Walter Stacey is a high schooler who has attended 71Five Campus in Eagle Point for many years. He is very outgoing, friendly to everyone, and is proud to have the self-given title of “Campus Mascot.” One evening I got a call from Walter’s coworker saying, ‘“Please come right away. Walter is having a major anxiety attack and he said he needed you.” I dropped what I was doing and drove to his work which was thankfully only 5 minutes away. When I got there, I realized just how severe Walter’s anxiety attack was. He was lying on the bathroom floor and was shaking and sweating. His voice was weak as he asked me to help him up and to my car. After he calmed down and could speak, I asked him if he wanted to talk about what was going on, but he couldn’t. He thanked me a lot for being there and it really blessed me to know he trusted me enough to contact me knowing I would help him.

 

It’s times like these that show how much these kids need mentors in their lives. Adults who care, who kids know they can trust. Because of you, I was able to go be with Walter and build a trusting relationship that brings him one step closer to hope. Thank you!  PETER KUHL   71Five Campus Coordinator – Eagle Point   (541) 779-3275   peter@71Five.org

 

I was heading out the other day to pick up lunch when I saw a young boy on a scooter and another on a bike careen into our parking lot here at the City Life Community Center. Mason and Kaylow, whom I haven’t seen since Covid-19 shut everything down in the spring. Because there was no Club scheduled that day, I turned around and came back to see them. Mason came running up to me with a big grin on his face. “We came over because this is a good place to catch Pokemon!” Kaylow nodded and held up his phone. I got the boys a snack, tightened the training wheels on Kaylow’s bike and sat with the boys for a while. Kaylow told me about all the Pokemon he’s caught, and Mason said he wishes he could come here every day… So do I, Mason. So do I.

 

Kids come to 71Five City for a whole bunch of reasons. Catching Pokemon is a new one to me, but I am glad for any reason that brings them here. I think Mason and Kaylow would agree. These boys left with a feeling of belonging, a full stomach and even some safer training wheels. More importantly— they left with a little more trust that leads to hope. MICHAEL COOKE   71Five City Coordinator   (541) 779-3275   michael@71Five.org

 

Samantha has been coming to club for a couple of years now. She’s had her struggles but recently she started projecting her frustrations towards me.

Samantha would make disrespectful comments, blame me for things, and has started being rebellious. Building trust takes time and Samantha wasn’t ready to open up about what was going on. One night at club, Samantha decided to argue during the lesson. Afterward, she pulled me aside and apologized for the way she’d been treating me. She said her family is going through a lot right now. You see, Samantha came home the week before to find her mom passed out from drinking too much, had gotten sick and let’s just say she was a mess. Not only did Samantha have to care for her mother and clean her up… she had to be the adult. To top it all off, because of these circumstances, they were given a 10-day eviction notice.

 

Now you may be thinking this scenario is rare but the fact is, these situations are very common in the daily lives of many youth in our community. Samantha’s family is currently living in a motel with nowhere to go and very little hope. So are many other families just like hers. But, Samantha learns about the hope found only through Jesus Christ when we share the gospel at 71Five and the impact Samantha has on her family by bringing that hope home is priceless. Thank you for making this possible! FARRAH GUTHRIE   71Five Campus Coordinator- Grants Pass   (541) 779-3275   farrah@71Five.org

 

 

Jennica lights up a room. She’s charismatic, funny, sensitive, and loving… She’s also an addict. For five years we’ve watched her overcome many challenges, and unfortunately, we’ve also seen her deeply struggle with addiction. Two weeks ago she contacted her mentor, reaching out for help during what she described as “rock bottom”. Jennica had lost custody of her son, was being evicted from her home, and had taken her addiction to a new level. We knew she needed more help than we could give so we set up an over-the-phone intake call with an addiction recovery program and met her at her home the day of the appointment. In the wake of COVID19 restrictions, the addiction specialist informed us there were no in-patient facilities available. It was heartbreaking to think about Jennica without the tangible help she needed. As I prayed, I watched a miracle of hope unfold between Jennica and her mentor, Anita. Anita asked Jennica to look into her eyes. Hesitantly, she obeyed and Anita told her she loved her. Jennica tried to look away, but Anita held her gaze and said, “repeat back to me that you know I love you.” Jennica began crying, but again followed her trusted friends’ instructions. Then Anita said, “Jesus loves you too.” Jennica looked away again, but Anita persisted and repeated her request. “Repeat back to me that you know Jesus loves you.” Jennica looked up and said, “I know Jesus loves me.”

 

We do not yet know the end of Jennica’s story, but we do know the One who authors it and we can be confident Jennica now knows who she can call in her struggle… Anita and Jesus. We also know that the greatest gift we can give to Jennica is the the love of Christ, who has the power to break all chains and heal all hearts. He is revealing Himself through the love and friendship of 71Five mentors, which is only possible because of you. Please pray with us as we watch and wait, with the hope of Christ, for the day that Jennica sees the restoration of all things in her life. If you would like more information on how you can be involved in the 71Five Parents ministry, contact Missy at missy@71five.org  MISSY GETSINGER   71Five Parents Coordinator   (541) 779-3275   missy@71Five.org

 

“Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.” Psalm 71:5 ICB

John and his brother consistently come to 71Five Campus. We’ve found out they come from a broken home. They have moved around a lot and don’t have a consistent father figure in their lives. During one of our Friday night clubs, John and his brother got into an argument. John already seemed to be a little off this particular night and this pushed him over the edge. He picked up his backpack and left the youth center. As I stepped outside to talk to him, he was nowhere in sight. I called for him and soon everyone else was calling for him too. After a couple of minutes, John came walking from around the corner. I was so relieved to see him. My husband, Tyler, went up to him privately and asked, “Are you okay?” and John said, “Yeah, I’m fine.” Tyler looked him in the eyes and said, “You seriously scared us John… never do that again!” John nodded, but a reluctant smile peeked through. He scared us because we care about him, and he felt it in Tyler’s words. Incidents like this build trust. Young people learn we are here for them not because we have to be but because we sincerely care about and value them.

 

71Five Campus gives us the opportunity to build trusting relationships with kids like John. Through caring relationships, young people can come to know Jesus and His unconditional love. These opportunities exist because you give, pray and volunteer – thank you! MELANIE CIENFUEGOS  71Five Campus Coordinator – Phoenix /Talent  (541) 779-3275  melanie@71Five.org

 

 

Sunday, right before church I received a call, “I got drunk last night and didn’t come home, now I’m on the run.” Bummer… “Where are you?” I asked. “On the corner of such and such…” To which I replied, “I’m on my way!” My friendship with this young man began in detention 3 ½ years ago. We built trust during his time there and I followed him through the system at various programs and eventually prison. When he was released, we grew even closer as he plugged into 71Five Justice’s Break the Cycle bike program, and he rode with us twice a week. A trusting relationship is key. Sticking with him through the ins and outs, the ups and downs, a foundation of trust was built.

When he trusted me enough to meet up, it led to him turning himself in to law enforcement and getting back on track. You make the vital work of building trusting relationships and standing in the gap a reality. Thank you!! BEAU JESKA  71Five Justice Coordinator  (541) 779.3275  beau@71Five.org

 

Last night, Jonathan, one the high school boys at the 71Five Campus Monday Night Club came up to me after our group talk on who Jesus is and his kingship. He asked me, “Is God ok with the death penalty?” I did my best to answer his question and follow up questions. It probably wasn’t the most life changing encounter, but overall, it’s been a pattern of our relationship. I’ve known Jonathan for years now and we have a trusting relationship where he feels free to ask questions about God or anything else. Jonathan is learning about God and getting answers from someone who knows the Bible and has a relationship with Jesus. That’s something that most kids don’t get in our culture today.

 

Thank you for making authentic trusting relationships like these possible. Through caring adults, kids like Jonathan are coming to know Jesus because people like you give, pray, and volunteer. If you’d like to get involved, call us at (541) 779-3275 or visit www.71Five.org. TIM HARDY   71Five Campus Ministry Director and 71Five Campus – North Medford Coordinator   (541) 779-3275   tim@71Five.org

 

I heard this story the other day… Joey had only met Melanie, our Phoenix Area Coordinator in person once but had connected through online club. He’s also been playing the online game ‘Fortnite’ with Melanie and her husband. One afternoon Joey reached out to them and asked, “Would you be willing to spend a couple hours with me tomorrow to play Fortnite? It’s my birthday and I have no one to spend it with.” You see, Joey has already faced a lot of challenges in life, but because of COVID-19 his big birthday plans fell to nothing; No party, no friends or family were going to celebrate Joey. This isn’t a huge tragedy, but it clearly reveals what kids are facing. They’re struggling everyday with the ‘necessary injustice’ of social distancing. For their safety they’ve had relationships, activities, freedom, fun, and even birthday parties taken from them. They know it’s for their good, but they still feel the sadness and anger… Isolation and loss is difficult for adults to handle, let alone kids.

This is where you step in. You have provided trusting relationships that lead to hope. You provide someone to share the moment, someone to share the hurt and someone to share a path to hope. Thank you for providing the someone!!… If you’d like to be the someone… Come join 71Five and call (5410 779-3275 or go online at 71Five.org BUD AMUNDSEN   71Five Executive Director   (541) 779-3275   bud@71Five.org

 

Derek came to 71Five Mentors as an 11-year-old with a shattered spirit. He comes from a broken home impacted by divorce and a severe accident that left his only parent permanently disabled. Derek’s never had a male role model in his life to encourage him, pray for him, guide him and tell him he’s valued. Derek is very shy, withdrawn and lacks self-confidence all of which reflects in his introverted nature. Since his involvement in the 71Five Mentors program, Derek has been successfully matched with a mentor who has taken him under his wing and fully invited him into his own life. Less than a year into their mentoring relationship, Derek has shown great improvement in different areas of his life. He’s more engaged and open to sharing about himself, he attends a praise & worship group with his mentor and has even taken up sports at school, which is a big deal for him!

 

To God, we are all valuable (Luke 12: 6-7) and God is working through Derek’s mentor to shine His love in Derek’s life. Having a mentor in a young person’s life is proven to increase their chances of making better decisions and in turn having a more positive future. For Derek, having his mentor show him that he’s valued through actions rather than just words is monumental, and it shows from the growth we’ve seen in him. Thank you for being a part of 71Five and showing the youth we serve how valued they truly are. DARLENE HARPER  71Five Mentors Coordinator  (541) 779.3275  darlene@71Five.org