The Beginning...

My name is Rebecca Nalley. I am a Pastor's wife. My husband, Scott and I have been married 25 years and have been in Youth Ministry for all of our married life. That was an adventure in and of itself... 3 months ago, a very small church opened up and we put our name in for the senior pastorate. I wish I would've started my blog then, because the way we were voted in was an amazing story, but I will begin where I am now. I'm not sure who, if anyone, will ever read this, but I really feel like Im suppose to write of my adventures, ups and downs (There have already been many!) trials, and triumphs. I have always kept a small diary, but this blogging is sooo cool! The church was called "God's House" when we got here, we have since changed the name to "Bridgeway Church". The church now runs anywhere from 35-140 people. It is very different from the towns we have ever been in. We are used to small hometown places that feel safe. This town is the first in america to go bankrupt. Violence is everywhere. Since we have been here, there have been stabbings on the street where our church is, and 2 murders on the same street as our house is. It is also the first I have ever dealt with racism. When we first arrived, we heard a lady prophecy over our city that the "strongman" here was racism and poverty. I thought I knew what she was talking about..everyone has heard of racism. Until you are staring at it in the face, you have no idea!! We had an elderly gentleman come to our church that I fell in love with. He was a survior of the Port Chicago tradgedy during WWII. Who happened to be an African American. Scott also was drawn to this man and he asked him to go out to breakfast with him. After spending 4 hours with him, Scott came home and talked about the wonderful time he had with this man at breakfast. A week later, we received a long letter at the church from this man accusing Scott of being racist, amongst other things! We couldnt believe it!! We were speechless! Scott went over in his mind everything that was said, and he had no idea what he couldve said to make this man go away thinking this! After we read and reread this letter, it slowly dawned upon us that this was a spirtual attack! We had come face to face with spirit of racism! It really hurt us that this man would take an act of love and kindness and turn it into something ugly. It showed us that racism is real and doesnt just go away easily. This man, almost 90 years old, had spent a lifetime of being put down and discriminated against because of the color of his skin..why should we expect him to believe we loved him just because we say we do? We just have to keep loving him with the love of Jesus, until he is able to trust that we truly do love him! Yesterday Scott had a phone call from a 14 year old boy who attends our church. His mother had stabbed him in the arm with a butcher knife and threw all of his things out of the house. We are dealing with people who are ex-prisoners, recovering alchoholics, recovering drug addicts. I feel so unequipped to reach out to these people. I often wonder why God chose to place us here. You would think He would want someone who was "trained" to work with these people! And yet, He sent us here... I have no idea how this will end up, I just know that we are where God wants us to be, and we are in for a great adventure that will last the rest of our lives. I will be very open and honest with my thoughts and feelings. Please know that Pastors wifes are in no way perfect, or superior to anyone! We are just people just like you, trying to live a life of obedience to God. Not always succeeding, but when we fall, getting up, brushing ourselves off and continuing our walk with the Lord until He calls up to Our Heavenly home...Just like you! For I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me! Phillipians 4:13