Stephen is not the quiet kid… For a fourth grader, his presence fills a room quickly. From his clunky foot steps to his voice that projects into every corner, you know immediately when he is around. Stephen lives with his emotional and developmental challenges. He has no connection with his biological father and earlier this year his step-dad passed away suddenly. Stephen is also a precious child of God. In our Elementary Club, he’s the first one to raise his hand when asked if anyone would like to pray. He’s the kid who talks to all the other kids, leaving no one out and making new kids feel welcome.

 

Stephen’s heart is open to hear about the love God has for him. His heart is eager for connection and encouragement through trusting relationships. He’s also on the list to receive a mentor but the program needs more mentors. Would you pray for Stephen? Pray for a godly man to serve as a mentor for him. Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Here’s a kid who’s ready… who will disciple this one? Contact me if you would like to know more about becoming a mentor at misty@71Five.org or (541) 779-3275. Your involvement brings trust that leads to hope. MISTY DUKE 71Five Mentors Director (541) 779.3275 misty@71Five.org

 

Hope… a single syllable that says a lot yet for too many kids it is a concept they can’t grasp. At Youth 71Five we regularly teach the critical truth of God’s love and grace found through Jesus Christ… What about the kid who has no skills or vision for a real living wage career? 71Five VoTech exists to impart the basic skills, vision, and hope young men and women need to transition into healthy adult life. This is the kind of guidance that should come from dad or mom but too many kids don’t have healthy parents, but VoTech has stepped in! In the last few months Mike and David have been learning to weld while Luke is learning to bend sheet metal, others are becoming carpenters and learning mechanics. I should mention Mike and David are in a residential treatment program and Luke is on probation but, not long ago, they were all locked up and couldn’t see a path to a hopeful future. This is 71Five VoTech and it is one more way lives are being changed with the hope of Jesus Christ lived out in daily life. If you have a skill to share we would really like to talk with you. Please call 779-3275 or email office@71Five.org and let’s connect. Youth 71Five… providing trust that leads to hope! MATT SWEENEY 71Five VoTech Ministry Coordinator (541) 779-3275 matt@71Five.org

 

NewsWatch 12 KDRV.com Video: 71Five VoTech giving young adults a second chance1

 

You can make a profound difference in the life of a young person by just being dependable. I’m heartbroken at the number of young people we work with who don’t have a single dependable caring adult who loves God, in their life. I was recently reminded of the profound difference one dependable volunteer can make in the life of a young person. Justin started coming to the Eagle Point 71Five Campus Center when he was in fourth grade. One of our volunteers Trevor VanHee has volunteered with us for about five years and in that time has made a profound difference in Justin’s life. Trevor not only built a relationship with Justin by helping at the Center but he also spent the time to be Justin’s counselor at middle school camp. It was at this camp Justin gave his life to Jesus. I’m convinced it was because Trevor had spent years proving himself to be a dependable caring adult and showed Justin the hope found in Jesus.

 

You too can make a profound difference in the life of a young person. Contact us if you’d like to volunteer at the Youth Center or at Camp… And pray for changed lives during our Middle School Camp in just a few short weeks. Your involvement brings trust that leads to hope for kids like Justin. ROBERT MILTON 71Five Campus Area Director & Ministry Coordinator (541) 779-3275 robert@71Five.org

 

Have you ever been stopped in your tracks and know it’s from the Lord? On the Friday before Mother’s Day, we honored moms at our Family Fun Night showing the movie: ‘Mars needs Mom’s.’ There’s a mom who comes from a very dangerous situation who brings her young son. In the middle of the movie, the boy suddenly walked out. I followed him outside and tried my best to convince him to come back inside. He was very angry for what seemed to be no reason. I first asked nicely, then with a bit more explanation and finally, I thought, I’ll just demand he go inside. That’s when it happened… As if Jesus stood between me and the boy, put his hand on my chest and said, “Stop! Larry, he’s hurting.” Wow, my heart changed, and my head cleared. I walked over and sat next to him, leaned in and whispered, “Are you okay?” He went from anger to sorrow and wept so hard he couldn’t breathe. “What’s up buddy?” He said, “I miss my dad and haven’t seen him for 1 year and 5 months.” I told him that I understood because I miss my dad too. I asked him, “Would you like to pray?” He said, “No… I’m not ready yet.” After a few moments in silence, he caught his breath, wiped his tears, and we quietly went inside… met by a hug from his waiting mom.

 

We ended the evening with a message about the sacrificial love of mothers, even when we do stupid things or make bad choices and how Jesus’ love for us is even greater. Your involvement brings trust that leads to hope in a place that’s physically, emotionally and spiritually safe. If you’d like to get more involved with 71Five City, please check us out at 71Five.org or call me at (541) 779-3275 and don’t forget to tell your mom you love her, no matter what day it is! LARRY LICATO 71Five City Director (541) 779-3275 larry@71Five.org

 

 

Being the new leader at club can be awkward trying to fit in. For the first couple of weeks, a girl named Julie kept giving me compliments and telling me how excited she was for me to be the new director. Then something changed. She became negative, she wasn’t participating in activities, and on two separate occasions she stuck her hand in my face and said, “I don’t feel like talking right now.” One night she was very rebellious, so I asked her to leave. Within 20 minutes, she was asking to come back and join us. We had a heart to heart conversation, held hands and prayed. When working with youth, we know their behaviors before we know their stories. What I didn’t know about Julie was that her mother passed away when she was young, her father was never in the picture, and her grandmother raised her. The living situation did not go well with grandma, so Julie ended up in foster care, not just one, but many. She stopped attending school, ran away from her last foster care home, and is currently couch surfing.

 

The night we prayed and walked back in together, it strengthened our relationship. She’s been participating in all the activities, keeps a great attitude, and has attended several field trips. Through a trusting relationship Julie has begun to find hope in a place she’s wanted and feels like she belongs. At Youth 71 Five, your involvement brings trust that leads to hope for young people in Grants Pass. FARRAH GUTHRIE 71Five Campus Area Director – Grants Pass (541) 779-3275 farrah@71Five.org

 

 

In most of these stories you receive from us the names are changed to protect people’s privacy but not this time. . . Ellie came to juvenile detention in October 2017. Though her first time in detention, the charges were huge with consequences life changing for many. During the year and a half for her case to move through the system trusting relationships with 71Five staff were built. Today, Ellie resides in a youth correctional facility where she will stay for the next decade or more. After that she will transfer to adult corrections to complete her sentence. With good behavior and God’s blessing, Ellen Friar will walk into freedom about the time she turns 35. In a statement Ellie told how her heart and life have been changed through her introduction to and forgiveness from Jesus Christ. She publicly declared; “it was the 71Five ministry team that introduced me to God.”

 

We are committed to Ellie’s ongoing growth, healing and discipleship. Through her journey many more broken lives will likely be touched by the love of God. From one generation to the next, the Good News brings hope and you provide the bridge of trusting relationships. Thank you! MATT SWEENEY 71Five Connect Director & Ministry Coordinator (541) 779-3275 matt@71Five.org

 

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

At Youth 71Five, I’ve witnessed firsthand how difficult it is for some students to feel like they ‘fit in’. Kids are desperate to understand who they are and where they fit in this world. The truth is… each of us was created to stand out and be unique. That means there’s only one of us in the whole world and when you know the real you, why would you want to be anyone else? This is what I recently shared with Braden, a young boy in middle school. Each week I see how other kids look for him to share his thoughts and opinions during our discussions at the Gold Hill Youth Center. Unfortunately, he’s usually too afraid to share and instead goes along with the crowd. I know he typically has an amazing perspective but he’s afraid to stand out. I took the opportunity to encourage him by saying, “The world needs and values what you think! Be your true self and you’ll attract authentic friends into your life.”

 

Braden is on a journey of discovering his true, authentic self. It’s through these simple caring connections, where seeds are planted that have the power to shape the lives of young people. Your care and loving support make it possible to build amazing relationships like this one. Thank you! JOSHUA LOOMIS 71Five Campus Area Director – Gold Hill (541) 779-3275 joshua@71Five.org

 

We were fairly surprised to see that Rodjanae, 17-year-old mom of Armani, had signed up to attend our very first retreat. Up until this point our connection with her had been limited to high school visits and an occasional group gathering.  The retreat was filled with firsts for us all and we were excited to see how God would use this extended time together. The first event of the weekend was a performance that portrayed the Gospel through theater and dance. It’s difficult to describe the impact it had on our teens but I can say for sure that it was POWERFUL. I was seated next to Rodjanae and as I glanced over at her I could see tears in her eyes. At the end of the performance, the young actors said they’d like to pray with each of our moms and immediately a young woman approached us. When Rodjanae was asked if she would like prayer she responded, “Yes, I want everything I just saw. The freedom. The forgiveness.” And so we prayed together. One teenager being led to the Lord by another. Afterwards I asked Rodjanae what watching the Gospel felt like to her. She said, “It was so beautiful. It inspired me to do better and it made me feel good about myself – that there is more in store for me. It taught me that I still have a chance to turn things around for the best.”

 

Through your love, prayer, and giving… you have provided this opportunity to share the Gospel with Rodjanae and other young parents just like her. If you would like to get involved or hear more about what God is doing at 71Five Parents, contact me at missy@71Five.org. – MISSY GETSINGER 71Five Parents Director (541) 779-3275 missy@71Five.org

 

Since I started working as the area director for Phoenix and Talent, the big goal has been to get into the schools and build relationships with the youth in my communities. I thought that would be a simple and quick process, but I learned I needed to connect with staff before I could volunteer at all. It took some time but as God worked on my patience the connections started rolling in, and now I have invitations to volunteer at Phoenix Elementary, the High School, and Talent Middle School. At the Elementary school, I help with recess. There’s chaos as children run around, yell, laugh, play games, and I get to join the fun. Many kids are excited to have an adult give them special attention – even if it is just in playing a game of soccer – and it isn’t hard to see some crave attention because there’s no one at home to give it. “Thank you so much for volunteering,” a staff member said, “so many of them come from broken homes. They need a positive influence in their lives.” Many of them have single parents, who struggle to make ends meet and raise their kids at the same time. These kids are hurting, lost, and aching for the empty place in their heart to be filled with love.

 

In God’s perfect timing, He’s brought me to these schools to reach these young people with the only love that can bring them eternal comfort – the love of Jesus Christ. When you support our ministry, you provide for these lost and broken children who ache to be loved. Your involvement brings trust that leads to hope for the youth in Phoenix and Talent.” – CAMERON HOEHNE  71Five Campus Area Director – Phoenix /Talent  cameron@71Five.org