Internships have long been identified as a great way for young people to “try out” urban ministry.  Kevin Brown, Executive Director of Trinity Christian Community (TCC) in New Orleans, Louisiana filed this report on the interns TCC hosted this summer:

We were able to use EPC funds to hire five interns this summer!  They helped to run our seven-week day camp (plus one week for planning and another for cleaning), and they concluded their summer with a mission trip to All Saints EPC in Memphis, Tennessee which is also in an urban setting.

These interns represent the best of what TCC does, leadership development with at-risk, inner-city individuals.  We are so proud of these students and their hard work!  We are excited that they are attending university when others have fallen prey to the allure of street culture.  Most important, however, we are thrilled that they have chosen to follow Jesus Christ.  Kevin had these comments about the interns, who are pictured:

Shaquille LeBlanc: Comes from a broken family and was raised by his grandmother and a sister.  Began coming to TCC in elementary school.  Shaquille will attend Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi as a freshman this year, majoring in Sports Medicine.

Keith Davis:  Being raised by a Rastafarian father, who constantly belittles Keith’s Christian faith.  But Keith sticks with it.  Taught himself to play guitar so that he could participate in weekly worship services and lead youth group worship.  He is 20 years old and will be in senior year of high school.  He hopes to graduate and attend music school.

Keith Arneson: Came to TCC upon the recommendation of a former intern.  He is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and has never travelled far from home before.  Keith ran our kitchen this summer, feeding kids two meals daily and making sure the kitchen was pristine.  He worked with two part-time high school students (bottom right and left) who were paid by the City of New Orleans.  At the end of our time together he cried, saying he felt like he had a new family.

Quanita Kendrick:  Will be attending Bard College in upstate New York on a full ride scholarship that she earned.  She was raised by a single mother who has some developmental disabilities.  Kevin’s wife, Sandy, went to Bard to help Quanita get settled.

Tanya Davis:  Will attend Belhaven College as a sophomore this year.  Tanya, who “grew up” at TCC, was raised by her 80 year old grandmother who struggled with three young children at the end of her own life.