spring2015_newsletter - Young Life, North Central Texas
Transcription
spring2015_newsletter - Young Life, North Central Texas
Snow Days and Smiley Faces Mentors make a difference in the lives of teen moms. The snow and ice in February meant that not only were schools closed, but many Young Life clubs had to be cancelled. Madeline Garcia leads YoungLives in Fair Park and was disappointed when she had to postpone club because of weather. However, she used the opportunity to text girls and ask how they were doing. Soon, a teen mom named Claudia opened up about parenting and boy troubles. “In Young Life we talk about earning the right to be heard which can be a painful and sometimes frustrating process watching students fall into the same patterns and heartache,” said Madeline. “But patience and prayer pay off!” Claudia dropped out of high school over a year ago when YoungLives girls from across the region enjoyed a Friday night out playing being a mother and a student seemed impossible. Then she and bunco with their mentors. her son Jordan went to YoungLives camp last summer, and Madeline encouraged her to go back to school. Because of the love and support of her YoungLives mentor, Claudia will graduate soon but still finds herself struggling. So on that cold day, she asked for Madeline’s advice. “During our conversation, I was able to point her to Scripture and remind her that there is only one guy who will never disappoint us – Jesus,” said Madeline. Claudia responded with one more text, followed by several smiley faces: “I love you Madeline. You always make me feel better!” Madeline is one of many YoungLives mentors across North Central Texas making a difference in not just one generation, but two. For more information about YoungLives, contact Anita Vantreese at vanta11@hotmail.com. YoungLives Camp: Childcare Workers Needed This summer, teen moms and their babies from 17 different areas in this region will go to YoungLives camp where they will enjoy an amazing week as they hear and experience the Gospel. To make this possible, individuals and groups are needed to spend a week at camp caring for the babies. This is a great opportunity for mothers and teenage daughters, adult Sunday school classes, college students and others looking for a short-term mission trip opportunity right here in Texas. Childcare workers are needed at Camp Buckner in Burnett, Texas the weeks of June 6-12 and June 13-19. For more information, contact Anita Vantreese at vanta11@hotmail.com. Ready for the Best Week of Their Lives Pray that 3,400 kids and leaders will go to camp this summer. JUNE Beyond Malibu | British Columbia | Young Life Keller Camp Buckner | Texas | WyldLife Argyle, Denton, East Dallas County, Fair Park*, Fort Worth, North Dallas, Oak Cliff*, Richardson, Southwest Dallas County*, West Dallas* Camp Buckner | Texas | YoungLives Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Denton, East Dallas County, Fair Park*, Fort Worth, Grapevine/Colleyville, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, Lewisville/Flower Mound, North Dallas, Oak Cliff*, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall County, South Carrollton* Carolina Point | North Carolina | Young Life Arlington, East Dallas County, Mansfield, McKinney, Melissa Crooked Creek Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Coppell/Valley Ranch, Lewisville/Flower Mound Frontier Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Allen, Carrollton, Fair Park*, Fort Worth, Highland Park, North Dallas, Plano, Richardson SharpTop Cove | Georgia | Young Life Frisco Southwind | Florida | Capernaum Highland Park Southwind | Florida | WyldLife South Oak Cliff WyldLife* Wilderness Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Grapevine/Colleyville JULY Beyond Malibu | British Columbia | Young Life Frisco Camp Buckner | Texas | WyldLife Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Coppell/Valley Ranch, Frisco, Lake Highlands, Lewisville/Flower Mound, Mansfield, Plano, South Carrollton* Carolina Point | North Carolina | Capernaum Allen, North Texas Capernaum Carolina Point | North Carolina | Young Life HEB Crooked Creek Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Northwest, Richardson Frontier Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Aledo, Grapevine/Colleyville, Highland Park, Lake Highlands, Plano Malibu Club | British Columbia | Young Life Fort Worth SharpTop Cove | Georgia | Young Life Forney, Fort Worth, Joshua, Mesquite Wilderness Ranch | Colorado | Young Life Arlington | Lake Highlands | Plano | Richardson Windy Gap | North Carolina | Young Life Oak Cliff*, Rockwall County, South Carrollton*, Southwest Dallas County*, West Dallas* MAKE A GIFT *help 700 kids from the inner-city go to camp northcentraltexas.younglife.org Along for the Ride 750 middle school kids enjoy the WyldLife Bus Tour If you were at the Dallas Mavericks game on January 23 and looked to the upper decks, you might have noticed 750 middle school kids in matching T-shirts. They came with their WyldLife leaders from across the Metroplex for a night of unbelievable adventure and fun. At the end of the basketball game, every kid headed to the court and got to take a shot on the goal. Then they climbed back on school buses and the around-town adventures continued: Jump Street, pizza and WyldLife club where they heard about the God who loves them more than they can imagine. Next stop? Main Event for late night/early morning bowling, laser tag, putt-putt golf, video games (and maybe a few unintended naps.) After more than 12 hours of crazy fun, kids got back on their buses and headed for home - ready to dream about the life to the full they experienced and that Jesus offers them. Kids from Oak Cliff joined 700 other middle school kids from across North Central Texas for the annual WyldLife Bus Tour. northcentraltexas.younglife.org North Central Texas Region 11300 N. Central Expwy, Suite 600 Dallas, TX 75243 young life 2X18 #doubleupYL north central texas region SPRING 2015 northcentraltexas.younglife.org Out there in the world of kids, meeting them where they are, accepting them as they are, with a vision for who they can become Going Where Kids Are One YL leader returns to his old stomping grounds to meet kids. Sometimes you’ll find Young Life leaders in the school cafeteria, and other times you’ll find them at... wrestling practice. For almost 75 years, Young Life leaders have been going where kids are and building relationships with them to earn the right to talk about life and faith in ways that kids can understand. As a student at Adamson High School, Jorge Rodriguez got involved in Young Life and competed on the wrestling team. Now as a Young Life leader at his alma mater, Jorge is using his wrestling experience to meet new kids and point them to Christ. Before club one Monday evening, Jorge went to visit his former wrestling coach. While there, Jorge met the kids on the team, and at the end of practice, he told them about Young Life. Because of that invitation from a leader who showed interest in them, a new group of students never before involved in Young Life began coming to club with Jorge after wrestling practice each week. Already, three of these kids from the wrestling team are signed up to go to camp this summer. One week after club, a boy on the wrestling team named Adrian stopped Andy Gutierrez, the area director for Young Life in Oak Cliff. He told Andy how excited he was to be at his first Young Life club. He felt like Young Life was exactly where he needed to be that night. “Adrian told me he had just quit using drugs and really needed encouragement,” said Andy. “He felt like Young Life was exactly where he needed to be that night.” Adrian has stayed involved in Young Life this spring, and Jorge and Andy are hopeful he will go to camp this summer along with his fellow wrestlers. Eighty kids and leaders from Adamson High School, Molina High School and Sunset High School will spend a week at Windy Gap, a Young Life camp in North Carolina. For more information about Young Life in Oak Cliff, contact Andy Gutierrez at agutierrez.yl@gmail.com. Young Life, North Central Texas Region 11300 N. Central Expwy, Suite 600, Dallas, TX 75243 214.265.1505