Place of Promise

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are a people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” I Peter 2: 9,10

Dear Friends,

Have you ever gone to see a ballet and found there were no lights on the stage? Have you ever watched a baseball game played in the pitch dark? Have you observed an artist painting a portrait where he and his subject sat in mutual darkness? Most of human talent, gifts and skills are best done in the light. In truth, when the light goes out, it becomes difficult to see the beauty and the wonder of anyone or anything around us. The dancer, the artist, the baseball player remain talented, gifted people, but they can no longer perform, create or compete in the darkness. Nor can anyone else enjoy the performance, appreciate the art or be entertained by the sport unless there is light.

So it is with the people of Place of Promise. They are a people who have been called out of the darkness and into God’s marvelous light! Each one is a person of amazing talent and gifts, but was once terribly dysfunctional in the darkness. No one else could benefit from or enjoy any of their gifts and talents because they were lost in the darkness. Most were not part of a people, but had ceased belonging to any family or community as their lives fell into deeper darkness. While dwelling is such utter darkness, everyone and often others who knew and loved them, came to believe that they were failures, losers, criminals bent on destruction. No one can grow, create, or live to one’s fullest potential in the dark. God cannot accomplish His purpose through the life of one living in darkness. At Place of Promise, light has come into our darkness and no darkness can overcome it!

Let me put the spotlight on some of God’s people who have come out of the darkness and are now living in His wonderful light. A young woman, Anne Marie, completed her studies to be a medical assistant and has moved back home with her parents. She is now doing her externship in a doctor’s office and will graduate next month! Even more importantly, as she lives in the light of God’s love and grace, she is growing into a beautiful young woman who is learning to love herself, God, and others more fully each day! Another woman, Lori, just this week has also completed her studies to be a medical assistant and will begin her externship in the next couple of weeks and graduate in September! She continues to heal and grow in God’s grace and love as a woman, a mother, a member of the Body of Christ at Place of Promise. Two others, Bob and Lynne, have been able to move on from the Place of Promise residence. Bob has moved into his own apartment in Ipswich where he has been able to reunite with his two sons and grow as a godly father to them. The Ipswich Presbyterian Church has been very supportive to Bob and his family. Lynne has gotten an apartment down the street from Place of Promise and continues to come everyday to learn, live and grow in the light. One of our youngest residents, Becky, has gotten a part time job in a local diner. She brings the light with her to work and shares it with her employer and customers!

A very special part of every July and August at Place of Promise is our “Kids of Promise” day camp for children from the neighborhood. We usually run camp Monday-Friday from 10am-3pm for 6 weeks. It’s our way of reaching out and giving back to our neighbors. This year, I got a bit worried when no one called to volunteer to help lead our camp. No one called and offered to send a mission’s team. What was I going to do? I got a phone book and started calling churches in the Lowell, Dracut area asking about their Vacation Bible Schools. Did they have one and could we join them? God blessed us with 5 different churches inviting us to join with them for Bible school. It was an extra blessing to connect with new churches in the local area! We have been especially blessed to worship with Grace Bible Church several times now! However, most VBS classes go from 9-12 and we still had 3 hours to fill. We also had two weeks without a helping church group. So what could I do now? I received an e-mail from Sherley Blood, the daughter of an old friend of Place of Promise. She is a school teacher with the summer off and time available to help. She has volunteered to help lead camp for one of the weeks when there’s no VBS! Praise God! What about the other week? What about all the afternoons? All I had to do was look around at all my residents now living in the light. Sherrie has become the “Bible verse of the week” teacher. What an amazing teacher she is! I’ve never seen anyone teach a Bible verse with such enthusiasm! Our verse last week was Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.” Every child that attended camp last week knows that verse and now knows God has a plan and a purpose for their lives. Marian kept the attendance and the points record. The City of Lowell serves lunch at the park around the corner from Place of Promise at 11:30am each day and there is a big, beautiful, free pool. So several residents, a staff person and our camp go to lunch and swim every afternoon. Marian was able to teach one little 5 yr old how to swim! Joshua and Lynne did arts& crafts. I got to do the singing every morning and we’re learning songs that the Aldan Union Church mission’s team taught us in years past! The highlight of each day was when a character from the Bible came to camp and told us his/her story about how God had had a plan and a purpose for their lives. Joseph (AKA Danado) came the first day. Peter (AKA Dustin) came the next. Queen Esther (AKA Becky) and Noah (AKA Roger) finished off the week. It was absolutely amazing to watch each one perform and teach such a valuable lesson each day! Camp goes on; everyday at Place of Promise, life goes on! New people come out of the darkness and into the light. I stand in awe at the display of God’s splendor and glory in each one as they come into the light and begin a new journey of abundant life! Please praise God with us for His marvelous light! I thank God and each of you for Place of Promise where anyone and everyone can come out of the darkness into God’s wonderful light!

Living in the Light,

Beth Kidd, Director