awkwardly trying to fit in

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

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