Dear Partners:

 

As Rachel is on Sabbatical, we've chosen some archived newsletters to share with you...we're taking a step back into the past of this ministry. We hope you enjoy reading about what God has done.

 

THEN...

 

Quality Time (From the November 2008 newsletter)

 

"As we wait for the gym's repairs from the break in to be finished, we are currently having the Teen Ministry in my apartment. The last time we met, we had a pizza party and game night. The kids had a blast! My apartment is VERY small, so we squeezed in 14 of us like sardines. I haven't ever seen these teens as excited and hyper as they were that night. One of the toughest teen girls in JDS opened up and told me, 'I would rather be here than at home, it's so boring there.' It was so nice to just have fun with them and hear lots of laughs."

 

NOW...

Champions

What began as "Teen Ministry" held outside in Lincoln Park (with temporary homes in the old Lincoln High School and Rachel's apartment), has grown into Champions--averaging 22 teenagers. We now enjoy the safe environment of the Mary Brown Center, with full use of their kitchen and gymnasium. Six volunteers work together to serve the teens pizza and snacks, watch them play basketball, play board games with them, help them create art projects and form trusting relationships with them. The teens are able to let their guards down, be themselves and have fun. We have countless occasions to be a friend to these teenagers--to share a hug, to pray with them, to speak hope into their dreams, to laugh. These opportunities would not have been possible without you--your giving, your prayers, your encouragement--THANK YOU!

 

 

THEN...

Like Little Birds (From the October 2008 newsletter)

"Each Wednesday that I make hamburgers for the guys (ages 18-25), their walls seem to be coming down a little bit at a time. Each week, the distance between my apartment and their group keeps getting shorter and shorter, literally. This is the progression I have seen, and they are quite fun to watch:

4 months ago- Guys wouldn't come near my door
3 months ago- Reminded them each week, yet hardly any guys came by
2 months ago- Had a regular group who ate each week, but I went to them
2 weeks ago- They sat closer than usual when eating their hamburgers
1 week ago- They came to my door to double check about the hamburgers--one guy ate his burger on my porch and the others stood closer than ever before

 

As they slowly move closer to my apartment, they remind me of little birds, flocking to where the food is."

 

NOW...

 

Sons

 

Unofficially known as Sons, our Wednesday lunch program for the guys has also transformed. From Rachel's porch in John DeShields (JDS) to a temporary home under a tree in a busy part of the neighborhood, God moved us into the JDS Community Center. In the warmer months, we grill hamburgers outside. In the colder months, we cook a hot meal and serve the young men inside. These "hardened" guys, who wouldn't even come near Rachel's door, now walk a couple of blocks away from their "street life" to come spend an hour with us! You might think they're just coming for the hot meal, but they actually hang out with us, play board games with us, and help us set up and tear down. Every time we meet for lunch, we have an opportunity to encourage these guys, plant seeds of hope in them, or pray for them. God is drawing in these Sons to Him with his LOVE-thank you for all you do that allows us to be a part of what He is doing here on the streets of East St. Louis.