Play Park Before

This is the final week before the big build on the park in Griffin. This park is being built in a very poverty stricken section of the city.  I went by the build site 2 weeks ago to see the site and if any progress had been made.  First, let me say that I went alone, with Kassey. Yes, it was the middle of the day, plenty of sunlight, but I got a bit lost and wandered in some pretty desolate areas before I finally turned on the correct road.  As I slowly started down the road, my heart rate started to increase and I could hear the thumping of each heartbeat. I had wanted to stop to take some "before" pictures, but as I looked around, I wasn't really sure where the lot was, and I didn't think it would be wise to stop the car, get out, and ask.  Maybe this is not a very Christian thing, but I was a bit scared.  There was a section between a couple of run-down homes that looked promising, except the area seemed to be a dumping ground.  Beat-up sofas, tables, and trash littered the ground.  I decided to keep going and to try again the following week. 

This time, I had been informed that a crew had gone to the site and had begun to level the lot.  Kassey and I packed up in the car again and headed out.  As I cruised through the street this time, I noticed that noone was outside.  The lot had been cleared and the trash had been cleaned up.

Head on shot of the build site.

View of the lot looking back up the road. 

 As you can see by the pictures, there is still a lot of work to be done on the site.  This Saturday, Oct. 1, SquareFoot Ministry is holding a build day.  We will begin at 8:00am and conclude around 6:00pm with a neighborhood dinner.  You can learn more about the build at http://squarefootministry.com/Kyara%20Dzenis%20Park%20Build.html.  If you live in the area and are able to volunteer on Saturday, you can sign-up at the build site on Saturday.  If you don't live near here or are unable to volunteer on Saturday, please consider making a donation.  The paypal site will direct you to a page so that you can make sure it goes towards this build.  Most of all, we ask for prayers for the build to be successful.  We have already seen God's hand at work in making this park a reality, and with our support we can make it a success.

Kyara loved to play.  When I would ask her what she enjoyed most at school it was one of two things, either the playground or naptime!  When she was in Pre-School, she loved to ride on the tire swing. Each day when I would ask about her day, it was centered around the playground.  They were either on the "little playground" or on the "big playground."  She LOVED the big playground, because that's where the tire swing was.  She would tell me all about "her boyfriend" pushing her on the tire swing.  I met this "boyfriend" of hers a couple of times, and I must say, he was quite the charmer!  When I was approached about the park build, I thought it really encompassed Kyara and her joy.  It is an amazing project that will bring laughter and fun to a place that was a bit scary for a grown woman to drive through.  I can't wait to see how God uses this build to touch others' lives.

One thing that Kyara could not escape from, no matter if she wanted to or not, was soccer.  She was born into a family that loves the sport, so from the time she was barely walking, she was around soccer.  Good thing she loved to play, too.  I was looking through some old pictures, and found some to share...

Sometimes the hardest part of soccer is not scoring the goal, but getting yourself out of the net after retrieving your ball!

Skylar and Kyara were best buddies and Kyara wanted to do everything her big sister was doing.  Skylar, obviously loved being the big sister.  What isn't shown is them both in a heap on the ground after Skylar hugged Kyara too hard and made them both fall!

These soccer pictures are from after the initial ingestion.  Kyara didn't let the fact that she couldn't eat and had to use a G-Tube slow her down. 

Look at that shielding technique.  Arm out for feel, putting her body between her opponent and the ball,   using her left foot to turn away from pressure... 

This age group was so funny.  You usually had one player on each team who understood the concept and took over, everyone else hung around watching or looking at the clouds.  In this game, Kyara was "ON!"  Memory doesn't quite serve me, but I think this is the one where she would run over to the sideline and yell "That's 1.... that's 2.... that's 3..." each time she scored.  By goal 10 it was getting a bit embarrassing!

Even when it was cold outside, she had a smile on her face and a ball at her feet!

Have a blessed day!

Play Park

Squarefoot Ministries is building a playground and community center in Griffin, Ga and have sweetly decided to do the build in memory of our angel, Kyara.  I don't know how to express in words the emotions I have.  I think it is amazing that Kyara continues to touch people's lives and that she is bringing peace, hope, and love to a poverty striken area.  God is amazing with how He works through people.  Squarefoot Ministries is an amazing organization, which is heavily involved in missionary outreach right here in our backyard.    If you live in the area, please consider volunteering on October 1st to help build this park.  If you do not live in the area, please consider donating to the organization. 

The web address for more information is:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.squarefootministry.com%2F&h=vAQDB70hBAQAIX7VGmll21uH9OkT7KsiSIr7Z7RkXWz17Sg

I have also pasted the information below:
The Build in Memory Of Kyara Dzenis


The Griffin Impact Community Center and Park

Date of Build:  October 1, 2011

The Griffin Impact Center and Community Park will be located at 223 Kentucky Ave. in Griffin Georgia. This area on the north side of Griffin is a run down, extremely poor, troubled part of town. The center and park will serve as a beacon of hope and change for the area. The center will be used as a place of learning and outreach for the residents of the area. It will help them become more self sufficient, thereby helping each individual reach more of his/her potential. The park will serve as a place for children in the area to play in a safe clean environment


Impact Race Ministries and Square Foot Ministry are striving to make a difference right here by helping those who find themselves in need in our community

Below are some sobering statistics about this area.

• Average per capital income is less than $15,563.
• 23.5% live below the poverty level (9.8% are 50% below the poverty level)
• High school drop out rate is over 50%
• Unwed pregnancy rate (white –51% ) (African American – 68% )
• Unemployment rate is at 15.3%
The build is being dedicated in memory of Kyara Dzenis.

http://kyara-carepage.blogspot.com/


Join us for the final build day in Griffin Georgia for the final installation stages of the Community Park. This park and playground is being built in Griffin Georgia off Kentucky Ave. A large group of Churches and Civic organizations as well as other non-profits have come together to make this park a reality.
Work on the park will start at 8:00 A.M. and will take about 7 hours to complete. Work will included planting trees and bushes, pouring concrete for swings and climbing equipment and a picnic shelter. At 5:00 P.M. join us as we invited the neighbor to dinner. After a day's work, we all gather in the evening for fun, food.
The event is open to youth groups as well as individuals and there is not charge to participate.


To donate ,please make checks to Square Foot Ministry , P.O. Box 371, Fayetteville, Ga. 30214, mark checks for Kyara's Park. All donations are tax deductable.



Update on us:  School is under way and it is crazy in our house!  Skylar is playing soccer 4-5 times a week and Kassey is doing Karate and soccer! She is thrilled to finally have "her" soccer to go to.  I am still going to school on Monday nights and helping coach Skylar's soccer team.  Gunars is doing a great job at Georgia Pacific and is helping coach Kassey's soccer.  We are busy and we are loving it! 

Quick story:  Kassey got herself dressed for school on Thursday.  Everything looked good, we got hair brushed and off we go.  No big deal, right?  Well, AFTER school while we are in the grocery store, Kassey pulls her pants halfway down and informs me that she didn't wear panties to school!  WOW!  That is the last time I am going to let her dress herself without checking to make sure that she has EVERYTHING taken care of!  Hahaha! 

Have a great night, and thank you for keeping up with our family!