“Yes” I said “Do your parents need me?” as soon as she started crying I know I’ve hit a tender area. I hold the baby as she sinks to the ground. I hold the baby wondering if this young girl is a mom, or a sister. I sit down next to her. Soon she’s calm.

“My parents are dead, now it’s just me and my sister alone.” She hesitates, not sure how to ask what she wants. “I was wondering if you could help me.”

“Let’s go to my office, and talk.” I hand the baby back and stand up. When we are in my office I give her food. Then she tells me her story.

“My name is Julieta. I’m 12 and orphaned.” She pauses “When I was 10 my family found out that my papa had cancer. My mama decided to move to the U.S. The January after my eleventh birthday we started the journey. We crossed the hot, humid, dessert first. Our transportation? A mule. Soon my mama got pregnant, week later my papa died. 6 months later, we’re in the U.S. A month after my birthday, my sister Maria was born.” She looked down at her sister. “Soon after my mama died. So now I’m left to take care of my sister. I’m poor, no papers, no home, I need help. My sister is a citizen, but that I can’t prove.” I nodded my head. I’ve nodded my head. I’ve had some cases like this but never this young and depressing.

“So what do you need?”

“At least a job.”

“I can do better! Don’t you want papers, rights?” Julieta blushed, “I thought everything would be too expensive.”

“Who would make you pay?”

“12 other lawyers.”

“You won’t get that here.” I heard the back door slam.

“Kathleen, you here?” It was my partner Esperanza coming in.

“Office!” I yelled

“You really need to get on that per- Who’s this?”

She stood by my door staring at Julieta.

“My newest clients.”

“Ooh, Hi I’m Esperanza.”

“I’m Julieta.” Esperanza looked at me,

“What’s the case?” It was my turn to blush, just as I was about to answer,

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” saved by the bell, or should I say baby? Julieta excused herself from the room. So I caught E up.

“Free huh? We could do that” she replied “I’ll take care of Mark’s case for you.”

“It’s more that that, they don’t have a place to stay, food to eat.”

“I would take them in but I can’t, not with my baby, and Grace would THROW A FIT!”

“I think I could.”

“Would Seth be fine with it?”

“I’ll find out later.” Julieta came back in.

“How would you feel with spending the night at my home?”

“Ohm, You wouldn’t be intruding,”

“Yes.” It was settled. I called my husband to let him know, he WAS fine with it. So he came and took them to our house and I worked.

2 MONTHS LATER

“It’s official, I just got the call!” Julieta smiled. “Okay “MOM!” I was officially the mom of two. The front door banged as Seth walks in.

“It’s official!” I tell him “Their ours!” “Amazing!” he says “MMMMMMMMAAAAAWWWWW!

“There’s the siren!” my husband said as he go gets our baby.

5½ YEARS LATER

“MOM! I got it, its right here!!!!” I ran into the room.

“What?”

“My green card mom!” My not so little jewel was jumping up and down, tears streaming down her face. Tears start running down mine too.

“Mommy why tears?” Maria says entering the room,

“Oh sweetheart” I say, “I’m excited.” Understandingly she runs over to give Julieta a hug.

Wow, I think who knew this is what would happen from a passion that started when I was 11. Who knew that almost having to quit a job you love, or worse lose it could become a dream, a dream that has turned into my reality.

The One That (Almost) Got Away

2010-11-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Johnny was with us for almost a year. He somewhat haphazardly joined our under 15 soccer team in 2008. He was an amazing player, the kind that would score one or two goals a game without trying very hard.

Unfortunately, that was his downfall. Most of our players work very hard, focus on their skill level and strive to improve. Most become very good as a result of the effort they put in. However, every once in a while we see a player with natural ability, coordination and great athletic skill. Johnny fell into that category. One would assume that Johnny had a typical story of the athlete that everyone loved and was kind of passed through school and sports because everyone wanted him to play for their team. Believe it or not, this happens even before high school.

Johnny played almost the full fall season and then began not to show up for practices. Despite the coaches calling, reaching out, visiting the home, Johnny was soon hard to find.

I remember going to Johnny's house, talking to his mom trying to convince them that it was important for Johnny to learn commitment and come to practice and games. I explained that we weren’t just about soccer, that we also focused on grades, responsibility and leadership development. His mom couldn't have been more enthusiastic she agreed with all that I said and told Johnny he had to participate with us every practice and game. I offered to personally be involved in helping with tutoring and assisting them in anything I could do.

Things got better, for about a week. Then I didn't see Johnny for several months. One day as I was walking through our local Target, I saw him walking alone through the store. As we started talking, it was obvious he was very high. I've seen this before. When our kids start messing with drugs, you learn that things have changed. Now everything becomes much more difficult for them and for anyone helping them to get back on the right track.

One of the most significant lessons we have learned is that you cannot want change more for people than they do for themselves.

Fast forward a year and a half the coordinator of the Compton Initiative work days knocked on a door of a Compton house to gauge interest in having their house painted. A high school boy answered. In the conversation, she asked why he wasn’t in school. He said that his mom hadn't completed the paperwork yet. Obviously concerned she began to ask more questions. A few hours later she called me to see if I knew a “Johnny” that used to play for Compton United. God was not done chasing Johnny. This initiated a meeting between Alma the coordinator, Johnny, his parents and I, where we all let Johnny have it! We (Alma especially) scolded the parents and explained to them the importance of Johnny being in school. Johnny was supposed to go back to school and come practice with our under 16 team again. He wouldn't be able to play in games yet but he could work his way back in.

In the next couple of days Alma registered him at the local high school. Johnny and his dad were at practice. The teams practice schedule does overlap with the after school programs Johnny is required to attend but it looks like he will be at practice when he can. Through this God showed me once again that He does not give up on us. A boy in Compton that practically everyone gave up on, including his parents do not fall through God's cracks.

Please pray for Johnny, Compton United, the Compton Initiative, and all of us that we can be faithful and God's representatives to the youth and families in our city of Compton.

Changed Lives at Camp

2010-11-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm still not sure of all the reasons God changed our South Africa trip this summer. We raised the money for all our expenses in the country, but could not raise enough for the ever increasing airline fares.

However, one of the reasons was for some of our players to go to a Christian soccer camp at UCLA. This we received several partial scholarships for five players to attend the week-long Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp.

As a result Jose, Joshua, Sergio, Jorge and Andrew were able to go. They slept in the dorms, ate in the food court with the other college students and received high level soccer training. Each night they had a worship service which gradually presented the Gospel. On the second to the last night, 3 of the boys went up to receive Jesus into their lives! Andrew, who was already a Christian, went forward with the others to help them feel more comfortable!

We have seen real change in these players lives! They have become very enthusiastic about the new found faith and regularly attend the Bible study that Ramiro, who is their head coach, leads every week. (Yes, this is the same Ramiro that we have talked about for the last 15 years! He coaches our under 16 year old team. It is amazing to see spiritual multiplication happen!).

Please pray for these guys, that they would continue to grow in their faith and truly know the Lord in deeper and deeper ways.

Our long-term plan is to still attempt to take a leadership development trip to the World Cup every four years. On the other years we are hoping to take as many teams as possible to an annual Athletes In Action tournament in Ohio, at AIA headquarters. This would also be a part of our leadership development program and allow for AIA to use their corporate facilities to minister to urban soccer teams from all around the country.

Help Marisela get a New Uniform.

2010-08-03T16:12:00.001-07:00

Compton United on Facebook

2010-07-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Soccer for Urban Youth and Leadership Development: Compton United Soccer Club

2010-06-07T16:37:00.001-07:00

by Mike Herman | Apr 02, 2010

Summary

Our Mission: Through the sport of soccer and the resources of US Soccer, develop a new generation of leaders who excel in all aspects of life: mentally, physically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally, to ultimately help develop our community into a model of social, economic and spiritual transformation.

About Us

Name

Mike Herman

Email

mike.herman@comptonunited.org

Website

www.comptonunited.org

Organization

Compton United Soccer Club

Country

United States, CA, Los Angeles County

Organization Name

Compton United Soccer Club

Organization Website

www.comptonunited.org

Organization Phone

310 402-2872

Organization Address

415 South Pearl Ave. Compton, CA 90221

Is your organization a:

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

Organization Country

United States, CA, Los Angeles County

The Idea

Project Name

Soccer for urban youth and leadership development

Country your work focuses on

United States, CA, Los Angeles County

Describe Your Idea

Website URL

www.comptonunited.org

Innovation

What makes your idea unique?

Why is this so important?

Everyone deserves a chance to play soccer
The US is still the only country on the planet where soccer is a suburban sport
US Soccer is missing immeasurable talent by not effectively plugging into the independent Latino leagues
Soccer can be a much more significant key to race relations in America than it has been so far
Soccer is a worldwide language and a platform for leadership and community development
We use soccer to provide social change through our five stages of development:

Athletic,
Academic,
Character, and
Leadership Development, for the ultimate goal of
Community Development

Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

What impact have you had?

Since our inception in 2006 we have touched over 700 kids and youth with athletic, academic and leadership development via club soccer teams, leadership camps, tutoring and mentoring.

The Problem

A large percentage of inner city neighborhoods play soccer/football. However in the US, Club Soccer is played in suburban communities and usually very expensive. This essentially locks out urban kids from participating in the benefits and development programming set up by the US Soccer Federation.

The result is ethnic, socioeconomic and geographical disadvantage for urban youth trying to use their passion for soccer to further the soccer and education and opportunities.
Soccer can be a powerful tool for education, race-relations, economic and leadership development. However, in the US, soccer is almost exclusively about competition and winning.

We can and are changing that.

Actions

Our Programs:
Compton United Soccer Club strives for excellence and innovation in bring the best in urban soccer programs to the youth of the Compton area.
Below is a listing of some of these programs:
Soccer Programs

US Soccer Competitive Club Teams
Youth Developmental/Recreational Teams
Futsal Teams
Indoor Futsal Recreational League
* Creation of Compton United Youth Soccer Academy (currently in planning stages)
Soccer Leadership Programs
Academic Tutoring
Crash Elite Leadership Mentoring Program
Urban Soccer Leadership Academy, Compton
Urban Soccer Collaborative National Leadership Soccer Camp
International Youth Leadership Soccer Trips
Community Development Programs
Soccer field creation
Economic development through local businesses and job creation

Results

We have and will continue to see student-players attitudes change, relationships with parents become stronger, grades remarkably improve, work ethic strengthen, commitment and dedication grow.

100% of players in high school have graduated thus far.

Many of them have gone on to college.

What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.

2010
Home field development- in partnership with Compton College (El Camino College- Compton Center) we are building two new soccer fields for Compton United as well as the college's men's and women's teams. This project needs to be completed 0n time to help stabilize our places to practice and play home games.

2011
We will need to develop more coaches and teams to begin to increase numbers of players to continue to build youth leaders in Compton.

2012
We need to develop our Urban Youth Soccer Leadership Academy. This formalized training program will increase skill level to help get our players to the next level in soccer, academics, athletic performance and college preparatory programming.

What would prevent your project from being a success?

Funding has been and could continue to be our largest roadblock. We serve in a community that cannot within itself sustain such programs. We rely on outside funding and grants to provide and grow our programming.

How many people will your project serve annually?

101‐1000

What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?

$1000 - 4000

Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?

Yes

Sustainability

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

In what country?

United States, CA, Los Angeles County

Is your initiative connected to an established organization?

Yes

If yes, provide organization name.

Compton United Soccer Club

How long has this organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?

Yes

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?

Yes

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?

Yes

Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?

Yes

Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.

We partner with a number of organizations such as The Salvation Army- Compton, Game Plan Academy, Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA, US Youth Soccer , etc.

We have relationships with several corporate sponsors.

What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?

1. Field Development
2. Board Development
2. Sponsor Relations
3. Long-term relationship agreement with Compton College

The Story

What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?

In 2006, I launched the first season of “Compton United” – an official, US Soccer sanctioned soccer club for kids in Compton and the surrounding area.

Up until that point, no such thing had been available. Soccer is everywhere in our community, and the talent level is stunning, but our youth play in independent Hispanic leagues that are not involved with the traditional competitive soccer system. While our kids may have some of the best talent in the country (literally), they have no opportunities to use that talent to open any other doors for their future.
In Southern California, like most of the country, college and team scouts do their recruiting through soccer clubs. To play in a club, you have to have the funds to do so (they are incredibly expensive), a local club available to try out for, and/or the transportation to travel to a not-so-local club.

As I watched our Compton kids grow up playing soccer, I saw incredible talent but nowhere for that talent to be used to help the player build his or her future. I then began to understand the inequity of the system, how these talented soccer players where essentially held out of the opportunities that the US Soccer system offered (i.e. the big tournaments, college recruiting, national & international travel. Olympic Development Program for youth, etc.)

I became increasingly aware that something needed to be done. However, just creating a soccer team wasn’t going to be enough. We needed to build an entire program where education, tutoring, leadership development, community service, and character would all be emphasized and lived out.
Then finally, after two years of dreaming and planning and networking – the Compton United Soccer Club was born.

We started with one boys’ U17 team (17 and under), one sponsor to buy the uniforms, some borrowed equipment, and a whole pallet of donated PowerAde for us to sell.

Our family spent every weekend last fall with the team, driving all over to games and tournaments and cheering them on. By the time the season ended, the boys had won every game but one and taken the league title. The regional soccer magazine had featured us on the cover, telling the story of Compton United. Fox Sports Soccer channel had created a 5-min video on CU that was running in between shows. Most importantly we had fallen in love with 14 new teenagers and their families.
Number 10 on the team was Victor, a defender with a great work ethic and skill who led by his solid example of determination and consistency. Victor was one you could always count on in a game – when he was needed, he was there. He was a quiet kid who was well-liked, always teachable, humble, and a silent leader.

In one of the most memorable moments of the season, our team was playing in the exclusive Rancho Palos Verde against a team of wealthy kids. Unhappy that his team was getting beat by a bunch of poor Latinos from Compton, one player turned, spit on Victor, and remarked angrily, “Just remember, your parents work for my parents”.

In an amazing show of character, Victor did not retaliate, but rallied his teammates to play even harder. When we finished the game 3-2, it was our sweetest victory of the season.

Soon after that, my wife and I were out of town and received word that Victor had been tragically shot and killed.
He had been riding home from an indoor soccer game with his brother driving and his two younger brothers in the backseat. During an attempted carjacking, Victor took a bullet through his upper body while trying to protect his older brother.

He died on the way to the hospital. As you can imagine, this news was devastating to all of us.

What followed was two weeks filled with tears and sorrow but also a great sense of pride.

We witnessed the mind-numbing pain of parents who’ve had their entire family devastated by another's lust for a car. We saw the lost look in a teen’s eyes as he stood over the open casket of a lifelong friend, his hand reaching out to touch Victor’s face. And I understood a new definition of hell, as the guttural wailings of a mother who’d lost her teenage son echoed off the vaulted marble walls of a basement mausoleum.
We also witnessed amazing strength in the youth in Compton.

The week before the service they spent every day going door to door, hosting a soccer tournament, washing cars, selling tee-shirts/ and anything else they could think of to raise money so that Victor’s family could afford his funeral. One morning they headed to the high school at 7 am -- summer school was in session, so the boys went classroom to classroom, passing the hat to all the teachers and students present. They raised almost $200 that day. They spent every evening at his parent’s house attending prayer vigils. They brought his family pictures and made tee-shirts and signed and framed his soccer jersey – anything to stand with each other and surround the family with the support they needed. For the most part, they did it without parents or adults supervising them or organizing their efforts. Their creativity and initiative was profound.

Though many images are seared into my heart from that week, one stands out above the rest. Before I share, here’s a little context. Throughout the years of playing on high school and league teams, the players have ended every win with a special ritual. They circle up with arms around each other’s shoulders, locking them together, and then jump together around in a circle and they in unison call out a Spanish victory cheer. It is always a beautiful, inspiring display of solidarity and friendship, victory and celebration -- a symbol of all the good things in sports.

At the end of the burial service in the basement of the mausoleum, Victor’s older brother requested that all his friends step forward. Thirty to forty high school and college-aged guys crowded in, circled arms, and to the wails of Victor’s grieving mother and father, they did that cheer. It was absolutely electric in the corridor, as though everyone’s pain met collectively in the midst of that circle. When they finished, the boys clung to one another desperately, pouring out all their grief, weeping and laying out their broken hearts. The grief of the rest of us in the room surrounded them. This lasted for several minutes. The pain and beauty there were almost too powerful to behold – it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Eventually the circle begun to brake up and the boys began to file out. Everyone hugged everyone else; whether you knew the person did not matter.

In the middle to a large group hug, I said to them, “I wish everyone could see and understand that you are the youth of Compton. You all have done such an amazing job holding up each other and Victor’s family -- Compton has never been more proud.”

It’s true – they are the youth of Compton. Many from outside our community would look at their baggy clothes, brown skin, and tattoos, and make assumptions that they are hard-hearted, uncaring, dangerous, menacing kids. Those assumptions would be wrong. They are not gang-bangers or drug dealers; they are not the nameless faces of thieves or murderers. They are Frank and Juan and Jose and Luis. Yes many of them have drunk their share of alcohol and smoked some weed along the way, as many teenagers in the suburbs have. Yes they use language that I often wish they wouldn’t and most don’t understand the reality of their purpose and place in life.

But they are also caring and respectful kids who love their families, support their friends, and are a delight to those around them. They are kids that are misunderstood, under challenged and given-up on.

They are why Compton United exists.

Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.

Mike Herman is on staff with Athletes in Action and has been a youth and community developer in Compton for 15 years.
He and his wife moved in to the area to help pioneer the S.A.Y. Yes! Centers for Youth Development movement which now stretches all across the US.

Mike and Tonya have two biological and four "community kids" which they also call part of their family.

How did you first hear about Changemakers?

Through another organization or company

If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company

LA 84 Foundation

The above was taken from the Compton United Application for the Ashoka Changemakers 2010 Changing Lives Through Football Competition- http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/football

The Compton United Entry- http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/74131

Compton kids in South Africa?

2010-03-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Kids from Compton don't usually get around much. Some haven't been two hours away to the mountains. Some haven't even been to the beach 20 minutes away.

So how is it possible that 10 Compton kids are planning to go to the other side of the globe to Johannesburg, South Africa?

In one word... soccer (or futbol, football, etc.).

Soccer is undeniably, the most universal and popular sport in the world. It is played everywhere. From the dirt fields of South America to the plains of Kenya, to the slums of Liverpool where the game was founded, anyone can be a "footballer". The game does not discriminate by age, size, race, creed, color or socioeconomic status.

Sports in general, and soccer specifically, can be a powerful tool to bring communities together – communities like Compton and Mamelodi, a poor suburb outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Our Compton United kids are meeting up with African kids in Mamelodi to play in the Hope Cup Tournament. Bridge to Cross (the organization that has brought the model of Boys and Girls Clubs to South Africa) hosts this annual tournament. The Compton United Boy's Under 15 team will participate with 16 other international youth teams in a week- long celebration of youth and hope.

Jose Hernandez, the Captain of the Compton United U15 team is excited about the trip. He says, “I am excited because we will show other kids that not only professionals can travel around the world but we can as well. The best thing about going to South Africa is that we all get to have a new experience in soccer, and we get to visit a new place that none of us have been, and learn about a different culture”.

The main mission of Compton United and Bridge to Cross goes far more just soccer games. Soccer is a tremendous tool for youth and leadership development; this lies at the heart of the two organizations. Hope Cup players will also participate in a large community service project, as they help repair and build a school in Mamelodi. They will also visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, and have discussions on race in their cultures.

Compton and Mamelodi are quite different but also very similar. They both have kids full of potential but limited on resources. They both have teens and young adults that have lost most, if not all, the hope they had as children. They are also both communities devastated by poverty, hunger, homelessness, sickness, crime and despair.

The Hope Cup players will see firsthand how hope can transform people and ultimately transform communities.

The players and staff are tremendously excited about this trip. It will be life changing for everyone.

However, funding has been slow and everyone is working hard to bring in investors for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For more information on the trip, please visit, http://tr.im/cuscwc2010b

For more information on the fund raising, please visit, http://tr.im/cuscwc2010

Once you choose hope, anything's possible. -Christopher Reeve

The Story of Compton United in 7 Minutes

2010-03-01T10:10:00.001-08:00

My First Column in The South Los Angeles Report

2010-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

OPINION: The Story of Compton United and Victor
Community Contributor | 1-11-2010 | Comments |

By Mike Herman, President/Founder of Compton United Soccer Club (left)

In 2006, I launched the first season of “Compton United” – an official, US Soccer sanctioned soccer club for kids in Compton and the surrounding area. Up until that point, no such thing had been available. Soccer is everywhere in our community, and the talent level is stunning, but our youth play in independent Hispanic leagues that are not involved with the traditional competitive soccer system. While our kids may have some of the best talent in the country (literally), they have no opportunities to use that talent to open any other doors for their future.

In Southern California, like most of the country, college and team scouts do their recruiting through soccer clubs. To play in a club, you have to have the funds to do so (they are incredibly expensive), a local club available to try out for, and/or the transportation to travel to a not-so-local club.

As I watched our Compton kids grow up playing soccer, I saw incredible talent but nowhere for that talent to be used to help the player build his or her future. I then began to understand the inequity of the system, how these talented soccer players where essentially held out of the opportunities that the US Soccer system offered (i.e. the big tournaments, college recruiting, national & international travel, Olympic Development Program for youth, etc.)

I became increasingly aware that something needed to be done. However, just creating a soccer team wasn’t going to be enough. We needed to build an entire program where education, tutoring, leadership development, community service, and character would all be emphasized and lived out.

Then finally, after two years of dreaming and planning and networking – the Compton United Soccer Club was born.

We started with one boys’ U17 team (17 and under), one sponsor to buy the uniforms, some borrowed equipment, and a whole pallet of donated PowerAde for us to sell.

Our family spent every weekend last fall with the team, driving all over to games and tournaments and cheering them on. By the time the season ended, the boys had won every game but one and taken the league title. The regional soccer magazine had featured us on the cover, telling the story of Compton United. Fox Sports Soccer channel had created a 5-min blip on CU that was running in between shows. Most importantly we had fallen in love with 14 new teenagers and their families.

Number 10 on the team was Victor, a defender with a great work ethic and skill who led by his solid example of determination and consistency. Victor was one you could always count on in a game – when he was needed, he was there. He was a quiet kid who was well-liked, always teachable, humble, and a silent leader.

In one of the most memorable moments of the season, our team was playing in the exclusive Rancho Palos Verde against a team of wealthy kids. Unhappy that his team was getting beat by a bunch of poor Latinos from Compton, one player turned, spit on Victor, and remarked angrily, “Just remember, your parents work for my parents."

In an amazing show of character, Victor did not retaliate, but rallied his teammates to play even harder. When we finished the game 3-2, it was our sweetest victory of the season.

Soon after that, my wife and I were out of town and received word that Victor had been tragically shot and killed.

He had been riding home from an indoor soccer game with his brother driving and his two younger brothers in the backseat. During an attempted carjacking, Victor took a bullet through his upper body while trying to protect his older brother.

He died on the way to the hospital. As you can imagine, this news was devastating to all of us.

What followed was two weeks filled with tears and sorrow but also a great sense of pride.

We witnessed the mind-numbing pain of parents who’ve had their entire family devastated by someone else’s lust for a car. We saw the lost look in a teen’s eyes as he stood over the open casket of a lifelong friend, his hand reaching out to touch Victor’s face. And I understood a new definition of hell, as the guttural wailings of a mother who’d lost her teenage son echoed off the vaulted marble walls of a basement mausoleum.

We also witnessed amazing strength of the youth in Compton.

The week before the service they spent every day going door to door, hosting a soccer tournament, washing cars, selling tee-shirts, and anything else they could think of to raise money so that Victor’s family could afford his funeral. One morning they headed to the high school at 7 am -- summer school was in session, so the boys went classroom to classroom, passing the hat to all the teachers and students present. They raised almost $200 that day. They spent every evening at his parent’s house attending prayer vigils. They brought his family pictures and made tee-shirts and signed and framed his soccer jersey – anything to stand with each other and surround the family with the support they needed.

For the most part, they did it without parents or adults supervising them or organizing their efforts. Their creativity and initiative was profound.

Though many images are seared into my heart from that week, one stands out above the rest. Before I share, here’s a little context: Throughout the years of playing on high school and league teams, the players have ended every win with a special ritual. They circle up with arms around each other’s shoulders, locking them together, and then jump together around in a circle and they in unison call out a Spanish victory cheer. It is always a beautiful, inspiring display of solidarity and friendship, victory and celebration -- a symbol of all the good things in sports.

At the end of the burial service in the basement of the mausoleum, Victor’s older brother requested that all his friends step forward. Thirty to forty high school and college-aged guys crowded in, circled arms, and to the wails of Victor’s grieving mother and father, they did that cheer. It was absolutely electric in the corridor, as though everyone’s pain met collectively in the midst of that circle. When they finished, the boys clung to one another desperately, pouring out all their grief, weeping and laying out their broken hearts. The grief of the rest of us in the room surrounded them. This lasted for several minutes. The pain and beauty there were almost too powerful to behold – it was one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Eventually the circle broke up and the boys began to file out. Everyone hugged everyone else; whether you knew the person did not matter.

In the middle to a large group hug, I said to them, “I wish everyone could see and understand that you are the youth of Compton. You all have done such an amazing job holding up each other and Victor’s family -- Compton has never been more proud.”

It’s true – they are the youth of Compton. Many from outside our community would look at their baggy clothes, brown skin, and tattoos, and make assumptions that they are hard-hearted, uncaring, dangerous, menacing kids. Those assumptions would be wrong. They are not gang-bangers or drug dealers; they are not the nameless faces of thieves or murderers. They are Frank and Juan and Jose and Luis. Yes many of them have drunk their share of alcohol and smoked some weed along the way, as many teenagers in the suburbs have. Yes, they use language that I often wish they wouldn’t and most don’t understand the reality of their purpose and place in life.

But they are also caring and respectful kids who love their families, support their friends, and are a delight to those around them. They are kids that are misunderstood, under challenged and given-up on.

They are also why Compton United exists.

---
Compton United is heading to South Africa for World Cup 2010! The Compton United U13-U16 select team is heading to South Africa to participate in an international youth tournament during the 2010 World Cup. To donate funds or read more about the upcoming trip, visit the South Africa 2010 web page. Team members will also be serving as youth correspondents for the South Los Angeles Report during their trip... so stay tuned for updates!

Follow Mike Herman on Twitter @UrbanFocus

Night Watch Service

2009-12-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

What is the Night Watch Service?

(via New York Public Library)

If you live or grew up in Black communities in the United States have probably heard of "Watch Night Services," the gathering of the faithful in church on New Year's Eve.

The service usually begins anywhere from 7 p.m. To 10 p.m. And ends at midnight with the entrance of the New Year. Some folks come to church first, before going out to celebrate.

For others, church is the only New Year's Eve event.

Like many others, I always assumed that Watch Night was a fairly standard Christian religious service -- made a bit more Afro centric because that's what happens when elements of Christianity become linked with the Black Church.

Still, it seemed that predominately White Christian churches did not include Watch Night services on their calendars, but focused instead on Christmas Eve programs.

In fact, there were instances where clergy in mainline denominations wondered aloud about the propriety of linking religious services with a secular holiday like New Year's Eve.

However, there is a reason for the importance of New Year's Eve services in African American congregations.

The Watch Night Services in Black communities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve."

On that night, Blacks came together in churches and private homes all across the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation actually had become law.

Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863, and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free .

When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as people fell to their knees and thanked God.

Black folks have gathered in churches annually on New Year's Eve ever since, praising God for bringing us safely through another year.

It's been 145 years since that first Freedom's Eve and many of us were never taught the African American history of Watch Night, but tradition still brings us together at this time every year to celebrate
"how we got over."

Untitled

2009-12-03T20:49:00.001-08:00

via Seesmic

Posted via web from urbanfocus's posterous

Untitled

2009-12-03T20:48:00.001-08:00

via Seesmic

Posted via web from urbanfocus's posterous

100 Things that I'm Thankful For... 2009

2009-11-26T17:06:00.001-08:00

1. My wife that loves me more than anyone should
2. My beautiful and amazing daughter who is going to help change the world
3. My incredible son who brings so much joy & hope into my life
4. Ramiro who has helped me see how purpose focuses us
5. Jose who teaches me how to be yourself
6. Marleny my other daughter
7. Isabel my older other daughter
8. Louquitta an example of determination
9. Brandi another other daughter
10. The joy of seeing people you build into succeed
11. The Combs, our life-long partners
12. Combs God-children
13. Murtaugh God-children
14. My house
15. Our dog Haley
16. A city to help love
17. Our mini church family
18. Our church-plant family
19. Our home church
20. Visionary leadership with integrity
21. Cross-cultural relationships
22. My parents
23. Len, my brother and his family
24. Joey, my youngest brother
25. My mother and father-in-law
26. My brother-in-law and his family
27. My cousins
28. My Aunt Linda who has been more than an aunt
29. My aunts and uncles
30. Other extended family
31. Compton United Soccer Club
32. Our coaches
33. Our players
34. Our families
35. Our volunteers
36. Our Crash Elite mentors
37. Our sponsors and donors
38. Our partners @ the Galaxy
39. Our partners @ Chivas USA
40. the Urban Soccer Collaborative
41. Our other many partners
42. Ray Caldwell, my AIA director
43. My AIA team
44. Our HLIC-LA family (past & current)
45. Our national HLIC family
46. Our CCC family
47. Our hundreds of supporters that make it all possible
48. Our Compton co-workers
49. Our urban ministry co-workers
50. Dr. John Perkins
51. Christian Community Development Association
52. Campus Crusade for Christ
53. My new online friends
54. the City of Compton
55. The City of LA
56. living in Southern California
57. the ocean
58. nature
59. being able to relax at the beach
60. quite nights
61. back rubs
62. strong shoulder messages
63. down pillows
64. down comforters
65. hot showers
66. chiropractic adjustments
67. In-n-Out Burger
68. mini chocolate chip ice cream
69. carne asada
70. bolgoki Korean BBQ
71. watching soccer
72. watching football
73. passionate conversations
74. being able travel
75. different cultures
76. Nelson Mandela
77. Martin Luther King
78. William Wilberforce
79. past & current abolitionists
80. Bono and U2
81. healthy competition
82. playing sports
83. being able to use soccer to change lives
84. music
85. technology
86. the Internet
87. computers
88. animals
89. rhinos & what they teach me
90. great stories
91. great stories in the movies
92. my senses
93. my faculties
94. being able to watch my family grow up
95. watching people grow in all aspects of like
96. that I'm learning how to be empathetic
97. that I'm learning how to love
98. that I'm learning how to be me
99. knowing a God who loves me
100. knowing my purpose in life (as of this point)

California’s 37th Congressional District

2009-10-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

California District 37

20.1 percent Poverty Rate
28.5 percent Child Poverty Rate

* 133,608 residents are in poverty
* 58,875 children are in poverty
* 20.9 percent of women are in poverty
* 18.7 percent of African-Americans are in poverty
* 17.4 percent of Asian-Americans are in poverty
* 23.1 percent of Latinos are in poverty

Rep. Richardson, Laura [D]
District 37 Map

Help Esteban get a New Soccer Uniform

2009-08-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Do You Have Objctions to Assisting the Poor?

2009-07-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

Robert Murray McCheyne on giving and the poor

Now, dear Christians, some of you pray night and day to be branches of the true vine; you pray to be made all over in the image of Christ. If so, you must be like him in giving. A branch bears the same kind of fruit as the tree…An old divine says well: “what would have become of us if Christ has been as saving of his blood as some men are of their money?”

Objection 1. “My money is my own” Answer: Christ might have said, “my blood is my own, my life is my own”…than were should we have been?

Objection 2. “The poor are undeserving.” Answer: Christ might have said the same thing. “They are wicked rebels against my father’s law: shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels.” But no, He left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave His blood for the undeserving.

Objection 3. “The poor may abuse it.” Answer: Christ might have said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample His blood under their feet; that most would despise it…yet He gave His own blood.

Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and the poor, the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want, but your happiness. Remember His own word: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) Sermon 82.

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California’s 37th Congressional District

Help Esteban get a New Soccer Uniform

Do You Have Objctions to Assisting the Poor?

OPINION: The Story of Compton United and Victor
Community Contributor | 1-11-2010 | Comments |