Body Part Petitions: Boarding Call in 96,298 Minutes.

Dear Elbows, Knees, Noses, and Eyeballs,


  Sitting here contemplating how to express my heart in words to you, I see my clean, crisscrossed, feet leaning lightly against this limp-legged coffee table, and forever furrowed with the marks of so many journeys taken.


  I think of the way I will soon look down at them, dirty, sun-swollen, surrounded by garbage, and gloriously close to little shoeless pairs scattered all around them--the treasures in the trash, the image-bearing children of South Africa’s Brakpan slum.


So what’s my location?


  Today these wrinkly feet are joyously stepping through Georgia clay ministering to the unreached refugee children of Willow Branch apartment complex in Clarkston. After completing Missionary Training School, and healing from a failing body at home, God has returned me to my back yard mission field in a new and incredibly different complex. It is one of the worst complexes in terms of adolescent behavior, as well as, one of the most abundant. My days here are so full and challenging at times they require a quick dodge back inside the door for pleading prayer with my housemate before the cursing and riots break out on our doorstep between these colorful little imitators of the brokenness that has preceded them.

Pancake Party  and Bible storytelling at Jenna's apartment!
Clarkston Oaks Apartment Complex, 2011

  I need Jesus to come and fill this place and He has made it clear that He prefers to do that through the flesh of His vessels, and for today, for this spring, and for this coming year, it’s mine.


 I live in the most diverse square mile of the United States, and that means the neighbor behind me hanging up his laundry while I type is Burmese, my unexpected dinnerdate last night, a little boy sounding out the birth of Jesus book so he can pass his reading exam, is Nepali, Hindu, and carries the burden of a dad known as the “Drunk” who wanders the complex at night.

It means a square mile so packed with bondage and idol worship that only God, only God, can bring the healing.

  Please pray for my home, that it would be awakened from its sleep, and for the children of Willow Branch, for healing. As hard as it is to leave it, I praise God for where He is taking me and that this community awaits me with great Kingdom potential when I return.

  Soon I will board a plane with a team of 6 other women from WEC’s Rainbows of Hope for 2 months to a place, like Jonah, I have never necessarily wanted to go. But as I sense the Spirit’s leading, I am filled with giddiness for the hand of God!


  In the slums we will be working alongside local missionaries and believers, reaching out to children and families in shattered communities. We will show young people faced with the realities of abuse, drugs, poverty, and AIDS - that they are rich in value to their daddy Jesus. We will drive out the lies through powerful words, music, and drama in the hearts of high school and primary students. One of the major aspects of this trip will be the many fascets of training our team will be providing to local children's workers and trainers. Also, We will join local Zulu speaking staff in offering children in crisis outreach through school and children's home-holiday programs, as well as, appropriate childcare trainings at daycare centers.  


 We will also utilize dance, storytelling, and arts activities for outreach, which are always favorites with the kids, especially when they see how ridiculous I look doing them! We will lift burdens in a wide-range of practical tasks including, painting, building, land maintenance, and brushfire prevention. We will even be helping with an outreach on WEC'S land called "Farming God's Way," which trains others about sustainable food production on a small area of land! I have wanted to be a part of that for so long and studied Environmental Science in college for such a time as this!!! 


So much is needed to run a ministry long-term to children in crisis, so it's our joy to complement the work of the missionaries who will bear the torch long after we return. From experience, I cannot tell you the value of a burst of fresh helping hands in long term ministry.


   YOU are the senders I am petitioning for prayers and financial support because the truth is, I am just me without you, and that was never the way God intended it. I want you to share in this beautiful thing God is surely about to do, and He invites us all to be a part of it. This is a formal invitation ( : Please come to South Africa through my hands and wrinkled feet, through your prayers that have the power to change every day for God’s glory while I am there.


From my heart,
                      Jenna Givens
      822 N. Indian Creek Dr. Apt. A8
               Clarkston, GA 30021

Cost: $4,200  

Dates: Jun 4th-Aug 6th

  Donations: Rainbows of Hope P.O. Box 517 Fort Mill, SC 29716

(Please include a note specifying “for Jenna Givens”)

Pollen Profanities.

                                                                                                                               March 24th, 2012

Oh the variety of one week.

It's not everyday you wake up to the words "F*&% You" written across your car in pollen, but such is the standard of conflicted children, of the broken, and I am learning to take it in stride...
      
 to ask my Father for help in reaching into their wounds with healing life.

Do I know the culprit? Yes... I am sure I do. He is likely the same little boy I have been writing to you about, the same one who as a form of an I'm sorry for his erratic behavior drew hearts with his name in it on the same hood at 11 pm just the day prior, caught him through my bedroom window. ( :

I just wanted to help you see what life is really like, beyond the beauty and valor of a "missionary" calling.

There's so much else I should be doing right now, preparing for my Teach For America interview most notably, but I've just got to catch you up or I may never.

 I'll start with today and give myself a bit of time to recall the bizarre events of the other days!

Today a missionary friend, Rosie, and I took 3 beautiful little refugee girls from Eritrea and Thailand out to IHOP for Saturday morning breakfast. They were so happy with their Dr. Seuss truffula seeds, thank you IHOP, and their hamburgers and icecream cone pancake breakfasts. Ordering for refugee children is an event all its own. Senayit wanted Strawberry juice, she got strawberry lemonade which she confidently referred to as "lemahlar." Little Roma wanted ham, only ham, that's it. We talked her into the ice cream cone pancake, mostly because I wanted to see it! Thanks mom for the gift card! The little girls from Eritrea were 2 of my discipleship girls from when I was living in the other complex, and it was so AWESOME to love on them again.

Burgers for Breakfast

I explained this to the Thai 10 year old across from me, meek and so caring, and decided to ask her if she went to church or if the girls had told her about Jesus yet? She happily told me that she does, and then Senayit and Roma shouted out, "DO YOU KNOW GENESIS 1:1?" Shyly she said no. I asked if they did, and there they went, repeating back their memory verse in proud synchrony! I asked where they learned it, they said, "from discipleship with you!" I was blown away that they had remembered and so blessed to hear the word of God still in them! The best part? Getting to explain to Sar Pa, Roma, and Senayit that the reason I loved spending my gift card on them was that they were incredibly valuable, that if they believed in Jesus and that He is the king, then they are children of God, and if they are daughters, then that makes them princesses of the king! "PRINCESSES?!!" Well, they seemed to like that a whole lot. Especially Sar Pa who was new to me, and she decided she would like to start joining the discipleship group that another wonderful lady is now leading in that complex.

Thank you Lord!

A Picture of Heaven,
maybe they will even have Ice Cream Cone
Pancakes at the Banquesting Table ( :

After that we went to the dollar store where the girls each picked out a bible story book with a sing along cd and happily read them as they walked through the aisles not watching where they were going. Softspoken Sar Pa stood next to me ecstatic to show me the one she had picked, and to my shock began boldly telling me the story of Noah. I've never loved the dollar store so much.  After making them promise to always walk in 3's between complexes, and getting their parents permission at the door, they have all been invited back to have a pizza making and bible story reading sleepover party next Friday with me and my friend Rosie!



I'm afraid I will have to skip a few days for your eyes sake.

Thursday was an incredibly eventful day, which leads me to the pollen profanities.

Needing to go for a run and having a stoop full of Nepali little boys is a conflicting idea. So, in an effort to get the best of both worlds, I just brough them along as body guards. Yep, there goes the white girl in her neon tennis shoes with 7 hollering little boys tagging behind and tugging alongside her on her only two wrists, so how many boys kept up? Just only two, but the others sure did try! I've never seen so many shortcuts taken in my life, they were proudly popping out of buildings everywhere!

Almost back home, one of the troubled boys starts going nuts. I ask what's wrong. "Sag" tells me that some girls were yelling some TERRIBLY inappropriate remarks about he and I. I knew eventually this would come as a direct result of jealousy between the children, as it always has. I march over to deal with it and put an end to the obscene remarks. It was a mess. I end up having to break up a near brawl between the children, black muslim teenage girl attitude against frantically shouting Nepali testosterone. As a crowd of people begin to squat at the top of the hill, I do my best to keep my voice as low as possible and control the situation for the sake of my reputation in my new community. After explaining what I expect, that I am friends with everyone regardless of their problems, that anybody can come to my apartment and we will work on it and be friends as long as there is respect between us, I walk away from the situation with a bunch of angry boys huffing along in tow.


Then the best part came, the part God used for good. We sat on the stoop (others stretched themselves across the hand rail) as I demanded their silence and explained that their ability to do so would determine the rest of the evening. Frowns and stink eyes.

 After explaining the situation, why what happened was not okay and how we are to treat oneanother, what I demand as respect, why I love them, how Jesus is the only way I can love my enemies, the person who stole my iPod in college, the people who broke my heart, how He feels about them, their value, how He sees the girl who said the terrible things about us that night, what I know they are capable of, asking them questions and getting good answers, and  "Sag's" violent answers, I had almost entirely lost their attention; which they let me know through fake yawns.

 So now what? Lord help me, now what? "Sag" is still going crazy and has lost all privileges for the night, how do I break through to them?! God thank you..... "Okay, everybody up!!!" We are going to act this out! I am the first volunteer to be hurled slanderous remarks toward, no profanities please. And one by one, we acted out what we are to do as we approach someone who is saying untrue things about us, because they always will. "YHEW ARE A PEICE OF PAY-PEHR! BoOOY!" "YOU SMELL LIKE YOUR MAMA'S POO!" The laughter broke out in roars. The next door neighbors came out. They could hardly bring themselves to say an insult against me through the laughter. The best part?! THEY GOT IT!

They approached the one wronging them, ASKED if they were speaking to them, ASKED if they had said what they heard, TOLD them it isn't true, that they didn't appreciate them speaking to them that way, and WALKED AWAY, because "you know who you are, and you can be CONFIDENT in it. You don't have to convince someone else. You be responsible for YOUR actions and walk away.

Exhausted, I showered, sat on my floor against the wall, ate left over sweet potato homefries out of a glass in my new room and just stared for a while. It was good, God is good, and these broken children want to be good, Even if they hate the discipline, and I hate the follow through, even if they don't have the tools in their tool box to handle it better than writing pollen profanities. I know It will come because I saw it in Senayit today, a beautiful, thriving, loving friend and witness for Jesus who just a year ago was yelling obscenities on the playground. I disciple because it's worth it, because it's the way of Jesus, and because I know He heals the wounded.

I love you all. Thanks for reading. Please pray for Willow Branch, for men to come inhabit this place and be a mentor to these boys.

Gotta go, it's 3 more little ones at the back door attacking the living room like monkeys and I am being summoned to draw a "plower."


Sincerely with love!
Jenna in Clarkston.

Other fun praises:

• speaking French with a Congolese trauma victim while taking her home from free bread distribution, knowing it's only the beginning of our friendship
• Crashing a little boys soccer pick up game on my run through the complexes and teaching them some moves
• My incredible housemate God has given me for community
• Seeing Senayit just show up at my door after hearing my apartment number from someone
• tri-weekly complex prayer walking dates with my friend Rosie soon to come
• Being well enough to look for a job, even though it's not going so well.

Welcoming My Heart Home.

                                                                                                                      March 17th, 2012

Question:

How many women from how many cultures does it take to nail a wobbly
bookshelf to the wall??

Well, definitely more than 3 from more than two!

I am once again familiar with the perpetual sweaty hand print on the front
door, constant smushing of 6 legged carpet passersby, waterfall decorated
ceilings and the sport of bucket sprinting, and the really annoying
side affect of living with refugees... unconciously always talking
with my hands! I am anything but cool. But more on this shananagans in a
second...

Welcome back to life shared through written words! Thanks for taking the
time to read along with me, though I don't deserve your grace after a such
profound pause.

Life is FINALLY in forward swing after one heck of a hefty comma which I
would love to tell you about now that I have all my cogs and wheels ticking
in sense making motion.

Where have I been all this time?
Home.

After completing missonary training school and my role as the college
women's summer internship leader for church planting in Clarkston after I
was very abruptly returned home for treatment from a terribly failing body.
Living in low-income apartments with the refugees came with an unforseen
cost in my apartment, Toxic Black Mold Syndrome. My system, after living in
the heat of GA for so long with the spores going crazy in my apartment,
took a nose dive for the worst and I left everything to come home and seek
help.

God in His loving way and through the diligence of my awesome mom led us to
the answer after so many blood tests, scans, and costly dead ends. I can't
even begin to tell you the desperation of this process and the relief when
God introduced us to Nutritional Wellness Initiative in Knoxville, TN.
Let me give you the list so you can understand better where God has
delivered me from...

When I first started treatment I was tested and found to be chock full of:

•   The Largest parasites in my pancreas
•   Heavy Metal poisening (really affected my memory)
•   Arsenic
•   Mold
•   Gluten sensitivity and food allergies from having such a weak system
•   Malnourished from failing digestion
•   Unable to metabolize fats and sugars
•   (if not for running so much would have become obese)
•   Overloaded and sick liver, so much so I had to eliminate any fragrances and pesticides because it couldn't process them out
•    A bacterial infection called Klebsiella Pneumoneae

I was a mess. When my body started turning highlighter yellow we knew my
liver was in trouble and thus began the tests at the ER only to later
understand that it was because I was so sick I couldn't process out the
natural carotenes in the fruits and vegetables I was eating! I ended up
taking on the challenge of a 21 day detox fast of only homemade blended
soups made of strictly vegetables and powdered fruit drinks so my body
could heal instead of digesting all day. It was awful, but I made it and I
would do anything to get back on the mission field sooner! There were days
I could not make it from the couch to the kitchen.

Praise God for my family and all that they walked through with me. I cannot
convey to you in words the emotional and physical lows I experienced during
these past 7 months.... depression, struggle, searching, isolation. I like
to be real with people so they don't have to keep their burdens secret
either, so that is why I want you to know that even people who love Jesus
incredibly hard feel like He is a million miles away and may doubt Him to
the core. This has been my dark night of the soul and God has delivered me
from it.. which is the GOOD part I want to tell you about!!

WHERE AM I? CLARKSTON!!!! WITH THE REFUGEES I LOVE!

I am healthy, active, and walking in faith in a new complex as of one week ago!
The two ladies I mentioned regarding the wobbly bookshelf... they are
Iranian and they are currently my roomates along with one other American
girl who I grow fonder of everyday. It is incredible to be back in
community, with all its rediculous only in Clarkston moments. Let me tell
you about it just really quick because I have to tell you!!! My heart is
bursting, my sparkle is back, and you should know!
After failing to get the darn nail in the hard wood and pushing eachother
out of the way we resorted to a hook in the wall, very genius I know. It
was my idea.. ehem cough cough.

After it was over, covered in sweat I told the Iranian ladies, "This is how we say good job in America!" and high fived them both. Next thing I knew I was being summoned to the kitchen
where they had prepared scrambled omelette in a pan with olives and hot sauce to top it off and naan bread for scooping. We all sat on little chairs and stools huddled around a frying pan scooping the concoction onto our bread and speaking through mostly charades and broken English. It was a
beautiful moment and I was reminded again that God has such a clear call on
my life.

These are the moments that give me my deepest joy.
 Don't cry Jenna, don't cry! I have waited so long....

Lastnight after rollerblading and longboarding through several of the
complexes and steep hills (poor decision) at twilight, My roomate and
I walked in the back door of her Nepali friends apartment where she was
sitting on the floor eating rice and curry with her hands. We traded the
little Nepali we knew back and forth and watched a volleyball court full of
children and adults playing various sports through their opened sliding
glass doors. The kids didn't take long to see our vacant roller blades and
long board sitting outside and soon after the laughter began to explode.

When we got back to our apartment for the night God gave me the opportunity
to speak value into the life of a little Nepali boy named "Sag" (shortened
for privacy)  who has been physically abused, tossed around, and pretty
much neglected in his family. We sat on the doormat, hail and rain coming
down around us, his voice shouting lies of "I am not good, I am not good,
God don't fix my problem, don't fix any problem, doesn't know A,B,C,D." My
heart breaking... but seeing Jesus there with us speaking the words to him
coming out of my mouth. "When you were born how do you think you got here?"
"MY MOTHER!" "Yeah, but how do you think you became this beautiful person
you are?" "I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL!" "You are beautiful and when you were born
God said, that is good! You are beautiful, that's just how I wanted you to
come out, with this personality! He says you are valuable." "What is
valuable?" "It's like gold, like gems, like treasure."

Day by day,
child by child,
God sees them each and wants His good for their life, their relationship and restoration.

Please pray with me for the complex of Willow Branch, it is new to me and
FULL of children. It is HUGE and overwhelming, but God wanted me here. After a month of indecision and painful processing in confusion about coming back, God spoke as I sought Him for 30 minutes a day in the Word to add something good into my life during Lent. It was time. He
told me on a Thursday, I quit my job at home on a Friday, and was here one
week later. God has a plan but He has been telling me that nothing will
come without prayer as its foundation. Also, COME VISIT!

I am searching for a part time job and would love your prayers for this as
well to help out with living costs here. Thank you if you made it this
far... I cherish your involvement in my life. It is through the prayers and
financial gifts of my bigger family that I am able to be here bringing the
kingdom of God amidst so many lies.

Logistical things:

   - living on remaining funds raised during missionary training school and
   seeking a part time job to be available to do ministry.
   - not officially serving with a specific organization, but living
   incarnationally and missionally as God unfolds the plan He has for this
   complex of unreached peoples and churchplanting among the children and
   their families. My roomate and I would love to pioneer a sports ministry
   here.
   - My Iranian rooomates are moving this week into a different complex and
   we feel this is best as the apartment is about to become the hub for
   childrens ministry.
   - Praying about serving on a team in South Africa this summer, as well
   as, doing Teach For America to get a teaching certficate debt free which
   would be very helpful overseas (I made it to the final round of
   interviews!) I also have a job interview today to be a teacher here in the
   Fall at a non-traditional multicultural private school and be able to
   continue to do ministry in my complex. Please pray God would help me sort
   out the direction to go!

I love you all!! Wanna hear from ya!
            Jenna Givens
822 N.Indian Creek Dr. Apt. A8
       Clarkston, GA 30021