The Post Update

The weather is getting warmer and things are heating up in Brooklyn!! As you know from here, even though the inspector signed off on the permit, we were denied it at the office. Since then, we have received numerous notices and fines for the property. At this point, we have been given 30 days to tear it down or renovate. So, we have decided to tear the rest of the building down this Saturday.
We will begin demo at 8 am. The address is 3554 Helmstetter Rd. Brooklyn, MD. If you have a few hours on Saturday, would you consider pitching in and helping? Or if you don't, would you mind lifting the demo crew up in prayer throughout the afternoon? If you are in need of childcare, Kristin will be at home and is willing to watch children! Just drop her an email so she knows how many to expect...liquidluv@comcast.net.
We are also beginning to plan a VBS for the summer for the kids in Brooklyn. This will run for a week, sometime in July. We will get back to you with firm dates. We are excited as there is a team from the Eastern Shore who wants to come and serve with us!
Also, Safe House of Hope sent in their paperwork. This summer we will begin to do street outreach in Brooklyn to those women who are victims of the sex trafficking industry. If you are interested in getting involved, please email safehouseofhope@gmail.com. We will be conducting a training in July and would love for any of you to be involved!
Jesus is there, in Brooklyn...in the darkness...with the abandoned and forgotten of our society. He is all about seeing Brooklyn redeemed and restored! He is all about seeing the sick be healed and those who are broken hearted be put back together.

No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn, Hon!

This past week was amazing! There were 26 of us, including children. Our plan was to serve the local community by cleaning their houses and doing minor repair work. Little did we know, God had other plans for us. Gospel Assembly Church on 4th Avenue, opened their doors to us and gave us their annex as a "home base" for the week. We arrived Sunday morning to help serve their pancake breakfast to the community. One pastor in Brooklyn told us, "No one in Brooklyn will ever go hungry." He is so right! Almost all of the churches in Brooklyn serve weekly meals and have a food pantry. This pancake breakfast has come to be a necessity for most of the people who come. Melissa served up eggs! The kids passed out plates! Carol and Zeb helped make pancakes. The rest of us met new friends.

Pastor Vernon and his wife Brenda took time to sit with us after breakfast and share some of their stories. They have been serving the church for 7 years. They moved their family down to Brooklyn to live in the church. They have a little apartment off the back of the annex. After talking with them and hearing the stories of deliverance and daily miracles, it's not hard to realize these guys are on the front lines every day. We asked them what their biggest need is. They answered, "Workers". This humble couple walked into this church and began to operate out of sheer obedience to what Jesus had for them. They have made many sacrifices, but in return have seen Jesus do amazing things and transform lives! It didn't take long to realize they were tired and on the edge of burn out. Their older son, James said, "My parents were ready to give up, I think. They really needed this."

We also asked them what needed to be done in the way of cleaning and repair around the church. They took us on a tour. We quickly realized God had sent us to serve this couple and this church. Our team rolled up their sleeves and spent the next five days turning the church upside down...in a good way! The church kitchen was emptied off all it's contents, scrubbed top to bottom and it got a fresh coat of paint. All the pots and pans and utensils were then scrubbed and reorganized and placed back in their new home! There was a loft above the sanctuary that was piled top to bottom with left over yard sale items. Pastor Vernon and his wife felt bad for even taking us to this room. Little did they know, we had professional cleaning and organizing ladies on the team with us. They emptied that room, created three piles, one to keep, two to take to the dump and three to donate to Good Will. Devon and Chuck loaded two trucks worth of bags and took them to the thrift store and dump. The kids worked on the bathrooms, four of them, cleaning and scrubbing. They also emptied out an old janitor closet and got rid of the junk and straightened and reorganized it. We found donated clothes throughout the building and stocked their clothing exchange rack. (The community can come in and take clothes that they need.) The pastor's personal kitchen got a full scrub and organizing. Their bathroom received a shower makeover! The men replaced their shower wall with a new sturdy surround. They will be going back to try and fix the sink and toilet as well. Two more closets were cleaned out. Door knobs were replaced, shaky toilets made sturdy, doors realigned so they shut, floors scrubbed and two refrigerators cleaned out.

Along with working on the church, our team served Gospel Assembly and Mr. Rick at their weekly food bank. They organized cans and made bags. They then waited outside and prayed with people who came to receive. Our team has lots of stories of how God moved at this time. One man's hands were very shaky. But, after going in to claim his bag, he came out and declared he was able to sign his name without the shakes. Our team also ran a VBS for three days. We had children ages 4 to 15 show up. We were blown away by how God took all the talents of the team and used them to pull off a wonderful VBS! The theme was about Gifts...what Jesus' gifts are to us and what our gifts are to Him...that we are all special. Allison pulled together the schedule and taught the lesson each day. Melissa and some of the kids lead worship each day. Meg and Zeb lead games and amazingly filled in the gaps when needed! Carol made snacks that were thoughtful and prepared with love! We had craft time where the kids traced their bodies and talked about what made them special. They painted treasure boxes and put a slip of paper inside that shared what they wanted to give to Jesus.


We prayer walked the community a number of times, praying that the Holy Spirit would come in power and transform this community. Brooklyn is the largest sex trafficked community on the East Coast and the fourth largest in the country. Just a week before we went there, a 15 year old girl was shot and killed in a cross fire. The gangs run the streets, next to heroin. This community is in desperate need of Jesus!
We can't even begin to tell you what Jesus did in our hearts as a team this week. The really cool thing about serving locally, is that we get to continue to pour into this area and build relationships. We made friends this week! Pastor Vernon and his wife! Their son James and daughter Samantha. We met Brandon and three of the kids he is helping to raise, Paige, Brandon and Ethan. Bruce and his wife Mary and their tribe of five kids are quickly becoming like family! Every person we met, left a mark on our hearts and increased our love for Brooklyn.
We're just getting started down there!



We will continue to run outreaches in the Brooklyn area. We are still looking for a way to tear down and rebuild The Post. We know now, that along with it being a House of Prayer, it will also become a missions base. We are planning on continuing to run VBS, camps and other activities for the kids. This is a great need in the community. We spoke with Pastor Vernon and Brenda about starting a drop in night for the teens.
We will keep you posted! If you want to get involved drop us a line or give us a call! We'd love to have you!
We know this post is a bit lengthy, but we have so much we want to share!
Thank you for your prayers and your support!
Jesus was lifted up and hope and love was delivered!
In Him,
Devon and Kristin

A Story From Night Light International

We wanted to share a story from Night Light. We think this embodies what we feel called to as a church and as a ministry....

Music, Beer, and A Simple Prayer

"Thanks for letting me bring my beer into church, man!" The man looked around at us with misty eyes of gratitude thanking us as he left. This night was proving to be a confirmation of a vision God gave long time ago. Though I had never figured a bottle of beer as part of the equation, what took place was exactly what I had hoped for.

Years ago, God gave me a vision of a center in the red light area of Bangkok. Exactly what that would look like I didn't know but I had images and ideas. One of those images was a coffee shop with live music played by visiting musicians. The coffee shop would be a place where men visiting the area would be welcome. Yes, - the demand side. We have worked with the women for years and maintain that as our focus. However, we have also come to feel God's heart for the men who find themselves in the area and are often very broken, lonely, and trapped. Many have been burned by the church and turned away in bitterness. Many have failed in broken relationships and feel doomed to fail time and time again. Some are sex addicts who hate themselves but cannot see the way out. Others are on a journey seeking they don't know what, and hoping for an experience to give them some revelation of that which they seek. These men come from every nation, every language, and every religion. They are old, young, rich, poor, social elite and social outcast, dogmatically religious, embracing all religion, or in total rejection of all religion. Brokenness, loneliness, and despair are not picky and find their way into the hearts of all types of men. The vision I had was a coffee shop that would welcome these men and give them a place to be heard and to find hope.

God provided the building in the red light area last December. That in itself was a miracle and the first confirmation that this vision was not one I had made up in my imagination but close to God's heart and part of His agenda.

This past week a team of men from Michigan, Colorado, and Kansas, came to launch the remodeling and building improvements. They worked hard for several days and we began to see glimpses of the vision becoming reality. Their last night here we gathered in the empty room of the future coffee shop. Several on the team were professional musicians and that night, John, on the guitar and Ferl with an improvised drum set, sat facing the street and began to play. The open door was an invitation with no explanation. People walking by paused and did a double-take. A representation of the world walked by: foreign men with Thai prostitutes, European travelers, Uzbek and Russian streetwalkers, Middle Eastern businessmen, and Thai vendors who set down their heavy baskets and waved at us through the window.

The music was passionate, vibrant and yet soothing as it called out to the weary travelers. Many paused, but then went on their way - Until he came. He popped his head around the doorframe cautiously and we beckoned him in. "Can I bring my beer?" he asked. We nodded; the music continued. He entered and stood watching the musicians. As he listened, the music began to reach in beneath the hardened surface. His eyes were red from drinking but the expression in his face softened as he listened. Someone asked, "Where are you from?" He said, "It's not where I'm from but where I'm going that matters." He took a couple photos and then showed the picture of his 3 week old son on the back of his camera. John, the guitarist asked, "Can I pray for your son?" "Yeah, sure." John prayed for the baby and then for the baby's father. "Thanks." The man's eyes were wet and tender. He looked around at us all. "Thank you," he said again. He lingered a bit more and then as he turned to go, he said, "Thanks for letting me bring my beer into church."

What gave him the idea this was church? The music the guitarist played would steal any show. We all just sat around, some singing, some chatting, some dancing; mostly just watching the passers by, delighted at their reactions and enjoying the moment. We had no agenda other than to play music, to be present, and to welcome those who found their way in. The man came in with his beer and left feeling good like he had been in church. An open door and excellent music invited him; a listening ear welcomed him; a thoughtful prayer for his newborn son ministered to him. He came in just as he was; curious, cautious, and beer in hand. We may never know his story, why he was here, or where he was going. But, for that brief moment, we saw a glimpse of God's heart reaching out to this man and to all the men who will come in to the coffee shop in the future. "Come in for coffee; stay for church. Come as you are but don't leave the same."

Thank you for all the gestures that you show, large and small, that support and encourage us in our work. Whether it is buying jewelry, donating money or time, prayers in the night on our behalf, or spreading the word, we are grateful for your part. Sincerely,

Annie Dieselberg
NightLight

www.nightlightinternational.com

Demo?? Not Yet!!

Yeah, so we thought we were heading down for demo that Saturday. The guy ended up not signing off until last week. So, FINALLY, Devon headed down to the permit office to pick up the permit, only to find out someone in the office decided they didn't agree with the sign off. What?! So, now, we have to have a liscensed demo contractor and architect be a part of the process. We have to have liscensed plumbers and electricians sign off on sealing off any pipes or electric. Yeah, so we will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

A friend sent us Ezra 4:4. "Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building." Devon also had a dream about a month ago where we were all fighting against men, fist to fist trying to get to a white house. We weren't getting very far. We felt it meant we would be fighting against physical obsticals trying to get the House of Prayer built. Well, it couldn't be more true! Ugh! It's not easy, but we know without a doubt, we are supposed to keep walking through these doors and moving in obedience.

God is opening other doors for us in Brooklyn. We have met Pastor Vernon of the church right next to The Post. We will be getting together with him to find out what the needs are in this community. We have a team of 27 going down two days after Christmas to serve the community by cleaning, doing minor home repairs, painting and running a Christmas Art VBS for the kids. We are also praying for God to open up a location in Brooklyn for a Safe House of Hope, drop in center for victims of sex trafficking (prostitutes).

We are finishing up our paper work for filing for 501C3 status and praying that God brings together a strong Board of Directors for Circles Ministries that will help establish a strong foundation for this ministry to be built upon.

We have a few prayer requests:

*Pray for The Post, to be torn down and rebuilt the way that God intends.

*Please lift up our team that will be serving in Brooklyn from December 27-31. Pray for safety, for finances to come in and for there to be unity in the groups and with the other churches we will be serving alongside.

*Pray that God brings together the right members for the board for Circles Ministries.

*Pray for intercessors to come along who have a vision and a heart to be apart of birthing this House of Prayer.

If you'd like to make a donation towards the demo or towards the mission trip in December, email us at liquidluv@comcast.net and we will send you the details!

Finishing up the Demo!!

Well, looks like the time has come!
This Saturday at 8 am, we will be heading down to Brooklyn (3554 Helmstetter St. Brooklyn, MD) to tear down the rest of the building at The Post (community house of prayer). Devon applied for the demo permit last week and the inspector took one look at it and said, "Tear this thing down!"
There are three ways you can be involved (at this time!).
First,
We are looking for any able bodied volunteers who can come down and pitch in a hand on Saturday morning. We will be loading up dumpsters with all the debris. The site has to be completely cleared and cleaned up by the end of the day. We will provide the dumpsters, the debris, trash bags, lunch and good laughs....we just need you, and your gloves, work boots and willing spirits!
Second,
We do not have the money to rent the dumpsters. We are stepping out in faith that the Lord will provide all that is needed. If you are feeling lead to donate towards the dumpster (it will cost approximately $1,000 plus paying the local community guys who we are hiring to help approximately $300), let us know! We are not set up as a 501C3 yet, so unfortunately it will not be a tax deductible donation.
Third,
If you can't make it Saturday morning, will you take time to intercede for the day. We know without prayer, we can do nothing. We want prayer to be at the foundation of all we do! So, whether it's 10 min or two hours...would you consider praying for the demo. Pray for safety. Pray for relationships to be built. Pray that there is unity. Pray that the love of Jesus is poured out on all of those who come to pitch in. Pray that we are all sensitive to the Holy Spirit and what He wants to accomplish in Brooklyn.

As we've prayed about the tearing down and rebuilding of the house of prayer, God has repeatedly made one thing clear, He will gather people from all over Baltimore to pitch in with the process. Just like when the Jerusalem wall was rebuilt, different people groups built different sections of the wall...we feel He will do something similar in Brooklyn.
Some of you may or may not know, we are taking a team of two dozen down to Brooklyn the week after Christmas on a service/missions trip. God has opened up doors for us down there. We will be serving the immediate three blocks that surround The Post. We will be doing home repairs, painting, cleaning, gift giving, VBS and even hair cuts and bug extermination! As we have met the neighbors down there, friendships have quickly been built. We had one family invite our whole team down for a cookout. We were blown away by an invitation to come into this community. We believe there is much more authority to serve in a place where we have been invited! (There will be some additional volunteer opportunities for you to serve this week if you're interested! More info to come!)

Please pass this letter onto anyone you may think would be interested in helping!

Thanks for standing with us!
In His Service,
Devon and Kristin Potler
and the Safehouse crew!

Love Bombing

Love Bombing is a phrase we use to explain the process of making, serving and sharing a meal with folks we wouldn't normally. We have Love Bombed skateparks, impoverished neighborhoods, homeless and victims of sex trafficking (a more appropriate term for those caught in the prostitution business). It is something we are incredibly passionate about!
We challenge people that go with us to leave their agendas and five step plan to salvation speeches behind. We challenge them to listen...to serve...to ask questions and observe. Many of you know the famous quote by St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the gospel everyday and if necessary, use words." We have all been humbled by what the Holy Spirit does when we let Him. How He unfolds conversations. How He softens the hearts of those we are feeding. How He shows His love through the act of service.
We had one man from our neighborhood join us one week to serve the skaters. His family had gone with us before, but he could not figure out what the heck we were doing going to a trashy skatepark to serve a bunch of punk kids food. He complained to his wife on the way there. As we set up the grill and began to collect trash and stuff it into bags, he wandered over to watch the boys skate. A couple of boys found their way next to him and began to pour out their life stories. He didn't ask questions...not his mojo. He listened. On the ride home he said to his wife, "I can't believe how desperate these boys were to have someone listen to them. I get why you guys go up there."
We've never preached a sermon to him or even told him about our faith...he hasn't asked. But, as we walk out our life in obedience to what Jesus has asked us to do, Jesus is doing it. Jesus is drawing men unto Him. Not us doing it...Him.
We are headed to Brooklyn (Baltimore) this Sunday to Love Bomb a bunch of folks near The Post, house of prayer. We will set up our grill, a table, food and invite people to share a meal with us. It's simple really. If you have a heart to see Baltimore changed through just loving people, and you're not really sure where to start, come join us! For more info email liquidluv@comcast.net. We'd love to have you!

Missions Bridge Count Down!

We are gearing up for Mission Bridge!

What is Mission Bridge? It is a 12-15 week course that prepares you heart for missions. For a more detailed description, visit http://missionbridge.org/4
Where is Mission Bridge? We will meet at St. Luke's Lutheran at 7000 Harford Rd. Parkville, MD 21234
When is Mission Bridge? Sundays from 2-4 and there are a number of additonal Saturday classes as well. We start the first week in September with an outreach day in Brooklyn, MD.
Who is Mission Bridge for? Anyone who wants to learn more about missions. Anyone who would like to go to Mexico Dec. 26-Jan. 2 on a week long missions trip. Families with children are welcome!
Is there a fee for Mission Bridge? Yes. There is a small fee of $75 per adult that includes a devotional CD, a t-shirt and book. (There will be an additional fee per kid $15 that includes their t-shirt and materials for their class.)
Do I have to go on the Mexico Trip in order to take the class? No. But, we promise if you do go, you will not be disappointed! It only enhances all that you've learned!
What's the fee for the Mexico Trip? We are still working out the details.