I'm back!

Well, this isn't actually Eric.

After many beggings and pleadings from forlorn former readers, I, Laura, have taken up the honor of blogging! My schedule is much more flexible and my writing standards are slightly lower, so I was happily chosen to update you all on the inner workings of inner city ministry. Hopefully, this will happen once every couple of weeks.

To begin, I'll give you the Cliff Notes for the past year...

*Summer Shakespeare program was GREAT. Wonderful cast, wonderful rehearsals, wonderful show, wonderful tour. The kids loved it so much that nearly all of them are coming back to do it again this summer! Last summer's show: Romeo and Juliet. This summer's show: The Tempest.

* Fall semester of the Performing Arts Academy was great. We had a good chance to build on the skills we were teaching last year, and our Shakes kids became closer friends in their weekly class and Bible Study. The new Children's Choir was a huge hit and all 60 slots filled up immediately.

* Christmas, 2010- Eric and I bought and house and a puppy! We are truly a North Side family now, living in the community we love. Our puppy, Trooper (short for Sand Trooper, all you Star Wars fans), is a lab/mastiff mix and his goofiness and wagging tail make us so happy! At 6 months now, he's around 55 pounds and still growing.

* February, 2011- Our Shakes kids entered the Pittsburgh Public Theatre's Annual Scene and Monologue Competition. They were the very first group to perform out 1,200 students. Two of our eight students placed in the top 75. That's right- 25% of our group placed in the top 75 out of 1,200 students. We couldn't be prouder!

* April, 2011- The Urban Impact Choir sang at Heinz Hall! A benefit concert featuring Jerry Butler was held for Urban Impact, and the choir opened the show spectacularly. Eric did all of the print work (posters, flyers, bookmarks, t-shirts, programs, etc, etc) and it was so classy, Heinz Hall was proud to display it!

* Spring semester of the Performing Arts Academy was a huge success. The final show was attended by  many parents. In fact, more parents attend the final PAA show than any other Urban Impact Activity! Eric wrote a gameshow-style short play for his Elementary Drama class called "The Choice is Right," and it was a huge hit. Picture the Israelites (along with the Angel of Death) vs. the Egyptian Pharaohs (aka the Tut family) in a Family Feud-style game in which the winners get to go to the Promised Land! All the questions had to do with the 10 Commandments, and the Burning Bush was one of the phone-a-friends. My High School Acting class did a Human Video (movement set to music that tells a story) called "Storms," which told the stories of people feeling attacked, but also showed the power of God to rescue them.

* Eric and I just finished a fascinating and fun vacation to Scotland to visit my sister and her family. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we were thrilled to have bought our tickets before gas skyrocketed! Joy was the perfect travel agent, David was a very knowledgeable tour guide, and our niece was a remarkably bubbly and flexible traveler! We had such a blast catching up with them and being introduced to their lives, as well as seeing sheep, highland cows, castles, churches, ruins, cemeteries, monuments, gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, islands, bed and breakfasts, fudge doughnuts, sticky toffee pudding, kippers, and haggis!

Now that we are back and rested, it is full-speed-ahead for this summer's Urban Impact Shakes. We are praying hard, as neither of us can see how this summer can top last summer. God's provision was so evident last year, we are trusting Him for more miracles this year!


To God be the glory, great things He has done!


Opportunities to pray for us at Urban Impact:
* Our Shakes kids this summer (that God would grow in them and they would grow in God)
* Our Shakes staff this summer (Brittany, Rachel, Matt, me and Eric- for peace amidst the stress)
* Our Shakes audiences this summer (that God would prepare them for the message)
* All of the production aspects of this play (costumes, set, props, lighting, sound, etc)

"Hoopty"

Highlights in brief:

• I am Carlo
• I am Rorschach
• I drive a "hoopty"
• Daylight Savings Time

A lot can happen in one week. In fact a lot happens every week, but this week did not disappoint. This week I will start off with the Performing Arts story of the week

PAA Story of the Week:

So after choir on Tuesday nights I usually take a few kids back to their homes. This usually entails several younglings anxiously ready to get home, and every week is a different experience. I have taken kids home, who have not realized they lost their key to their house and had to wait for their Mom to get off work, kids who think it's hilarious to give me directions to their house first leading me in the complete opposite direction before guiding me back through dark, skinny alleys. My favorite happened this past week when upon seeing my car one student moaned, "Aww man, I gotta ride in 'at, you got a hooptie." Later looked up hooptie on urbandictionary.com to find hooptie means, "A piece of junk* car." (For those of you that don't know my car is a 1990 Dodge Dynasty and is huge blessing to me, even though the ceiling is sagging, the odometer stopped working, the airbag doesn't work, and it takes two people to open the hood.) I know my car is old and may in fact be a "Hoopty", but I never thought an Urban Impact student would be embarrassed to ride in it. Despite the jabs at my beloved car the rides home also provide some great time to get to know the kids a little bit more. Even if some of that time is spent driving in the complete wrong direction of their house.

*junk was not the word used by urbandictionary.com

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Other exciting news. I signed with a talent agency called "The Talent Group". This came after a series of events/major blessings the latest of which was an instructional video for EDMC, Education Management Corporation. I played Carlo a minor leauge baseball player. He had damaged his knee running into a player and now worries and slows down while running the bases. I spilled my guts and deepest fears of never making it to the majors to my "Psychologist" (A man named Tom who played the real estate agent in The Mothman Prophecies). This has all been a whirl wind, but most of all it has been a tremendous blessing.

Besides playing Carlo I also had a brief stint playing Rorschach from the Watchmen. By playing I mean dressed up in a costume to go see the movie, and I say brief because I was asked to take off the mask. Although the true Rorschach would have probably broken one of the managers fingers, I instead gruffly said "Someone's pickin' off costume heroes..." He didn't really get it so I said "okay" and went to the car and took off the costume.

All in all it was a busy week. The PAA is going very well and Laura and I continually excited about the progress of the students. We are now working on our scenes and short plays for the Parents' Night on April 23rd. You are all welcome to come that night to see these very talented younglings.

Prayer Requests:

• Building deeper relationships with the students
• PAA Bible Study this week (I am leading it)
• To continue to walk through the doors God has opened form me.

I thank you all for your continued prayers, and when I invited you to the parents night I really meant it. If you are interested let me know.

eric