This is the 40th time I’ve written this quarterly newsletter. Our first was December 2008! Over the years, more than 5,000 clients have helped us learn exactly who God shaped us to be.
I was speaking with Bam this past week. I knew him 15 years ago when I first started volunteering with homeless young adults. "I didn't know what to do about you,” he recalled. “You just showed up. And you didn't go away like so many other people in my life." Bam now manages 11 local fast food restaurants. "It took me about a year to decide to trust you,” he said. “You would just come alongside and get involved. But you always wanted to help."
I couldn't have been more surprised when Bam called me up many years ago to share that he had become a Christian, let go of his anger issues and ended his criminal and drug involvement. I am very proud of him. As I showed him around the Drop-in this past week, he remarked, "It's so easy here to see what you care about. You care about us."
Over the 10 years, I have struggled with identity, personally and as a ministry. We thrive, I think, because that identity is deeply rooted in God's calling to serve street-dependent young adults, and because we are clear about what we do and what we don't do. We want to see our clients become more stable and more sober, to reconnect with God and find a faith home.
I was chatting on Facebook with another client this week. Justine was no more than 18 when we served her a few years ago. She loved drugs and was highly unpredictable. She traveled around but would come visit us, sometimes a few days and sometimes a few months. She participated in our outreach, our Bible study, our prayer time, as well as just hanging out and talking. "I'm sober now,” she wrote me. “I had to straighten up for my child ... a beautiful baby girl 9 months old. I just wanted to let you know." She continued, "Things are about to fall apart. I've separated from my husband, but we're working on it. I live with my brother and go to church. I'll make it." So now we are praying for her.
We're real, relevant and fun. These three things provide a unique way of helping, letting clients know why we care, and letting them know we believe in them.
I had a tough conversation this week with Marty. He got into two fights inside our space this past week, and he broke some things. "So what was going on with you?" I asked. He pointed the finger at others but then asked, "So, can I come in now?" I shook my head. "I'll be happy to get you anything you need and bring it out here, but until you can own some responsibility for what happened, I'll have to say no." He left angry. He's got a mega-chip on his shoulder from a pretty rough upbringing. He's up and down with drugs. But he wants better and he tells us about it. We know he'll get there. We're praying for the chance to continue our discussion. We know he can turn into a Bam or a Justine in time, discovering his own story of healing and restoration.
We will be trustworthy for Marty. It means being tough at times but consistent. We will be inspiring. We know he can overcome all of this with help from God. We will be empowering. We won't tell him what he needs but will wait patiently and support him as he finds his way. And we will continue to find new and fresh ways to engage with Marty so that the conversation continues.
In ten years we have grown to become a great team doing amazing things. We have four wonderful associate missionaries and Drop-in workers dedicated to being present for our clients. We have two interns. We have 275 supporters. We have hundreds more volunteers, a thousand prayer warriors, and many thousands of readers and followers. Thank you for being a part of this ministry for Bam and Justine and Marty! I pray you have a very joyous and meaningful Christmas!
Terry Cole
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