The Lives They Lead

 

“Yeah I get white girl wasted with my mom all the time” 

“When was the first time?”

“10”

Everyone paused and went quiet after she answered me. Something that started as funny to her friends quickly became something else. There was this mutual understanding that there was something off about what she had said. It reminded me of when CS Lewis talks in ‘Mere Christianity’ about inherently knowing when something is right or wrong. It’s hard to explain but you know it when you see it- and in that moment her friends knew. Moments just like this are happening multiple times per week.

“I was up till 2 last night...drinking. Mom was gone probably doing the same, she’s never around anyways”

“How come you feel like you need that?

“People are jumped here everyday...everyone’s carrying a knife of some kind”

“He tore the house apart...we slept downstairs with the door locked”

These are all Grade 9 Langley youth.

Friends and Family,

This has been one of my favourite fall starts in a long time. The opportunity to partner with a church to help facilitate a mobile drop-in during lunch and after school is a gift. Within the past two months, it’s already growing and changing. Quite honestly, I’ve found it refreshing- diving into this demographic once again has helped me to realize how deeply I’ve been involved in mental health ministry with our young people over the last few years. It is definitely a rougher crowd and those that usually show up are those that the high school down the street would rather not have at school- which to me sounds like this is just the place we need to be.

I’m not short of opportunities this fall, it seems like every week I am getting contacted by schools or people in the community who are wanting to partner or connect me with a young person. So please join me in praying for these young people. Pray for safety for everyone involved. Pray for the church staff that are so willing to open their doors and create a safe space for these youth. Pray for me for wisdom and discernment as I navigate the direction God is leading us. Pray for the right people to come alongside as staff or volunteers. Funny as it may sound too, pray with me for a truck- it’s one of the last ingredients we need to start pulling the trailer around for this mobile drop-in.

Thanks so much for your partnership, support, and being in my corner as I navigate these waters.

- Jon Pue