Ending Well

“This place is pretty awesome,” she said to the new boy sitting beside her at our Wednesday programs. It was his first week and he had just moved to the area. His guardian had called me earlier in the week, asking about our programs as she was looking for a place for the boy to come as he was struggling to fit in elsewhere.  Four weeks later he was still attending our programs and had
begun to bring a friend.

Success is a difficult thing to measure in youth work. What success looks like typically depends on the individual. For some, it means making eye contact when they had avoided your eyes before. For others, it means taking a visible step towards a relationship with Jesus. For this boy, it meant coming back a second week because he felt welcome, safe and included.

On May 31st we ran our last Wednesday evening program for the 2016-2017 year. It was loud, it was chaotic, and with 45 youth in attendance (our average is 25-35), our team was consistently moving and engaging in conversation. At the end of the night we were exhausted but our hearts were happy. I would say we ended the school year well. Our program numbers were growing, we had an incredible amount of buy-in for our Art Show and have many amazing pieces to display this year, and many youth took a step towards a relationship with Jesus through our Spiritual Life program.

In summer, things slow down but we pray that the progress in these youth’s lives will not stop. A lot of my co-workers will be engaging youth in one-on-ones throughout the summer months. I am currently actively planning our 2017 Art Show fundraiser in which we put on a silent auction for the art pieces that students and staff have submitted. All proceeds from the event support our programs, as well as the youth artist, and give the community a better idea about what it is that we do.

If you pray, I ask that you keep us in your prayers over the summer. Pray for our Art Show coming up on June 17th from noon until 3pm. Pray that it will be highly attended and that we will be blown away by the support we receive. Pray for our students who are transitioning out of a normal routine and into an unscheduled summer. For some, summer is not met with excitement as it means losing the stability they had throughout the school year. Also, please pray for our staff who will be engaging in various activities this summer. Many will be involved in a high school transition program, designed for students entering high school that are targeted as needing extra help with the transition. Most of us will also be taking time off to rest and be with family. Pray that the summer will help us feel refreshed and give us the space we need to plan ahead and glean from God what He desires for us and the youth in Langley.

Thank you for walking alongside me in this journey with Youth Unlimited. I also wish you a summer filled with family, friends, sunshine and some rest.

- Megan Adam