A few weeks ago, one of our students came up to me and said, “Hey, do you remember when you had to call my mom because I was being mean to people?” I did remember. It was four years ago, but it felt like forever. He’s a whole different kid now. Then he thanked me. Back then, almost all that people could see was a kid who was acting out and making bad choices. What they didn’t know at the time was how much he was actually struggling. When we called his parents and told them he couldn’t come back for a week, he was really mad. That moment ended up being a bigger deal than I realized. It made his parents take a closer look, and honestly, it kicked off a long season of him getting in trouble at home because of poor choices and learning things the hard way. When he finally came back, he said he expected it to be weird. Like we’d treat him differently or like he’d messed up too badly. Instead, we welcomed him back like he’d never left. Now, years later, he told me he’s grateful we stopped him when we did. At the time, it felt unfair to him, but now he sees it as being loved enough for someone to step in instead of ignoring it. Scripture says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [Romans 5:8]. Loving students this way is a small reflection of Christ’s love for us… Love that doesn’t wait for someone to first get it together!

SARA VASSALLO,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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

SARA VASSALLO,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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

Every week, two 6th grade twin sisters follow me around telling me every single detail about their lives, what they ate, who annoyed them, what they did last weekend, the whole thing. A few weeks ago, they brought a friend for the first time, and she fit right in like she’d always been here. She was super curious and full of questions. “Do you work here or just come for fun?” “Is this like a school?” “Do kids come every week?” “Can any kid come?” Then she got serious and asked, “How does this place make money? Do you sell stuff or something?” I told her we don’t sell anything, we’re able to do this every week because there are people who love Jesus and want kids to have a safe place to come and hear about God. So they give financially to make this happen. She looked at me like I had just said the craziest thing. “There are people who just give you money so we can have pizza?” I explained that it was more than that but, kind of. Then she asked, “Do all people do that?” I told her not everyone, but a lot of Christians use what God’s given them so they others can know Him. She nodded and said, “Well, when I get money, I’m gonna give it to kids who want pizza too!”

SARA VASSALLO,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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

One evening, as club night wrapped up at 71Five Campus – Central Point, a few of us including myself, another leader, and a couple of students wandered back inside to grab some water and begin cleaning up. We sat for a while, chatting about the usual middle school topics—school, friends, and home life. That’s when Amanda asked, “Can we talk about hard stuff?” For the next half hour, Amanda opened up about the struggles she’s been carrying: challenges at school, dealing with bullying, adjusting to yet another foster home, and trying to process traumas that many her age just don’t understand. Amanda didn’t need quick fixes or easy answers—she needed someone to be present and listen. In a tangible way, to show her the love of Jesus. Because of 71Five, she had a place where she felt safe enough to ask, “Can we talk about hard stuff?”

SARA VASSALLO,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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

Thank you for being a part of sharing the most important gift with the young people in your community.

SARA VASSALLO,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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

Lexi and Kayla are sisters who have been attending the 71Five Campus in Central Point for some time. They are very shy and often have trouble making friends. Each week they are glued to me from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, and it has been my prayer that they would be able to connect with some of the other girls in their age group. One night we had pancakes for dinner… While all the other kids were playing outside, the younger girls started to gather around as I finished the pancakes. They began decorating their pancakes and started launching whipped cream from their hands to their mouths. They giggled and played together for the rest of the evening. At the end of the night, after the other girls had left, the sisters ran up to me and one yelled “Sara…. We made friends!” They were so proud that after months of attending club they were able to make a friend.

SARA NIELSEN,  71Five Campus Coordinator – Central Point

(541) 816-6761 | sara@71Five.org

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