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.
