Good afternoon! I hope this finds you doing well this week. I had a great time nannying in SD! I enjoyed my Tanner time and was happy to see Tanner’s parents get a much needed rest! : )
On Sunday, I shared about Malachi at Calvary Reformed Church in Monroe, SD - just outside of Sioux Falls. Thanks for praying for me last week for the presentation. I thought it went fairly well. I had some great conversations following the service and was encouraged by those who signed up for the Key Club - praise the Lord, our numbers are growing!
I had initially planned on driving back to WI on Monday, but SD got slammed with another blizzard Sunday night and all day Monday - closing the interstates in SD and MN that I needed to travel. They were finally reopened Tuesday morning, and I made it home safely last night around 8.
> My car was pretty buried on Tuesday morning from all the drifting, Chad dug me out though!
Last week, I introduced you to Joelle and I shared with you her thoughts on growing up in the military. Joelle started coming to youth group as a 7th grader, and quickly became a regular. If the doors to our building were open, she was there...and she wanted others to be there too! She once came into my office and handed me a fistful of money, and said, “so-and-so said he isn’t going on the retreat next weekend because he doesn’t have enough money to go, so I’d like to pay for him so he can come.” Did I mention she was 13?
This week I’ll share with you what Joelle wrote about her youth group experience... I think you’ll see why she was so eager to have others join her!
Seventh grade, for me, was an incredibly tough time in my life. It was kind of brought about by the beginning of middle school in a foreign country (Okinawa, Japan) in just a tough environment. I don't know if I can accurately explain the day-to-day life of an insecure Christian seventh grader in a federal-owned and military-operated middle school. In short, during this year Quest [the middle school youth group] held me together. Quest brought Christ into my life in places that would not have been exposed to the Gospel. I can recall several occasions of mentorship between me and the youth leaders that definitely changed my life. In Quest, I wasn't just "part of the crowd," or one life out of billions. I was special, cherished, loved by God; and looking back I can clearly see God's hand at work mightily during my many times at youth group. I don't know what I would have done without Quest.
I remember the first time I walked into Quest. I was a little scared to find out what youth group was like. Would they accept me? Would they like me? I was a little freaked out to be on the younger side of the youth group. I remember walking in and immediately being recognized as new, but in a good way. Dave, the main youth pastor of Quest, came up to me and asked me what my name was, if I had been to Quest before, and a whole bunch of other random questions. He was really friendly and introduced me to "some of his friends," other kids at the youth group. As a result, I felt immediately safe and welcome to the youth group, and I even got to spend a whole year with the group, including going on three amazing retreats, lots of hangout times, and just being energized by the Word.
I’m so grateful to have had Joelle in youth group! I praise the Lord for opening the door for Malachi to be able to minister to teens just like her! Would you join me this week in praying for young teenage students, who are insecure and trying to navigate through the ever changing landscape of adolescence. Pray that they would find refuge in the Lord and root their identity in Him.
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