Jeff and Sarah Hoffman

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Jeff and his wife, Sarah, direct the ministry of Here's Life Inner City in Milwaukee. Our mission is to serve and mobilize the church in Milwaukee to live out God's heart for the poor and help fulfill the Great Commission.

If you ever wonder why we're here. . .  .

The following is an excerpt from a letter that I wrote to my parents this spring. I wanted to share it with you.

...Our city is reeling from yet another completely senseless murder. A 16-year-old shot a suburban man while he stopped to get gas at 3 in the afternoon at a gas station here in the city. This man was a boxing coach and had devoted much of his career to helping troubled youth. AUGH! 

 The good news is that an off-duty officer was driving by, saw the kid running away, and chased him 5 blocks before arresting him. Two other boys with him have also been arrested, as lots of witnesses came forward. Sadly, this 16-year-old who had his whole life ahead of him a week ago now will spend his whole life in prison. Another life lost. AM radio personnel are calling this kid a thug. Actually, he was probably a pretty typical inner city teenage boy. My heart aches for these kids who have no moral compass, no role models, no dads around and do have GUNS!...

Closer to home, in our neighborhood, our neighbor, Rosemary, is in the hospital. Rosemary has 10 children, 5 of whom live with her. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Rosemary's lungs collapsed, and she has been in the hospital ever since. She's doing better now and is supposed to come home in a couple of days, but in the meantime, her kids are trying to make it without her. Her good kid, Shannon, is 19 and has been caring for Desi, 14, and Derek, 12. Derek is the kid who is really hard, lies a lot, and has infuriated me multiple times. But more recently, I've been asking God to soften my heart toward Derek, and Hes doing it! I'm starting to see Derek's world from his perspective, and it looks pretty bleak.

Well, last night, Derek called at 11:30 to ask if he could come over until Shannon got back from getting his hair cut. He was at his house by himself, and he was scared. Reluctantly, we let him come over. Within 15 minutes, he had fallen asleep in a chair and looked like a little kid sleeping in a car seat with his head slumped over. He was so out of it,obviously so tired. When Shannon got home at 12:30 a.m., I had to practically pick Derek up to wake him. He seemed so vulnerable, like a little boy, not the hard-shelled 12-year-old that he pretends to be. My heart is breaking for him, and that's a good thing. I want better things for him. I don't want him to end up like this 16-year-old thug who will now spend his life behind bars. I want him to graduate from high school, go to college, get married, have a family, and walk with God for his lifetime. 

 If you or anyone else ever wonders why we're here, it's for Derek and others like him, boys and girls, men and women, who are created in the image of God. They need a moral compass. They need role models. They need dads. They need the Church, filled with the Holy Spirit and being Jesus to them loving them well and grieving with their hurts. They don't need people looking at them with judgment, pointing their finger, and calling them thugs. They need God's people looking at them with broken hearts, opening their arms, and calling them beloved.

We don't love our neighbors this way, but we want to. Will you pray for us, that when given the opportunity, we will? And more that, we will make the opportunity?

Website: http://happylittlefleet.blogspot.com

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