Good Morning Baltimore... I can smell the city air.

I can smell the city air...

it's familiar.
Not amazing.
But familiar.
Not quite refreshing
but there's something about it I like.

This is where I'm from. I was born here.



Right here.




I'm staying in this area, where my dad lives.



Highland town.



Looks more vivid and bigger in person.




Riding down the street you see people chillin on the front steps.
Every day.
They're doing one of three things-
dealing drugs
talking about dealing drugs
or just chillin.



Kids that live around here ride their bikes everywhere.

They do whatever they can in the city to keep them from being bored (this includes vandalizing or throwing rocks at homeless people.)

BY THE WAY Not all of Baltimore is like this, just the area my dad lives in.

Better carry a knife if you're by yourself cause you might get jumped. Doesn't matter how old you are or what you look like.

Such different cultures and backgrounds than how I've lived.









It's so different.
I was born here but I'm not used to this.
Different cultures.
Different lifestyles.
Much different Lifestyles...



Today I found some of my old friends Justin and Ronald. They haven't changed a bit since I was ten. Seriously.

They haven't even gotten taller.
And they sound the same.

We explored the woods a bit with another kid and a five year old. I asked the five year old his name and he just cursed at me and smiled. Justin told him to shut up and told me his name. I forgot his name but I felt bad for him, and apparently whoever brought him up taught him the whole cursing vocabulary and nothing else. His parents weren't anywhere and it looked like they didn't care since no one was looking for him. I ended up helping him along the way since he kept getting left behind...

After exploring the woods we found a condemned building and looked inside but didn't go in. Then we climbed a giant mountain of rocks and gathered eroded glass and had some great views. I'll post pictures soon :) lol.


This is the situation half of the time:
Either one parent or none.
One of the parents is in jail, on the streets or out of the picture, the other is either at work or inside not caring.
If it's neither parent they're living with a grandparent who isn't keeping up with them.
They're living in a dirty neighborhood with drug dealers, gangs and thugs.
They get beat up and pushed around by other kids.
They learn how to live and tough it out on their own cause they don't have anyone to protect them.
In schools the teachers aren't always doing their jobs.
It's a low income area. Very low...


One of my friends I knew when I was younger that still lives around here is 13. He's the only one around here that's changed any. My dad brought him and his little brother to church a few times... I asked the other boys how he was doing and they said better after getting out of selling drugs...

He grew up in a rough situation... my dad knows his parents...
He's a good kid though...
and he's too young and too smart to let something like this take away his future.
I'm praying for him...
and he's only one of hundreds in this city alone.

It makes me realize how blessed the people of Murfreesboro are. Though some situations may be everywhere...

I pray that God breaks a revival in this part of Baltimore along with the rest. My heart cries out for them... They need Jesus so bad...
Most of the kids here- it's like they're stuck in here and can't get out.
And I thought to myself "It's like they'll never get out until they make the choice to when they're older."

Just observing this place has really opened my eyes...
And I haven't been to a lot of places in my life. But I know there are places worse off...

So I pray for them while I'm here.

If only they saw people treating them with the love of God... the light and love they've never seen anything like before...
If they had love encounters with God...
this city would be changed.

And I believe in my heart that God can change this place.