Archive for May, 2009

Can you think of a better way to celebrate a day off school than to drive 45 miles just to eat a burger?
And what a burger it was!
The Campus Life Spring Burger Run was as tasty as ever, but with a twist.

This time in Seattle, we visited the infamous Gum Wall south of Pike Place Market. Declared an official “attraction” by Market Officials near the turn of the century, this brick wall boasts a surprising amount of colorful, artistically placed, chewed-up gum. We decided to take part in this grand tradition with some gum of our own.  As we took turns sticking gum on the bricks to spell out the initials “CL,” something occurred to me.  In a funny way, arranging this sticky stuff on this messy wall portrayed to me what it looks like when I try to do ministry on my own power. I take on a messy situation and then throw some more messy stuff on it, and then try to pass it off as good, or right.

Not a week beforehand, I had talked to Jeff’s mother about his being grounded. Apparently, he had been sneaking off to club meetings without his mother knowing. He was grounded but I didn’t know. So you can imagine his mother’s surprise to see me standing at their door before school to take him to breakfast.
“Jeff’s grounded,” she said.
“Oh,” I said.

So we had a short discussion, and I did the best I could to reassure her that I would support her as a parent in any way I could, but by the end of it I was sure that the situation hadn’t gotten any less sticky.  I called Jeff the same afternoon, and it was apparent that he was in much deeper trouble than before.  Again, I did the best I could to reassure him that this was for his own good, and after all he kinda did this to himself.  But still the situation felt messy.  I could adjust things, make a few suggestions and try to help, but ultimately I was moving ABC’d gum around on a filthy wall.

Then I realized something. This situation was beyond my ability to help, for more than the obvious reasons. Their relationship needed healing from mistrust and disrespect on both sides. And I am definitely no healer.  But I knew who was. I spoke to Jeff later and told him that he needed to do two things. One, he needed to pray about the situation. Two, he needed to apologize to his mom and ask what he could do to make things right. 

And he did! He was with us on the burger run with a signed parental permission slip and his mother’s full blessing.

And so something that was messy started to become something else. A work of art. It may have just been a messy conglomoration of spat-out chewing product, but God turned it into something beautiful. He stamped his name on it, claimed it. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul says “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.” Later in this passage, Paul talks about us being transformed into God’s image, through His Spirit, as we seek his face.

The situation between Jeff and his mom is not yet healed, but it is definitely being transformed. It’s still messy, but it’s becoming beautiful. I am confident that God is intent on finishing this work that He has started in Jeff’s life. 

And we as leaders are grateful to be a part of that process.

Josiah Herried – Clover Park/Lakes Campus Life Director

Jeff Clare, Anna Benson, and Sarah Snodgrass just returned from a great meeting pulled together by our friends at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor. They assembled 25 people from several local churches to get an idea of what TYFC and other foster care agencies could offer to families continue

In the past couple of months at Sozo, our Tuesday night ministry, we have changed up the environment to make it more focused around the kids and the message of Jesus Christ. We have seen great changes in the morale of our kids.

Kenisha, an eleven year old has started making changes. She used to be a very hard and tough young lady who would not listen to the adults or even look us in the eye. I have totally seen Kenisha change. Lately she has been opening up to one of our leaders, and is having a lot less confrontation with the leaders and other youth. Recently a lot of the walls have really come down in Kenisha’s life, and she is hanging out with that leader this weekend. She is changing into the beautiful young woman that Jesus created her to be. Not only do the leaders see it, but the other youth see it as well. Sasha, another young girl, noticed the change in Kenisha and stated that she too wants to change. The hearts of these girls are open and they are excited to share in the love of Christ, and their open hearts are changing the hardened hearts of others. This truly is a miracle from the Lord.

Coming soon for SOZO is our third annual summer camp at Warm Beach, and we are excited to see the changes that take place in the hearts of our youth. So many of our current student leaders first came to know Christ at Warm Beach over the last two summers. We are so excited to see what Jesus has in store for this year’s summer camp!

-Nicole Gallego, Sozo Volunteer – City Life

This summer SOZO will be hosting its third annual summer camp at Warm Beach Camp from July 5-10. The camp is an awesome opportunity for high school students to grow and experience the love of Jesus Christ.

Many of the youth we’re bringing to camp are considered “high-risk” and have been in Remann Hall, the local Juvenile Detention Center. Many of these kids live on the Hilltop and Eastside areas of Tacoma and have been involved in gangs, prostitution, abuse and poverty. Many of the kids have never even been out of Tacoma.

Here’s a story about one of our youth who had his life changed last summer at Warm Beach:

In the past two years we have seen so many lives transformed. Last summer we brought a youth named “Domonique.” His family was transitionally homeless, and he was actively involved in a gang like his dad. He had been smoking weed and getting drunk five times/week for many years, and was already two years behind in high school. He had an amazing encounter with the Lord while at Warm Beach Camp. At camp, he gave his life to Jesus Christ, and saw hope for the first time in his life! Domonique became friends with some kids at camp who belonged to a rival gang. I remember the last night as he was crying he said, “I used to think these guys were my enemies, but now they’re my brothers. I’m trading my bandana for a Bible!”

Since camp, Domonique has regularly started attending Sozo and is being discipled by one of our leaders. He switched schools to get away from his friends in the gang, and has been free from weed, alcohol and fighting. I recently took Domonique on a 4-day roadtrip, and talked about his experience at camp the whole time. He kept saying that this was the most life-changing experience of his life, and that he’d still be gang-banging and smoking weed if it weren’t for that week at Warm Beach.

This summer we’re going back to camp, and many more kids like Domonique will give their lives to Christ, and have their lives completely transformed! About 95% of these youth cannot afford the $200 cost for camp. We’ll need to raise about $11,000 to send 55 kids to camp. Although the kids are all working hard to “earn” the money through volunteering, this has only been made possible through generous support of people like you.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Please help sponsor kids to camp by sending a donation to Tacoma YFC. Just click on the following link:

https://dlq4.donatelinq.net/qv10/(S(ioxstj45q1llf2jwezxopb55))/Donation.aspx?MerchantID=Tacoma

Choose category: “Summer Camp” and then choose “Sozo Camp at Warm Beach”

Or

Please make checks out to    “Tacoma YFC”

On the memo, please write:  “HS Warm Beach Camp”

Please send the checks to:     ATTN: Doug Jonson           

Tacoma YFC

                                                PO Box 834

                                                Tacoma, WA 98401

All donations go 100% toward sending kids to camp and are tax-deductible. Thank you for your support and for making a difference! Investing in the lives of our youth is one of the best investments you can make.

Sincerely,

Doug Jonson, Sozo Coordinator

City Life           

Yesterday afternoon at 3 p.m. we received fantastic news on our Tillicum Youth & Family Center project…the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust awarded Tacoma YFC a $250,000 grant!  This is an amazing investment in the young people in the community of Tillicum and speaks volumes about the “heart” of the staff and Trustees of the Murdock Trust.  This gift is in the form of a $150,000 outright investment and continue

Yesterday I was a “fly on the wall” during the Planning/Vision days for our Campus Life, City Life and Juvenile Justice Core Ministry Teams. First of all, what an amazing group of staff!  Perhaps you (like me) have been a part of “planning days” that were barely registering on the “boring” scale but yesterday was anything but boring.  continue

A couple of weeks ago, we had our fist Guys Only Night of the year at Puyallup Youth Investment Center. Since the girls had their night a few weeks ago, we thought it was time for a guys night. We had 11 young men attend and we had an awesome night of fun, fellowship and learning.  The kids and leaders played the WII, Pool and we even had a ping pong tournament. We were blessed with food from Trackside Pizza here in Puyallup. There was a wide variety of kids from different backgrounds who attended – we had kids ranging from “Hicks” to KRUMPERS (You might have to ask me or do some research to know what these terms mean).

One of the best parts of the night was when we discussed 1^st Samuel 16:7. The guys walked away from the night challenged to not look at the outside of people but instead try to look at the heart of those around them. God is concerned with the heart and by getting to know a person and not judging them on the outside, we can see how God sees them. Thank you so much for your support and for standing with us as we reach youth through Tacoma and Pierce County. Kelly Culver, City Life, Puyallup

Air continues to fight through and walk in victory as she hungers after God.  Last week she came to Kids SOZO to help out with the K-5th graders and was teaching little kids how to double dutch (jump rope!!) Air was glowing the entire night.  Little girls would approach her and look up and say, “Air, can you teach me how to double dutch?” She would just look down at them with a huge smile, and say, “sure.”  Air couldn’t stop talking about her night on the way home.  She shared how she met some brothers and sisters and one of their names was Philip.  Philip was playing with two squirt guns he’d won as prizes, he pretended to shoot his sister and then blew the tip of the gun like he saw people do in the movies. Air laughed but then was reminded of her friend Philip who was murdered this past November.  It wasn’t funny anymore that he knew so much at a young age about guns.  She was encouraged that he was at Kid SOZO and would have the opportunity to grow up receiving love on Friday nights and learning who he is in God’s eyes.  She got to know Philip that night along with his two sisters.  Philip’s sisters performed a cheer they made that night that ended with the line, “put a little SOZO in it.”  The little girls just glowed as they performed for Air, and she smiled and applauded and encouraged them. One of the sisters shared with her that she had not made the dance team and that she couldn’t really dance that good. Air said, “that’s funny, because you are an amazing dancer,” and Air continued to speak encouragement to the young girl. Air is growing very much in God and is desiring more and more to love others with the love she’s received from Christ.

          We’re so thankful for what God is doing in her life and the lives of her family. Her mom is coming to SOZO every week now… along with her younger 2 brothers consistently. Her mom drives the whole family there and you can see her softening toward God each time. Mister, Air’s 18 yr old brother, Air, and Bishop Freeze have been getting together to work on songs together and read the bible. It’s so fun see them both growing and trusting God.

          God is faithful to complete what he starts. Thank you God for not leaving us how we were when we first came to know you. Chrisy Wachtler, City Life and JJM

One of our youth, “Nick,” gave his life to Christ about 1 ½ years ago. His life has since been radically transformed. He comes from a life where he has regularly witnessed drug abuse and domestic violence, and there was a complete void of love and parental involvement in his life. In spite of this, he is continuing to grow leaps and bounds in his relationship with Christ, and everything about his life is reflecting this life change. He truly is in love with God, and thinks and talks about Him constantly. He spends a lot of time at home praying to God because He just wants to know Him more.

       On Sunday night, some of our youth and adult leaders performed a powerful 30-minute drama depicting in rawness the reality of how many teen girls live in the urban communities, followed by a powerful gospel presentation. “Nick” was so moved by this drama, and realized that God had a huge plan for his life. He (by his own choice, no one told him to) went around destroying all the movies in his house that were not good for him and that kept him away from God.

He then sent me this text message:

Hey Doug

Thanks for bringing me to God. My eyes are finally open. Thanks to you, I witnessed the greatest thing I ever seen in my life…the true love of God and now a role model and best friend. Thanks. I’m going to pursue my dream of acting. Thanks, Doug. You were right…loving God brings happiness. This is probably the happiest I have ever been. I love you, Doug.

This is just another story of victory—of a youth that statistically had no hope of success in life—and instead has been forever changed by the power and love of Jesus Christ.

-Doug Jonson

City Life, Sozo Coordinator

After High School I had a decision: go to school or find a job. I knew I had to go to college – eventually, but I just wasn’t ready. So I decided to get a job and take some time off from the educational pursuit. In the midst of my decision process, I got offered an amazing opportunity to become an intern at Tacoma Youth for Christ.  I would be continuing my involvement as a volunteer, what I had been doing for the past six years (and now getting paid!).  I figured working at YFC would help me grow physically, (from always having to run after kids at club) mentally, and spiritually, and I was correct.

 When I started, Ken (my boss) gave me and the other interns a book to read, Cross Roads. That’s exactly where I felt I was in my life, at a crossroad. The book provided advice on how I can mature, move on and be wiser. 

 School started up and it was time for me to start going to Gault and Baker Middle Schools to promote Campus Life. It was intimidating at first.  Yet, the more that I did it the more comfortable I felt as I got into their element and helped lead lunch time activities and games.  The kids slowly warmed up to me.  The first Campus Life clubs were HUGE!  As club went on through the year, I found it exciting to see how God spoke to the kids and used Campus Life to impact their lives.

For me the most extraordinary moment was our Christmas club in December.  We gave the students the opportunity to respond to the gospel.  We asked them if they wanted to accept God into their lives.  I looked around the room and so many hands went up. For the first time in my life I was the one praying with kids to have God come into their lives. It was one of the best moments for me this past year as an intern!  

While at the office I continued to meet some of the best people I have ever meet. At YFC the staff just showed a whole new level of kindness, respect, and love. It made me feel like I wanted to get to that same level of commitment to God and maturity in my life. I tried to see what they all had in common and then it hit me, Jesus. This has made me strive to follow and know Jesus more  in my life.