71Five LIFE CHANGE STORIES

Raising Hands High to God!

Posted on Apr 15, 2026 by Emma Kuhl | Life Change Story | 2

At 71Five’s Winter Camp recently, there was this quiet and reserved teen boy that had come with the 71Five City Grants Pass ministry area. Throughout most of the weekend he was keeping to himself and didn’t really engage with worship and teachings until the last night and I saw him raising his hands high to God and paying attention during the teaching as well. That following Sunday at church while I was leading worship during communion this same teen boy was the only one standing and lifting his hands high to the Lord. It was incredible to see the dramatic change in his life and the light of Jesus shine bright in him.

Thank you for helping young people get to go to 71Five Camps. Your partnership provides trust and hope for thousands of young people throughout Jackson and Josephine Counties.

EMMA KUHL, 71Five Director – Grants Pass

(541) 295-5458 | emma@71Five.org

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

She was chosen!

Posted on Apr 8, 2026 by Melissa Frazier | Life Change Story | 35

She didn’t have a car. Sometimes she didn’t even have a home. But every single week — she showed up. Her name is Desi. She’s a young mom who came to our teen Parent Night week-after-week for three years! Life was hard. But Desi stayed. She soaked up every lesson. She built real relationships. She learned. She grew. She kept pushing forward even when it would have been so easy to walk away. Last month, Desi applied for a wonderful job. She interviewed. She was chosen! God provided the people and this ministry to walk alongside her — and Desi did the work. We are so proud of her.

That’s what we do at 71Five Parents right here in Jackson County. We give young parents a safe place. Real people. Real mentors. Real hope. A chance to know — you are not alone in this. My name is Melissa Frazier. I am just stepping into this role — and I am already falling in love with this ministry and the young parents we serve. Volunteer. Bring a meal. Be a mentor. Or simply give. Even a small gift can change the life of a child — and every generation that follows. Call me today.

MELISSA FRAZIER, 71Five Parents Coordinator – Jackson County

541.841-0878 | melissafrazier@71Five.org

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

She earned the nickname: “The Iron Curtain”

Posted on Mar 30, 2026 by Will Arias | Life Change Story | 19

When Chloe walked through our doors in February 2025, she brought a joyful smile, a wildly active mind, and her favorite Warrior Cats book. She is a wonderful mix of passions: she loves reading, adores cats, and is fiercely tough. On our youth soccer team, she earned the nickname “The Iron Curtain” … Because absolutely nothing gets past her! Chloe has a tough exterior, and she is not afraid to react if she feels pushed. But the toughest kids are often the ones who most need to hear, “You are awesome, you are loved, let us go get a Blizzard.” By consistently showing up for her, we have seen her guard begin to drop. While she is not a believer in Jesus yet, she is now always the last kid here, often begging us to keep the doors open just a little bit longer. Recently, we were discussing humanity and its relationship with God. I shared with Chloe that God the Father loves her specifically. I told her that the Creator of the universe had her in mind. She met my eyes, and a faint, genuine smile appeared. It was not an instant conversion, but it was a beautiful, vital seed planted in her heart.

Thank you for your continued support of Youth 71Five Ministries. It is because of your generosity that we can keep planting these seeds and sharing the love of God with the amazing young people of Shady Cove.

WILL ARIAS, 71Five Campus Coordinator – Shady Cove

541.841.6400 | will@71Five.org

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

Students Learning to be Leaders

Posted on Mar 26, 2026 by Misha Ownsbey-Rose | Life Change Story | 48

We recently implemented a new system for our special events, asking a student to lead the devotional during our monthly outings. At our recent paintball event, we had our first student share. Although he was incredibly nervous to speak in front of his peers, it was incredible to see him open the Bible and teach Scripture. It was powerful to watch him step out of his comfort zone, face his fear of speaking, and humbly seek guidance from leaders on what to share and how to teach.

With your support of 71Five, you not only provide opportunities for students to be reached, fed, and have fun you also help raise up future leaders. Because of you, students are discovering their voice, growing in confidence, and learning to be leaders themselves.

MISHA OWNSBEY-ROSE, 71Five City Coordinator – West Medford

707.485.2503 | misha@71Five.org

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

Pieces of the Story

Posted on Mar 18, 2026 by Sara Vassallo | Life Change Story | 28

One night at a middle school group, a girl raised her hand and asked, “What’s so good about Jesus anyway?” She wasn’t being sarcastic; she was genuinely asking. As she started explaining, it became clear she had heard pieces of the story before. People said Jesus loves her, that He died for her, but no one had ever explained why that actually matters. At one point she said, “How could a man from 2,000 years ago die for me if He doesn’t even know me?” So we talked through it with her. Nothing complicated; God made you on purpose and for a relationship with Him. But all of us choose our own way instead of God’s way, that’s called sin, and it separates us from Him. We can’t fix that gap by just “being good.” So God did what we couldn’t: Jesus came, lived a perfect life, died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin, but he didn’t just die, He rose from the dead. Because of that, anyone who turns from their sin and trusts in Jesus isn’t just forgiven, they’re brought into God’s family and given a brand-new life with Him now and forever.

It was one of those simple conversations that reminds you how many students aren’t pushing back on Jesus, they just haven’t had someone clearly explain Him yet. Because of you, we get to be in those moments. We get to go back to the basics and give the answers students are really seeking.

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

More Than Expected!

Posted on Mar 13, 2026 by Robert Manning | Life Change Story | 52

I recently sat down with a student who signed up for a training course at 71Five VoTech – Grants Pass to gain some automotive experience. Travon is a 17 year old young man with aspirations to work on custom cars… When I asked him about his journey thus far in our class he replied, “I’m getting a lot more out of it than I expected!” He was prepared to sit in the corner and take notes, he did not expect the hands-on experience and the morning life skills conversations. I also asked him what he thought about the foundation of our ministry being faith based and being part of our daily lives and conversations. Travon replied, “I was raised in a very over-the-top religious home and I drifted from faith as it was more than what I was capable of tolerating.” He said he felt comfortable and appreciated our light approach to the word indicating that he had not given up completely and felt hope in his future. This was a young man who was reluctant to be here, sitting in the corner just watching, not interacting much, now he is a social butterfly in the shop and seems to have bonded well with his classmates. When I asked him if he would want to take another course with us he replied, “If there’s a way… I will.”

This is where being a 71Five VoTech Coordinator is very rewarding to have meaningful life skills conversations while offering God’s perspective along with some vocational skills that help launch these young people into the next phase of their life’s. Thank you for being a significant part of Travon’s story of hope!

ROBERT MANNING, 71Five VoTech Coordinator – Grants Pass

541.951.7591 | robert@71Five.org

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

Wrestling With Pessimism…

Posted on Mar 6, 2026 by Shane Skirvin | Life Change Story | 13

Because of you and your generous support, we can be in young people’s lives for the long haul! Many times faith is not a sprint but a marathon. We plant seeds early and often [Mark 4:26-29] and strive to maintain a presence in a young person’s life to testify to God’s story of who he is and what he wants to do in their lives. I have been in a young man’s life for several years now, and he seems to wrestle with pessimism and a lack of hope. I have been concerned that he would just stop coming to the club all together. I have continued to pray for him as we share God’s story of hope. I’ve noticed a definite shift to him being in the back and un-engaged, to being present during discussions, listening more and more, and actually participating in our discussions! The other day he came forward after discussion and asked for a Bible and said, “I need to start reading it!”

This is such an answer to prayer and we are only able to have a presence like this in this young man’s life because of people like you! Thank you so much for being there for this young man and bringing to him the story of God’s Hope!

SHANE SKIRVIN, 71Five Campus Coordinator – North Medford

(541) 646-1475 | shane@71Five.org

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

“Where were you three months ago?”

Posted on Feb 28, 2026 by Chris Willis | Life Change Story | 18

I met this young man while attending our juvenile justice ministry. One night our group was having a real conversation about the bible. We talked about how the Bible shows us the right way to live, and how when we actually follow it, our choices start leading to different outcomes. It was not a surface conversation. The guys were honest. You could feel that people were thinking about their lives in a real way. As we wrapped up, this young man spoke up in front of everyone. He looked straight at me and said, “Where were you three months ago?” The room went quiet. Those words stuck with me. Three months earlier he had made some foolish choices that set him on a path he could not undo. Now he was facing prison time, and in that moment the weight of it all had settled in. You could hear the regret in his voice. It was the sound of someone realizing that life did not have to go the way it did. What struck me most was that he was not angry. He was not making excuses. He could see clearly that the direction he had taken led him right where he was sitting.

Even though he could not change his past, something changed in him that night. The gospel gave him clarity and hope at the same time. He began to see that God still had a path forward for him, even if it started behind prison walls.

CHRIS WILLIS, 71Five Area Director – Grants Pass

541.941.3488 | chris@71Five.org

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

Building Trust!

Posted on Feb 23, 2026 by Wendy Collins | Life Change Story | 27

How do you build the trust that leads to lives transformed in Jesus? You might be surprised to learn it’s not about being “perfect,” having all the right answers, or giving loads of extra time. It’s simply about showing up, showing you care, and staying consistent. Jessy and his mentor have spent years doing just that—sharing meals, rides, talks about life and about nothing. Seeing each other through every celebration and bump along the way built the trust for where they are today. Jessy now desires to grow spiritually and they are diving into God’s Word together. What an amazing thing to be part of.

You can be that one person who is consistent, who cares, and who shows up in a young person’s life. Your humility and willingness to share the hope of God… your “Yes,” will build the trust that leads to Hope. Become a 71Five Mentor today!

WENDY COLLINS, 71Five Mentors Coordinator

541.441.2495 | wendy@71Five.org

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

Second Chances Build Successes

Posted on Feb 12, 2026 by Logan Schockelt | Life Change Story | 41