Angel Makes Business Cards

Ms Nikki: Angel, you have been bothering me to make your own business cards? Why?

Angel: Because I thought it was a good idea. My teachers been asking me about my jewelry.

Ms. Nikki: Was making business cards difficult?

Angel: Yah. A little. Cause you got to put a lot down, you gotta do a lot of things.

Ms. Nikki: Did you have a name for your business before?

Angel: Yes. Angel's Handmade Jewelry.

Ms. Nikki: What is it now?

Angel: Handmade by an Angel

Ms. Nikki: Where can people by your jewelry?

Angel: At Bethel Church. Or, e-mail Ms. Nikki at info@nlcenters.org and she will send you pics.

Ms. Nikki: We will put up your pics on the blog!

Open Doors!

What do all of these colleges have in common?
They have all graciously opened their doors to BLING!

Last year, one of the teen girls and I went to a college. And, it was her first time on a campus among students. She was welcomed by the students and decided that this was a place she would be interested in going. One of the campus leaders "adopted" her and offered to show her around and help her with her application when that time came!

It's amazing how God's people on these campuses extend their love and hugs...and their help and my beautiful girls get to experience things they never have before!

We are excited to be going to Moody this Thursday, North Park University next Friday, and Wheaton on the 2nd of December!

Get ready college campuses...
BLING is coming!

Interview with Helen

What does an average day in BLING TAP look like?
I  come in and  there are  lots of kids everywhere. I get my journal out and answer the questions that are there. When I am done with that miss nicki has something for us to do like make memory wire or make earrings. Then at 5:30 we go down stairs and prepare the dinner for the kids then clean up after them. Then come back up stairs and return to what we were  doing.

The skills I have learned at TAP is:
-How to use head pins, how to make memory wire bracelets, and use a jump ring.

-How to fax paperwork, how to serve dinner to little kids, and how to clean the tables and benches.

-How to be on time.

-How to interact with children.

The most difficult thing is:
Sometimes turning the wire…opening the jump ring and closing it.

The best thing is:

When I learn how to make different types of jewelry.

I feel I am growing as a person by ….

Learning new things and creating things I never create before. How have I grew in my personality is having a positive attitude towards each and everyone.  And also being patient.

BLING goes to CCDA!

Fortunate, blessed, and honored once again to be at the annual CCDA conference, I was encouraged to INNOVATE in ministry. I was also encouraged by speakers and fellow urban ministers that if you love and remain faithful, you are following the Jesus way. In a society that embraces numerical success and visible signs of rapid growth, it was beautiful and reviving to have a conference that is simply interested in supporting and inspiring the current workers to keep on keepin' on. 

People were encouraged by the BLING story, and I was encouraged by them.

-Nikki

The reason why I love bling is because I love to make earrings.Sometimes, I get confused.    
I first started Bling becuase. when I first started this,it was verry hard for me,and when I did it over agein I got it.
A day in the life of Jada.  First, I wake up, I brushed my teeth, and wash up and put my clothes on, and got my little brother up, and he got ready and got my big brother up, and he got ready and he take all DAY! and I get my  dad up. and he put his close on. and brush his teeth and we live out the houe about around 7:30.and we take my brother to school. and we go to school and my mom takes my dad to work. and we wait outside and time goes really fast like a persion  running from a dog
I get into ,my class and I got to do classwork.and it is really boaring and we go to math and science class. and we  stay in the class for about 1 hour and 30 min. and we  go to mt home class and put aerything down. and go to lunch and we eat for 20 min. and we go to our class and we do more work. and we go to our prep .and we go home and I come to newlife centers.

Words, Words, Words!

Engaging in a "Quote Project", one of our Bling Girls found this quote! "I like it, because it's true," said Maria.

Bling Girls collaborating on a project to come up with words to describe their pieces.

Interview with Teresa

About Camp
Q: Teresa, what have you been doing this summer?
A: Coming to summer program, staying up late, talking with my friends.


Q: What's the best thing about being out of school?
A: We get to have fun and not to work.

Q: What's your favorite new game you have learned at camp?
A: Ninja.

Q. You love cooking every Friday. You cook new foods from states you travel during the "Route 66", what's your favorite recipe you have cooked?
A. Toasted Ravioli

About Life
Q. Who is the person you look up to the most.
A. My mom.

Q. Why?
A. Because she teach me how to do things and she is a nice even though we don't have our dad no more.

Q. If you could take her anywhere where would you take her?
A. Mexico...she wants to go back to visit.

Q. What would you like to be when you grow up?
A.I will like to be a nurse of a lawyer.

About New Life
Q. If you had to describe the  staff here at New Life, what would you say?

Ms. Kelly is funny and fun to hang out with.

Ms. Nikki is fun and funny. She loveable n nice.

Johnny B is funny and he's a nice guy and he's fun to be around with.

*Written words from Teresa, unedited.

Summer 2011

New Life's Safe Haven Camp began on the 20th of June, and we have seen two busy weeks FILLED with kids. For the first time, we have had a middle school program with separate gender classrooms. At the beginning of the center we had only 9 registered! Now, there are 29 middle schoolers who regularly attend New Life.

16 attend have a boxing and basketball program that focuses on leadership and mentorship.
13 girls attend a program that is exploring the Route 66; running BLING; and developing a "team" mentality.

Exciting Stories to Come!

WOW!

Q: How excited were the girls to fill an order of a friend of BLING all the way from California?
A: Very, Very!

We actually did not know Ms. Cali before she e-mailed us. She heard the story behind Urban Hope, and she initiated a friendship. We are so thankful for her friendship and support. She ordered a variety of Urban Hope to share with family and friends, and the girls were so excited to send it.

Different colors and designs of Urban Hope charms! The girls seem to prefer purple and black for some reason! :)

Q: When did our first big online order occur?

A: Just last week!

The girls also received their first big online order for eleven necklaces for a small group leader's girls. She wanted to the share the story of hope to her girls. The necklaces will serve as a reminder that there is hope and beauty in brokenness. 

Our girls made their own Urban Hope necklaces and wear them as a reminder that God can create something beautiful, out of something broken!

Things you should know...

I asked two of my BLING girls to write a list for our blog entitled: "Things You Should Know About Our Neighborhood". There were no positive things.

Their list:
1. There are gangs
2. People shoot each other
3. Prostitutes on the corner
4. Selling Drugs

Yes, these are realities of our neighborhood. But, when we began talking more, they also realized that in addition to these "notable negatives", there were also positives that people should know about our neighborhood.

1. Families who help each other when things are bad (deaths) and things are good (quinceneras, graduations)
2. Barbeques in the summer
3. Friends
4. Derrick Rose (who isn't from this neighborhood, but most girls in this neighborhood cheer for him :)
5. Hot Chips and Ice Cream Trucks

We talked about specific times when hard times were met with by love of the people that lived around them or kids they went to school with or from the center. This was the final consensus: There is a lot of bad and a lot of hate, but there is also a lot of good and a lot of love in response to the bad and hate. For middle-schoolers, I thought their observations were quite astute. I hope it blesses you all as much as it blessed me.

 

The Beauty of Broken Glass catches a child's eye,
the urban hope project is born...

Handmade by youth on Chicago's west side, Urban Hope necklaces are creations of street glass wrapped in wire, charms, and chains. Each necklace demonstrates the reality of destruction and chaos while speaking the hope found in Christ's love for each city. As God himself spoke to his reluctant urban prophet, Jonah: "Ninevah has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left...

Should I not be concerned about that Great city?"

Operation: Getting the Word Out!

Today, we learned a little bit about marketing. The girls took pictures, designed shots, had fun with chalk, and worked in groups of three to four to come up with photos for Urban Hope!

Chalk + Cement + Creativity = Girls having fun!

In the words of Lucia, "I am Picasso!"

Finding a good place to take a photo.

Maria's great shot outside!

Modeling a gold Urban Hope...these girls are pros!

BLING blogging? Yes, it's true!

Located on the West Side of Chicago at New Life Centers also known as "The Church", BLING, a small, grassroots jewelry business has decided to blog! We received a couple of calls and e-mails from Ohio, California, and other places in Illinois wanting to purchase our Urban Hope necklaces and hear our story. So, here it is! 

In the coming days, the girls will post stories, new projects, and ask you to join us on our journey with beads, Jesus, challenges, funny moments, new adventures, disappointments, life lessons, and neighborhood happenings!

Designing a necklace on bead board



Paper Clip rings



Bracelet rolls

We love making earrings!