An Angel Sent by God

By Delfino Hernandez – I moved to Holland before my freshman year in high school. Moving to a new place sounded wonderful, yet I faced challenges that changed my life. I didn’t know anybody nor did I know English.  Why couldn’t I speak English? Well, I couldn’t because I was raised in Mexico; I was raised … Read More

Watching God Through the Living Room Window

By Jordyn Osburn – I lived on the corner of 15th and Washington for eight months.  It was during the 2013/2014 record setting winter, when most of the neighborhood couldn’t find a place to shovel snow and only the bravest were willing to weather the cold for anything other than getting from their car or bus … Read More

Big Smile

By Mike Visscher – When I first met Danny, he greeted me with a “big smile” and 39 years later he still has that “big smile”! Danny was nine years old at the time and I was 24. We met on August 4, 1975, through a Big Brother/Little Brother type program of Child and Family Services. Danny is now 48(49 on … Read More

The Tiny Things

By Sharon Arendshorst – God led Maggie Hollis to My House Ministries, a ministry in the neighborhood that provides safe, affordable, Christ-centered housing for women and children transitioning to independent living. Maggie is a woman of prayer whose heart aches for those who are struggling. Maggie first learned of My House Ministry when the director … Read More

Friendship Circle

By Brown Eagle – A Friendship Circle is ongoing. There is no beginning; there is no end. No one is in front and no one is behind. No one is beneath, nor is one above. No one is first, nor is one last. A friendship circle is always ongoing. In a friendship circle, each is standing … Read More

Seventeen

By Jan Lancaster – Seventeen people have lived with us. Over the years, my husband and I have shared our home with several relatives, friends, and people we didn’t know. There were the two homeless brothers-in-law with their respective daughters, one in 1994 and one in 2011-13. There was the woman getting divorced who left us with two beloved … Read More

Snippets of Life Together on the Block

By Anonymous – I live on 18th street. One neighbor and I share a snow blower. It is my machine, but, “Sally” stores it in her garage. We take turns shoveling each other’s driveways and at times neighbors’ drives and sidewalks, too. Sally and I both love gardening, so we exchange plant cuttings and talk … Read More

The Neighbors We Meet Along the Miles

By Mary DeRidder – It was a cold January Sunday morning in 1972.  I was a minister’s wife at the time and two weeks overdue with my first baby. I decided not to sing in the choir as I was beginning to feel cramps.  A few hours later my water broke, so we raced toward the hospital. I thought … Read More

Consider How the Lilies Grow

By Anonymous – Recently, as is my habit, I was walking my puppy in the neighborhood. I happened to meet “Sue”. Sue is a bit lonely, lives alone, with some disability. It was bothering her that the strip of weeds behind her garage in the alley was unattractive. Her presenting request to me in passing … Read More

Festivals: Summertime Images in Our Neighborhood

By Kathy Beal – One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go to our neighborhood festivals… seeing friends… meeting new people… hanging out with them… eating a variety of foods… celebrating culture… laughing… talking with families… and telling stories… The festivals are something to look forward to and something to remember. … Read More

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