Happy New Year Team!

Ready or not - the New Year’s here and it’s time to get back into the swing of things. I hope that the past weeks have been restful for you and that you’ve had some nice times with family and friends.

Over the coming weeks, I’d like to introduce you to some of the students that I worked with while interning with Malachi in Okinawa. I’ve asked them to share some of their experiences of growing up in the military and how they’ve been impacted by Malachi youth groups. I hope you enjoy hearing from their hearts!

I met Esther at the end of her 6th grade year when she started coming to youth group. I remember her being quiet at first, but that didn’t last long : ) Esther soon broke out of her shell! She has an infectious laughter, sings really well and has an amazing heart for people - she was always bringing friends to the group. Today, Esther is still living in Okinawa and is a junior (but she’s taking extra classes to graduate a year early).

Because of her dad’s job, Esther has spent the majority of her life on overseas bases. I asked her to share a bit about military life. She wrote, “Military life for any kid/teen can be really lonely and hard because most families move constantly from one place to another. It’s hard to pick where your "home" is. Since you're constantly moving, making new friends is sometimes difficult and the anxiety of moving to a place with people who will accept you is awful. But the good thing is that you get to meet a lot of people, you get to see a lot of the world and share in its culture, you are surrounded usually by people who understand what you're going through, and the community usually tries to help each other out. The most challenging part is just finding out who you are while being jostled around from place to place and from people to people.”

As I read Esther's response, relationships are a common thread. Military teens long for meaningful relationships. Malachi seeks to provide a safe place for students to build community. We also seek to provide opportunities for students to know and experience Jesus, and ultimately enter into an eternal relationship with Him.

This week, would you join me in praying for...

1. Students, like Esther, who are struggling to fit in and discover who they are in the midst of change. Pray that they would find community and find their identity in Christ.

2. Next week, I'll be driving to South Dakota to nanny for friends who will be going on a weeklong vacation. While I'm there, my friends have arranged an opportunity for me to share about Malachi with their church! Praise the Lord for opening this door!

Thanks so much for journeying with me as we seek to minister to the military community!

Blessings,

Beth