TINA'S STORY and friends from back home

I just fixed 5lbs of pinto beans and some cornbread.  Doesn't get much better than that!!

This past week has been interesting and encouraging.  I'll get to all that but I want to tell Tina's story first.  Remember, these stories are written by each person of their personal experiences.  I do not edit them at all.

Christina (Tina) Akins
My life on the streets started when I was 12 years old.  I ran away from home and came to downtown Denver.  Through the years I ended up being raped by 4 men.  But at  home there were narcotics and a lot of alcohol, mixed with fighting people.  So I found my escape.  Through the years I got into a lot of trouble, got into drugs and drinking.  While sleeping in train cars, parks, even the Light Rail when I didn't get caught.  The whole time not knowing what I was looking for.

At 15 I had a child, while still on the streets.  Then at 17 I had another one.  The state (Department of Human Services) caught up with me.  The whole time  Doyle Robinson, Executive Director of Sox Place, knew my kids.  I leaned on him a lot.  I finally had someone in my life to say, "Hey, you're messing up.  What's the problem?"  That's when I learned what I had been in search of: a dad!  Someone who cared unconditionally, a place to go when I was warm, cold, hungry, angry, happy or if I just had good news and no one to tell!  I finally had a caring Dad and almost a brother with Josh Robinson (Assistant Director of Sox Place).

Now I have all of my kids, a roof over my head, love and everything I need and even through the death of my fourth child, I even still have my "light at the end of the tunnel" along with warm open arms with Doyle and  Sox Place!"

This past week we had a college group in from Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas.  Helped with cleaning, cooking (dozens of pancakes), moving boxes, etc.  While they were here another group came in unannounced.  They were from a church in Kansas with their youth group and pastor Mike Gooder.  In the course of the conversation with the pastor's wife, Cassie, I found that they were from Arkansas, when I said I came from Bentonville, they said they did also!  In fact, they were at New Life Christian Center in Centerton, AR, the same time Jeanne and I were.  I didn't recognize them but he said that when he came in he was sure he knew me from somewhere.  Good time with them.

Last Monday I was able to spend several hours with Hal and Shauna Douglas and their two lovely daughters, Ali and Grace.  We know each other from New Life Christian Center.  They had come to Colorado for a vacation and took some of their time to come visit me.  It was a refreshing and encouraging time for me.  Thank ya'll so much!

I visited the Museum of Natural History and Science with my daughter Chelley this past week also.  Very interesting, and took over 5 hours and didn't see everything. There was one display of gold nuggets in a vault.  All kinds of shapes and sizes of nuggets, but the amazing thing was the nugget that weight over 7pounds.  Not a picture of it but the nugget itself.  Glad now I kept my sluice and gold panning equipment.

Spring is in the air and my fancy is turning to fishing.

Continue to pray for the ministry here at Sox Place. We have lost one staff member and another is moving to Tulsa the end of this month.  Being short-handed we left will be filling in for the others and will be very busy.  We do appreciate your prayers for our safety and well-being.

Love ya'll
Troy

Think on this: People see what you do,  God sees why you do it. From Tracy Schauwecker.