Have you ever wondered about kids who consider themselves a different gender? Did you realize that those kids show up at Youth 71Five Ministries? They show up…and we’re glad. At 71Five Campus in North Medford, I have a few who were born girls who want to think of themselves as guys. Traditional games where you play guys versus girls suddenly become a challenge. Small groups where you divide guys and girls up become a struggle. There are lots of other situations we need to watch out for too. So, what do we do? We love on kids unconditionally, even when we may not agree with them. Many of these kids have been hurt and are confused about their identity in many different ways. We show them that their identity is in Christ and in his unchanging love. We don’t pretend to agree with them if we don’t. We show them the amazing clarity that comes with following Jesus. We believe the Holy Spirt transforms lives. Our job is to love those around us with the same unconditional love with which Jesus loves us.

 

Some kids feel unlovable… But through caring adults, we show kids God’s transforming love. Thanks for allowing us to be Jesus to kids who struggle with their identity and feel unlovable. TIM HARDY  71Five Campus Coordinator – North Medford   (541) 779-3275  tim@71Five.org

 

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

Two weeks ago, as the boys from B2B Juvenile Justice sat down for lunch, they all pulled out the bag of chips and then set the rest of their bag lunches on the workbench. I asked what was going on and their staff leader said, “They want to donate their lunches to the homeless in our neighborhood.” Being overwhelmed, I turned to one of my volunteers and asked, “What just happened here?” He said, “These young men have been treated with respect and have seen what sharing and giving is like. I guess, in their way, they want to give back.” Then one young man said without hesitation, “We have plenty, we’ll eat again later.” They’ve been sharing their lunches ever since.

 

In a gentle and organic way, these young men are becoming followers of Jesus’ example and are feeling the blessing that comes with giving. I believe, the boy that gave Jesus his loaves and a couple of fish was blessed much more than the people who were fed. I hope you are blessed by this report as you too are giving and caring for these young adults in so many different ways. Come join us to further the great commission… making followers of Jesus. My phone number is (541) 779-3275. Hoping we’ll talk soon!   LARRY LICATO   71Five VoTech Coordinator   (541) 779-3275   larry@71Five.org

 

Many of the at-risk youth we serve have been affected by the recent catastrophic wild fires in one way or another; this coupled with Covid-19 and learning a new schooling method cannot be easy. Many of our youth find themselves overwhelmed and lost. Yet, through Youth 71Five Ministries, they have found shelter in our homes, resources and donations from our staff and supporters, and most importantly hope through Jesus Christ as we share the good news of the Gospel with them.

 

Without the continued support of each of our donors, volunteers, prayer warriors and staff members this would not be possible. Because of you, we were able to offer our homes to the evacuated families we serve, we are able to create a resource page on our website and a Wild Fire Relief Fund through our Homecoming Auction, we are able to cook for the multitudes sheltering at the Jackson County Expo as well as create a safe place there for young people to come and find relief through games, activities, sports and friendship. You are providing for the many youth and families in need throughout our communities. Thank you! DARLENE HARPER   71Five Mentors Coordinator   (541) 779.3275   darlene@71Five.org

 

The text read “Praying for your community. So sorry for this loss. Grateful that you are bringing a message of hope and healing.” My response was, “Amen! We exist for times like this, right?” I’ve never experienced a time (even with 9/11) where people are stressed emotionally at the level I’m seeing today. People are grappling to get a handle on the reality of our situation (Covid, racial tensions, political turmoil and now huge impact due to fires), with more struggles coming as the long-term impact is felt by the community. These feelings are very much in the minds and hearts of our young people as well.

We truly do exist for times like this! While everything has changed… at the same time, nothing has. Our Mission is still to share God’s Story with young people through trusting relationships in any relevant way. We are in the business of relationships, building trust that leads to hope and we are committed to stay in our ‘lane’.

Things are very different though… Connecting with kids in this season of Covid-19 and online schooling means we’re working hard to provide safe places for kids to study, access to the internet, and adult help if they’re struggling. With the challenges related to the fire, we’re connecting with kids to help them process the hurts and fear they’ve experienced. We’re collaborating with other agencies to provide food and structured activities for young people who’ve been displaced. Also, a Fire Relief Fund has been set up to provide for the food, activities, and also outside-the-box needs other agencies aren’t designed to meet.

You still provide trust that leads to hope! The Mission hasn’t changed… just some of the methods. Thank you for bringing the message of hope and healing!  BUD AMUNDSEN   71Five Executive Director   (541) 779-3275   bud@71Five.org

 

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