This is the end. . .

So I'm sitting in the computer lab at Providence (still no Internet from Prov in my apartment, surprise surprise), and have groceries sitting in the car in 30 degree heat but I need to send a farewell blog.

First, apparently there was a mix up with my mid-summer and end of summer letters and they never went out. I had some good stuff in them. Not really though; the letter had nothing new to tell you as it was all on here already. Though, a letter received is kind of nice sometimes I suppose.

Second & Third, I want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers this summer. God moved as He promises to when we work in faith and for the glory of the Kingdom. You'll remember a while back I wrote that I felt the teens would begin praying with reckless abandon. Well, that has partly come true. Though they never prayed in front of the entire group there was always eager volunteers before meals and lots of questions about prayer and how it works were asked. So, that's a start. Keep praying that they'll keep praying.

Also thanks to those of you that supported me financially. Most of the YFC staff was shocked at how fast I raised my entire support for the summer. In fact, you gave me too much money! The remainder in my salary fund will go to YFC staffers who have had a hard time raising support. So your generosity with me will pour out onto other workers. Good deal, eh?!

Well, I suppose this is it, the end of North End Summer. Perhaps I'll update once more in a week or two when I have time to tell more specifically of the transformation that took place in both the teens and myself.

Word.

Life's a beach :)

Today was the greatest day of my life! Haha, not really, but it was a really good day nonetheless. It is hard to believe that summer is at its end and I am definitely going to miss seeing the youth almost every day.

We were able to take the teens to the beach at Birds Hill as planned today, so I thought I would post some pics. I'll update the blog with a final overview later on.

This is it.

Well, my last day in the North End is only a few hours away. I'll wrap up some office work in the morning and then in the afternoon we'll be taking the teens to Birds Hill to do some swimming and play some games. I'm not really looking forward to it at all in many ways; but all good things must come to an end. And God's work will continue.

I will be leaving for a quick holiday on Friday before school starts in a week and a half. I'll update the blog once or twice more before school starts and that will officially be the end of the North End Summer.

Thanks again for your prayers and supports.

Peace.

"Goodbye" or "See You Soon"?

Summer is officially coming to an end for myself and the teens in the North End. My co-workers and I have 3 days left with the kids before saying goodbye on Thursday. Sadly it most likely will be goodbye for me. With a full course load and two part-time jobs this fall I won't be making any empty promises to these kids that they will see me soon; it just is not right when I know full well that I will probably be too busy to see them often if at all this fall and winter.

This bugs me quite a bit actually. These teens have had enough people come and go in their lives. Parents, family, friends; they come in for a season and then dissapear. Some of the teens bounce around from foster home to foster home. It is hard for a lot of these teens to open up and "let people in" for this very reason, and I am yet another person doing the same. Three of the staff are full-time and will remain, but I have come in, told the teens about the wonder and grace found in Jesus, told them how much they mean to not only God but to me, and now. . . I leave.

It will be hard to say goodbye on Thursday without this guilty nagging feeling inside my head. This sumer has been an amazing opportunity to minister and has given me plenty of ideas for future ministry, but I still can not help but feel perhaps in some ways it does more harm than good to come and go like this, especially with people who have experienced so much of it already. I hope they realize that God will never leave them. I am glad that there are three staff who permanently stay to impact these young lives.

Work Force continues in different ways in the fall with a youth group on Wednesday nights and youth church on Sunday afternoons; there is also an after school homework club that meets twice a week I believe. They are always in need of help! So, if you or someone you know might be interested in an amazing ministry send an email to Teresa Zehr.

Word and word.

Also, an update on the prayer request I sent out on here a couple weeks ago: The situation has not been resolved yet, but I am just trusting God and continuing on the direction I believe He has pointed me on. Thanks for your prayers!!!

T - 2 Weeks

It's Monday morning and I'm having trouble getting words out :) So read with that in mind!

Well the countdown is now on; there are only two weeks left of the Work Force program. Some of us are stressed about winning young souls, seeing the conversions, getting the numbers in! Haha. Me, I'm just going with the flow. We've presented the Gospel and many of its truths, the rest is out of our hands. See John 16:6-16. It is a good passage to use to remind ourselves sometimes that we are not the ones that actually do the convincing when it comes to people's salvation. Just present the message that Christ gives you and then move on in faith. God knows what He's doing and already knows who will accept salvation and who will not. We can not let ourselves get hung up on numbers, relationship checklists, how many times we have led someone through the "sinners prayer," etc. If we do get distracted by such things we can run the risk of forgetting to build real relationships that conveys a message of love. Ministries tend to get so caught up in the latest "Purpose Driven..." formulas we miss out on doing the simplest of things and truly being effective.

Word.

These Children are God's!

First:
Perhaps I link too much to either God trying to bless me or the devil trying to destroy me; i.e. a bug hits my windshield, it's the devil trying to destroy me because he knows a dirty windshield drives me crazy, or I catch a nice size fish and it is God blessing me for my diligent work this summer. But that's the way I am, and that's the way I'm always going to be most likely :)

Today the devil tried to destroy me. I'm not going to say what, I'm not going to tell anybody (not even my girlfriend or parents or mentors). All that I will do is ask you to please pray against this attack (or perhaps just life) and that everything will work out in the end (and quickly)! I have been truly blessed this sumer with my experiences and all the support that friends and family have given me through prayer and financial support and I will not forget this summer for the rest of my days.


Second & Most Importantly:
We are starting a new "step" in our program this summer, one I took from the book Whose Child is This? by Bill Wilson. We have divided up the list of youth amongst the staff and will, on a weekly basis, make a home visit or at the very least a phone call to each youth. While we do often take youth out for lunch or ice cream, a home visit sends a different message, one of wanting to truly experience their lives. It also gives us a deeper understanding of some of the issues that surround the youth each day from the minute they wake to the moment they go to sleep. Some may come from picture perfect families, but many do not have the best home life. Reaching out to the kids in their homes brings Christ into not only their lives but the entire household.

Word!




Some of the teens hard at work this week

Somebody's Got a Case of the Mondays!

Technically it's Sunday, but I can imagine what I'll be like tomorrow at 7 am when the alarm goes off. It has been getting harder to get out of bed in the mornings for some reason; the motivation has been lacking. It is still fun and exciting to interact with the kids, but I suppose it is the "other stuff" that isn't exactly exciting. Be sure to pray that I stay motivated. I already have other things on my mind, such as planning for the school year ahead, trying to get credits transferred so I can graduate this year instead of next year, Willowlake prep for the fall, etc.

Also I really want to start impacting the lives of these teens for the better. I want to be able to share Christ with them and the realness of His grace and mercy. It would be a joy to see these young ones in eternity so you all had a chance to meet them.

I'm also struggling with personal sins; just trying to be fully transformed, which can be hard as I'm sure most of you know for yourselves. But I know what areas of my life I have to let the Lord into even more, and that's the important thing I suppose. It just can be hard to present the Gospel to people when you have this nagging voice inside your head reminding you of all your own shortcomings in your relationship with Christ; nobody wants to be a hypocrite. But, I am forgiven.

Well, I should get going, I have some reading to do before bed time at 9 pm. Check back tomorrow or Tuesday for some new pictures!

Grace

Meet the Youth... And Read This!

It's hard to believe this is the second last week of July coming up. Summer is definitely going by too fast! I thought as I "prepare" myself for another week (praying for patience, joy, love, understanding, patience. . .) I would give you the opportunity to see some of the youth. Go ahead, lay hands on the screen and pray for them! :)

I've been meaning to take more pictures, so check back soon and I'll try and have a few new ones each week.

Also, be sure to follow this link to a new newspaper in Winnipeg. I was able to arrange for them to come and interview some of the kids for an article which ran in this month's paper. The paper is called Urban NDN and is available at many locations throughout Winnipeg so if you see one be sure to pick up a copy (it's free!).

OK, now on to the teens. . .

423 Times

The NLT translation of the Bible mentions prayer (either pray or prayer) 423 times, so I figure that's an important topic. I've been mentioning prayer often to the kids since we began; it comes up often in conversation. Often we see prostitutes that work just across the street from the church, and as the teens laugh and joke about them I seem to often mention that they should be praying for those women. I find myself getting frustrated as I drive with kids in the car (serious road rager here), and mention that I should pray for patience. A few weeks ago we had a couple of the teens paint the dumpsters behind the church as they had been covered in graffiti; one of the boys mentioned how it was a waste of time because they would just be covered in spray paint again by the next day, so. . . I said "I'll show you how powerful my God is and pray that His angels keep the dumpsters graffiti free for a week" (3 weeks later and the dumpsters are still graffiti free and the young man points it out each day and is opening to the idea of prayer).

God is pushing me to do and say things I would normally not to do; such as praying for dumpsters. God is waiting to burst through the walls these teens have built up, and the spiritual walls that the enemy has put in place in the North End for so long now. He is going to move in big ways. He is giving me crazy visions of the gifts that He has given to each youth.

And it all comes back to prayer. I can't help but pray constantly throughout each day, as I work, drive, walk, even as I try to sleep. God is constantly pressing these young North Enders on my mind and forcing me to pray for different ones at different times. I believe strongly that very soon some of these young people are going to begin praying without ceasing; the will grow brave and pray in front of others even! They are on the verge of a major transformation in their lives that will carry through to their neighbourhood.

The ones that laugh and joke at prostitutes will soon be bringing healing and ministry and the true love of Christ to these women. Their ministry will come in different and unique ways; art, music, prison ministry, street evangelism -- the list goes on.

This will all come about through prayer.

Are you praying for these young people? Are you praying for your own family and community? Are you allowing me to pray for you?

Amen.

I'm not a Dr.!

But I still need patients (or patience I guess). It's funny how you go into a ministry job seeking to love and impact young lives, but the ones who are in need of the most love are the hardest to love. D doesn't have many friends, and is picked on by the others. Obviously we try and keep an eye on the teasing and name calling and deal with offenders appropriately; but that doesn't mean I myself still don't feel like calling D names some days. He is just aggravating, the kind of kid that gets under your skin. I feel horrible but that's the honest truth, and being honest and confessing about things like this is how we can start to let ourselves be transformed.

I took D to a local greasy diner for lunch one day. He had a cheeseburger and poutine -- I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, but I didn't eat any of it. D doesn't have the best table manners. He was shoving the food in his mouth, and talking while it was still half eaten; the food would spray in my face and on to my food.

I couldn't help but think to myself I can't wait to get out of here. This kid is disgusting. Not only that but the way and things he talked about annoyed me. He tried to be funny but was far from it. I can't stand this kid!!! I was thinking 10 minutes into our lunch.

And this whole time I'm thinking this and waiting for him to finish his meal so we can leave, all I can hear God saying to me is I love D so much. This is one of my chosen ones. I cherish him. I hold him in my arms each day like a new-born son. You are meant to love him.

Gah!!!

It is a process of transformation, learning to love those that annoy us. But it is God's will. Those who are the hardest to love are in need of it the most.

Word

Yeesh!

I'm getting worse and worse at updating this thing! Truth is I need a long vacation (and I just had a four day weekend). Two ministry jobs has certainly proved to be a bit more stressful than I thought, should have listened more closely to Dr. Marchand :). But all is well besides not having much free time during the week.

Some prayer requests:

a) Now that summer has started for the teens we've had a pretty big drop in attendance this week. Pray that those who need to be reached will be prompted to attend.

b) Pray for their safety, it is a pretty rough area (even during the day)!

c) Pray for me; that I show compassion and love in stressful situations.

d) Just pray

So again, send me your prayer requests! Seriously; I want to hear from you and be able to impact your life also. Send them to mike@willowlake.ca

Thanks again for all your prayers and financial support. This wouldn't be possible with all of you!

Hi Again

Sorry for the inaction (is that a word?) as of late. I've been really busy between my 3 jobs and keep meaning to get on here but somehow continue not to. Besides being extremely busy (and tired) life has been really good and work in the North End, while stressful some days, has been rewarding. I'm connecting well with most of the kids and hearing God more clearly with every passing situation. One example is with a young man named "D Jr."

He was a bit too old for our program, but I heard God clearly telling me to make a connection with him rather than just letting him leave. So I told him to come back later and I could try and help him find a "real" job. I ended up taking him to Youth Employment Services on Portage Avenue last week. On the drive there and back we had some great discussions. He has numerous criminal convictions, but despite that I couldn't help but see a great man who God has big plans for. I can't really go into any details, but you all can keep "D Jr." in your prayers and I can relay how God is moving and transforming him throughout the summer.

Another amazing move of God has been how He's used all of you to support me financially. I received a couple more "deputations" this week and now have enough money for my summer wages, mileage, and meals. Your prayers are the most important thing I can ask for right now, but your financial support has been a real blessings.

I hope to write more frequently and relay more stories of how God is moving in the teens' lives, but it's just a matter of finding a few minutes to sit down at the computer. I pray for all of you and thank God for sending each of you into my life! Please be sure to send any prayer requests you may have to me at mike@willowlake.ca

Be blessed people!

Praise be to God!

Hey, I just wanted to write a quick note to thank all those people who are supporting me through prayer and financially! Thanks everyone so much. God is providing in awesome ways (through all of you!). I will be making phone calls to everyone soon, just gotta find some time!

Keep praying for me! (And email any prayer requests you may have also; mike@willowlake.ca)

Word.

What is your greatest fear?

Today was a long day. Very long, like 11.5 hours long (with three hours of Willowlake work yet ahead of me). But it was exciting, fun, and. . . kind of sad. We had around 30 kids again today. With only seven jobs lined up today that meant that 14 kids could go out and work while the rest stayed behind with me in the church and hung out. Some played Xbox games, others went online and chatted with friends on MSN, and some others just sat around talking amongst themselves.

I went and sat with two boys who I hadn't met before and tried to talk to them a bit. They were somewhat quiet so I grabbed a card game to try and break the ice. This deck of cards has six questions on each card; you roll a dice (di I guess?) and whatever number you roll, the other person then asks you the appropriate question from the card drawn.

So we played the game.

On one roll, "J" rolled a six. I asked question number six. What is your greatest fear? He didn't have an answer at first. "I don't know" he said a couple times, and then asked "what does that mean?" I responded "just, what are you most afraid of?" I'm thinking something along the lines of getting old, or death. The standard greatest fears, right?

His answer. . .

"My brother drunk."

What happens when his brother gets drunk? What does "J" go through every time his brother gets drunk?

A lot of these kids are dirty. They're rowdy too, but timid at the same time. And a lot of them have bruises and scrapes and scars. Most of all they have fears.

Finally some fun!

Today was the first day for the kids to come. Sadly, they were only there for about half an hour as we did an "orientation" of the program, giving them the low-down on how things work and what they should expect. I didn't count, but I would say around 35 kids showed up. For the most part they seem like a great group of kids; possibly some trouble makers, but that's why I'm there in the first place!

There should be more kids on-hand tomorrow, as those who came last year didn't have to attend today. They'll actually go out to different jobs tomorrow. We only have 10 jobs lined up for them, and at 2 kids per job, that will leave plenty of others left around to hang out with and get to know.

I'm getting anxious as the last 2 weeks have been spent doing prep and haven't seen any kids. I'm busy praying for the car thieves and drug addicts/dealers, gang members (or "wannabes") show up-- seriously!

Peace

Something

Blah. My brain is mush right now and the kids haven't even started to come yet! My co-workers and I have been busy getting the word out on the program, doing prep work in the office, and fixing up the "workforce room" a bit with some fresh paint. Wednesday is the info session for the kids that are interested and then Thursday we put them to work after school! The boss says to expect around 60 kids. . . hmmm, what have I gotten myself into?

Life is really busy. Work 8 hours at YFC, come home and work at least an hour or two for some Willowlake stuff, if not more, and clean the dental office (which I live above, for free!) a couple times a week, then I fall asleep and do it again. I believe I have a girlfriend too, though I barely get to see her now (this makes me sad).

Anyways, it's late at night and I'm actually awake so I thought I should update this. Stay tuned next week when the real excitement starts. I'm hoping to make some lasting relationships with some of these kids. So, if you haven't started yet, get praying, fool!

Peace

IP in public

So yesterday I was waiting outside the church for my supervisor and the cutest little native boy that you've ever seen comes up talking to me. He was about five years old, and had dirty clothes and face like all five year old boys should be in the summer time. He spoke with a lisp, and was asking me if "you guyses having a swimming pool again this yeaw?" I had no clue what he was talking about, haha. But seriously, one of the cutest kids I've met in a long time. Then I saw them...

Somebody had tattooed two blue strips on him, and in between them were the letters "IP". That's Indian Posse for those that don't know; they're the gang that seems to be the most visible in the area. So, who the heck tattoos a little boy to show he's property of a gang?

I'm beginning to see why I'm here for this summer; working with teens who hopefully realize that they're the property of the real OGs (Original Gangsters) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Word.

First Day!

So I'm sitting in the office (not my office though, I think the hallway will be mine!) and decided to sneak online quick. So far everything has been going really well. I spent the morning in a prayer meeting with North End ministers praying for the area, then took a quick tour of the area that I will be working in to get a feel for the businesses and people I will be surrounded by for the next three and a half months.

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement during this HUGE leap of faith for me. Also, thanks to those who are able to support me financially; support has already started to trickle in and it is a huge blessing! No worries if you are unable to help financially; prayer is what really matters, eh?

Peace

Got it!

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't been quite sure about what was happening with my position! YFC had applied for a government grant which would pay for a portion of my wage and we've been patiently waiting to hear if we received the grant or not. Originally I was supposed to have started work on May 5th, then it was pushed back to May 8th; if I started work before the decision was made on the grant I would then be disqualified from the grant all together. That's government for ya! :)

Well word came in late last night that we have received the grant! So this is good news, I now only have to raise a portion of my summer salary in comparison to 100% of it. The catch is they (government) don't want me to start until May 20th. So I will have had a complete month off of school by the time I get working. That, itself, is not such a bad thing actually.

This past year of school and starting a job at Willowlake Baptist Church certainly did prove stressful and left me somewhat "burnt-out." So though it may have been difficult waiting to hear final word on the grant, and I certainly would like to start getting money in my pocket, I can see God's hand at work, providing me both with the grant, and time to refresh my body and mind and re-focus on Him.

Can't wait to get to work and see how the Lord provides for me and the young people I'll be working with this summer!

First post of the summer

Well, it is now my second full day of summer vacation. I was almost at a loss yesterday, unsure of what to do with myself. There were no assignments to complete last second, no essays to stay up until 5 a.m. finishing, no classes to rush into 10 minutes late; just time to relax (it was weird). I also have time again to really pray and focus on God. Isn't it horrible, that at a Christian university, I can be so distracted by schoolwork that I force God to the backburner in ways; I suspect it is the same for many students. I look forward to really connecting again and seeking after the Lord; today will be a day of quiet and prayer.

The summer that lays before me is one of excitement and a little bit of anxiety. I will be working with Youth For Christ's Work Force program in Winnipeg's North End community. The area is plagued by crime and violence and at times the news stations seem all to happy to remind us about the fact. But the kids in the area are just like any others; they have hopes & dreams, potential & promise. I look forward to seeing how God will stretch my faith and transform me while working with these "at risk" youth.

My prayer today is that my mind and body will be restored and I will be prepared to be the light Christ asks us all to be.

Eph 5:1-2
Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him. NLT
Eph 5:8-14 8 For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But when the light shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these things are. 14 And where your light shines, it will expose their evil deeds. This is why it is said,
"Awake, O sleeper,rise up from the dead,and Christ will give you light."
NLT