"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!!!