JAC Online

Stories From The Hood –
Tales of Heartbreak, Testimonies of Grace!

by Captain Sandra Pobjie-Pawar

Captain Sandra Pobjie-Pawar is the Corps Officer of the Charlotte 614 Corps
in North Carolina. Here, she offers snapshots of her ministry on the frontlines.

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I have to be honest with you right from the start, I am not an intellectual, I don’t like to use big or fancy words, I am not very interested in theological debates and I don’t have any original or new ministry ideas to bring to the table. I apologize if that is what you are looking for. The only thing I have to offer you is my heart for people and my experience doing ministry at Charlotte 614, an inner city community house, a ministry that I love dearly.

My experiences in this community have forever changed my life and the way I will do ministry in the future. ‘Stories from the Hood‘ shares the experiences my husband and I have had in the JT Williams community of Charlotte North Carolina, both tales of heartbreak and testimonies of grace. As you read these tales, may you see the hand of God at work and may you be encouraged in your own ministries, knowing that God is a loving and graceful God and that he is present and working in lives even when we don’t see any fruit from our labor, or we are ready to quit and the road seems far too long. God is present right where you are and he is turning tales of heartbreak into testimonies of Grace

DECEMBER 9, 2008
“I have been walking around this neighborhood for the last few weeks, praying for families, visiting families and as I walk these streets and visit these families, I have felt such darkness and despair. Behind those front doors I encounter families and individuals who are so lost, trapped in lifestyles that are destroying them and the ones they love. I have never felt such darkness in one place before, but instead of causing me to be fearful, instead of causing me to back away I have become more determined than ever to love this community and more determined to pray, visit and love each and every person within it.

The thing is I know I cannot do it by myself. I learned very early on in this ministry that without God by my side my ministry here would be without any power and would be of no consequence. This community is in the middle of a spiritual battle and in order for the Lord to have the victory I need to walk these streets armed with his words in my heart and soul. So instead of feeling fear, I feel privileged to be able to fight on behalf of my new friends in this community that are surrounded by the enemy. I am ready to go to battle for them and to claim them for the kingdom of God”

DECEMBER 21, 2008
“It has been a great week in the 614 community. Everyday it seems we have a new story to tell and a new person to introduce to The Salvation Army, and it is always totally random events that create these introductions. I have learned that even though they seem random to us, they are actually divine appointments set up by God.

One example of this is the little puppy that lives in the community. It is a golden lab mixed and she is beautiful. We call her India. India was kicked out of her house one afternoon and I happened to be there when it happened. I went straight up to her and played with her. I decided that I needed to take her to the community house, so I knocked on the door and asked the owners if I could take her with me. The owners obliged, but that one seemingly random encounter gave us the opportunity to meet new people. Over the last week we have been able to have many conversations with this family and we now have some new members to add to our community family.

This week we have met new friends, given out food, held a community baby shower, given out Angel tree gifts, held after school programs, cell groups, helped someone put up a Christmas tree, loved on a little puppy and visited families in despair. This is what ministry is all about, being there when people need you most.

Sometimes I know that this ministry is hard, constantly being surrounded by hurting and struggling people, but even though we are confronted with some challenges in this appointment, it is weeks likes this where I see the hand of God at work that helps me keep going. I cannot help but praise God for putting us here, I feel like everyday is filled with opportunities to minister, to bless and just love the people that God has placed before us. I love that I get to see “my people” everyday. I love it and I thank God for this blessing!”

JANUARY 22, 2009
“614 Charlotte started Junior Soldiers tonight and we had 12 kids, which was wonderful! I am excited that these kids get to be part of The Salvation Army in this way. It makes them feel like they are part of a special club.

I love that at 614 we have the opportunity to be creative in our ministry and that we are not bound by regular Salvation Army Church activities (although they are good and helpful) but I am also excited that we get to add Salvation Army elements to our ministry. I love that although we are in the community we can still have women's ministry, Junior Soldiers, men's ministry, bible study, Sunday school and Church and yet we get to do it according to the needs of the people we serve and in a way that they can relate to. I just love it. This ministry has proven to me that The Salvation Army is still relevant today and it can still impact people’s lives in a major way. Tonight 12 little kids found out for themselves just how exciting this Salvation Army can be.”

FEBRUARY 29, 2009
“Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with joy for what we do as our 'job'. I love working in this community and I love meeting the people who live in this community, they truly have become part of my family. I think about Red who is a transsexual living in a house in the community where the police are often called because of domestic violence, a house that has been without power for the last 2 weeks.

I think about a precious little girl T, who was told to go ride her bike for the rest of the afternoon because her Dad was about to get stoned with a neighbor.

I think of the little girl K, 3 years old who was playing by herself when I knocked on the door, her parents left her at home by herself for the afternoon as they went about their ‘business” duties for the day.

I think of Mr. Larry, who is always without food and heat and yet he has a very full household to feed and keep warm.

I think of M who we gave some food bags to on Saturday and who then turned up at Brunch Church on Sunday and shared her powerful testimony to the teens.”

I think of D, K and L, who turned on the computer the other day and proceeded to show us pictures on the police website of their uncle, brother and father who were all currently serving time.

I think of B, who constantly gets kicked out of his house when his Mom gets fed up with him and his brothers arguing. He is only 14 years old and often has nowhere to go.

I think of the man who lives in the winter shelter across the road and who hated the Salvation Army when he first met us, but when we met him the other day he was on the way to the community house with a box of chips for us to give the kids.

There are so many other stories I could share, but there really is not enough time or space.

This is our family and like any family we have our ups and downs, and struggles, but just as in a family, we are there for each other, we pray for each other and we help each other when times are tough.”

March 31, 2009
I am just overwhelmed with frustration right now, I have rage building up inside of me.

Sunday was probably one of our hardest days in the 'hood'. When we were at Brunch Church one of my favorite girls came to me in tears, and shared with me that her family had a rough night and they were splitting. She said it has been going on for years and it all came to a head and that she knew she needed to get away, she could not handle it anymore and the girls in the family were leaving that afternoon. That broke my heart and I just cried for her and her family.

Later that day two young guys who we had poured our hearts into and who we have given chance after chance stole some of our personal property. That act hurt us incredibly. It was not the theft as much as it was the lies that came with it and the lack of respect for us.

Last week someone stole the power box from the community house and then today they stole the internet wire. In the last 6 months our community house has been broken into 6 times, our personal tv stolen, two computers stolen, windows and doors broken.

I am tired. I am tired of pouring into these families and these kids, just for them to turn around and steal from us. I just want it to stop. I want to yell and scream and get in someone's face about all of this, but I know that won't help at all and I know these people are in far worse shape than we are.

So I pray for them, I pray that God will touch their hearts, that God will cause them to bend their knees and fall at his feet in submission. I pray that they will encounter the true and living God...

As for us, I am frustrated and mad, but my God is BIGGER than all this junk, and his work in that neighborhood will not cease, he will reign in that place. They can steal our stuff, but they cannot stop the work the Lord is doing; that is what keeps me going when all I want to do is just quit.

APRIL 12, 2009
Praise God indeed! Today on Easter Sunday six young people made a decision to follow Christ and not the ways of the world or even the ways of their very own families. Six young people chose to promise to God that they would love and serve him and it was an honor to be a part of this time in their lives.

We know all too well the hard lives they have, and the battles they face on a daily basis, yet even still these children made a decision to serve and love God. Even as we picked up one of these Junior Soldiers from his Dad's house we walked in on a Dad and his mates about to light up and smoke pot. This is what these kids face on a daily basis, but on this day this Junior Soldier marched through his living room with his uniform on ready to make a commitment to do the opposite of what his Dad was doing right in front of his face. What a powerful witness and what courage. It is a powerful witness not only to us, but it is a powerful witness to their families and their communities.

Another young boy J left the community house right after his enrollment to show off his certificate and the Bible he was given to his father and he came back to report to us that his Dad looked at the certificate and saw his promise to not drink, smoke or take drugs and told his son that he was going to try and give up his drinking and his drugs too and that he would like to sit down with him and read the Bible with him at night so that they can help each other.

I believe very strongly that the promises some of these children made today will be what saves their lives in the coming days. It is something they can hold on to when all else is crumbling around them and what they can hold onto when they are put in very difficult situations by their peers.

Some times in this ministry I want to quit, I want to give up on people, but day’s like today are what keeps me going. Those six kids we enrolled today are the same kids that steal from us and vandalize our property, but the difference is that 6 months ago they would have denied ever doing anything like that, but just this last Friday, Good Friday actually, those same kids confessed in front of a group of their peers that they slashed our friends car tires and broke his headlight and they stood before their peers and asked for our forgiveness and they asked Christ to forgive them too. There was not a more powerful example of why Christ died for them than that. And today they stand in front of family and friends getting enrolled as Junior Soldiers. Amazing Grace indeed!

I have learned these last few months that we may not always see the hand of God at work in people’s lives but God is working and he is changing their hearts and their lives day by day, step by step and that makes me smile.”
 

 

 

 

   

 

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