Dear Family,
As spring approached and the snow began to melt, my neighborhood got restless. This desire for all things
warm was misplaced, and just as the snow thawed, so did old vendettas. Within a week’s time there was a
hostage situation, three people shot by a SWAT team, a man walking down the street firing a gun, and a car
fire. I have no words to express the hurt my heart felt that week. I saw men and women living as if their
only hope was to repay a wrong done or to be the biggest tough guy on the block. “Tough Guy” is not an
appropriate title to be seeking. Whatever happened to words like leader, student, smart, humble, servant,
meek, or patient?
I will tell you what has happened to those words in my community. Although they may not be glorified, they
are exemplified in a group of teens who hang out together. Every Monday night at Celebration! these teens
encourage one another, challenge each other, and act in service toward each other. Celebration! teens are
learning that Jesus is the path to peace, the ultimate authority, and the only One whose opinion matters. They
struggle and have bad days, but overall they are in love with the God whose values are different from those in
their neighborhood.
Celebration! has a huge place in my heart, not just because I see what the Lord is doing but also because the
leadership of this event has been handed over to me. In a very loose sense I am the “youth pastor.” I have
been given the opportunity to serve in this leadership role and am excited to see what God has planned. I am
also very nervous because this is a real role. I have had to create a budget; I will be organizing and
supervising trips and training young leaders. Scary! And yet, I am overwhelmed by the support I have from
my teammates and the vision the Lord has placed in my heart.
Please know that I did not tell you the serious details of my community for you to worry or to question my
parents as to why I live here. I share this with you so you can pray. Pray for me in this new role with its
ups and downs, excitement, and adventure. Pray for the peace that only comes from God and for these teens
to impact our community for the Kingdom.
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