Christmas Parties!

Last week at First Glance was filled with Christmas parties! Sunday began as over 100 leaders from all different programing at First Glance gathered to celebrate what God has done this past year. It was beautiful to be in a room filled with followers going towards the same mission. We walked through 11 things that happened in 2011. It was great to see all that had happened from floods to intentional conversations to students lives being transformed because of God! At the end of this blog post you can read of my top story from 2011.

Monday was the Young Adults Christmas party. Leaders gave the students specific gifts that they needed. As the students were opening their gifts one guy received a hat, gloves, sweatshirt, and some other clothing. He was pretty thrilled. The reality of some of our students poverty and difficult life circumstances was made clear when he said, “These will be great if I end up on the streets this winter.”  For many of students that Christmas party that night was their Christmas. The leaders and students there were who they considered their family.

Our Ladies Night Out Christmas party was on Tuesday. I was expecting 25 girls to show up and we had well over 40. The room was filled! We ate a very large meal, played games and opened gifts! Last Friday a Rec Night leader asked one of our girls where her gloves were as she stood outside in the cold. She replied that she didn’t have any. It was great to see her excitement as she received a pair on Tuesday. Through generous donors the girls in LNO will received gloves, hats and socks! 

God has been faithful to providing for Cody and I this past year! Thank you for partnering with us financially and through prayers.

My top 2011 story:

Kim* has been coming faithfully to Ladies' Night Out for about 6 months. Week after week the leaders and I try to engage her in conversations, but she says very little back. In all honestly, I often wonder why she comes back every week. Kim is very reserved.

A few weeks ago Kim’s mother, Anne* came in before Ladies' Night Out and wanted to talk to me about Kim’s behavior. Anne explained that Kim’s dad has never been consistent in her life and recently he has stepped out of her life again. She went on to say that Kim is really hurting from the rejection she receives from her father. Although Kim has been hurting, Anne has been noticing a change in Kim’s behavior.

She went on to say that Kim has been acting differently since she started coming to First Glance. She said she has been joyful and has been opening up more. Anne told me Kim talks very highly of the leaders and how kind they are to her. She told me to thank the leaders and though it might be hard to engage with Kim, to continue to try because she is seeing a difference in her life. I am reminded through Kim’s story that the process for reaching our students can be long and sometimes frustrating. But, God is still moving even when we don’t see it. 

*Named changed to protect privacy. 

Brokenhearted

The last two weeks in ministry have been two of the hardest. I found out that two girls that are close to my heart were in a really abusive home. Through the last month things have gotten worst to the point where the girls finally came to us confessing what they had been experiencing. We had the ability to talk with the girls about their experiences, what it looked like to protect them and also get them into a safe home. 

We called CSB along with many others to report their case. I personally felt like our hands were tied. I was frustrated, sad and angry. Leaders joined the staff in praying that God would comfort them, give them strength to get through the day, and would intervene by getting the girls out of the home  We were waiting and waiting for CSB to move and get them out. Everything climaxed with abuse on Monday, which led to the girls running to a friend’s house. They called my co-worker and informed her that they were safe. They went to school the next morning and CSB took them into custody. They have been placed with their aunt for the time being.

I have been pondering over Psalm 139, specifically 7-12

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
   even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
   even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

These verses have been extremely comforting to me as the girls had to leave First Glance and return to their abusive home. I love the truth that that there is no place that  we can go that God won’t be there. I am thankful that these girls do have a relationship with God and are depending on Him for the strength. I would ask you to join us in praying that the girls in this hard time would be comforted, wouldn’t turn to cheap substitutes and that the love that God has for them would be made real to them. Pray as they battle feelings of love and anger for their parents. Pray for wisdom for the staff as we counsel and love them. 

Bittersweet

Throughout my experiences in ministry, I am realizing the importance of the bittersweet moments. I have been reading a book called, Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist and she says,  

"Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a sliver of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich when it contains a splinter of sadness. Bittersweet is the practice of believing that we really do need both bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines of our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity."

In the past two weeks I’ve seen many bitter moments. One of these being with a student Michael*, who Cody and I have been investing into since last spring. Every other week he comes, mows our grass and will occasionally stay and eat lunch with us. Earlier this fall we realized how successful he was becoming in football and how bright of a future he has ahead of him. Sadly, we found out two weeks ago that Michael has been making some poor decisions, one of those including quitting the football team. In finding out this news, Cody and I were sad, frustrated and a little angry that he was throwing away such a great opportunity. After finding out this news we saw him on a Rec Night at FG. Cody had a conversation of what was going on at home and at school. The following Sunday he came, mowed our grass and proceeded to tell us that he approached his coach and was back on the football team. Getting back on the team required him approaching his whole team, humbling himself and apologizing. Saturday Cody and I got to seem him play in his last game of the season. We felt like proud parents. I have realized the vast amount of moments in ministry that make me sad and often bring me to my knees in tears. In the darkest of moments when I simply don’t know what to say or do I cling to Jesus. He is my only hope. 

A recent sweet moment was having a really intentional conversation about Christ with a student that I have known for two years. I have seen this young woman come into First Glance as a 6th grader and now is getting ready for her high school years. The conversation revolved around her discovering that going to Heaven wasn’t based off of how good of a person she could be, but was based off of realizing that faith in Jesus was the only way. Through that conversation I can say confidently that she does love Christ and has a desire to be transformed. It was such a beautiful hope filled moment.   

Through Christ and experiencing sweet moments I am able to have faith in the bitter moments when things, people and situations seem hopeless. 


**Student's name changed for privacy. 

Rock the Road

I have created this blog as a way to inform family and friends of the journey I am on in attempting to share the hope that Christ offers to a community in desperate need of Him. As many know, I have been with First Glance for over a year as the fundraiser. My desires have been more to serve in the ministry aspect of First Glance. So, I have transitioned in a position as a Head Intern for at least a two year commitment. In a ministry role, I oversee the Ladies Night Out Program, and the volunteers who, like myself, build into the young women. I look forward to sharing the journey God is taking me on with you.

I thought it would be nice to jump right into a few of my ministry experiences over past weekend! Last weekend, First Glance went on a trip called Rock the Road, which is an annual 48 hour road trip that we take our students on every fall. The destination is unknown to everyone except a few that are planning it. I had the privilege of helping to plan the itinerary of the trip. Our ultimate destination was Kentucky.  We also ventured through and stopped in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. Many of ours students have never had the opportunity to leave Akron, go on a vacation, or stay in a hotel. I have never heard or seen such a large uproar of cheer and excitement when seeing the “Welcome to Kentucky” sign.  Driving through Kentucky was just one part of the action packed weekend. We played laser tag, kart raced, went to the zoo, rode a zip line and stayed in a hotel! It brought so much joy to my heart to see the students so happy and having such good time. 

An exciting part of the trip was that this was the first year a student brought a baby... a fake simulation baby. Kayla’s* mom called me about an hour before we left on the trip and said Kayla was sent home from class with a fake baby that she would have to take care of all weekend. This baby cried, needed it’s diaper changed, and had to have it’s head supported at all times. Kayla did not allow this baby to hold her back from fun. She strapped it in her vest and took it to play laser tag and all.

Ray*, one of our toughest students, who has a reputation as a gang leader, joined us on the RTR trip again! This was shocking because last year when the trip was over I asked, “Did you have fun and would you go again?” He answered very strongly, “NO!” But he came again this year! Ray, through an injury, spent a majority of last school year at First Glance. Leaders have continuously tried to reach out and connect with Ray.  One of the best part of my trip was seeing Ray, for the first time since I have known him, engaging leaders, smiling and even laughing! It wasn’t even a one time event, it happened many times through the rest of the weekend. This year I asked the question again, “Did you have fun and would you come again?” This time he answered with a smile and chuckle, “Yeah.” I don’t think there is anything really different about the style of trip last year and this year. I think it is God changing and opening up Ray’s heart.  

Throughout the weekend we talked about the theme “What do you worship?”  We talked about how worshiping God was more than just an act on Sunday mornings, but was a way we choose to live our lives. It’s a decision that we have to make in every situation. There were many good conversations about the challenges of their home lives and the pressures of living differently than their peers. It was encouraging to hear students that do desire to change and follow Christ. I am looking forward to the follow-up conversations that will be had in the weeks to come. 

* Student named changed for privacy.